between clouds and mud

Chapter 13 This Wind Changsha Cloud Old Habits ([-])
Since the last time I suggested to my father, Zhou Song took the bus to and from school every day.

The Zhou family is in a quiet villa area, and it takes more than ten minutes from the bus station to the house.Sometimes Zhou Huaiming would give her a ride, but actually Zhou Song enjoyed walking alone more.

She stepped on the checkered bricks under her feet, looked at the street trees on the side of the road, and smelled the fragrance of flowers blowing in the wind. Her thoughts always flew out of the tall buildings and landed on the hills and fertile fields.

Pointing to open the learning machine whose paint has peeled off, Zhou Song read aloud slowly following the voice inside.

Her English is already very good, and all the words and texts are clear by heart.

If she had been more sensible when she was a child, and her father tested her English, she would definitely not bully him for not knowing it, and just recite nonsense.

She calmed down, waiting for the winter vacation, her father would definitely pass the primary school exam.

Zhou Li always likes to sneak into his sister's room. To children, his sister's room is like a treasure house.

My sister likes to wear headphones. Every time he clicks on the MP4, the scrolling words are English words. My sister's handwriting is very neat, and the bookmarks that shake off are golden tinfoil candy paper.

Zhou Li likes game consoles, and Zhou Song likes the learning machine brought from the countryside, because it is used too frequently, the human voice in the learning machine is a bit stuck, and it is mixed with harsh electric sounds.

After Zhou Li told his mother, his parents bought a new learning machine and came back. The new learning machine has a more beautiful style and smoother sound, but Zhou Song never uses it.

Zhou Li touched it, hehe, it was covered with a thick layer of dust.

Sometimes my sister came in suddenly, and he hid behind the curtain.

As my sister said, no one is allowed to enter or leave her room at will.Only Zhou Li would sneak in, unfortunately, he would stand behind the curtain and dare not move.

My sister would stay for a long time once she was doing her homework or reading a book. If Aunt Song didn't call for dinner, she wouldn't get up.

So it was very difficult for Zhou Li to stand, and sometimes he would tremble when his legs were unsteady.He was not afraid of anything since he was a child, but now that he has it, he is afraid that his sister will be angry.

This time he didn't find anything new in his sister's room, and shook his head helplessly with his mother after he went out.

The last time the school sports meeting made my sister unhappy, my mother said to give my sister something.

But my sister didn't like the one my mother gave me.

After Zhou Huaiming came back from get off work, holding his troubled son in his arms, he offered his wife a trick.

After school that day, Zhou Song saw a brand new and beautiful bicycle in his yard.

All she used to ride was Dad's old-fashioned [-]-bar bicycle. Zhou Song didn't expect that a bicycle could make so many tricks. It was not only beautiful in style, but also comfortable to ride.

From that day on, she stopped taking the bus and rode her bicycle to school every day as long as it didn't rain.

She calculated in her heart that taking the bus to and from school costs one yuan a day, and if she rides a bicycle every day, she can save a lot of money over the years.

Her father often relied on manpower to save a few cents on the fare.

This gift was obviously sent to Zhou Song's heart. Feng Yi looked at her daughter with a smile. She seldom spoke actively after being reprimanded by her husband and son last time. The sword is on the verge of breaking out.

"Mother, thank you." Zhou Song also smiled back.

Although my daughter's tone was polite and alienated, but she took the initiative to address her, and it was the first time that she spoke to herself in such a friendly manner. This is a good progress.

Feng Yi smiled brighter. If she hadn't wanted to maintain the image of a good mother in front of her daughter, she might have jumped up for joy. After all, Feng Yi felt that her daughter was more difficult to deal with than those clients in the business field.

After eating, Zhou Song was not in a hurry to go back to the room, she stayed in the living room and sat for a while.

Sitting in the middle of the sofa and reading the newspaper, Zhou Huaiming couldn't wait for the fruit for a long time, and found that his wife had brought it and put it on the table next to Zhou Song's seat.

Feng Yi smiled kindly at her daughter, she deeply felt that gift giving is really a skill, and the effect is so good when it is delivered to people's hearts.

Zhou Huaiming sighed, so he started to make tea by himself.

Seeing that he no longer reads the newspaper, Zhou Song took the initiative to greet him: "I have received a letter from my father, thank you for your help."

Zhou Huaiming nodded, poured another cup from the purple sand pot in his hand, and handed it to his daughter: "It's a little effort, after all, they take good care of you."

