Hunter and Hussar

Chapter 20
Getting back to our room was like ending a dream.The dull smell in the dream may still be a little familiar, and it still retains the dark tone after waking up.I sensed that I had some kind of connection with the vanished atmosphere, but it took a lot of thinking to remember what I had experienced and what I remembered.I want to try my best to return to my dream, but it has long been broken, like glass shards all over the floor, always scratching my fingers when I pick it up, the pain makes people trance, like drawing the curtains for the room, and starting a dim lunch break.

Keke, your room is different from what I imagined.Miller said.I thought it would be blue walls, a big bed, and a small desk full of books.

I think so too.But our house is not big enough.Although it has three bedrooms and one living room, one of the rooms is a study that is very narrow and can only accommodate a sofa.Our room was also very small, you can see the bunk beds as soon as you enter the door, it is against the wall on the right.A desk is placed by the window facing north, and another is attached to the left wall.In addition, there is only a row of cabinets on the right hand side of the door.

He was sitting on my lower bunk, and I pulled out the chair in front of the window, hanging limply as if my hands were broken.The window is closed, and the wind can still be heard stirring the branches outside, and a green leaf hits the glass from time to time.

The seat under the window is mine, to be precise, I snatched it from Xianxian.After the bunk beds were delivered, the layout of the entire room had to be redesigned.I didn't take care of the whole process, but asked my parents to spend money to replace the old big bed.The assembly of the bed and the design of the room were all discussed between Xianxian and the workers.When it was done, I went straight in and sat down at the table where I am now.Both desks were emptied, and looked so indistinguishable that I wouldn't have noticed even if they had.I didn't ask if the desk under the string window was his previous use, and he didn't say a word. From then on, this is my place.I can watch a leaf grow in spring when I am doing my homework, until it falls with its companions in autumn.

And now there is still a leaf growing outside the window, and there are still two people in the room.After two years, there were actually two more boys in this room.Time flies so fast, I look at a small mirror on the table.The Adam's apple is bulging on the neck, and the face is rounder than before, and a beard may appear in a few years.My appearance has changed, where is Xianxian?He will always belong to the age that I am constantly moving away from, and will always be the same look that I once had but will never have again.I hate taking pictures, but I don't have a single picture of him now.There was a photo of the two of us on my desk, where is it?Parents must have taken it away.While they were away, I searched the whole house and still couldn't find it.

Keke, there are quite a few medals.Is it yours or his?Or is it with you?Miller obviously saw something hanging from the railing on the string.Although I don't know what material it is made of, there are gold, silver and bronze medals.When the light is turned on, it shines like a star.They remind me that things are in the past.

How can I still be sitting in this room while reminiscing?During the summer vacation, I was looking forward to starting school as soon as possible every day, and sooner.I had homework in the previous holidays, but I didn’t have it in the summer vacation that just passed. If I could write hard at the desk, I might not be able to think so much, and I wouldn’t be able to stay here any longer.

It's all his, maybe a few pieces are mine, but I can't get them without him.I answered Miller like this.The fact is, if Xianxian didn't take me to play football, I wouldn't have much interest in football.Maybe play basketball?Not necessarily, maybe I was born with no motor cells, so it would be more suitable for me to be in a daze.

Don't think so, what team doesn't have a goalkeeper?Didn't the coach say that a good goalkeeper can top half a team?He said.

I don't know if he said that to comfort me.But which team wins only by the goalkeeper?Someone has to score and organize.They are more critical.

By the way, are we going to sleep below together today, or what should we do?he asks.

Let's sleep under it, it should be big enough, okay?I seem to be asking for his opinion.He didn't object.

If Miller climbed to the upper bunk, he would see the unchanging sheets and folded quilts, as well as the odds and ends, which were left on the bed without taking them down.A few stickers and cards, a set of pajamas that have been rewashed and put on purpose, as if waiting for someone to put them back on again, a red Christmas sock with a tiny Pikachu poking out of it.I haven't seen it again yet.If there is a Pokémon, it will definitely ask me with its eyes, where is its owner, and why it hasn't come to pick him up after two years.Fortunately, we have never raised any pets. I heard that Akita dogs will stay somewhere for a long time and wait for the owner to come home.

He must still have a hat, but he couldn't find it either.How many things did I lose, did my parents take it away, or did I lose it?I don't usually lose things easily, once lost, it is the most important thing.

