Chapter 44： One more, at 9:2 p.m., the milk-flavored melon seeds with body temperature...

As soon as Father Song locked the door of the office, he heard the fixed telephone ringing loudly in the room.

I raised my wrist and looked at his watch. It was half past four in the afternoon. Today's newspaper had a party. At this point, the colleagues and leaders passed ahead of time, and he was considered to be late.

Take a look at a few cubs who are noisy in the corridor, think about it, forget it, if the urgent work will hit him on the "big brother", he will not worry about a few children outside by themselves, so he will not come in to pick up. telephone.

He was promoted as editor-in-chief, and the newspaper gave him the latest Samsung "Big Brother", which was much smaller than the brick "Big Brother" of previous years.

Immediately following the children's footsteps, Song Jianguo did not forget to tell them to run slowly and be careful of the stairs.

Little did he know that it was so wrong and missed the phone call from teacher Feng, the head teacher.

And this afternoon, it happened that Qiao Qin School had information training, she was not in the office, and she also did not receive a call from Teacher Feng.

In the teacher's office of the elementary school attached to the normal school, Teacher Feng shook his head and put down the phone.

Thinking that Aunt Gao is also the director of the neighborhood committee, since she just praised Chu Jin, there should be nothing else.

Moreover, Song Qiaoxi’s father, as the editor-in-chief of the newspaper’s party, will certainly attend. It is estimated that a few children must have told the editor-in-chief Song when they met with an adult.

Teacher Feng let go of his worries and began to correct his homework.

-

The newspaper office organizes a party every year before and all employees participate in the large auditorium between the courtyard and the dormitory of the courtyard.

The auditorium has been built for some years, and the main entrance is three heavy sliding doors.

Because it is winter, a heavy windproof curtain is nailed inside the sliding door, and children have little strength and it is not easy to push it open.

Song Jianguo held up the curtain for the children and told them to enter quickly.

The "Little Gang of Five" are like five slippery little fishes, lining up to get in.

Song Qiaoxi was relaxed, without a heavy schoolbag on her shoulders, and she was extremely flexible in her movements.

As soon as I entered the door, I raised my head and let out an exclamation, "Wow!"

It was getting dark outside, and the entire auditorium was brightly lit, with red lanterns and various colorful garlands hanging above the auditorium.

In front of each row of benches in the auditorium, there is a long small table on which is placed a variety of melon and fruit snacks.

Golden coin chocolate, football-shaped chocolate, bonbon chocolate, various flavors of sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds, peanuts, sorghum syrup, prawn crisps, fruit tan...

There are also big red apples, oranges, bananas with the word "Fu" printed on it...

Nuo Dumplings are dazzling, there are so many new things that I haven't seen before, and I want to taste everything.

"Xixi, look at the stage, what a big white rabbit!"

Wang Junyang's shout interrupted her little greedy cat's thoughts, and followed the voice to take a look on the stage.

There is really a big white rabbit on the stage!

It seems that the rabbit is taller than Dad. Dad is 1.78 meters tall. That rabbit looks at least two meters tall.

"Next year is the Year of the Rabbit!"

Ding Yi pushed his glasses and said with a smile.

Ugh?

Nuo Tuanzi took a closer look. This rabbit looked like the White Rabbit in his dream?

During the Lantern Festival last year, she left the little white rabbit lantern on the window sill of Chu Jin. In her dream, the little white rabbit turned into a big rabbit man. She guarded the door of the boiler room for Chu Jin and made him have a nightmare. All the demons and monsters blocked the door.

The big rabbit in the dream is almost exactly the same as the one on the stage!

I just wanted to look back where Chu Jin was. Before I turned around, I heard someone whisper in my ear: "This rabbit on the stage looks familiar?"

"Do you think so too?"

Song Qiaoxi heard Chu Jin's voice and leaned back with a sense of security.

With the back of his head resting on his chest, he looked upside down at his face, sticking out his tongue, "I also feel familiar, as if..."

"I really want to have seen it in my dream." Chu Jin said.

Hearing that Chu Jin said the same thing tacitly with herself, she was so excited that she almost twisted her neck.

"Be careful." Chu Jin helped her.

Xiao Nuo Tuan turned around and raised her small face, looking at Chu Jin's starry eyes, folded her hands together in front of her chest and whispered, "Me too. We won't have a dream, will we?"

"Xixi, do it all, come here soon!" Dad shouted a few of them in full anger, and made a "come" gesture, "Miaomiao one by one, hurry up, sit here!"

"Dad, we want to sit in the first row!"

