It only costs eight yuan to take a taxi from the flower shop in the center of the old city to the suburbs.
After all, it is a small town, even the cemetery is not as grand as the northern slope of Lingshan. A few pines and cypresses were sparsely planted in two rows, shaking with the cold wind, shaking off the water droplets on the needles and mixing them into the soil.
Probably before the Qingming Festival, there were no other people who came to express their condolences in the whole garden except Ji Zhun and the three of them. The road was covered with weeds on both sides, and the feet made a rustling sound when stepped on it.
They stopped in front of a tombstone standing side by side, and saw that a large bunch of stars had been placed in front of the tombstone. This kind of flower is hardy to cold and drought, and it still keeps its fresh appearance after being soaked in rain.
"Someone came to visit our uncles and aunts before us." Ji Zhun said while looking at Tan Jingyang, and saw that his eyes were staring at the bunch of stars all over the sky. Then, he bent down to pick up the flower, turned around and quickly walked to the trash can behind him, and inserted it upside down.
"Hey Brother Yang!" Ji Zhun subconsciously wanted to stop him, but Tan Jingyang interrupted him one step ahead and said in a low voice: "He doesn't deserve it." Ji Zhun pursed his lips and let out a breath, and couldn't help slowing down his voice and said, "It may not
be He, maybe it's my aunt or uncle's student colleague?"
Tan Jingyang didn't reply, she tilted her head and lit a cigarette and took two puffs. Only then did he gently push Tan Le's back, signaling him to put the flowers in his hands in front of his parents' tombstones.
"You talk to your parents first, and I'll clean up the weeds." Tan Jingyang said, and then began to pull up the scorched withered grass around without saying a word.
Tan Le nodded and obeyed obediently. He dug out the report card of the most recent exam from his small schoolbag, put it neatly in front of him, found another stone to hold it down, and said seriously to the tombstone: "Mom and Dad, this is my mother." The recent test results, math progress. Also, my paintings have won awards, and I have to represent the school in the competition... Oh yes, we moved out of my uncle's house, and Aunt Hui who lives downstairs is very special Good. Always make delicious food for me, and I will help her in the shop after I finish my homework."
When Tan Le started chatting, it was as if he was being opened up to talk. An interesting story in school was that someone pulled the monitor Chu Tiantian's pigtails and was made to stand by the teacher. It was as if his parents were standing on the other side, patiently listening to his endless chatter.
He didn't cry today, or even show a hint of weakness. Because Tan Jingyang told him before coming here that they were here to see their parents, and they would only feel relieved if they knew that they were doing well.
While Tan Le was eloquent, Ji Zhun looked at the person on the tombstone.
In fact, Tan Jingyang looks more like his father, especially those narrow and long eyes, while Tan Le is more like his mother Yuan Yin, with dark eyes that blink, making it hard to wait or see.
Ji Zhun silently said hello to them in his heart, then turned his head to look at Tan Jingyang who was aside again.
At this time, the sky began to rain again, and I saw him with a cigarette in his mouth, and he was uprooting the weeds and piled them on the side. Probably because of the inconvenient movement of his hands, he seemed to be struggling. Fragmented hair was pasted on the forehead, and it was not known whether it was rain or sweat.
Ji Zhun narrowed his eyes, walked up to Tan Jingyang's side, and bent down to clean up the dead grass together. He saw that Tan Jingyang's hand was cut with a few small openings, from which red blood dripped. But the other party still pulled it out as if he didn't feel the pain, and a piece of soot accumulated on the biting cigarette butt, and he didn't care to flick it.
Ji Zhun took the cigarette out of Tan Jingyang's mouth without any hassle, and Tan Jingyang was slightly taken aback.
Ji Zhun tapped the cigarette ash with his index finger before handing it back to him again.
"Take a break, handicapped." After he finished speaking, he pushed Tan Jingyang away with his elbow and pulled out the weeds in front of him, "I'll do it if I come."
Tan Jingyang bit the cigarette holder to stop him: "Stop moving, Hand cutting."