Wei Wei, Mi Le, can I come in?It was she who was knocking on the door.This time knocking was very slow and gentle.In the past time, the knock on the door was like yesterday's raindrops. She was almost begging at the door, saying that all the adults had gone out, and she was the only one, and she was the only one who would come in.I wondered if she was kneeling at the door and begging me, crying so frighteningly.What am I doing, curled up on the bed, hiding in a corner without light.Let her use up her last strength and dignity.

I hurt everyone in my family.When I think of this, I feel even more sad when I am sad.I couldn't help myself when I left the room.I have to shut myself up so it will hurt you less.However, when I was in the room, I also felt the darkness spreading, and my heart was still blocked and speechless.

She didn't open the door after asking, and was still waiting outside.Mi Le pushed me, and I came back to my senses and said please come in.She asked us to have dinner and said there was a surprise tonight.

My uncle's family came, and with Mi Le included, there were seven pairs of chopsticks on our table, as if this was the right number.Parents brought a lot of dishes for Mi Le, and told him to eat more, as if he was at home.He was obviously a little restrained, and he ate the food bite by bite with his chopsticks in a serious manner, and the bowl was never lifted from the beginning to the end.He doesn't talk much, and he only answers when people ask him.He is trying to show his well-behaved and sensible side, or the side that others will think is the best.This is very important to him, he must want to make a good impression on my family.

Actually quite touching.Although I seem to prefer him who poured water on my head.Which one is the real him?Maybe it's just like what he said about Brother Chuan, several images must be added together to be the real him.

What is the string?Is he really what I remember?Or is it the appearance captured in those photos that can no longer be seen?I can't imagine him with my own face in the mirror. His face has already turned into a puff of smoke and dust that can't be grasped, lying on the ground where the autumn wind is blowing and dead leaves are falling.He is so far away from me and I miss him so much, especially when everyone is sitting together.

I really want to stand up and ask, those of you who are having dinner, hey, have you thought of Xianxian? Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, we are going to be reunited, aren’t we?But one is missing, one is missing. Although we have seven pairs of chopsticks here and seven shadows on the ground, one missing is one missing.Where is he?Can he hear our laughter at the dinner table?Can you tell me?It rained all night yesterday, he could hear it, through the wet soil, he might wake up, looking for someone to talk to, who of us is talking to him?Who can talk to him?What's the matter, I can't hear his voice.The moon was so bright yesterday, and it will be even brighter today, he can feel it.But you're all eating, you're all happy, you're happy for me, yes, I've got a good friend, a good friend that I really, really like, I'm back on the football team, and your weeve's got more energy Yes, you are gratified, you call Mi Le often come here to play, and regard this as your own home.Yes, that's right, that's all right, I really appreciate you guys, but where's the string?

I can't ask.I know none of you will forget Xianxian.I won't forget either.I know you love him.I love him too.However, I was still so sad, sadder than ever, and the family reunion made me want to see him more than being alone.I can't talk, I can't cry.Not a word was spoken, not a tear was shed.I know I said it, I cried, you all ask why, you all worry about me, and then I want to hide in the room and lock the door, and then continue to suffer, suffer together.It can no longer be like this.I can't hurt you any more, on a festival like this, in front of Mi Le.

"Yue Yin, what breed is your dog? It looks familiar." Mi Le asked while petting the big fluffy dog.

"St. Bernard, but the blood is not so pure, so it won't grow too big. Have you seen it in cartoons, they often save people in the snow or something."

"That's right! There's a small wine barrel hanging under its neck. I just felt like something was missing! It's more like a wine barrel!"

"Is the wine barrel its soul?" My sister laughed.

"Actually, the wine barrel is just a decoration, and it won't be used in rescue. It was painted by a British painter, but it is really cute." Yue Yin scratched the dog's chin, and it raised its head meekly for its owner to stroke. .

"What's its name?" Miller asked.

"Evan, Evan."

Suddenly I want to take Evan to go on an adventure with everyone, it will definitely become our patron saint.

My sister and Yue Yin are young, although she said that they are rivals now: the junior high school of No. [-] Middle School only has two student publications, one is "Hunter and Light Cavalry" from our literature club, and the other is Yue Yin and the others. News Agency's New Live.These two publications don't seem to have any competitive relationship, but my sister said yes.Mi Le and I really didn't expect that she would bring us to play in the big yard of Yue Yin's house, and even said to have dinner together at night.

