After Chen Jin said those words, I was a little unhappy and quickly showed it in my words. I said to him, "Why did you come all the way to Shanghai to see me? ... If you think we can still work together, then talk to me about business. ... Is it really that interesting to keep focusing on my love life?"
"Look at you, I only mentioned it once and you're already getting angry!"
"I think it's pointless... If I go back to Dali and am still constantly bothered by these things, I might as well go back to Jimo and start a seafood business... At least it'll be peaceful!"
"Don't get so agitated. Think about it carefully: when things really come to a point where you have no choice but to do them, you still have to face them."
"But not now."
"Fine... just pretend I was talking nonsense... I won't say anything anymore, okay?"
"No... quickly say something happy."
"I'll treat you to dinner tonight... I'll call whoever you want to come with me."
"Call on all the people you know... especially your girlfriends, not one of them can be left out... I want to talk to them."
Chen Jin smiled awkwardly and replied, "After all this time, you still haven't changed your 'habit' of joking around."
...
Around noon, we arrived at Dali Airport. Xiao Song from the car rental company picked us up. After arriving in the old town, I booked a room at a guesthouse. The reason I didn't stay at Chen Jin's place was because I didn't want to hear him mention those things again.
If I were capable of handling it, that would be fine, but when I'm not, the more he talks, the more chaotic my mind becomes.
...
I slept in bed for half a day, and when I opened my eyes again, it was already the most beautiful time of day in Dali...
I drew back the curtains, and Erhai Lake lay in the distance, like a piece of jade inlaid on the land; the streets and alleys of the ancient city were still bustling, with all sorts of tourists holding cameras, taking pictures and writing their own stories.
Yes, this is Dali in my heart. It changes every day, yet it returns to its original state, returning to the hearts of everyone who has ever had close contact with it.
I like it here. Although it's a bit complicated, it also brings me some beauty that can't be seen with the naked eye.
To put it this way: if Jimo is suitable for living alone, then Dali must be a place of romance and beauty, and you must have someone you love by your side. If you don't have that, you must imagine it, as it will become the driving force of your life, and you will become a person with aspirations and ideals.
Big cities will only turn you into a machine.
...
After standing there for a while, there was a knock on the door. The first person to come looking for me was Coach Ma.
Coach Ma is still Coach Ma. It's been almost a year since I last saw him, and he's still the same as before. He seems very calm and composed.
We sat facing each other on the platform outside the room.
I took a cigarette out of the pack and handed it to him, saying, "These are cigarettes I brought back from Shandong. You can't buy them here. Want one?"
"I don't smoke. I've quit for over a year, and I can't let you ruin my chances."
I lit a cigarette, then gazed at the distant Erhai Lake, lost in thought...
At this moment, the body of water I can see is Majiuyi, the place where I often bumped into Ye Zhi when I first arrived. Back then, she liked to sit by the sea in a daze, and I liked to take walks on the beach, so we always had a chance to meet.
I couldn't help but think back to how I felt then... and I smiled. It seemed that my most wonderful expectations after coming to Dali were born at that time.
What are you laughing at?
I snapped out of my daze and looked at Coach Ma, replying, "I've been away for a year, and now I'm back in Dali. I can't help but feel happy!"
"It's clear you have feelings for Dali... If you have feelings for it, why did you leave in the first place?"
Whether there are feelings or not, you only know after you lose them.
After a moment of silence, I changed the subject and asked him, "How has your year been?"
"Very good, very good."
Coach Ma must be very content with his current life, to the point that he doesn't like to use worldly words anymore... At least, when others ask me if I'm doing well, I certainly can't say something like "very good".
Thinking about it, we're probably not from the same world anymore! And this is even more lonely than not having any acquaintances; because what I fear most is acquaintances turning into strangers; before, we clearly had so many things in common to talk about.
After a period of silence, Instructor Ma said to me again, "I have something to tell you... I have already spent the donations you left me before you left... Our temple actually renovated the kitchen and dining area again."
"Was a monument erected this time?"
“It’s built. We respect your wishes and have put her name on it.”
I nodded and exclaimed, "Buddha is merciful and saves people from suffering... She's back... She survived that shipwreck."
Coach Ma's face was full of disbelief; at that moment, I doubted his Buddhist nature. What was so surprising about such an outcome for someone who has Buddha in his heart? After all, in their hearts, "life is not life, death is not death, life and death are one," and life and death are just a form.
He finally spoke and asked me, "What's the situation for you now?"
"The road to heaven is wide open; let each go their own way."
"Is it that you don't want to be with her, or that she doesn't want to be with you?"
"You think too highly of me to ask such a question... She's been back for over a month and hasn't even considered coming to see me."
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