In the Qingming afternoon, the train slowly drove out of the edge of the city, Lin Xiaomei looked at the blurred scenery outside the window, but her heart set off a faint sorrow. Alone in this cramped hard-seat car, she embarked on the journey back to her hometown. She had expected the journey to be as calm as water, until the familiar figure came into her sight.
"Xiaomei?" the warm male voice woke her up from her memories.
Lin Xiaomei looked up and saw Zhou Qiang standing in front of her, showing a thoughtful expression. "Zhou Qiang?" she cried out uncertainly, and the turbulence in her heart could not hide others.
"Coincidentally, you're going back to your hometown too. The corners of Zhou Qiang's mouth showed a familiar smile from the past.
"yes, it's a holiday. Lin Xiaomei replied briefly, and couldn't help asking, "What about you?"
"Me too. What a coincidence... Can I sit here?" he gestured to the empty seat next to her. Lin Xiaomei nodded, and her heartbeat accelerated unconsciously.
After sitting down, Zhou Qiang didn't seem to know what to say for a while, and the atmosphere was subtly silent for a moment. But soon, the silence was broken by the noise of the surrounding passengers, and Zhou Qiang began to try to chat.
"How have you been doing all these years?"
"It's okay. Lin Xiaomei replied lightly.
"I heard you're married?"
"Well, it's been three years. She said softly, but there was a lot of helplessness and silence added to each word in her heart.
"Me too. Zhou Qiang touched his nose, embarrassed but real, "But then again, I always remember when we were in high school..."
As soon as the conversation turned, Zhou Qiang began his reminiscences, and those common past events poured into Lin Xiaomei's memories like a tide. "Do you remember the summer of the year you graduated? We went hiking together, and you fell down..."
Lin Xiaomei couldn't help laughing, "You forced me that time, whoever told you to go up and see the entire cityscape." ”
"Did you see the result?" Zhou Qiang smiled, as if the sunshine and grass of the year were still preserved in his eyes.
"Well, it's the unreality of beauty. Lin Xiaomei's voice began to soften, and memories began to melt her defenses.
The two began to talk frequently, talking about past friends, past jokes, and even changes in their families. As the topic kept changing, Lin Xiaomei gradually let go of her guard, and the warm current was surging in her heart.
However, just as the two were talking and laughing, Lin Xiaomei's mobile phone rang, and the name of her husband Li Wei was displayed on the screen. She paused, and the waves in her heart rose again. The struggling heart was pulled back by reality, and the title, "husband", was as heavy as a boulder pressing on the chest.
"Hey, it's your husband, answer the phone. Zhou Qiang's words broke her confusion.
"Oh, oh... Good. She tried her best to make her voice sound natural.
"Wei, are you looking for me?" The voice of her husband Li Wei came from the other end of the phone, "Xiaomei, where have you been, have you eaten?"
"On the train, haven't you eaten yet?" she asked.
"Well, I did. Is it crowded on the train? Take care of yourself. ”
"Got it. Lin Xiaomei replied, but her palms were in a cold sweat.
After hanging up the phone, she found that Zhou Qiang was still watching her, and her heart was fully revealed. She tries to return to a relaxed atmosphere, only to find that she is no longer as relaxed as before.
The first love that I haven't seen for many years, the indescribable joy and throbbing, the entanglement between precious memories and reality, make Lin Xiaomei's heart fluctuate. But the name that carries the oath and responsibility, "husband", has always been firmly anchored in her heart. The scenery outside the window changed from bright to dark, the lights in the carriage gradually turned on, and the sound of people's conversation began to lower the decibels, Lin Xiaomei and Zhou Qiang maintained an exchange that seemed to have endless topics.
"Your husband... How?" Zhou Qiang asked tentatively, albeit with a touch of privacy on the topic.
Lin Xiaomei sighed, "He's fine, but he's too busy at work, and we rarely have time together." ”
"Yes, it's similar, my wife and I are too. Zhou Qiang smiled wryly, "Every day's life is like an infinite loop, lacking the passion of the early years." ”
Lin Xiaomei nodded lightly, feeling deeply, "After a long time, I feel that only responsibility and habits remain." ”
"Speaking of work," Zhou Qiang changed his words, "I've been thinking about opening a small shop recently, are you interested in doing business?"
"Small shop?" Lin Xiaomei asked curiously, "What type of store?"
"It's the kind of online celebrity dessert shop that has been very popular recently, and I think it has a lot of potential. Zhou Qiang began to introduce his plan.
Lin Xiaomei's eyes lit up, "I used to be a pastry chef for a while, and I'm really interested in this." ”
"Really? That's great, I'm always looking for the right person, and if you're interested, we can work together. Zhou Qiang looked excited.
The train clicked, crossed a bridge, and disappeared into the night. Lin Xiaomei's heart is racing, and partnering with Zhou Qiang is not only a new job opportunity, but also a possible way to regain the long-lost passion for life.
"Our problem is that we don't have freshness... Don't you think?" Zhou Qiang suddenly handed out a plausible sentence.
Lin Xiaomei was slightly stunned, and then whispered: "Sometimes, I do think so. ”
The atmosphere suddenly became a little subtle, and the eyes of the two inadvertently met, and they seemed to be able to see the sparks of the old days in each other's eyes.
"I thought about divorce a few years ago. Zhou Qiang's sudden confession made Lin Xiaomei feel a little shocked.
"Have you ever had such an idea?" Lin Xiaomei asked suspiciously.
"Well, but then I think about it, it's still not like that. After all, there are children in the middle, and marriage is not just a matter of two people. ”
"I understand. Lin Xiaomei lowered her head and remembered her own situation.