Compared with taking pictures with a camera, I prefer the appearance of Yue Yin being dragged away by Evan while holding the dog leash.I asked her how old Evan was, and she said one and a half.Looks like it's going to be with her for a long time, at least ten years, hopefully.Ten years is a long time. For us now, after all, we have only lived for ten years.

Evan seemed to hear me asking about it, and walked up to my shoes to sniff, making me jump back two steps in fright.It's not that I don't like animals, I can't accept them being too close to me.Evan is well behaved and I'm still wary.Big dogs seem to be very gentle, but small dogs bark and even bite people.Maybe, as Mi Le said, he was too scared and couldn't control himself.

It was evening, and Yue Yin skillfully settled Evan down.We each got into our cars and went to the hotel.In the reserved private room, there is already a family waiting.

He Mingming.It seems that my sister knew him before?Maybe the parents of both parties have known each other for a long time, they are colleagues after all.

The greater the number of companions, the less restrained we are.The adults kindly let us sit together. Naturally, boys sit with boys, girls sit with girls, and my sister and I fill in the [-]th line.

Still can't escape to take pictures, we were asked to stand in two rows for a group photo before taking our seats.Girls are at the front and boys are at the back, although it might be more appropriate for Mi Le to stand at the front.It must be a very abrupt photo, obviously much taller than us.But more reasons should be on me - I was told by my mother that my expression was too serious, but I really don't know why I smiled at a cold camera staring at you.Sending this picture recorded by mechanical eyes to the circle of friends and family members, does it mean that a good moment has been preserved?If time can be left like this, it would be too easy and too cheap.But what right do I have to think so?I can't even leave everyone a little bit of a good time.

At this age, it is not easy for boys and girls to find common topics. Fortunately, my sister and Yue Yin are very easy-going.Mingming asked about the dog, he seemed to want to raise a golden retriever at home.Yue Yin said that she also likes the golden retriever very much. As a retriever, it understands human nature very well.The most interesting thing is that you can take it for swimming.She also said that the IQ of a golden retriever is equivalent to that of a five-year-old child. If you raise it, you will have a younger brother in your family.

Obviously it goes well with such a big dog.Whether he is playing football or not, he is very gentle and honest, but he is taller and thinner, and he is not furry.

"By the way, which team do you like?" My sister asked suddenly.The boys were very surprised. They didn't talk about anything related to football just now, so don't let us talk about it.She snorted and said no, she is an old fan, and she didn't say this for you at all, she was just curious.Mi Le whispered in my ear that he really always thought that my sister paid attention to football because of me.

Her interests are indeed very wide, and it is not surprising that she likes football.After all, the body has always been healthy and energetic.She likes listening to music the most, including rock, folk, pop, and classical, and she can sing well.I heard from my aunt that she knows how to cook, maybe she cooks some dishes at noon, but the adults didn't praise her, maybe everyone is used to her being so good.

I have been praised a lot, especially in the past two years. I can say that I am used to not wasting food after eating, but in fact it is just a little obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"But is this okay? Many teams are mortal enemies. If it is reported that they are mortal enemies, it would be embarrassing." Yue Yin said.

"Everyone respects each other, I think it's okay." My sister said, reaching out and pinching my face, "Anyway, I know that Wei Wei doesn't support a team, if you have any, you can recommend it. But you are not allowed to be crooked. Once, let him like my dead enemy. If you support it, I am tolerant. If he dares to support me, he will beat him. "

I was threatened for no reason, but I was quite happy.She always said that she wanted to beat me up, but she had never done it before, which made people look forward to it.

"The team I support is Serie A, and half of the jersey is black." Mingming said with a smile, "But you don't think much of Serie A, do you? I'm too old-fashioned."

"Cunning!" My sister suddenly tightened the hand holding me, "Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, which one is not half black? There are seven or eight such Serie A teams, how do you let us guess?"

"At least you know I'm not a fan of Rome and Naples, don't you?" Mingming stuck out his tongue.I've heard of the first few teams that my sister mentioned, but I'm really not sure about the latter ones.

Miller said that he didn't watch many games. Most of the teams were told by his classmates, and there were no professional teams in his hometown.Yue Yin said that she did have a favorite team, but she didn't want to say it.The team that my sister likes is not mentioned anymore, she herself said that there are not too many rivals.The chat quickly turned into them recommending teams to me and Miller.

