the gravity of the rainbow

Chapter 16 Small Town Life
01
"Our college is really in short supply of teachers."

The bald middle-aged man sitting across from the rainbow slowly flipped through her resume. He was Yu Zhengliang, the dean of Zhongbi Coal Teachers College.Caihong's resume is very long, more than 30 pages, with sample chapters of published papers and abstracts of master's thesis.The man gave her a skeptical look, and continued: "But we mainly need teachers who are familiar with courses such as mining engineering, surveying and mapping engineering, automation, mine ventilation and safety, mine transportation and lifting, and coal deep processing and utilization. If you Educational qualifications such as geological surveying, engineering surveying, and construction engineering can also be considered, or you have a degree in finance and economics, and you are familiar with engineering cost. Um... Mr. He, you don’t seem to have such qualifications.”

“My major is Chinese language and literature, and I can teach many literature courses, such as ancient literature, modern literature, literary theory, and literary criticism. Row."

After thinking for a while, the dean said: "Our college is expanding its enrollment, and we plan to move closer to a comprehensive university in terms of organizational structure. The Chinese Department has insufficient teachers and lacks some academic leaders. We welcome talents like you very much! But, according to your resume, you are A native of City F, graduated and assigned to University F, is both a class teacher and a Ph.D student on the job, with a bright future, why did you come to this poor village of ours to condescend? Could it be... have you made any... mistakes during your work?"

This is a reasonable guess, Caihong explained calmly: "Dean Yu, my resume has the contact information of the recommended professors, and there is also a letter of introduction from the department head. If you have any doubts, you can call them."

"But, I really can't figure it out, Mr. He, why do you want to give up the bright future of the big city and come to us?"

"I love the coal mines and have a deep affection for the miners."

"Oh? Your father was a miner?"

"No, it's not."

"Have you ever lived in Zhongbi?"

"No, no."

"Then why did you come here?... I don't know this place, I don't know the people here, and I'm not familiar with this major. You have to give me a reason, right?"

Rainbow thought for a while, then said timidly: "I love the coal mining business of the motherland, can't I?"

The dean smiled and returned the resume to her: "If you want to teach here, you have to tell me the truth, otherwise we can't hire you."

She didn't answer, raised her head, and began to confess: "Well, Teacher Ji Huang from the Chinese Department of your hospital is my ex-boyfriend."

"Oh."

"We broke up because of... some misunderstandings."

The dean looked at her with kind eyes, and said slowly: "So you came here with the spirit of not being afraid of suffering and not afraid of death?"

"Well... that's one of the reasons, but I still love the coal mining industry in my motherland."

The dean nodded and accepted the reason, and the topic quickly turned to the operational level: "Although our college is small, it is a national official teaching unit affiliated to the Ministry of Coal. It implements an employment system. You can do it if you want, you have to sign a contract, and the personnel relationship has to be reversed. .”

"I am willing to sign a contract and transfer personnel relations."

"Do you know what that means?"

"..." She shrugged, indicating that she didn't know much.

"This means that during the contract period, you will give up your household registration in City F and become a resident of Zhongbi City."

She spread her hands: "OK, I have no objection."

"You know, if you want to transfer back again, it will be as difficult as heaven."

"I see."

"Then," he held out his hand to her, "Mr. He, Zhongbi Coal Teachers College welcomes you! I will arrange the Human Resources Department to handle all the formalities for you. Do you have any special requirements?"

Rainbow said: "Can you arrange a dormitory for me? My luggage is still in the hotel."

"You will have your own office and dormitory. There are no other advantages in a small place. The housing must be more spacious than in a big city. What's more, the school will definitely protect such an outstanding talent as Mr. He."

The next day, after completing the relevant procedures, the officer of the personnel department handed her two keys: "This one is your office, and this one is your dormitory. The dormitory is behind the college. Here, bypass the playground , through the sweet-scented osmanthus forest behind, there is a row of three-story red buildings. Your room is No. 17, Unit 306, Building [-]."

Looking for it all the way, she found that it was an old-fashioned building, with the style of the Soviet Union in the 60s and [-]s, with gray tiles and red walls, square and square.In the early winter weather, houses in the south rarely use heating. Many residents in this small coal-rich city are still accustomed to using coal stoves for heating.Rainbow found her room, opened the door with a key, and suddenly saw an old-fashioned coal stove in the middle of the living room, with a long chimney leading to the window.She was surprised to find that it was a spacious two-bedroom.The living room is big enough to dance, the two bedrooms are not small, the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, balcony are all available, and the floor is covered with dark red wooden floors.Hearing from the steward that the first homeowner went into business, the room was withdrawn.His house is relatively rich, so the decoration is quite good.Although it can be moved and disassembled when leaving, the floor, tiles, and toilet are all first-class products.The second homeowner was a female teacher who left the house after less than a year.She is from Changchun, and she couldn't bear the wet and cold weather in the south, so she installed this coal stove for heating.Rainbow looked at the old-fashioned coal stove, then at the fashionable floor tiles in the kitchen, and felt that the style was quite out of tune.Just as she was about to find someone to move out, she opened the window, and a gust of cold wind blew in, making her shiver several times in a row, and felt that the existence of the coal stove was very necessary.What's more, she is afraid of burning gas, so she can cook soup and noodles on the coal stove in the future. Maybe she can also roast sweet potatoes.

Having lived in a big city for more than [-] years, although Rainbow has a small room of her own, she has never lived alone without her parents.While getting used to the care of my parents, I also have to endure their nagging, and there are many restrictions on my private life.Now that one person enjoys the huge living room alone, it is like entering a fairyland on earth.Rainbow was overjoyed. After putting down her luggage, she excitedly ran to a nearby shopping mall to buy a big bed, a Simmons bed, a set of sofas, a desk, a few chairs, and pots, pans, and toiletries.The shopping mall sent a car to deliver all the furniture to her address, and sent workers to assemble it and place it where she wanted it.That night, she went to the supermarket to buy two buckets of paint, and spent the whole day painting all the rooms lavender, and installing light blue curtains on all the windows.In the end, I was so tired that I lay on the floor for a long time and couldn't get up, but I was very happy in my heart.She finally has a house of her own!

