This is my third day back in Dali. The clouds in Dali have been especially beautiful these past three days, particularly at dusk when the entire sky is a kaleidoscope of colors. I also like to stand by the window and look out at dusk... It makes me feel a little better because the sky at this time always seems to touch the edge of heaven... But when all sorts of lights come on, I don't feel so happy anymore. I remember that I don't have a home, and those lights are lit up for each and every home.
I stood by the window from dusk until night fell before finally returning to my hospital bed...
I dozed off for a while, feeling groggy.
Yang Sisi woke me up. After straightening my pillow, she whispered in my ear, "I just asked the nurse, and she said you can be discharged tomorrow morning... The nurse told you not to overwork yourself during this time. Your immunity is particularly weak right now. Even a fever can cause so many complications. Otherwise, you wouldn't have stayed in the hospital for three or four days."
"Um."
"Nicole made you some pork liver congee, I brought it over. Do you want to eat it now, or later?"
"Let's leave it for now, I'm not hungry yet."
Yang Si thought for a moment, then said, "No, I have to keep an eye on you. If I leave later, you'll definitely forget again."
She said it, and she did it. She opened the insulated box, then forcibly handed the spoon to me, as if she wanted to watch me eat the porridge with her own eyes.
While I was eating, she asked me very seriously, "Has Coach Ma come to see you again in the past two days?"
I looked at her, paused for a moment, and then replied, "No... I haven't come since the last time I came."
"Oh, if he comes looking for you again, you're not allowed to talk to him... I get so annoyed just seeing him now... Seriously, he looks really sleazy with his bald head, not even half as good-looking as you... And ugliness is contagious... I don't know if he really understands Buddhism, but I do know that if you hang out with him every day, you'll become as ugly as him!"
After watching me finish the porridge, Yang Sisi started tidying up her things. On the way, she placed a book on the cabinet next to my bed and said to me, "I bought you a book. Take a look at it later. I think it will be very helpful to you."
I glanced at it; the book was titled "Why Don't You Try Harder?" It had a strong smell of pyramid schemes.
I replied, "Okay, I'll look at it when I have time."
"Don't try to fool me. Tomorrow morning I'll ask you what's in the book... If you can't answer, I'll break your legs, and you won't be going back. You'll just have to stay in the hospital."
"good……"
After I finished speaking, I lit a cigarette. Yang Sisi snatched the cigarette from my hand and glared at me fiercely.
In short, she forbade me from doing anything that was detrimental to my physical and mental health... She not only threw away the cigarette I had lit, but also the whole box that I had just opened.
...
A while after Yang Sisi left, Chen Jin came again. He looked quite tired, as if he had been working hard these past few days. He sat down on the edge of the bed, handed me a cigarette, lit it for me, and then said, "Brother, I keep my word. The ten shops I promised you before have all been signed... If you have no problems, let's have dinner with these owners tomorrow night. You can explain our business strategy to them... They really want to hear your opinion, after all, they've given you these shops to use for free for a year. As the initiator of this project, you have a responsibility to reassure them."
I glanced at Chen Jin but didn't say anything.
He pressed further, "Are you going or not? Just give me an answer."
I shook my head, indicating that I didn't want to go.
Chen Jin looked at me with some disappointment, and after a long while said, "I can understand your pessimism after something like this happened... but are you planning to live your whole life for this one person?... You don't need to eat, drink, or relieve yourself anymore, right?... Let me tell you, if this project fails, you'll be the one who loses in the end... You'll lose everything... If you're not afraid, then just stay pessimistic."
"Don't force me... I really don't feel like doing anything right now."
Chen Jin remained silent for a long time before finally replying, "It's a good thing you brought me from Shanghai, otherwise your project would be dead by now... But Michael, remember, everyone's patience is limited, so don't let us down too much."
"I know."
"Alright, I won't waste any more time chatting with you. I need to go back and get some rest. There'll be a ton of things to do tomorrow."
After Chen Jin finished speaking, he turned to leave, but I called him back and asked him for a pack of cigarettes. A night alone can only be spent with cigarettes.
...
I wanted to talk to Coach Ma, so I called his cell phone, but I couldn't get through. He's probably living the life of a monk, free from worldly desires, so he's no longer dependent on cell phones. At this hour, he's probably asleep.
These past few days, the only time I feel better is when I talk to him, because his insights and theories are like a new world to me, a world where there is no clear boundary between life and death. Since one can live and die, then what is suffering?
...
The next morning, I received a WeChat message from my cousin. She told me that she was already on the train to Shanghai. She had accepted Jian Zihan's invitation to join Jian Zihan's company and planned to stay in Shanghai for a long time.
She thanked me, but she didn't need to. The person she should really thank is Ye Zhi. If Ye Zhi hadn't swallowed her pride and asked Jian Zihan for help, she wouldn't have had this job opportunity.
...
Shortly after that, Yang Sisi and Nicole arrived at the hospital. They came to take me back to the ancient city. Yang Sisi was no joke with me; before leaving, she insisted on testing me on the contents of that book.
When I couldn't answer, she got really angry and didn't say a word to me the whole way.
...
Back in my little room, I didn't ask Yang Sisi and Nicole to do anything for me. I found some cleaning tools and started cleaning the room by myself. I wanted to keep myself busy, and it had to be the simplest kind of busyness, rather than dealing with interpersonal relationships. That way, I wouldn't be constantly wallowing in the pain of loss and unable to pull myself out of it.
At noon, I cooked myself a bowl of instant noodles and ate it alone on the stone bench in front of the door...
When we were almost halfway through the meal, we heard footsteps coming from the very narrow alley... Only a woman wearing high heels could make such a sound. Even though I already had a guess in my mind, I was still surprised when Lu Jia appeared in front of me with her suitcase.
I honestly can't fathom how she found this place, yet the encounter certainly felt deliberate. Want to chat with more like-minded people about "My Tenant Miss"? Follow "Or" on WeChat to discuss your favorite books with other book lovers.
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