55. He Found Her
Xu Wenqiang strolled around the night market and finally came to the ring-tossing stall.
The rules of ring tossing are simple. The boss has spread out a mix of cheap trinkets and valuable items. The trinkets go forward, the valuables go back, and the more expensive the item, the further back it goes. Five dollars for ten rings, and you take whatever you land on. It all depends on your skill.
I haven't been here for a long time, and the boss seems to have put a lot of new things.
After a quick glance, Xu Wenqiang spotted a flashlight on a stall. The streetlights near the farmers' market were too dim, so a flashlight would be a better option.
In front of her was a young mother and a little girl of five or six years old.
The little girl kept crying and wanted a plush doll, but the young mother had tried her best and bought thirty rings in a row, but failed to get the doll.
"Baby, mom will go back and buy you one. We won't use condoms anymore." The young mother was surrounded by people, her face full of panic and anxiety.
"I don't want to buy it, I want condoms. I want daddy, daddy is so great, I want daddy to put condoms on me!" The little girl made even more noise.
The young mother's face changed when she heard the word "Dad". "Your dad is dead. You don't have a dad."
"I don't want my mom, I want my dad..." A five or six-year-old child doesn't know how to read people's faces, and her greatest ability is to cry and make a fuss.
This child's crying is so annoying, Xu Wenqiang thought. If she were in Xu Yanmei's hands, a couple of slaps would surely stop her crying. But Xu Yanmei wasn't the little girl's mother; she was Xu Wenqiang's mother. There was only one Xu Wenqiang in the world, and that was enough.
"Little sister, I'll put the doll in your arms for you, don't cry." Xu Wenqiang bent down and said to the little girl.
The little girl sniffed and asked sobbingly, "Really?"
"Really." Xu Wenqiang said.
"I'll give you money to buy a circle." The young mother hurriedly gave money to Xu Wenqiang.
"That's not necessary," Xu Wenqiang said. "I just want to put on that flashlight. Even ten circles won't work."
Xu Wenqiang's tone was so loud that the young mother and the people around her had complicated expressions. Are all young people nowadays so arrogant?
The ring tossing boss handed ten rings to Xu Wenqiang and whispered, "Show mercy!"
Xu Wenqiang said, "No problem."
Xu Wenqiang did not go directly to the target at the beginning, but practiced the feel from near to far.
The ones in the first and second rows in front of you are what your boss intentionally feeds you in order to balance your frustration, so most people can fit in.
Xu Wenqiang got the first two right in a row, but no one took it seriously.
When she hit the third and fourth ones, the crowd started to get excited.
"This little girl seems to be quite capable."
"She looks like she's practiced this stance before."
…
Xu Wenqiang stared at the flashlight and threw the ring in her hand away.
The loop landed on the flashlight accurately.
“Hit again!”
“That’s awesome!”
…
Xu Wenqiang stared at the plush doll with bated breath. The background sound of the night market played in her ears, a plastic ring in her hand, and a cute doll in her eyes.
Xu Wenqiang threw out the sixth ring.
The hoop drew an arc and landed accurately on the doll's head.
Just as everyone was about to cheer, they discovered that the doll's head was bigger than the ring, so after the ring was hung on the doll's head, it stayed still for a few seconds and then began to slowly slide down.
"Mom..." The little girl pouted, as if she was about to cry again.
Suddenly, someone shouted, "It's trapped!"
"It's really trapped!"
…
It turned out that the ring slid to the end and touched the doll's ear, and was blocked by the ear.
The little girl ran out of her mother's arms and threw herself into Xu Wenqiang's arms, "Sister, you are so awesome!"
Xu Wenqiang squatted down and stretched out her face proudly, "Give me a kiss."
The little girl hugged Xu Wenqiang and kissed her several times.
After Xu Wenqiang was kissed to her satisfaction, she stroked the little girl's head and said, "Little sister, no matter what, you must remember that mommy is much more powerful than daddy. Never say 'I don't want mommy'. Mommy will be sad, understand?"
The little girl seemed to understand but still nodded.
The young mother stood behind the little girl, looked at Xu Wenqiang with wet eyes, and said "thank you".
The boss came over and gave the doll to the little girl. The little girl cheered, hugged the doll in her arms, and threw herself into her mother's arms.
"Boss, I won't use the remaining hoops." Xu Wenqiang returned the hoops in her hand to the boss.
"Oh, no!"
"It's done!"
…
The audience around were still not satisfied and started shouting.
Xu Wenqiang had no desire to perform and shouted, "Everyone wants to play their own set!"
Seeing this, everyone dispersed in disappointment.
The boss came over and handed Xu Wenqiang a plastic bag, "I'll put everything you put in there."
Xu Wenqiang took it, keeping only the flashlight and returning the rest to the boss, "I want this one."
The boss looked at Xu Wenqiang and moved his lips. Just as he was about to say something, he heard someone say, "Boss, give me ten laps."
"I'm here." The boss smiled gratefully at Xu Wenqiang and went to greet the guests.
