Mr. Qiu discusses his confusion and resolves his worries with bread.
Mr. Qiu thought about it for a moment before speaking. "If you really want to talk about it, I don't think it's that special. Simply put, it creates a place that is full of time and yet timeless. But the details are full of highlights. For example, this place card is not only a place card, but also a decibel meter, and it also expresses an attitude! One side of the card is a smiley face, indicating that you are willing to have others come over to chat; the other side is a embarrassed face, indicating that you want to be alone. There are many similar details, I can't mention them all at once."
"If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have noticed it," Qian Jianjun picked up the table cards, turned them over and over, and observed them again. He then said to Mr. Qiu, "It's fun to feel these details, just like digging for treasure."
"Yes, but the treasures are far more than that!" Mr. Qiu continued his introduction. "The most difficult thing in life is making choices. If I didn't come here every night, I would have endless phone calls and endless social engagements. I wouldn't have any time to think, let alone spend time with my wife."
Qian Jianjun took up the topic with deep feeling: "You're absolutely right. I suffer from it too! Every day, I have to deal with the inevitable socializing and the complicated social etiquette. I really feel overwhelmed! But I'm not as experienced as you, who can 'jump out of the three realms and not be bound by the five elements.'"
Mr. Qiu disagreed: "What's the point of having experience? What's lacking is determination. At first, you might lose some so-called opportunities, but over time, everyone gets used to it. Now, my wife and I come here every day to clear our minds and summarize the day's gains and losses. Is that what they call the Three Self-Reflections?"
Qian Jianjun quickly added: "I examine myself three times a day."
Elder Qiu smiled and said with emotion, "Yes, that's right. I reflect on myself three times a day, and it's really beneficial!" He then looked affectionately at his wife and continued, "Of course, more often than not, I'm here reminiscing with my wife, reliving the warmth of the past and talking about the sweet words we exchanged back then—this is the treasure I should truly protect, hahahaha..."
Mei Rugu turned on her phone the moment the plane landed. A series of notifications rang out, and a flood of messages, delayed for two hours, poured in. Mei Rugu quickly scanned through them, but when she finally returned to the page she'd been on before turning off her phone, everything was still the same...
The wife, who was originally enjoying the view outside the window, had her cheeks flushed by the sudden warmth. She turned around and complained to Mr. Qiu: "How come you are becoming more shameless as you get older? You talk nonsense and are disrespectful to your elders."
Seeing his wife as shy as she was back then, Elder Qiu was even more amused. "Hahahaha, Jian Jun'er is not an outsider. Besides, who says romance is only for the young? If we weren't romantic back then, where would the young people of today be? In the end, we're not even allowed to reminisce about it, right, Jian Jun'er?"
Qian Jianjun, who was called upon to take charge, immediately responded, "That's right. It's a pleasure to review the past and learn new things."
His words made Mr. Qiu ponder over them again and again. "Reviewing the old can help us understand the new. Reviewing the old can help us understand the new. Hahaha, very interesting. Jianjun'er speaks with great skill!"
"Haha, isn't this your good teaching?"
"You two should stop flattering each other." Mrs. Qiu smiled and brought the conversation back to where it started. "This place is truly a great place to reminisce. Sometimes when I think back to my childhood, even the smells of those times come rushing back. It's really like Xiaoyue said, 'You can touch the marks of time and stir up the ripples of time.'"
"Madam, who is this Xiaoyue?"
"Oh, I forgot you just came yesterday. Xiaoyue, the female owner of this shop!" Mrs. Qiu looked at Mr. Qiu after she finished speaking. Mr. Qiu went on to introduce her, "Xiaoyue, she's a very outstanding girl. Just talking about her looks, she's, how do I put it, um, stunning. Didn't you see her yesterday?"
Qian Jianjun quickly searched his memory. It seemed as if he had caught a fleeting glimpse of yesterday's quagmire, but it was immediately drowned out by a chaotic stream of thoughts, leaving a hazy impression. Qian Jianjun wanted to nod but quickly shook his head. He amused himself, "I think I saw it, but I didn't pay much attention yesterday."
Mei Rugu had already picked up her suitcase and was about to leave when her phone, still steady in her hand, finally rang again. Mei Rugu quickly stopped to answer it. It was her colleague, Xiao Jian, who had arrived earlier, telling her she was waiting at the exit.
After hanging up the phone, she glanced at the WeChat ID she'd been using. The other person's profile picture remained as solid as a rock. Mei Rugu took a deep breath, bit her lip, and made her way to the exit, dialing the number. But the notification tone, "Sorry, the user you're dialing is temporarily unavailable..." stopped her in her tracks.
She looked up at the rooftop, her eye twitching slightly. She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath through her nose. After a few breaths, she put on a charming smile and greeted her colleagues who were waiting for her not far away.
Mr. Qiu continued, still immersed in his memories: "At first, I thought this girl was kind and was thinking of introducing her to someone, but as I got to know her more and more, I realized that there really wasn't a suitable boy around me who could match her!"
