Life is always full of accidents, and youth is an adventure with unpredictable endings. Who would have thought that a seemingly insignificant act would change the lives of two people?
In the summer of 1986, the air was filled with the chirping of acquaintances and the scent of acacia flowers. In this seemingly ordinary season, my Ye Fei's life is about to usher in a turning point.
In the classroom of the third (3rd) class of Yucai High School, I was engrossed in revising math. Suddenly, Wang Hao, who was at the same table, gently touched me with his elbow: "Hey, Ye Fei, do me a favor?"
I looked up, a little impatient: "What's the matter?" Come on, I'm going to review it. "
Wang Hao mysteriously took out a pink envelope from his pocket and whispered, "Help me give this to Li Juan."
I was stunned for a moment, and then it dawned on me – it was a love letter. Li Juan is the recognized school flower of our class, beauty and wisdom coexist, and there are many suitors. And Wang Hao, although he has good grades, can only be regarded as an "honest man" in the eyes of girls.
"You're crazy, aren't you? What time is it? There are less than two months to go before the college entrance examination!" I said in a low voice.
Wang Hao looked serious: "It's because the college entrance examination is about to be taken that I can't wait any longer." What if I never see her again?"
I shook my head helplessly: "Why don't you just go and give it to her yourself?"
"I... I don't dare. Wang Hao's face turned red all of a sudden, "Aren't you and Li Juan from the same village?" Just give it to her on the way out of school. Please!"
Looking at Wang Hao's pleading eyes, I finally relented. "Okay, but just this once." I took the envelope and carefully placed it in my bag.
After school, Li Juan and I walked on the country road home as usual. The afterglow of the setting sun shone over the fields, the distant mountains were shrouded in a layer of mist, and the air was filled with the smell of earth and grass.
We chatted with each other, mostly about studying and taking the college entrance examination. When I came to a fork in the road, I suddenly remembered the envelope in my bag.
"That's right, Li Juan," I stopped and pulled out the pink envelope from my bag, "This is what Wang Hao asked me to pass on to you." "
Li Juan took the envelope with a somewhat complicated expression. She looked at the envelope, then at me, and suddenly asked, "Ye Fei, do you think love is more important or study?"
This question stopped me. In my world, learning is everything. My parents were ordinary farmers, and I knew that only through learning could I change my fate. However, looking at Li Juan's expectant eyes, I couldn't say anything like "learning is more important".
"I... I do not know. I honestly replied, "Maybe both are important." "
Li Juan smiled, and that smile made the sunset fade. "Ye Fei, you are really interesting." After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked in the direction of her house, leaving me alone at the intersection, at a loss.
That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Li Juan's question kept echoing in my mind. I began to wonder if there was anything else important in my life besides studying.
The next day, as soon as Wang Hao saw me, he couldn't wait to ask, "How is it?" Did Li Juan accept it?"
I nodded: "I accepted it, but..."
"Great!" Wang Hao interrupted me excitedly, "Thank you, Ye Fei!" You're really my good brother!"
Looking at Wang Haoxi's appearance, I suddenly felt a little envious. Perhaps, having the courage to pursue your sweetheart is also a kind of happiness.
In the days that followed, I tried to focus on my studies, but I always unconsciously remembered Li Juan's smile and that question. The college entrance examination is getting closer and closer, and the pressure is getting bigger and bigger. Every day, it has become the norm to go out early and return late, and to read at night.
Finally, the college entrance examination is over. When I got my acceptance letter, it was as if I saw a bright future. However, fate always likes to joke.
One sunny afternoon, I was helping my father repair farm tools in the yard when Li Juan suddenly visited. Her eyes were red and she looked like she had cried.
"Ye Fei," her voice trembled a little, "I... I didn't get in. "
I was stunned, not knowing what to say. Li Juan has always been the top student in the class, how could she fall off the list?