The next day, when I went to my office for the first time, Rainbow just opened the door with a key when a slender arm stretched out from nowhere and suddenly blocked her on the door frame.

There is no need to look back, she is familiar with the breath of his body.

"What are you doing here?" the man asked, in a bad tone, a little out of breath.

She turned around reflexively, shaking the key in her hand: "Work. This is my office."

"Your office?" he repeated, as if in disbelief.

"That's right," she stared at him with wide eyes, and pulled out a piece of paper from her bag, "I am an official teacher of this college, and I have a contract to prove it."

It could be seen that he was surprised, he didn't speak for a long time, and after a few seconds, he asked, "How many years have you signed the contract?"

"ten years."

"Ten years? Are you out of your mind?"

"I..." She swallowed, not knowing how to answer, "...caring about the coal industry in the motherland."

"What about your studies?"

"...What studies?"

"Academic...and career."

"It doesn't matter," she said, "where my mind is, my career will flourish."

"Really?" He looked at her coldly, "Why?"

"Ji Huang... I won't go back."

"What happened?"

"A lot of things." She suddenly choked up, "...the terrible things are all related to me."

He looked at her fixedly, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Zhongbi is not a romantic place, I advise you... you should go home."

"Ji Huang—"

"We've broken up," his voice was cold. "The mirror is broken. It's better to let it go than to cut yourself trying to fix it."

Before she could recover, he had already walked into his office, and the door slammed, shaking her eardrums hard.

At noon, Rainbow met Dean Yu and couldn't help asking him: "Dean, why are my office and Teacher Ji's office next to each other?"

"Little girl, when you hear the word 'coal', what is your first impression?" The dean looked at her with great interest and asked.

"Energy, pollution, stiffness, boredom, fossils, darkness, death, gas explosions..."

"Yo, there's nothing positive about it?"

"No."

"You're wrong," said the dean, "it can also mean burning, fiery, passionate, eternal...romantic."

Rainbow looked at him dumbfounded, and said in his heart, Dean, you can’t be so explicit when helping others!
However, after a meal in the college cafeteria, Rainbow is completely unromantic.I didn't know whether it was allergies, acclimatization or food poisoning, but I had vomiting and diarrhea when I got home, and I had to go to the worker's hospital to get a drip for several hours.After returning home and lying in bed for a day, the vomiting stopped, and inexplicably developed a high fever, [-] degrees Celsius, which made her body weak. Rainbow gritted her teeth, swallowed two pills, and fell asleep on a big quilt overnight. I thought that if the fever did not go away, I had to go to the hospital again.The next day, the high fever subsided inexplicably, and the low-grade fever and diarrhea continued for another day.The department granted her a week's leave, and she forced herself to eat, to gather strength, and just toss about like this, and the week passed.When she went to school again, she only felt that her body was as light as a swallow. Before going out, she looked in the mirror, and her chin was so sharp that she could dig the ground.

Back in the department, Caihong asked the director: "Mr. Chen, who helped me with the class? I have to thank him."

"It's Teacher Ji."

"Uh—" She gritted her teeth unconsciously.

"He also has a lot of classes, so he's too busy. But it doesn't matter, it's normal for each other to substitute for each other. Everyone has time off. Besides, you used to be in the same school, and he can teach everything you teach."

"Well—that's not necessarily the case." Rainbow felt that she was underestimated, how could she be replaced casually, "If you meet Teacher Ji, please thank him for me."

"He's in the office, thank you yourself."

"……OK."

After standing outside Ji Huang's door for a long time, she didn't have the courage to knock on the door, and finally just wrote the word "thank you" on a note and stuffed it in through the crack of the door.

So, she no longer dared to eat in the college cafeteria, but followed the advice of the teachers in the department and went to the high school cafeteria across the road.It is said that the canteen is a contract system, and the contractor hired a few very good chefs in order to keep their jobs, and the big pot dishes are very delicious.I ate Rainbow a few times, and it was really good, but it was a pity that I couldn't eat at twelve o'clock, when the students were out of class and the queue was long.However, Rainbow's classes this semester are scheduled from ten to twelve o'clock...

She couldn't bear it anymore and decided to start a business by herself.

There is a big supermarket to the left of the college, and Caihong thinks this is the best time to train himself to live independently.She buried her head in the store and pushed a shopping cart. She stuffed everything she liked into the cart, checked out, packed four bags full, and rushed home happily.

The biggest advantage of settling in Zhongbi is that Caihong no longer has to run a monthly pass.This is a surprise for her who has been running monthly tickets for nearly ten years.I used to live at home, and the first thing I had to do when I woke up was to squeeze the bus. When I saw a bus coming from a long distance, I had to run after it, like a relay race, and my legs kept tense, because I didn’t know where the bus would stop.After finally getting into the car, experienced people will try their best to squeeze in, but at the same time, they can't squeeze into the center of the car with the flow of people, but stay near the door.Otherwise, getting off the bus will be another squeeze, not to mention that occasionally you will meet some middle-aged and old men doing little tricks behind you.Smaller cities don't have this problem at all.On the first day of staying in Zhongbi, Caihong went to the bank to do some errands, and there were only three people on the bus in the small town.There are no taxis, and there are small white noodles running all over the street, and the price is very cheap.

Although there is no need to take a car, Rainbow thinks it is necessary to buy a bicycle.The college occupies a large area and is a key teaching unit of Zhongbi. It aims to turn the campus into a garden-like multi-functional campus.The two new teaching buildings where the Chinese Department is located are quite advanced. The hardware facilities such as classrooms, meeting rooms, offices, lounges, hot water rooms, and even small auditoriums surpass those of F University.The salary of teachers - if housing is counted - is not much lower than that of Rainbow's former university.After inquiring, I found out that all this benefited from a donation made by a coal boss six years ago. I heard that the donation exceeded [-] million yuan.

Carrying a heavy plastic bag and crossing the long and narrow campus, Caihong came to the downstairs of the dormitory out of breath, and was about to take out the key to open the anti-theft iron door, when a tall boy came from behind and said in a rough voice: "I Help you get it." He has a strong nasal voice, and although he speaks Mandarin, he has a local accent.Rainbow turned around and found that it was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old student with delicate features, wearing a very old but well-washed dark blue striped sweatshirt.She smiled and said, "Thank you."

