Hunter and Hussar

Chapter 93
On the second weekend of December, it rained heavily for two consecutive days, washing away the year-old dust on the balcony and roof in winter.Born in this place that is neither south nor north, there is neither comfortable heating nor a warm climate, so I rely on wrapping myself in a quilt to resist the cold.Listening to the continuous sound of rain, the portrait seems to be glued to the pillow by the tide, and the only thing left in the world is the crisp impact on the wall and the awning, crawling into the ear along the concrete floor and the metal bed frame.When I was half asleep and half awake, my feet moved and explored around in the bed, looking for a little confirmation of dryness, and what I finally touched was smooth, flat and a little bit of warmth.Mi Le yawned slightly and turned over.I don't want to go to cram school anymore.I muttered.Um.He answered in a daze.

Hands are so cold.I said.My face and palms have always been warm, unlike Xian Xian who is always cold.After putting on the quilt, I was always so hot that I couldn’t sleep, and I would habitually put my arms outside the quilt for a while every night.After the dislocation, I could only sleep on my right side, and the one that rested on the outside was naturally my left hand. In my impression, Mi Le never forgot to tuck it back for me when I woke up several times at night.But not today, and I forgot to take it back in time.

Does it hurt?Mi Le asked, closing his eyes to himself, still facing away from me, put my arm on his shoulder as if about to fall over his shoulder, and pulled into the quilt involuntarily.It doesn't hurt.I said.It looks good.As he said, his shoulders tightened, and my hand was held in his arms.The sound of the rain was murmuring, and I don't know how long it had passed. When I was swaying between falling asleep and half awake again, he simply threw my hand back like throwing away a piece of clothing that had been taken off.Alright, here you go.He said, smacking his little mouth lightly, as if blowing out a bubble gum in his sleep.Let's not go to cram school.I repeated it again, and added, please.Well, sleep, sleep first.He answered in a low voice.It was still raining.

How much I want to lie here for a long time, listening to the sound of rain, and never get up.

In the end, I still couldn't escape the fate of making up lessons.But the game against the school that was originally scheduled for the afternoon was postponed again, and it was still raining heavily the next day.It was postponed for another week, not only this one, but also the match between Jie Qi and the branch school.In order to ensure fairness, in the last round of the group stage, the two games in the same group will start at the same time.As for other groups, the winners and losers were decided as early as last week. In Group B, No. 54 Middle School and No. [-] Middle School qualified. In Group C, the High School of Science and Technology and Xiling Middle School were selected. In Group D, the defending champion took over without any doubt. Top of the list, followed by Taodu Middle School.In Group A, the foreign school has also locked in the first place in the group, and the only suspense is the ownership of the last qualifying seat.According to the grouping rules after qualifying, the second in Group A will face the first in Group D in the lower half, the second in Group B and the first in Group C in the same half, and the third team will face the science and technology.It can be imagined that Beichuan Middle School, which is aiming to defend the title, is waiting for the next semester's challenger between us and Yuqi.

The continuous postponement of the competition is what teachers and parents do not want to see. After all, it is delayed until the middle of December, and the final exam is getting closer and closer.Also wanting to end the suspense as soon as possible is Jieqi Middle School. The situation is very favorable for them. As long as they win, they will be able to ensure promotion.But for us, on the contrary, the longer the game is dragged on, the better, we will have more preparation time, and the opponent who is firmly at the top of the list may slack off.Our injured will also have more time to recover. Zhao Rui's foot is completely healed, and I returned to the training ground in December.The recovery speed of the arm is much faster than expected, which is not only my own caution, but also the natural advantage of the young body.I gradually regained the previous state, although I subconsciously held back a few times in training, and I was not willing to save with my left hand.This is probably one of the "sequelae" mentioned clearly. It is the mind that is more difficult to recover than the body.As the saying goes, "Once bitten by a snake, you will be afraid of the well rope for ten years." Only those who have been injured know how terrible it is. Worrying about the injury and falling on them again, the fear arises spontaneously in every move on the court, and many movements will be somewhat restrained. and unnatural.I can't help thinking "I won't fall again", even though my shoulders are firmly covered under the thick training clothes.Treatment is really a long process, from physical to psychological, and it will continue after the pain is gone.

