The novel "Bittersweet Years" is serialized in Chapter 25

Author Lin Ai

The best season in Gangnam is late autumn, this season does not have hot heat and continuous typhoons, and the occasional cold air from the south can only dispel the sweltering heat of the autumn tiger, and the coolness indicates that the long summer season is finally over. Liu Mingxia's mood is as bright and comfortable as the orange-red maple leaves, the "Jiangnan Pot" restaurant is increasingly prosperous, there are few extra seats during the peak period of dining, and some diners crouch outside the door. This kind of scene has not been seen for many years, unlike the planned economy era, there is no other choice but state-run hotels, and now large and small hotels are mushrooming everywhere. However, the consumption habits that people have formed, the more crowded the places, the more people go. I'd rather wait outside than go into the empty restaurant next door.

Over the past few years, Xie Xuefeng's footprints have traveled all over the motherland. The scenery is tasteless when you see more, and no matter how good the place is, you can only enjoy it once, and then go to it as bland and tasteless as chewing wax. Besides, I was tired enough to go out alone to register hotels and buy car and ferry tickets. The tour guide drove around like a flock of sheep, and there were endless shopping places such as jade and medicinal herbs. Not buying a tour guide refers to mulberry scolding locust, buying is not equal to waste. Instead of making up the numbers for the tour group, it is better to stay at home and calmly accumulate some in case you are old. Nowadays, if you have a headache and brain fever registration, infusion, hospitalization, you have to toss thousands of eight hundred, if you change the liver and kidney for hundreds of thousands, millions may not be able to save your life. Therefore, how much money is not enough, rather than blindly tossing and turning, it is better to save the pension?

In the days when Liu Mingxia returned to Inner Mongolia, Xie Xuefeng made a mess of the "Jiangnan Pot" operation and was in danger of ruining the property. Liu Mingxia managed and operated well, so that the "Jiangnan Pot" came back to life. Xie Xuefeng can't do without Liu Mingxia for a day now, and if he introduces her to an object, he can leave her in Shanghai. Her "Jiangnan pot" can be prosperous, and her career will flourish.

Last night, a middle-aged man of about fifty years old came to the "Jiangnan Pot" to dine and ordered a cold and a meat and two dishes. This person didn't seem to have much interest in the taste of the food, and his eyes always glanced at Liu Mingxia's face. Liu Mingxia felt quite confused, she was almost fifty years old, and what to see. In her memory, there was no classmate with such a face, and her relatives did not have such a strange face, why did he always stare at himself?

Because it was not yet time for dinner, there were few guests in the restaurant, and this middle-aged man's pair of wise eyes unique to southerners still left a deep impression on Liu Mingxia.

After 10 p.m., the diners left one after another, and the noisy and chaotic restaurant suddenly became quiet. Xie Xuefeng asked Liu Mingxia, did you see it accurately?

Liu Mingxia was a little confused, what was the right thing to see?

Xie Xuefeng said that the man who came to the restaurant for dinner in the afternoon, people have no problem with you.

Liu Mingxia then remembered the man's unblinking eyes, and said angrily to Xie Xuefeng, What are you mumbling behind your back?

Xie Xuefeng said that his name is Lu Changjiang, he opened a gas station by himself, although he is not a multimillionaire, but the house and car are there, fixed property of more than a few million, such good conditions can not be found with lanterns?

Liu Mingxia said, people are so young, can they look at me? Now older girls are everywhere. Besides, at his age, how could he not have a family?

Xie Xuefeng said, I told people that you are only forty-five years old, four years younger than him, remember no, don't say you leaked your mouth, send me in!

Liu Mingxia blushed and said, Forty-eight years old is forty-eight years old, why do you hide from others?

Xie Xuefeng said that ten years ago, the factory where Lu Changjiang was located was broken, and after he was laid off, his wife ran away with someone else, and he did not remarry. He brought up his only daughter, who was sent abroad to study last year, and now he lives alone. I told him about your situation, people heard about your life, very sympathetic, so they came to see you, I didn't expect to really see it.

Liu Mingxia listened to Xie Xuefeng's words, this person may have the same feelings as bringing up her son alone, and she has some good feelings for him. It is not easy for a man to raise his daughter to adulthood, and such a man must not be wrong. What was she tempted to talk to him about? But her actual age is only one year younger than others, and instead of getting the delicious food that she can't get, it is better to stay away, save her appetite, and eat more uncomfortable.

Liu Mingxia pondered for a moment and said, it is not appropriate, quickly tell people.