"A person's favorite team can still represent his character..." My sister hadn't finished speaking, and she laughed without warning.She immediately showed a knowing expression, saying that she probably knew which team Mingming was a fan of.Mi Le and I were at a loss.

"I think Miller is very handsome and young, so he is very suitable to wear a very sunny white jersey. It has the feeling of a silver gun and a white horse, so do you want to consider..."

"Come on, don't sell private goods to others, let him choose slowly."

"How do you know he won't like it?"

"How do you know that he likes it? Don't make mistakes."

I really doubt that my sister said that they are competitors. The root cause is that the team they support is a sworn enemy.

"I really think the pure white jersey is very suitable for me." Mi Le smiled, and the dispute between the two debaters stopped. Naturally, one family was happy and the other was sad.However, he quickly said that he was talking about the white team uniform of Jiangyuan No. [-] Middle School.We all laughed.If I said that, my sister would probably say that she wanted to beat me up again.But my goalkeeper jersey is green after all, and the white jerseys belong to them.

"Where's Ke Ke? What style do you like?" He obviously didn't recommend it to me directly, "Maybe there are teams I know that you might like."

me?

Xianxian did not tell me which team he likes.I watched some games with him, but he was always excited no matter which team scored, and I usually just lay on the sofa and yawned.

With his character, what kind of team would he like?

"I think...is it the kind of team that plays very hard and is keen on attacking? Not too conservative. But the defense is not bad. Even the forwards will actively return to the defense. The whole team is very motivated. Unity, heart Go to one place. The desire to win is very strong, and I will go all out in every game. There is no one in the whole team who plays the ball dirty, and there is no one who is selfish and monopolizes the ball. Never malicious fouls, delays, fakes He won’t take advantage of the loopholes in the rules, let alone injure others. He is also very calm in the face of the opponent’s rude fouls, and he doesn’t even care about them. He just plays cleanly and wins dignifiedly, not for the sake of winning. Unscrupulous. Respect the opponent, shake hands regardless of winning or losing, win or lose. Also, I respect the fans very much. Even if only a few people come, I will go to thank the field. Finally, if you can win, the more you win, the better .”

I talked for a long time, everyone was silent for a while after listening, Yue Yin spoke first:

"You are right. Everyone will like such a team. But to be honest, the team I support is actually very elegant, but it still can't meet your standard. Every team has one or two people. , they weren't that clean or gentlemanly. If you're looking for players who never get a red card or jump through water, I can think of a few, but those teams don't exist."

"Pull you down."

It turns out that everyone is similar, not just boys will tear each other down.But only good friends dare to talk like that.

"Ke Ke, I understand your thoughts very well. But as I said to Boss Ye that day, we all respect such honest players very much, but it is difficult to find such a team now." Mingming said, "If there is, I will Definitely be their fan."

"After all, Wei Wei doesn't watch many games. If you watch a lot, you will have your own ideas. It all depends on you. You have to know that there are no two identical leaves in the world. The difference between every player It's huge because everyone is different. You're just talking more about a great player than a team. It's scary when everyone on a team thinks and plays the same way Yes. The charm of football is that different people can unite and work together for victory, rather than eleven clones or robots mechanically executing tactics.”

"But even if there is no such team now, it doesn't mean there won't be any in the future. Aren't we all in the school team? We can make No. [-] Middle School such a team. Of course...we can only be ourselves, and we can't ask everyone It's all like this...and it's not easy to be yourself."

"Mile is right. I really hope that you will all become such players. You will be excited when you hear it. I will take pictures of you when the time comes."

"Ah, that's what I mean. Do you know how the coach 'boasts' us during training? Saying that we are a bunch of good babies, and we won't even commit fouls..."

"Really, I'm a bit lost, about what the coaches and the seniors said. You guys met my dad today, he's a surgeon, he's a fan. I heard him say something about injuries, and he spoke very well. Professional, the more I listen to it, the more I feel that the injuries on the court are terrible. Some players are even injured and cannot take care of themselves for a long time. Those are professional players, rich and cared for. But we are students, except for playing football There are many other things. Who is not pampered by parents? So I am very worried that I will hurt others in the game one day. In elementary school, I am not too tall, and the defense is not too difficult. But the last two games have been played. , I feel that I have no advantage at all. The elder Yuan Yikong told me to defend fiercely, but what is fierce and what is dirty? How should I handle it? So I am a little timid in defense, afraid of making mistakes and afraid of hurting others ..."

