Chapter 12
Cheng Zhao parked his car in front of the bookstore. It was almost five o'clock, and the sun showed no sign of closing, still emitting hot steam. The thin shadow of the Chinese magnolia tree cast on the car, like a drop in the bucket. He pushed the door open and entered the store, shouting, "Shouldn't we put up a canopy at the door? At least it can provide shade for customers' cars. Wouldn't business be much better this way?" After he finished speaking, he realized that Gan Ling was not in the store. The eternally clueless Tian Miao was leaning against the tea table playing with his phone. He didn't even look up when Cheng Zhao came in. Instead, Han Xi, who was sitting at the table busy with his own work, immediately put down his needlework and came over with a smile. "Brother Cheng! Would you like a cold drink?" "Sure! Where's Boss Gan?" "She's off work." Cheng Zhao was stunned. "So early? What did she do?" "I don't know." Han Xi nudged Tian Miao, who was blocking the tea table fence, with his arm, motioning him to make way. "By the way, Sanshui, didn't your aunt ask you to bring her a drink? I'll make one for you!" "No hurry." Tian Miao said in a muffled voice. "Then you can make it yourself later!" "Okay." Han Xi glared at him unhappily, then turned to Cheng Zhao and smiled, "Brother Cheng, please sit down for a while!" Cheng Zhao said, "No hurry." He was imitating Tian Miao's tone, and Tian Miao recognized it and rolled her eyes. Cheng Zhao sat on Gan Ling's throne, his eyes scanning from left to right, not missing an inch, carefully observing the items on her desk. In the upper right corner was a pen holder, which contained several pens and pencils, as well as a stapler and glue sticks. He pulled out a pencil to look at it: 2H, HB, 2B, 3B, a wide variety. He held the 2B in his hand and played with it for a while, then glanced at Tian Miao across from him and put all the pens back. A pile of old books sat on the left corner of the table, presumably the ones Gan Ling was reading. Cheng Zhao flipped through them one by one: "History of the Southern Ming Dynasty," "Dream of Number Nine," "The Diary of Anne Frank," and "Is This a Man?" He pulled out "Is This a Man," wondering if the title was an insult. The author was Italian, Primo Levi. He opened the book, skimmed the preface—he was never impatient to read prefaces or postscripts—and went straight to the main text. "Chapter One: The Journey" On December 13, 1943, I was arrested by the Fascist Security Service… " "Are you going or not?" Han Xi's sharp voice suddenly reached his ears. Cheng Zhao turned to see Han Xi staring at Tian Miao with a cold expression. Tian Miao, with a look of reluctance, finally accepted the drink from Han Xi's hand, muttering, "I didn't say I wasn't going. Why are you so mad at me?" Cheng Zhao…
Cheng Zhao parked his car in front of the bookstore. It was almost five o'clock, and the sun showed no sign of stopping, still blazing out with heat. The thin shadow of the Luan tree cast on the car, like a drop in the bucket.
He pushed the door open and entered the store, shouting, "Shouldn't we put up a canopy at the door? At least it can provide some shade for customers' cars. Wouldn't that improve business?"
After finishing his speech, he realized that Gan Ling wasn't in the shop. Tian Miao, the ever-innocent young man, was leaning against the tea table playing with his phone. He didn't even look up when Cheng Zhao came in. Instead, Han Xi, who was busy at work at the table, immediately put down his needlework and came over with a smile on his face.
"Brother Cheng! Would you like an iced drink?"
"Okay! Where's Boss Gan?"
"She's off work."
Cheng Zhao was stunned. "So early? What were you doing?"
"have no idea."
Han Xi nudged Tian Miao, who was blocking the tea table fence, with his arm, signaling him to make way.
"By the way, Sanshui, didn't your aunt ask you to bring her a drink? I'll make one for you!"
"Don't worry." Tian Miao said in a muffled voice.
"Then you can do it yourself later!"
"Um."
Han Xi glared at him unhappily, then turned and smiled at Cheng Zhao, "Brother Cheng, please sit down for a while!"
Cheng Zhao said, "Don't worry."
He imitated Tian Miao's tone, and Tian Miao heard it and rolled his eyes to the sky.
Cheng Zhao sat on Gan Ling's throne, his eyes scanning her desk like a scanner, meticulously examining the items from left to right, not missing a single inch. In the upper right corner was a pen holder filled with pens and pencils, a stapler, and glue sticks. He pulled out a pencil and examined it: 2H, HB, 2B, 3B—a wide variety. He toyed with the 2B for a moment, glanced at Tian Miao across from him, and tucked all the pens back in.