She lived on the third floor, and the little boy kept helping her carry her things to the door. Rainbow said, "Student, come in and have a drink?"

The boy said sullenly, "No."

"You're welcome, look at your sweat, drink a glass of orange juice! Also, take these two packs of fish fillets and eat them when you go to school."

"I... I don't eat snacks."

"Take it!" Rainbow said, regardless of 21, and gave him another bottle of juice, "Drink the water before leaving, or I will get angry."

The boy took it shyly and quietly took a sip.

"What's your name? Do you also live in this building?" Rainbow asked.

"My name is Ji Xiao."

Rainbow was drinking soda and almost choked: "Ji Xiao? Are you... Ji Huang's younger brother?"

The boy nodded: "Yes, how do you know?"

Rainbow locked the door: "Well, you must eat at my place today! You helped me carry such a heavy thing, such a big favor, I must thank you very much. Your brother and I are colleagues, he does not I will object. Do you want to watch TV? I have DVDs here, what do you like to watch? Kung Fu movies? Science fiction movies? Action movies?"

The boy was frightened by her enthusiasm, and quickly stood up: "No, no, no, I still have to do my homework, I have to go."

"What homework, it's okay to do it later, your grades must be very good, right?"

"……good."

"Sit down for a while, I'll cook right away, how about we eat hot pot? I bought sliced ​​mutton, which is absolutely fresh, as well as fish balls, vegetables, tofu..."

"No, no, you're too polite." Ji Xiao retreated to the door, barely escaped.

Rainbow sighed and opened the door: "Okay, I'll invite you next time. Where do you live? I'll see you off."

Ji Xiao pointed to the opposite side: "I live in the opposite door, and I'm your neighbor. If you need help in the future, just knock on the door. My brother is usually at home when he has no classes."

Rainbow lowered her head, blushed, and looked at her shoes embarrassedly: "Okay."

There are three big boys living in the opposite door, but Ji Huang's family is surprisingly quiet, as if they are allergic to noise, they enter and leave the house quietly, and their steps up and down the stairs are very light.Living so close, I didn't see Ji Huang when I looked down, but after staying for more than ten days, Rainbow never saw Ji Huang once, but I often saw Ji Xiao and Ji Zhen during school hours.

Although they are twins, the two brothers look really different.Ji Zhen is not tall, with slender limbs, a large forehead, and fair complexion.I heard from Ji Huang before that it was probably because he was squeezed by Ji Xiao at birth, congenitally deficient, and was sickly when he was young.Among the three brothers, the temperament is the most sensitive and weak.And Ji Huang and the two younger brothers have completely different looks.In a word, if these three people walked outside, no one would believe that they were born of the same mother.

In the blink of an eye, it was the last week before the winter vacation. Since two weeks ago, Rainbow found that he had used up all the savings he had brought.She left home in a hurry, and only brought some cash and a bank card.Later, Guan Ye sent over her last month's salary at F University, which was regarded as a rescue, but she went shopping and saw two beautiful bookshelves, which were on sale, and bought them back as soon as she let go of her bank card. The money was gone in a blink of an eye.She thought that colleges and universities paid their salaries in the middle of the month, but on closer inspection it was at the end of the month.Just like this, she ate instant noodles twice a day for a week, until her face turned green. The last week before salary was the end of the term, and she worked overtime overnight for exams and exams. She was so hungry that she couldn't hold on anymore.Coincidentally, I ran into Ji Huang in front of the office that day.

She gritted her teeth and stopped him: "Ji Huang."

He was opening the door with the key when his hand stopped.

"what's up?"

She stared, hesitated for a long time, and said in a low voice, "Lend me some money."

He took out his wallet, pulled out a bank card and handed it to her: "The password is 171221."

"Thanks." She lowered her head, seeing him burying his head in the door, she hurriedly said, "Also...I heard about your mother, I'm really sorry. I...I had a fight with my mother, come on I'm looking for you here... to make amends for my mother."

Her tears fell down rustlingly.

"Just for that?" he said. "That's why you quit your job?"

She nodded: "That day... I mean my birthday, I didn't mean to break your heart. There is something I haven't told you, because I couldn't be sure at the time. I... wasn't born to my mother, I was a Abandoned baby, my parents adopted me on the seventh day after I was born, and they are so kind to me. So I have no choice..."

"I understand, I don't blame you." He sighed, "Listen to me, Rainbow, you are a real city girl, why are you asking for trouble here? This place doesn't belong to you, so hurry up and think about it." There is a way to call it back."

"No, I won't go back." She said categorically, "What about you? The secretary asked me to bring you a message before leaving. Whenever you want to go back, they are welcome..."

"No," he interrupted her, "this is my hometown. I always thought that my happiness was elsewhere, so I worked so hard since I was a child, just to leave home and go to a bigger and better place, and I paid too much for it." The price is too much. Now, which city is not important to me, the most important thing is my health and the safety of my family. As for me, I can just stay on a cold bench and concentrate on my studies.”

"Ji Huang, I can stay here with you."

"No, no, you should go back. Everything here is completely unfamiliar to you, and you won't get used to it."

"I will. Are you the only one who can change yourself to adapt to the environment, and everyone else is a single-celled animal? I can too!" she said loudly, "I can get used to it!"

He was silent for a moment, looking at her helplessly.

"Then you get used to it slowly." He shrugged, turned and walked into the office, walked a few steps and came back, "I forgot to tell you, I already have a girlfriend."

"Ah?" She was dumbfounded all of a sudden, "Who is it?"

"you do not know."

02
The beaten Rainbow went to the restaurant alone to eat authentic farm food. The proprietress said that the celery and wax gourd were grown in her yard, the chicken was freshly killed, and the braised pork was freshly stewed.The winter vacation is only one month, and school starts after the Chinese New Year.Rainbow, who is in a depressed mood, eats and drinks in the mountains and sleeps with his head covered, and is accompanied by pajamas all day long.When she went shopping again on New Year's Eve, she suddenly found that her pants couldn't be buttoned anymore, so she went to the school gymnasium to weigh herself, and she gained [-] catties all of a sudden!And all the fat is in the key parts: thick legs, big waist, round face, I guess I ate too much oil, and my hair is black and full of luster.

