6:00 AM on April 28th.
Liu Wen hurriedly washed his face and got dressed, then prepared to eat breakfast.
"Hey! Where's the food? If we don't eat soon, it'll be too late!" He yelled at the kitchen when he realized the table was empty.
His wife poked her head out from the kitchen: "What are you yelling for? What's wrong now that you're running out of time?"
"Going to work!"
"Say one more thing."
"I'm too late for work!"
"Say one more thing! You're retired, where are you going to work?"
Liu Wen was stunned for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.
Today marks his third day of retirement, but he still hasn't adapted to his new life, and this scene plays out almost every morning.
As Liu Wen sat in a wicker chair, he suddenly felt a void in his mind. He felt as if the world had lost much of its charm, as if it had lost its color and turned into black and white.
For the past three days, he felt as if he had entered a strange world. His lifestyle, which he had cultivated for many years, had been completely negated. However, it seemed that starting a completely new lifestyle was not something that could be done in a short time. This made him feel uncomfortable and out of place.
"When you have nothing to do, go outside for a walk, go to the park and practice Tai Chi or go for a run with other old men."
His wife gave him another bad idea.
"Why do you always make me get involved with those old men?"
Liu Wen was annoyed by people calling him an old man. He was only 55 years old and felt that he was still young and could still keep going.
"Hey! Look at you, so self-important. You act like you're not an old man anymore. What gives you the right to look down on other old men? If you're not an old man, why did you retire?"
He was a man of great influence outside the home, but had little say at home.
Not to mention that your wife has never listened to his nonsense in her entire life, now even your married son and married daughter don't listen to her anymore.
Liu Wen began to doubt whether his life was a failure.
"Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep!"
His pager went off.
Liu Wen took off his pager and saw an unfamiliar number.
"I'm going out to answer a page, then I'll go to a street stall to buy some breakfast. I won't be eating at home."
After saying that, Liu Wen went out of his house and went to a public phone booth on the street to return the call.
"Mr. Liu! How have you been these past few days? I heard you've been having a pretty tough time?"
A familiar voice came through the phone, and Liu Wen's heart inexplicably lit up.
"You're too small! Are you calling to express your schadenfreude, or to mock me?"
"Mr. Liu! You're being too polite. Do you think I would laugh at you?"
"Yes!" Liu Wen answered affirmatively without any hesitation.
“Mr. Liu! I can tell from your tone that your resentment is about to explode. And the temperature in Guangzhou is quite high. You might explode at any time.”
"You little brat! Why don't you want me to be happy? Why don't you explode?"
"Haha! Mr. Liu! May is the time when the weather in the north is cool and the temperature is pleasant. I think you should change your environment and get some fresh air and water. So I strongly suggest you come here. Our band is planning a tour in the three northeastern provinces. Would you like to join us for a bit of fun?"
"Are you going on tour?"
"Yes! All the formalities have been completed. Our band is currently selecting and rehearsing the songs we will perform on this tour. We've almost finished rehearsing them all. We'll be setting off in the middle of this month. After our first performance in Lianwan City, we'll be performing in Songyang, Changchun, Harbin, and Qiqihar."
Liang Liang made up some nonsense on the phone.
The tour is not exactly a pipe dream, but it's definitely uncertain right now.
He was just fooling Liu Wen.
"We're not only going on tour, but we're also hosting the Ocean Rhyme Music Festival in June. How about coming over and have some fun?"
Although Liang Liang was trying to fool Liu Wen, he didn't mention the audio-visual company at all.
Once we can lure Liu Wen to Lianwan, things will be much easier.
Liu Wen was genuinely tempted. Since retiring, even though it had only been three days, he felt that Guangzhou was becoming increasingly unfriendly to him, and he felt more and more unfamiliar and uncomfortable in the city.
Seeing that Liu Wen didn't respond on the phone, Liang Liang concluded that he was interested.
"Mr. Liu! I'll have Han Chui come to pick you up personally, so don't wander off and get lost."
To avoid Liu Wen's objection, Liang Liang hung up the phone after saying this.
Liu Wen was speechless. "I never said I was going to the north!"
After hanging up the phone, Liang Liang called Han Chui over and assigned him this arduous task.
After understanding Liang Liang's meaning, Han Chui immediately made preparations to go to Guangzhou.
Liu Wen didn't take the phone seriously after hanging up. He found a breakfast stall, ate some breakfast, and then strolled around the park. He wandered aimlessly until noon, and when he got home, he saw Han Chui.
Liu Wen thought he was seeing a ghost in broad daylight and rubbed his eyes several times before he was sure that he was seeing a person.
After figuring out Han Chui's purpose, Liu Wen was speechless.
Are these guys just too impatient for the beans to rot? They're way too hasty!
The next morning, Liu Wen bid farewell to his children and wife and followed Han Chui by plane to Lianwan.
Liang Liang personally went to the airport to pick up Liu Wen and take him to the music school.
"Hey! The tour doesn't start until August? You little rascal, you're lying to me! Got a stick? I'm going to break your legs!"
Despite saying this, Liu Wen didn't go looking for a stick. Instead, he watched the changes at the music school with great interest.
The last time he came to the music school, this building on the west side wasn't finished yet; now it's already in use.
Today is Wednesday, and music is coming from all the classrooms on the third floor.
"If you're going to use this building on the west side as a music school, then what are you going to do with this building on the east side?"
The building on the east side has already been built to two stories and is currently in the concrete curing period. Therefore, apart from a few workers doing the curing, there are no other workers, making it very quiet.
"Once this building is completed, Haiyun Audio-Visual Company will be established in this building."
"Oh! You're really planning to start a music and audio company?"
"Of course! So much money has been transferred to your Pacific Ocean, do you know how I feel?"
Liu Wen laughed heartily: "Haha! I know why you brought me here, kid!"
"So what do you mean, sir?"
"It doesn't mean anything now. I've heard that there are many famous scenic spots in the north that make people linger. I don't know if it's true or not."
Liang Liang felt a wave of contempt: Why didn't you just say I wanted to see the scenery of your North? Why go through all this trouble?
"Our northern region boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, and is rich in talented people and natural beauty. It has countless enchanting landscapes. Han Chui! I'm entrusting the task of enjoying the scenery with you, Mr. Liu."
Of course, it's impossible to travel all over Northeast China; just enjoy the scenery of the Lianwan area.
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