I feel I deserve her admiration because I am indeed a man somewhere between awesome and mediocre.
...
The night was lonely and dull. With nothing to do, I called Tie Nan. As soon as he answered, he cursed, "Mi Gao, you son of a bitch, you actually know to call me... I'm just a country bumpkin. I've only just arrived in the city and I'm completely lost. Where am I supposed to find peaches?"
"You know how to post missing person notices, right? Find an advertising company and get 10,000 copies."
"You brat, you're just spouting sarcastic remarks."
"When you acted impulsively, did you ever think that Shanghai is a megacity with a population of over ten million? ... Your grandson was tricked and sold by people from the city, he deserved it."
"Stop talking nonsense and tell me Taozi's address right now. I'm going to find her."
"I won't say."
"You're going to argue with me!"
"Who's arguing with you? I'm just advising you to come back quickly. There's a lot to do at the inn, and I can't handle it all by myself!"
Tie Nan softened his tone: "I'm begging you, just give me her contact information... I'm really desperate right now, I don't even have money for a hotel. You can't let me die in Shanghai, you're my buddy who's built this business together."
"Then you should quickly check if there is a police station nearby, tell them you are an unregistered resident, and have the police send you back to Dali."
I really angered Tie Nan. He started cursing and swearing, and he used really nasty language. I hung up the phone halfway through his rant. In that instant, I seemed to see a penniless man standing on a bustling street, sighing at the bright lights and bustling city, but his suitcase was completely empty, not even a dog poop in it.
After a moment of schadenfreude, I felt a pang of pity and a touch of admiration for him, because I hadn't shown him the same courage when it came to love. Back then, I had watched Lu Jia leave her rented apartment right before my eyes.
...
After some struggle, I finally called Taozi. She didn't seem to be at work yet; she answered after a moment and asked, "Has Tie Nan arrived in Shanghai yet?"
“He really went. I just called him and he said he’s wandering the streets and doesn’t even have money for a hotel.”
"That's an exaggeration!"
“He’s really that poor! ... Look, shouldn’t we go see him? We were already desperate enough in Shanghai, don’t let an outsider experience the same despair. Shanghai isn’t actually that hateful.”
Peach remained silent, and this silence was a sign that she had softened her heart. After all, there was a man who had gone to Shanghai to find her, even though he only had enough money for a plane ticket. As a woman who had feelings for that man, how could she not be moved and soften her heart?
After a moment of silence, Peach finally said to me, "Why don't you ask him for a seat? I'll have a friend send him some money."
I reminded him, "Actually, if he really doesn't have any money, I can transfer it to him via WeChat."
"Don't worry about it, I'll have my friend go over there."
I couldn't figure out what Taozi was thinking, but since it was between the two of them, I shouldn't interfere too much, so I chose to respect her wishes.
At this moment, not only was Peach conflicted, but I was also conflicted. On the one hand, I was impressed by Tie Nan's fearless spirit for love, and on the other hand, I felt the anxiety of hopelessness in Peach's miserable world.
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