Peach Hut – Jam 2021.03.03

End of 2015, Harbin Airport. Lao Lu put down the heavy suitcase in his hand and turned to look out the window again at the city that had struggled for three years, and this time, I am afraid that I will never come back. Although the corners of his mouth showed a smile, he still couldn't hide the sadness in his heart.

"Please go to Jinan passenger friends to get ready to board!"

Let's go! It's time to leave. Snuff out the last cigarette and pick up the luggage on the ground.

Just as Lao Lu was about to walk towards the entrance, he was suddenly hugged tightly by a pair of hands stretched out from behind. How familiar is this sound.

"Even if you can't embrace the whole world, I will embrace you in place of the world!"

......

Speaking of the old road, I have more words. He was a good buddy I played from childhood to adulthood, when I was in elementary school, I was at the same table, going to school together all day, playing together, even if everyone is busy working in various places now, but every time I go to the south, I always have to take time to get together. When he drinks, he always has a Zhongnanhai in his hand, and it can be said that in addition to his family, only I know him best.

Lao Lu's family is still quite superior, his parents are local businessmen, he is the only son of the family, from a young age, the family has focused on cultivating him, hoping that he will be admitted to a prestigious university and then enter the career editor when he grows up. But in his bones with stubbornness, he still chose to apply for an art college, the old road likes to draw when he is young, he always likes to draw his favorite cartoon characters in books when he goes to class, every time the class comes out of the blackboard newspaper, he is always the first to register, after graduation to open a studio near his home, usually the teacher teaches, he will help manage it, and the day will be easy. There are many, many stories about him, and he is always willing to share a passage with me every time. But to say that its most memorable piece, it should be "Xiao Ke"! A very important person in the life of an old road.

Lao Lu was able to know Xiao Ke entirely because of a coincidence. Every year during the summer vacation, according to the custom, the old road will carry the drawing board to collect wind and paint the scenery. This year, the holidays happened to be longer than usual, and this time he chose a poetic place, Dali, Yunnan. Lao Lu This person has a cheerful personality, good connections, and can make good friends everywhere.

The train all the way south creaked and tried to drive forward, and he looked up at Jinan, the sign of Dali, and then he couldn't help but feel the excitement in his heart. Because Lao Lu has told me more than once that he has long wanted to go to Dali to see. This time I chose to take the train because I felt in the heart of the old road that I should go out to play slower, and I could feel the joy of departure more when I experienced the scenery along the way.

After two days and one night of travel, it finally arrived. Just after getting off the train, the mountains are stacked on top of each other, and although each one is not very tall, it gives people a very comfortable feeling. Butterflies fly by from time to time in the roadside fields, and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers. The architectural features here are not as busy as in the big cities, and the lights are brilliant at night. On the contrary, there are a few villages scattered here, and most of the wooden houses, coupled with the background of the winding paths, there is a rural atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of the urban asphalt roads. The hotel is already overcrowded during the annual tourist season, and due to the rush of this departure, it has not been booked online in advance, and it has not been planned in advance, so it is a bit busy for a while. At this time, it was already more than five o'clock in the evening, but dali's twilight was really good-looking, and Lao Lu was secretly happy.

"It seems that this time I came to Dali right."

The nearby hotels are full, it seems that you can only drag your luggage forward, smoke is almost smoked on the road, you can only take one step at a time, see if you can try your luck to meet an idle hotel to take a hot bath. I don't know how long I have been walking, but I have been sitting on the train for so long and I am already very tired, and it is really overwhelmed to pull the suitcase and carry the drawing board. Seeing that the sky is getting darker, it is inevitable that a person walking on the path is a little afraid. Even if you can meet a house to spend the night.

I finally saw a shop not far away, and I hope to have an empty room this time. The wooden sign at the door reads "Peach Cottage", which is a small two-story building. The old road didn't care so much and went straight in. A voice inside my leg just stepped in and said:

"Staying at the hotel?" Listening to the voice is a woman

"Hmm."

"How many?"

"Just myself."

"There's a key behind the door, choose one yourself!" The green ones are all empty, eighty a night, remember to give me room rate when you leave. ”

"I lean on! Is it popular to choose your own room in hotels now? Nor did I ask if I had an ID. ”

I couldn't help but look up at a girl in a long skirt with a ponytail, holding a cat in her arms, watching TV while grooming it with her hands.

The woman seemed to feel that the old road was full of doubts, and added:

"Come here for the first time!" Many hotels in the neighborhood are like this, you just stay, you don't have to look at any documents. Choosing a room when you come and paying for the room when you leave is as simple as that. ”

"It turns out that the people here are very simple." Lao Lu seemed to understand and nodded. Then take the key and walk towards the stairs.

