This series of good news made Wang Yanshu very happy. She couldn't wait to buy a ticket to fly back to the provincial capital that night.
I advised, "It's so tiring to take a red-eye flight."
But she said firmly: "The situation is pressing. We have made some progress here. I have a sense of urgency. We must hurry back and implement it."
I followed up by asking, "So are we still going to build the information center?"
She answered without hesitation: "It must be built!"
I nodded and said, "Since the leadership has made up its mind, I, as a staff officer, must implement it. Our budget is limited, so we must think of a way to save money. I know a great man in Hangzhou, and he must be able to help us lower the cost. If we don't leave tonight, why don't we go to the city to talk to him?"
Wang Yanshu became interested when he heard this and said quickly, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Let's check out of the room now and go meet the master you mentioned."
On the way back to the city, I gave Qian Aning my phone number and agreed on a meeting point.
For the sake of convenience, I, Wang Yanshu, chose to stay in the hotel where Qingwan and I stayed last time, which is relatively close to Qian Aning's residence.
Stepping into this old place again, only a few months later, everything has changed, Qingwan has left me. I can't help but feel an indescribable feeling of regret and sigh.
Qian Aning arrived as promised. He is the kind of person who is indifferent to things that do not interest him, but is full of enthusiasm and energy for the career he loves.
When we mentioned the idea of building an information center, he immediately became excited and started talking nonstop, from basic theory to network architecture, from function realization to software and hardware configuration, to financial budget and technical staffing, he spoke clearly and logically.
Wang Yanshu took the opportunity to ask him if he was interested in coming to our place to help build the information center, and considered specially approving him to join the staff and become a member of the system.
In my opinion, this is undoubtedly a golden opportunity for him. However, he just responded lightly: "I am a free and easy person and I am not used to a fixed job. Money is not a problem. As long as I can help you, it can be regarded as a sense of accomplishment for me."
This is the unique way of thinking of technology geeks. Only those who are immersed in the world of technology can truly produce eye-catching results.
After discussing the follow-up matters with Qian Aning, he promised to come to us as soon as possible after finishing the matters at hand.
Wang Yanshu immediately took out 2,000 yuan and gave it to Qian Aning as advance payment for the trip.
Qian Aning wanted to refuse, but Wang Yanshu insisted: "This is your travel expenses first, you can ask me to reimburse you later."
Qian Aning gladly accepted it, then said goodbye and left.
I looked up at the time and found that it was already late at night. The clock hand quietly pointed to midnight. I joked, "We really had a candlelit conversation tonight. It was so exciting that I can't sleep now. Sister, why don't we stay in the same room? Otherwise, it will be lonely when I go back to my room alone."
After hearing this, Wang Yanshu's cheeks flushed slightly, and he said angrily, "Go away, go away, you want to take advantage of everyone. Although I don't have the strength to pinch your ears like Lin Xun did, I still have the strength to push you out."
After saying that, she pretended to be angry and pushed me out the door.
Back in the room, I lay on the bed, tossing and turning. Sleepiness seemed to have hidden deep in the night, refusing to show up.
Bored to death, I picked up my phone, hoping to use it to kill time.
At this moment, a text message came quietly, and the screen lit up, showing the sender's name - Yang Ruining. I was slightly moved, curious about what made her contact me so late.
I quickly opened the text message: "Are you asleep? Did I disturb you? I heard that you went to Hangzhou. Is your work going well? I'm on duty tonight and can't sleep, so I thought of sending you a message."
I replied almost immediately: "I was awake too. I didn't expect that although we are thousands of miles apart, we have both become awake at night and have lost our sleep."
She replied: "(Regret), actually I want to say sorry to you, because I was really too busy, I was not there to see Qingwan off when she passed away."
I quickly comforted her: "Don't say that. During the time when Qingwan was sick, you have given us so much help and support. A simple thank you seems too light."
She replied: "You are worth my effort."
These words caused a strange ripple in my heart.
Then she quickly added a message: "I missed a word. You guys are worth my efforts."
I couldn't help but wonder in my heart whether this was an unintentional mistake or she was trying to cover up her mistake.
I thought for a moment and replied, "I am still the same person, so there is nothing wrong with what you said."
She sent: "(smiley face) I really envy her for having a husband like you who loves her wholeheartedly."
I smiled and said, "Why not you? You have a husband as outstanding as Yu Zhiming. You two are a perfect match. I often envy him and even feel a little jealous of him. (Angry)"
She said: "(Sigh) Many things in this world are often only glamorous on the surface, and only those who are involved know the warmth and coldness of the situation."
From her words, I clearly felt a sense of helplessness and loss.
I thought about how to give her the right comfort, so I wrote: "(Come on) In life, nine out of ten things are not as you wish. After a long time, passion fades, and it is normal to be as dull as water. I am a gentle and graceful woman, and if it lasts for a long time, I may face the same situation."
She replied, "But our foundations are different. You and she got together because you loved each other, and you have a deep emotional foundation. But I and Yu Zhiming were brought together by his mother. At that time, my mother-in-law happened to be my doctoral supervisor, and I didn't have any opinions, so we got together naturally."
The hidden meaning in her words made me vaguely feel that there might be a lack of deep emotional bond between her and Yu Zhiming.
Just as I was about to send a message of comfort, her new message arrived: "A patient has arrived, I have to go first. When you come back from Hangzhou, remember to contact me when you pass by the provincial capital. I will treat you to coffee."
I replied briefly, "Okay!" and put the phone down, but the scene in the hospital when I lost control of my emotions and almost got violent with her came to my mind again. I secretly regretted it and wished that had never happened.
I picked up my phone again and carefully recalled our text conversation, chewing over every word and sentence, trying to decipher her mood and emotions behind it.
In the midst of these random thoughts, I finally couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell into a deep dream.
In my dream, I was walking hand in hand with Yang Ruining on the beach of Bijia Mountain in Gulangyu Island. In the distance, the sea met and flocks of seagulls flew freely. We looked at each other affectionately in the afterglow of the setting sun. Her eyes were filled with endless tenderness and love, as if to melt me.
However, dreams are always so unpredictable. I don't know when, I was arguing with Lin Xun again because of Xixi's mischief. As we were arguing, I saw Qingwan walking in front of me with red and swollen eyes. I reached out to hold her and called "Qingwan". But she looked at me with surprise and said, "Dad, I am Xixi."
Then, I saw Wang Yanshu patting my face and saying, "Get up quickly. What time is it?"
I felt the real slapping on my face and instantly came back to reality from my dream.
I opened my eyes and saw Wang Yanshu standing in front of me with a smile on her face. I asked, "What kind of nightmare did you have? You looked so anxious when you were sleeping?"
I asked in a daze: "Did you just slap my face?"
She nodded: "Yeah, you didn't wake up even when I called you, so I had to slap you in the face. What, did I scare you?"
Only then did I realize that I was in a hotel room and Wang Yanshu was here. A chill instantly surged into my heart, and I couldn't tell whether this was a dream or reality.
I asked nervously, "How did you get in?"
She said casually, "Your door was ajar. I was wondering which beauty did you leave the door open for?"