The comfortable environment brought me a comfortable mood, and even without anyone to get drunk with, I felt intoxicated. I seem to have gained more insights into this new life: I am much more relaxed than I was in Shanghai, and I'm not afraid that getting drunk will affect my work the next day; I no longer have to live in a small room on the 19th floor, feeling incredibly oppressed by the towering buildings outside the window.
Here, I saw a liberated version of myself. This made me even more eager to get the guesthouse up and running. I dream of raising an Alaskan Malamute someday, so we can welcome guests from all over. I also want to build a small balcony in the courtyard with a view of Erhai Lake. When I'm not busy, I'll sit there, drink tea, and enjoy the scenery. These are the only things I can do for Wang Lei.
In my hazy, drunken state, I inadvertently caught sight of Ye Zhi sitting opposite me. She sat very upright, which made her beautiful hair appear even more flowing in the wind, yet not a single breeze could stir her inner turmoil. So, throughout the entire night, she didn't talk about herself at all.
Finally, Yang Sisi, who was good at communicating, broke the silence and asked Ye Zhi, "It's still early. After dinner, would you like to find some entertainment to do?"
Ye Zhi replied, "Sure."
Do you have any special skills or expertise?
Sister Li, who was delivering our groceries, chimed in, "Ye Zhi's best skill is definitely playing mahjong. After dinner, you can share a table with me, but be prepared to lose money. She's really good at counting; she remembers everyone's moves and what cards they played!"
Yang Sisi and I both showed expressions of disbelief. I didn't know what Yang Sisi was thinking. I suddenly felt that she had become more three-dimensional, because there was an interesting side to her personality, although I still couldn't imagine what she, who was always so dignified, would be like when she played mahjong.
After dinner, Sister Li and Brother Cheng cleared the table, while we sat together and chatted for a bit. During our conversation, I learned that Ye Zhi came to Dali to make investments, and she would probably stay here for about six months before returning to Shanghai.
Thinking about it, this is what distinguishes her from us. She didn't see Dali as a necessary stop on her life's journey; she only wanted the most direct gains. It seems that wealthy people's pursuit of life isn't all the same. From this perspective, I prefer Yang Sisi's unrealistic pursuits. However, Ye Zhi lives a more authentic life, and she's more capable of awakening someone like me who has been asleep for so long.
Yes, if someone far more talented than me is working hard, then what reason do I have to continue to be depressed?
...
Cheng Ge prepared a mahjong table for us, and Sister Li joined our group. The rules were simple: push-down hand. Sure enough, Ye Zhi was really good at playing mahjong and kept winning at the beginning. Back when I was struggling in Shanghai, I was a mahjong king, and I quickly found my rhythm, winning several hands in a row. Yang Sisi and Sister Li kept lamenting that they shouldn't have played mahjong with me, a Sichuan native.
People from Sichuan are inherently more "obsessed" with mahjong, especially since I have an uncle who runs a mahjong parlor—it's a skill I've been honed since childhood! However, experience isn't invincible, and I didn't gain a clear advantage over Ye Zhi's exceptional memory. Of course, this shared hobby did bring us a little closer.
After playing two rounds of cards, my phone, which was on the table, suddenly rang. I glanced at it and saw it was Lao Huang calling again. I gestured to the three of us to wait a moment, then took the phone and went downstairs. Yang Sisi didn't suspect anything, but urged me to hurry up and not waste her time trying to win back her losses.
Once the call connected, he still sounded impatient, asking, "Michael, have you taken the matter I asked you to handle to heart?"
I replied resentfully, "You've even brought up my dad to intimidate me, how could I not take it to heart?"
"How so?"
“I haven’t done anything all day but keep an eye on you, my future daughter-in-law.” After a slight pause, I continued, “Mr. Huang, you’re pushing me so hard, I really wish I could install a GPS tracker on her and monitor her life 24/7, reporting to you everything she eats, who she’s been in contact with, what color clothes she wears, what time she goes to bed, and what time she goes to the bathroom. But don’t you think that’s really vulgar?”
Old Huang smiled awkwardly and replied, "I know this is difficult for you. I'm also worried that things might get complicated if I wait too long, so I discussed it with Sisi's parents and we're planning to go to Dali ahead of time to persuade her to go abroad. Are you sure you can get in touch with her?"
"Yes, we were playing mahjong at the same table before I answered your call."
Old Huang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Let's book tickets to Dali tomorrow morning and get there before noon."
I hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Okay. So, how should we meet tomorrow?"
Old Huang thought for a moment and said, "After I get off the plane, I'll book a table at a restaurant here. You'll have to figure out a way to bring her over."
"They're just lying, aren't they!"
Old Huang replied with slight dissatisfaction, "You're still indignant! We're just doing this for her own good. She's a young girl from a well-off family. Instead of taking advantage of her youth to improve herself abroad, she runs off to Dali to hang out with a bunch of unambitious scoundrels. What future can she have? It won't do her a good reputation if word gets out!"
"Are you worried that if she does this, she won't be good enough for your son in the future?"
Old Huang was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "Michael, let me give you some advice too. These days, every ambitious young person is heading to Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou. Staying in a place like Dali will only lead to wasting your time and will not help your life at all."
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