I slept so well this night.

But who knew that there was an unexpected storm in the day, originally planned to go to the top of the mountain the next day to sketch, just set off not long after actually poured out of the light rain. Originally, July and August were the rainy season, plus this side is the south, and this rain does not know when to stop. The old road had to carry the drawing board all the way back, seeing that the rain was getting bigger and bigger, he could only fix the drawing board on his head and brave the rain to move forward. When I arrived at the hotel, I really became a chicken in the soup. At this time, the shop owner was sitting behind the counter holding her cat. Last night it was too dark to take a good look, and it turned out that this was a beautiful girl with big eyes and earrings.

Seeing that the other party could see god in his own way, the shop owner couldn't help but feel a pang of shyness and hurriedly lowered his head.

Lao Lu realized his embarrassment and hurriedly said:

"Excuse me! Excuse me! I didn't expect it to rain heavily today, that, I'll clean the floor for you. ”

"You better clean yourself up first!" The girl pointed to the muddy clothes on the old road, and only then did she find that the clothes had long been unsightly as she ran all the way.

He looked at himself, then at her, revealing a smirk.

The girl saw that Lao Lu was still holding a drawing board in her hand, and said:

"Yow! I didn't expect you to be a painter! ”

"What painting is not a painter, just graduating and having nothing to do, idle walking around, writing sketches." No, I was going out today, and it rained heavily before I went very far. ”

"Then you should pay attention to it in the future, it often rains on our side, there is an umbrella behind the door, the next time you go out, remember to bring it, it will not be like today."

"Okay, okay, I remember." Lao Lu said politely.

When he returned to his room to take a shower and change into a clean set of clothes, he found that the floor had already been cleaned, and the shop owner was washing the mop.

"Oh, I'm sorry to let you clean it yourself."

"Nothing, I'm idle and idle."

"They all blame me for being too careless, and when I entered the door, I didn't know to clean the mud on my feet first." I'm sorry. "The old way of a straight man, I didn't expect this time to be euphemistic."

"Hmmm... Don't you know how to draw, and if you're really embarrassed, help me draw a picture! ”

"Good, good!" The old road cheerfully agreed.

"By the way, I haven't told you yet, my name is Xiao Ke."

"Xiao Ke." Lao Lu thought silently in his heart.

"My name is Lu Qing, and I'm from Jinan."

"Seeing that you are a few years older than me, just call you the old way!" The name of the old road also came from that time.

In the afternoon, Lao Lu gave Xiao Ke three portraits in different poses. It seems that Xiao Ke was very satisfied with the paintings of Lao Lu and hung them all on the plate wall behind the chair.

So The old road stayed in this inn called "Peach Cottage" for almost a week. He and Xiao Ke also became good friends who talked about everything.

Early this morning, Lao Lu was still asleep, and suddenly he was "Ah! A wake-up call was Xiao Ke's voice, and he hurriedly put on his clothes and walked down. I saw Xiao Ke lying on the floor with his legs in his arms, and the kettle next to him fell to the ground, and the water was sprinkled all over the ground. Probably Xiao Ke suddenly slipped when he was about to boil water, and lao Lu hurried over.

"How are you?" Were there any injuries? ”

Xiao Ke just pointed to his ankle and said:

"It hurts, it hurts!"

Regardless of the three seven twenty-one, the old road directly picked up Xiao Ke and ran to the hospital in the town, fortunately it was not far from this side, the old road said.

Xiao Ke snuggled in lao lu's arms and cried in pain, and lao lu was also very anxious in his heart, knowing why the distance of several miles felt so far this time. Afterwards, I heard Lao Lu say that he was like a chicken blood that day, he had never run so hard, and when he arrived at the hospital, the sweat had soaked his shirt.

After taking a film after arriving at the hospital, I learned that a bone on Xiao Ke's ankle had broken. Fortunately, it is not too serious, but it needs to be maintained in the hospital for a while. The doctor wrapped Xiao Ke in a thick plaster cast and could only lie on the hospital bed every day, and the business in the store could not be taken care of.

Lao Lu decided to stay and take care of Xiao Ke and help her take care of the inn.

Now the old road is running back and forth between the hotel and the hospital every day, two o'clock and one line, sometimes it is the passengers who come there, sometimes it is to send food to Xiao Ke, never saw the old road so busy. Thinking that the summer vacation has just begun, there is nothing wrong with going back by himself, plus he and Xiao Ke get along these days, and they are very chatty, and they feel like old friends who have not seen each other for many years, so they directly stayed. During the time when Xiao Ke was recuperating, Lao Ke always accompanied her to her hospital bed, telling him where he had been before, what things that had happened that made him unforgettable, to relieve her boredom, and sometimes talked about happy things, Xiao Ke was also amused by Lao Lu's experience. Remember a song that Xiao Ke especially liked to listen to:

"The wind in July, the rain in August, the humble I like the distant you, your past, can't participate, but I still like you." 」

Every time Xiao Ke hummed this song, Lao Lu would always pick up a small bench as a tambourine to accompany her, I don't know, I really think they are a pair of old husbands and wives. I was planning to come to Dali to sketch, but I didn't expect to have such a memory.