There was a pile of old books on the left corner of the table. They should be the ones Gan Ling was reading. Cheng Zhao also flipped through them one by one: "History of the Southern Ming Dynasty", "Dream of Number Nine", "The Diary of Anne Frank", and "Is This a Human Being".
He pulled out Is This a Man, wondering if the title was a curse word. The author was an Italian, Primo Levi. He opened the book, skimmed the preface—he was never impatient to read prefaces or postscripts—and went straight to the main text.
Chapter 1: The Journey
On December 13, 1943, I was arrested by the Fascist Security Service..."
"Are you going or not?" Han Xi's harsh question suddenly rushed into his ears.
Cheng Zhao turned around and saw Han Xi staring at Tian Miao with a cold face. Tian Miao looked reluctant, but finally took the drink from Han Xi and muttered, "I didn't say I wouldn't go. Why are you so fierce?"
Cheng Zhao withdrew his gaze and was very happy in his heart. It turned out that this young man was not fearless after all. He obviously had a secret in his heart.
With a bang, Tian Miao slammed the door and went out.
"Brother Cheng! I made you watermelon iced tea! It's new!"
"Thanks! How much is it? I'll scan the code."
"No need! It's my treat."
"How can I be so embarrassed?"
Han Xi smiled and said, "You are one of our bookstore's top customers. It's only natural for me to treat you to a drink!"
Cheng Zhao looked at her chubby face and smiled, "Then I won't be polite."
Han Xi sat back in her seat. She was sewing a stuffed animal, which looked like a bear, made of a brown towel that had been cut into pieces.
"Is business good?" Cheng Zhao asked.
"Same old as always! Just waiting for Brother Cheng to come for a walk."
"I mean your online business."
Han Xi winked and said softly, "It's better than a bookstore."
Cheng Zhao smiled. "When it comes to being smart, you're much smarter than Boss Gan. You can earn money as a part-time worker, and you can also earn more money during your working hours."
"It's not easy for me either. Look how busy I am every day!" Han Xi sighed in a mature manner, turned his head, and suddenly looked mysterious, "Brother Cheng, I have something to tell you. Just listen to it. Don't spread it around."
"Oh? What's going on?"
"About Sister Ling."
Cheng Zhao quickly straightened up and said, "Go ahead."
Han Xi glanced towards the door, as if afraid that someone might be eavesdropping.
"I think Sister Ling might be in a relationship recently."
Cheng Zhao shuddered, "What do you mean?"
"I can't really explain it, it's just a feeling."
"So how do you feel?"
"She's not as focused as before. Whether she's reading or doing business, she's often startled again and again. It's as if her mind is not in the present moment, and her mind is full of other thoughts."
Cheng Zhao looked at Han Xi and asked, "Have you ever been in love?"
Han Xi shook his head, "I'm only twenty-one!"
"Not young anymore! When I was 21, I had already been heartbroken several times."
"You're amazing! I'll ask Sister Ling someday if she knows..."
"I was just kidding. Don't tell her that—I mean, your feeling might not be right. She might be in a trance because she's in love. She might be borrowing money from someone and that person won't pay it back."
"Sister Ling is not a stingy person."
"That's not necessarily true. You can only know a person's face but not his heart."
"Well, I'll ask Sister Ling tomorrow..."
"Just kidding, let's be serious, okay? I have to pick out some books later!"
Han Xi immediately stopped smiling and glanced outside the door, probably afraid that someone might come in at any time.
"I feel that Sister Ling has someone in her heart." Han Xi stared at Cheng Zhao and said softly.
Cheng Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. Could it be that night, when they were alone in a room together, that he had finally won Gan Ling's heart? He didn't know how, but besides him and that little scoundrel Tian Miao, there were no other men around Gan Ling. Tian Miao's thoughts were easy to see through, and he had nothing to do with Gan Ling. If Gan Ling fell in love again, who would it be if not him?
"Hmm..." Cheng Zhao smiled, supporting his cheek with one hand and tapping Han Xi with his finger. "Judging from your observation skills, even though you've never been in a relationship, you're definitely a love genius and can judge people accurately."
Han Xi's eyes turned strange, "I thought you would be worried!"
"What are you worried about?"
"Aren't you afraid that Sister Ling will run away with someone else?"
"other people?"
"I heard her answering the phone, calling him Mr. Song all the time. We didn't talk about books or borrowing money at all, we were just busy deciding where to meet. And every time she left work early, it was because she received a call from this Mr. Song."
The more Cheng Zhao listened, the paler his face became.