We chatted for a while.What my sister means is that we are talking on paper after all, and we still have to get used to it on the court to understand.I suddenly remembered the question I had that day, and asked why Jiangyuan No. [-] Middle School didn't have a women's football team, and the football club should be open to all students in the school, so why didn't girls join the club.

I'm glad you think so.sister said.But you should have thought that the boys' school teams barely make up the 18-man roster, and it may not be easy to find 8 girls who can play football in the whole school.Not so many people like football, and not so many people like playing football.Both Yue Yin and I watch football, but we don't know how to play and haven't received training.Among the girls I know, Xu Mu is the only one who has ever played football.Yue Yin said that the actual situation is that no one in the school has ever recruited girls to play football, and no one knows whether it is possible to organize a school team.Maybe it can't, maybe it can, the key is that no one will do it.Even Coach Wang, who is a female teacher, has never considered organizing women's football.Maybe it is true that there are not enough people, but it is impossible to do nothing because of a prediction.

I could sense that she wasn't arguing with her sister this time.My sister really agreed with her idea.Maybe next year when the club recruits new students, we can try it, she said.Both Mi Le and Mingming are willing to help, and so am I.

When we were parting, the adults were still shaking hands and blessing each other, and we walked to the empty street.The mid-autumn moon hangs high, it is indeed brighter than yesterday, and maybe tomorrow will be even brighter.During the conversation, my mood was much more stable than in the morning.Did the communication between friends protect me, or did these few words make me forget about myself and lose those intense emotions?I can't tell, but at least it's nice to walk together on the windy street.Putting on a thick hat and putting her hands in her pockets, my sister was singing, euphemistically, like the gentle moonlight flowing.

See the pyramids along the Nile
Watch the sunrise on a tropical isle
Just remember darling all the while
You belong to me
See the market place in old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Just remember till your dream appears
You belong to me
I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonely too and blue
Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it's wet with rain
Just remember till you're home again
You belong to me [1]
I just understood the sentence "You belong to me", but fortunately, I can look up the lyrics with my mobile phone.My sister said that it would be nice if Xu Mu was here, she is the drummer of the band, and she also occasionally plays the lead singer.Mi Le asked her sister why she didn't try in the band, she felt that she could sing better than Mu Zheng.You can chat more with Mu Zheng and Huang Minxue, their band seems to be short of people, Yue Yin secretly gave me a hand, so to speak.

And now I just want to listen to my sister sing quietly, even if I can't understand a word, I walk at the end like Mingming, imagining that there is a big silent dog following me.

"We are very grateful to you, thank you for being by Wei Wei's side. I really don't know what to say. He was always alone in the past few days. It was too scary. There is nothing we can do as parents."

"Auntie, he is already my best friend. You really don't need to thank me. It's all due. And he takes good care of me and treats me very well."

I could hear their conversation in the living room even though the bath water was roaring.

"But, Auntie, I want to ask something. Have you taken Keke to the hospital for an examination? I mean a heart attack. He doesn't seem to have any emergency medicine with him. Of course, I will go to learn first aid measures... ..."

Someone came to the bathroom, and I turned on the water to the maximum.She went back soon.

"Don't worry, there is no history of congenital heart disease in our family."

"But brother Xianxian..."

Mi Le's voice in the living room was interrupted.

[1] You Belong To Me is the first single released in 1952, sung by Sue Thompson, composed of songwriters Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart and Chilton Price.It was later sung by many people, among which Jason Wade's version became a classic episode in "Shrek", and Bob Dylan's version became an episode in "Natural Born Killers".

Chinese-English version lyrics:
See the pyramids along the Nile
See the pyramids along the Nile
Watch the sun rise on a tropic isle
Watching the sunrise on a tropical island
Just remember darling all the while
think of you dear
You belong to me
you belong to me

See the market place
Eye on the market
In old Algiers
old algiers market
Send me photographs
send me photos
And souvenirs
and souvenirs
Just remember
clearly remember
Till your dream appears
until your dream comes
You belong to me
you belong to me

I'll be so alone
i will be alone
Without you
without you
Maybe
Maybe
You'll be lonely, too
you will be lonely

blue
Melancholy
Fly the ocean
fly on the sea

In a silver plane
take the silver plane

See the jungle
see the jungle
When it's wet with rains
get wet when it rains

Just remember
still remember
Till you're home again
until you return home

You belong to me
you belong to me

(End of this chapter)