Through this incident, Xiao Ke was grateful to Lao Lu, in Xiao Ke's eyes, Lao Lu was not a passerby who met in Pingshui, his heart was careful and caring, more like his own family.

I'm a little thirsty, pour me a glass of water, okay?" Xiao Ke said.

At the foot of the bed was a thermos with boiling water that the nurse had just called. Lao Lu took a cup and slowly poured it full of steaming water. It was the height of summer, and it would take a while to cool a cup of boiling water. Lao Lu was afraid that Xiao Ke was in a hurry, so he found an empty cup and used two cups to fold the water back and forth. The movements are soothing and elegant, appearing patient. In this way, the foot folded back and forth a dozen times, and then carefully blew on the surface of the water with his lips for a while, and finally took a small sip gently, which revealed a reassuring smile, because the water temperature at this time was just right.

It was just the simplest thing, but it was at that moment. Xiao Ke's heart was violently shaken, and she saw all this in her eyes.

Lao Lu told us that during Xiao Ke's recuperation, he learned that Xiao Ke had a boyfriend and spent two years together, because the boyfriend wanted to go to a big city to develop, so the two people had a disagreement, and finally the boyfriend proposed to break up. In the end, Xiao Ke found out that her boyfriend had just gone out to work and got along with his female boss shortly after, and he had settled there. For this reason, Xiao Ke hid at home and cried for several days, drunk every night, she never felt so sad, just in that instant, she felt that men were liars.

Later, she came here to open such a "peach hut" inn. Maybe after such an emotional ups and downs, you need a quiet time to recuperate! But since the old road appeared like injecting new life into Xiao Ke's life, taking her happiness and emotion rooted in her heart for so many days, she may gradually fall in love with this person who is a few years older than her, looks ordinary, but has been caring for and devoted to her in the past few days. Old Road is also used to this all day hip hop, occasionally with a little wayward "little girl." ”

After more than a month of rehabilitation training, Xiao Ke's foot injury healed, and after lying in the hospital bed for more than a month, she was finally able to walk on the ground, and she and Lao Lu were very happy.

In short, it was what had happened in the past month or so that Xiao Ke's heart was slowly moved, and for the first time she felt so carefully cared for by a man.

When Lao Lu was parting, he said to Xiao Ke, when I go back to finish things over there, I will come back to you. But for more than three months, he did not wait for the old road to come back, and every time he called, he always found various reasons to shirk, either saying that he was busy or that he did not have time. In the end, Xiao Ke finally couldn't hold back and bought a ticket to Jinan.

When Xiao Ke saw the old road again, it was still that kind face, but it was much more haggard than before. Lao Lu was also startled by Xiao Ke's sudden appearance, but he quickly regained his inner peace.

"How did you get here?"

"You don't come looking for me, I'll have to come to you!"

Xiao Ke just wanted to give Lao Lu a long-lost hug, but when she held out her hand, she found that the sleeve of Lao Lu's right hand was empty.

It turned out that not long after the old road returned from Dali last time, one night when eating at the food stall, he found a small table of bullying a female student, out of the nature of the old road to help, and finally was cut into serious injuries, although finally the police came, the old road was also sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. But his right hand was too badly injured to be saved.

It is already unfortunate to be able to save one's life than to lose a hand. However, for a person who is very fond of painting, the loss of his right hand is undoubtedly the end of the world. Before long, life began to become decadent, living in tobacco and alcohol every day, and he thought that he could only feel pain if he paralyzed himself! There is no serious state of life, the studio is closed, and now every day is at home playing with mobile phones, looking out of the window at the world in a daze, and finding that everything that was once familiar has become strange. As for Xiao Ke, Lao Lu felt that he was like a wasted person now, where could he go to find her again. This is also the reason why every time Xiao Ke calls him, he always says that he has no time.

Xiao Ke cried and squatted down to grasp the sleeve of the old road, falling from the happiness of the first meeting to the abyss of sadness. The old road touched her head and said:

"It's okay, I'm doing a good job now, at best I can't paint anymore."

Although it was you who laughed and said this sentence, her face still couldn't hide the sadness, and she knew that the old road must have lived a very painful life in the past three months.

