let me look at you

Chapter 47 The Only Freedom

How vulnerable are those things they have, just like the crispness of white jade in front of the stubborn stone, and the powerlessness of Bai Lian in front of the dye vat.

After the graduation exam, Wu Yu also ended his student career.He has long been disinterested in studies, and going to higher education is an unrealistic fantasy for him.Ju Nian knew that persuasion would not help, so he could only remain silent.Probably everyone has their own life trajectories, these trajectories intersect with each other, but the end points are not the same.Books and teachers tell us that all men are created equal.But just talking about Han Shu and Wu Yu, from the moment they were born, how did they ever stand on the same starting line?
Two months after his grandma passed away, Wu Yu emptied the belongings of the deceased according to the prior agreement with Lin Henggui, and moved out of the house where he had lived for 18 years. A dilapidated single room.At that time, Lin Henggui paid a total of 1000 yuan for the house, and there was 9000 yuan left. He said that his small shop needed capital turnover, and he could pay it off within five months.

Ju Nian instinctively doubted Lin Henggui's character. She worriedly said to Wu Yu more than once: "I can't trust that villain. When you deal with him, you have to keep everything in mind. At the time when I sold the house, I was desperate and there was no way out." , 7000 yuan is already cheap for him, and now he has only paid half of the money, you just vacate the house, just rely on an IOU from him, what if he cheats?"

How could Wu Yu not understand the truth of the Orange Year, but handing over the house within three months after receiving the down payment was a condition he had to agree to Lin Henggui when his grandmother was critically ill.Grandma didn't make it through. As a grandson, he tried his best. As for the final outcome, it was the arrangement of fate.

Lin Henggui's despicable Wu Yu knows better than anyone, but he said to Ju Nian: "At that time, I only wanted to get the money. I couldn't save my grandma, but I had to let her suffer less. Evacuate the house on time, yes I personally agreed to Lin Henggui. If I don't keep my word, then I'm no different from a despicable person like Lin Henggui. Ju Nian, I don't want to be like him. "

At the end, as if to comfort Ju Nian and herself, Wu Yu smiled and said, "Lin Henggui promised that I would never cut down that loquat tree, don't worry."

Ju Nian didn't say anything, if the loquat tree no longer belonged to him, even if it will bear fruit one day, what does it have to do with her?
In addition to continuing to work in Internet cafes, Wu Yu also relied on his "friends" to work as a waiter in the "KK" bar. He held two jobs, and it was no problem to barely support himself. Working in separate places made him even thinner, and because he rarely saw sunlight, his pallor seemed to be transparent, and when the sun shone, it seemed that he would disappear into nothingness.

Ju Nian knew that he was busy all day long, neglected to take care of himself, and often took time to take care of him at his residence when he was nervous about preparing for exams.The most eye-catching orange plaid curtains in that shabby residence were handpicked and hung by Ju Nian. The simple bowls and chopsticks and the small lamp by the bed were all bargains the two of them found in the night market. I cut some branches from the pomegranate tree in the cemetery and brought them back, and put them in earthenware pots to make a potted plant. Wu Yu would remember to water it every day before going out, and put it in a corner where the sun could benefit. sprouted.

The key to Wu Yu's residence was also given to Ju Nian, and Ju Nian often slipped out from the two points of school and home.When he was around, the two would eat noodles together. When he was not around, she would clean up his room and sometimes wash his dirty clothes.

Wu Yu felt sorry, and always said embarrassedly: "Ju Nian, you don't have to do this for me."

Ju Nian knew that he gave her a key, but he just needed to prove that he was not alone. In this city, he still had a place to put her.But she did all this not for him, but for herself. She was happy when she did this.

Wu Yu didn't like to call Ju Nian's house. He had an old and individual BB phone. According to Ju Nian, if she called it five times, the old phone would answer her at most once.The connection between them is more based on the small notes for each other, which are always folded and pressed under the earthen pots of pomegranate pots.

"Ju Nian, I'm on shift these few days, from [-]:[-] pm to [-]:[-] pm..."

"I see, I've been taking exams lately..."

"The joke you made last time was very funny..."

"Is it really funny? Actually, I want to say, it's not a joke at all..."

They communicate silently in this way, and they never tire of it.Except for the two of them, no one would know that there was such a secret under the ugly and clumsy clay pot.