After getting acquainted with each other gradually, Caihong discovered that there were mostly male teachers in this department, and she was the only female teacher under the age of 40.Rainbow is embarrassed to ask them who is Ji Huang's girlfriend.And Ji Huang, who lives in seclusion, has never shown up since he lent her the bank card.The more Rainbow thought about it, the more he felt uncomfortable. He searched all the way here, and signed a ten-year contract.When Ji Huang marries someone else, they are still colleagues, and they will inevitably meet every day, so that is not suffering!After thinking about it, I feel disheartened again, that's all, a phone call from my mother ruined Ji Huang's family, and it's not too much to make up for this big sin.Her sins are more than these: Qin Wei's injury, Han Qing's death, the lovely Duoduo became an orphan... These tragedies are more or less caused by her, and she stole their future, happiness and joy .

She deserves no happiness and has no right to it.Rainbow decided to spend the rest of his life in exile in Zhongbi.

Zhongbi is really a good place.At least from the first day she moved here, she no longer had nightmares, and no longer dreamed of Han Qing and Xia Feng every night.A small city has the advantages of a small city: less people, less cars, less pollution, and less noise. As long as you don’t pursue high-end entertainment, you can find all the entertainment you can find in the city—cinemas, video halls, botanical gardens, gymnasiums, and snack streets. Various supermarkets and fast food restaurants.There is also a "McDin's" near the college. The business is super hot, and it specializes in counterfeit hamburgers and scallion patties.Rainbow Muming has eaten it twice, and the taste is similar. Sichuan ingredients are added to the meatloaf, which is fragrant and spicy, and it is irresistible.

This is the first time Rainbow celebrates the New Year alone.The sound of firecrackers sounding everywhere made her lose interest, and she stomped her feet vigorously to drive this negative emotion out of her mind.There are few people, and the atmosphere cannot be cool.She pasted Spring Festival couplets on the door, window grilles on the windows, balloons on the ceiling, and went to the supermarket to buy a lot of New Year's goods that were impossible to finish.Back downstairs, she took a pack of smokeless charcoal from the storage room outside the building, and happened to meet the three Ji brothers who were wearing jerseys and holding basketballs.

"Happy New Year!" Responding to the festive atmosphere, Rainbow greeted them festively, "Mr. Ji, I have already returned your card and stuffed it under the door of your house. A little money in it was used, isn't it?" A lot, all will be paid off next month. Thanks for your help!"

In a blink of an eye, she found that Ji Zhen and Ji Xiao were watching her secretly, Rainbow smiled at them.

"You're welcome." Ji Huang said.

"Mr. He, you bought so many things again? Let me get them for you?" Ji Xiao said.

"This is the braised pork knuckle from Weixiang Village. It's delicious. Try one?" She stuffed him with a paper bag.

"No no," Ji Xiao waved his hand, "Mr. He, are you okay? How does it look... the whole body is swollen..."

"Where is it... This is a fat heart." She smiled faintly, and accidentally, a plastic bag was torn, and a few big sweet potatoes fell out of it.

Ji Zhen quickly picked it up: "Your sweet potato."

She pinched the sweet potato to her arm, said "see you later", and went upstairs with a bag and smokeless charcoal.

Really, it's still a neighbor, and there is no sign of celebrating the New Year.Seeing that Ji Huang was lukewarm, Rainbow couldn't help but slander.

Angrily locked the door, opened the coal stove, spread new charcoal, Rainbow stretched his frozen fingers into the front of the stove to bake, and then put two sweet potatoes into the red hearth.Then, she turned on the TV, eating snacks and waiting for the Spring Festival Gala.

The sound of the TV echoed in the huge room.In order to match the atmosphere, advertisers have played the reunion card for all-round sensationalism.Looking at it, Rainbow misses her parents a little bit.She picked up the phone and hesitated for a long time whether to call them, but when she thought of the tragic death of Ji Huang's mother, she felt that Li Mingzhu's actions were too aggressive and unforgivable.What's more, if Li Mingzhu knew that she planned to spend the rest of her life in a small town that couldn't be found on this map, she would definitely be furious and force her back to the provincial capital at all costs.

Forget it, quietness has its benefits, and no one pays attention to it, and there is no way to worry, let's live a quiet year!

Rainbow embraced the blanket, lying lazily on the sofa, drowsy by the red charcoal fire, when it was eight o'clock, he heard a knock on the door.

She stepped on cotton slippers and ran to open the door, and saw Ji Xiao standing outside the door carrying a bamboo basket, he said: "Mr. Taste it."

The door opposite opened a small crack, and laughter came from inside.The male voice belongs to Ji Huang, she can be sure.And a woman's voice, giggling with extra glee.

In fact, she shouldn't be angry, but her heart was poked by this laughter, so she declined coldly: "No, I bought all the New Year's goods, thank you." After finishing speaking, she slammed the door hard with a "bang".

Back on the sofa, hugging the blanket and continuing to watch TV, my mind was tumbling.After a while, the phone rang suddenly, it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hey?"

"Rainbow? I'm Donglin."

"Donglin?" Caihong almost screamed with joy, "Where are you? Have you returned to China?"

"No, I'm in California."

"How do you know my number?"

"I asked someone. It's okay. I just got off the plane. I wish you a New Year."

The voice was noisy, and Dong Lin's tone was hurried, as if he didn't want to talk more.

Rainbow hurriedly asked: "How is Qin Wei? Is he recovering well?"

"It's okay, I can go for a walk this month, but I can't do strenuous exercise, I can't be tired, and I have to take a lot of medicine. Fortunately, he is engaged in investment, mainly analyzing data, and can work without leaving home. This disease He almost died, terrified his parents, grandparents, grandparents, and uncles who didn't want to see him on weekdays, and made a 180-degree turn in their attitude towards him, hehe, it was a blessing in disguise."