Xie Xuefeng asked, how is it not appropriate, think about it, if people look at me, you will be late!

A few days later, one morning, Lu Changjiang came to the "Jiangnan Pot" hotel again. Xie Xuefeng greeted him from afar, Liu Mingxia soon came to work, you first have a cup of tea and wait a while. As she spoke, she graciously sat him down and brewed him a cup of West Lake Longjing.

Just after Xie Xuefeng added the second boiling water to lu Changjiang's cup of longjing, Liu Mingxia came, and as soon as she entered the door, she found Lu Changjiang, and politely greeted him, hello, just came.

Lu Changjiang raised his head and looked at Liu Mingxia seriously, and then said that every morning the gas station was settled, and there were several workers under him who were responsible for refueling, except for the oil that was busy for a while, usually there was nothing to do and go out for a walk.

Liu Mingxia thought to herself, this person is both talkative and shrewd, a few words to make it clear, he is the owner of the gas station, not a worker. He also said that he had come to the blind date as an idle walk, and did not come specifically to find her. Liu Mingxia didn't know how to answer, and being too enthusiastic seemed to take people too seriously, making him feel a little impatient. Not speaking and afraid of provoking suspicion and not taking him seriously, she really didn't know what to do?

Lu Changjiang seemed to be waiting for Liu Mingxia's reply, she did not speak, he was also stunned where, the scene was extremely embarrassing. Or xie Xuefeng broke the atmosphere of silence. You are all people who are more than half a lifetime, why are you still twisting and pinching like a young man and a big girl. Go, go for a walk. Mingxia, don't be busy coming back at noon. What about me at the hotel?

Lu Changjiang stood up and walked outside. Liu Mingxia was overwhelmed, Xie Xuefeng pushed her out hard, and whispered, what are you still stunned about, haven't talked about the object?

Liu Mingxia followed Lu Changjiang to the street, Lu Changjiang's size was slightly taller than Liu Mingxia, belonging to Jiangnan's thin and lean appearance, except for those wise eyes, there was no other special place. Men and women have long disappeared when they reach middle age and youth, and the ruthless years have tortured beautiful men and women into ugly monsters, and it is difficult to meet for the first time as passionate as the first love at the age of twenty.

Liu Mingxia followed Lu Changjiang into the tree-lined path of Jiexin Park and sat down on a secluded bench. Lu Changjiang hesitated to open his mouth, and his eyes looked deep into the dense forest, where there was a large piece of French sycamore, which seemed to arouse his infinite reverie. His deep eyes shone with tears, as if the past had come to mind. Liu Mingxia feels that there is little difference between adults and children, and sometimes even more fragile than children's feelings.

Lu Changjiang's emotions suddenly pulled into the distance between Liu Mingxia and him, and Liu Mingxia said to Lu Changjiang, it is not easy to take a child alone, right?

Lu Changjiang said, no, be a father and a mother.

Liu Mingxia said that then we should find another one earlier, so that we can avoid being busy outside and then busy at home.

Lu Changjiang said, is it not afraid of children suffering, are you not the same? The two looked at each other and laughed. They are connected to the same fate, and they have suffered for decades, and now that the children are older, they should laugh, and the restrained emotions of both sides of this laughter immediately become active.

Lu Changjiang opened his heart to communicate with Liu Mingxia, and now that the children are flying away, we are also old. When my daughter was young, she was afraid that I would find a stepmother for her, but now that she is older and abroad, she can't take care of me, urging me to quickly find my wife.

Liu Mingxia asked sarcastically, then why don't you find a young one, and look at it with a wide heart!

Lu Changjiang said that it is better to live a life or actually have some good, young people let you play with you all day, how tired? Thoughts and actions are not coordinated in all aspects and in others. Find someone of similar age and have a companion every day.

Listening to Lu Changjiang's heartfelt words, Liu Mingxia's heart had a bottom, and it seemed that people did not think that they were old. She also asked Lu Changjiang, pulling her daughter to be more worry-free than her son, was her daughter obedient when she was a child?

Lu Changjiang said, OK, my daughter's academic performance has always been very good, after graduating from college, I have a relatively good economy, so I sent her to study abroad. The other day, my daughter called to say that she was in a relationship with a Canadian, and I didn't say anything. I didn't know whether it was right or wrong to send my daughter out, and I raised her with hard work, which was equivalent to giving it to a foreigner in the end. I still have to live alone when I'm old, so why not keep her around? Such a big China is not unable to eat, why send her abroad!

