The mysterious disappearance of the silver hairpin was like a boulder thrown into the calm lake of Li Baolong's heart, disturbing his sleepless nights. These past few days, he's been like a lost soul, listless and unable to muster the energy to do anything. Even when Zhang Fang invited him out, he lacked his usual enthusiasm, merely agreeing numbly.
That day, Li Baolong wandered alone along the Tuojiang River. The biting wind cut like a knife across his strong body, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart. His mind was filled with uncertainty about the future: what path should he take? Which university in Sichuan Province would he be able to get into next year's college entrance examination? Li Baolong desperately wanted to stay in Sichuan to study, as it would save him a lot of money. After all, he was already eighteen years old, and his parents' martyr's compensation was only enough to support his university education. And even that money had to be spent carefully; he had no other source of income, so he had to learn to be frugal and plan his future carefully.
As his thoughts wandered, Li Baolong suddenly thought of Zhou Jie. How was that voluptuous and beautiful woman doing now? He searched around and finally found a phone booth on the street. He then dialed Zhou Jie's pager: 126, and left a message: "Brother Li Baolong misses you. Call back quickly." A few minutes later, the phone rang, and Zhou Jie's familiar voice came through the receiver: "Brother Baolong, it's been so long! What have you been up to?" Li Baolong replied, "Sister Zhou Jie, I'm on vacation. I only just had time to come out and have some fun, so I quickly paged you." Zhou Jie said warmly, "Brother, come to my house! I'll cook you something delicious tonight. Just take a taxi; you'll be there in no time. My house is at Jianzhou Bridge, Fuhua Apartment Building, Unit 6, Room 601."
Li Baolong hung up the phone and hailed a taxi, heading towards Zhou Jie's home. Arriving at the apartment building, this was the first time he'd entered a building with an elevator. He awkwardly fumbled to open the elevator door and went down to the sixth floor. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Zhou Jie standing at the door, eagerly waiting. Zhou Jie wore a lace dress, revealing large expanses of her fair skin, like a blooming flower. She reached out her delicate hands and gently grasped Li Baolong's arm, playfully scolding, "You little rascal, you never even come to see your sister! I'm so bored at home." Li Baolong smiled shyly and followed Zhou Jie into the house. After changing into slippers, he sat down on the sofa. Zhou Jie came over and asked, "Little brother, do you smoke?" Li Baolong quickly waved his hand, "I don't smoke, and I don't drink or gamble." Zhou Jie laughed, "What a good boy! Whoever marries you will be so lucky." Then, the two chatted for a long time about everyday things. From their conversation, Li Baolong learned that Zhou Jie's so-called husband, Boss Niu, had gone abroad for an inspection and wouldn't be back for half a month; he had already been gone for several days. During this time, Zhou Jie was like a canary trapped in a cage, spending her boring time alone at home.
Zhou Jie slowly stood up, looked tenderly at her younger brother Li Baolong, and said softly, "Little brother, sit here for a while and watch TV. I'll go prepare dinner for you right away. We're going to have a good meal tonight; I have plenty of meat here." Li Baolong quickly stood up to thank her.
An hour passed quietly, and Zhou Jie's voice came again: "Baolong, come and eat. We've been apart for so long, let's have a drink together." After saying that, she took out a bottle of red wine, "Have a little with your sister. This red wine tastes very good, and it won't make you feel drunk."
So the two sat facing each other and began to eat and chat. As they reminisced about the past, scenes of joy and sorrow played out before their eyes like a slideshow. Zhou Jie was overcome with emotion and tears welled up in her eyes. Before they knew it, a bottle of red wine was empty, and both of them were slightly tipsy. Through their drunken eyes, it seemed as if time had turned back, and the traces of the years intertwined to create a poignant picture.
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