Chapter 242 Lao Xiao tells the story of the "widow"

Lao Xiao said this and drove to a busy shop. The two of them got out, and a small car with a license plate ending in three "8s" came running and stopped next to our car.

After sitting down, I ordered two stir-fries, a vegetable dish, and a bowl of mushroom soup.

Lao Xiao said, "A bus with the number 8 on it is really impressive. Let me ask you something. Last time at the dinner table, I heard someone say that there is no No. 8 public bus in Taiwan. He didn't say why, and I didn't ask. Is this true?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

"Because there was a bald man who retreated to Taiwan, he heard people waiting for the bus shouting, 'The No. 8 bus is coming, the No. 8 bus is coming,' and they all rushed to get on the No. 8 bus.

He was horrified by what he heard and ordered the 8th bus to be banned. So Taiwan only has the following routes: 1234567…7A910.

"Really?"

I joked seriously, "It's not steamed, it's boiled."

Lao Xiao laughed and said, "Ha~ So that's how it is. You really know everything."

After eating and drinking, we got in the car and switched seats. I drove while he concentrated on telling stories.

"Didn't I tell you before? I divorced my wife because she did something shameful. The first thing I did after divorcing her was to rush to Yousheng's house."

"It's completely understandable. Seeking help from friends to heal your wounds is a huge blow."

"Yes, I changed buses several times and finally got on the bus to Mr. Chen's house. It's not easy to get to his house. You have to take a bus to Chenjia Town first, and then walk ten miles along the mountain road.

That time, it was already 4 p.m., and I planned to find a hotel in town to stay overnight before going to Mr. Chen's house the next day. So, I bought a ticket for the 4:30 p.m. bus.

When I checked my seat arrangement on the bus, I found that I was sitting in the same row with a beautiful young woman.

"How beautiful is it? Describe it."

"She has delicate, smooth skin and a very healthy complexion. She has a pair of narrow eyes and always looks like she is smiling."

I analyzed it for him: "This type of eyes has very full lower eyelids and bags under the eyes, which looks best when glancing at people."

Lao Xiao laughed heartily: "After all, he knows physiognomy. He immediately grasped the person's characteristics. However, after we got in the car, we didn't say a word."

I said, "There's some mineral water in the car. Drink some first. Reminiscing about your old lover can make your mouth dry."

Lao Xiao glanced at me and continued, "It was summer then, and she was wearing a plaid top that was a bit tight on her body, which was considered a very fashionable outfit at the time.

I beckoned towards the window, and she retracted her feet, letting me in, and I sat in the seat by the window.

Sitting with a beautiful stranger is a torment. If you approach her, she might think you're a bad person. If you don't, you'll waste your chance.

I laughed out loud: "That's the truth."

"However, I still didn't talk to her. Because the road was being repaired, the surface was uneven, and the car was shaking. She actually fell asleep, and her head slowly leaned on my shoulder.

Whether she did it intentionally or not, I still enjoyed it.

At that moment, I suddenly realized something was wrong. There were two men standing in the aisle, one shielding her while the other, wearing a piece of clothing, was about to go after the bag she was holding.

I said to the two men, "Bowls of rice and baskets of Xijiang flowers."

Unexpectedly, the two men were just amateur pickpockets who had never entered the martial arts world. They didn't understand my code at all. They were just startled and stopped immediately.

I patted the young woman on the shoulder and she woke up, looking at me in surprise.

I said, "Let me change seats with you, I'm about to get off the bus." She heard my fierce tone and didn't dare to disobey, so she changed seats reluctantly.

Since these two pickpockets don't understand the jargon, I have to use the common pickpocketing method to tell them that I am in this line of work."

"The universal way?" I asked.

"Yes, even if you're new to pickpocketing, you should know some basic knowledge. In front of them, I opened my wallet, stretched out two fingers, took out a ten-dollar bill, and said, 'Brother, go buy a pack of cigarettes.'

They understood, thinking the young woman was someone related to me, and immediately walked towards the front of the car, shouting that they wanted to get off. After the pickpocket got off the car, I told the young woman what was going on.

