Gui Province. November 1993.

Since they met Jiang Che again at the beginning of the year, Xie Xing and his wife helped Chaliao to do spicy strip sales, running all over the country, and it has been ten months in the blink of an eye, and the place they are now in is called Guilin.

From the 90s to the beginning of the 21st century, there is a saying that is almost well-known in the land of China, called "Guilin's landscape is the best in the world".

So much so that the vast majority of Chinese people at that time were yearning. And many of the people who grew up in this era, even if they never really went there later, always retained a subconscious: when it comes to Guilin...... Guilin, super beautiful.

This can probably be regarded as the most successful marketing case of the first generation of urban tourism development.

It's just that the wind direction gradually changed, and the allure of pure scenic spots began to be unable to compete with the blessings of "feelings" and "petty bourgeoisie", such as Lijiang with "erotic encounters" and Dali with "slow life literature and art".

…………

"Originally, everyone has come to Guilin, so I should take you to see the landscape. It's a pity to rush. It is said that this year, from north to south, I have walked so many places, and I have never let you play a decent time. ”

"I heard that the Zhuangjia village is also good-looking, but it's a pity...... Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to see a girl full of silver. ”

The minibus bumped on the rough road, and the yellow dust was raised and threw into the broken half of the window, and the people were all over their faces.

Xie Xing didn't care, anyway, he hadn't changed his clothes for a few days, and his body was already dirty. He leaned against the window and talked to his wife while looking at the pristine landscape in the distance.

It's been ten months, day and night on the road, most of the time between the two are in this state, there is not too much delicate care, and there is no too affectionate expression, just walk together, talking to each other in ordinary words.

Of course, there have been quarrels and quarrels with each other because of things, and there were a few times when his wife was really angry and walked away on the spot, Xie Xing was angry in the back, and shouted with his neck:

"You go... If you have the ability, you really go...... Now, this is in a foreign country, and I don't know the place well, let me tell you...... Oh you, you're a woman walking blindly by yourself, not afraid of meeting bad people...... Forget it, you wait for me. ”

He chased after him and chased people, but he still didn't have a good word.

"If this is at home, in Shenghai, I really don't care about you. He mentioned it several times, and said, "Why don't you go back first?"

"Yes, can you do it yourself without my help? Besides, I'm gone, and you're running around alone...... I'm afraid no one will know where you're dead. "My wife doesn't have a good word every time, and she doesn't leave every time.

They also got sick on the road, twice Xie Xing, several times as wives, and once when the two of them were sick at the same time, they took medicine, and shrunk in the thin quilt of the small broken hotel in the city where they had no relatives, hugging each other and playing together.

Even, they were beaten and robbed on the road, and they cried bitterly on the streets of unfamiliar cities several times, but after all, they still walked together all the way, thousands of miles, and walked down together.

This time, Guilin's list was completed, and Xie Xing and his family were in a good mood.

"Hey, I'm talking to you...... Why don't we stop for a day?"

"It's just that the train ticket is refunded, and I'm afraid it's not good to buy it again. What do you think?"

Xie Xing turned around as he spoke, and found that his wife was leaning on the back of the chair at some point, tilting her head and already asleep, and the person was swaying with the bumps of the car, sleeping like she was dead.

She has a gray long sleeve, which is the same as what Xie Xing wears, which is a bargain, but it is durable and more resistant to dirt.

The backpack she held in her arms looked bulging, in fact, there was nothing too valuable, because she had to bring a large number of spicy strip samples, and the wearing of the two of them along the way was streamlined to the maximum, except for the good clothes that each dressed up to wear, there were only a few long-sleeved pants of the same style.

In addition, there are needles and threads in his wife's bag, buttons picked up on the road, and an awl for the soles of shoes...... It is convenient to sew on the road, and there are also cotton balls that are tucked into the heels, and special soft insoles, all of which have been stained with the blood from the wear and tear on the feet......

"Alas...... Tired of you, huh?"

whispered to his sleeping wife, Xie Xing didn't dare to touch the bag in her arms, because if she moved the bag, no matter how heavy she slept, she would definitely wake up immediately.

The belongings along the way were kept by his wife, who had the strong care and care of a housekeeper.

Xie Xing could only move his butt and sit closer to her, then stretched out his hand, supported his cheek and slowly made people lean over, sinking one shoulder, letting her lean against her, so that she could sleep better.

Turning his head sideways, Xie Xing noticed a black mark on his wife's cheek.

It's dirty, I've almost forgotten how much you loved to be clean at home before. Xie Xing thought with a wry smile, and couldn't help but reach out and wipe the black mark off for her with his thumb......

