In the evening, in the banquet hall of Ruyi Restaurant.
The cups clinked and the cheers were like thunder.
Xie Dongyang's face turned red from drinking, and he smiled from ear to ear. He patted everyone on the shoulder and called them brothers.
Since taking over this project, all the pressure he had been carrying for more than a year disappeared on this day. Moreover, the greater the pressure I had before, the more confident I feel now.
Their Xiyang Real Estate is now the thumb of the city!
Ruan Xi was naturally very happy that the house was selling so well. Although not as exaggerated as Xie Dongyang, she also drank a lot of wine, and her face was also flushed, and the corners of her mouth never had a chance to fall from beginning to end.
After the banquet, Ling Yao came to pick her up.
Ruan Xi got into the car, leaned back in the chair, turned to look at him, and said with a drunken smile: "I made a lot of money again."
Ling Yao leaned over to help her fasten her seat belt, "I heard that it was sold out in an hour."
Ruan Xi raised her hand and hooked it around his neck. Unlike in front of others, she blinked slowly, letting out the pride in her heart. She looked at Ling Yao and asked, "Am I...very good?"
Ling Yao looked at her and replied: "Yeah, very impressive, rich woman."
Ruan Xi laughed happily, "The rich woman allows you to kiss her."
Ling Yao smiled and kissed her on the lips. Seeing that she didn't let go and her eyes were full of drunken mist, he kissed her for a while longer. The place where the car was parked was relatively hidden, and it was dark, so there was no need to worry about being seen by others.
After a moment, the headlights came on and the car started on the road.
Ruan Xi felt a little sleepy, so she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes to rest. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the car suddenly stopped. She thought she was home, but when she opened her eyes she found she was still on the road.
I turned around again and saw two traffic policemen standing outside the car window.
The traffic police looked at Ling Yao and asked, "Have you been drinking?"
Ruan Xi was stunned for a moment - Huh? Are there still drunk driving checks in this day and age?
Ling Yao naturally replied: "No."
The traffic police took out a breathalyser and said, "Blow it."
Ling Yao blew into the alcohol tester.
The traffic policeman looked at the instrument and said, "Drank it."
Ling Yao: "Impossible?"
Traffic police: "How can that be impossible? Your car reeks of alcohol."
Ruan Xi said at the side: "He really didn't drink it, I drank it."
Traffic police: "There's nothing wrong with my instrument."
He said, no longer nagging, "Fine fifty."
Ruan Xi wanted to continue arguing, but Ling Yao suddenly remembered something and stopped her from arguing with the traffic police.
He took out his wallet, opened it, and handed the traffic police fifty yuan.
As the car started to move, Ruan Xi looked at him and said, "His instrument must be broken. A fine of fifty yuan is a lot. Fifty yuan... can buy... can buy thirty kilograms of pork!"
Ling Yao couldn't help but laugh, "It should be fine."
Ruan Xi: "You didn't drink."
Ling Yao looked at her and suddenly laughed, "You drank it."
What does it mean?
Ruan Xi looked at him with blank eyes and thought for a while. Due to the effect of alcohol, his brain thinking became slow. Then, when the car entered the alley and was almost home, she suddenly realized, "I...you...that..."
What a sin!
One year later.
The rising sun climbed over the roof.
The silhouettes of the stone lions in front of the courtyard gate are elongated.
The red door opened from the inside, and Ruan Xi, wearing a simply cut shirt-style dress, stepped over the threshold in high heels, holding a simple and elegant small leather bag in her hand. She turned around and waited for Ling Yao to lock the gate.
After locking the door, the two men walked to the car, opened the door, got in, and drove out of the alley.
Ruan Xi looked at the alley ahead and said, "Another couple has achieved the feat of having a baby."
She and Ling Yao are now going to attend a wedding banquet - the full moon banquet of Xie Dongyang and Wen Xiao's baby.
The banquet was scheduled for noon, and they left home a little early, so they did not go to the restaurant where the banquet was held immediately. Instead, they drove to Xie Dongyang's house first to see the children.
The one-month-old baby is wrapped in a swaddle, with a fair and tender face and two white, tender and chubby hands. Ruan Xi held him in her arms, and her heart melted every time she saw him smile.