Zhou Huaiming introduced an ophthalmologist, and went to the hospital in the small county to see Xiao Liuniang. His father said in his letter that the specialist was different, but he could rejuvenate. My mother's cataracts were almost healed.

"Drink some tea with my father, Lu'an Guapian from Wanxi." Zhou Huaiming knew that his daughter seldom tastes tea, so he explained: "Oolong tea is suitable for girls."

Zhou Song looked at the clear tea color in the exquisite and small cup, and she took a sip.I remember that when the couple met for the first time, the couple suddenly visited, and she also made a bowl of tea as a treat.

"Xiao Song, thank you for what the family is talking about." Feng Yi has a straight temper and doesn't like his daughter being so polite: "In the future, you are not allowed to say polite words to your parents."

Zhou Song smiled, his expression was very indifferent.Their relationship is like this cup of tea.

The tea that Xiaoliu made was picked by Xiaoliuniang herself and fried. The bowl of tea that was soaked in the enamel jar with peeling lacquer was kept cold without taking a sip, just like the identities of the two families, there is a difference between cloud and mud .

During the first test, Zhou Song was among the bottom ten in the class.In this mid-term exam, she was among the best and entered the top three.

Jiang Lele called it amazing.

As her deskmate, Jiang Lele knew that Zhou Song was working very hard, but she didn't expect her progress to be so fast.

But Zhou Song was more concerned about her grade ranking, so she went to the grade column to check it out. The list only announced the top [-] in her grade, without her name.

When he heard that Zhou Song wanted to know his grade ranking, Jiang Lele quickly brought the detailed list.

Zhou Song ranked 426th in her grade, which is still far from her set goal.So there is a long way to go, and only if she enters the top [-] in the grade can she be eligible to go to Class Five.

But Zhou Song was even more curious about Jiang Lele's supernatural powers: "Where did you get the list?"

Jiang Lele made a secret gesture and didn't tell her.

This semester, Feng Yi received two invitations to the parent meeting.

She has a very headache. At this time of year, the husband and wife always push me to let it go: "Husband, you choose one."

The husband and wife have been tortured by the parents' association for these years, and this is simply a long-term punishment for them, no less than the punishment of skinning and tearing apart.

In the days after the parent-teacher meeting, even the air pressure in the whole house dropped. You can probably imagine how old Zhou Li is at school.

Zhou Huaiming came out of the bathroom in his pajamas, pretending to open his work notes: "I'm just busy these days."

In Feng Yi's understanding, the parent meeting is equal to the criticism meeting.

So when she attended Zhou Song's parent meeting for the first time, she was extremely flattered.

The first is to praise how good your daughter is in school, and then praise how good a parent can raise such a daughter.

The head teacher looked at the woman's astonished expression, and was also worried that he had praised the wrong person: "Are you Zhou Song's mother?"

Feng Yi is still thinking about it, how much she wants to say proudly at this moment, she is Zhou Song's mother to me, dear, the flesh that fell from my body.

But she can only say: "I am Xiao Song's aunt, her parents are far away and cannot keep up."

"Oh." So the head teacher's expression became more pitiful, probably secretly feeling sorry for this girl who was studying away from her family alone, no wonder she was so sensible and obedient.

Because of the nature of Zhou Huaiming's work, the family still referred to Zhou Song as his niece and daughter, and Zhou Song's household registration was still in Dengxinqiao.

In the past few days, Feng Yi has been immersed in the parent meeting, and sometimes she can wake up with a smile in her dreams, and the teacher's praise for her daughter is buzzing in her ears.

Zhou Huaiming glanced at her, and the calculations in his heart had already begun.After that, the husband and wife secretly competed in order to participate in Zhou Song's parent meeting, and began to plot against each other.

If Feng Yi didn't go, she would be so angry that she wouldn't even sleep with him for a few days.

I also thought about going with both of them, but both of them are already very busy people.I have to ask for leave to hold a parent meeting, and it’s a good deal for the two of us to hold Zhou Song, and then go to Zhou Li and suffer together?Forget it Forget it.

For the small goal of entering the fifth class, Zhou Song went to Zhang Chengnian's classroom for evening self-study from Monday to Friday. The atmosphere of the university is very open, so no one would stop her.

Scanning the girls in their class, Zhou Song was somewhat selfish.

For example, if anyone pays more attention to her brother Cheng, she will definitely pay more attention to that girl, and secretly tell Zhang Chengnian: "That girl is not a good person, you remember to stay away from her, so as not to affect your studies."

Zhang Chengnian tapped her with a pen: "Are you here for tutoring or post inspection?"