Song Qiaoxi pointed to the location of Wang Junyang from the air and shouted to her father.

"You come here first!"

Song Jianguo shouted so loudly that he held his forehead with one hand and beckoned them to sit in the corner of five or six rows.

The first row is the position of the leaders. What good things do you think?

I still want to sit in the first row. Why don't you just sit on the table? Why don't you want to go to heaven!

The surrounding uncles and aunts were basically seated, knocking melon seeds, peeling peanuts, drinking hot tea, watching Song Jianguo all around the scene and catching the five scurrying little boys.

When the cubs were set up, they watched their "Little Gang of Five" dangling their calves like a okay person, eating snacks and drinking juice with a smile.

Song Jianguo swore profusely that he would not bring his children to the party next year.

Without Qiao Qin, he couldn't handle these little ancestors at all.

"Okay, the party will begin soon. Uncle Song will go to the front and sit with some uncles. You guys will watch the show carefully. After the end, no one is allowed to run around, and I will wait for Uncle Wang and I to pick you up."

After repeated exhortations several times, Song Jianguo only turned his head back and forth one step at a time.

He shook his head and turned back again, patted Wang Junyang looking around, very restless little head, "Yangyang, your dad will be on stage to sing in a while, honestly wait for your dad to perform, and there is nothing left. Exhaust, take care of them for Uncle, Xixi, Yiyi, and Miaomiao are obedient."

Make sure that the children nod their heads and answer that they understand, before Song Jianguo returned to the second row of seats from the stage.

Song Qiaoxi stuffed a prawn cake in her mouth, chewing "quack quack quack", raised her eyes to see sitting in the front row, kissing the back of her father's head.

Dad was sitting with a few familiar uncles. Except for his dad who has thick curly hair, the other uncles are...a little bald.

But Wang Junyang said that the bald head looks more like a newspaper leader?

Sigh.

Alas, I am feeling that when he grows up, he can't do literary work like my dad. My dad is still young, and he will probably be bald when he reaches the age of his uncles.

The word worker is the life of the bald...

Oh, yes, I won’t let Chu Jin engage in writing work in the future!

He looks so good-looking, is it okay to be bald?

At this moment, Chu Jin has no time to care about whether he will be bald in the future. He unzipped the zipper of his schoolbag and took out the kraft paper envelope given to him by Aunt Gao in the afternoon from the mezzanine.

Frowning slightly, he held the kraft paper envelope in his hand.

The lights in the auditorium of the auditorium suddenly dimmed, and the party officially opened with Huofeng and Tang Can's "A Good Start".

A group of logistic aunts swarmed up on the stage, dressed in big red traditional costumes, holding red handkerchiefs and happily twisting Yangko on the stage.

"Boom, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, today is a good start..."

Except for Chu Jin, the eyes of the remaining few cubs were all attracted by the lively singing and dancing on the stage.

Inside the kraft paper envelope is a written thank you letter.

On the way back from the teacher's office to the classroom, Chu Jin secretly opened it. Aunt Gao told him not to lose the letter. When the party came on stage, he should read it in public.

The letter contained some general thank-you words, and what was left was a long list of thanks, ranging from the staff of the neighborhood committee to the senior leaders of the newspaper.

Aunt Gao urged him so hard not to leave his name.

He raised his eyes and glanced to his side.

Song Qiaoxi was sitting on the left, peeling melon seeds like a little squirrel. She especially liked the creamy sunflower seeds, and she ate happily every time.

Ding Miao was peeling peanuts, and from time to time he stuffed a peanut kernel into Nuo Tuanzi's mouth.

Most of the little boys are uninterested in such snacks, find it troublesome, and can't eat anything after peeling them for a long time.

Looking at Wang Junyang and Ding Yi, the two boys were holding a big apple and chewing hard.

The eyes of several children were fixed on the performance on stage. At the moment on stage, two uncles were talking fast and loudly. Their voices were loud and rhythmic, making them giggle.

The scene was joyful and peaceful, and Chu tried his best to blend in, but because of that thank-you letter, he was a little entangled in his heart.

Many people Chu Jin didn't know the long list of names on the thank you letter, or even heard of it.

The newspaper leaders and the aunts of the neighborhood committees he knew, met, and helped him are understandable.

What makes a nine-year-old child unable to understand is why people who don’t know should be grateful?

It is clear that Uncle Song, Aunt Qiao, and the neighbors in the courtyard are the people who take care of him daily. Why are these people's names not on the list?

If you want to thank them, you should thank them more...

