Early the next morning, Zuo Lin followed his grandfather's instructions and sent the medicinal materials stored at home and the prepared medicines to the physiotherapy room of the Shenbao Club. The club will pay him at the end of the month, which Zuolin is not worried about. And Zuo Lin simply told the pharmacist surnamed Yan who was in charge of the purchase of drugs in the physiotherapy room that this batch of things had been used up, and he didn't know if he could continue to supply them. Hearing Zuo Lin's explanation, Lao Yan was also a little angry.

Zuo Lin was busy on the club's spare turf until 2 p.m., and after sprinkling the turf with water, he changed his clothes and went to the city. Although I have been in Shanghai for a few years, I still only have a glimpse of the bustling city of Zuolin. Except for sending his grandfather to several large hospitals for some treatment and examinations, he hardly ever set foot in the city. And it was in those brief passages in and out of the city that he experienced the meanness of Shanghainese as described by many people. Cold eyes abound. Contrary to what many people have described, cold-eyed and mean-spirited are not aimed at outsiders or anything, but at the most obvious vulnerable groups.

Wearing a white shirt, a pair of white-washed motley jeans, and stepping on a pair of 7-for-7 new Nike running shoes bought for 10 yuan from a member of the club, Zuo Lin carried a piece of paper and once again entered the heart of Shanghai, a city with equally thick neon and shadows.

Unlike many others, Zuo Lin practiced his Mandarin on TV to the point that he could no longer hear the local accent. Although he can't understand Shanghainese, his standard Mandarin is enough for him to suffer a lot less when he asks for directions.

By the time we entered the city, it was already twilight. The hurried crowds and noisy streets on the road really made Zuo Lin, who was accustomed to quiet, a little uncomfortable. However, that's the bustle. In the midst of the rushing traffic and crowds, there is a rhythm and passion that seems to be taken for granted by everyone and is not noticed.

From People's Square to Huaihai Road, and then along Huaihai Road to Shaanxi Road, and then to Julu Road, which is written on the address, it is almost 7 o'clock in the evening. On this not long but not short road, Zuo Lin stopped several times and looked at the map against the street signs to confirm his location. In the end, I found the place written on the address under the guidance of a very enthusiastic foreigner. The foreigner spoke extremely fluent Mandarin, and even had a bit of a Jinghua pronunciation, which made him look a little poor, and his braided blonde hair and dark green sunglasses made this enthusiastic foreign lad look very cool. And in the simple and accurate description of this guy's skillful direction for Zuo Lin, Zuo Lin felt that this foreigner was really familiar with Shanghai, or at least the roads around it.

It's a strange place, a strange city. Some locals who are indifferent and indifferent to things that have nothing to do with them may not be able to tell the specific direction, while outsiders of all kinds are full of curiosity about the city.

When Zuo Lin finally stood in front of the old bungalow with the bronze plaque of the Shanghai cultural relics protection building, he couldn't help but think like this.

The old house had a small garden enclosed by iron railings, and a very small gatehouse that could only accommodate one person. And in this place, there is no sign of any of its units hanging at the door, but it does not look like private property. The lights in the old house were still on, and this light inspired Zuo Lin to go to the gatehouse to find out.

"Excuse me, this is ......" Zuo Lin checked the address with the old porter who looked to be in his 50s.

"yes, here it is. The old man looked at Zuo Lin with some confusion. Now, with the exception of some modern equipment, the bungalow has basically been restored to its appearance in the 20s of the last century, when the house was at its most glorious. It is now one of the most prestigious private clubs in Shanghai. Unlike other private clubs, it is not the so-called celebrities who regularly appear in various media outlets, nor are the ordinary wealthy people who can mix in. Although there are only 2 to 3 people here every week, most of the people who can be recognized by the owner to enter here are the behind-the-scenes figures of influential enterprises and institutions, or experts and scholars who have been invited by the owner to seek advice. And those who are invited will also be honored by the owner of this place, and by those who can be invited to come here as their own. Naturally, this fame is only in a very small circle. Very few people who don't know the situation come to ask about it.

And Zuo Lin made the porter quite curious.

"So......" Zuo Lin took out the letterhead from his pocket, pointed to the address written in pen and handwriting, and asked, "Is this the previous address here?"

The old porter put on reading glasses hanging around his neck, looked at the letterhead, and said, "Yes, this was called this before." Who are you looking for?"

"I don't know......," Zuo Lin said truthfully, "It's just that someone asked me to bring this letter here, saying that someone would know about it." ”

In an instant, the porter saw the strange symbol on the corner of the letterhead. This symbol was once shown to him by the owner of this place when he was hired to guard the door. He had been looking at the door here for almost 10 years, and he couldn't remember what the owner of this place told him to do in the first place, and how to deal with people who came with such symbols, but he knew that this young man who was not amazing must have some kind of connection with the owner of this clubhouse.

He said cautiously, "See, young man, the master here is not here now. Now it's all the master's friends partying, and I'm afraid they don't know what's going on. Why don't you leave a phone number, and I'll ask him to find you when the host comes?"

Zuo Lin sighed in his heart, but he originally came with the mood of giving it a try. Such a situation cannot be regarded as unexpected, at least, it is good that it is not directly swept away.

Zuo Lin has not installed a phone at home. Although the telephone is not a luxury for Zuo Lin's current income, the villagers are basically in the distance of communication, and parents who are far away are unlikely to call and contact very frequently, so it is not necessary to make a phone as a decoration. Zuo Lin said embarrassedly: "Uncle, do you have a pen? ”

Then, at the bottom of the letterhead, Zuo Lin neatly wrote down the address of his home. Then, he looked at the rather vigilant security guard, who was already standing on the side, holding a walkie-talkie, and walked away.