Wen Xiao asked her: "You don't want it yet?"
Ruan Xi looked at her and smiled and whispered, "We are preparing."
Today, her fashion company's ready-to-wear business has been fully established. Both Rose Pavilion and Shengfang are well-known brands in China, and the custom-made clothing business has a relatively stable customer base.
Last year, Xiyang Real Estate Company won its first battle and made a lot of money, and the company has also gotten on the right track.
Her career has almost stabilized, and all that's left is to move forward step by step. Besides, she and Ling Yao have been living in their own world for five or six years, so it's time to change their family structure.
Now that I had some free time, I naturally started to think about this matter seriously.
Wen Xiao smiled and said, "Hurry up, it's a good time to play with our Doudou."
Ruan Xi smiled, "Okay."
After playing with Doudou at Xie Dongyang's house until almost noon, everyone went to the banquet together. Just like when Xie Dongyang got married, Ruan Xi didn’t know any of their relatives and friends, so after the meal she exchanged some pleasantries and left.
The two drove around outside and then went to Ruan Cuizhi's house to see Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua.
After chatting with Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua, they naturally stayed for dinner in the evening.
It was a rare Sunday when there was nothing to do, so Ruan Changsheng and Qian Chuan took Ruan Dabao out to play today, so Ruan Cuizhi did not invite their family over, nor did she invite Ruan Jie. When the meal was ready in the evening, we sat down to eat.
During the meal, Ruan Cuizhi said to Ruan Xi, "By the way, Xiaoxi, your grandfather received a call from his hometown yesterday, saying that they were going to relocate people from the mountain, and that they would not be allowed to live there or farm anymore."
Hearing this, Ruan Xi was slightly stunned, "Relocation?"
Ruan Zhigao nodded and said, "They said they were going to build a dam and all the villages would have to be relocated."
Ruan Xi didn't say anything, and Ruan Cuizhi continued, "In a place like the mountains, you can't get much money for demolition. It's already very good to be able to exchange houses for houses and land for land. We have nothing in our hometown. The house and land were given to your second uncle and second aunt at that time, so we don't plan to go back. But the old tailor's house, Xiaoxi, do you want to go back and take a look?"
Ruan Xi lowered his brows and thought for a moment, then said, "Then I'll go back and take a look."
If I don’t go back this time, I won’t be able to go back even if I want to in the future. The villages and people there will disappear, and all traces of their lives there will disappear in the mountains and forests.
Although I have never thought about going back to live in Beijing since I came there, I still couldn't help feeling sad when I heard such news. After all, it is the place where they grew up and it is a root in their hearts.
If Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua were not too old to travel back and forth, they would actually be the ones who wanted to go back and take a look the most. After all, they had lived in the mountains all their lives and had originally thought of being buried in the mountains after they died.
Go back and take a look, that's where her life began.
I get home in the evening, wash up and lie down on the bed.
Ruan Xi looked calm, blinked slowly and said, "I didn't expect that there would be demolition in the mountains."
Ling Yao looked at her and said, "I'll go back with you."
Ruan Xi turned her head and asked, "Do you have time?"
Ling Yao said: "The hospital is not too busy recently, I can take a leave."
Ruan Xi looked at Ling Yao, thinking that he probably wanted to go back and take a look. After all, he had never been back since he left Fengming Mountain and returned to the city in 1976.
Since he wanted to go, Ruan Xi nodded at him, "Okay."
Three days later, Ruan Xi, who had freed up some time, and Ling Yao, who had taken a leave, carried their suitcases and boarded the train back to Fengming Mountain. The train was noisy and messy. Two people squeezed into their seats, chatting and looking at the scenery outside the window.
Ruan Xi said to Ling Yao: "I haven't been back for many years. I don't know what it's like now."
Ling Yao said: "I have been here longer than you, and I miss those days a lot."
Ruan Xi looked at him and smiled, "Do you miss me?"
Ling Yao looked at her and nodded, "Indeed, most of it is you. It seems that there is nothing to miss when you are not around."
Ruan Xi still smiled: "Fortunately we are together, otherwise you would miss me for the rest of your life, right?"
Ling Yao squeezed her hand into his palm and said, "Well, it's good that we meet again."
