In the green corner of the community, Zhang Dashan is watering the flowers and plants on his bustling balcony as usual. The sunlight shines through the leaves, speckled on his kind face, the kettle in his hand tilted, and the crystal droplets of water are like the tenderness he is full of. Across the window, the sound of classical music came from Li Xiaohua's room, and the air seemed to be filled with the smell of art.
"Then I have to talk to the property management again......" Zhang Dashan muttered with a little helplessness. This is his regular monthly routine, and the water pipe downstairs is always giving him trouble. As soon as his words fell, Li Xiaohua's door opened, and she was carrying a bag of garbage and preparing to go out.
"Good morning, Mr. Zhang. Li Xiaohua nodded gently, and then walked downstairs.
"Oh, good morning, Miss Li. Zhang Dashan turned his head and smiled at the familiar figure. He noticed that Li Xiaohua seemed to have no fat powder today, without makeup, but she was still beautiful and refined.
Everyone else in the community is busy with their own lives, children chase and fight, old people get together to play chess and chat, only Zhang Dashan and Li Xiaohua, they are the watchmen of their own lives, and they don't disturb each other.
"How is Miss Li's painting?" asked Zhang Dashan loudly, knowing that Li Xiaohua likes to paint Chinese paintings in his spare time.
Li Xiaohua turned around with a little smile on her face: "It's okay, thank you Mr. Zhang for your concern, I've been a little busy lately, and I haven't painted much." ”
The conversation between the two is always simple and polite, like a breeze that leaves no trace. Zhang Dashan picked up the kettle again and continued his watering work, while Li Xiaohua disappeared around the corner of the stairs.
The next day, Zhang Dashan was in the convenience store in the community and heard the conversation between Sister Amei and Uncle Wang: "...... It's really not easy, I heard that Li Xiaohua has something happened to her family recently, and she urgently needs 2,000 yuan. ”
"Hey, in this world, it's not that if you have money, you have to get it, someone may be so urgent. Uncle Wang took a puff of cigarette, with a little vicissitudes in his voice.
Zhang Dashan only felt that his heart sank, and he couldn't imagine that Miss Li, who always had a gentle smile, still had any troubles pressing on his heart. When he finished shopping, a warm current was already tumbling in his heart, and he knew what he was going to do next.
When Li Xiaohua returned home, she still locked herself in her room, the paintbrush in her hand jumped on the rice paper, her eyes were full of pictures, but there was a different scenery in her heart. She didn't know that Zhang Dashan's heart had opened a door for her, which was pure care and respect between neighbors.
On that quiet night, Zhang Dashan stood in front of his house, holding an envelope containing 2,000 yuan. The night stretched his figure very long, and in the moonlight, his eyes revealed a trace of firmness and warmth. He hesitated for a moment and finally decided to give the money to someone who needed it.
Mustering up his courage, Zhang Dashan walked to Li Xiaohua's door, his hands trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and placed the envelope quietly on the mat in the doorway. Zhang Dashan rang the doorbell, didn't wait for the sound to fall, and quickly turned to leave, as if he had made an ulterior deal.
In the following days, Zhang Dashan always inadvertently looked at Li Xiaohua's door, and his heart was full of conjectures about the unknown. Li Xiaohua's life doesn't seem to have changed because of the sudden arrival of the 2,000 yuan, she still commutes to work as usual, and disappears into the studio after returning home at night.
However, just one weekend, Zhang Dashan saw Li Xiaohua returning home with a mysterious guest, and the conversation and laughter between the two made him extremely curious. "Could it be that there are any unknown secrets in her life?" Zhang Dashan put a question mark in his heart.
"Dashan, who is that upstairs, how do you have a fresh face?" Aunt Wang next door also seemed to notice this anomaly.
"Oh, Aunt Wang, are you talking about Miss Li? Zhang Dashan tried his best to downplay the topic, but the doubts in his heart became deeper and deeper.