"I'm sorry, I blame me for all this! If it wasn't for me..." Rainbow began to criticize again.

"You can't contact in such a random way. This is their own choice. You just did what a good friend should do. If I were you, I would do the same."

A friend is a friend, and a few short words dispelled the guilt that lingered in her heart every day.

"Thank you for comforting me. By the way, what have you been doing recently? Have you opened a software company abroad?" She changed the subject.

"Oh, no, I changed my career." Dong Lin said.

"You? Changed career?"

"Yes, I'm a professional mountaineer now, and I just came back from Tanzania, and I'm going to Alaska this summer."

Rainbow's head suddenly became ten times bigger, and he said anxiously: "Mountain climbing? Are you crazy! Engage in such a dangerous sport? Also, are there mountains in Tanzania?"

"Why not! Isn't Kilimanjaro? It is actually composed of three extinct volcanoes. I hiked through the Gila Plateau and passed the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. I saw groups of antelope along the way. Didn't Hemingway also write " The Snows of Kilimanjaro? Climbing is my dream. I've wanted to do it since I was a kid! Do you know what the ultimate experience is?"

"The ultimate experience? I don't know..."

"Standing on the top of the mountain and looking down at the layered sea of ​​clouds at your feet, only at this time can you know what is the sky, what is the earth, and what is yourself. Qin Wei said that in English this is called epiphany."

"Epiphany?" Rainbow smiled, "Do your parents agree with you?"

"I live abroad, and no one can control me. Hehe, if Lily asks, remember to keep it secret for me."

"Okay, you have to be more careful."

"What about you? How are you?" Dong Lin asked.

"I've settled down in Zhongbi."

"I heard. No comment. Just ask you a word."

"Uh?"

"Are you happy?"

"Happy. I like it here."

"Then enjoy (enjoy)! Happy New Year!"

"You too. Think of me, call me often, and don't forget me." Rainbow chatted on the phone, sadly, tears falling down.

Han Qing's death is a heart-wrenching pain.Then, her best friend, Dong Lin, also left her.How all of this happened, she still hasn't figured it out, she only knows that good luck never comes, but misfortune never comes singly, her memory and blood that are closely connected with F City were emptied in an instant.

Dong Lin on the other end of the phone continued: "That is necessary. After returning from Alaska, I will go back to China with the mountaineering team. The goal is Gongga Mountain, which is 500 meters above sea level, and the peak is [-] to [-] degrees. Cliffs, definitely challenging! Might even be on TV! Yay! Wait for my news!"

She laughed secretly in her heart, less than a year after going to the United States, Dong Lin became as cheerful as an American college student, but his English is so bad that I don't know if he can handle it.But these are not difficult for the rich, not to mention that his occupation is mountaineering, which is similar to working on computers, and does not require much English.

"When you reach the top of the mountain, remember to pick up a stone for me! The stones of Gongga Mountain must have divinity!"

"No problem! Not much to say, I'm going to get my luggage. Goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, she felt an inexplicable melancholy. She took out the baked sweet potato from the stove and took two bites. It was too sweet to eat.The gala on TV was in full swing, and Zhao Benshan's sketches were still so funny, but the dullness and depression in the room was unbearable.Gradually, she fell asleep.

A night without dreams.Probably getting used to the life in heaven, Han Qing didn't come to see her anymore.However, when her brain fell into sleep, her eyelids had a strange sense of light.She always felt that the surroundings were very bright. In fact, only a seven-watt floor lamp was turned on in the living room. It was pitch black outside the window, and there were occasional bright fireworks in the sky, purple, passing by like shooting stars...

When she woke up from the dream, she found herself lying in a huge oval container with an oxygen mask on her face.There was an invisible pressure in the air, and she felt a little pain in her eardrums, as if she was sitting in the deep sea.She subconsciously cleared her throat, the sound spread strangely in the container, buzzing, distorted, and harsh.

Rubbing her eyes, she found that there was a person sitting on the sofa beside her, holding a book and reading it intently, her high-stilted legs blocked her view.And that person quickly noticed her movement, turned around to look at her, it was Ji Huang.

She wanted to take off the oxygen mask to speak, but Ji Huang pressed her hand, and wrote a line in the notebook with a pen: "Please cooperate with the treatment and concentrate on inhaling oxygen."

She was not in good spirits, but the words gradually became louder, and she fell asleep again in a daze.

After an unknown amount of time, when she woke up again, she found that she had left the container and was lying on a white bed with an IV in her hand. There was no one around, and a small desk lamp was on in front of the bed.The curtains were closed, so it was definitely night.

Stomach ache from hunger, and a little anxious, she moved her body and found that her hands and feet still had some strength, so she sat up. She was looking down for her shoes when the door suddenly opened.

One of her feet had already landed on the ground, and she simply stood up barefoot.

It was Ji Huang who came in, holding a washbasin in one hand and a towel in the other.Seeing her, he strode towards her, picked up a pair of cotton slippers and handed them to her feet: "Are you awake?"

She nodded.

"The toilet is here." Holding the drip stand, he leaned over to check the needle in her hand, and after making sure everything was all right, he put his arm around her waist and led her into the bathroom.

"Do you need my help?" he asked.

"I can do it myself," she whispered, "thanks."

After finishing the toilet, he washed her hands, and he sent her back to the bed: "You should lie down."

"I'm hungry," she said.

"There's porridge here." He opened the bedside table, took out a thermos, a plastic bowl, and a wooden spoon, and poured half a bowl of porridge for her, "Don't move, I'll get it."

She was a little guilty, because Ji Huang's face had no expression at all, just the kind of poker face when they first met.Moreover, he looked dark and thin, and his eyes under the thick eyebrows shone with a chill under the pale fluorescent light.

The taste of porridge is nothing to say, it reminds Rainbow of the days when they were together.In order to save money, they seldom go to restaurants, but as long as Rainbow goes to a restaurant with others one day and eats a good dish, as long as he describes it to Ji Huang when he gets home, he will definitely be able to cook the same dish the next day Come.

Really hungry, she drank two bowls of porridge in a row.Putting down the bowl, Ji Huang twisted a towel and wiped her mouth for her.

