???晚???飯???後???燒???水???沐???浴???，???葉???寒???回???到???房???內???，???婦???人???已???在???地???上???鋪???了???被???子???，???她???道???：

    ???「???寒???兒???睡???床???，???娘???睡???地???上???。???」

    ???葉???寒???彎???身???拾???起???那???被???，???抖???乾???淨???灰???塵???，???道???：

    ???「???床???夠???大???，???一???起???睡???罷???。???」

    ???婦???人???手???足???無(wú)???措???，???有???些???遲???疑???：

    ???「???這........???」

    ???「???孩???兒???與???娘???親???四???年???沒(méi)???見(jiàn)???了???，???也???好???敘???敘???舊???。???」

    ???葉???寒???也???不???看???婦???人???，???逕???自???坐???上???床???擦???著(zhù)???濕???髮???。

    ???「........???都???隨???你???，???你???喜???歡???便???好???。???」

    ???婦???人???拿???過(guò)???他???手???上???布???巾???，???繼???續???替???他???擦???頭???髮???，???道???：

    ???「???我???都???已???忘???記???上???回???替???你???擦???髮???是???何???時(shí)???了???。???」

    ???葉???寒???道???：

    ???「???是???我???五???歲???那???年???。???」

    ???婦???人???手???下???一???滯???，???囁???嚅???道???：

    ???「???我???並???非.....???並???非???不???愛(ài)???你???，???你???是???我???唯???一???的???孩???子???，???我.......???」

    ???說(shuō)???著(zhù)???說(shuō)???著(zhù)???，???卻???又???說(shuō)???不???下???去???了???。

    ???「???孩???兒???明???白???，???娘???今???日???不???就???來(lái)???接???我???了???麼???？???」

    ???葉???寒???轉???頭???望???向???婦???人???，???嘴???角???含???笑???，???又???指???指???書(shū)???架???道???：

    ???「???不???愛(ài)???孩???兒???，???又???怎???會(huì )???為???孩???兒???買(mǎi)???那???些???書(shū)???冊???。???」

    ???婦???人???這???才???又???接???著(zhù)???擦???髮???，???道???：

    ???「???我???記???得???你???打???小???就???愛(ài)???看???書(shū)???，???老???是???偷???跑???去???葉???老???爺???的???書(shū)???房???外???，???便???照???著(zhù)???你???愛(ài)???看???的???那???幾???本???買(mǎi)???了???，???只???也???不???是???全???新???的???書(shū)???，???往???後???我???多???攢???些???錢(qián)???，???再???替???你???買(mǎi)???其???他???的???。???」

    ???婦???人???不???識???字???，???葉???寒???是???知???道???的???，???她???卻???憑???著(zhù)???記???憶???力???，???將???他???小???時(shí)???候???看???的???那???些???書(shū)???都???記???了???下???來(lái)???，???一???一???買(mǎi)???回???。

    ???他???已???大???了???，???自???然???不???會(huì )???也???不???需???再???看???《???三???字???經(jīng)???》???等???書(shū)???，???可???這???些???書(shū)???，???是???不???在???他???身???邊???的???日???子???裡???，???她???也???有???將???他???放???在???心???上???的???證???明???。

    ???「???娘???親???將???這???收???好???。???」

    ???葉???寒???從???裏???衣???內???袋???掏???出???一???個(gè)???扁???扁???的???布???包???，???交???給???婦???人???，???婦???人???打???開(kāi)???一???看???，???裡???頭???是???一???疊???銀???票???和???印???章???等???重???要???物???品???。

    ???「???怎???地???還???有???這???樣???多???錢(qián)???？???不???是???都???讓???葉???老???二......???」???婦???人???低???聲???驚???呼???。

    ???「???這???不???是???葉???家???的???錢(qián)???，???是???孩???兒???與???友???人???合???夥???做???了???點(diǎn)???小???生???意???賺???來(lái)???的???，???如???今???我???身???上???真???的???什???麼???都???不???剩???了???。???」

    ???婦???人???捏???緊???了???布???包???，???一???副???不???知???該???收???哪???好???的???模???樣???，???葉???寒???微???笑???道???：