"It's all your fault!" Li Juan suddenly raised her voice, "If it weren't for you helping Wang Hao deliver the love letter, I wouldn't have been distracted, and I wouldn't have failed the test!"
I was completely confused: "This... How can I be blamed for this? Besides, didn't you accept the letter?"
"I accepted it because I didn't want to refuse in public and embarrass Wang Hao." Li Juan lowered her head, "But... But all I could think about was whether you would write me a letter as well. "
"Li Juan, I..." I was about to speak, but Li Juan interrupted me.
"Ye Fei, you have to be responsible for me." She raised her head and looked at her steadfastly, "If it weren't for you, I would be like you right now, preparing for college life." "
I was at a loss: "But how can I be blamed for this?" I just helped deliver a letter. "
"Don't you understand?" Li Juan's tears burst out of her eyes, "I like you, Ye Fei." I've liked you since high school. I've been waiting for you to take the initiative, but all you have in your eyes is books. "
This sudden confession left my mind blank. I never thought that Li Juan, who is radiant on weekdays, would have a good impression of me, a "nerd" who only knows how to read.
"I... I don't know what to say. I said hesitantly.
"You don't have to say anything," Li Juan wiped away her tears, "you just need to be responsible for me." "
In this way, my "love" with Li Juan began. Although I was full of doubts and uneasiness in my heart, I chose to compromise in the face of Li Juan's persistence and the support of my parents.
During the four years of college, we maintained a relationship of close and separation. I immersed myself in learning and working hard for the future; Li Juan found a job in her hometown and occasionally wrote to me to tell me how much she missed.
After graduation, with the help of two families, Li Juan and I held a simple wedding. I started living in the city, while Li Juan stayed in the countryside to take care of both parents.
Life after marriage is not as good as it seems. We don't have a common language and our habits are very different. I began to wonder if such a marriage could really last.
It wasn't until one day, when Li Juan fell ill and was hospitalized, that I realized how important she was in my life. Looking at her weak on the hospital bed, I suddenly understood that love is not a vigorous confession, but a long-term companionship.
Since then, I have begun to learn to love Li Juan and manage this marriage that was originally full of "responsibility". We overcame difficulties together, grew together, and finally gained sincere feelings.
Years later, when we took our grandson for a walk in the park, the little one innocently asked, "Grandpa, how did you and grandma get together?"
Li Juan and I looked at each other and smiled, recalling that youthful and absurd past. I gently shook Li Juan's hand and said to my grandson, "Sometimes, love is like a math problem. You may find it difficult at first, but as long as you put your mind to it, you will always find the answer. "
"What's so beautiful about this question is that the process of solving the problem is more important than the answer itself," Li added.
Looking at Li Juan's gentle smile, I was filled with emotion. Who would have thought that the decision to be "forced to be responsible" back then would actually achieve a lifetime of happiness?
Life is like a book, and love is the most wonderful chapter in it. It may start with an accident or a misunderstanding, but as long as you manage it carefully, you can eventually write a good story.
Nowadays, when I think back to that summer in high school, I always feel a warm current in my heart. The decision to help my classmates deliver love letters, and the sentence that I was "responsible", became the starting point of my long-distance love run with Li Juan.
Perhaps, this is what fate is meant to be. In the mist of youth, we stumbled and found each other by mistake. Those former entanglements, unsettlings and responsibilities have finally turned into sweetness.
Looking back, I can't help but feel that the beauty of life lies in its unpredictability. An inadvertent move, an unintentional joke, can become a turning point in changing fate.
And the story of me and Li Juan just illustrates this. From passive acceptance to active management, from responsibility to willingness, our love is the best witness of the precipitation of the years.
As the sun set, we took our little grandson's hand and walked slowly on the way home. Looking at Li Juan beside me, my heart was full of gratitude. Thanks for the accident that summer, thanks to her persistence, and even more grateful for the arrangement of fate.
Because of her, my life has become so colorful.