"Old Pu, I haven't seen you for half a year, and you're still as charming as ever." The man at the door said to Old Pu with a hearty smile.
Old Pu squinted his eyes and looked carefully for a long time before he recognized who it was. He walked to the door in a few steps, stretched out his arms and gave the man a big hug: "Hey, look at me, I didn't even recognize my own brother. Old Hu, why are you here?"
"I missed you. I happened to be in K City on a business trip, so I stopped by to see you." Lin Yi put his arm around Lao Pu's shoulders in a familiar manner, and raised his other hand holding the handbag upwards: "I brought you some specialties from Beijing City specially for you."
Lao Pu's eyes lit up: "You went to Beijing?" After asking, he found that Lao Hu was actually wearing a decent new set of clothes and new leather shoes. His hairstyle was not as messy as before, but rather straight and energetic. Not only did he wear a thick gold chain around his neck, but he also wore a watch on his wrist that looked very valuable.
"Old Hu, great! You've become rich! Come on, let's go out and find a place to have a drink. Tell me about your way to get rich." He took the handbag from Lin Yi and handed it to the fat man next to him: "Put it on my bed."
Lin Yi took two steps back before saying, "Okay, let's go to the hotel where I'm staying. I heard that foreigners like the Western food there."
"Eat Western food?" Lao Pu licked his lips, feeling a bit helpless: "Should I change into a suit? I don't have one."
Lin Yi waved his hand and said, "That's nothing. I can just take you to buy a set."
Lao Pu: "That's right. There's a vegetable market behind this construction site. There are several clothing stores in the market. It's not far away. Let's go pick out something. I haven't had any Western food yet."
Lin Yi smiled but said nothing. He walked out of the construction site gate and came directly to a shiny black car. He pressed the remote key and it unlocked with two beeps. Lin Yi opened the driver's door and said to Lao Pu, who was open-mouthed in surprise, "What are you standing there for? Get in the car."
Old Pu's hands and feet were all twisted. He sat in the car for a long time without saying a word. After driving a long way, he realized: "Oh, I'm wrong, this is not the way to the vegetable market."
Lin Yi said calmly, "That's right. Why go to the vegetable market? There's a big shopping mall next to the hotel where I live. They have all kinds of brands of clothes."
Lao Pu said shyly: "You came too suddenly. I just came out in a hurry and didn't have much money in my pocket."
Lin Yi: "I came to visit you, so how can I ask you to spend money?"
Lao Pu rubbed his hands, feeling a little embarrassed: "That's not appropriate, you say. Next time, next time, you must let me do it."
Lin Yi: "Okay, I'll let you treat next time."
Lao Pu relaxed, his body less tense. He looked around the car's interior. "Lao Hu, when did you learn to drive? This car isn't cheap, is it? Did you buy it?"
Lin Yi turned the steering wheel skillfully, and the car turned the corner and arrived at Hilton Commercial Plaza. As soon as it stopped, a doorman came to open the car door for them. After getting out of the car, Lin Yi threw the keys to the parking doorman and walked towards the mall entrance.
Old Pu hesitated to move forward. The place was magnificent and everyone coming in and out was dressed in fancy clothes and wearing jewelry. He even saw a few foreign women with blue eyes and high noses. Before he even reached the door, he felt a little timid.
He called out to Lin Yi in a low voice: "Old Hu, Old Hu."
Lin Yi looked back at him curiously. Seeing him waving at him, he could only take a few steps back: "Why don't you leave? We're already here, it's right inside."
Old Pu twisted his body uncomfortably, tugged at his sweaty clothes, and said to Lin Yi, "Forget it, forget it. I, Old Pu, don't have a precious stomach, so I'm destined not to be able to eat that foreign stuff. Let's just find an ordinary Northeastern restaurant, ask the chef to cook a few dishes, and stew a chicken with hazel mushrooms, and then just drink a couple of bottles of wine."
Lin Yi turned around and pointed at the big shopping mall behind him: "Are you really not going in?"
Lao Pu grabbed him and said, "No, no, hey, young man, give us back the car keys. We have something to do today. Come back tomorrow."
The doorman smiled and respectfully handed the keys back to Lin Yi, bowed, and watched them drive away.
Old Pu sat in the passenger seat, looking back, and sighed to Lin Yi, "The places where rich people hang out are really different. They're not like those old ladies at the supply and marketing cooperative back there, who all look down on people. Even the doorman here is so handsome. Did you see that? He even bowed to us, hehehe."
Lin Yi looked at his excited expression in the rearview mirror, smiled, and said nothing. For the rest of the journey, Old Pu seemed to have suddenly turned on his chatterbox, chattering non-stop.
Finally, they went to a Northeastern restaurant. Lao Pu took a sip of white wine and said happily, "When it comes to eating, we still have to eat our Northeastern cuisine. It's generous, tasty, and affordable!"
Lin Yi filled his glass again: "Yes, those foreign things are just for show. I can't get used to them. They are not as delicious as the steamed buns we used to bake with chopsticks on the stove."
Old Pu was even happier when he heard him say that. To be honest, Lin Yi's performance today had made him worried. But after a few drinks, he was sure that Old Hu was still the same Old Hu!
He raised his glass and said, "Old Hu, come on, tell me what you've been busy with lately. If you have any way to make money, you have to guide me."
Lin Yi raised his glass and clinked it with his. "What kind of wealth are you making? You're just making a living. You can't compare to me, brother. You're so successful wherever you go. I haven't seen you for half a year, and you seem to be getting richer."
Lao Pu patted his bulging belly proudly, but he didn't forget to retort, "You're being unrealistic, aren't you? Don't forget who took you in? You lived in my house for over a year, almost two years. I didn't miss out on anything to eat or drink, did I? Now that you're rich, do you have the nerve to eat alone?"
After hearing what he said, Lin Yi filled his glass with wine again and apologized to him repeatedly, but he just refused to reveal his way of making money, which made Lao Pu feel even more uncomfortable.
As they talked back and forth, Lao Pu got drunk.
When I woke up and opened my eyes, I found myself in a cold and unfamiliar environment.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