"You didn't even mention Mr. Song at the beginning. Where did this guy come from?"
"I don't know about that. Anyway, I think it's quite dangerous. Brother Cheng, is my information valuable?"
Cheng Zhao sat there with a sullen face. After a while, he said, "Go pick out twenty books for me."
"What's the price?"
“The most expensive!”
"Okay!"
Han Xi skipped off to choose a book. Tian Miao came back after delivering the drinks, glanced left and right, and then went back to lie down beside the tea table.
"Brother Cheng, do you think these books are okay?"
Han Xi placed a large pile of books in front of Cheng Zhao without even looking at them. "Check out!"
After checking out and scanning the QR code to pay, Cheng Zhao walked out with the book in hand. Han Xi shouted, "You haven't finished your iced tea yet!"
"No more drinking, I'm full!"
The bag of books was really heavy. Cheng Zhao opened the car door, slid in, and sat in the driver's seat with a sullen look on his face, not knowing where to go. He had originally wanted to ask Gan Ling out for dinner that evening, though he hadn't held out much hope. But what a surprise! She actually went out to dinner with another man.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He had no desire to do anything else, so he decided to return to Changwang New Village. He knew that no matter what Gan Ling did, she would eventually come home at night.
As he was climbing the stairs carrying the books, Cheng Zhao realized that it wasn't necessary at all; he could just leave them in the car. All the books he'd bought were stored in the office, and he'd bought a special bookshelf for that purpose. It was almost full. People who came to talk to him about business would immediately praise the shelf behind him as soon as they walked in. When they got closer, they were surprised to find that the books were all profound and ancient, with not a single financial or inspirational book. Their praise became even more heartfelt. Cheng Zhao had already asked his assistant to buy him another bookshelf.
Passing by the door of Room 302, Cheng Zhao stopped, thought for a while, and decided to knock on the door and ask the nanny Wu Juan about the situation first.
He rubbed his fingers, raised them, put them down, raised them again, lowered his fingers, and knocked them solemnly twice, then twice more. After knocking, he took two steps back, prepared his facial expression, forced a smile, and greeted Wu Juan.
The door opened, and Gan Ling was standing behind it. Seeing him, she was surprised, "Cheng Zhao? Is there something wrong?"
The smile on Cheng Zhao's face instantly changed, and he was even more surprised than Gan Ling, "Why are you home?"
"I'll come back and cook."
"Where's Wu Juan?"
"She had something going on at home and hasn't come over these past two days."
Cheng Zhao felt relieved and smiled again. He thought to himself that Han Xi had really never been in love. Or was he really good at predicting things?
His smile made Gan Ling frown slightly, "What the hell is going on? I have soup simmering on the stove!"
"Oh, nothing, I just went to the store to buy some books." He lowered his head and pointed at the bag of books to prove that he was not lying. "I wanted to invite you to dinner."
"I can't go out. It's alright, I'll get busy."
"Hey—wait!"
Cheng Zhao held the door against his will, leaned closer to Gan Ling and whispered, "I'm staying upstairs tonight. Can I have some of your food?"
While waiting for Gan Ling to feed him, Cheng Zhao answered two phone calls, took care of a few chores, and then settled into the hardwood sofa to rest. Suddenly, an idea struck him: if he came back to stay at this house more often, wouldn't that increase his chances of interacting with Gan Ling? He hadn't dared to think about it before, but now it felt like a natural progression, something he couldn't afford to waste.
With his mind made up, he immediately set to work, sweeping the floor and wiping the furniture. Cleaning up wasn't a big deal; most of the things that needed to be thrown away or moved had already been sorted out, and the main focus now was on dusting.
The furniture was adequate; a table for eating and a bed for sleeping were all that mattered. There was no bedding on the bed, so he opened the cupboard door and found a pile of cloth rolled up in the corner. He spread it out on the bed, revealing an old sheet that smelled strongly of musty dust. He coughed twice and quickly opened the window. He'd have to bring a full set of bedding next time; today, he'd have to make do. After swishing the sheet over the bed, it looked presentable, at least better than sleeping on the hardwood sofa.
He was working hard when someone knocked on the door. He ran to open it and saw Gan Ling standing at the door with a lunch box in her hand.
Cheng Zhao let her in while laughing, "I thought you would ask me to go downstairs to eat!"
Gan Ling ignored him and put the lunch box on the table. She smelled a moist smell in the air and turned to ask, "What are you doing?"
"Cleaning up!"
"Do you really want to live here?"
"How could that be false? This is my home after all."
