Zhang Qiang stood at the door of his house, staring at the old wooden door that he had been in and out of day after day, and his heart was surging with complicated emotions. The years have carved mottled marks on this door, just like the rift in his marriage to Li Hua, which is as difficult to erase as the rift.
"We need to talk, what are you doing out there when you come back so late every day?" Li Hua's voice was full of exhaustion and dissatisfaction.
Zhang Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, as soon as he stepped into the house, he was distraught by this sudden questioning. "I'm working overtime, do you want our lives to be more strained?" He replied calmly.
"Overtime? Can't make a phone call back if you work overtime? I'm waiting for you at home alone, and I know how anxious I am? Li Hua clutched the strap of the slippers tightly, and it was difficult to hide the grievances in his voice.
"You know how busy I am at work, and you nag like this every day, how much pressure you add to me, do you know?" Zhang Qiang waved his hand in annoyance, his face showing impatience.
Over time, such conversations became a regular part of their lives. The contradictions between the two have accumulated little by little in such cold words.
And just on the verge of collapse of this marriage, Zhang Qiang met Chen Yue, a vibrant young woman who always had a charming smile at a company dinner. The time with her always makes Zhang Qiang forget the tediousness and pressure of life for a while.
"Lao Qiang, have you been thinking about anything lately?" Chen Yue asked softly, her eyes full of concern.
"Well, it's a family affair." Zhang Qiang sighed, he was not willing to bring his troubles to Chen Yue, but he couldn't hide the bitterness in his heart.
Chen Yue gently grabbed Zhang Qiang's hand and said softly, "Don't worry, I'm here." "
In Chen Yue's arms, Zhang Qiang found long-lost solace. Eventually, after an argument with Li Hua, he made his decision. He didn't explain anything to Li Hua anymore, just silently packed his luggage, he really didn't want to face the cold gaze and endless arguments anymore.
Li Hua looked at the back of Zhang Qiang's departure, and what swelled up in her heart was not chagrin, but endless loss, everything in front of her seemed to tell her that the story between them had come to an end.
"Are you really leaving?" Li Hua's voice was faint, with the last trace of anticipation.
Zhang Qiang was silent for a while, and finally left only three simple words: "I'm sorry." With that, he lifted his luggage, walked out the door, and stepped into the unknown distance.
At this moment, there were no tears of sadness, no anger of quarrels, only deep helplessness and regret in the warm memories of the past, in the cold night wind, Li Hua closed the door tightly and sealed all the emotions.
Li Hua looked at the empty room, and he was already used to loneliness. After Zhang Qiang left, her world seemed to be quiet all of a sudden, but the wounds in her heart were silent and permeated into every corner of life. She began to take on everything in the family by herself, and although it was difficult, it also made her gradually stronger.
Those long-standing quarrels have become blurred. From time to time, the people around came gossip about Zhang Qiang and Chen Yue, but Li Hua just smiled faintly and never commented.
"Li Hua, I heard that your irresponsible husband is not doing well now, and he is still with that mistress." Aunt Zhang, a neighbor, enthusiastically shared the latest rumors in the community.
"Well, it's his choice, and it has nothing to do with me." Li Hua responded calmly and looked out the window thoughtfully.
It was late at night, in the lonely room, she couldn't fall asleep over and over, and Zhang Qiang's figure always appeared for some reason. She took a deep breath, sighed softly, and turned over to extinguish the lamp at the head of the bed, letting the darkness hide all the restlessness and restlessness.
On the other hand, Zhang Qiang's new life is not as sweet as he imagined. As time passed, he began to realize that with Chen Yue, the emptiness and uneasiness in his heart had not been filled.
"Yueyue, you came back really late last night, did you go out to meet your friends?" Zhang Qiang tried to keep his tone calm, but there was a faint hint of doubt.
"Oh, yes, I went out with a few little sisters to get together, didn't I come back quite late." Chen Yue was perfunctory, looking impatient.
Zhang Qiang wanted to ask something more, but he felt as if he had lost his original relationship and trust.
In the midst of such suspicion and distrust, the distance between the two widened further and further until it could not be bridged. Zhang Qiang sometimes thinks of his life with Li Hua, at that time, although ordinary, it was full of warmth and steadfastness.
As the days passed in plainness, he gradually became lost and lost, and his vision for the future became more and more uncertain. He began to miss Li Hua's pragmatic and persistent back, and the imperfect but real years.