Zhou Song buried her head in her homework, and the word "chagang" made her dreamy and blushed.

It's not surprising to fall in love in college, everyone thought this was Zhang Chengnian's little girlfriend.However, Zhou Song came here every day in his high school uniform, so the students looked at Zhang Chengnian with a little more meaning.

How old is this girl, brother, you can do it.

Then Zhang Chengnian slowly realized something was wrong, and when Zhou Song went again, everyone's eyes became normal.

Because of the tacit understanding between the two since childhood, Zhang Chengnian explained the knowledge to her, and she could always master it quickly, which was much more effective than cram schools.

Zhou Song also sneaked into the boys' dormitory, but Zhang Chengnian would not bring her in.

She had already quietly touched the door and the way, and once opened the door, Zhang Chengnian happened to be changing clothes.But Zhou Song stared at his shoulder and walked in, he was startled.

"Fuck, Xiao Liu, what do you want to do?"

Zhang Chengnian hurriedly put on his clothes, defending his innocence.

Zhou Song grabbed the corner of his clothes, and the corners of his eyes were moist.Her hand trembled slightly and poked in from the inner layer. The palm touched a large red scar on his back, and it felt hot to the touch.

Even after a long time, it still looks hideous.

Zhang Chengnian shuddered from being touched by her fingers. He grabbed her wrist and tightened his strength. His face was flushed, and his beating heart calmed down before he explained slowly: "During the second year of high school, the dormitory conditions were not very good, and I was bitten by insects."

Zhang Chengnian froze for a moment, he felt the clothes on his back were wet with tears.

He sighed and turned around, took the girl into his arms, and coaxed her in the same gentle tone as when he was a child: "Brother is fine."

Growing up together, she watched the boy explore an unguided path alone.

At that time, Zhang Chengnian was under a lot of pressure to go to school. The level of education from the countryside to the town was so far apart. He didn't rely on anyone.

With only a firm will, he gritted his teeth and survived, whether it was the pressure of study, the poverty of life or the self-esteem in front of others.

And now that she is enjoying such good conditions, what qualifications does she have not to work hard?
This is also the reason why Xiaoliu's parents insisted on sending her to Changsha. Seeing Brother Cheng's hardships all the way, how could the parents be willing to let their daughter suffer such hardships.

At this moment, she not only felt sorry for Zhang Chengnian's forbearance, but also completely understood the painstaking efforts of her parents.

At nine o'clock in the evening for self-study, Zhang Chengnian will send her back.Riding a bicycle a while ago, she sat behind him.After arriving at the last section of the road, the two got out of the car and pushed slowly.

Looking at the interlaced shadows of two people under the street lamp, Zhou Song felt very satisfied.

Times have changed, and she lives in a world completely derailed from the past. Only Zhang Chengnian can remind her of the Lampwick Bridge thousands of miles away.

Today, she cried.

So along the way he held her hand to comfort her, like he did when he was a child, and took her home.

His palm is thick and rough, and the lines on it are like a microcosm, reflecting the mountains and rivers in his hometown.

Zhou Song's palm lightly stroked the old callus on his palm, and he would tighten it slightly, and stop it aloud: "Xiao Liu, don't make trouble."

Condescending, his eyes fixed on her.

At this moment, the boy finally realized that his heart was far less open than he imagined.

When I was young, there was no difference between men and women. Brother Nian held the hands of all the girls in Dengxinqiao Township, but Xiaoliu had the softest palm.So he likes to take her hand home the most.

When I was a child, I always wanted to make her cry in a mischievous way, and he was at a loss when she cried, but it would always be fine if she was coaxed, she was the best little girl to coax.

As a child, holding caterpillars on her arms, he watched her skin turn pink.

This is the little girl he grew up with.He also grew taller, reaching exactly to his chest.Every time she approached, the rhythm of her heartbeat always accelerated uncontrollably.

"Next time I won't ride a bicycle." Zhou Song looked up at the boy under the street lamp: "Let's count the steps from your school to here."

When they were young, they went home holding hands under the moonlight. Standing under the dim streetlight now, their expressions became clearer, and his eyes were filled with tenderness: "Okay."

When Xiaoliu went to Wutong Primary School to report for the first time, the father and daughter walked in front of each other.

With her father's broad and strong back in front of her, she deliberately stepped on the footprints left by her father.

Dad took her to play a game - counting steps.

How many steps are there from home to school?

Xiao Liu can't count yet.

Dad said, count from one to ten thousand and you will be home.

Xiaoliu, Xiaoliu, counting from one to ten thousand is the way home.

(End of this chapter)