Jingcheng.
An ancient city with a long history on the Yangtze River.
In an old-fashioned downtown area near the river, an Arab-style building with a light golden dome is located here, which is very eye-catching.
But if you take a closer look, you will know that this is not a temple, but an orphanage.
A privately owned orphanage.
The scale is not large, only about forty people.
Because it is located on the edge of the Yangtze River, this ancient city often experiences drizzle in summer.
Starting in July.
It has been raining continuously for more than half a month. The sun has not been seen for a long time, and a sense of humidity pervades every corner.
It was just after ten o'clock in the morning, and the sky outside was still foggy.
In the courtyard, the younger children were chattering and playing in the drizzle.
A black Audi car drove out of the courtyard, and a man and a woman could be seen standing at the door to say goodbye to each other until the red light at the rear of the car disappeared into the drizzle and was no longer visible.
“Creak——!”
The rusty iron door made a sound.
"Xiaoya refused to adopt again?"
The middle-aged man closed the rusty iron door and looked back at his wife who was urging the children to go back to the room to take shelter from the rain.
“Eh.”
The middle-aged woman with tired face nodded.
After driving all the well-behaved children back to the building to take shelter from the rain, they turned around and followed the man side by side to the self-built hut that served as the kitchen.
When the adopter came, she had just returned from shopping for groceries and was preparing to cook.
Because the economic situation is not good.
With the money the couple earns, it is already very difficult to maintain the daily expenses of the orphanage.
The three originally hired caregivers also left in the first half of this year, and now the burden of taking care of more than 40 children falls entirely on them.
But neither of them regretted it.
This orphanage has been open for more than 20 years and I believe it will continue to be open.
In the small room that was used as the kitchen, the light became even darker, but the two of them did not turn on the lights.
I sat down with the dim light from the window and started choosing dishes.
In the large enamel basin with bright red peony patterns next to it, there are more than ten fish of different types piled up, all of them are still alive and very fresh.
This is the food in the courtyard today.
Backing from mountains and rivers.
Jingcheng is close to the Yangtze River, and the fish resources are elegant and cheap. If I want to improve the food and help the children's health, fish is the best, and it can also be used to make soup.
On such a rainy day, it is simply a pleasure to drink a bowl of warm milky white fish soup.
But even relatively cheap fish is rarely available to children.
Most of the daily food is monotonous stir-fried vegetables and rice.
“Does your leg still hurt?”
When the middle-aged man saw his wife sitting down, he obviously paused, with a pained expression on his face, and asked with concern, "Go back to Dr. Zhang for some more acupuncture."
"No, it's easy to apply plaster." Okay, my joints hurt when it rains." The woman refused immediately. "."
Rheumatic joint pain is common.
Especially in humid areas, older people will feel a dull pain and itching in their joints when it rains. The feeling is excruciating.
But one session of acupuncture is also very expensive, costing the children two days of food.
If you can save, save
Quiet is only the sound of raindrops hitting the asbestos tiles.
A moment passed.
"Mr. Lin said that he would like to donate 100,000 yuan to the hospital." The man said to himself casually but tentatively.
“He also said that he could find a way to get some government subsidies for the children. After calculating, the subsidy should be ten yuan per person per day.”
The woman was silent.
Seeing this, the man sighed, "I know you like Xiaoya's child, and I do too. Although the child is a little more withdrawn, he has always been obedient and well-behaved, and he still takes care of his younger brothers and sisters."
"Xiaoya said that she is not willing to accept adoption, and she is also older. She will be an adult in a few years, so there is no need to look for adoption again."
The woman interrupted her man, got up and went to get some distant dishes, and then continued to sit and choose the dishes.
After the man fell silent, he quietly changed the topic, "Yes, she said she has a brother who will come to see her, but who knows."
"What about Mr. Lin? , just refused?"
"." The woman didn't speak.
The man continued to talk to himself, "Mr. Lin and his wife seem to be quite kind-hearted. Even if Xiaoya is unwilling to accept the adoption, she should donate money to the hospital, and then relief will be available. The pressure is off for both of us.”
The woman relaxed a little, stopped her hands, and rubbed the joints in pain, "I hope I can buy new clothes for the children by then."
"You can go to a big hospital for your legs and let the doctor take care of them." Take a look." The middle-aged man said gently.