It's a pity that Mu Zheng still needs a long time, and the three students who were suspended can't make their debut.We couldn't even get the starters together.During these weeks of training, the coach arranged Leben as the main striker, and Xuexue, Mingming and Xiaoqi all became sparring partners.But he is lacking in both technology and awareness, and his choices after getting the ball in the frontcourt are not decisive enough.There seems to be a lack of tacit understanding in passing and running with Luka, and it is even worse when partnering with Yan Xi as a striker.

The organizing committee has finally set a time and is determined to completely end all competitions of this semester before halfway through this month.Saturday, December 12th, everyone knows that this day is very meaningful.Shortly after the air-raid siren is pulled in the morning, we will board the school bus and head to the battlefield that will determine the life and death of this season.

It's all up to you.The club class on Friday is the last practice before the game.Me, Mi Le and Lao Ye went to the dressing room early to change clothes, Yan Xi came the first, and Xiao Qi was also there.This time Yan Xi didn't hide behind the door to scare people, nor did he hang blackboard erasers or Coke cans on the door, nor did he quietly remove the chairs after we sat down.He is our last trump card, and the matter of hiding the mantis in the closet should never be done again.I walked up to him, looked into his eyes and said that sentence seriously.I understand.He also nodded to me seriously, put on his sneakers and went outside to warm up.An inexplicable complex, we all seem to want to give our best performance on that day.It is very common to be able to live freely in a peaceful age, but for people who lived in this land nearly 80 years ago, it was only imagined in dreams.Probably because we want to cherish and prove that we haven't wasted or forgotten.

"Captain, I have something to say..."

Luka's head came out of the door timidly, looking around, as if hiding a big secret.Only half of the body was huddled in our winter school uniform, and the hands were hidden in the sleeves. Only the fair face and fluffy chestnut hair were exposed outside.The green eyes blinked uneasily, and the cheeks and nose that were a little red from the cold moved slightly.

"What's the matter?" I just put on my sneakers and beckoned Luca to come in.

"I can't come tomorrow. I'm going home."

what?
All of us froze in place.No one thought that Luca would leave as soon as he said he would.Everyone's first reaction is to be sluggish.

"what do you mean!"

Xiao Qi was the first to move. He ran to the door in three steps and two steps, and dragged Luka in like a lamb.We hurriedly told him to let go, and he did, but forced Luka to the front of the whiteboard, staring at him blankly.

"I, I..." Luca breathed nervously through his nose and mouth, raised his arms halfway with some resistance, as if he wanted to push Xiaoqi away from him, but he didn't dare, so he could only freeze in front of his chest .

"Do you want to pick the pick? Do you know how many people are left in the team? Do you know that you must win tomorrow? Why are you so irresponsible and run as soon as you say!"

His voice was not loud, but the series of questions and his shadow covered Luka from head to toe.

"Enough!" I yelled, "Xiao Qi, you have a better attitude! You are talking to your teammates!"

"It's him who has the wrong attitude!" Xiaoqi turned his head to refute, and then quickly flung it back, "Isn't it just the referee bragging last time? I also know that you are wronged, but the team is not where you want to leave! If you want to leave, tell me earlier! How can you be a deserter at a critical moment?"

"Xiao Qi, don't go too far!" Lao Ye went straight to Luka and squeezed him away, "If you think about the team, you shouldn't have received a red card in the last game!" Mi Le and I went to After touching Luka's head and shoulders, he was still like a frightened kitten, and he completely forgot to take off the hands that were tucked into his sleeves.

