In Sifang Street of the ancient city, Yang Sisi and I sat facing each other in a snack shop called "Li's Roasted and Braised Meat". We ordered two bowls of rice noodles and a plate of braised meat. Yang Sisi said that "Li's Roasted and Braised Meat" has a history of more than 30 years. The rice noodles and braised meat are a classic set meal that regular customers must order. It is not only delicious, but also a kind of sentiment. Many older people have been eating breakfast here since they were young. Now they are in their twilight years. They have not only eaten here for half their lives, but also developed two different lifestyles. Their living conditions now are much better than they were 30 years ago.
I've always said that she lives for enjoyment. For example, when it comes to food, besides finding delicious food, she also has to find out its origin. Most people don't have that kind of leisure.
...
Because it was so early, there were hardly any people on the streets. The ruins of the city walls and the bluestone pavement looked particularly weathered. If it weren't for the occasional electric vehicle passing by on the streets, you would really feel like you were in Dali hundreds of years ago, without advanced communication, where carriages and mail were very slow, and you could only love one person in your lifetime and only crave one delicious flavor.
After a moment of silence, a gust of wind stirred the wooden windowpanes, causing the sunlight streaming through the glass to shift. In this flickering light, I glanced at Yang Sisi; she was playing on her phone… Although she didn't seem to be in good spirits, her concentration was remarkably sharp…
I said to her, "After all these years, you still haven't given up your gaming habit?"
"There are so many fun games and delicious foods in the world, why give them up?"
"You just have too much free time."
"What's wrong with being idle? Unlike you, you're busy scheming, busy making money, busy suffering... and when you're about to die, you're busy regretting it... because looking back on your lives, you've only been busy toiling away!"
I smiled and asked again, "What about you? Will you regret it?"
Yang Sisi put down her phone, looked at me, and then shook her head, saying, "I don't regret it. I wouldn't regret it even if I died now!"
"Look at you, talking nonsense so early in the morning... Your life has just begun, there are so many things to look forward to, whoever dies, it can't be you!"
“Now that you mention it, it’s true… As a woman, if I can’t experience what it’s like to be a mother, my life would be quite incomplete…” At this point, Yang Sisi smiled and asked me, “Michael, do you think boys or girls are more fun?”
"You had children just to have fun?"
"Of course, if you have a child and can't connect with them, what's the difference between you and a birthing machine? Anyway, I think that the relationship between adults and children is mostly built through play. Being too serious makes it seem impersonal."
I thought about it seriously and said, "If that's what you mean, then I think girls are fun... If a girl is pretty, she's like a porcelain doll, and just looking at her makes me happy!"
"No, boys are fun, the naughtier the better... That way, I can beat him up every day, flatten him out first, and then roll him back into a ball!"
I was first taken aback, then exclaimed, "You're not a sadist, are you?"
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'The son pays for the father's debts'? The grievances I suffered with his father should be made up for by him..."
"You're really judging the issue, not the person."
"Who told his dad to be such a bastard..."
Just as Yang Sisi was saying this, we glanced at each other again. She looked away before I did, and then said impatiently, "Having a baby isn't like laying an egg, it's not that easy... I'm not going to talk about it anymore, it's pointless!"
I didn't say anything, and the next moment, the waiter brought over the rice noodles and braised meat we ordered...
When we picked up our chopsticks, it meant the topic of children was over, but it left a very strong image in my mind... A young and beautiful mother, holding a handsome little boy, endlessly scolding him, but then lovingly taking out a tissue to wipe the little boy's snot.
In the sunlight, the little boy grinned foolishly, and she grinned foolishly along with him...
Unfortunately, I can't imagine what the child's father is like, but with such a wife and child, he must be very happy, and the family will be happy too!
...
After breakfast, time was running out, so I quickly packed the odds and ends that I absolutely had to take. Yang Sisi was helping me, and during the process, she asked me, "Are you going to the detention center to pick up your friend in a few days?"
"Yes, I promised him I would definitely pick him up."
"What was the reason he was arrested?"
I found it a little difficult to say, but Yang Sisi continued, "Anyone who can call you brother is definitely not a good person!"
"You're wrong. He's actually a very honest young man. He just acted impulsively and did something he shouldn't have done."
"fight?"
"no."
"theft?"
"No, it's not that... don't ask anymore."
"No, you've piqued my curiosity... I really want to know what kind of things an honest man could do."
I didn't want to talk about it, but Yang Sisi started pulling at me like a tantrum, not letting me leave... I was so bothered by her that I gritted my teeth and replied, "Prostitution... Has that satisfied your curiosity?"
Yang Sisi looked at me, then blinked, as if she didn't know what to say.
I continued, "He's already 27 and still hasn't found a girlfriend... It's normal to have some physical needs... Let me state upfront that I absolutely do not condone his actions, but he's quite pitiful... I think everyone should have the right to mate... Especially with the current severe gender imbalance, the government really should think of a solution... He's relatively rational, knowing to spend money to resolve it. If he encountered someone with a weak sense of law, they might have directly committed illegal acts against women, which would have been a real tragedy!"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
