Flowers all the way

Chapter 5
Xin Chen raised her head and looked at the house she lived in. Her balcony was now full of greenery and flowers, which was completely different from the neighbor's closed balcony or full of sundries.

She stayed at home to catch up with work for a few days, and finished the work that had to be handed in first. After going to the advertising agency, she found a restaurant and ordered a seaweed pork rib soup and a rice for lunch. After eating, she went to the supermarket to buy it. Some necessary food for staying at home, I walked home lazily, only to realize that today is unusual.

In the hot and gloomy afternoon, there were not many people hanging out in the residential area, but now neighbors in twos and threes gathered everywhere, pointing to the newly posted demolition notice on the wall, and discussing it at the same time.

This residential area is located in a prime location in the downtown area, and the buildings are old. It was included in the red line of planning a few years ago. There were rumors of demolition, and surveyors were seen one after another carrying out surveying and mapping with instruments and equipment, but nothing happened.Many people still have the same mentality, but some well-informed people have begun to release exclusive news with a little mystery: "It is said that a large group from Shenzhen has won this land and is planning to build a shopping mall and office building. This time it’s for real.” The next step is naturally to ask each other about compensation for demolition and resettlement, and so on.

Xin Chen didn't have much interest in these things. She said that day that she couldn't remember how long she had lived here. When she said that, she couldn't help laughing at herself, because the time is actually very clear. She has lived here since she was born, and now it has been 25 years.

This is the dormitory shared by Xin Chen's grandparents. After the two old people passed away successively, Xin Kaiming ignored his wife's objection and gave up his inheritance rights. If you earn money, you can naturally give your daughter more, but this house is written in your daughter's name first, which is considered to be the most basic thing for her, and it will save you from losing money, leaving your daughter with no place to hide. "

Xin Kaiyu knew that his elder brother didn't trust him, so he nodded in agreement, and went through the formalities together.

Xin Chen, who was only 12 years old, has since become a property owner, although it is only an old dormitory with two bedrooms.She had no idea about this move at the time, but later she understood the painstaking efforts of her uncle, and she couldn't help but be grateful to him.

Whenever Xin Di told Xin Chen about her father Xin Kaiyu who liked her, Xin Chen felt conflicted.Of course, she loves her father, such a happy father who does not put pressure on his daughter, who has never even been angry with her since childhood, and who tried his best to pamper her petite temper, how could she not love him? !

However, Xin Kaiyu is also a man who makes his life happy and stress-free.He will arrange for his daughter to pay the bill at a nearby small restaurant, and wait for him to settle the bill at the end of the month, because he does not know how to cook and has no time; On business trips, he would sometimes stay out at night, and only call to tell her to sleep and close the doors and windows; he would also rush out after answering a call in the middle of the night, and the caller knew it was a woman without asking.

He once brought a woman home. Although the beautiful aunt cleaned the room and started cooking as soon as she came, she behaved very virtuously, but Xin Chen didn't think the room was tidy, and hot meals on the table were considered a family order. normal manifestation.From childhood to adulthood, too many women have cared for her, knitted sweaters, knitted hats, and made delicious food for her, but once she broke up with her father, they disappeared.

Of course, she didn't like this newcomer, so she said to her impolitely after eating, "Why don't you go home?"

The pretty aunt couldn't help being embarrassed, Xin Kaiyu didn't care, just smiled and asked her daughter to go back to her room to do her homework.But Xin Chen was not so easy to deal with, she called her uncle Xin Kaiming in front of the two of them.A child has the most accurate intuition in some aspects. She knows that her aunt doesn't really like her, and her uncle loves her no less than Xin Di.

Xin Kaiyu has always indulged Xin Chen's petty temper, and heard her coquettishly telling her uncle on the phone that her father brought a strange aunt back, and she refused to leave at night, hindering her from doing her homework.He didn't get angry, just smiled wryly, and touched his daughter's head, "My dear, don't make trouble, I'll take auntie home."

When Xin Kaiyu sent his girlfriend back, Xin Kaiming also rushed over and was checking Xin Chen's homework. Sure enough, when he saw him, he turned cold and taught him a lesson.

Xin Kaiming held the hope of just in case, and first asked his younger brother if he was ready to fall in love and start a family, "If so, I have no objection to you bringing her back, getting familiar with Xiaochen and cultivating a relationship, and getting along well in the future, but you have to respect yourself, you can't Stay where you want."