Aunt Wang said with a smile: "Yes, Miss Li has always been low-key, and it is really rare to see her bring people back." ”
At night, when most of the lights were extinguished, Zhang Dashan still lay on the bed tossing and turning. He got up and walked to the window, and through the dim light, he saw that Li Xiaohua's guests had entered Li Xiaohua's house again when they were leaving. At that moment, he decided what he needed to do.
Zhang Dashan had been imagining the identity and purpose of the mysterious man all night, but no matter how much he tried to figure it out, he could only stay behind Li Xiaohua's closed door. Perhaps, there will never be an answer to some secrets, but human curiosity is always eager to find out.
Zhang Dashan's curiosity was completely ignited that weekend night. Through the darkness of the night, his eyes were locked on the faintly lit window next door. Li Xiaohua's guest was standing in the doorway, a rather ordinary-looking note stuffed through the gap. Zhang Dashan quietly approached his side, and his ears captured the conversation between the two.
I only listened to the whisper of the mysterious guest: "Xiaohua, are you ready for this exhibition? ”
Li Xiaohua's voice was a little anxious: "How should I face everyone's eyes, I am not used to standing in front of people for a long time." ”
Zhang Dashan's heart was like being hit by a hammer, it turned out that there was such an unknown story in Li Xiaohua's life. He couldn't wait to unveil this layer of mystery, and wanted to know what kind of secret made her so entangled by Li Xiaohua, who had always lived a low-key life.
"But your work is so sincere and touching, you really don't care about other people's comments. The guest continued to convince him.
"I know, it's just...... You know, there's always something I'd rather keep in my heart. Li Xiaohua's voice was a little choked.
Zhang Dashan leaned his back against the cold wall and closed his eyes. He suddenly realized that the 2,000 yuan was not just a sum of money for Li Xiaohua, it might be an opportunity for her to start a new life, or a lifeline struggling on the edge of her old life. He couldn't sleep tonight, and the intermittent conversation kept replaying in his mind, and an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart.
That night, there seemed to be only a wall between Zhang Dashan and Li Xiaohua, but in fact, it was a distance between art and life. The distance between neighbors has become so subtle, like a galaxy at night, close in front of you, but far away.
After a night of thinking, Zhang Dashan decided to put aside all his worries and talk to Li Xiaohua face-to-face. The sunlight cast long shadows on the window lattice, and when he knocked on Li Xiaohua's door, his heart was calm.
"Mr. Zhang, so early?" Li Xiaohua was a little surprised, and her puzzled voice came from the crack in the door.
"Miss Li, can I come in? I have something to say to you. Zhang Dashan's tone was firm, he knew that he had to know the truth.
The door opened, Li Xiaohua smiled, and politely let Zhang Dashan into the house. In the living room, canvases and paints are scattered all over the floor, and those paintings are full of warm and vivid colors, and just a glance makes people respect.
"Well, I overheard your conversation with your friend last night, I wonder if there is anything that can help you?" Zhang Dashan asked hesitantly.
Li Xiaohua's eyes showed respect and gratitude, and she knew that Zhang Dashan was out of concern: "Mr. Zhang, in fact, I have been preparing for an art exhibition, and this may be the last time I will participate." All the paintings contain my story, my emotions, and ......," she paused, "and my secrets. ”
"Secret?" Zhang Dashan repeated in a low voice.
"Yes, there is a passage after each painting that only I can decipher. It scared and excited me at the same time. Li Xiaohua's eyes flashed with a complicated light.
Zhang Dashan smiled softly, he could see Li Xiaohua's strength and vulnerability: "You are amazing, you have such courage. ”
The two looked out the window, and an unprecedented tacit understanding flowed between them. They are no longer just neighbors, but more like old friends who have experienced ups and downs together.
Finally, together they planted a small green tree in the garden of the community. "Let's call it 'Neighborliness.'" Zhang Dashan proposed.
"'Neighborlines', I love the name. Li Xiaohua nodded.
In this way, the tree is planted in every inch of the community, symbolizing the deep care and cherishment between neighbors. "Neighborliness" is not only their common memory, but also the testimony of their story.