Chengdu is extremely hot and muggy in August. This is Mu Deqian’s tenth year in Chengdu. Ever since he sent his eldest son Mu out in September 1996, he has been working in Chengdu Lotus Pond for ten consecutive years.

Chengdu left him with too many memories and too much bitterness. For example, the temporary residence permit.

The temporary residence permit is said to have been first invented in Shenzhen. It is specially used to register and manage the floating population and provide corresponding services to the floating population. However, for Mudeqian and others who come to Chengdu as workers, the "temporary residence permit" is just a "knock on the door".

It's awesome. It only collects money and has never served any migrant worker. You have to be "knocked" once a year, and the "knock" lasts for a year. If you accidentally lose your temporary residence permit, I'm sorry.

, you have to pay and be "knocked" again.

That year, Mudeqian's temporary residence permit was lost for some reason. According to regulations, he should apply for a new temporary residence permit. But to get a new temporary residence permit, it would cost several hundred yuan. Mudeqian

I couldn't bear to spend such a huge extra expense. I thought that everyone in Honghuayuan knew me, so there shouldn't be any problem. Anyway, when I changed my temporary residence permit at the beginning of the year, the people who paid for the permit were all familiar with me, and they all knew me.

I knew that I was very disciplined. Every year when I passed the annual threshold, I would actively pay for the temporary residence permit. I took a chance and did not apply for a new permit. I planned to wait until the next year to pay the fee for the permit.

Who would have thought that that year, there would be a major social order overhaul in Chengdu. Just because his temporary residence permit was lost, Mu Deqian was arrested and imprisoned in the "Duobao Temple" for a few days. Those days were the most desperate days in his life.

. The honest and humble Mudeqian who came to Chengdu only knew about "backpacking", just like the "Bangbang" in "Mountain City Bangbang Army", they only knew how to help the boss pick things to earn some hard money. Have you ever seen this?

The battle of "iron doors, iron windows, iron locks, gold watches"?

Once a person loses his freedom, it is an extremely frightening thing. Mu Deqian, who was imprisoned in Duobao Temple, was more frightened than others because his whole family was waiting for him to work alone to earn money. If he did not carry a backpack for a day,

There was no income for just one day. Not only was there no income, but one day's rent was lost. Being locked up in Duobao Temple, one had to pay a high "food fee" every day.

Some of those who were arrested together had been “guaranteed” by relatives and friends. The management staff asked Mu Deqian if he had any relatives or friends in Chengdu. Did Mu Deqian have any relatives or friends in Chengdu? He thought of his wife Hai

Wanqiu's cousins ​​were doing business in Chengdu Lotus Pond, and they were all millionaires. They should be considered respectable people. Mu Deqian reported this relationship between them to the management staff.

The original intention is that the management personnel will go to them. This will let them know where the "missing" money of Mu De is. Even if they casually pay some "guarantee fees", when the money of Mu De goes out, they will go and collect it.

Take the money out and return it to them.

However, what Mu Deqian did not expect was that when the staff went to check with them, they all said they did not know Mu Deqian and did not have such a relative. In desperation, Mu Deqian finally reported it.

Lin Ling’s mother’s name. When the staff went to Qinglong Market to verify Lin Ling’s mother’s name.

This woman from southern Fujian who usually cares about every penny when selling things didn't say anything. She took the payment and followed the address provided by the staff, and rushed to Duobao Temple to "guarantee" the Mu De money.

This is the reason why Mu Deqian has been working conscientiously to help Aunt Lin deliver goods. This also strengthens his belief that "when you have something to do, don't look for relatives, and when your hands are cold, don't burn the lamp."

Aunt Lin has already hinted that the call for the renovation of the Lotus Pond is getting stronger and stronger. However, this renovation is bound to affect the whole body and will definitely affect their business. It has been almost ten years since she came to Chengdu.

I want to go back to Fujian.

Mu Deqian originally thought that Aunt Lin was just talking casually. But what he didn't expect was that when he returned from arranging Mu Yi's marriage, Aunt Lin's counter had been transferred to someone else. He asked other bosses.

The other bosses just told Mu Deqian, but on the third day after he returned, Boss Lin hurriedly transferred the counter out. He left in a hurry, maybe something happened at home.

Mu Deqian then called Aunt Lin. But there was always only one sentence coming from the phone: Sorry, the number you dialed does not exist, please check and dial again.