The train moved forward one stop at a time and arrived at Tianfeng Town in the evening.
Taking the train was too torturous, so Ruan Xi and Ling Yao naturally did not go to the mountains immediately. They went to the guesthouse to put down their luggage and wash up, then went out for a walk around the town and looked at the small town in their memory.
Compared with more than a decade ago, Tianfeng Town has hardly changed much in appearance. It is still almost the same as before, but has become more dilapidated and there are fewer people on the streets.
The reason why there are few people is naturally because working away from home has become a trend in this era. Young people cannot make money in the countryside, so all of them go out to work and earn money. Most of the people left at home are the elderly and children.
The town is not big, and it doesn't take long to walk around.
After Ruan Xi and Ling Yao finished their shopping, they finally sat down at a noodle stall and ordered two bowls of dandan noodles.
While waiting for the noodle stall owner to come up, Ruan Xi smiled and said, "Remember? The first time we came to town to buy wine for Master, we also had a bowl of dandan noodles here. I still remember you said you couldn't eat spicy food."
Ling Yao remembered it better than she did. She pinched his face and said he was so young.
It was at that time that he said he would take her to his house if he had the chance.
Thinking back on it now, it seems like a lifetime ago. At that time, he had never thought that he would be able to leave Fengming Mountain and return to the city, nor had he ever thought that he would be able to really bring Ruan Xi to visit his home.
I never expected that with the changes in the world, all my dreams would come true.
He replied to Ruan Xi: "Now I can eat spicy food very well."
And yes, I love spicy food.
The two chatted while eating noodles at the noodle stall. They had originally planned to go back to the guesthouse to rest, but they unexpectedly learned that a movie was being shown on the playground of Tianfeng Middle School that night. So the two of them changed direction and went to Tianfeng Middle School.
People's enthusiasm for watching movies nowadays is not as strong as it was in the 1970s. After all, fourteen or fifteen years have passed. Times are changing and some people in the town have already bought televisions.
Ruan Xi and Ling Yao naturally didn't have much enthusiasm for the movie itself, they just missed the past, so they stood behind the crowd to join in the fun. Watching a movie is secondary; watching the movie together and reminiscing about the past is the main thing.
They talked about how they happened to be watching a movie that night when they ran into the town. The two of them arrived late, so they climbed up the old locust tree behind the town to watch the movie. Ruan Xi was so tired after walking on the mountain road for two days that he fell asleep hugging a tree.
On the way back to the guesthouse, Ruan Xi looked at Ling Yao and asked, "That night you were the one who held me up in the tree, so I didn't fall off? And you also kept your hand under my face?"
Ling Yao nodded at her and said softly, "Yeah."
Ruan Xi looked at him and blinked, "Wow, you are so warm at such a young age. It's really worth it that I love you so much."
Ling Yao laughed, "Thank you, sister, for loving me back then."
Hearing this, Ruan Xi couldn't help laughing and said, "But you never treated me as your sister for a day. Did you have any impure thoughts about me at that time, right?"
Because he looked like a child and was very young at the time, she never thought much about it. She treated him as her younger brother and friend, and holding hands and leaning against each other's shoulders was considered the most normal behavior among children.
But now if I think about it again, boys and girls aged thirteen or fourteen already have thoughts in that regard.
Ling Yao looked at her and said after a moment: "Can you say that?"
Ruan Xi pursed her lips to hold back her laughter for a while, then pinched his arm, "I knew it! On the surface, he looks like a good kid, simple, gentle and cute, but in fact, he has a lot of thoughts in his mind!"
Ling Yao felt pain from her pinching, and smiled as he took her hand away and pinched it, then continued, "Not much, just a very simple thought, I like you, I want to see you every day, and I am very happy to see you."
They have been together for such a long time, but when Ruan Xi heard him say these words without any embellishment, she still felt a sweet feeling in her heart. Because she knew that every word he said came from his heart.
The two walked forward hand in hand, feeling the evening breeze of the small town, and occasionally looking up at the stars in the sky.
Ruan Xi and Ling Yao stayed in the town for one night, had breakfast in the town the next morning, and then carried their suitcases to the mountains. They walked along the mountain road that they were all familiar with, heading towards the Jinguan Village in their memories.