"It's late, isn't it?" she said, "Thank you for taking care of me, go back quickly."

"It's midnight now."

"Oh." She smiled, "This hospital is really nice, and family members are allowed to stay with me overnight."

After a pause, he felt that the word "family" was not used properly, so he smiled awkwardly at him.

"No," he said, "my mother lived here for a long time, and I know the doctors and nurses in the inpatient department very well."

She bowed her head in silence, and it took a long time before she asked, "What disease do I have? Heart disease?"

"Carbon monoxide poisoning, you were unconscious when you found out."

She remembered that the daughter of one of her mother's colleagues was also gas poisoned. She was discovered late and survived after half a day of rescue. However, her brain was damaged, her speech was slurred, she often had headaches and suffered from severe neurasthenia.She couldn't help being nervous: "Carbon monoxide poisoning? I won't have sequelae, right?"

"The doctor said it was moderate, probably not, but accidents are not ruled out. If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you must report to the doctor immediately so that they can check in time."

She thought for a while and said, "Strange, I didn't use gas at all, didn't take a shower, and didn't turn on the stove. Could it be a pipe leak?"

"It's a coal stove for the fire." He looked at her and sighed, "You used it to roast sweet potatoes, but the lid was on and you forgot to close it."

Can this be poisoned?The flame is yellow, and the oxygen is completely combusted.She couldn't figure it out, but immediately found a new problem: "Huh? Where are my clothes? Who changed my clothes for me?"

"You vomited badly, I changed it for you, and asked someone to wash it."

"Why save me?" She whispered, "Let me die, just take revenge for your mother."

His face changed, and there was a trace of pain in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said quickly, "It's all my mother's fault for making that call, otherwise my aunt wouldn't..."

"My mother would not give up her life easily because of a strange phone call. If she gave up so easily, she would have given up more than ten years ago." He interrupted her coldly, "The reason why she left is because she loves her so much. child."

"Anyway, I'm still very sorry." She murmured.

Ever since hearing the truth about Ji Huang's mother's suicide, Rainbow rushed out of the house in a rage and got on the train to catch up with Zhongbi. Even such a big matter as resignation was entrusted to Guan Ye.Later, she had to go back to the city for several key procedures, and she just went straight to the Chinese Department.The train arrived in the morning, and she left immediately after finishing her work, and never entered the house three times.Rainbow feels that her mother has done everything she can to prevent Ji Huang from falling in love with her, and her behavior, words and attitudes have touched the bottom line again and again, and she has endured it for the sake of her many years of nurturing.Because she believes that although the previous generation has stubborn ideas and outdated concepts, the starting point is still for children.Only this one phone call gave her a blow in the head, allowing her to fully experience her mother's decisiveness and viciousness.

"When you are discharged from the hospital in a few days, go to the head of the department and resign." Ji Huang stood up and cleaned up her leftover bowls and spoons, "Your life is so sloppy, something will happen sooner or later."

"I'm not quitting," Rainbow said. "I like it here."

He had already walked to the door, but came back again: "Then how long do you plan to stay here?"

"Does how long I stay have anything to do with you?" Caihong took a sip of water, his eyes widened, "I'm a full-time employee of the Coal Industry Institute, and I neither eat nor drink your food. Classmate Ji Huang, you don't care about me. How long will it take? I, He Caihong, need to be talented and good-looking, and when I get old enough to find someone to marry, I will take root in Zhongbi."

He sneered: "Are you here to make trouble, Rainbow?"

"Yes, Ji Huang, I'll fight you right here."

"You..." He was so angry that he couldn't speak, he closed the door and walked away.

Rainbow thought that Ji Huang would not come to see her again, but unexpectedly the next morning, he came again and brought her breakfast.

It's just that he never smiles, always keeps a straight face, ignores her, and refuses to discuss any academic issues.Rainbow was really bored lying down, so he had to hold the laptop and play games fiercely.If a nurse comes, Ji Huang will explain that Rainbow is a young teacher just assigned by the school. His family is out of town and he has some physical problems. The department assigns him to take care of him.There is a cafeteria in the inpatient department, but Ji Huang insists on delivering all lunch and dinner, one dish and one soup, the taste is absolutely master class, and there are snacks, fruits and supper after eating.This kind of treatment is something Rainbow dare not expect.So she ate everything Ji Huang sent, without asking or saying anything, just opened the lunch box and spooned it, making herself like a beggar, waiting for these few meals a day.

Sometimes Ji Huang stayed with her all afternoon, sitting on the chair next to him reading a book, and when she wanted to go over to say a few words, he would show a cold demeanor.She was so scared that she had to continue playing the game.

One night, a medicine was added to the drip, and the doctor told her that there would be some reactions. She really felt uncomfortable and turned over and over in bed.When Ji Huang left at night, she looked at him pitifully and didn't speak.

"Still uncomfortable?" He sat next to her and asked.

She nodded.

"Where is it uncomfortable?"

"Hands are cold."

The cold liquid was injected from the back of the hand, and half of the arm was cold.

He gently held her hand and said softly, "Go to sleep."

Ji Huang didn't leave that night, and sat with her all night.When she woke up the next day, she saw him crookedly falling asleep on the chair, he was too tall, the chair was too small, neither horizontal nor vertical.She secretly thought, he must have had a hard sleep.

She was discharged from the hospital a week later.

Ji Huang sent her home. When she saw her iron gate, she yelled, "Oh! Who is it? Who broke my gate?"

"You locked yourself at home, can you get out without smashing the door?" Ji Huang said.

After entering the house, she yelled again: "Hey! Who took my coal stove away?"

"After being poisoned once, do you want to be poisoned a second time?"

She stomped her feet anxiously: "It's so cold in winter, how can I keep warm? This coal stove is irreplaceable, okay?"

"Frozen is healthier."

He put her bag and washbasin on the ground, looked at his watch and said, "Take a good rest, I have to take a step ahead."

"Okay." She nodded obediently, "Thank you for taking care of me these days."

She didn't know how to express her gratitude according to the local custom, so she took off her gloves and stretched out her right hand to shake his hand.

