Chapter 48
On this day, Tong Yufei and Mo Daoyan both got off work early and cooked dinner together in the kitchen.
She cooked a pot of loofah, shrimp and tofu soup, and the aroma filled the whole house. Mo Daoyan cooked black pepper beef tenderloin pasta, and when serving it, he specially placed a star on the edge of the plate with blanched broccoli. He also opened a bottle of Huadiao wine, which was soaked with plums and ice cubes. It had been boiled in warm water and refrigerated for 35 minutes. It tasted very refreshing.
"That new refrigerator you released is selling really well, right? Several of my colleagues have upgraded to the same model." She took a piece of broccoli and sipped the sweet, rich Huadiao wine. "It's worth celebrating."
Just take the newspaper's refrigerator customers, for example. She also played a key role in their success. Before Xinli Company released its new product, R&D staff gave each customer a prototype. After trying it out, she summarized several of the refrigerator's advantages, mentioning them casually in conversations with colleagues. Examples include, "It uses only one kilowatt-hour of electricity a day, while the previous model with the same power uses at least two more," or "It maintains precise and uniform temperature and humidity, allowing cabbages to sit for a week without wilting." Each remark was truly insightful. Perhaps because she rarely spoke so freely, everyone became interested in this exceptional refrigerator, and many inquired about her supply.
She didn't intend to take credit for these little things to Mo Daoyan. After all, they were too insignificant to mention. Besides, that refrigerator was indeed easy to use. Later, its sales continued to rise, relying on word-of-mouth reputation.
"Celebrating sales is the company's mission," Mo Daoyan said as he sprinkled cheese powder on the pasta. "Isn't the wine what you want to drink?"
It turned out that he was trying to make it up to her. That day at the Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, he not only refused her invitation to drink, but also left her there alone. However, she was in a good mood at the time and didn't feel disappointed, let alone care about it. "I'm reporting on 'Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier' and have some work dealings with Chen Jueyao. I heard from my colleagues that she is sick. Grandma is sick. Professor Chen and his wife are here to visit her. Should we go to the Chen family to see her?"
Her first assignment was to cover the story "Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier." No matter how reluctant she was, she felt relieved by her mission as a journalist. Five years later, she revisited the old spot and joined the Municipal Song and Dance Troupe. The theater where she had interviewed that year had been completely refurbished: the black rock roof had been replaced with a red and gray scheme. The deputy director who had visited her in the hospital had retired, but the plump lady in the logistics department with a singing voice was still there. She had lunch in the cafeteria, and the lady said she was too thin and frail, but that she needed strength to dance well, so she added two chicken legs to her plate.
The person in charge of receiving her was Director Xiao from the External Relations Department, who was just an ordinary employee in the Theater Department that year. Director Xiao once spoke up for Tong Wan and saved Tong Wan from being imprisoned, but he no longer remembered Tong Yufei. This was not surprising. Every year, there were countless candidates who went "crazy" because of failing the exam, and she was just one of them.
When interviewing the creative team of "Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier", the focus was on exploring the artistic perception of the heroine Chen Jueyao, but she searched everywhere in the troupe and couldn't find her. She asked Director Xiao and was told that Chen Jueyao had taken a half-month leave due to illness, and the leave was taken a week ago. If she wanted to interview him, she could only go to her home. Due to the absence of the leading actor, the latest show of "Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier" was also postponed.
Before coming, she'd looked up information about the play before and after its release. Chen Jueyao had performed five shows in a row, rehearsing and performing every time. With the sudden cancellation, she feared he was seriously ill. Would he carry the show alone, or find a replacement? It was a news point worth digging into, but this interview was for official business, and a visit to the Chen family without prior arrangement was out of the question. However, since it wasn't a holiday, she could make some dim sum and use the excuse of visiting an elder during the holiday.
In the past, because of Chen Ruchao, she would deliberately avoid dealing with the Chen family. Now that she has an interview mission, she has to balance official and private matters. She can't find a suitable reason to visit them by herself, but it's different with Mo Daoyan. Even if he just has a sudden urge to eat the dumplings made by his master's wife, he can still visit them with a legitimate reason.
Seeing that he didn't respond, she continued, "The illness could be serious or minor. What if..."
Mo Daoyan gave her a portion of the noodles he had prepared: "Nothing unexpected, she's not sick."
"Why did she ask for leave if she wasn't sick? The performances were all suspended because of her." Tong Yufei asked, "Hasn't she always regarded art as her life? Is there anything more important than life that forced her to ignore the performance?"