In fact, Aunt Lin had long wanted to return home, but she had no choice but to have too many goods accumulated in the warehouse. So she had been selling at reduced prices. Others only saw that she was reducing prices, and it seemed that she was engaging in "small profits but quick turnover". In fact, it was

She didn't understand her intention to return. In addition, the rented warehouse and the rented house were due in August, so the return date she set in her mind was August.

After setting a return date, Aunt Lin quietly spread the news about subletting the stall, and also contacted some bosses who were interested in taking over. Everything seemed to go according to Aunt Lin's plan. However, just as Mude Qian left

That day, Aunt Lin received a call from home. Her husband, Mr. Lin, was in a serious traffic accident and was sent to the emergency room for emergency treatment. Two thighs were fractured, and there were multiple fractures in other places...

Although Mr. Lin was not very kind to me, after all, a husband and wife were kind to each other. Her husband's life or death was uncertain in the emergency room. Even if he was rescued, he might never stand up again. Therefore, Aunt Lin hurriedly dealt with it.

I canceled everything, including the phone number, bank card, etc. I had opened in Chengdu. I took the money I had earned over the years and boarded a plane back to Fujian.

Aunt Lin left. Mudeqian felt that something was missing. Although the new boss still took good care of Mudeqian's business. I guess Aunt Lin had made an explanation when she left. However, Mudeqian always felt that something had changed.

Already.

Immediately afterwards, Mu Deqian's good friend Feng Erge also fell ill. He was sent to West China Hospital for rescue. He stayed in the hospital for more than ten days. Mu Deqian bought some fruits and went to the hospital to see Feng Erge. He saw that in just ten years,

The next day, Brother Feng was completely thin and out of shape. When no one was around, Mu Deqian couldn't help but asked Brother Feng what illness he had. Brother Feng lay on the bed and asked Mu Deqian gently.

With a gentle wave of his hand, Mu Deqian leaned down and put his ear to Brother Feng's mouth.

The second brother Feng told Mu Deqian weakly that he had liver cancer and it was already in the advanced stage. The younger brother refused to let the doctor tell him that he had cancer and lied to him that he had serious hepatitis and needed to be treated well. But he held the doctor back.

After he kept asking, the doctor couldn't help but tell him the truth. He thought that his children were afraid that they would be sad if they knew they had cancer, so they didn't tell him. He also pretended not to know, so that his children would think that he didn't know.

He also told Mu Deqian that he had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in just over ten days. He felt it was not worth it. He wanted to be discharged from the hospital, but the doctor would not let him go, and his children would not let him go either.

He was worried that he was going to die in this hospital. The doctor said he needed a liver transplant, but where could he find such a suitable liver? Not to mention that he couldn't find someone else's liver, even if he found it, there would be no "rejection"

. Even if the operation is successful, they will not live for many years. The children say that they ask the doctor to cut their livers. But when they think of having to cut their children's livers to save themselves a few more years of life, they might as well die like this. They must not let it happen.

The children had their livers cut with a knife.

The day when Mudeqian came to see Brother Feng was the day when Brother Feng looked the best. Mudeqian estimated that he had given Brother Feng 500 yuan. Brother Feng had taken good care of himself in these years. He did not expect to be so caring.

The good brother Feng got such a terminal illness.

After Mu Deqian left, Brother Feng asked his son to make some of his favorite red potato porridge. It was the best meal he had eaten when he was a child. He saw his father eating a bowl of red potato porridge.

They were all very happy. Who knew that the old man fell asleep that night and never woke up again. He walked so peacefully, with a smile on his face.

Mu Deqian didn't see the stall of Brother Feng's family open for several days. About a week later, when he saw the children of Brother Feng's family coming to the stall again, he found that they had already put on filial piety condoms on their arms.

.Only then did I know that Brother Feng had left.

Mu Deqian suddenly felt very disappointed. He did not expect that during ten years of working life, a lot of friendship would develop between Mu Deqian and Brother Feng. Brother Feng left too suddenly.

While Mu Deqian was drinking, he scolded Brother Feng.

"Brother Feng! In the past ten years, I, Mu Deqian, have never seen your old man suffer from any serious illness. Even if he occasionally has a headache, cold, cough or something, he can just pick up some medicine and take it and he will be fine.

