Night falls later in Dali than in other cities, so even at 6:15, the sun still hangs powerfully in the sky. The wind in Xiaguan is as fierce as it gets; it howls as it crosses the road, accompanying the traffic and stopping and starting at the traffic lights.
The entire city seemed to become still for a moment and then in motion.
I walked a few steps to a less crowded area before lighting a cigarette and answering Yang Sisi's call. She still sounded cheerful as she asked, "Where are you?"
"This side of Xiaguan."
"That's perfect! Let's go see a movie! There's a free retro theater at Kunming Department Store today... Let's see Jiang Wen's 'Keep Cool,' it's so interesting!... An Hong, I miss you... Hahaha!"
Yang Sisi laughed carefree as she recited classic movie lines. But I didn't know how to have a proper conversation with her. My current troubles were largely caused by her.
"I'm picking someone up at the train station; my family has arrived."
"Oh! Didn't they know you were here? Why did you suddenly come to Dali?"
I couldn't bear to scold her, so I replied, "This is a matter that can't be explained in a few words. Go see a movie by yourself. I won't accompany you today."
Yang Sisi's tone became serious as she replied, "I sense you're not in a good mood. How about I come to the train station to find you? I'll wait for your aunt and uncle with you."
"Don't come and cause trouble."
"What are you saying? I was worried that you wouldn't be able to handle it by yourself. With me by your side, your aunt and uncle will give you some face and won't say anything too harsh."
"Ye Zhi is with me, I'm not alone."
There was silence on the other end of the phone, before a long pause was followed by a question: "What is her identity?"
"We've become a couple..."
I said this to Yang Sisi right away; I had to say it this way. That way, by having her pass the message to Lao Huang's ears, he would truly feel at ease with me.
When did this happen?
When Yang Sisi asked this question, the joy she had just felt had vanished, and her tone was unusually low.
"Today."
"Okay, although everyone thinks you're not good enough for her, if she really likes you, I still wish you both well...hehe."
After Yang Sisi finished speaking, she didn't give me a chance to say anything more and hung up the phone.
I didn't immediately return to Ye Zhi's side. Instead, I pondered the conversation for a moment and felt that something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
That's what makes women so strange; even if you really try to figure them out, you might not be able to understand what they're thinking.
...
It was already 6:30 when I finally saw Lao Mi emerge from the station exit. He was carrying one of those supermarket delivery bags; at first glance, he looked like an ordinary middle-aged or elderly man. To my surprise, I didn't see my mother.
I whispered to Ye Zhi beside me, "See that old man in cloth shoes? That's my dad."
Ye Zhi exclaimed "Ah!" and looked in the direction I was pointing. Perhaps because she was too nervous, she didn't recognize him immediately and asked me again, "There are too many people, which one is Uncle?"
I pointed again: "The old man carrying the RT-Mart shopping bag."
"I saw it."
"Okay, don't panic, just stay calm..."
"Well, if he doesn't ask me, I won't say anything."
"That's the principle."
As I spoke, I waved to Old Mi, who was squeezed in the crowd. He spotted me a moment later, then walked towards me with a gloomy expression...
I forced a smile, took the heavy shopping bag from Old Mi's hand, and asked him, "Why didn't my mom come with you?"
“I took the train to Kunming overnight, and then transferred from Kunming to Dali. Can your mother’s body handle that?”
"I'm not trying to criticize you, but you could have just talked it over the phone. You're so old, why did you have to make a trip to Dali? You're just asking for trouble."
"You bastard, if you just gave me a break, I wouldn't have to suffer like this!"
As Lao Mi spoke, he turned his gaze to Ye Zhi, and I realized that I had been leaving Ye Zhi hanging. So, I quickly grabbed Ye Zhi's long sleeve and said to Lao Mi, "Dad, I forgot to introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Ye Zhi... When she heard you were coming, she insisted on coming to the train station with me to pick you up. I couldn't stop her."
"Uncle, this is our first meeting. I brought some small gifts, and I hope you like them."
Old Mi was genuinely surprised, staring at Ye Zhi for a long while before finally accepting what she handed him. I knew exactly why he was surprised; he was astonished by how quickly I found a girlfriend, and also surprised by Ye Zhi's appearance.
In terms of looks and temperament, Ye Zhi is undoubtedly superior to Lu Jia, but I'm finding myself increasingly disadvantaged on the path to success. He would naturally be surprised, given my increasingly dire situation, how I managed to find another seemingly more outstanding woman as my girlfriend after Lu Jia.
Ye Zhi wasn't good with words, so I said to Lao Mi, "Let's find a place to eat dinner first. We can talk about what you learned while we eat."
Perhaps realizing he had to save face for me in front of a woman, Old Mi temporarily chose to let things slide and acquiesced to my suggestion. At this moment, Ye Zhi finally spoke up, saying, "I've already had my assistant arrange the hotel, and the dining place is also at the hotel. You and Uncle can just follow me."
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