The couple held hands together, looked at each other's wrinkled face, and smiled at each other.
The cold hut seems to be no longer damp and cold.
There is a warmth of mutual support.
But they didn't notice that a figure flashed past the window at the door.
There are three buildings in the courtyard.
The main building is an Arabic style building, and next door is a three-story building and a hut for cooking and laundry.
In the large room on the north side of the second floor of the three-story building.
The house was very lively.
Some of the children were playing around, while others were holding tattered books that had been turned over, immersed in the world of books.
A few older brothers and sisters gathered together alone, muttering not knowing what they were talking about.
At this time, thumping footsteps sounded.
A sturdy boy who looked about sixteen or seventeen years old opened the door and walked in.
If you look closely, you can see that there is only an empty half sleeve on his right hand.
He was born with a congenital limb defect. He was born without a right arm and was born with a disability. Fortunately, all other parts of his body were normal.
"Brother Tong, you are back."
Looking at the older boys and girls gathered together.
"Yeah."
The boy called Brother Tong took the towel handed to him and wiped his head.
Parents are role models for their children.
Although they have no parents, they also feel the warmth from their ‘mom and dad’.
The conduct is considered good.
There is no thief or Xiao Mo behavior, nor does he bully other children. Instead, he helps take care of his younger brothers and sisters.
"What's wrong? Are you the sponsor?" a younger boy asked expectantly.
"Yes, that's an Audi. My classmate's father also drives this car. It is said to cost more than 300,000 yuan."
"So expensive!"
Poor children have long been the masters of the family. These children They all also have maturity and wisdom that belies their age early on.
They naturally noticed the black Audi that had just left, and also noticed the conversation between the car owner and his wife and the dean and his wife.
Brother Tong nodded, hesitated and said, "They plan to subsidize our hospital."
"Really?!" Everyone's eyes lit up.
Having subsidies means you can have new clothes, new shoes, new utensils, and better meals.
“That’s great.”
The joy spread quickly.
But the boy hesitated, whether he should say another thing and pour cold water on everyone.
"Is Mr. Lin just providing financial support, or does he want to adopt a child back?" someone asked.
Now, the young man had to say something
He stretched out his left hand to scratch the back of his head, looked around the room, and then locked his gaze outside the balcony. On that lonely figure.
Wearing white clothes, with a thin figure and long black hair, he sat on the bench on the balcony and looked into the distance outside the wall.
That figure seemed to have a completely different feeling from everyone else.
It feels like being isolated from the bustling world, bringing with it a sense of loneliness.
“You don’t want to adopt her again, do you?”
A girl next to her followed the young man’s gaze and locked on the thin figure. She couldn’t help but speak with a sneer. .
"Well, don't use such a tone, she didn't do anything wrong." The young man frowned and said.
"Hmph."
As if dissatisfied with the protection in the young man's tone, the girl sat down with her arms folded with a livid face.
"Why, she has only been here for more than half a year, and you are already favoring her."
"That's right."
The older child who can't stand the lonely figure doesn't seem to understand either. few.
Well, they are all girls.
Another girl echoed, "No child has been adopted in our hospital in the past few years. Three waves of people came today, all wanting to adopt her. Why!"
"Of course it is because of her. She is pretty, pretentious, and has a pitiful look, and her parents like her."
"It would be great if I had a face like that."
Two. The girl spoke with dissatisfaction and vented her words.
The young man had no choice but to look outside again, hesitated for a moment, stood up and walked over.
There is also a coat in his hand.
"Brother Tong, don't you fall in love with her?"
Listen to the person next to you asking teasingly.
The young man surnamed Tong shook his head quickly, "What are you talking about? I treat her as a younger sister. If she catches a cold and has a fever, her parents have to take her to the hospital."
At this time, the girl who was still venting her dissatisfaction muttered something.
"You are not her brother. She sits there every day, just waiting for her brother to arrive."
"Maybe she is the brother who has an abnormal mind and imagined it. "
"Yes, she floated all the way from the Yangtze River and was rescued. Where did her brother come from?"
"Ka!"
The young man put aside the voices talking behind his back.
Push open the balcony door.
A damp coldness hit his face, and he quickly slammed the door with his shoulder.
It seems that in this way, that thin figure will not hear the cold words towards her in the room.