Sometimes, when Ju Nian inserted the key into the keyhole of Wu Yu's residence, he couldn't help hesitating.Does Chen Jiejie have the same key?She didn't want to see that beautiful face when she opened the door and went in.Although she vaguely knew that the relationship between Wu Yu and Chen Jiejie had never been broken, but she didn't want to know about the story that belonged to another time and space.Fortunately, this never happened.Where Wu Yu lived, there was no trace of another girl's existence, but Ju Nian folded his clothes for him once, and saw a small trace of dried nail polish on the back of the T-shirt.

Early July, midsummer.The college entrance examination of the Orange Year came as scheduled peacefully. In the morning, she carried her schoolbag on her back and went out with breakfast as usual, walking towards the turning point that could change many people's lives.When she came out of the examination room the next afternoon, she even moved Wu Yu's potted plant to a more sunny position.Wu Yu foolishly wrote the two big characters "Must Victory" on the note on the bottom of the basin. Ju Nian read it and kept laughing at his ugly handwriting.

The attention of Xie Maohua and his wife came belatedly. One night, Xie Maohua said to his daughter: "The college entrance examination is coming soon. This is also a big event. Is there anything you like to eat recently? Let your mother make it for you to nourish your brain." .”

Ju Nian hurriedly taught the active Wang Nian how to read pinyin, and only replied, "Uh, no need, Dad."

"Why don't you use it? People think we don't care about you when we tell it. In fact, when did we not treat you and Wangnian equally?" Mom said aside.

Ju Nian was a little embarrassed: "I know. But the day before yesterday, I had already finished the last test, and today the school organized an assessment. I don't need to replenish my brain for the time being."

Her estimated score was quite satisfactory, without any surprises, it can be said that it was on the usual level.The Chinese teacher was especially worried that she would go on a business trip again for her composition, so she specially ordered her to write a new copy silently on the paper. After the teacher read it, the smile lasted for a long time.

Others said that Han Shu did well in the exam this time, and he naturally wanted to enter the best political and law school. It seems that it should be a sure thing.There are unexpectedly many top students in the liberal arts college entrance examination in No. [-] Middle School this year.

In late July, Wu Yu's landlord proposed to increase the rent by 30%. For this reason, Wu Yu negotiated with her many times but failed.Because even with the increased rent level, it is almost impossible to rent a better house than this.Although the hut is humble, at least it is an independent space to shelter from the wind and rain. Not only him, but also his potted plants have adapted to this place.

Undoubtedly, the extra rent was a heavy pressure on Wu Yu, and the barely maintained livelihood suddenly became difficult.At this time, the time agreed by Lin Henggui to pay the final payment has passed, but he still pretends to be deaf and dumb.

Wu Yu said: "I'm going to find him and ask him to pay the money."

"I'm afraid he doesn't seem like a person who keeps his word." Ju Nian was worried.

"I don't believe that he can be so shameless. I still have the IOU with my fingerprints in black and white. If he dares to be a rascal, I will fight him!"

Ju Nian grabbed Wu Yu, his hand almost sinking into his flesh: "Wu Yu, you can't be hard with him, he is a rotten person to the extreme, it's not worth fighting with him."

"I can't just let him bully me for nothing. I have nothing to say about the house given to him, but I can't lose a cent of the money that should belong to me."

Ju Nian was worried that Wu Yu's long-standing hatred would break out in the face of Lin Henggui's usual despicableness, but just like the Qishang Quan, if you want to hurt others, you hurt yourself first.So she asked, "I'll go with you."

Wu Yu refused without hesitation, Lin Henggui's covetousness for Ju Nian was clearly revealed, how could he let Ju Nian appear in front of that bastard again, how could he let her take risks again?
"If you don't let me go, I want you to promise me, no matter what, don't fight him." Ju Nian followed Wu Yu's avoiding eyes, "Wu Yu, don't let him drag you into the quagmire!"

Wu Yu agreed, and went to find Lin Henggui alone.However, when he returned to Ju Nian empty-handed and with a scar on the corner of his mouth, Ju Nian began to doubt his own judgment and his usual moral principles.

"I don't know where that bastard found an old torn note with my father's signature on it. He said he wanted to do some business and borrowed 1 yuan from Lin Henggui..."

"Your father...not long ago...how is this possible!"

Wu Yu sat down on the edge of the small wooden bed: "Yeah, how could it be, how could I be so stupid, he set a trap, and was waiting for me to jump in."

"There is no evidence, what can prove that the broken IOU was written by your father, who has been dead for so many years, he can make it up as he likes?" Ju Nian was also in a daze with anger, she was the same as Wu Yu, After all, they are still children under 20 years old. Compared with their peers, they have seen more darkness and cruelty in the world, but they still feel at a loss in the face of such naked ugliness, greed and traps.