Gan Ling said nothing, opened the lunch box, and took out dinner: a small plate of pickled cucumbers, a plate of stir-fried pork liver with green peppers, and a bowl of winter melon and pork ribs soup. The soup was served in an old-fashioned enamel cup with a peony flower printed on it.
Cheng Zhao said, "Coming back here is like stepping back 20 years. It's full of memories!"
He deliberately prolonged his voice, hoping to resonate with Gan Ling, but Gan Ling just handed him a pair of chopsticks. Cheng Zhao reached out to take them, but Gan Ling pulled back.
"Your hands are dirty, go wash them first."
Cheng Zhao rushed into the bathroom like a monkey and came out again in a few seconds, his face filled with boyish joy.
"What did you tell your dad?" Cheng Zhao pointed at the food.
"He doesn't know. He's still working."
"Writing a book?"
"Um—you can wash the dishes yourself, right?"
"Of course! I'm not an idiot."
"Then take your time eating. I'm going downstairs to accompany my dad."
Gan Ling was about to leave, but Cheng Zhao quickly stopped her, "You haven't even been here for five minutes! Please sit with me for a while before you go down! Let Teacher Gan write a few more lines."
The two sat face to face, and Cheng Zhao praised each dish highly.
"How about I go find some bowls in the kitchen and we can split it!"
"This is for you alone."
"But I feel a little embarrassed while you watch me eat."
"Then I'll go down."
"Hey, no, that's not what I meant—what's going on with Wu Juan? Isn't she a live-in nanny?"
Gan Ling frowned. "I don't know either. I went back last week, but it seems like nothing was resolved. She was called away again this afternoon. Her husband is waiting in line for surgery, and it's almost his turn. I gave her an extra 500 yuan."
"Do you want to change someone?"
Gan Ling shook her head. "She works diligently and conscientiously. It's hard to find someone like her again. If there are any difficulties, just overcome them."
"So you've been leaving get off work early lately?"
"Not old, right?"
The cell phone rang. It was Gan Ling. She glanced at Lai Xian and her expression changed. Cheng Zhao wanted to go over to see who was calling, but Gan Ling was one step ahead. She grabbed the phone, stood up, and went to the kitchen to answer it.
Cheng Zhao didn't even eat his meal, but pricked up his ears to eavesdrop. The room was very quiet, and Gan Ling's voice was crisp and sweet. He caught most of the content... Actually, there wasn't much substance, but from her tone and intonation, Cheng Zhao still heard something unusual.
Gan Ling walked out of the kitchen, and Cheng Zhao locked his eyes with her. "Mr. Song?"
"What are you doing..." Gan Ling suddenly shut up, his expression turned cold, "I'm going back."
Cheng Zhao stood up and stopped in front of her. "Are you, are you, having that thing?"
Cheng Zhao found that it was really difficult to ask the word "boyfriend". It was like a small file, harshly scraping his tongue and heart.
Gan Ling played dumb, "What what?"
"You went on a blind date?"
"It's none of your business. I'm hungry, and you let me…"
Cheng Zhao suddenly hugged her, "Gan Ling! Do you really not understand my feelings for you at all?"
Gan Ling pushed him hard, "What are you doing!"
Cheng Zhao refused to let go, fearing that if he did, there would be no hope. They struggled, and somehow, he pressed her against the wall. They panted slightly, their eyes meeting, a feeling both familiar and strange.
Gan Ling said, "Let me go, and I'll tell you."
Cheng Zhao relaxed his grip a bit, and Gan Ling lifted her wrist to check. Cheng Zhao had just used brute force, and her wrist was a little red and swollen. She glanced at him resentfully, rubbing her wrist as she said, "Yes, I met someone, and I had a good impression of him. I'm thinking of giving it a try—did you go to the store to ask about me?"
"No, I guessed."
Gan Ling snorted.
Cheng Zhao stared at her, burning with jealousy. "You'd rather try with a stranger than me. Why? Is he more satisfactory than me? Is he better at making you happy?"
"I don't need anyone to coax me..."
"So what do you want? Tell me and I'll give it to you!"
His aggressive gaze forced Gan Ling to not look him in the eye. She turned her head away and said softly, "I don't want others to be too nice to me. Don't hang around me. I can't afford it."
Cheng Zhao was stunned. "Did I put pressure on you?"
"Yes. You made me, took my breath away."
Cheng Zhao's hands drooped, and Gan Ling took the opportunity to push him away and walked towards the door. Cheng Zhao did not chase her again, but just stood there and looked at her. Gan Ling touched the door handle, paused, as if she wanted to turn around and say something, but in the end she didn't. She opened the door and left without saying a word.
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