Chapter 246 How much love can be repeated?

I stopped at the entrance of Chenjia Town, bought a pair of sunglasses, tried on the size, and found that they fit Lao Xiao well.

After getting in the car, I handed the sunglasses to Lao Xiao: "Put them on."

"Put it on?" Lao Xiao was puzzled.

"Yes, we will go find Cuihua later."

Lao Xiao waved his hands repeatedly, looking embarrassed: "No, no, I won't go. I'll be embarrassed if I see you."

"Don't worry, I have my own arrangements. I'll drive to the hospital and park the car.

This town isn't like upstate, where you can park your car anywhere.

We sat in the car and rested, waiting for Cuihua to show up. No one would recognize you if you were wearing sunglasses.

Lao Xiao was a little shy, but I didn't care. I started the car and drove away. He really put on sunglasses. It seemed that he still wanted to see Cuihua.

The town is not big, with just one straight street. After driving for a mile, I saw the town hospital.

Lao Xiao said, "The address hasn't changed, the hospital has been rebuilt and it looks very grand." I drove a little further and stopped by the roadside.

Lao Xiao pushed up his sunglasses, looked carefully against the car window, put on his sunglasses again, rolled down the window, and stuck his head out to look around.

"Things have changed. Even the house is gone." Lao Xiao's tone was full of regret.

Both of them were silent.

I suddenly had an idea. I saw a "building materials market" on the right and drove the car into the market. Lao Xiao asked, "Why are you driving there?"

I found an empty parking lot and parked. I smiled and said, "As long as Cuihua is still in town, I'll help you find her. You get in the car and I'll ask someone older."

After saying that, I got off the car, walked back out of the market, and when I reached the opposite side of the hospital, I saw a small shop. An old man was sitting on a bamboo chair at the door of the shop, and a young girl was standing in the shop.

I said to the girl, "Two packs of the best cigarettes."

The girl was very enthusiastic. I took the cigarette and said, "I want to ask you about someone. There used to be a girl named Cuihua who lived next door to the hospital. Do you know her?"

The girl called out to the old man, "Grandpa, he wants to ask you about someone."

The old man was looking at the almanac and looked up at me. I bent down and asked, "Old man, your neighbor across the street named Cuihua, where is she living now?"

The old man looked at me again and said, "Are you talking about Cui Meizi, the fruit seller?"

"Yes, yes, that's her."

"She's there. Walk two miles straight from here. There's a roundabout at the end of the street. There's a sign at the door selling handicrafts."

I wanted to know more about Cuihua, so I asked, "Where did the hospital expand and move to?"

"No, she moved there a long time ago and married Carpenter Zhang."

"Carpenter Zhang?"

"Yes. What are you asking about her for?"

I was startled. I hadn't anticipated this step beforehand, but luckily I was quick-witted. I quickly gave him a cigarette and said with a smile:

"We're related. I heard from my elders that she's very beautiful."

Seeing that I was always hunched over, the girl brought out a stool and said with a smile, "Sit down."

The old man said: "It turns out to be beautiful, but people can't stand the tossing and turning."

"What happened at her house?"

"Well, she was married to a man who ran a fruit shop across the street. Then he died. A year later, she somehow met a guy from out of town.

I don't know the details, but the stranger treated her very well. He often came to her place, and once stayed for half a month.

I can't remember whether it was six months or a year, but the stranger left. Cuihua said he was going on a big business. Once he left, for some reason, he never came back.

Cuihua is a good person, a love-struck woman, she has been waiting for that stranger for five years. The old man stretched out his hand and grabbed it, five years.

I don’t know if the man was heartless or dead, but he never came again. Her family and our neighbors all advised her not to wait any longer.

It just so happened that Zhang, a carpenter at the end of the street, had lost his wife and had some money, so matchmakers came knocking on Cuihua's door, but Cuihua refused.

It wasn't until Cuihua's mother fell seriously ill and was admitted to the hospital that Carpenter Zhang, with all his money and effort, took care of Cuihua's mother for a year and took care of her funeral. Only then did Cuihua marry him.

On the day she got married, she cried her heart out. Everyone knew she was still thinking about that stranger. Only in recent years has she gotten better and started living a serious life.

As I listened, tears welled up in my eyes. I wiped my eyes and said, "Thank you so much." I gave him the pack of high-end cigarettes.

The old man said, "No, no. You smoke it yourself."

I stood up and said with a smile, "I just smoked for fun, so I bought two packs."

Back in the car, Lao Xiao asked, "Why did you take so long?"

"It's hard to wait, isn't it?"

"It takes a long time to wait."

"Cuihua waited for you for five years, that's considered long."

"Ah," Lao Xiao said hurriedly, pulling my sleeve. "Hurry up and tell me, hurry up and tell me."

I repeated the old man's story. Lao Xiao bit his lower lip and remained silent. After a long moment, he sighed, "Cuihua, I'm so sorry."

A grown man just sat in the car and started sobbing.