In recent years, he has been busy studying and working in the city and has not had much time for exercise. So after walking down a mountain road, Ruan Xi felt more tired than when he came back before. It was not as easy as before when he climbed the mountain.
She told Ling Yao: "I haven't climbed a mountain for a long time, or I'm getting old."
Ling Yao looked at her and smiled, "I'll carry you for a while."
Ruan Xi simply waved her hand at him, "That's not necessary."
She said no, but when she was exhausted and gasping for breath, Ling Yao still recited a few passages for her.
When he sat down to rest, Ruan Xi sat on a rock and drank water while saying, "No, I still have to exercise."
Even if there are no mountains to climb, I will insist on running every night when I go back.
Although she was tired, she did not slow down.
In order to reach the village earlier, we continued on our journey even after night fell. We stopped to rest late at night, sat on a rock, looked at the moon above our heads, and counted the stars in the sky.
Just as Ruan Xi was leaning on a rock and looking up at the moon to catch his breath, Ling Yao suddenly said, "I remember, is there a natural hot spring nearby?"
Hearing this, Ruan Xi lowered his gaze and looked around.
She also remembered it, looked at Ling Yao and said, "It seems to be here."
After saying this, the two of them immediately reached a tacit understanding and immediately picked up their suitcases to find a hot spring.
After successfully finding the hot spring with the sound of gurgling water, Ruan Xi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm going to go down and take a bath."
After saying that, she took off her long-sleeved jacket without saying a word, took off her shoes and socks and placed them on a dry stone beside her, then went into the water wearing her suspender dress and walked slowly into the water.
Her dress and hair were half wet. She turned to look at Ling Yao and called him, "Come down."
Ling Yao sat down beside the stone and looked at Ruan Xi: "Are you sure you want to take a bath together?"
Ruan Xi didn't waste time talking to him. She came over and stretched out her hand to pull him into the water. She pulled him into the water and soaked his whole body. She wiped the water from her eyes and blinked, saying, "After walking on the mountain road for so long, I don't believe you can do anything else."
Ling Yao stood in front of her, all wet. He saw her hair dripping with water, her whole body soaked, and her face also wet. After looking at each other for a moment, he didn't say anything more. He just put his arms around her waist, lifted the back of her head, and lowered his head to cover her mouth.
Ruan Xi: “!!”
"You are really capable and you really dare."
Bathed in the morning glow, Ruan Xi and Ling Yao held hands and continued on their way to Jinguan Village.
Because of the short rest time, the two arrived at Jinguan Village around four o'clock in the afternoon. In the past, going back to the village was like going home, so I was always very happy every time I came back, but this time I felt more of nostalgia.
There is no one they care about here anymore, only the scenes where they once lived together.
Ruan Xi did not go to see Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui on purpose. She and Ling Yao stayed in Jinguan Village and went to the brigade headquarters of Jinguan Village to find Secretary Wang first. They confirmed the demolition with him and signed a demolition agreement.
The compensation is very little because the land where they lived has to be returned to the mountains and forests instead of being used for planning and construction.
The next day, Ruan Xi and Ling Yao wandered around the mountain all day. When they saw acquaintances, they greeted them with a smile and exchanged a few words. At present, some people in the mountains have moved away, and with the young people going out to work, there are not many people to be seen in the village.
Ruan Xi and Ling Yao took photos of many places where they had lived and played before - old houses with smoke rising from cooking fires, golden terraced fields, old buffaloes wagging their tails, hillsides where pigs were grazing, and dilapidated and shaky stilt houses...
Due to limited time, Ruan Xi and Ling Yao only stayed in the mountains for one day, taking photos and visiting the old tailor and Da Mi.
When she left the next day, Ruan Xi hired two people from Jinguan Village to help her carry her things down the mountain.
She took away an old item from the tailor shop - the old tailor's old sewing machine.
As Ruan Xi followed the sewing machine down the mountain road, he looked back from time to time, and a picture kept appearing in his mind -
The old tailor was sitting in a sedan chair and being carried by someone, smoking his pipe leisurely, while she, with two big black braids and a schoolbag on her back, followed the sedan chair and walked slowly on the mountain path.
If you meet someone, they will greet you with a smile: "Little tailor, come and make clothes with me, the old tailor?"
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