Liu Mingxia said, but no, Canada is still on the other side of the earth, how far away! You have a passport to go abroad and you have to get a visa when you come back to visit your family. It's not like my son is in China, and he can come whenever he wants.

Liu Mingxia and Lu Changjiang's first meeting felt good on both sides. At noon, the two ate Takahashi muffins, Fengyu raw fried, pigeon egg dumplings, chicken and duck blood soup and other flavorful snacks at a small restaurant on Yunling Road. After the meal, Lu Changjiang drove the passenger car of Ao to send Liu Mingxia back to the "Jiangnan Pot", and the two sides also left their mobile phone numbers.

Lu Changjiang drove and disappeared into the rolling traffic, Liu Mingxia did not know whether it was hot or excited, and her face was flushed with luster. Xie Xuefeng felt that they had a play, so he grabbed Liu Mingxia's ear and said, Kiss your mouth, right?

Liu Mingxia slapped Xie Xuefeng's hand, all this age, don't you drop your dentures into each other's stomachs? Besides, can we still be as romantic as young people?

Xie Xuefeng asked puzzledly, "Then what are you doing in the morning?"

Liu Mingxia said, talk about society, talk about children. Now that you're old, what else can you do?

Xie Xuefeng said, it's really boring!

Liu Mingxia did not think so, after all, this was the first time in more than ten years since she was divorced that she had seriously become interested in a strange man. Although this feeling is not as romantic as the young people before spending the moon, nor is it like the intense burning of youth. But they talked in real terms, opened their hearts and lungs and confided their hearts without reservation. I hope that this meeting can continue, so I sit in the wooded green space in the middle of the street, looking at the golden French sycamore in the distance, and nostalgic for the past. Although their thinking is different from what they imagined, it did not prevent them from sitting down all the time. After more than half a lifetime of ups and downs, it is a pleasant thing to sit quietly for a quick time.

Liu Mingxia and Lu Changjiang met several times and both sides felt good, their generation caught up with the vigorous "Cultural Revolution" movement, experienced the ordeal of "knowing that young people went to the mountains and went to the countryside"; and encountered a series of social changes such as returning to the city, laying off, and returning to work. Today, they are almost at the age of knowing their destiny, have experienced too many sorrows and joys, and only seek pragmatism for the second half of their lives, not vanity. They have long seen through the red dust, have no excessive requirements for materials and money, and only seek to rely on each other for their lives and spend the rest of their lives peacefully.

Lu Changjiang told his daughter about him and Liu Mingxia through an international long-distance call, and the daughter fully agreed. She was far away from the mountains and rivers abroad, excited that her father could find a confidant who knew cold and hot. Lu Changjiang hoped that Liu Mingxia would quickly handle the marriage.

Liu Mingxia told Lu Changjiang that such a big thing could only be done with my son's consent. The son and daughter-in-law will come to pick up the grandson in a few days, and if they have no opinion on you, I will move in. Lu Changjiang was sympathetic and no longer supervised.

One drizzling afternoon, Lu Changjiang drove to the "Jiangnan Pot" to pick up Liu Mingxia. They wandered aimlessly down the street for a while, and Lu Changjiang proposed to go to his house to have a look. Liu Mingxia did not object, and Lu Changjiang drove the car onto Zhongshan North Road. The car drove for more than an hour, passing Lu Xun Park and stopping in front of a high-rise house.

Liu Mingxia followed Lu Changjiang into the elevator of the residential building, and Lu Changjiang pressed the button of the elevator on the thirty-sixth floor, and it did not take a minute to come to the door of Lu Changjiang's house. Lu Changjiang opened the door, and what appeared in front of Liu Mingxia was a hall, two bedrooms, double bathrooms, and a room of more than 130 square meters.

The decoration of the room is not too luxurious, walnut tone doors and windows, furniture, traditional white walls dotted with several European oil paintings, which not only proves that the owner's style is elegant, but also does not lose the feeling of home. Unlike now, people decorate the house like a hotel in order to pursue fashion. Excessive luxury not only loses the taste of home, but also makes the limited space more narrow. Lu Changjiang's house is quite in line with the taste of his single man, concise and applicable, and the actual effect seems to be larger than the area he said.

A man lives a life, no matter how diligent and fast, there are omissions. The bamboo and evergreen placed on the two pear tree trellises were covered with dust, and the green life was stained, which was very incongruous with the style of the room. Liu Mingxia put these two pots of flowers and grass on the ground, took half a scoop of cold water from the kitchen, and took a mouthful of it in her mouth and sprayed it on the green leaves. In the gap between Lu Changjiang's smoking, Liu Mingxia carefully wiped the tables, chairs, and cabinets in the room. The whole environment is fresh and moist, especially the two pots of lush plants, which are even more crisp.

