A moment after I dialed Ye Zhi's number, she answered; she asked me in a very calm tone, "Is there something you need?"
I didn't mention An'an directly, but instead asked her tactfully, "Where are you now?"
Dali.
"I'm also in Dali."
Ye Zhi remained silent, so I smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you... Are you at Cao Jinbo's dinner party right now?"
I couldn't see Ye Zhi's expression on the phone, but her silence again told me that she was surprised... Her surprise proved that she didn't remember An An, otherwise she would have been able to connect the dots and find out who had given me the news.
An'an is overthinking it, or perhaps Ye Zhi has never cared about the women around me.
Just as I was thinking this, Ye Zhi finally spoke to me and said, "Did that woman next to Cao Jinbo call you?... I met her once, at the hospital."
This time, I fell silent, because An'an really understood women better than I did, which also proved that Ye Zhi was not as indifferent as I seemed. She remembered many things, but she just didn't want to say them.
However, even though I knew she cared a lot, I didn't know whether to be happy or sad. So, after letting out a soft sigh, I replied, "Yes, we just talked on the phone... She has some concerns, so she doesn't want you to talk about my relationship with her at the dinner party... We are indeed good friends in private."
"I won't say anything that's not my business."
"Well... if there's nothing else, you can go ahead and do your thing."
...
After I finished speaking, Ye Zhi didn't say anything more. We became just ordinary friends; once we had said what needed to be said, there wasn't a single unnecessary word.
I've slowly accepted this situation, so I'm not too upset... I know that once we both start to face reality, there's no chance of reconciliation between us; but I wonder, years from now, when I recall this woman, will she be like the starry sky or an underground river in my heart?
I subconsciously looked down at the "green Submariner" she had given me. Gradually, the pointers formed her virtual face, and the movement of the pointers represented her smile... Suddenly, I felt a pang of heartbreak, because I only remembered how she cried, but forgot how she smiled. So she was an unfortunate woman; while God gave her beauty, He also bestowed upon her the most unbearable suffering. It wasn't that I couldn't remember her smile; it was simply that she rarely smiled!
...
After sitting on the street for a while, I called Instructor Ma and asked if I could stay at his place for the night. Instructor Ma told me that he and Tie Nan had moved back to "Majiuyi" and rented a piece of land there to start an ecological farm. The two of them no longer called themselves wanderers from Dali and instead referred to themselves as farmers.
They looked like ghosts.
Twenty minutes later, Tie Nan arrived on his motorcycle. He had a really good attitude; whether he was rich or poor, he was always only interested in motorcycles...
As soon as we met, he smiled and said to me, "Do you remember? A few years ago, I came to pick you up in the same way."
"I can't forget it. Except for the weather, everything seems the same!"
"It's changed, so much has changed... There used to be no guardrails on this road. The shop near the south gate used to sell flowers, but now it's a car rental shop... And the old man who used to carry cherries on a shoulder pole has found a partner... He used to live alone, but now there are two of them. He sells cherries, and the old lady helps him collect the money... Look, she's sitting on the stone bench across the street."
I looked in the direction Tie Nan was pointing and sure enough, I saw the old man selling cherries; he was weighing cherries for tourists, and the old lady was holding up a QR code for customers to pay.
I can't quite describe the feeling, but I know in my heart that sometimes happiness is just that simple!
...
The farm that Tie Nan and Coach Ma run together looks quite impressive. They not only plant all sorts of flowers but also raise many animals, including chickens, ducks, and geese. My favorite is the miniature horse kept in a pen. I heard that Tie Nan spent over 100,000 yuan to import it from abroad. Now it's the farm's celebrity horse and their cash cow. They charge tourists a fee for taking photos with it...
I really admire Tie Nan and Coach Ma. Although it's not a particularly remarkable career, they have at least settled down in Dali and are able to create happiness in their lives. This is probably the kind of Dali that Wang Lei longs for.
...
The three of us had a simple meal and chatted for a while until it was late at night; it was only then that I finally received a call from An'an... After that, we met at "Ma Jiuyi".
We sat by Erhai Lake. I spoke first, saying to her, "Putting aside your current predicament, let me ask you, how determined are you to leave Cao Jinbo?... Or, do you no longer intend to change your current life?"
“If I didn’t want to leave him, I wouldn’t have come to see you so late… I’ve been so nervous all day… I don’t know what the consequences will be if I leave… I can tell you very clearly that I want to leave 100%… But I have no confidence in myself, and I’m afraid I can’t bear the consequences he might bring.”
"You also believe he's a bad person?"
"Yes... what he did was quite shocking!"
After An'an gained this understanding, I felt I had an opportunity. After a moment of contemplation, I looked at her and asked, "Do you think someone like Cao Jinbo should ultimately be brought to justice?"
An'an looked pained, and after a long while, she said to me in a low voice, "From my personal feelings, I don't want..."
I hope that day will come for him… He has never hurt me, and has given me so much… at least, that's how it is now… Therefore, I never judge him by the standards of justice or evil, nor do I want to imagine the worst possible consequences for him.”
"He'll be in there sooner or later, and that won't change because of your will... He's truly wicked!"
An'an looked at me with confusion. She didn't understand why I suddenly erupted in such anger towards Cao Jinbo...
I let out a heavy sigh and finally spoke to her: "In my heart, you are a very trustworthy person, so there are some things I'm willing to tell you... Cao Jinbo is far more evil than you imagine... I'm not going to wave the banner of justice... because that's unrealistic... I just hope that after hearing about this, you can do me a favor... and more importantly, help yourself."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