I opened the car door and got out, knowing that it would take more than a few minutes to release these emotions.

I went over to where the lumber was, sat on a log, and smoked three cigarettes in a row.

When we got back in the car, I said, "Lao Xiao, you had no choice at the time. Don't think too much about it. Let's go to her shop and take a look.

I'll go downstairs pretending to buy something and lead her to the door. You sit in the car and look at her a few more times."

Lao Xiao wiped his eyes with the napkin again, put on his black glasses, and said nothing.

I started the car and said as I drove, "Five glances in total."

Still immersed in sadness, he asked, "Why?"

"One look represents one year, for a total of five years."

"You still have the mind to make fun of me."

The car drove to the roundabout at the end of the street. I saw the big words "Cuicui Woodcarving Arts" from a distance and stopped at a location with a suitable observation angle.

After getting off the car, I saw two women in the store. The younger one was definitely not Cuihua, so what about the other one?

From Lao Xiao's description, I knew immediately that she was Cuihua. As I got closer, I saw that the once beautiful woman had aged. However, even in her old age, I could still tell she was incredibly beautiful back then.

As soon as I entered the store, she smiled and nodded at me. I looked around and saw that the store had all kinds of wood carvings, root carvings, some glass crafts, and children's toys.

A ship sculpture of "Zheng He's Voyages to the West" was placed at the entrance of the store. I decided to lead her to this position so that Lao Xiao could see her front.

I stood there, admiring it for a long time. She came over and I said, "The crafts nowadays are really beautiful."

She smiled and said, "Sir, this is not a work of art. My husband carved it himself."

"Ah, hand-carved?"

She nodded seriously.

I suddenly remembered that the old man said her husband's name was Zhang the Carpenter, so I exclaimed, "Without decades of hard work, it would be impossible to carve it out."

Cuihua said: "He used to be a carpenter, but later on, no one wanted him anymore. Now people buy furniture in stores, so he is essentially unemployed.

Five years ago, Mr. Li from the county cultural center saw one of his works and advised him to focus on carving. He also brought in a boss to buy his works. As a result, he worked so hard that he couldn't handle it all by himself.

I casually said, "Since the business is so good, you can also learn from it."

"Yes, I can carve too." She pointed to a lotus carving and showed it to me.

I walked over, picked it up and took a look: the base was a large lotus leaf, and in the middle stood a girl who had just come out of the bath.

The girl stands gracefully, gazing into the distance, with a smile on her face, and there is an indescribable hazy beauty about her.

"I like this one. How much is it?"

She looked me over and said, "You seem to really like it. I originally wanted 3,000 yuan, but I'll offer 2,600 yuan. Is that okay?"

The young woman said, "Don't worry about buying it. Aunt Cuihua never does shady business and won't bully you because you are from another place."

Cuihua was afraid that I wouldn't buy it, so she said, "I've also won awards at the provincial level. These things are mainly judged by their artistic value. Village people won't buy them.

We put it here mainly for exhibition, and the real buyers are big customers.”

I smiled and said, "I know, but I have a request. You have to carve your name on it and take a photo with me."

She said happily, "Okay," and ran upstairs.

After a while, she came down holding a wooden sculpture. I looked and saw that one side was carved with "Cuihua Gift".

I laughed and said, "You've really gotten into it. If you put it in my house, I'll be very proud."

She smiled and said, "This is what guests of high status always ask for. You pay anyway. I can tell you're a person of high status."

"Come, come, stand at the door of the store and take a photo. Master Cuihua gave me this work as a gift, and I have photos as proof. How honored!"

The young woman in the store took the phone and said, "Smile."

Cuihua packed it up, carried it in her arms, and walked towards the car. My heart was about to jump out of my chest. Fortunately, no one could see inside.

I put it in the trunk and went back to pay. I glanced at the wall, paid, and said:

"Boss Cuihua, you carved three words for me, and I won't give you a penny less."

After hearing this, not only Cuihua, but also the young woman sitting in the store was stunned.

They all stared at me in surprise. I strode quickly to the car, started it, and drove away. I guess she was still checking her phone; by the time she realized what was happening, I was already far away.

While driving, I told Lao Xiao everything that had just happened.

After hearing this, Lao Xiao sighed, "As long as she's doing well, I'm relieved. How much is that lotus sculpture?"

"Three thousand."

Lao Xiao transferred the money on his phone and said, "You are smart. You expressed my gratitude on my behalf."

"From now on, when your wife is not around, kiss the word 'Cuihua' more often."

I thought Lao Xiao would stare at me, but when I turned around, I saw him taking off his sunglasses and quietly wiping his tears.

All the way in silence.

I turned on the radio, and an old song happened to play:

…

How much love can be repeated?

How many people are willing to wait?

When you know how to cherish, the future will come.

But I don’t know if that love is still there?

How much love can be repeated?

How many people are worth waiting for.

When love has gone through many changes,

Do you still have the courage to love?

…