When she looked, she saw a long tear in her bag. She was horrified and pale. She thanked me repeatedly. Then we started talking.

I learned her name was Cuihua, and that she was visiting relatives in the city. It just so happened that she and I both got off at Chenjia Town.

As we talked, we became more familiar with each other. I told her I was visiting relatives and planned to stay in town for the night. She was very helpful and told me which hotel was best. She also told me she had a fruit shop next to the town hospital.

I had an idea and said I wanted to buy some fruit. This way, I could not only get to know her, but also find out where she lived.

She invited me in to sit down, but I was afraid of misunderstanding, so I counted the money and left. She refused to take it, so I had to pick up the fruit and leave.

After a few visits, I learned that she was a widow, so for half a year, I basically used her place as my base.

I didn't dare tell her what I did for a living, so I just lied and said I was in the clothing business. She didn't even suspect anything.

I gave her some money, which was considered quite generous at the time, and she didn't question where the money came from. In short, in her eyes, I was an angel.

Once, I broke my leg while doing homework and stayed at her house for half a month. She washed my feet and applied medicine to them. She was really nice.

Until the end of that year, a murder occurred in the town and outsiders were being hunted everywhere. I lied that I had a big business deal and had to meet the delivery party immediately, so I left overnight.

She said, you must come back early.

On that pitch-black night, I ran like crazy. Soon after, a nationwide crackdown began, and I was in hiding. Because I lost my job, I completely lost contact with her.

"So how is she now? Is she married?"

"Many years later, I heard that she had started a family, so I never dared to go to Chenjia Town again.

"It's a very sad story. Chenjia Town is ten kilometers ahead. We'll go look for it later."

Lao Xiao shook his head and said, "I won't go. I'll leave a beautiful memory in her heart. In her heart, I am a brave man who stood up for justice and was smart enough to start a clothing business."

"You've left and never come back. Maybe she thinks you're an ungrateful person."

"Maybe not. Kind people always have kind thoughts. She would think that something might have happened to me and I left this world."

I sighed and said, "You're right. Some people always think of others with the kindest hearts. Such a good woman is hard to come by."

I saw tears in his eyes and comforted him:

“Life is a long journey. Along the way, there will always be encounters and partings, warmth and regrets. It is enough to have experienced them once.”

At this time, Xiao Ruan called and asked where we were. I told him the location, and Xiao Ruan said, "Drive slowly. I'll catch up with you in ten minutes."

After a while, Xiao Ruan caught up with me and honked his horn. I followed him.

Old Xiao suddenly remembered something and asked, "That girl from Jiangxi said she'd ask for Master Dong's number. Did she get it?"

"No, we only met once, so she wouldn't really do anything for you. I asked her a few times on WeChat later, but she was hesitant, so I didn't ask anymore. Compared to Cuihua you mentioned, she's just a shrewd woman."

Lao Xiao said: "That makes sense."

Xiao Ruan drove fast and soon passed Chenjia Town. He walked three or four miles along the river.

Lao Xiao sighed, "Back then, there was only a mountain road along the river, but now there's a big road. What a difference it's made."

After walking another five or four miles, we arrived at Mr. Chen's house. There was a semi-detached villa built in an open area. Lao Xiao introduced that this was built with the money paid for by Mr. Chen. The east end was Mr. Chen's house, and the west end was Mr. Chen's brother's house.

The Chen family's elder brother had been living in the village, essentially acting as a caretaker for Mr. Chen's house. This large townhouse was actually only occupied by Mr. Chen's elder brother and his wife.

Some of Mr. Chen’s nephews and nieces have gone abroad to study, while others work in Mr. Chen’s company.

When we got out of the car, Mr. Chen's brother and sister-in-law were standing in the square to greet us. They knew Lao Xiao very well. Lao Xiao introduced me to them, and we all shook hands warmly.

Mr. Chen said, "Sit inside."

I was standing on the ground floor, looking around as usual. This house really has good feng shui.