Although she doesn't care about this.
The girl is like an autistic person, ignoring the movement around her and looking into the distance.
Through the small buildings in the downtown area, you can see the Yangtze River covered with mist in the distance. , and there was a steady drizzle that gradually became smaller.
"Here are your clothes, don't catch a cold."
The boy hesitated for a moment, then stretched out his left hand towards the girl's back and handed over the clothes.
Hear him speak.
The thin back finally turned around
The simple white dress, which had been washed too many times and had some rough edges, could not hide the girl's beautiful face.
It is a beauty that makes people forget to breathe, immersed in beautiful things, and unable to produce even a trace of blasphemy.
Awe-inspiring beauty!
Coupled with the girl's thin cheeks and pure eyes, she has the feeling of a sickly beauty that makes people pity her.
Her delicate facial features and fair skin make her look like a porcelain doll. She would subconsciously lower her voice, slow down her movements, and be cautious when speaking.
I am afraid that if I am not careful, I will destroy this precious beauty.
"I see it's cold outside, I'm afraid. I'm afraid you'll be frozen." The young man was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized, and in the girl's innocent eyes, he lowered his head in panic and handed over his coat.
"Thank you."
The soft voice was a little ethereal, like a butterfly flying in the forest.
The boy waited for her to take away his coat, and then he felt relieved.
He doesn't like girls. It should be said that he doesn't dare to like girls because she is so beautiful. Her beauty makes him feel ashamed and he doesn't dare to feel any blasphemy.
So he never had any inappropriate thoughts, just out of concern.
Unfortunately, whether it is to him or to anyone else, the girl has a faint sense of distance that is thousands of miles away, as if she is not from the same world at all.
“Well, what does your brother look like?”
The young man randomly found a topic and said awkwardly.
His original intention was not to ask this.
But he wanted to persuade this man who had forgotten his name, his origins, and his parents, but he only talked about his brother. girl.
Don't wait any longer, why not live a better life?
A girl like you.
You shouldn't stay here, in this shabby little yard, sitting on a wooden chair at an angle and staring outside all day long.
But it should be like those girls on the street, dressed up beautifully, wearing sandals and carrying beautiful bags to go shopping.
No wonder there are three waves of people wanting to adopt her.
Whenever you see a girl, you will be amazed by her flawless cleanliness and beauty.
As for age and identity, it is not a problem at all.
But the boy still didn't say anything about his thoughts. He subconsciously asked the most curious question in his heart.
The brother who can make such a beautiful girl like a porcelain doll talk about her.
What kind of person is he?
As expected.
When it comes to my brother.
"Brother?" The girl's originally pure but empty eyes suddenly lit up, and her whole person lit up.
Tong Ping felt a little jealous. It would be great if he could have a sister like this. He would never let his sister leave his sight three meters away.
At the same time, curiosity aroused, and he waited for the girl's description.
It can take half a day.
“.”
"Xiaoya forgot." The girl's face suddenly looked a little lonely, and her eyes were filled with confusion and panic.
Should have known better.
Tong Ping then realized that she had lost her memory and even forgot her own name. It was the dean’s father who named it Xu Ya after her mother’s surname.
He is so stupid.
In other words, it is difficult to maintain a normal mentality under the gaze of a girl. A person would be nervous if he was stared at by such a beautiful girl.
Tong Ping thought to himself, planning to comfort the panicked girl.
But the next moment.
The girl's eyes suddenly lit up again, and she spoke quickly in a brisk tone that Tong Ping had never heard before.
“But I can feel it.”
“What do you feel?” Tong Ping asked confused.
"Brother." The girl said seriously, then she turned her head and looked towards the distance of the balcony again, her eyes seeming to span a long distance.
"I can feel that brother, he is about to find me."
"Rumble——!"
A thunder suddenly flashed across the sky.
Tong Ping was also shocked.
He saw a pair of dazzling golden eyes.
A sudden fear welled up in Tong Ping's heart.
I can’t tell the origin, but it seems that the fear of apex predators arises from the bottom of my heart.
The boy took a step back.
Looking at the lonely back of the girl who turned her head again.
Without saying a word, he hurriedly opened the door with his left hand and rushed out as if he was running away.
My mind is filled with those dazzling golden eyes.
(End of this chapter)