...
Just as I finished my beer, Tie Nan happened to walk by the bar entrance. I was sitting near the window, so at the same time I noticed him, he noticed me too…
I pushed open the wooden window and said to him with a smile, "What a coincidence! Want to come in and have a couple of drinks?"
"Peach works at the bar across the street, so I'm going to bring her food."
Tie Nan stood outside while saying these things. After a brief pause, he asked me again, "How's things going on your end?"
"I'm trying to figure something out... I think I've made some progress."
Tie Nan replied, "Back then, I asked you to come with me to set up the seaside inn, but you wouldn't listen... You insisted on setting up this temporary inn in this godforsaken place of Jiulongju... Is it really that hard to get you to trust me just once?"
Tie Nan's words left me unsure how to respond, and only now did I realize that despite Tao Zi's mediation between us, the incident at the Seaview Inn had created an insurmountable rift between us... But even so, I didn't want to take his words as kicking me when I was down.
I lit a cigarette, finally smiled, and said to him, "I heard from Taozi that things are going well on your end."
"The houses during the Chinese New Year period have all been booked... This season, I'll earn at least 150,000 yuan."
"That's good... However, you should also be careful, after all, the seaside inn is still a highly sensitive area..."
Even if it's sensitive, it's better than not being able to get the key right now.
I stared at Tetsuo in astonishment...
He continued, “Michael, you’re just too self-righteous and unwilling to trust others… I know Peach has already lent you a lot of money because of this… You two used to be friends, so I don’t object to her lending you some money… But I don’t want it to happen again. It’s my principle to take responsibility for my own mistakes.”
I almost dropped the cigarette in my hand, and then I felt short of breath... Is the person in front of me really the same Fengrenyuan boss who used to pick me up in the ancient city on his motorcycle?
Does he even know? Before I borrowed money from Taozi, I had already given her 20,000 yuan...
Peach probably won't tell him, because she's afraid of hurting his pride.
I let out a heavy sigh of relief, then nodded and replied, "I understand... From now on, I won't drag you and Peach into my troubles."
Tie Nan gave me a cold look, then picked up his lunchbox and walked to the other side of the street.
...
I felt an indescribable heaviness in my heart. It seemed I had lost another friend, the first friend I made after arriving in Dali... But I didn't know why things had turned out this way between us.
Has the burden of life truly dulled the bonds between people?
However, I still cherish this hard-won brotherhood and long to return to the days when we all ran an inn together in Longkan.
Staring blankly at the bustling street, I stubbed out my cigarette and lit another one.
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