I didn't delve into why Cao Xiaobei did this, because I had too much to do... First, I found a broom and cleaned up all the debris and trash in the room, and then I made a room occupancy schedule for the Chinese New Year period on the computer.
At this point, I have 20 rooms that I can sell. If I don't plan systematically in advance, I'm prone to making mistakes when the customer flow is large.
By the time I finished all this, it was already three o'clock in the morning. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed.
I had another dream. I dreamt that Lu Jia returned all the things I had given her to me, and also asked me for back the things she had given me... In the dream, I was extremely panicked because I had already sold the most valuable item—my DSLR camera—for a pittance...
I started looking for the guy who bought the camera, but he seemed to have vanished into thin air. I couldn't get through to him on the phone, and no one knew anything about him.
In my dream, Lu Jia looked at me with resentment.
I woke up with a start from her gaze… It was already early morning. I sat on the bed for a while, still groggy, before realizing it was just a dream. And it really was a dream. In reality, I had already mentally prepared myself for never to see Lu Jia again in this lifetime.
The reason I had this dream was probably because I sold that camera that morning.
...
I drew the curtains and took a short nap. I got up at 9:30, ate something simple, and started my busy day... It was so busy because the carpets I ordered arrived in the morning. It took me half a day just to lay them in the 20 guest rooms.
In the afternoon, I was taking orders online and I was deeply impressed by how booming the tourism market in Dali was during the Spring Festival. In just half a day, I had sold half of the rooms and received nearly 100,000 yuan in deposits.
My judgment was correct; I am indeed about to strike it rich... If nothing goes wrong, I can recoup my initial investment and earn an additional 200,000 yuan, giving me nearly 400,000 yuan in hand. This amount is enough for me to start a legitimate business in Dali.
Thinking of these wonderful things, I suddenly felt that the sky outside was even bluer and the wind was blowing very gently... And the root of this good mood is not because of how much money I made, but because of an inner sense of self-affirmation... I can live a valuable life.
...
In the evening, Cao Xue and I met at a bar in the ancient city. I immediately gave him the 10,000 yuan deposit that I had promised. As he took it, he said to me, "My uncle said you're a pretty cunning guy... He didn't expect you to find me here. He said you're using me."
I smiled and asked, "You told him everything?"
"We have no personal relationship or favors between us. If I'm here to talk to him about the key, how could he not understand?"
I smiled again: "That's true, but this isn't a relationship of exploitation. I think it's mutually beneficial, where each gets what they need."
Cao Xue patted the money in his left hand while holding it in his right, and laughed, "I think you have a good sense of character. I thought you would renege on the money after Cao Xiaobei delivered the keys, but I didn't expect you to be so honest!"
"I've always been very sincere with my friends."
Are we friends?
I paused for a moment, then quickly realized I had to say something against my will, so I replied, "Fine, I think we get along quite well."
Cao Xue nodded and tossed me a cigarette.
I lit it, took a few puffs, and then said to Cao Xue, "Well... before I came to you, I asked around about you. Everyone thought you, Cao Xue, were a wicked person, but I don't think so... You just lack someone who can understand you."
Cao Xue looked at me and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Let's get this straight, can we have a heart-to-heart talk?"
"Just say what you want to say, don't beat around the bush with me."
I nodded and said, “I heard that you had a girlfriend who went to nightclubs when you were in high school; afterwards, you dropped out of school and ran away to Xishuangbanna with her… Whatever happened between you two later, it’s not important to us outsiders… But I saw a person’s loyalty in this process… I think it’s your experiences that made you who you are now… rather than you being willing to live this kind of life deep down.”
Cao Xue's eyes flickered again. After lighting a cigarette, he replied to me, "You speak in such a literary way that I don't understand you."
I smiled, shrugged, and then said nothing more, but I had already seen through his heart. Pretending seems to be a human instinct, and Cao Xue could do it too.
As he finished his cigarette, Cao Xue made a subconscious movement. He pulled up his sleeve, glanced at the tattoo on his arm, and then asked me in a low voice, "Do you guys think that all the women who go to nightclubs are prostitutes? That they're all heartless?"
“I don’t know what others think… but I really don’t… because I have friends who work in nightclubs… very good friends, the kind who don’t care about money or personal gain.”
As I said this, my mood inexplicably changed... It turns out that Cao Xue and I have something in common: we both have a woman in our lives who makes money in nightclubs. The difference is that he was willing to do anything for that woman, while I held back... So, I have never fallen in love with Wang Lei, and I have lived with worldly views all this time.
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