Why did you get this disease? God is really blind."

Cursing God, Mu Deqian picked up the beer bottle and took a few sips.

"Brother Feng! Although you say you are a boss, you also work early and late at night. You spend all year round at this three-foot counter. You barely get any exposure to the sun. When people see you, they always joke about your skin.

Okay, fair and tender. You do look younger than me. But thinking about it, I think Brother Feng, you are actually quite pitiful."

Having said this, Mu Deqian let out a big sigh. "Alas! Although I, Mu Deqian, am just a coolie with a backpack, exposed to the sun and rain every day, my range of activities is much wider than your second brother Feng.

Where in Chengdu are there no traces of my Mude Qian’s footprints? It’s been more than ten years since your second brother Feng came to Chengdu, right? I remember that when I came here, you were already doing business here. I’m just afraid that you haven’t taken a good look at it.

What is Chengdu like? Let me tell you, second brother, Chengdu has changed a lot. And Chengdu is getting bigger and bigger, with one ring, two rings and three rings, and in the future there will be even four rings and five rings."

Mu Deqian said these words to himself. He drank beer for the first time. Drinking beer was really a luxurious enjoyment for Mu Deqian. He was in a really bad mood today. He was using this

In this way, he missed his old friends and his second brother Feng. He unknowingly made himself drunk.

Maybe they were drunken babbles. Mu Deqian muttered: "Second brother! If you leave, it will be hard for me to play with you."

The next day, Mu Deqian was already late getting up. This was also the first time in the past ten years that he had woken up late. In the past, Mu Deqian had never gotten up late. He wanted to be the most accurate clock every day and did not dare to slack off for a moment.

Even if the skin on his back is scratched, the infection is oozing with pus, even if the toenail is broken by walking, or the infection is in unbearable pain, he still has to grit his teeth and hold on to the backpack. Because in the blink of an eye, the whole family will

They were all waiting for him to get the money. He could collapse and couldn't rest. He was too tired, too tired...

When he slowly came to the market, the bosses were all joking. "Mu Baiwan, your kid still smells of alcohol? Tell me honestly where you went to play last night? Did you go to Jiuyan Bridge? I'm tired from playing today."

Can’t get up?”

Mu Deqian smiled faintly and replied: "I have to run to Jiuyan Bridge every day, several times a day."

The others laughed.

No one knows that Mu Deqian was a little sad and nostalgic yesterday because he learned that Brother Feng was gone.

In the next few days, Mu Deqian no longer had the strength to carry his bag. He even felt old.

In fact, Mu Deqian was indeed old. The moment he learned that Brother Feng was gone, he became old. He was no longer in the mood to continue until the end of the year.

That day he received a call from his younger son Jun Geer.

"Dad, I graduated."

"Oh. I know. You should have graduated a long time ago."

"Well, I graduated a long time ago. It's just that Teacher Luo asked me to continue helping him in the factory."

Mu Deqian knew that the teacher Luo his younger son was talking about was the real teacher, Brother Jun's class teacher. He opened a feed factory outside. Mu Deqian heard what Brother Jun meant. It was obvious that Teacher Luo wanted to

Brother Jun stayed to work in his feed factory. But what did Brother Jun mean when he called himself?

"Oh. That's great. It means your teacher thinks highly of you. Why don't you just work hard in his factory? It's hard to find a job now anyway."

"Dad, you and Teacher Luo are talking about the same thing. I don't want to work for him."

"Oh. Why?"

"Dad, there is no future for you working at Mr. Luo's place. You can only make a living. What age are you in now? Where can you not earn a living?"

Mu Deqian felt that what his younger son said was very reasonable. Yes! What age are we in now? How can we not earn a living? But what is the future of working? If you work all your life, you can only be stolen by rats.

Rice soup. If you don't work for a day, you won't have a living for a day. If you come from a rural area like me, you have to go back to a rural area in the end. It sounds nice, everyone is the builder of the city, but which wage earner owns the city?

?Aren’t you just like yourself, getting old and losing strength, so you went back to the countryside? If you stay in the city, you will become a burden to the city. Not only will the city not pay you a penny, but maybe

God has brought you to Duobao Temple again.

"Then what are your plans?"

"Oh, it's like this. Dad, you also know that I have bad grades. I will definitely not be able to take the civil service exam when I go back."
To be continued...