Wu Yu covered her eyes and smiled: "Of course he can prove it, isn't there any witness? Your uncle and another neighbor pointed to the sky and said they saw my father sign it with their own eyes. It's just that these ten Over the years, he saw that my grandma and I were orphans and widows, and he didn’t feel embarrassed to mention it. This time he bought a house to save me. He only owed me 8000 yuan for the balance, and I owed him 1 yuan. Seeing that I am pitiful, the two thousand Forget it. Ju Nian, can you believe him, he is really a merciful person."

"It's so shameless." Ju Nian regretted that she didn't have more vicious words, but she didn't think any curse was too much for Lin Henggui.

"Could it be that there is no other way? Even if he finds someone to prove it, the law does not stipulate that the father should pay the debt. We... we will sue him!"

She said this with a trembling voice, but felt that she couldn't even convince herself.

Sue him, what do you sue?All they have is a life, and a clean soul in the filth, and nothing else.But those things they have are so fragile, just like the crispness of white jade in front of the stubborn stone, and the powerlessness of Bai Lian in front of the dyeing vat.They couldn't figure out how no one would trust the son of a murderer.About this, they themselves knew it, and Lin Henggui knew it too.

Ju Nian couldn't think of what else to say, so he pulled away Wu Yu's hand covering his face, and lightly touched the wound on the corner of his mouth: "Does it hurt?"

Wu Yu turned her face to the side and said, "This slap was made by your uncle when I said that the IOU was fake. I didn't come hard on him, don't worry."

Ju Nian closed her eyes, she was relieved, she was very relieved.However, sadness is an invisible soft knife that kills people invisible.

The dispute with Lin Henggui about the house just ran aground. Ju Nian was very worried about Wu Yu at one time, but he went to work and rest as usual every day, and never brought up the matter again. It was just that he worked harder and became more and more silent.

After entering August, with the announcement of the college entrance examination results, the first batch of university admission notices arrived one after another like a snowflake.Ju Nian is not anxious about waiting, she is the winner of the highest score among seven Chinese subjects, No.2 in the city, and the door of any university is willing to open to her.

On August [-], the postman rang the bicycle bell and delivered the acceptance letter from Renmin University of China to Xie's house.That morning, the small alley was full of excitement. Everyone heard that the daughter of the Xie family, who was unknown to everyone, was the No. [-] middle school liberal arts champion and was admitted to the law school of a key university in Beijing.

"Old Xie, high-achieving law school students will become lawyers and judges in the future. Raising a successful daughter is better than anything else. In a few years, better days are waiting for you." Neighbors said so.

Xie Maohua and his wife said politely: "Little girl, I don't know what will happen in the future. I worry about not being able to pass the exam, and worry about getting in. The cost of going to university in Beijing is enough to cause headaches."

Having said that, Xie Maohua went to the street to buy two large rolls of firecrackers and set them off in front of his house.Ju Nian leaned against the small window of his room, looking through the glass at the red firecrackers scattered all over the ground.Until 11 years later, she still remembered the joy and excitement at that moment. It was the only celebration that belonged to the New Year of Xie Ju.

In the afternoon, my mother was still busy calling all the relatives to announce the good news, my father was taken by friends to drink and talk about teaching daughters, and Ju Nian came out of the house on the pretext of going to see his classmates, and ran to Wu Yu's place again.She just wanted to share the joy with him.

Wu Yu was not at home, the things on the bed were in a mess, Ju Nian muttered, and when he turned his head, he saw the white corner of the pomegranate plant.

Ju Nian laughed, it seems that Wu Yu left a message in a hurry, he also guessed that Ju Nian would bring good news, so he specially congratulated her in advance?
Excitedly, she picked up the potted plant, pulled out the note underneath, and eagerly unfolded it with one hand.

Wu Yu is a person who is extremely lazy in writing and clumsy in expressing. Usually, he only leaves a few words, and it is enough when the meaning is reached. This time, Ju Nian saw a short paragraph of his handwriting, and couldn't help showing surprise.

Year of the Orange, I'm leaving.I do not know what to do.Jiejie has a child, I can't keep her anymore.You will definitely persuade me, I know.But I was born an unfree person, and this may be the only chance God gave me to go out.Year of the Orange, don't worry about me, I will be the first to contact you once you are settled.

Wu Yu's handwriting was scribbled, however, Ju Nian understood every word, but couldn't understand the meaning on it, shook the crumpled note, and reread it again.

In the end, the note fell from her fingers, lightly, and it took a long time before it covered the torn pomegranate potted plant.

(End of this chapter)