Xin Kaiyu shook his head and smiled as usual, "I just plan to have a good relationship. Get married? I haven't thought about it now, and I don't plan to find a stepmother for Chen Zi."

Xin Kaiming would be weird if he was not irritated by this answer, "Then you shouldn't bring Zhang San and Li Siquan home. Xiao Chen is only 13 years old, and girls' mental development is early. Do you think you let your daughter get in touch with your romantic history so early?" Just to treat her well? It would be better to find her a peaceful woman as a stepmother. "

Xin Kaiyu didn't intend to confront his old-fashioned elder brother, but admitted that his words had some truth, "Okay, elder brother, I promise you, I won't bring anyone home again, that's fine."

He kept his word, and indeed never brought a woman back.The family remained without a mistress. Xin Chen had no concept of his mother, nor did he feel that it was a big blank.

In fact, Xinchen feels that there are no shortcomings in his life at all.

If she hadn't met Lu Fei, she would have always thought so.

That's because you have never tried to have it, Xin Chen told himself bitterly, as long as you have never owned it, you can pretend that you don't need it, including mother, including love.

But when she was 14 years old, these things came in like a tide, without asking her if she needed them, and then whizzed away, leaving her still living in this old dormitory area, like an empty beach after low tide, The world was silent, and she was the only one left looking around in a daze.

"Do you love your flowers, Xin Chen?" An old and hoarse voice brought her back to reality.

The person who asked the question was Master Lu who lives in the opposite building. He is in his 50s, with a kind and cheerful personality. He has always lived here and watched Xin Chen grow up.

Xin Chen smiled, "Most of the plants I plant are herbaceous plants, which can only live until autumn. Don't worry, you can also give them away for other moves. Uncle Lu, what about your pigeons?"

Master Lu has been fond of raising pigeons for decades, and his neighbors are very disturbed. When he caught up with SARS and bird flu, he was ordered to deal with it by himself.But he was not discouraged. He always packed the pigeons and shipped them to the countryside, and when the limelight passed, he would transfer them back as usual.

Xin Chen used to hate being woken up by the cooing of pigeons in the morning, so he couldn't sleep in late.But later, she gradually accepted the existence of this sound. After work, she often sat on the balcony of her home and watched Master Lu train the pigeons to fly, which not only relieved eye fatigue, but also relaxed her mind.

Master Lu chuckled, "I just moved to live in the suburbs. The air is fresh, the place is open, and I can raise more babies that can compete. I've been looking forward to this day."

Xin Chen nodded with a smile, carried her things upstairs, turned on the air conditioner, the temperature in the room was quickly cool and pleasant, she lay down on the chaise longue, and suddenly didn't want to work.

"I should get out of here too."

It wasn't the first time Xin Chen had this idea, but it was the first time she said it directly to Lu Fei that day, and the words echoed in her ears again, with a slightly distorted echo, not quite like her own. sound up.

So where to go?

After graduating from university, Xindi once wanted to work in a place with a developed coastal clothing industry. She went to another place for an internship. The famous clothing company was impressed by her design works and the awards she won during her studies, and had already intended to work with her. signing the contract.However, her mother, Li Xin, suffered from rheumatic heart disease. This chronic disease had a sudden and acute attack that summer. Her father was the leader of an organization and was busy with work. A little melancholy, I sent my resume to Suomei, and was successfully hired, and I have been to this day.

Although her development is considered good among her classmates, she has always envied her cousin who can control her own life independently, "Chenzi, you can go wherever you want, much more free than me."

Xin Chen smiled but did not answer, of course, it is true in theory.Xin Kaiyu started doing business in Kunming when she was in her third year of high school, and has already settled there halfway, only coming back occasionally.The only one who wants her to stay is the uncle, and the reason is that it is better for a girl not to go out and suffer hardships.

Everyone thought that Xin Chen, who loved traveling and hiking since college, would go to work in other places. When she graduated, she even said that she was going to the metropolis to try out job opportunities, but Xin Kaiming couldn't stop her.However, to everyone's surprise, she went out for more than half a month, but came back quietly.