Xu Wenqiang also glanced at the man who was trying to trap her. His pair of pitch-black eyes, like two black diamonds, stood in the bustling night market. He glanced at her as if he had accidentally seen an acquaintance and smiled at her.
"Xu Wenqiang, what a coincidence." Xiao Cheng said.
"What a coincidence, Xiao Cheng." Xu Wenqiang walked over.
It’s quite a coincidence indeed.
Xiao Cheng wandered aimlessly through most of the night market, initially finding nothing, when suddenly his attention was drawn to the sounds of cheers and applause. He glanced over there, and through the gap in the crowd, he saw a pretty head of short hair and a focused profile.
Fang Zishuo broke his promise, but she wasn't upset or sad. Instead, she was in a good mood playing ring toss. She was very skilled at it, even helping to soothe the child. She was kissed until her face was covered in saliva, and finally, she pretended to be an adult and said some heartfelt words...
He didn't meet her, he found her.
"You are here at the night market too!" Xu Wenqiang looked at Xiao Cheng and felt that his appearance was both sudden and somewhat natural. She had a strange feeling that he would appear here sooner or later.
"Yeah, just out to relax." Xiao Cheng casually threw a ring out, but caught nothing. He then threw a few more, but nothing caught.
The ring tossing boss was looking at Xiao Cheng nervously, because he seemed to be very accurate. But after seeing him throw a few, he felt relieved, stretched his body and yawned.
Before the boss finished yawning, Xiao Cheng threw out another one and caught a palm-sized plush toy.
"Great!" Xu Wenqiang clapped her hands politely.
The boss's heart was in suspense again, but fortunately Xiao Cheng only had one ring left in his hand.
Xiao Cheng held the last ring and hesitated to throw it out. The boss was embarrassed to rush him, so Xu Wenqiang said, "Xiao Cheng, throw it quickly!"
Xiao Cheng glanced at Xu Wenqiang and threw the last ring out. He decided not to ask Xu Wenqiang about Fang Zishuo tonight.
Tonight was just a chance encounter between him and her, and had nothing to do with anyone else.
Xiao Cheng's last trap missed, and the boss felt relieved. He began to comfort Xiao Cheng, saying, "It's amazing that you hit something on your first try."
Xu Wenqiang knew that Xiao Cheng played basketball, and if he really wanted to play, the things on the ground would not be enough for him.
"Hey young man, this is your trophy." The boss handed the toy to Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng immediately threw it to Xu Wenqiang and said, "This is for you."
Xu Wenqiang took the toy and looked at it carefully. "It seems a bit ugly."
Xiao Cheng had already walked forward, "What else is fun?"
Xu Wenqiang had no choice but to poke the ugly stuffed toy and follow him.
Xiao Cheng walked to a karaoke booth and stopped.
"Young man, five dollars a song, would you like to try it?" The boss handed the microphone to Xiao Cheng.
"Forget it." Xiao Cheng shook his head and turned to leave, but was stopped by Xu Wenqiang. "You sing so beautifully, sing a song!"
Xiao Cheng looked at Xu Wenqiang, still hesitant in his eyes, but finally asked, "What do you want to hear?"
"It's such a great night for eating, drinking and having fun. As long as it's not 'My Future Is Not a Dream', anything else is fine," said Xu Wenqiang.
Xiao Cheng glanced at Xu Wenqiang and said, "You want to listen, but I don't want to sing yet."
Finally, Xiao Cheng chose a song called "You in My Life" by Shuimu Nianhua.
Because I dreamed of you leaving, I woke up crying.
Look at the night wind blowing through the windowsill, can you feel my love
…
How many people have come and gone in your life?
You know I will always be by your side
…
Xu Wenqiang looked at Xiao Cheng not far away, watching him standing on the street, singing the love and pain of youth on campus.
Inadvertently, Xiao Cheng raised his head and looked at Xu Wenqiang, and his eyes never left her.
Xu Wenqiang tightly grasped the plush toy in her hand.
How many people have come and gone in your life?
You know I will always be by your side
…
All the noisy surroundings became a blur, and only the person in his eyes became clearer and clearer.
When the song ended, Xiao Cheng put down the microphone and walked towards Xu Wenqiang.
Xu Wenqiang looked at Xiao Cheng, and suddenly remembered what Xiao Yi once said. If he sang to a girl, he must be targeting her...
Xu Wenqiang blushed, turned around and fled in panic.
But Xiao Cheng pulled him back, "What's wrong?"
Xu Wenqiang hesitated, "It's too late, I have to go home."
"I'll take you home." Xiao Cheng said.
"This place is very close to my home, I can just walk back." said Xu Wenqiang.
"I'll take you there." Xiao Cheng insisted.
"Oh well."
Xu Wenqiang compromised, but she was so confused that she didn't know where to go.
"Come with me."
Xiao Cheng held Xu Wenqiang's hand, led her through the crowd and walked forward.
Xu Wenqiang looked down at their clasped hands, then looked at Xiao Cheng who was leading the way in front. All the noisy things around her became blurred again, and her heart was in turmoil.
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