Looking at her hand, he was startled, the warm hand exuded a light white mist in the cold air.He didn't extend his hand, but suddenly leaned down and began to kiss her vigorously.

That was exactly what she had been waiting for.Her body was still a little weak, in order to resist the menacing kiss, she tightly grasped his collar, then stretched her arms, and hugged him tightly.

He kissed her violently, long, almost possessively, with his strong arms across the back of her waist.

"Do you know," he murmured in her ear, "that you almost died right under my nose?"

"Um……"

"If you have any troubles, I can't forgive myself."

"Um……"

She didn't hear what he said in her ear again, but just pestered him endlessly.When she reached a high point, she took off his shirt vigorously, and let her body slip into his warm embrace.He wrapped her in a blanket, hugged her and sat on the sofa without turning on the light, just looking at the white sky outside the window with her.

"It's going to cool down again," he said.

"Yeah, the weather is too cold, why don't we get married." After that, she realized that the words were completely illogical, and she smiled embarrassedly.

"There is a person... I never want to see her," he looked at her quietly, "Can you accept it?"

She shook his hand: "I accept."

The room was empty, and for some reason, the two fell into silence again.

"By the way, I forgot one key thing, will your girlfriend agree to our marriage?"

"That's a lie. I don't have a girlfriend."

"But, the female guest at your house on the [-]th night..."

"It's my cousin."

After a while, Rainbow let out an "hey" and said, "If we get married, it will be considered a double job, right? At least we have to share three bedrooms and one living room, what do you think?"

I really don't know, I'm startled.There are so many benefits to being a small city!The department regards them as talents, and focuses on training them for special treatment. As a result, Caihong has a big appetite when he first started working. Three rooms and one living room, oh my god, what a high starting point this is.

"I live in three bedrooms and one living room now."

"It's not fair, why am I smaller? My contract is longer than yours."

"Maybe it's because...you don't have a Ph.D?"

"But if I marry you, I'll lose all my tricks, won't I?"

"definitely."

"Ji Huang, you must really bother me to talk about this, right?"

"you mean?"

"House, ticket, title, salary..."

"Yes."

"Oh... I won't get married anymore, it's not worth it. Now we have five bedrooms and two living rooms in total... Running to achieve doctoral supervisor treatment!"

As a result, Rainbow found out that she was pregnant two months later, and the two rushed to get a marriage certificate like thieves.After completing the formalities and buying wedding candies, Rainbow returned to school, passed by Ji Huang's classroom, and was pulled in by Ji Huang. The students who were full of students looked at them curiously.

Ji Huang smiled and announced loudly: "Students, today is the wedding day of Mr. Ji and Mr. He. We invite everyone to have lunch at 'McDinlaw' at 12:30 noon. Welcome!"

Hush, huh, applause rang out, and all the students stood up.Looking at the youthful faces, Rainbow felt excited.What is the meaning of life?She quietly thought, maybe it is her ability to write her own knowledge and wisdom on these young faces bit by bit?

Eight months later, Rainbow successfully gave birth to a baby girl named Ji Xuan.

They live an ordinary and simple life, spending most of their spare time on reading, scientific research and raising children.They met a group of like-minded friends, set up a book club, and met at a teahouse every Friday to discuss their favorite books.Ji Xuan is an energetic baby who can eat but can't sleep, and often cries in the middle of the night asking Rainbow to nurse her or Ji Huang to play with her.Unexpectedly, raising children is so hard. When Ji Xuan was one and a half years old and finally able to sleep until dawn, Caihong gathered up her strength to regroup her studies and continue her doctoral dissertation.

At this time, she gradually began to miss her parents.As the saying goes, only by raising children will you know the kindness of your parents.Although the knot in her heart could not be untied, after countless times of "fighting" with this babbling baby who had no peace except sleeping, she finally experienced the hardships of her parents back then, not to mention that their child was not her own.How much love, how much patience and perseverance this needs.

In order to take care of their children, Rainbow and Ji Huang have almost stayed at home for more than a year.The hometown is not far away, but Rainbow has never been back.As for the parents, they seemed to be determined and never contacted.With Li Mingzhu's stubbornness, the probability of asking her to bow her head after raising the bar is almost zero.

On Li Mingzhu's birthday, Rainbow once thought about sending some money to his family, and the money was ready.But the next day, she accompanied Ji Huang's family to visit her parents' grave. The desolate cemetery, the simple stele, two lonely tombs, and the three men were silent in front of the tomb, and an infinite sense of guilt surged in her heart.

When she got home, she tore up the remittance slip and threw it into the toilet, pressing the button hard.

Finally one day, Ji Huang said to her: "Maybe you should go home to see your parents and take the child with you."

"Don't go."

She didn't want to continue the topic and walked away silently.

03
Just after New Year's Day, Rainbow suddenly received a call from his father.

At first she still didn't believe it was He Dalu, but after two years, her father's voice was so old that she couldn't recognize it: "Rainbow, let's go home."

"dad--"

"Your mother has a heart attack and will have an operation tomorrow. The doctor said that the operation is dangerous, and accidents cannot be ruled out."

"Oh!"

"Your mother said...she wants to see you before the operation."

Too anxious, she didn't know what to say.

"Please come."

"Okay, Dad."

She still wanted to ask, but the phone over there had already hung up.

Looking at the time, it was no longer possible to buy a train ticket at this time, so she took Ji Xuan on the last long-distance bus overnight.He intended not to let Ji Huang go, but Ji Huang was worried that she had to take care of the patients and would not have time to take care of the children, so he insisted on going with her.

I felt anxious along the way, and couldn't believe it was true after all.Father is a person who has no idea, and he will not lie, so it is probably a fraud to hang up the phone in such a hurry.As far as Rainbow knows, Li Mingzhu has never had any heart disease, and the arthritis in her legs is also chronic.She guessed that her mother just wanted to see her, so she set up such a trap.In order to force Rainbow to learn the piano when she was a child, Li Mingzhu always said that she had hepatitis.Whenever she doesn't practice the piano well, Li Mingzhu complains of liver pain, so that her daughter will work hard under the drive of guilt.However, her liver is completely normal in the physical examination every year, and Rainbow is very tired of performing too many times.