"Chu Jin, look, it's Uncle Wang!" Song Qiaoxi Xiaorou pulled his sleeves, and pointed to the beautiful sister in red dress on the stage. It's the moon to blame"."

Wang Junyang got up from the chair and pointed to the tall man in the trench coat on the stage and said proudly: "That's my dad! My dad on the stage! My dad sings Zhang Yu's song, and my dad sings. It sounds great!"

"Sit down Wang Junyang, you are blocking the uncles and aunts behind you."

Ding Yi pulled him, and Ding Miao also covered her mouth and smiled.

"Deputy editor Wang is too funny, he didn't stop us young man, would you go up and sing with your dad?"

"Yeah, Yangyang sings well, right? One, one!"

"Wang Junyang, too!"

.....

The uncles and aunts on the side deliberately teased him, making Wang Junyang, who has always been thick-skinned, a bit shy, so he sat down and continued to chew the apple.

Interrupted by the noisy laughter, Chu Jin adjusted his emotions.

Looking up at Song Qiaoxi's concerned gaze, she hurriedly smiled at Xiao Nuo Tuan.

Song Qiaoxi's attention was originally concentrated on the stage, but at the moment when she turned her head, she found a trace of worry flashed in Chu Jin's eyes.

Stopping his mouth, looking at Chu Jin's profile in the dim auditorium.

His face quickly returned to calm, a faint smile flashed past, and she couldn't help but make her wonder if she had made a mistake just now?

No, I have seen Chu Jin's expression on my own, and I have never seen it before.

Will it be too nervous to be on stage to receive the award, or because there are too many people in the venue, the air is bad, or because you are hungry?

He should be hungry. Didn't you see him eating snacks?

"It's all your fault. Falling in love with me easily makes me unknowingly satisfy the vanity of being loved..."

Uncle Wang imitated Zhang Yu Yijue, his voice and posture were very similar, and he won thunderous applause when he opened his mouth.

Listening to Uncle Wang's song, Xiao Nuo Tuan shook his head and followed softly, peeling the shell of the butter melon seeds with his little hands.

Not to mention, these little hands, writing like a dog, don't have much energy to play the piano, just as soon as they stick to the side, the little hands become talented.

The skin of melon seeds is peeled quickly, and a small handful of melon seeds is peeled out with the effort of a song.

Creamy melon seeds are particularly fragrant, sweet with a rich milky fragrance.

It's not completely sweet, it has a slightly salty taste, one after another, it makes people unable to stop eating.

Song Qiaoxi knew that Chu felt troublesome and didn't like to eat nuts, but if his mother bought back shelled hazelnuts, walnuts, etc., I also saw him eat some.

Mom and Dad said that nuts are very nutritious. They can eat more and grow taller when they grow their bodies.

Thinking of this, Xiao Nuo Tuan held the melon seed Ren'er in front of him in the palm of his hand, and slapped it gently with his elbow, "Hey, take it with your hand."

Chu Jin pretended to be watching the show and was still thinking about the thank-you letter. Hearing Song Qiaoxi called him, he subconsciously stretched his hand in front of her in the dark.

The boy's slender hand was grabbed by a soft little hand, and his hand was held by her in turn, his back was facing down, and then the palm of his hand was slightly itchy, as if some very light little things had fallen off.

When I brought it back, it turned out to be a small handful of melon seeds with body temperature.

A small furry head came over and whispered in Chu Jin’s ear, “You should eat a little first, pad your belly, and I’ll peel it for you after it’s delicious. When it comes to you, don't be nervous, just come on stage to receive the award, we are all here to cheer you up."

Xiao Nuo Tuan exudes the scent of milk, the voice in his ears is sweet and soft, and the breath that he exhales is sweet.

After speaking, she slapped the two long braids playfully behind her shoulders, lowered her head and continued to concentrate on peeling the melon seeds.

Chu Jin observed for a while and found that Song Qiaoxi was quite principled?

Peel one and store it in the palm of your hand, then put the other in your mouth, peel another and put it in your palm, and put another in your mouth. When you have five or six or seven of them in your hand, then put another seed. The child came to Ding Miao's mouth.

He looked at the melon seeds in his hands, they were plump and distinct.

Chu's breathing and heartbeat started to speed up inexplicably...

Xiao Nuo Tuan leaned close to Ding Miao, a little away from him, but he seemed to smell the fragrance of her grandmother again in the air.

He picked up a melon seed kernel and placed it on his lips, sip it gently, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up with the sweet taste.

The trace of anxiety in my heart seemed to be relieved.

Just go to the stage to receive a certificate and read a thank you letter. What's so scary?

