10 "Love and hate are diluted, leaving only longing"
The two of them found an empty table and sat down, one in front and one behind.
After a moment of silence, Tao Wanjia spoke first, "When did you open that shop?"
"It's been a few years." Huang Zheng didn't expect her to ask this. "You know that clothing store in the old market before? It leaked when it rained, and the area around it was a mess. I thought it was too noisy, so I saved up money and bought a store in a good location."
After graduating from technical school, Huang Zheng began tinkering with small business. Tao Wanjia was still in high school when Huang Zheng first entered the workforce, and she often dragged her along on vacation trips to stock up. The two sisters, each carrying several large snakeskin bags, squeezed onto bus after bus, leaving in the early morning and returning late at night. Exhausted and sweating, they couldn't rest, and still had to push their cart to find a place to set up their stall.
That was the happiest and best time for the two of them in the past ten years. Their relationship reached a peak, and then it went downhill like a roller coaster.
Tao Wanjia followed her words and thought of those days and that store. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, "It's pretty good."
They ate their meal and chatted in a bland manner, their topics mostly superficial. Huang Zheng also knew her limits in her restrained expression, not trying to inquire about her movements over the years, nor was she curious about how she had changed from the person she once was.
It was like a tacit agreement to keep silent about a painful past in order to maintain this hard-earned balance.
Tao Wanjia stayed for dinner originally for Mai Xiang, but she hesitated for a long time and couldn't bring it up with Huang Zheng. It wasn't out of any dignity, but she subconsciously felt that she should stay away from these people.
But reason can never overcome emotion, and my hometown is really too small, so small that Wendong Yang suddenly appeared when I was halfway through my meal.
"Hey, you two are here!"
He wore a leather jacket similar to the one he wore last time and strode to the table. "Come to dinner tomorrow night. We'll be at our restaurant."
"I have to look after the kids tomorrow, Shengsheng Kindergarten is closed." Huang Zheng took over.
"It's a holiday, isn't it? Shengsheng is coming too." Wen Dongyang turned his gaze away from Huang Zheng's face and looked at Tao Wanjia. "We agreed that you would come too. It's over on Xingwang Street. If you can't find it, call me."
He didn't give anyone room to refuse. After he finished speaking, he hurried away on the pretext that he still had to go door-to-door to carry out anti-fraud propaganda.
Huang Zheng and Tao Wanjia raised their eyes and met each other's gaze unexpectedly——
"Are you going?"
"Are you going?"
After saying this, he paused again because of this long-lost tacit understanding.
"Don't worry if you don't want to go. Wen Dongyang is used to being around people. He probably just wants to have some fun with you back."
Huang Zheng thought for a moment and explained for her, then paused, "After all, it's not easy to see you."
Tao Wanjia was stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement under Huang Zheng's gaze.
It has been so long that love and hate have been diluted by time, leaving only longing.
Strictly speaking, Wen Dongyang is not their childhood friend.
When he was a child, he did not live in the staff housing. Tao Wanjia's first impression of him was that he would meet him every day on the way to school, holding a sausage, eating as he walked, and finished eating by the gate. He would wipe his sleeve across his mouth and run into the classroom with shiny oil stains on his face.
At that time, just passing by him, you could smell the odor of pickled sausages.
Later, Aunt Liu told her that his parents owned a delicatessen on the street outside the factory. They were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and whenever Tao Wanjia stopped by to buy groceries, they'd cut a piece of sausage for her. The garlicky, sweet sausage spread across her tongue with every bite.
Later, Wen Dongyang knew that she loved to eat, so he used sausages as bait and took the opportunity to copy her homework. Over time, the two people who both loved to play naturally became familiar with each other.
Now that I think about it, my childhood wasn’t all gray. There were also vivid and lively colors outside the barbed wire fence.
The same is true for people.
The appointment was for dinner, and at four o'clock in the afternoon, Tao Wanjia went out to take a taxi in the still iron-gray sky.
