Before morning arrived, Yang Sisi and I went to the restrooms at the service area to wash up, ate something simple, and then continued on our way... At 11:30 a.m., we finally entered Yunnan Province. Although it was not yet the New Year, rapeseed flowers were already in full bloom in the fields along the roadside, which was clearly the taste of spring and a unique feature of Yunnan's climate.
Out of longing, I didn't go to sleep. Instead, I kept staring at the scenery outside the window, lost in thought over that familiar feeling.
...
After passing Kunming, the road conditions started to deteriorate. Basically, every ten kilometers or so, there would be a traffic jam that brought the car to a complete stop. Fortunately, the weather was good and the visibility was high; otherwise, there would definitely have been a lot of traffic accidents.
I was quite nervous, so every now and then I would remind Yang Sisi to concentrate on driving... She got a little impatient, either saying I was talking nonsense or glaring at me... I guess she was still unhappy that I made the decision to drive all night.
But if she really wants to attend Cao Xiaobei's wedding, she should thank me. We drove all night and it was still like this. If we really get delayed in Luxi for one night, there's basically no hope of reaching Dali before tomorrow because the road conditions are just too bad!
...
After driving for a short distance, the car got stuck in slow traffic again. I was still in a good mood, but Yang Sisi was a bit frustrated. She complained to me, "Dali is a nationally recognized tourist city, so why is there only one expressway connecting Kunming to Dali? ... Every time it's a holiday, it's so congested that we don't even dare to drive on the national highways below, because they're all roads that hug the cliffs!"
"If you get tired of driving, I can drive for a while."
"I'm not tired, I just really need to pee, I'm about to burst... Can you check how far is the next service area?"
I felt so bad for her along the way, so I treated her like an empress dowager. When she said that, I quickly picked up my phone to check. The next service area was the one I had dreamed about; it was called "Reading Shop".
I was taken aback for a moment, and Yang Sisi urged again, saying, "Can't you pay attention when I'm talking to you?... How much further is it?!"
"There are still two kilometers to go... and those two kilometers are the most congested part... why don't you just take care of it in the car, don't hold it in."
"Get out!"
“I’m not kidding you. Anyway, this car has sunshades… In my experience, the closer you get to a service area, the worse the traffic… because cars leaving the service area have to pass other cars, so it’s bound to be slow… Look, this line is completely blocked in red. I reckon it’ll take at least half an hour to get there…”
Yang Sisi glanced at me and replied, "Are you trying to take advantage of me?"
"Come on, I'd rather see you make a fool of yourself."
Yang Sisi glared at me as she replied, "A scholar can be killed, but not..."
Humiliation!
I didn't say anything.
Yang Sisi gripped the steering wheel tighter and complained to me, "What sins did I commit in my past life to be associated with someone like you... I suggested we stop at the next service area, but you insisted on saving time, saying we should use the restroom and refuel at the next service area... Now look what's happened, I'm so full of pee I've almost forgotten who my parents are... Do you know how hard it is to hold your pee?... You bastard, do you even know?"
I remained silent because I had indeed told her not to stop at the previous service area, citing a time constraint. I even lied to her, saying that the next service area was only 20 kilometers away, when in reality it was more than 70 kilometers.
Yang Sisi angrily unbuckled her seatbelt, then took a bottle of mineral water from the back seat, threw it into my hand, and said, "You drink this. I can't be the only one holding it in."
“Your revenge is completely meaningless... Even if I really need to pee, it's just a matter of getting off the bus and taking a leak... For us men, as long as we have a place in our hearts, anywhere can be a toilet... But you can't do that.”
Could you be any more shameless?
I chuckled, then nonchalantly took a big gulp... which infuriated Yang Sisi so much that she almost opened the car door and kicked me out.
...
Just as I predicted, it took a full half hour to travel a mere two kilometers. How anxious was Yang Sisi? She didn't even have time to park the car properly; she just pulled over into the aisle and ran to the restroom with a pack of tissues.
I felt sorry for her because there was a long line outside the women's restroom, but there was nothing I could do to help. So I could only watch her stand there, stamping her feet and frowning.
To make the most of my time, I switched to the driver's seat and drove to the gas station to fill up the tank...
While waiting, I stared blankly at the three big characters "Reading Shop"... Suddenly, the sunlight reflected off me made me very dazzled, and then the dream appeared clearly in my mind.
Apart from two rice dumplings from Jiaxing, Ye Zhi left nothing behind.
I'm wondering: if this dream is a hint, what exactly is it hinting at?
...
"Those who need 92-octane gasoline, please turn left; those who need 95 or 98-octane gasoline, please turn right. Please cooperate."
I then looked up and saw gas station staff holding small red flags to maintain order...
He walked to the car window and said to me in a very polite tone, "Sir, if you're filling up with 98-octane gasoline, turn right. You're blocking the cars behind you."
"Excuse me, I'll be leaving now."
As I was speaking, I turned the steering wheel all the way to the right and filled in the parking space in front of me. Just then, I saw a woman come out of the supermarket at the service station. She was holding a peeled zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) in her hand and handed it to the man waiting next to the car.
This scene, although it's different from mine
The dream was different from reality, but it still left me feeling disappointed...
I let out a soft sigh, then lowered my head again, feeling a moment of disorientation.
...
"Knock knock knock," I thought it was a staff member reminding me to refuel, so I quickly looked up and saw that the person knocking on the car window was Yang Sisi... She handed me a plastic bag and said, "This service area actually sells Jiaxing zongzi... I bought two. Are you hungry? If you are, I'll peel one for you."
“Speak up! Why are you looking at me like that? ...Like an idiot!”
"Eat...eat!"
"Are you possessed?!"
Yang Sisi looked at me with suspicion, then walked towards the nearest trash can. Just as she started peeling the zongzi, I became even more dazed... I wasn't even sure if the person in my dream was Ye Zhi. If it was Ye Zhi... why was it Yang Sisi in reality doing this?
Is this what they mean by life being like a dream, and dreams being like life?!
(End of this chapter)
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