    ???「???娘???難???道???沒(méi)???有???藏???錢(qián)???的???地???方???？???」

    ???「???有???是???有???，???可???這???銀???票???面???額???很???大???罷???？???我???怕???藏???不???妥......???」

    ???「???明???日???娘???去???錢(qián)???莊???將???這???些???銀???票???存???了???罷???。???」

    ???「???寒???兒......???」???婦???人???用???疑???惑???的???眼???神???望???著(zhù)???他???。

    ???葉???寒???搖???頭???：

    ???「???若???是???用???我???的???名???義???，???那???些???債???主???便???查???得???到???，???又???會(huì )???來(lái)???與???我???討???債???，???他???們???不???知???我???是???葉???家???的???養???子???。???」

    ???婦???人???點(diǎn)???點(diǎn)???頭???，???慎???重???地???道???：

    ???「???這???些???銀???票???留???著(zhù)???將???來(lái)???給???你???娶???媳???婦???兒???，???往???後???你???的???開(kāi)???銷(xiāo)???娘???來(lái)???負???責???。???」

    ???葉???寒???嗯???了???聲???，???忽???然???放???軟???嗓???音???撒???嬌???道???：

    ???「???明???天???要???先???給???孩???兒???買(mǎi)???兩???套???衣???服???。???」

    ???婦???人???眸???中???一???痛???，???忙???道???：

    ???「???兩???套???怎???麼???夠???，???以???往???沒(méi)???買(mǎi)???的???，???娘???都???會(huì )???補???回???來(lái)???給???你???。???」

    ???葉???寒???見(jiàn)???她???眼???裡???又???泛???淚???光???，???便???道???：

    ???「???我???累???了???，???想???睡???。???」

    ???婦???人???斂???去???淚???意???，???點(diǎn)???頭???道???：

    ???「???好???，???你???睡???進(jìn)???去???罷???。???」

    ???五???歲???以???前???，???每???晚???葉???寒???都???和???她???共???寢???，???她???總???是???讓???小???葉???寒???睡???在???內???側???，???唱???歌???哄???他???到???睡???著(zhù)???，???還???會(huì )???抱???著(zhù)???他???，???像???蝦???子???抱???蛋???那???樣???將???他???護???在???懷???裡???。

    ???葉???寒???好???笑???道???：

    ???「???娘???睡???裡???面???。???」

    ???婦???人???面???上???一???赧???：

    ???「???瞧???娘???笨???的???，???你???是???大???人???了???。???」

    ???這???才???脫???了???鞋???襪???，???爬???到???床???內???側???躺???下???，???葉???寒???也???跟???著(zhù)???躺???下???，???拉???過(guò)???被???子???蓋???住???兩???人???。

    ???婦???人???正???想???問(wèn)???葉???寒???怎???不???各???蓋???一???床???被???子???，???葉???寒???便???抱???了???過(guò)???來(lái)???，???將???頭???埋???在???她???肩???窩???，???含???糊???地???道???：

    ???「???真???睏???。???」

    ???雖???是???親???生???兒???子???，???卻???許???久???未???見(jiàn)???，???婦???人???感???到???有???些???尷???尬???，???出???手???想???將???葉???寒???推???開(kāi)???些???，???卻???聽(tīng)???到???沉???沉???的???鼾???聲???，???這???大???孩???子???竟???是???睡???著(zhù)???了???。

    ???她???轉???頭???，???看???到???葉???寒???清???秀???的???側???臉???，???想???起???他???幼???時(shí)???便???常???用???這???樣???的???姿???勢???撒???嬌???，???心???裡???又???是???一???酸???。

    ???「???是???娘???對???不???起???你.......???」

    ???為???人???娘???親???，???前???半???輩???子???她???是???失???敗???的???，???幸???得???還???有???後???半???輩???子???能???挽???救???，???她???將???臉???貼???在???葉???寒???的???髮???上???，???盤(pán)???算???著(zhù)???這???個(gè)???月???少???休???幾???日???，???多???拿???幾???日???工???資???，???也???才???好???給???葉???寒???零???用???。