Xiao Ke wanted to stay and accompany Lao Lu, hoping to accompany him out of the darkness, just like when Lao Lu accompanied her, but he was rejected by Lao Lu's face.

"I can take care of myself and not be crippled. How can a big man rely on a woman to take care of, you go back! As for Dali, I won't go again! ”

He forcefully threw away Xiao Ke in front of him and went into the house alone, leaving only The lone Xiao Ke standing in front of the room.

In fact, he knew in his heart that he was like this, he could no longer take care of her, nor could he embrace the people he loved and the world anymore, and he didn't want to drag Xiao Ke anymore. Expecting aimless perfunctory, it is better to let go of the hand fiercely, and the old road after turning around used all his strength to hold back the tears in the corners of his eyes.

Xiao Ke never dreamed that his waiting for so long would actually change back to such a sentence as the old road. That night, she cried very sadly, I don't know how many tears were shed, how many tears could not wash away the imprint of the old road in her heart.

She tried to ask the old road out several times in Jinan these days, but she was always ruthlessly rejected, so that the message to him was directly blocked, and even walking on the street when she saw her was pretending to turn a blind eye. The two people who once said nothing are now like strangers than strangers.

"Dali, I'll never go again!"

Remembering the words that Lao Lu said, she once again felt that men are liars. Maybe she knew in her heart that she liked the old way, but she was always hurt by Providence.

Over the years, Lao Lu learned to do business with the help of his parents, although he was not as convenient as before, but now he sorts himself out every day.

"Man, you can't be idle, you always have to find something to do." This is what the old way has often said to himself over the years. ”

His parents were also relieved to see him gradually come out of his loss. But after all, the old road is now also old, and every time his parents want to introduce him to an object, he always shakes his head and says:

"Now I just want to live a good life, and leave the rest of the matter to me later."

Maybe he was the only one who knew best that he couldn't let go of anyone in his heart.

In 2013, Lao Lu went to help at one of his uncle's companies in the northeast. It was just that at that time, he suddenly felt that he had stayed at home for such a long time, or he still wanted to go out to see, maybe he had long been accustomed to the life of occasionally going out to "see".

After staying in the northeast for three years, in addition to working normally every day, I went out to hang out, look at the local snow scenery, and taste local snacks, which was also quite fulfilling. Lao Lu comforted himself, although God told me not to paint anymore, at least leave me two legs, I can still go where I want to go. Although Lao Lu does not have a right hand at work, his efficiency is not slower than others, and he has also found himself from another state of life.

Until the day he returned home, he carefully arranged his tie and looked at his watch to get ready. Because I'm going to meet someone very important before I go today. This person is a customer of Lao Lu, who has been buying products from him for many years, although he has known him when he was in his hometown, he has never known the real name of the other party, nor has he left any detailed information. But they are in constant contact online, and without this person, his work would not have gone so smoothly. Because whenever the old road work declines, this person is always the first time to encourage him, help him, and cheer up the self that has stumbled over the years. Gradually from a customer to a confidant on the Internet, every time Lao Lu wanted to invite this customer to a meal, he was always rejected by the other party. The only clue is to know that this person's screen name is "Distant Mountain." ”

"Tomorrow I will go back to my hometown, maybe I will develop in my hometown in the future, this time you will always come out for a meal!"

"Oh, that's right. I don't have to eat, because I am also the ticket tomorrow, and I am also going back to Jinan, so when I get to Jinan, you will invite me to dinner. ”

Lao Lu thought to himself, there is such a coincidence?

Let's go! It's time to leave. Maybe the "distant mountain" will not appear! Snuff out the last cigarette in your hand and pick up your luggage on the ground.

The old road was frozen there, and for an instant it seemed as if he understood everything. It turned out that "Yuanshan" was Xiao Ke, and the so-called customer was also her. For so many years, Xiao Ke has been silently accompanying the old road, like a similar soul living in the same city but has not had any collision, Xiao Ke is using another way to encourage him, to love him, just hope that the old road can forget the past like today, serious life. This wait took three years.

Years later, at the foot of an unknown hill in Dali, there was a hotel called "Peach Hut". The hostess was a nice local girl with long hair, big eyes and always wore a long dark dress. The boss is a man who is a few years older, occasionally calls to talk about business, and the characteristics are well, and he often holds a Zhongnanhai stick on his mouth. Every day, in addition to welcoming tourists from all over the world, it is to raise cats, drink a cup of tea, chat, and travel in the off-season. Life is so simple, yet it's full of comfort.

"The wind of July, the rain of August, the humble I like the distant you, you are still in the future, how dare you grow old, now I and you to accompany to the end ..."

2021.03.03

Liu Zongxiang

Yu Linyi