I don't need Lu Jia's concern, so I don't need to explain my future to her. I threw my phone aside and entered a state of complete absorption. This is a new ability I learned after my leg was injured. I can listen to the rain or stare at an object and be lost in thought for a long time... It sounds like a waste of time, but for me, it is a very special enjoyment. I will not feel my own existence because of it, including the pain.

I don't know how much time passed, but the sound of rain gradually stopped, and I came to my senses. It's a pity that it was already completely dark, otherwise the sky after the rain in Dali would be truly beautiful.

I usually light a cigarette at this time, but after checking my pockets, I realized I had already decided to quit. The unbearable craving led me to the kitchen to find a toothpick, which I chewed around in my mouth. Surprisingly, it actually helped a little. I concluded that when the craving hits, the best thing to do is to keep yourself occupied.

...

Ten minutes later, the courtyard gate was finally pushed open. The first person to come looking for me was Zhou San. As soon as he entered, he looked at me with a particularly angry gaze. In the end, I was unable to keep his fourth brother, Yang Sisi.

In order to quell his anger, I quickly greeted him with a smile and said, "Sit down, San San."

"You still have the nerve to laugh?!"

"What else can I do but smile? Cry in front of you?"

"If you could cry, it would mean you still have a conscience; but you're really something, not only did you not cry, you even joked around with me."

I dragged over a stool and had Zhou San sit down opposite me before replying, "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Want to cry but have no tears'? I really want to cry, but there are just too many things that could make me cry; I can't just do nothing all day but cry and whine."

Zhou San was a little discouraged. After a long while, she said to me, "Forget it, what's done is done. There's no use saying anything more. You've suffered enough... But I still feel sorry for my fourth brother. Before she decided to leave, the last person she thought of was you... I wonder where she is now, and whether she can bear this pain?... Sigh! Three years of dedication, and this is the result!"

I was heartbroken, but I forced a smile and said, "She'll be fine. Maybe she's already soaking in a hot spring and drinking the finest wine somewhere."

"Just because she's rich, you think you can hurt her at will?"

"...That's not my logic... Can you stop being so clueless? You'll be looking for a girlfriend someday too!"

Zhou San glanced at me sideways, then retorted, "If you're not straight, then you should handle your own feelings properly..."

"Didn't I handle it well enough?... Just now, my ex-girlfriend texted me, saying she wants to marry me; I said, okay, I'd love to, but let me tell you, I'm a patient, and I might have to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. She immediately changed her mind, saying we need to be rational about this, and for the sake of the next generation, she can't marry me... San San, tell me, why do I readily tell my ex-girlfriend that I'm sick, but with Yang Sisi, I go to great lengths to hide it?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhou San replied, "Because you know your ex-girlfriend and you also know my fourth brother. They are two completely different types of women."

"At least you're not hopelessly straight, that's right... I dated my ex-girlfriend for three years; and your fourth brother for about three years on and off, so I know them too well. If I were selfish and got together with your fourth brother, she'd have to serve me in my next life, cleaning up my messes and taking care of my kids. Then you'd feel like I owed her something. Actually, there's no perfect ending to this, so this is for the best..."

"Maybe... but don't you regret it at all?"

I chewed the toothpick in my mouth, sighed again, and then replied, "Regret, of course I regret it... I shouldn't have said such harsh words. I should have asked her to wait for me... Maybe there's still hope for my leg. Even if it can't fully heal, being able to take care of myself would be fine!"

"Yes!... She's waited for you for so long, one more time won't make a difference... What I fear most is that she'll start a new relationship abroad, then you'll truly be heartbroken!"

I remain silent... because such a possibility is highly probable, and once it happens, it will be goodbye forever.

...

In my silence, Zhou San asked me again, "Brother, my fourth brother has passed away. Will you start a new relationship?"

I thought about it for a moment and replied, "I won't force it... If I find the right person, I'll get married... I'm getting too old."

"If your leg continues to be bad, even if you don't become a burden to my fourth brother, won't you still become a burden to other women?"

Zhou San seemed dull, but his questions hit the nail on the head. After a long silence, I replied, "If my leg is really like this, then I'll find a disabled woman to spend my life with... As long as it's fair!"

"I really don't understand your sense of fairness!"

"You'll understand... Stop talking about me, let's talk about yourself... What are your plans for the future?"

Without a second thought, Zhou San replied, "Wherever you go, I'll go... I'll follow you..."

“I’m going to Thailand to speculate on real estate; there’s really no room for you to get involved in this.”

After a brief pause, I continued, "I think you've developed your interpersonal skills while delivering food... Why don't you go to cities like Shanghai or Beijing and find a proper job? If you stay with me, you'll really be wasting your potential!"

"If you go and speculate on real estate, I'll follow suit... If you speculate on real estate well, you can make more money than being a software engineer!"

Why would you do this?

"I tolerated your fear of dragging down my fourth brother... But are you not afraid of dragging me down too?... I'm a grown man, and there's no contract between us. If there's really no future, I'll leave on my own without you having to tell me."

I looked at Zhou San, and his face seemed to say that he had made up his mind. Thinking about how Yang Sisi asked him to take care of me, I understood... He had a special feeling for Yang Sisi, and Yang Sisi was indeed his savior. He was simple-minded by nature, so once he made such a promise, he did not want to break it easily.

Honestly, I envy people like Zhou San. His pain and happiness come easily, and his promises come easily too. He doesn't have many reservations. If he promises something, he tries his best to fulfill it; if he really can't, he leaves... He is more carefree than me and easier to get along with.

I let out a sigh of relief and finally asked Zhou San, "If you've really made up your mind... then come to Thailand with me."

Wednesday nodded, and then we both fell silent again… To chat about "My Tenant Sister" with more like-minded people, follow "Hot Articles" or "rd444" on WeChat to discuss your favorite books with more fellow book lovers.