Suddenly, Zhou Qiang stretched out his hand and gently covered Lin Xiaomei's hand, "Xiaomei, we all need some changes, don't we?"
Lin Xiaomei's hand trembled slightly, how eager she was to break free at this moment, but at the same time she also knew the weight of reality. She gently withdrew her hand, "Zhou Qiang, I..."
"It's okay, I know, I'm just... I just want to say that sometimes there are opportunities in front of us, and we have to dare to seize them. Zhou Qiang said meaningfully.
The two began to talk about their plans to open the store again, trying to avoid too many emotional fluctuations. However, Lin Xiaomei knew in her heart that on this train journey, she was not only faced with career choices, but also choices related to her feelings.
The crowd in the carriage gradually fell silent, and in the night, the travelers slowed down their breathing, and only in the small world of Lin Xiaomei and Zhou Qiang, the words continued. Each conversation seems to invisibly deepen the connection between them, and the passing scenery outside seems to silently witness the subtle changes between the two. It was late at night, the lights in the carriage were dim, and most of the passengers were already asleep. Lin Xiaomei and Zhou Qiang were still sitting in a secluded corner, surrounded by the tranquility of the night.
"Xiaomei, do you know? In my most difficult time, it was the good memories that we used to sustain me. Zhou Qiang suddenly spoke, and his voice was full of affection.
Lin Xiaomei's heart trembled slightly, and she didn't know how to answer. She had a vague sense that it was an unusual topic, and the atmosphere between them was quietly changing.
"I feel like our relationship never really ended. Zhou Qiang's eyes locked on Lin Xiaomei, "Can we start again?"
This sentence was like a heavy stone smashed into the calm lake, Lin Xiaomei felt the waves of the heart lake being touched, and a strong sense of contradiction surged up from the bottom of her heart. She hurriedly lowered her head to hide her falteringness.
"Zhou Qiang, we're both married..."Lin Xiaomei's voice was weak, trying to maintain her last sanity.
"I know, but I..."
At this moment, Lin Xiaomei noticed the wedding ring on Zhou Qiang's hand, which flashed a cold light in the dim light. It was like a wake-up call, a sudden reminder of the boundaries she was about to cross.
"You're still wearing a wedding ring. Lin Xiaomei's gaze was fixed on the ring, and her voice trembled, "This represents your wife, your family..."
Zhou Qiang lowered his head, not knowing what to do, and then replied softly, "Yes, I haven't taken it off." But Xiaomei, I..."
"No, Zhou Qiang. Lin Xiaomei interrupted him, "We can't do this, I have someone I love, and so do you, we... We shouldn't make it complicated. ”
A hint of loss flashed in Zhou Qiang's eyes, and he was silent for a moment, he held Lin Xiaomei's hand, "Xiaomei, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said something like that." ”
Lin Xiaomei slowly withdrew her hand, "We all have people and lives that we need to cherish, let's stay in the good memories." ”
Silence fell between the two again, but this time, it was a sober and heavy silence. Lin Xiaomei knew in her heart that the retreat at this moment was not cowardice, but the insistence on reality and respect for that youthful memory.
Meteors outside the car window streaked across the night sky, wordlessly witnessing the quiet changes of the two hearts. The train is speeding away, carrying the travelers' respective stories, through the time and space tunnel, and heading in their own directions. On the train home, Lin Xiaomei sat alone in the window seat, her eyes lingering on the rapidly receding scenery outside the window, but her heart was turbulent. She reflected on what she had thought and done in this unexpected encounter, and her heart was full of guilt and mixed feelings.
Back home, Lin Xiaomei stood at the door of the house, took a few deep breaths, and mustered up the courage to push open the door. "Li Wei, can we talk?" she tried to keep her voice as calm as she could.
Li Wei stood up from the sofa and looked a little surprised. "Xiaomei, you're back, of course you can. What's wrong? ”
"I... There are some things I've been thinking about these days. Lin Xiaomei's voice trembled a little, "On the train, I met Zhou Qiang..."
"Zhou Qiang, your first love?" Li Wei was stunned for a moment and was silent for a moment, "Did something happen?"
Lin Xiaomei confessed to Li Wei what happened on the train, including the conversation with Zhou Qiang, the psychological struggle, and the final awakening. Li Wei listened, his expression changed from surprise to deep thought.
"Xiaomei, I think I'm also responsible. Li Wei's voice was low, "Being busy with work is one thing, but I neglected the communication between us and our mutual feelings. ”
Lin Xiaomei looked up in surprise, "You are also reflecting?"
"Yes, you're not here for a few days, I have a lot of time to think about the problems between us. Li Wei sat down and motioned for Lin Xiaomei to sit too, "I think we all need to change." ”
Hearing her husband's words, Lin Xiaomei's heart swelled with warmth. The two leaned back on the couch and began to seriously discuss each other's grievances and expectations.
"I think we should schedule some events on a regular basis, as we did before. Li Wei suggested.
"Yes, we can try something that we haven't done before and add a little freshness to our lives. Lin Xiaomei added.
"I also want to have more time to communicate, not just the usual greetings. Li Wei said again.
Lin Xiaomei smiled and nodded, "Let's plan the future together." ”
The two decided to work together from this moment on to save their marriage and replan their lives. In this way, at home late at night, Li Wei and Lin Xiaomei sat on the sofa and built a blueprint for the future.
Lin Xiaomei lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, Li Wei's breathing was steady and gentle in her ears. The tranquility of the moment is so precious, and she knows that no matter what the future holds, it will be an indispensable force in her life.
Who has never been confused on the road of feelings? Who can say that they have never fallen on the journey of life? But the key is whether we are willing to stand up bravely after falling, wipe off the dust, and continue to move forward. So, are we really ready to start again?