"That's normal... Shanghai women are generally quite pragmatic."

I jokingly asked, "Are women in Dali materialistic?"

Coach Ma replied in a serious tone, "I haven't met any local women in Dali, but I have met quite a few women from other places who have come to live in Dali."

How would you evaluate them?

"Now that you've opened an inn, you'll be dealing with a lot of people, so don't ask me about this. Just experience it for yourself."

I chuckled and reached for the beer can, only to find it was empty. I asked Coach Ma, "Want some more beer?"

"Bring two bottles of Old Village Chief beer; this beer just doesn't feel right."

...

Life in Dali is so free. Ma and I could get drunk just by having a casual lunch. We slept under the shade of the trees by Erhai Lake in front of the guesthouse until dusk, and then went back to the guesthouse to do some renovations until it got dark.

At 7:30, Coach Ma promptly left for the ancient city with his guitar, leaving me alone in the inn again. So, I spent my time alone, carrying the leftover scrap materials from the day to the landfill outside the inn...

At this moment, I really miss Yang Sisi, who was always chattering in my ear.

After dealing with all that trash, I was exhausted. I threw the trash can into the storage room and then lay down on the grass in the yard. I imagined myself as the brightest star in the sky, and all the other stars were just there to flatter me. That's how I found a sense of existence.

I'm an easily satisfied person. If it weren't for the constant pressure from my surroundings, I could live a very simple life. The next moment, I thought back to my initial question: Is there really a woman in this world willing to live such a simple life with me? We don't need a lot of wealth, just enough to eat and wear. The important thing is to be happy every day and do what we love.

I know Wang Lei was willing, but she's already dead.

Lu Jia definitely didn't want to, so she left.

My mind was a bit 'chaotic,' so I took my phone out of my pocket again, wanting to read some current events to distract myself. That's when I noticed an unread message from Yang Sisi on WeChat.

"Michael, come to Xiaguan to watch a movie, I'm so bored by myself!"

"I have no money."

"A movie theater just opened at Kunming Department Store today. As long as you follow their official WeChat account, you can watch their retro-themed show for free, so you don't have to spend any money at all."

How do you know everything?

"The hotel where I do training is right next to Kunming Department Store. Do you think I know that?"

"I'd like to go, but I can't get a ride here... How about I call Ye Zhi along?"

"How can you not be happy? You need two stunning beauties to accompany you to a movie... Either come here yourself, or don't watch it at all... Humph!"

"Alright then, I'll have to ask Ye Zhi to go see it; she has a car."

Yang Sisi immediately got angry and started sending me voice messages cursing me, calling me "shameless and disregarding the rules of the game." I listened and laughed at the same time. Actually, I just wanted to joke with her; of course, I wouldn't do something so despicable. Besides, I wasn't confident I could get Ye Zhi to come out. Lately, she seems to be quite busy.

But to be honest, I really like what she said about "rules of the martial arts world". In fact, isn't there a martial arts world between men and women? There are swords and shadows, as well as grudges and affections. In the end, those who don't abide by the rules of the martial arts world will all go their separate ways!

...

That night, I splurged a little and spent fifty yuan to call a private car. I then went from Longkan to Xiaguan, where Yang Sisi was waiting for me at the entrance of the Kunming Department Store. She was beautiful and full of youthful energy, especially when the neon lights shone on her.

I suddenly wanted to remember this night, because it was the first time I had gone to see a free nostalgic movie with a woman in a city that was still unfamiliar to me.

I took a few steps towards her, and we met amidst the bustling crowd. She was holding popcorn, smiling at me... I smiled back, completely unguarded...

Unexpectedly, the next second she kicked him hard and then cursed viciously, "You beast, why didn't you bring Ye Zhi over?... Should I call her now and have her come over, so you can have her on both sides... Don't you even look at yourself? You're not satisfied with having someone willing to be with you!"