Night after night, Chen Yue did not go home, and the empty room and the street lamp outside the window became Zhang Qiang's only companion. He began to question whether his choice was really worth it.
But time will not stop waiting for anyone's remorse and turning back, Zhang Qiang and Li Hua's lives continue, each suffering the consequences of their choices.
The hour hand turned silently, and from the moment Zhang Qiang left, twenty-four spring and autumn seemed to be fleeting. As he grew older, the passion between him and Chen Yue had long been replaced by the trivialities and bandles of life. Zhang Qiang's career did not reach its peak as he hoped, and along the way, he began to feel an unprecedented emptiness and confusion.
Finally, on a drizzly night, Zhang Qiang stepped on the rain and returned to the once warm front of his home. Under the light of the street lamp, the door looks silent and mysterious, as if silently waiting for its own story.
He stood in front of the door, his heart beating faster, mixed with apprehension and anticipation. At this moment, he was a little timid, not knowing if he really wanted to go in, and didn't know if he still had the courage to face the past. But driven by the longing in his heart, he finally raised his heavy hand and was about to knock on the door of memory.
However, just as his hand was about to touch the façade, he noticed a new announcement on the door, and the monotonous black and white text seemed to block him like a wall - the account had been cancelled for a long time. The mind went blank, and time seemed to stand still in this moment.
Li Hua... Li Hua has drawn a clear line. He understands that this is not just an administrative operation, but also the final farewell between two people who once guarded each other.
"Zhang Qiang, why are you here?" A familiar and distant voice broke the silence of the night. It was Li Hua, she stood in the bright hall, her eyes full of doubt and determination.
Seeing Li Hua, Zhang Qiang's heart was flooded, and he didn't know what to say for a while. Xu felt the embarrassment of an outsider, so he had to bow his head and say in a low voice: "I, I just want to come back and see." "
Li Hua didn't ask again, just closed the door gently, isolating the past of love and hatred, and also the destination of his emotions. Zhang Qiang stood outside the door in a daze, his rain-soaked clothes could not compare to the coolness in his heart, and he finally realized that he had no way back, whether it was for his home or for the self-blame in his heart.
This night, the rain blurred his vision and washed his self-esteem. Zhang Qiang finally realized that what was really important had already been inadvertently and quietly lost.
Standing in front of the silent door, Li Hua's passing back was like a cold wind, blowing Zhang Qiang's deeply buried memories to pieces. The raindrops slipped quietly, like bits and pieces of the warm scenes of the past, quietly disappearing in his heart. He knew very well that the announcement of the cancellation of the household registration was the end of the past and a painful answer given by Li Hua.
The cold rain hit his face, and he held his head high, letting the rain flow through his sideburns, mixing with the wetness in his eyes. Looking back on the past, all kinds of enthusiasm and agitation turned into regret and guilt at this moment. He understands that what he is ashamed of Li Hua is not only the departure of the past, but also an indifference and selfishness.
Wandering aimlessly on the streets where they once walked together, in the brilliant lights, Zhang Qiang's heart was dark. Under the street lamp, he looked at the crowd, hoping to find Li Hua's familiar shadow on his face. But a wish is a wish after all, and there is no trace of her in the sea of people, and there is no longer their story.
"I should cherish those ordinary days even more, the quarrels and troubles at that time, but now I think about it, but it is also a kind of happiness." Zhang Qiang muttered to himself, his voice so weak that it was almost drowned out by the sound of rain.
In the quiet of the night, Zhang Qiang returned to his current residence, opening his hands and feeling the place that was once called home, but his heart was full of emptiness. Chen Yue is still not there, he understands that this is destined to be just a scene, and the fate of the two has long been exhausted.
Zhang Qiang sat in front of the window, looking up at the sky. The rain is weakening, the clouds are gradually dissipating, and the moonlight is quietly shining through. After hesitating, he decided to start over, for himself and for the sake of those lost years.
He began to devote himself to public welfare activities, warming others with his actions and care, and finding new meaning for the rest of his life. He learned to listen, he learned to understand, and he learned to respect and cherish again.
On the way home, Zhang Qiang no longer hopes to return to the old days, but only hopes that he can calmly complete the rest of the journey. When all emotions were vented in silence, he gained a new peace and wisdom, which was the most sincere comfort that the years had given him.