"Do you still know how to cut hands?" Ji Zhun raised his eyebrows and handed Tan Jingyang his chin, "I have a Band-Aid in my bag, you can get it yourself."
Tan Jingyang stood still and squeezed the blood from the opening casually After coming out, he bent down again.
Ji Zhun knew that he actually wanted to relieve his emotions in this way, so he didn't say anything more. The two of them cleaned up the grass in front of them like rice transplanting farmers, and they didn't communicate much with each other.
In the silent cemetery, only Tan Le's chatter could be heard not far away.
...
"They walked together that day."
Tan Jingyang said lightly.
His voice was so low that he was blown into the wind and rain in an instant.
Ji Zhun paused for a moment, then raised his eyes to look at Tan Jingyang. His expression remained the same, with no obvious emotions visible, except that the light in his eyes dimmed slightly.
"It was also winter, the national highway was freezing and slippery, and a truck was speeding and rushed straight up from the intersection..." Tan Jingyang's Adam's apple rolled down, and he continued to pluck the weeds, "Tan Le is still young, and the phone call came home. At that time, Yuan Chengwen was playing horse riding with him, making a lot of noise. At first, Yuan Chengwen and I thought it was a scam call, but it was not until the next day that something was wrong, so we ran to the traffic police brigade to ask. They said they were already in the hospital, frozen Already."
Tan Jingyang's tone was neither urgent nor slow, neither light nor serious, but it made Ji Zhun's heart feel severe. Tan Le was still young, Tan Jingyang was just a child at that time. When a sudden disaster struck, he became the only one of the three remaining people who could be relied on and could only be relied on.
Ji Zhun swallowed hard and swallowed the soreness rising in his throat.
"Then I saw a story by chance..." Tan Jingyang licked her dry lips, and changed the topic, "It is said that there is a prince who is sentimental by nature. He definitely can't stand it if it falls on him."
"...Then what?" Jizhun asked.
Tan Jingyang paused, then continued: "Then one day, his country was captured by the enemy. His father was killed, and his mother died of humiliation. He became a prisoner and managed to escape, and finally lived in a foreign land and made a living by begging... Later A writer met him and learned about his past. The writer also expressed the same emotion as him, but this time the prince calmly told him that all disasters in the world, no matter who falls on them, will have to suffer. And he can bear it. As long as he doesn't die...and death will be even easier."
Jizhun exhaled and closed his eyes. The dead grass was wrapped around his fingers, leaving red marks.
Yes, it was Tan Jingyang who made him witness again and again that even if he was stuck in a quagmire with no sun or moon visible above his head, he would still try his best to climb up as long as he didn't die.
It was as if a thorn came out from the gap in the wall, quickly clinging to his heart, tightening with the beat until it was integrated into every inch of his flesh and blood.
Heartache, admiration, reluctance, and reluctance to let go... So, how dare you say that you don't like it?
Ji Zhun didn't notice at all that Tan Jingyang was staring at him deeply at this moment. In the depths of the seemingly calm eyes, there is actually an undercurrent surging.
If you really want to compare his life to a swamp, then the person in front of you is undoubtedly a ray of light peeking out from the clouds above. Let him believe that the other side after the clouds cleared, the sun must still be bright.
A cloud passed by and the rain stopped again.
The sky is much clearer than before, and there is a faint sign of clearing up.
Ji Zhun took out the Band-Aids from his bag and threw them to Tan Jingyang, and threw the cleaned weeds into the trash can. Suddenly, I saw an inconspicuous corner in front of the tombstone, a young shoot quietly unfolding its emerald green leaves. In this bleak winter, it is vividly contrasted by the cold stone tablet.
"Brother Yang."
Ji Zhun called softly, raised his chin at the tender bud, and turned his head to grin.
The flowers bloom and wither, the tide ebbs and flows, it is never the end, but a new beginning.
Tan Jingyang finally took a deep look at the two people on the tombstone, and the corners of his lips raised slightly:
"Dad, Mom, let's go."
Another day I will bring Xiao Le, and...he, come to see you together .
...