"Shhh The sleeping wife hissed softly.

Xie Xing looked at his hand, and then at his wife's cheek, which was oozing blood, and realized that it was not dirty, but a bloody scab on his wife's face that had been blown by the wind.

"What are you doing?" the wife woke up, raised her hand and touched her cheek, saw the red marks on her fingers, and did not have a good airway.

"I thought it was dirty. Xie Xing smiled a little sadly and said, "I'm sorry." After speaking, looking at his wife's now dark and rough face, his eyes suddenly turned red, and the rest of the words were stuck in his throat.

"It's fine, and it won't leave a scar. My skin is fine, and it will come back in vain in the future. ”

The wife sat up straight, returned to her chair, raised her hand and rubbed her eyes, then glanced around vigilantly, leaned into Xie Xing's ear, and whispered in dialect: "Don't just think about what hardships you have to suffer, and don't feel distressed...... You just think about how much money we have earned in the past ten months, more than 100,000 yuan, and it is living water, which can flow for a long time. Turning around, how dare we think there will be a way out at that time, today?"

Wives are relatively more optimistic and positive by nature, and are more likely to be satisfied...... Xie Xing was now influenced by her and became much more positive, he nodded in agreement, and then asked the question again:

"I want to ask you, why don't we stop and rest for a day and take a look at the landscape of Guilin?"

The wife thought about it and shook her head, "Look at the landscape when you are old, there is time." If you want me to say, if you really decide to rest for two days, I want us to go to Shencheng and meet Brother Xiaojiang...... It's been a long time. By the way, let's pay the money back. ”

"Well, how many times have you mentioned this since you had enough money. Xie Xing said: "Didn't I talk about it when I called last time?" But Brother Jiang himself said, let us not be in a hurry to repay the money first, and buy our house in Shenghai first. ”

"That'...... Shall we buy it?" the wife's eyes changed and said, "To be honest, I really want to go back to our home in my heart, and I won't change the good ones." ”

“…… Then buy it first. Xie Xing thought for a while and said, "Anyway, Brother Jiang is his own brother, and he said that he should do anything, I think the designation is right." ”

"Well, then we can still go to Shencheng, just meet for a meal. In your life, you have made such a true brother. Don't be ridiculous and alienated. ”

"That's right, let's go. Xie Xing said: "When I get out of the car in a while, I'll go and call Brother Xiaojiang first." ”

…………

In the phone booth outside the station, after Xie Xing called several times in a row, he had no choice but to put down the microphone and said to his wife:

"No one answered, I'm afraid it's not there. ”

"Oh, that's it. The wife was disappointed for a moment and said, "What then? Let's go to the next place first?"

"That's fine. Then wait for the future, let's go through the deep city again. ”

The next place is Qiongdao, changing the topic, Xie Xing said with a smile: "I heard over there that the short sleeves are enough to wear now, how about it, or I have a good plan, go north first, and then go south...... We won't freeze for a year. ”

"Okay, okay, you can endure. ”

As they spoke, the two opened the map and studied it on the spot.

The cities marked on the map record their itinerary for the whole year, densely packed. Among them, the red dot is made by the market, and the blue dot is the last to be made.

Because of the relationship between transportation costs, including the problem of tandem on the transportation line, if the market in a city does not reach a certain scale, there are only a small number of underwriting wholesalers, and it is impossible for Chaliao to do it.

As a result, there are far more blue dots than red dots on the map. This means that in the past ten months, Xie Xing and his family have had to accept failure most of the time.

"Hey, I said you can't fight or not? If you don't fight and go away, don't delay my business. In the phone booth, the aunt who knitted the sweater suddenly said unhappily, it is very popular to open a phone booth in these years.

Xie Xing and his wife glanced at each other.

"My daughter is probably at school now, okay? I haven't heard her speak in a few days, it's weird. The wife said, "I did well in the midterm exam, but don't relax." ”

"Don't worry, we are sensible. ”

Xie Xing pulled his wife's sleeve and apologized to the woman looking at the phone booth with a smile before walking away.

On the train heading east to south.

Xie Xing said: "When we finish Qiongdao and go back to Shencheng, I want to tell Brother Jiang that we won't continue to run like this next year except for the maintenance of the market on hand." ”

"Then let's ......"

"I heard that Chaliao is going to get an office in Shenghai, and I want to fight for it......"

The wife thought for a moment and said, "Hmm. Then try it. ”

After a short silence, Xie Xing said, "Homesick, right?"

"I thought about it, I thought about my daughter. ”

"Well, I thought about it too. ”

The train is shaking, and people are on the way.