I put my phone back in my pocket, then said to Ye Zhi with a hint of jokingness, "This WeChat account you gave me definitely isn't one you use often, otherwise why wouldn't it have any Moments posts?"
"I only have this one WeChat account."
"At least it posts something, so you can look at it when you're bored. It's actually quite good for passing the time. If you look at it when you're old, I think it will have a special meaning, like a document with pictures and text, recording your life..."
"Is that so?"
I nodded seriously, but she didn't say anything more. So, being the perceptive person I am, I started to ponder this person in my mind again, but I felt clueless. We were just strangers who met by chance, and I didn't know what she had experienced in the past few decades. Whether her personality was affected by these experiences was not something that could be easily concluded.
She is an enigma, or a spider lily blooming on the opposite bank; one can only admire her from afar, but there is no boat that can bring curious people closer to her.
After a moment of silence, she stood up before me, seemingly preparing to leave...
Just as she was about to walk into the crowded throng, I suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to her, "Hey, I'm moving to the Longkan Wharf area tomorrow. I won't be living in Ma Jiu Yi anymore."
Why did you suddenly move away?
“My friend and I took over a seaside inn over there… Come visit sometime.”
Her expression finally changed slightly, and she asked, "Where exactly is the inn located?"
I racked my brains but couldn't recall any landmarks near the inn, so I replied, "I'm not very familiar with that area either. I'll send you the location when I get there tomorrow. Anyway, it's not far from the pier."
"Yes, don't forget."
After giving her instructions, she left. I was surprised because, from what I had seen, she was a very cold person, but she showed a level of concern for where my inn was that was beyond her usual personality.
Perhaps she considers me a friend; at the very least, she doesn't dislike me.
I smiled, then lowered my head and lit another cigarette, but I could smell a hint of pleasure in it... I felt that Dali is a very open and inclusive place, so it's easier for people to connect than in big cities.
Imagine if Ye Zhi and I lived in Shanghai, even if we lived right across from each other, we might not bump into each other more than a few times a month. But here, meeting is much easier, because of Erhai Lake. I think that any out-of-towner living near Erhai Lake would probably spend their free time in the evening taking a walk along the lakeside road.
...
Back at the inn, both Instructor Ma and Tie Nan were there. They cooked noodles and invited me to eat with them. The three of us chatted while we ate, and Tie Nan said to us, "I just called a friend of mine who drives a van, and I told him to come pick us up later. Let's all move to Longkan tonight."
I replied, "I don't have much luggage, I'm free anytime."
Coach Ma thought for a moment, then said, "The inn over there won't be able to open for a while, so there's no need to rush things."
"That place has been idle for so long, the sanitation needs to be thoroughly cleaned... You don't know this until you run an inn yourself, it's the rainy season now, there are some minor repairs that need to be found and fixed quickly, if it leaks or gets moldy, the losses will be substantial."
When Tie Nan said that, I nodded in agreement, because the decoration standards of our inn are really high, and the rooms are furnished with high-end furniture. If there were any damage, it would indeed be a considerable expense.
Coach Ma felt isolated. After a long while, he replied, "I've been living here for so long that I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well if I move to another place."
"You're just too nostalgic!"
...
After a quick bite, the van that Tie Nan had arranged arrived at "Fengrenyuan" right on time. I only had a backpack and a suitcase, which I threw into the van before going back to help Coach Ma and Tie Nan move their belongings. They didn't have much luggage, but the pots and pans were a bit of a hassle to move, so we spent half an hour getting those things done.
Just as we were finishing up, I vaguely saw Yang Sisi carrying a woven bag walking towards us. Just when I thought she was going to stop and say hello, she silently walked past me…
I sensed something was off, so I tentatively asked her, "Have you eaten yet?"
Yang Sisi finally stopped. She turned to look at me, her eyes filled with tears...
I looked her over and noticed a very noticeable hole in her pants near her calf, as well as a scratch on her arm. Then I looked at the woven bag she was carrying and understood what was going on.
I felt really bad, but I still asked her in a mocking tone, "Did you get chased away by the city management officers again while you were selling clothes?"
Perhaps because she didn't receive the sympathy she expected, she called me a "despicable person" and then dragged her woven bag toward the "Seaway Inn" where she and Ye Zhi were staying...
I should have just stood by and watched her, but this girl really doesn't have any survival skills, and it would be really heartless of me to just leave her alone. So I sighed inwardly and said to Tie Nan and Instructor Ma, who were almost finished with their work, "You two go to Longkan first, I'll ride my motorcycle there myself later."
Tie Nan joked, "We're all busy rushing towards a new life, and you're still playing the 'love the beauty but not the country' trick?!"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