Mo Daoyan didn't want to talk more: "Qiao Zhuocheng invites everyone to the karaoke bar tomorrow. Do you want to go?"
"think."
"Chen Jueyao won't go."
"It has nothing to do with her. I'll go only if you go." She picked up a chopstick of noodles and said, "The noodles are delicious."
He looked up at her, his eyes seemed to penetrate her thoughts: "Why can't you just say it directly?"
She met his gaze: "What?"
"You said you wanted to dig up more information about Chen Jueyao, so you wanted to go to the karaoke bar with me. Being smart is annoying, but when you act stupid too much, you become really stupid."
She lowered her head to eat noodles and said unhappily, "You don't believe me. I want to dig up news, but that doesn't mean I don't have sympathy."
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Just a few years ago, disco was still considered the frivolous activities of frivolous hooligans. However, with the reform and opening-up policy, Chinese and Western cultures have fully merged and collided, and conservative attitudes have long since faded. This French import has been embraced to the fullest extent possible, sweeping the country. Stylish young people in floral shirts and afros can be seen everywhere on the streets, dancing to the music with ecstasy. University dances offer innovative group dance routines, and parks are a popular destination for seniors, who are transforming Eastern Tai Chi into Western disco exercises to strengthen their bodies.
The Blue Ocean KTV chose to close on the weekend when it had the largest customer flow this week. The owner Qiao Zhuocheng invited many friends to get together. The dance party was originally scheduled to start at 7 o'clock. Mo Daoyan arrived an hour late because he had to take his grandmother to a checkup. Tong Yufei went to the city song and dance troupe to experience life, and the time of his visit is yet to be determined.
Qiao Zhuocheng went out to greet him personally, and as soon as they met he complained, "Originally I only invited Tong Zhaoyang, but I felt it was impolite to invite only the brother and not the sister, so I invited Ji Xilin as well. My God, they've let a wolf into the house! I was kind enough to teach her to dance, but this old-fashioned woman not only has bad steps, but she stepped on my feet twice and even pretended to accidentally break three bottles of wine and two fruit plates. She's simply my nemesis."
Mo Daoyan saw through Qiao Zhuocheng's tricks at a glance: "Senior Sister Ji has a bad relationship with my father. She works all day and works overtime. It's rare for her to come out and relax. She always takes advantage of soft tactics and doesn't tolerate hard tactics. She would even smash a store, not to mention something worth a few hundred dollars. You should avoid provoking her. But you teased Senior Sister Ji like this, and Tong Zhaoyang was watching right there? You have the time to act like a big brother to others, but you forget your duty as a younger brother. You are really good."
"I'm the one who's suffering now, while his sister hasn't suffered a single loss. What's going on? Are you planning to combine forces with the siblings to destroy my business?" Qiao Zhuocheng keenly sensed the hidden meaning in Mo Daoyan's words. "Who does Tong Zhaoyang want to be his brother to? The girl from your company? Have I ever seen her? How does she compare to Miss Tong?"
"He can be compared to Chen Jueyao. Should I introduce him to you?"
Qiao Zhuocheng immediately waved his hands: "Stop making fun of me."
The two chatted as they walked into the hall. Several high-end audio systems had been added to the hall, and "Walk with Style", Zhang Qiang's last album before she retired from the music scene, was playing. The dining area and lounge area had been redecorated. Qiao Zhuoqun and several female companions were sitting on the red sofa in the lounge area. When they saw him, they raised their champagne glasses to signal him.
Someone saw Mo Daoyan, his eyes lit up and said, "How did you know him? He looks good."
"Is it just his good looks? He's quite capable too." Qiao Zhuoqun said lazily, "My adopted brother studied abroad, but he's already been taken, so don't bother trying to matchmake him."
The dance floor was bustling with people, and familiar faces flashed by from time to time. Zhou Dinghe, holding his wife in a red dress, swayed to the music. Ji Xilin danced freely with Tong Zhaoyang. Da Ding and several colleagues let go of their hands and feet, twisting their bodies with extra energy. The wall facing the dance floor was covered with flowers, and a rainbow was made of colorful balloons. Below the rainbow, a line of roses spelled out the words: "Fifteenth Anniversary, Happy Crystal Wedding."
Mo Daoyan looked around but didn't see the protagonist. "When does the celebration begin?"