"You have so many elites from all walks of life around you, and you still feel that you are not worthy of her? How partial are you to her?" Qian Jianjun couldn't believe that Mr. Qiu praised this "Xiao Yue" and could only think that it was Mr. Qiu's subjective factors that were at work.
Mrs. Qiu, who had just been relaxing on the sofa, sat up straight upon hearing this and spoke out in support, "It's really not partiality. Xiaoyue is truly exceptional. Take this cafe, for example. For a girl to build it up on her own, not only does she have to be creative, but she also needs all kinds of abilities, not to mention..."
Before Mrs. Qiu could finish, Mr. Qiu interrupted, "What's more, you could rely on your looks, but you chose to rely on your talent! Haha..."
Qian Jianjun was full of doubts about what kind of girl could receive such high praise for "The Return of the Condor Heroes".
"Hello, Jun-ge!" Qiu Nian's voice came from behind him. Turning around, he saw Qiu Nian holding a tray with a few dishes on it—probably lunch for the old couple Qiu—standing behind him. Qian Jianjun, understanding the reason, said jokingly, "Hello, little Nian! You did it all yourself!"
Qiu Nian smiled shyly, "Hey, it's better to cook for yourself!" Without saying anything more, he began to skillfully arrange the dishes on the table. Qian Jianjun also excused himself and returned to his seat, not disturbing the Qiu couple's lunch time.
Qiu Nian did not dine with the old couple, but returned to the bar. Seeing Lin Yiyi still looking down at the magazine, he sat quietly about a meter away, his left hand resting on the bar, his face supported, completely absorbed in the beauty that caught his eye on the right.
Perhaps feeling something, Lin Yiyi tilted her head and glanced over. Her adorable face brought an irrepressible smile to Qiu Nian's face, leaving her speechless. "Is it beautiful?" The ethereal sound of her voice completely disrupted Qiu Nian's already congested brain circuits, and he simply nodded blankly.
"Wipe your saliva!" Lin Yiyi threw out these four words and closed the window that God had just opened, leaving Qiu Nian alone and messy. No, maybe there was also a bunch of crows flying by, "Ah! Ah!..."
It's been ages since I've decided to dine out simply because of time. Before the slight pang of hunger could become a full-blown discomfort, the salad I ordered was placed before Qian Jianjun. The single portion wasn't large, but just the right amount of refreshing to whet the palate. Then came a medium-rare steak. Even with his extensive experience of Manchu-Han banquets and dine-in restaurants, Qian Jianjun still found the steak well worth the reasonable price. But what Qian Jianjun was most looking forward to was the final entree of bread—"Confession"!
I remember the menu had this special introduction: Perhaps there are sorrows you don't want others to worry about, perhaps joys you don't want to share; perhaps there are worries you can't bring yourself to share, perhaps secrets you can't confess! Fortunately, I'm not a "human," so you can confide in me without worry, even rub it in, then tear it apart and eat it bit by bit; or take it out to feed the pigeons, letting your worries dissipate into the vast blue sky...
The long-awaited "confidence" was a round smiley face made of bread, about 20 cm in diameter. Not wanting to whisper to a loaf of bread like a little girl, Qian Jianjun put on disposable gloves and tried to explore it with his hands.
First, I gently squeezed it with both hands, and the "smiley face" wrinkled. Then I released it, and the smile reappeared intact. I tried it several times and it still happened.
"It must be incredibly elastic..." Qian Jianjun pondered. Like a child with a new toy, he gradually began to unleash his fierce energy on "Confession." With continued pressure and kneading, the "smile" finally failed to recover, but a secretly smug smile was planted in his heart.
It was then that Qian Jianjun realized that along with the "confession" came a row of six small jars. The lids were inscribed with the words "Open," "Open," "Just," "Yes," "Sweet," and "Honey." Inside, filled with "chocolate sauce, honey, strawberry jam..." Qian Jianjun suddenly realized what was going on. He plucked off a piece of the "confession," which had already fulfilled its mission, and dipped it in a little condensed milk. The sweetness was refreshing...
After the meal, the sweet girl tidied up the slightly messy table, leaving a piece of paper and a pen neatly placed on a corner. It turned out to be a questionnaire about the cafe. Filling it out would earn you an additional 30% off your entire bill on top of their "quiet discount."
"For a coffee shop, the cost of obtaining information is quite reasonable." Qian Jianjun made a fair assessment and completed his answer.
The quiet time even made him feel like appreciating his own handwriting. But he wasn't completely distracted, as he still harbored two curiosities, waiting for answers.
Soon, the first target of curiosity appeared. Xue Jiuyue, her radiant beauty accentuated by her dark green dress, suddenly appeared. Her mere silhouette instantly matched the stunning glimpse from yesterday. There are many beauties, and preferences vary, but the one described by Mr. Qiu as "captivating to the point of captivating a city or a nation," Qian Jianjun concluded that this was the "Xiaoyue" that the Qius were talking about.
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