I originally had nothing. The boiler room I now live in is the property of the newspaper collective. Uncle Song and Aunt Qiao worry about the cost of food and clothing. The kind uncles and aunts in the compound also care about themselves all the time.

The intention of the director Gao of the neighborhood committee is nothing more than to let him take the stage and give face to the new leaders, let them know that the work of the neighborhood committee is very good, and this "performance" is completed under the brilliant guidance of the leader.

It's okay. Since there are no neighbors in the compound on the list given by the neighborhood committee, he still has a way to thank them.

"Xiao Chu Jin, ready to take the stage, come here soon."

There was a figure in the dark, and the cat walked over to the table where a few children were sitting.

"Uncle Sun?"

Song Qiaoxi heard the movement and discovered that it was an uncle she knew. He heard from her father that Uncle Sun is now the secretary of the new head of the newspaper, President Jiang.

"Good Uncle Sun."

Chu said hello politely, holding the handful of melon seeds tightly in his hand.

Uncle Sun waved his hand to the children and lowered his voice, "Okay, oh, isn't this the daughter of Editor-in-Chief Song? Xixi eat slowly. Come on, Chu Jin, it's yours when this show is over, go with Uncle Backstage, have you got your speech?"

Song Qiaoxi paused looking at Chu Jin. He found a clean tissue, put the melon seeds in his hand, and whispered in her ear, "I haven't finished eating. I will eat later."

Chu Jin took a paper towel and wiped his hands, took out a kraft paper envelope from his pocket and nodded to Uncle Sun, "Take it."

He followed Uncle Sun to the back of the stage in the dark.

Song Qiaoxi put the remaining melon seeds on the paper towel and excitedly said to her partners: "The next show is Chu Jin. Let's cheer for Chu Jin!"

"So fast?" Wang Junyang put the apple core on the table, hurriedly looking for a paper towel to wipe his hands, "Get me a paper towel, I wipe my hands, my hands are sticky, don't clap loud enough for a while!"

Ding Miao handed him a tissue, "It's time to use your strong voice."

"Isn't it, Ding Yi, let's shout together, Chu Jin, come on, Chu Jin is the best!"

Taking the paper towel and wiping his hands, and then wiping his mouth, Wang Junyang poked Ding Yi.

Ding Yi waved a banana in his hand and nodded, "What is necessary, Chu is the pride of our "Little Gang of Five", a figure of the level of "Big Brother", Xi Xi is not like the boss with him."

Xiao Nuo Tuan shrugged. She didn't care what she was the "big brother". It would be better for someone to be the "big brother" for herself. She fixed her eyes on Chu Jin's back, until she couldn't see him before turning her eyes back on the stage.

After the singing and dancing performance, the beautiful host sister came on stage and explained the next link clearly.

The host's sister did not finish her words, but only heard the excitement cheers and applause of a few children from the fifth and sixth rows in the north area of ​​the stage.

"Chu Jinchujin, you are awesome! Chu Jinchujin first place!"

"The'Little Gang of Five' is the pride of Chu Jin! No...Chu Jin is the pride of the'Little Gang of Five'!"

Wang Junyang and Ding Yi stood on the chairs, clapping and shouting.

Come on, their "Little Gang of Five" has become famous in the whole newspaper system in such a form!

The uncles and aunts sitting around laughed together, and the two little cubs were too amused, and they applauded and roared.

Song Qiaoxi and Ding Miao, the two little girls don't know why, they may be a little bit "shamed" by the slogan designed by Wang Junyang and Ding Yi. They just clapped their heads and didn't dare to look up.

The small slaps were all red, and he waited for Chu Jin to appear on the stage.

After listening to the host, Song Jianguo, who was sitting in the second row, frowned and turned to ask Lao Wang who was sitting in the back row, "No one told me about this before. Brother Wang, do you know? Chu did a link in the recognition meeting for poor students?"

"No one said to me, I was arrested temporarily to sing. Alas, isn't that the aunt Gao? And Secretary Sun, who is still holding a red envelope in his hand," Wang Junyang's father was also confused and patted. He patted Song Jianguo on the shoulder and motioned him to the stand, "Xiao Chujin has also gone up. Is it because Chujin's academic performance is good and the newspaper issued some scholarships? When the old president was there, wouldn't it be the same?"

"Can it be the same? When did the old president do this with a big fanfare, and when did he pass in quietly, he took a few colleagues from Chu Jin's mother before to the boiler room to see what the child left behind. Announcements are not allowed to be sent..." Song Jianguo was a little angry, saying that his voice was obviously emotional, "What kind of thing is this, why no one will discuss it with me."

