After listening to Tie Nan's words, I was filled with emotion. Tie Nan wasn't a bad person, but he lacked a sense of right and wrong. Although I understood him, I didn't agree with his actions, which is why I told the police about his desire to buy a house back then.
At that time, he and Taozi were not able to afford a house at all, so I suspected that he had made an ill-gotten gain. The police followed this clue and found out that he had allowed others to use drugs, which led to his three-year imprisonment.
I felt guilty about it, especially when I learned that Taozi had married someone else. I felt that I had broken them up to some extent.
At this moment, since Tie Nan was able to let go of this grudge and thank me, I finally felt a little relieved...
...
"Michael, if things hadn't turned out this way, and you had the chance to choose again, would you still report me?"
I looked up at Tie Nan, stunned. It wasn't because I was afraid of the question, but because I suddenly realized that I had changed, and this change came from the bottom of my heart... I looked at Coach Ma on the other side and found that he was also waiting for my answer with great concern.
I picked up my cup, took a sip of water, and replied with some difficulty, "If I had to choose again... I would choose not to know... If I absolutely had to know... I would pretend I didn't know..."
After a brief pause, for the first time I didn't avoid Tie Nan's gaze and looked him directly in the eye, and said, "For the past two years, I have felt immense torment whenever I think about this matter... For me, the price of this justice has been far too high."
After a moment of silence, I turned to Coach Ma and asked, "If I were in your shoes, what would you do?"
Faced with such a difficult choice, Coach Ma barely hesitated. He threw away his cigarette butt and replied, "I will choose to take the blame for him... because I know that if I go to jail because of Tie Nan, he will definitely see the error of his ways and won't make things worse... I'm not being wise after the event. For me, going to jail and going to a temple are the same thing. I have no parents and no ties."
I believe what Coach Ma said. His friendship with Tie Nan is indeed one where they can sacrifice for each other. This is also why I often feel lonely, because I don't have a friend like that who would go to great lengths for me. Chen Jin doesn't count either. We can be said to be friends in times of trouble, but the weight of the phrase "going to great lengths for each other" is incomparable to that of friends in times of trouble.
To avoid making the atmosphere too somber, I smiled and asked Tie Nan, "Do you believe what Coach Ma said?"
"Believe him for a second... First of all, that 'no worries' part is bullshit... How could he forget Bai Lu?"
I laughed. At the same time, Tie Nan raised his glass to Coach Ma, and after they clinked glasses, he held out his glass to me, and then the three of us clinked glasses together. Although I was only drinking water, I found it quite delicious...
I finally realize that those bygone times
The light is slowly returning. (Tank's new book is first published on the WeChat official account "Tank's Bookstall." Remember to follow for protagonist images and daily interaction with the author.)
After putting down his cup, Tie Nan covered his mouth with his hand and then whistled loudly at the girls on the street. His frivolous behavior immediately drew eye rolls from the girls, but he just smiled indifferently...
She laughed, and then her eyes welled up with tears.
I understand. The more he avoids mentioning peaches, the more pain he feels inside.
...
That evening, I rushed to pay the bill, then stood there watching Coach Ma and Tie Nan, arm in arm, stumble and walk towards another intersection beyond Yeyu Road...
I didn't know where they were going, and then my eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. I zipped my jacket up to the top to ward off the strong winds blowing from the direction of Erhai Lake. At that moment, all my memories of Dali seemed to fade away little by little as they walked away...
I should go too!
...
Back at my place, I took my luggage to the south gate of the ancient city and waited for Ye Zhi. Ye Zhi was a very punctual woman; we agreed to meet at nine o'clock, and she arrived at our agreed location just after eight fifty.
Since I have difficulty walking, she helped me put the two heavier suitcases into the trunk.
After getting in the car, I said to her again, "Let's get on the highway from Xiaguan later. I have something to give to Bai Lu."
"good."
Just as the car was about to start, we suddenly noticed someone pushing through the crowd, waving, and running towards us at a very fast speed; after a closer look, we realized it was Zhou San.
I rolled down the car window, and he stood beside the car, panting. After catching his breath for a while, he handed me a bag and said, "I boiled some tea eggs for you at noon. Take them with you to eat on the road."
I reached out and took it from his hand.
At this moment, because the car was blocking one side of the road, cars behind were honking and urging us to hurry up. Ye Zhi slowly started the car, and Zhou San ran alongside it, saying to me, "Brother, I won't be able to accompany you to the surgery. When you get there, don't put too much pressure on yourself... Try to think positively about everything. No matter what, we will all stand behind you and support you!"
"I'm fine, don't worry... Go back quickly."
On Wednesday, he kept following the car without saying a word, and in this way, he escorted me all the way from the South Gate to National Highway 14...
I closed the car window, and in the flashing lights, I saw that giant billboard that read "We must protect Erhai Lake," just like the day I first arrived in Dali...
I don't want to leave this city at all, but this time, I really have to say goodbye... not just to this land, but also to the people who live here and whom I love.
Iron Man, Hope
I hope you can return to your family and become a happy man from now on.
Chen Jin, I hope you understand the truth of love and become a responsible man.
Coach Ma, I hope you will return to Bai Lu's embrace and become a happy man.
Cao Bei, An An, although you are strangers, you are both trapped. I hope that one day you will regain your freedom.
Nicole, Bai Lu, and Taozi, I wish you all happiness and joy.
...
Leaning back gently, I took a cigarette from the pack and put it in my mouth. In the instant my vision blurred, I thought of the most important person to me. I don't know where she is now, but I have the most hope in her.
Perhaps we will never meet again in this lifetime, but neither of us needs to feel regret, because she has tried her best to love, and I have tried my best to live my life...
Leaving is never about hurting each other; it's always about becoming better versions of ourselves in the near future!
(End of this chapter) h/>/>
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
