Chapter 350
But when Ji Wanmei ran downstairs and quickly reached the outside of the courtyard, she stood by the roadside and looked around, but she could no longer see the car and people that had just flashed by.
It was as if that scene was just a figment of Ji Wanmei's imagination.
But Ji Wanmei was absolutely certain that she had not misread it.
In front of A-Qiang's house is a long, straight street. From the moment she ran downstairs from upstairs to downstairs, it took her no more than a minute.
At this moment, there wasn't a single car at the street corner, only a few old-fashioned bicycles and a few pedestrians passing by.
Ji Wanmei stood by the roadside, looking around for a while. No cars came by. After a long silence, she turned around and walked back.
After Ji Wanmei entered the courtyard, a pickup truck slowly backed out at the corner at the end of the long street.
The person sitting in the car was none other than Lei Tingjun.
In nearly two months, he lost weight and got tanned. His strong, deep jawline became more defined, giving him a more mature and weathered look.
He held a cigarette between his fingers, but didn't smoke it; he just lit it.
White smoke rose up, blurring his deep and enigmatic face.
His gaze, silently looking through the scratched car window, landed on Ji Wanmei's slender back in the distance.
Just now, Lei Tingjun parked his car on the roadside outside A-Qiang's yard and saw Ji Wanmei standing on the balcony talking to someone.
She was holding a teacup, leaning against the balcony, looking quite cheerful, chatting and laughing with people, and seemed very relaxed.
The July sun was bright, shining on her face. Even from a distance in the courtyard, Lei Tingjun could see her smile shining.
Lei Tingjun vaguely heard what A-Qiang and Zhou Peng were saying in the courtyard. He shouted something towards the balcony, and A-Qiang's girlfriend said something to him before turning around and going downstairs.
She was left alone on the balcony, drinking tea and enjoying the breeze. A gentle breeze blew by, and she brushed her hair aside; it seemed to have grown a little longer.
Lei Tingjun felt as if the fragrance of her hair was brushing against his face, carrying the fresh scent of the shampoo she often used.
Her gaze fell on a certain spot in the courtyard, and seeing something, a hazy, gentle smile suddenly appeared on her face.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned her head toward the street outside the courtyard, probably seeing where Lei Tingjun's car was parked.
Lei Tingjun clearly noticed that she paused for a moment when she looked at him.
She put down her teacup and turned around abruptly, but Lei Tingjun had already silently looked away.
Without even pausing for half a second, he started the engine and drove the car to the corner of the intersection ahead.
There was a telephone pole there, with many tangled wires propped up on it, like towering branches in a primeval forest, or like a dense fishing net spread across the sky, blocking out even the bright sunlight, making people feel depressed and unable to breathe.
Next to the utility pole was a large tree with lush foliage, which blocked the windowsill of the second floor of the residential building. A clothesline was propped up on the windowsill, and many clothes were hanging on it.
Lei Tingjun parked his car in this corner, sat inside, and only looked through the rearview mirror at the entrance of the long street courtyard at the corner behind him.
Looking through a rearview mirror the size of a palm, the silhouette appears even smaller.
Ji Wanmei rushed out of the courtyard and stood at the door, looking around anxiously as if she were looking for someone.
Lei Tingjun stared intently at the small rearview mirror, watching the tiny figure inside. He even snapped the cigarette between his fingers.
She stood by the roadside for a few minutes, head down, looking very dejected.
Lei Tingjun irritably shoved the tobacco into the ashtray on the console, raised his hand and yanked a handful of his short hair. For a moment, he thought he could just ignore everything, open the car door and rush over to see her.
She stood by the roadside for a while, then finally turned around and went back.
The red brick wall was a long semi-circle; once you walked through the gate, you could no longer see what was inside.
***
When Ji Wanmei returned to the courtyard, they were just setting out the table and bowls, preparing for the feast.
"Hey, Wanmei, where have you been? Come on, find a table and sit down, they're about to start their meal." Zhu Shuangyan came over and pulled Ji Wanmei.
Ji Wanmei's expression was still somewhat downcast, but she smiled at Zhu Shuangyan and said, "Okay."
The local experts were all helping to serve the dishes. In these small third- or fourth-tier cities, neighbors tend to be close, and when hosting a banquet, people are quite particular about the dishes, with main dishes and elaborate meals being essential.
This is why, as expected, there were more relatives coming to A-Qiang's house today. He was eager to have the kitchen helper quickly buy groceries, otherwise there wouldn't be enough for those big dishes.
As a result, it takes several minutes to serve the dishes.
Ji Wanmei was arranged by A-Qiang to sit at a table with his most important relatives and friends. Apart from one or two people from the Thunder Transport Team, the rest were the older generation from the town, the kind who were of higher seniority.
Zhu Shuangyan's status was different, so she felt embarrassed to stay idle and went to help serve the dishes.
However, Ah Qiang still made a point of reserving a seat for her at this table.
Ji Wanmei didn't say much; she was lost in thought.
Several appetizers have already been served, all featuring unique flavors from Pingquan and even Pingdong. The main dishes are yet to come.
Ji Wanmei sat for a while, then suddenly said, "I'm going to wash my hands."
There was a restroom downstairs, but Ji Wanmei turned around and went upstairs instead.
Ji Wanmei remembered that when Zhu Shuangyan showed her around the building earlier, there was a corner balcony on the third floor that offered a view of the other side of the long street outside.
Ji Wanmei quickly went up to the third floor, to the corner balcony of the canal.
She shielded her forehead with both hands, blocking the sun's rays, and looked toward the corner at the end of the long street.
Sure enough, she saw the shady trees and telephone poles, and the rear of a familiar pickup truck flashed past that inconspicuous corner.
He's already driven away.
Ji Wanmei sighed helplessly. This big fool.
I was both angry and heartbroken.
I drove for more than three hours, so far and in such heat, just to hide in a corner and catch a glimpse of her from afar, and then silently leave.
How can there be someone as stubborn as him?
She clearly saw him just now, and then she ran out. So what if they met?
Anyway, her dad didn't come today, so he won't know.
The lonely gray pickup truck had already driven far away, but Ji Wanmei was still staring in that direction, lost in thought.
Downstairs, Zhu Shuangyan had already finished serving the dishes. Seeing that Ji Wanmei was still upstairs, she called her down to eat.
"Oh, I'm here." Ji Wanmei composed herself and went downstairs.
During the meal, Ah Qiang was probably afraid that the other brothers would gossip and reveal the relationship between Ji Wanmei and their Boss Lei, so he only arranged for Zhou Peng to sit at a table with his relatives and elders.
A-Qiang won't stay in Pingquan County for long. He's still busy with the development zone project. He'll probably finish his business today and then go back to Pingdong City with his group of brothers.
Ji Wanmei thought for a moment and decided to write a letter and have A-Qiang take it back to Lei Tingjun.
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