Lu Changjiang's mood was particularly comfortable, he half-lying on the sofa and turned on the TV to watch the football match between Shanghai Shenhua and Shandong Luneng. Chinese football, not to mention the world, is not even a second-rate team in Asia, and there are still people who care all day. Lu Changjiang's eyes stared at the TV and did not move, so he wanted to forget Liu Mingxia, who came to his home for the first time. When Liu Mingxia put the two pots of flowers and grass on the flower stand and mopped the floor with a mop to let him move his position, he only moved his legs inside, and his eyes never left the TV.

While doing housework, Liu Mingxia smiled wordlessly, as if I was the owner of this home, and he had come to be a guest. Liu Mingxia finished cleaning up the house and came to the window to look at the Shanghai scenery outside the house. Nearby, Lu Xun Park and Peace Park are full of lush greenery and flowers; high-rise buildings in the distance are lined with spectacular momentum; and buildings in the distance gradually disappear into the misty drizzle. Liu Mingxia thought to herself, if she could see farther on a sunny day, she would definitely be able to see the whole landscape of Greater Shanghai.

Liu Mingxia looked at Lu Changjiang's eyes still staring at the TV motionlessly, and it seemed that this broken football game could not be finished for a while and a half. As it gradually darkened, Liu Mingxia went into the kitchen and put the pot on the induction cooker to boil some rice porridge. She seemed to be familiar with everything here, and she took out the Jinhua ham, Fuling squeezed vegetables, and Ronghua chicken from the refrigerator and cut a few plates and placed them on the dinner table. The sweet smell of glutinous rice emitted by the rice porridge in the pot spreads everywhere. Liu Mingxia has been busy in the restaurant all day, and she has not experienced the taste of home for a long time, and she is very comfortable with the warm atmosphere she has worked hard to get.

When the football game was finally broadcast, Lu Changjiang turned on the crystal chandelier in the living room, and the house under the light was renewed, the freshly scrubbed furniture emitted a dark luster, and the flowers and grass sprayed with water were emerald green and fragrant. Looking into the kitchen again, Liu Mingxia had prepared all the dinner. He sat down at the table and picked up the chopsticks and said that having a wife is not the same as not having a wife.

Liu Mingxia gave Lu Changjiang a bowl of rice porridge and put it in front of her, who is your wife?

Lu Changjiang said that it is far away in the sky and close at hand.

Liu Mingxia sat across from Lu Changjiang and smiled and said, Old Lu, can't you open the lid of the pot too early, my son has not agreed?

Lu Changjiang said, you are also a real person, your own affairs, why seek the consent of others.

Liu Mingxia said, look at what you said, then why do you still have to tell our daughter about us?

Lu Changjiang said with a little thought, this is the case, after all, we are all people with children, we should say hello to them in advance. But then again, even if my daughter doesn't agree, I want to marry you, and I can't do without you!

Liu Mingxia's heart was warm, but she still calmly choked him, her mouth was not so sweet, I am not a three-year-old child, you can't coax me.

Lu Changjiang drank a bowl of porridge, handed the empty bowl to Liu Mingxia, and then gave me another bowl, I haven't eaten at home for a long time, it's really fragrant!

Liu Mingxia gave Lu Changjiang another large bowl, watched him drink greedily, and thought to herself, how can men eat like this, no one fights with him, why swallow it.

Lu Changjiang finished drinking two bowls of porridge and burped a long time, you said that I did not really marry you, what do you want me to do? Lu Changjiang paused for a moment and said, You come with me.

Lu Changjiang let Liu Mingxia sit on the sofa in the living room, then went into the study and tinkered with something, and then stood in front of Liu Mingxia with her hands behind her back and asked her to close her eyes. Liu Mingxia is a little inexplicable, Old Lu, what are you doing?

Liu Mingxia felt a cold artifact hanging around her neck, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that it was a string of golden glittering necklaces.

Having known each other for so long, I should give you some gifts. Lu Changjiang looked at Liu Mingxia with a smile.

Liu Mingxia held the gold necklace in her hand, which was a popular model on the market, and the pearl-sized gold beads were carved with a tiny dragon and phoenix pattern, and this necklace was more than 100 grams. Liu Mingxia was ready to buy this money for her daughter-in-law, and although she liked the gift in front of her, she still put the gold necklace on the coffee table. The day you marry me, put it on for me yourself.