Walking along Julu Road to the end, and then walking back to Huaihai Road along Changshu Road, Zuo Lin saw that the city was gradually beginning to bustle at night. The shining neon lights of one bar after another and the various vehicles shuttling through really opened Zuo Lin's eyes and made Zuo Lin's heart gradually cold. This bustling Shanghai is not his hometown after all, and the prosperity here and the rustic power in Zuo Lin's heart are too incompatible.

If there were no family bonds, Zuo Lin would probably return to the mountains and forests with the simplest things. Maybe I will find a small mountain village, just take root like that, slowly dissolve into it, and make it my new hometown. Now, however, that possibility is slim to none. Zuo Lin, who has come to Shanghai, has seen what prosperity is, and has been exhausted because of his grandfather's illness, is too far away from such a simple life. Zuo Lin knew that after getting used to the convenience of a big city like Shanghai, he probably couldn't go back.

Although he doesn't live in an urban area, he can still easily buy all kinds of things he needs. From the various materials and tools used to fix the greenhouse, to the pulleys used to move and fix the ceiling, ropes and even fasteners of special shapes, to the various tools used to process medicinal materials and prepare medicines, from medicine bowls to second-hand analytical balances. If needed, Zuo Lin can even buy a set of utensils for cold brew Chinese medicine. The full set of mystical powers and skills that the teacher left in his hands were easy to cultivate and develop under such circumstances, and just like the life that Zuo Lin had fought for, making a living was now just a very easy thing.

Yes, this is the price that a metropolis must pay, or living in a metropolis, when obtaining all kinds of conveniences, but being worn away by this city Some traces of the original body, and gradually losing some naïve thoughts and abilities. Hope...... I hope that this erosion will happen a little more slowly in my own body. Zuo Lin thought so.

Sorrow is very difficult for a person who does not have any bad habits. Zuo Lin has never idealistically used nicotine burning or alcohol infiltration to make himself think less about things, or illusion some things. Thinking based on reality is the most important thing that his teacher taught him.

Zuo Lin got into the subway again, roared back to People's Square, and then took the long-distance bus back to his home, it was already past 9 o'clock in the evening. He said hello to his grandfather, checked the warm room, and then fell asleep. He didn't know that after his hesitant figure, every step he took would cause some waves.

Yu Pingzhang, a senior adviser to the Shanghai municipal government, dragged his tired body back home after the last meeting of the day. On his desk, as usual, there was a pile of letters, ordinary letters or couriers. As a senior agronomist, there is no doubt that he has to keep in touch with quite a few institutions and individuals, and there are many friends of the same age who are still used to communicating in the form of letters. He was so tired that he wanted to go to bed with a cursory glance at the letterman, but found the name of his protégé written on the cardboard delivery bag. Lin Jinghua is a good student. Even though in Shanghai, it may be difficult to find a job after coming out of the agricultural college, but Lin Jinghua is different. He is an ordinary young man, and he naturally worries about work and life, but he does not dislike his major, and his grades are good. And now, the work in the resettlement office can be regarded as a professional counterpart. Yu Pingzhang opened the courier bag and took out the thick pile of manuscripts that were obviously typed out with the unit's printer. …… Needless to guess, not everyone will get a color laser printer at home.

"Multiple Plant Ecology under Microclimate Conditions"...... The title of this paper made the corners of Yu Pingzhang's mouth curle, and after graduation, there are probably very few students who will write papers to their tutors for guidance. And in this thick pile of materials, there are many photos, illustrated and delicate typography can very stimulate people's reading and expectation. Yu Pingzhang didn't expect to see anything from the article at first, but he was very happy that his students had such enthusiasm for the major. However, when the article described in detail the contents of Zuo Lin's greenhouse, how Zuo Lin adjusted the microclimate of the greenhouse through simple facilities, and allowed the various plants in the greenhouse, as well as a few kinds of lichens and mushrooms, to grow together harmoniously, Yu Pingzhang's expression gradually became serious. …… Curiosity, the curiosity of being a scholar, is fully mobilized. After the paper, Lin Jinghua also briefly talked about the troubles that Zuo Lin encountered. After thinking about it for a while, Yu Pingzhang picked up the phone and called the 24-hour secretariat of the municipal government, saying, "Can you arrange a car for me tomorrow?" I have something to do...... Old Fang, I don't know if this is a private matter, but when did you become so selfless?

And on Julu Road, when a Bentley RV slowly slid into the lane of the address that Zuo Lin had just set foot in. The old porter stood respectfully to the side. Normally, the owner here, Tsubame Hokusai, would not waste time at the door. But Yan Hokusai is a very personable and respectful old man, and every time he comes here, no matter how hurried, he will nod to the porter. And the old man of the porter held the letterhead in his hand this time and raised it towards Yan Beisai.

"Parking", the night, the warm lights, and the color of the car window make the yellowed letterhead so strange. But Yan Hokusai saw the words clearly. And that string of special symbols. He barely had time to wait for the car to stop, as is customary, waiting for the bodyguard to come down the front door and open the door for him. He pushed the door open, rushed to the porter, and took the letterhead. …… Sure enough, it's true.

"Old Han, where did this come from?" asked Yan Hokusai eagerly.

"Even in the evening, a young man came with this, and he didn't know who to look for, so he said that someone had asked him to bring this. I asked him to leave the address, No, look. Lao Han explained.

Yan Beizhai nodded, looked at the address, and then said to the secretary who followed him: "Go and check, where is this address and who is using it." Then he ordered the security guards who were standing on the side, some curious, "Take me to the monitoring room, I want to see the video of this time at the door." ”

Yan Hokusai knew that no matter what the reason was, this letterhead, this string of mysterious symbols that he had been thinking about for decades, would definitely not appear for no reason.