"Okay, okay, my attitude is better, I'm not too much. It was my fault at the end of the last game." Seeing that we stopped in front of Luka, he stepped back a little, his voice was softer, but still aggressive, "I You know, in his eyes, our country's football is a joke. From our school team to the national team, the level is poor, the referee has eye problems, and the people in charge are a bunch of trash. But this is not the reason for you to pick someone. It is No matter how rotten it is, I still love it, it doesn't matter how much you want to laugh at it, I will stick to it if I am alone..."

"No, Xiaoqi, what are you talking about? Where does this come from?" I walked over and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry. I understand you. But Luka will definitely not leave the team for no reason .”

"Let me beg you, okay? We have no one left, and we can't play if you leave. Besides, tomorrow is a very important day, and no one wants to lose." Xiaoqi bypassed us and walked to Luka before.Luka didn't look at him, his eyes wandered to the floor, not sure if he was angry or scared.

"Look, he doesn't understand anything. It's useless to tell the foreigner." Seeing that Luka didn't speak, Xiao Qi shrugged.

"Xiao Qi, how do you know that Luka doesn't understand? He knows much more than you! You don't understand Luka at all!" Mi Le yelled at Xiao Qi's side.

"Originally! Just get used to him!" The more Mi Le said, the more he talked back, "The team is a collective! Everyone has to sacrifice for it, not just do whatever they want! This way Go on, anyone can come to the school team to join in the fun!"

"That's enough! Stop talking about benevolence and morality here! You don't understand anything!"

"You will speak for him, what good does he do to you!"

"I've never seen such an unreasonable person like you! The captain has already let you go! You are the one who is spoiled!"

"What's wrong with the captain? Can the captain pull the wrong frame?"

"Bastaaaaaaaaa!"[1]
Seeing that we were arguing, Luca finally lowered his head and yelled. His voice was high and long. Although he didn't know what it meant, he finally forced our verbal swords down.The atmosphere was tense, but at least they all quieted down, giving him room to speak.Luka panted, swallowed hard, and looked at Xiao Qi nervously.

"I know I should stay. I also want to stay. There is no way. My sister was in a car accident and is still being rescued. I have to go back. I am afraid that I will never see her again."

It was still quite difficult for Luca to speak a few simple words.One is because he is not proficient in Chinese, and the other is that his little face is twitching, and he sucks his nose quickly again as he speaks, like a person who has surfaced to breathe air greedily.After he finished speaking, he couldn't hold back anymore, grabbed my arm, buried his face in my thick winter school uniform, and sobbed.I let him hold it, Mi Le stroked his trembling back, Ye Ruiyang wanted to hand him a piece of paper, but he couldn't stop to take it.

I hope now that Luca left when he wanted to, for no reason.Thinking about it, I sighed helplessly.Suddenly, I feel that tomorrow's victory or defeat, whether the team advances or not is meaningless compared with human life.I only hope that Luca's sister can survive in peace, waiting for Luca to return to her side.

"I'm sorry." Xiaoqi walked to Luka's side and closed her eyes heavily, "I don't know anything."

"It's OK. I didn't say it myself. I understand, you are thinking about the team." Luka pulled his head away from my arm and looked at Xiao Qi with tears in his eyes. Those green eyes made me feel angry again. Think of broken glass balls.

"It's my fault. Sorry. She will definitely get better soon. As soon as you get home, she will be able to stand up again. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't miss you that much." Xiao Qi wiped her eyes with her hands, And apologized to everyone.

Luca put down my arm, wiped his face clean, and told us that he had booked a plane ticket for tomorrow morning.He didn't dare to ask the coach for leave, and wanted to entrust us to ask for it, and bid farewell to everyone on his behalf.I asked him why he didn't let Le Ben speak.He said that Le Ben had the best relationship with him, and he didn't have the courage to tell him about it face to face.

"Actually, I know what day tomorrow is. I also know that tomorrow is also the day when we win the game and advance. We must win, and we must qualify for the group stage." After the tears dried up, his emerald eyes reappeared Everyone nodded vigorously at him.

"Luka, you promise me one thing. Can you?" Xiao Qi asked softly.

"Please say."