When she arrived, Huang Zheng had also arrived. This place was not far from the kindergarten, so she walked here directly after picking up her child.
Huang Shengsheng is six years old this year. The first time he saw Tao Wanjia, he stared at her again and again.
"Mom, is this my aunt?"
She walked up to her and her jewel-like black eyes scanned her face carefully.
Tao Wanjia squatted down and stared at the little face that looked almost the same as Huang Zheng's childhood. The corners of his lips were no longer cold, "How do you know I'm your aunt?"
"I have a lot of photos at home. Mom said my aunt..." Before she could finish her words, the girl's attention was drawn to an old man buying balloons on the roadside. She looked at him intently and reached out to shake the yellow zither behind her. "Mom, I want this balloon."
The girl's speech was not very clear and her voice was a bit babyish.
Just as Tao Wanjia was about to buy it, Wen Dongyang from across the street came over holding a pink balloon.
"You two are here together, so let's go in."
He smiled and bent down to put the ribbon tied to the balloon into Huang Shengsheng's hand.
Smaller towns often have a relatively limited selection of restaurants. Aside from the popular barbecue and hotpot spots favored by young people, the rest are all local specialties. Bentong Yang's parents opened a two-story restaurant that specializes in local dishes, focusing on home cooking. It's a great location and a popular spot.
After settling the people into the private room, Wen Dongyang walked out and called He Yu.
He was in a meeting at the company and remained calm after hearing the invitation.
"Didn't I give you a birthday present?"
"I got it, but I want you to come over and eat now!" Wen Dongyang repeated patiently, reminding in a low voice, "Wan Ji is here too."
He Yu was silent for a moment, and said in a light tone, "If she doesn't want to see me, I won't go."
After he finished speaking, the call was disconnected.
Wen Dongyang was speechless, cursing He Yu at the screen, "What a lunatic! He's been looking for Chun Chun all over the place when she hasn't come back, and now that she's back, this idiot is acting all over again. A grown man is wasting his time." The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and finally, he just ignored him.
But he obviously underestimated He Yu.
The man who said he couldn't come on the phone appeared at the door of the private room in a handsome and dignified manner a short while later.
The speed is astonishing.
Wen Dongyang's eyes fixed on his slightly hastily styled hairstyle, and he raised his voice, "Didn't you say you wouldn't come?"
"I'm not here for you."
He Yu retorted softly, looking directly at the child who was swaying back and forth on the ground because he couldn't sit still. Huang Shengsheng caught his gaze, smiled and threw himself into his arms, "Uncle He, you're here!"
"Yes, uncle suddenly remembered that I forgot to give you the gift I brought you on my last business trip." The man raised his lips and picked up the gift box in his hand. His tone was gentle, "It's the Qiayang puppet you wanted, right?"
Huang Shengsheng nodded, his eyes completely focused on the box.
Tao Wanjia recognized it at a glance. It was a local specialty puppet in Qiayang. It was made of different resins from different trees, so the smell of the carved patterns varied depending on the type of tree.
She didn’t know if it was her illusion, but He Yu seemed to emphasize the word “Qieyang” a little, which sounded a bit harsh.
Fortunately, the cake that was delivered arrived at this time. She didn't have time to think about his sarcasm. She stood up, went to the door, took the cake and put it on Wendong Yang's table.
"I didn't know what to get you, so I bought you a cake."
The ribbon packaging was opened, and a hand-painted figure with the image of a policeman was painted on the light blue cream.
Wen Dongyang said politely, "Just come here, but you don't need to bring anything for me."
Having said that, he still smiled because of Tao Wanjia. After all, the four of them hadn't had such a moment in many years.
He Yu stared at the cake in a daze.
On his first birthday in Rongcheng, his parents searched the entire town but couldn't find a decent cake shop. They only had the cheapest ones, the ones with spray-painted flowers on the cream. Finally, after blowing out the candles, he thought of the rebellious girl playing on the rooftop. Wanting to please his "guardian angel," Lady Tao, he cut a piece and gave it to her.
But unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, she angrily threw the cake to the ground.
"Who wants your lousy cake?"
“Take it!”
He was frightened by her, and the cake fell to the ground, but he didn't shrink back his outstretched arm. He explained softly, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to share with you. Today is my birthday..."
"What the hell does your birthday have to do with me?"
She was watering the rows of green onions at the base of the wall with a watering can. She turned her back to him and didn't look at him, her shoulders slightly heaving.
He Yu only found out later that the day his parents died was also her birthday. These two words were like some kind of curse. Once they were said, she would inevitably be reminded of that bloody last encounter.
In the ten years they grew up together, he didn't celebrate her birthday, but every year he would give her one of his birthday wishes. He also stopped eating cake, and on every birthday, he would accompany Tao Wanji to eat something she wanted to try, sometimes it was colorless soda, sometimes it was the fewest kinds of popsicles in Rongcheng.
But on his sixteenth birthday, Tao Wanjia unexpectedly changed his usual routine and bought him a cake.
The candlelight flickered in the scorching sun, and she watched him make a wish and then observed him in the light.
"He Yu, today I noticed for the first time how long your eyelashes are. Have you heard that making a wish with eyelashes is very effective?"
He smiled and raised his hand to brush away the hair that was flying from her face. "Where did you get this heresy?"
"No, it's true."
Tao Wanjia was in a good mood and started to move towards him as he spoke.
He Yu's breathing paused slightly, and when he looked again, she was already eager to try and stretched out her hand, lightly touching him with her fingertips.
"He Xiaoyu, can I pluck out one of your eyelashes?"
"Why?"
"Because I want to make a wish. People say that wishes made with eyelashes are very effective. Since your eyelashes are so long, they must be even more effective."
He stared at her. "What is your wish?"
"I can't tell you that. If I tell you, it won't work."
"How can I let you pluck your eyelashes if you don't tell me?" He laughed teasingly, "Besides, these are my own things. I can't just give them to you for free."
"Stingy! Then I'll go ask Wen Dongyang for it. That follower seems to have very long eyelashes too."
He Yu grabbed her and said helplessly, "I didn't say I won't give it to you."
She smiled contentedly and stood on tiptoe to hold his face. "Then don't move. I want to choose one myself."
"Can you please help uncle pick a candle and put it on the cake?"
Wen Dongyang's shout pulled He Yu's thoughts back from the past.
When he looked up again, Wen Dongyang, who was wearing a birthday hat by Huang Shengsheng, was diligently moving a plate of sweet and sour pork in front of Tao Wanjia.
"This is your favorite food, put it here."
"Thank you." She smiled.
The voice was close at hand, but the smiling face in his memory had disappeared. He Yu suddenly realized that his heart felt like a ship had suddenly sunk.
His eyes passed over Tao Wanqi's drooping eyebrows, and he couldn't help but start to wonder why she was so kind to everyone else but only to him?
Wen Dongyang was also suspicious, curious about when they had met, and puzzled as to why she came to his birthday. So, the rules of "bridges are bridges, roads are roads" were only applied to him?
He Yu felt a breath stuck in his chest and couldn't breathe, so he raised his hand to pick up some food for Wen Dongyang.
"Eat your meal well, the birthday boy is so busy taking care of others that he doesn't even care about himself."
These words were extremely sarcastic, and after they were spoken, not only Wen Dongyang but also Huang Zheng cast her gaze in his direction. Both of their eyes flickered over him, a meaningful curve forming at the corner of each of their lips.
There was a moment of silence. Wen Dongyang suppressed his laughter and picked out the bones that He Yu had just picked from his bowl.
He leaned closer to him and jokingly asked, "Why are you still acting like a child?"
You're really a psychopath, even being jealous of him.
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