"Don't mention it," Qiao Zhuocheng sighed. "My cousin was setting up the scene this afternoon and vowed that he would write my sister-in-law's name backwards unless she was moved to tears. Then two hours ago, he suddenly had to go on a business trip, saying it was a great opportunity to make a name for herself and she had to go. He left in such a hurry that he didn't even tell my sister-in-law. Now she's alone in the private room, probably sulking." He shook his head. "It's hard to have both bread and love."
Mo Daoyan said, "It was my cousin who didn't handle things properly."
In his opinion, what was the point of having it both ways? No matter how urgent the matter was, he should have told his wife first. This was basic respect. A husband leaving without saying goodbye, leaving his wife alone in an unfamiliar place, unless she was naturally good at socializing, how embarrassing would that be? Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that if she turned her attention to someone else because she was often ignored like this, it wouldn't be entirely wrong.
"My sister said the same thing, and she lamented how this beautiful flower, my cousin's wife, ended up stuck in this pile of cow dung, my cousin. In fact, she judges people by appearances. My cousin is eloquent and knows how to please girls, so naturally women will fall in love with him. Oh, my sister-in-law is also in the news industry. She and Miss Tong are in the same industry, so they should be able to chat with each other. When Miss Tong arrives, let her accompany my sister-in-law." Qiao Zhuocheng knew that Mo Daoyan didn't like noise, so he led him to a secluded place to sit, and then pointed to the private room next door. "My sister-in-law is worthy of being a talented woman from Xi'an University. She is elegant and profound. Are you really not going to ask her for a calligraphy work again? It's a rare commodity and may become priceless one day."
Mo Daoyan shook his head: "It would be a shame to ask for a calligraphy at this time."
Not only did he not plan to take a new painting or calligraphy, he also planned to return the one he had received before. It would be impolite to return it in person, so he put it in the car first. He was a little rushed after accompanying his grandmother for the review, so he drove the family car directly here. He wanted to wait until the party was over before handing the painting or calligraphy to Qiao Zhuocheng. As for whether Qiao Zhuocheng returned the item to the original owner or kept it for appreciation, it had nothing to do with him.
After chatting for a few more sentences, guests began to arrive late. Qiao Zhuocheng turned around to entertain them. Mo Daoyan went to Qiao Zhuocheng's office and left a voice message on Tong Yufei's pager using the landline: If you can't arrive before 10 o'clock, you don't have to come, because he will probably have left by then.
When I returned to my seat, I could faintly hear a few suppressed scoldings from the next box. The sound seemed to be squeezed out from between teeth, with sharp hatred and a hint of resentment.
"Xu Cheng, you bastard, you killed me!"
"How could I marry someone like you!"
Xu Cheng is the name of Qiao Zhuocheng's cousin.
At this time, the waiter came in to refill the tea. Mo Daoyan noticed that this was the third service in half an hour. He must have been specifically instructed by Qiao Zhuocheng. Then he heard the waiter's dissuasion: "You want Xifeng wine? But that's white wine..."
"Which rule says I can't drink baijiu? Is it a legal provision, or is it something your karaoke bar is privately run? I'd like to ask, did you invite Qiao Zhuocheng here because you think I can't afford the drinks, or are you deliberately treating a distant relative like me coldly? Is this how he treats guests?"
A few minutes later, the waiter left in a huff, muttering to himself, "I haven't finished my beer yet, I want white wine again. You can't drink a thousand cups without getting drunk this way, but if I insist on not giving it to him, I'm afraid I'll be accused of neglecting the customer, so I have to comply." Seeing this, Mo Daoyan stepped forward and asked the waiter to bring a pot of Tremella tea instead, which he would give to the customer. As Qiao Zhuocheng's good brother, his order was essentially Qiao Zhuocheng's own, so it was naturally complied with.
After serving the Tremella tea, he came to the door of Ye Yimo's box and felt a sense of inexplicable nervousness. If he had not witnessed his roommate suffering from gastric bleeding due to mixing beer and white wine when he was studying abroad, and watched that person lying in bed for a whole week before recovering after gastric lavage, he would never have had the urge to push the door at this moment, even if the person inside was Qiao Zhuocheng's cousin-in-law, even if that person was Ye Yimo, but he never liked to meddle in other people's business, and it was hard to say that his behavior at this moment had nothing to do with the three words "Ye Yimo".
Tong Yufei still wasn't visible at the entrance to the karaoke bar. He kept looking at his watch, which seemed to be moving much slower than usual. Was she a slow learner? How could she be so slow? For the first time, he desperately wanted her to show up and stand by his side.
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