"Of course we will win tomorrow. But no matter whether we play the knockout round or the qualifying round, you still have to go back to China next semester. I still want to be your teammate. I will try to be a good teammate. Give me a chance .”

Saying that, Xiao Qi walked up to Luka, probably wanting to bow to him.The moment his body bent, Luka stretched out his two hands covered in the school uniform, and hugged Xiaoqi tightly.

"I'll be back. I like you guys and I like this place."

"Ciao." I took out the hat from my backpack and handed it to Luka.

"Ciao ciao." He saw the words on it, pressed it to his chestnut hair, and tried his best to leave us with a full and long-lasting smile before turning away.I don't know if the great-grandfather whose mother Luca disappeared could see this scene.Despite the separation of almost 80 years, generations of people in different places still connect their hearts together, shining like emeralds, passing through the long-term wind and sand.

The first thing the coach did after he knew it was to ask about Luca's sister's situation, and then asked us to tell Luca not to rush and pay attention to safety on the road.Luka has left the team, Mu Zheng is still unable to return, and with the addition of three suspended players, the last training session was so miserable under the layers of dark clouds.We can hardly even line up tomorrow's starting lineup.The only good thing may be that I firmly stated that I can play.Lao Ye, Chuan Ge and Mi Le are three defenders, Ah Hui plays the midfielder, and Yan Xi and Le Ben are on the front line, but there is still a midfield position that I don't know who should give it to.How can this impromptu lineup withstand the top team in the group?Just the back of the coach wiping the whiteboard again and again is enough to make people worry and despair.Running out of ammunition and food, and running out of water, probably refers to this situation.The delay of the game did not make everything better. We seemed to be a group of soldiers who had been defeated again and again, with insufficient guns and disorganized military capacity, but we had received orders not only to defend the city, but also to take the initiative to attack.We have nothing but broken flesh and blood.Can it only be used to resist the enemy's strong ships, sharp guns, and steel torrents?Maybe it was just a few rounds of bullets and we were all wiped out.

But what can be done?We can only fight and must fight.Never run away, never surrender, it took countless sacrifices to get here, in this last battle, life or death, we will fight everything under the cold December sun, fight to the last man , the last bullet.Just thinking about this, the horn of the school bus sounded like a distant horn through time.Assemble, the fateful battle will begin in a few hours. "Give me an order, and I can still fight against the city." [2] Now that the order has arrived, our last barrier is also our last hope.With empty bags, those who wrapped themselves in coats to resist the cold had no choice but to take the rest of their hopes and walk through the two rows of dead woods on the avenue to the distant place.

"I won't go to another school with you this time, but I still want to see you off. I will go to Jieqi Middle School. I have a friend from No. 54 Middle School. Her sister is a student of Jieqi Middle School. She can take us to the stands Go up. Leave it to me over there, and call you as soon as possible after the game. We are not together, but we will fight until the last moment. Goodbye, no matter what the result is, you have to hold your head high, Come back like a hero."

We got into the car first, and Yue Yin was talking to someone under the car.For some reason, even if the winter wind blows outside the window, it still gives people a farewell chill in the chilling, echoing in the openness of the suburbs for a long time.With a drawn out voice, the black bird rose into the cloudy sky, and immediately fell into the desolate forest like being shot again.

Goodbye, campus, the ruins of the past.Having already experienced such a heavy suffering, no matter how immature our shoulders are today, it is enough to carry a small victory or defeat.May we return triumphantly.

"Wait for me! Wait! Wait!"

When Yue Yin sent someone into the car without saying a word, and the driver was about to close the door, there was a familiar and loud shout from the school gate.Everyone huddled in their seats couldn’t help raising their heads. From the clouds suspended on the horizon, a somewhat clumsy figure ran towards us, waving the hat with the golden words high, as if holding a burning hat. banner.

The man is back, across the frozen land, at the last moment of our departure.It was a dream.

[1] Basta means "enough" in both Italian and Spanish.

[2] From Wen Yiduo's "Song of the Seven Sons Taiwan".

(End of this chapter)