The more I think about it, the more suspicious I become.She had been sitting in a bumpy car for more than five hours, but Ji Xuan didn't cooperate, she never felt peaceful in her arms, she wanted to eat, change her diaper, knocked over her baby bottle, and refused to let her go. People must get off the ground to walk... This made Rainbow upset, and almost wanted to get out of the car and call back to ask for clarification.

Only Ji Huang coaxed Ji Xuan very patiently, holding a small puppet in his hand and kept performing for her.

The seven-hour car ride was exhausting.After leaving the station, Rainbow immediately called his father and asked which hospital it was.He Dalu briefly told her that she was on the third floor of the People's Hospital.

It seems to be a real disease.Rainbow panicked all of a sudden, the third floor was the intensive care unit and the operation area, and when Han Qing had an accident, Rainbow was on the third floor with Donglin waiting for Qin Wei's surgery.

"Go find a hotel, and I'll go to the hospital alone." Rainbow said to Ji Huang.

"Doesn't your mother want to see Ji Xuan?" Ji Huang asked.

"That's right, I have to take the child with me."

She put down her bag, caught Ji Xuan, and ran out in a panic. Ji Huang grabbed her and said, "Let me go with you, at least I can give you a hug for the baby."

She was so upset that she had already lost her mind, so she nodded indiscriminately: "Alright. When you see my mother then, you can wait for me outside the door."

The family rushed to the hospital by taxi, only half an hour before Li Mingzhu entered the operating room.

He Dalu stopped Rainbow at the door, and didn't bother to greet Ji Huang, he pulled her aside and whispered: "Rainbow, when you see your mother later, she will mention the phone call, what are you going to say? "

Rainbow froze: "Dad, what do you want me to say?"

"I have lived with your mother for decades, and I know what kind of person your mother is. That call is definitely not for her, you have to trust her!"

"Dad, is there any point in entangled with this matter at this time?" Rainbow was upset again when this matter was mentioned, and couldn't help but ask back.

"So, you still don't want to believe her? You don't want to forgive her?"

"Dad, believe? Forgive? Don't you think this is too light?" Caihong said, "This is not a trivial matter, it involves a human life! I am not qualified to forgive her, she must repent and ask Ji Huang's family for help." forgive."

He Dalu sighed heavily, and suddenly choked up and lost his voice: "The operation is very dangerous, can you... say a few words to make your mother feel at ease? Your father is begging you."

Rainbow stared at him blankly, not seeing him for more than two years, his father's hair had turned gray, and the wrinkles on his face had deepened.Her heart ached and she nodded: "I will, Dad."

Holding Ji Xuan in her arms, she silently followed He Dalu into the ward.

For the first time in more than 20 years, she felt like she was a child again, back to the day she was abandoned.She can't remember the scene at all. If the baby is conscious, it must be very sad, right?But Li Mingzhu rewrote her history, she has never been sad for her life experience.Thinking of this, she suddenly stopped, her eyes blurred with tears, her whole body trembled, and she could hardly hold Xuan'er in her arms.

Someone came and took her hand.The hand was warm, dry, and steady.She turned her head slightly and saw Ji Huang.

"I'll go in with you," he said.

The two walked to Li Mingzhu's bedside in silence.Li Mingzhu's face was pale, her lips were slightly purple, she didn't change much, she just looked a little fatter.

"Mom." Rainbow called softly.

"You finally married him." Li Mingzhu's eyes were clear, with the critical and sharpness of the past.

"This is your granddaughter." She carried Ji Xuan in front of her.

Immediately, Li Mingzhu's eyes softened, and he reached out to touch the child's face: "He looks so pretty, what's his name?"

"Ji Xuan."

She nodded: "The name is also nice."

Just as Rainbow was about to open his mouth, a nurse came in and said, "It's time for the operation, family members please stay away."

"Mom, don't worry about the surgery, you'll be fine!" Caihong held Li Mingzhu's hand tightly and smiled encouragingly at her.

"I really didn't make that call." Li Mingzhu's voice was a little hoarse, and the wrinkles on her lips were furrowed urgently, "Believe me, I really didn't!"

"I believe in you." Rainbow's tears began to fall in big drops.

"Ji Huang," Li Mingzhu raised his head, looked at Ji Huang's face, and stretched out a hand to him, "Come here, I have something to ask you!"

Ji Huang paused for a moment, stepped forward, and held her hand: "Mom, please rest assured to recover from illness, I will take good care of Rainbow."

"I didn't ask you this." Mingzhu grabbed his hand tightly and said fiercely, "What I want to ask is, my daughter is married to you, what plans do you have for her future?"

Ji Huang was slightly taken aback.

"Mom, let's talk about the plan after the operation is over." Caihong cautiously interjected.

"No," she shouted, "I want to listen now!"

Ji Huang immediately said: "I will love Rainbow for the rest of my life, share weal and woe, and never leave. I will do my best to care for her, respect her, and give her a beautiful and happy life. At present, we will stay in Zhongbi for the time being. Caihong didn’t like Zhongbi for a few years and wanted to change to another city to continue to develop, so I will listen to her opinion.”

Finally, Li Mingzhu's expression stabilized, she nodded, and let go of Ji Huang's hand: "You have to keep your word."

"I assure you."

They stood outside the door of the operating room, waiting quietly.

An hour passed, and it was quiet inside, and everything seemed to be going well.After another 10 minutes, the bell suddenly rang loudly, there were many instruments ringing inside, and many figures were walking around non-stop.

Everyone outside the door stood up, even Ji Xuan was too scared to cry.

After waiting anxiously for a while, a doctor came out of the operating room and said solemnly, "I'm sorry—"

A gloomy gust of wind suddenly blew through the corridor, making Rainbow tremble all over.

Mother Li Mingzhu just walked away lightly.

Shocked, the father and daughter hugged each other and cried.

It took a long time for the rainbow to subside.She walked up to Ji Huang and said quietly, "Thank you for making my mother feel at ease before she leaves."

He looked at her and sighed softly: "You gave up a city for me, what else can I not let go for you?"

(End of this chapter)