He turned around and looked at Chu Jin standing between Secretary Sun and Aunt Gao with a serious expression on the stage. The boy held a piece of paper in his hand and pressed his lips tightly.

Intuition made Song Jianguo always feel that something was wrong, and suddenly became restless.

Sure enough, the next Secretary Sun's speech confirmed his guess.

"Today is January 18, 1999, three years ago on the fifteenth of the first lunar month. It was a family reunion day. But on that day, our newspaper lost an excellent livelihood reporter Sun Qiuyu due to an accidental car accident. , Is the mother of the child Chu Jin standing next to me..."

In the presence of an auditorium newspaper staff, Secretary Sun disclosed the detailed process of how old Chu lost his parents, how old he was abandoned by his uncle, and how he was abused and abandoned by his uncle.

After talking about the child's tragic experience, he began to talk about the process of Chu Jin living in the boiler room and the children's academic achievements in recent years.

"Our newspaper leaders and the grassroots cadres of the neighborhood committees, under the leadership of President Jiang, have always been very concerned about the lives and studies of Chujin children, and attach great importance to creating good learning and living conditions for Chujin children. In order to encourage him to study well, we will provide him every year. A scholarship of 1,000 yuan, as well as various study and daily necessities, also negotiated with the primary school attached to the normal school to save him from tuition and miscellaneous fees..."

Secretary Sun’s last speech, the main content is to "sing praises" to the leaders, listing one by one the benefits that the leaders have won for Chu Jin.

"...Children Chu Jin have communicated with us privately. He is grateful for the care and concern of the leaders, and the response is very enthusiastic. He hopes to personally thank the leaders at the newspaper party every year.

We hope that Chu Jin will have a grateful heart, know how to reward those who have helped him, work hard to improve himself, and improve his studies.

Let’s invite children from Chu Jin to read the letter of thanks for all the leaders. Applaud and welcome! "

In the 1990s, this kind of "commendation meeting" prevailed, and most newspaper workers did not feel that there was anything wrong with it.

The audience burst into applause, and the "bald" leaders sitting in the first row also applauded, smiled, and nodded.

Perhaps, in the entire audience, Song Jianguo was the only one who did not applaud.

He folded his arms, frowned and looked at Chu Jin on the stage, feeling very uncomfortable.

Although the little boy stood stiff, his face was pale, his head hung slightly, and his bloodless lips seemed to be bitten tighter by him.

Song Jianguo turned his head to look at the direction where the girl was sitting, Nuo Tuanzi slapped his chin twice, tilting his head thoughtfully.

Xixi always smiled with a small face, this time pouting her mouth, looking straight at the boy on the stage.

He was so angry that he almost fell the teacup beside his hand.

Why didn't no one notify him in advance of this matter!

What kind of **** "commendation meeting"?

He and Qiao Qin spent so long carefully protecting the child's self-esteem, for fear that someone would hurt Chu Jin.

It’s a good time now. I’ll just rush the old and new wounds to my head, telling the death of my parents and the sacred things done by those **** relatives in public. This is not equivalent to tearing away the wounds that Chu Jin has healed. Sprinkle more salt?

It's **** fateful.

Song Jianguo thought, he must ask clearly when he goes back, who took the lead in thinking about this silly process, and this group of people is full of brains on how to flatter the newly appointed president!

Chu Jin walked to the microphone, unfolded the letter paper, and Secretary Sun helped him lower the microphone.

The thank-you letters are not long, they are all "fake big empty" rhetoric.

The little boy has a low voice, standing on the stage with a stiff posture, and his tone is flat, neither humble nor overbearing to finish reading.

The eyes of the people present were all attracted by Chu Jin. The little boy was so good that he could use the term "beautiful" to describe his facial features at a young age, as if he was born to shine.

Standing quietly on the stage, even if the clothes are ordinary, the temperament of the body can be clearly distinguished from all the children in the courtyard, and it can easily attract everyone's attention.

When thinking of the person to thank, Chu Jin put down the letter paper in his hand.

Song Qiaoxi had been thinking about the "mandarin" that Secretary Sun said just now. Although, many words were exaggerated, how did she listen to it, and why did she feel a little awkward?

It's just that Xiao Nuo Tuan can't understand the awkwardness...

When he first reacted, Chu Jin had already begun to give a speech.

When she returned her attention to Chu Jin, she saw the dazzling boy on stage put down the letter paper in his hand and clearly said one, two, three...

A series of familiar names.

The small chest filled with warmth.