Li Xin curled her lips, concluding that she couldn't find a job and had to go home in desperation, while Xin Kaiming said, "Why are you so thin? It's okay. I'll talk about it after graduation. I'll figure out a way."

Xin Chen, who was called by his uncle to eat at home, did not explain or say anything, with an almost fixed smile hanging on his thin face.

Xin Chen came back from his uncle's house, opened his door, looked at the desolate and desolate home, and suddenly asked himself for the first time: How long have I lived here, how long will I continue to live here?
Afterwards, this question often hovered in her mind, but not only did she live there, she also made a little money, renovated the house, and started planting flowers, which made her uncle nod in approval.Xin Kaiming has always believed in "those who have permanent property have perseverance", he felt that this child finally did not inherit the inheritance of his restless brother, and this move can be regarded as a peace of mind.

Only Xin Chen knew that she did all this to coax herself to live in peace. This house left too many memories, and she couldn't live in it without thorough renovations and changes.

In order to catch up with the work at hand, Xin Chen stayed up for several days in a row. She lay on the imperial concubine's couch, fell asleep in a daze, dreaming chaotic dreams.The phone rang, and she answered it subconsciously. It was a detail modification of the design draft explained by a customer. She agreed casually and asked him to send a backup email. The customer only thought she was careful, and only she knew that she was still half asleep. , did not listen to anything at all.

Turning the phone to silent and throwing it aside, she continued to sleep until the doorbell woke her up again. The doorbell gradually changed from distant and blurred to clear, and it rang persistently, but she couldn't move at all. She only felt difficult to breathe. Limp, losing control of his body.

This is not the first time Xin Chen has encountered such a situation, and she has consulted a doctor about it, so she is not panicking at this time, she just tries to concentrate, wait for her breathing to calm down, move her arms first, and then slowly resume her activities Ability, get out of bed slowly, walk to the door, look outside through the cat's eyes, Lu Fei is standing at the door with a solemn face, and is pressing the doorbell again.

She opened the door, "what's the matter?"

"Why haven't you opened the door or answered the phone for so long?"

"Didn't hear it when I was asleep." She said simply, and let him in sideways, pushed the swivel chair in front of the computer desk to him, sat back on the chaise longue, picked up the phone casually, and saw that there were several missed calls on it. On the phone, she deleted all the strange calls, and then replied to familiar numbers one by one, "It's done, yes, I'll show it to you tomorrow, um, ok, ok, goodbye." "I've said it, It is impossible for me to make her into Zhang Ziyi, the only thing they have in common is gender, if you want to PS to look like a star, you don’t need to ask me, you can do it yourself.” After a while, she smiled impatiently, “Okay, That's it, you explain it to her yourself."

Just as Xin Chen put down the phone, Lu Fei took out his own phone and dialed. The phone flickered silently in her palm. It was an unfamiliar number. He looked at her, "Save my number, don't delete it as an unfamiliar call."

Xin Chen hesitated, followed his instructions, then raised his head and said with a smile, "Is there anything else? I still have a job to finish."

"Have you stayed up late these days?"

"No, I usually go to bed before twelve o'clock."

Her tone was as if nothing had happened, and Lu Fei looked at her up and down, "Did you have a nightmare again just now?"

Xin Chen's smile froze, she knew that no matter how much she pretended to be fine, it would be futile.How could she forget that she experienced this nightmare for the first time since she was 14 years old, and from time to time there will be such a situation, commonly known as "ghosts crushing her body", and the person in front of her once saw her being haunted by the nightmare with her own eyes, and she was in shock. struggling.He held her tightly, patted her on the back to comfort her, and later took her to a doctor to determine the cause of the situation.

Of course, with a scientific explanation, it’s actually not terrible. It’s just a kind of sleep paralysis. When you suddenly wake up, part of the nerve center of the brain has already woken up, but the nerve center that controls the muscles has not yet fully awakened, so although there is discomfort It can be regarded as a normal physiological phenomenon, which has nothing to do with ghosts and ghosts, and will not have any adverse effects on health.

After she started hiking regularly outside and sleeping regularly, sleep paralysis happened less often, and when it happened, it was no big deal, just waiting for it to pass.But today, facing his deep and calm eyes, she only felt that after fully waking up for the first time, she lost the ability to move, as if she had once again fallen into the nightmare about the past.

(End of this chapter)