The evening breeze drifted in gently along the alley, creating a quiet and pleasant atmosphere throughout the commercial street. I finished a whole pot of tea in this ambiance. Yang Sisi wanted to brew me another pot, but I really had to go.
Before leaving, I took another look into the depths of the commercial street. Things were different now. The bar run by the foreigner was now full of customers, and even under the parasols outside the bar, several couples were sitting, drinking and listening to the owner playing jazz music on his instruments.
In my memory, the bar at Jiulongju has never been this lively...
Yang Sisi, who was beside me, followed my gaze and said, "More and more tourists are coming to Jiulongju... Many tourists come specifically to see what this quiet commercial street in the middle of the hustle and bustle is like... That bar with the foreigner has become especially popular recently because a travel influencer recommended it..."
"Did he pay for ads on influential bloggers?"
"No, it's that a popular travel blogger who saw your studio's ads on other travel accounts came to Jiulongju specifically to check it out. He had some really good beer at that bar frequented by foreigners, and then wrote an article recommending it on his account. His account has a huge following, so many tourists have come here because of it... I think Jiulongju is about to become a hot spot..."
How did you determine that?
"How could a place that travel influencers recommend without expecting any reward not be a hit? ... I'm also planning to take 20,000 yuan from the guesthouse's recent income to create a special ad campaign related to our guesthouse on a major travel account... We're currently preparing the materials... I have a feeling that once this ad is released, coupled with the summer travel season, the guesthouse will be packed!"
"They're quite adept at seizing opportunities!"
Yang Sisi laughed: "These tricks, aren't they all things we learned from you when we were running an inn by the sea?"
"You're really something, a typical case of sucking my blood to fatten Cao Xiaobei."
While I joked with Yang Sisi, I felt a sense of urgency... The "Jiulongju" commercial street might become fully popular much earlier than we had previously estimated... I had to hurry up and stock up on more shops, otherwise, if I missed this opportunity, once the owners became aware, I would never be able to buy shops below market price again. And what could truly make me soar was the huge price difference between before and after the appreciation!
At this moment, I must thank Lu Jia. It was her efforts that allowed my previous plan to retain a glimmer of hope...
What are you thinking about?
"It's nothing... I should go back now, let's talk later."
"Don't leave yet... How long are you going to stay in Chengdu?"
"We'll have to wait for the hospital's treatment plan to find out how long we'll have to stay."
Yang Sisi seemed hesitant, a rare sight for her. After a moment, she asked me, "Are you really planning to let Lu Jia stay in Chengdu to take care of your father?"
I countered, "Is it realistic to ask her to leave now?" After a slight pause, I continued, "Let's not talk about this... The most important thing now is to cure my father's illness. We can repay the favors we owe in the future... Life is so long, there will always be a time to pay them off!"
"Yes, I really hope we can pay it all off."
...
After leaving Jiulongju, I went to the hospital. I brought some food for Lao Mi and my mother. Lao Mi wasn't in the mood to eat, and only after everyone persuaded him did he manage to eat a little. Actually, we all knew in our hearts that no matter how fearless Lao Mi appeared, he was still afraid inside... It's human instinct.
I am his son, but I have no way to face death in his place. I can only pin my hopes on the results of the next checkup and pray that the cancer cells have not yet invaded other organs.
After spending over an hour at the hospital, I drove Lu Jia back to her guesthouse. Like me, she also needed to pack her luggage for Chengdu and make arrangements for her parents.
...
At the entrance of the inn, we stood facing each other, looking at each other. Then I spoke first, saying to her, "Chen Jin has already told me that you paid 200,000 yuan for treatment at the hospital... I don't know what to say, but what you did really put a lot of pressure on me!"
"I don't understand, what kind of pressure are you under?"
"You understand."
"I really don't understand... I just want to help you share the burden, as much as I can."
“But what you’re doing now is beyond your capabilities… The 200,000 yuan you’ve given away is your parents’ retirement money…”
Lu Jia looked at me for a long time, then replied in a low voice, "This isn't their retirement money; it's what they originally intended to use for my dowry... They once discussed with me that if I could buy an apartment in Shanghai, they would give us 300,000 yuan to renovate it... They really hoped we could make a good living in Shanghai... But what happened later was completely unexpected by all of us... This is my fault!"
My feelings were complicated, so after a moment of silence, I replied, "I feel quite passive because you did so many things for me behind the scenes... I've thought about it, and I will pay you back the money for my hospitalization, including the principal and interest."
Lu Jia's face turned extremely pale. She endured it and said to me, "I really don't want to argue with you at this time... But, do we really have to treat each other like a business transaction?... Yes, even if you want to repay this money, can you wait until Uncle recovers before bringing it up with me?... What's the point of saying this now?"
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