Lu Changjiang sat next to Liu Mingxia, grabbed her hands and said affectionately, Mingxia, don't leave today, you stay!

Liu Mingxia smiled and said, then don't I become the "three companions"?

Lu Changjiang said, I just want you to "three companions", he clamped Liu Mingxia's legs with his legs stubbornly like a child.

Liu Mingxia gently scraped Lu Changjiang's nose with her hand, you men and women are so faceless, why are you in a hurry like a monkey.

Lu Changjiang touched Liu Mingxia's hand, stay, we are all people who have come over, why is it always so hidden.

Liu Mingxia had a warm feeling in her heart, and this strange feeling had not appeared for many years. It was a feeling of being admired by the opposite sex, a feeling that needed to be released in the opposite sex, and although this feeling was humiliating and depraved, she wanted it to continue.

At some point, Lu Changjiang turned off the lights in the living room, and the faint light of the buildings outside reflected Lu Changjiang's clumsy unbuttoning of Liu Mingxia's clothes.

At this moment, Lu Changjiang's eyes revealed the stubbornness of the young man. Liu Mingxia felt that it was really good to make people tease and tease, and the scene in front of her was a little blurry, like a drunken and fluttering look.

At this time, the sudden sound of the mobile phone brought the two people from the dreamlike scene to the reality, Lu Changjiang looked at Liu Mingxia with his eyes and seemed to ask her if she should answer? Liu Mingxia gently kissed Lu Changjiang's cheek with her mouth, then pushed him away, and then picked up the phone.

The mother's urgent voice came from the mobile phone, Mingxia, where are you? The little tiger has a high fever, you hurry back!

Liu Mingxia said, it doesn't matter, I will go back immediately. Liu Mingxia put down her mobile phone and told Lu Changjiang that her grandson had a high fever and needed to be sent to the hospital immediately.

Lu Changjiang, the restless old horse, suddenly calmed down, immediately stood up and sorted out his clothes and said, Hurry up and see the child!

Lu Changjiang drove Liu Mingxia through the streets and alleys of the city, fortunately, it was past the rush hour, and there was no traffic jam on the road. It didn't take half an hour to drive to Liu Mingxia's mother's doorstep.

Liu Mingxia and Lu Changjiang quickly walked into the door of the house and saw the little tiger lying on the bed blushing with his face closed and not speaking. Lu Changjiang didn't say a word, picked up the child and left, Liu Mingxia staggered behind. Lu Changjiang asked Liu Mingxia to get into the car first and handed her the child again. Liu Mingxia's mother shouted that she was going to go too, and Liu Mingxia said, Mom, don't use it, you should hurry into the house, it's still raining outside?

Lu Changjiang drove the car to the nearby Municipal Children's Hospital and hurriedly sent the child to the emergency department. The doctor did an examination for Xiaohu, saying that the child had heat stroke and a high fever caused by wind and cold, so he hung up the hanging needle liquid to the child. The liquid can't be lost for a while and a half, Liu Mingxia urged Lu Changjiang to go back, just met you will cause trouble, hurry home and rest, tomorrow will go to work.

Lu Changjiang said, the child burned so badly, leaving you a woman, can I go with confidence? He sat stubbornly and did not move.

Liu Mingxia touched XiaoHu's scalding body with her hand, and thought painfully that if her son was in front of him, it would be good. At the moment, she really didn't know what to do?

Lu Changjiang looked at Liu Mingxia's anxious look and comforted, don't worry, there is no problem in the hospital with a doctor and a child.

The female nurse in the emergency room whispered to the male doctor, see how good it is for the old husband and wife, help the children to take the children, accompany the children to the hospital, and it is really happy to have such an old man at home.

They both heard the words of the female nurse, and Liu Mingxia nodded apologetically to Lu Changjiang and whispered, If you are really Xiaohu's grandfather.

Lu Changjiang said that I will soon become the grandfather of the child.

The tiger's high fever was infused, and the body temperature gradually subsided. Liu Mingxia's anxious mood finally calmed down, and she was still urging Lu Changjiang to go home.

Lu Changjiang said that the sky was about to light up. You squeeze into bed with your kids for a while, and I go to the car and lie down. If the child is not much of a problem, we will go home together after dawn.

Lu Changjiang insisted on staying, and Liu Mingxia followed him. Lu Changjiang went to rest in the car, and Liu Mingxia lay down next to her grandson and slept until dawn before waking up.