The next morning, I woke up in a single bed in a small hotel, and although I tried very hard to wake myself up, I was so sleep-deprived that I felt groggy even after washing my face with cold water.

In this not very good state, I sorted out my simple luggage, and then sat on the bed in a daze, until the phone rang, and then woke up suddenly.

I didn't rush to see who called, but I rinsed my face with cold water again, and then I got on the phone. Then, I heard Chen Yi's voice on the other end of the phone, and she said to me: "I've already packed up here, I'll go over to pick you up immediately, you move quickly." ”

I replied weakly, "I've been awake for a while, and I can leave at any time." ”

"Okay, you can wait for me on the side of the road now, the road is not congested at this time, I can get there in about a quarter of an hour."

I answered, and both sides hung up at the same time. After that, I was not idle for a moment, and with my luggage, I went to the service desk downstairs to check out.

Five minutes later, I walked out of the hotel, but I was caught off guard by the sudden drop in temperature, so I wore a thin long-sleeved T-shirt, looked at most of the pedestrians on the street who were already wearing coats and sweaters, and comforted myself that by the time the sun came out, it would not be as cold as it is now.

I crossed my hands over my chest to warm up, then looked through the early morning mist in the direction where Chen Yihui had come, God knows how much I longed to see her Audi A4 that had already made me feel relatable sooner.

Another five minutes passed, and I didn't wait for Chen Yi, but I received a call from Zhao Mu. He said that he was busy greeting those friends last night and didn't bother to say a few words to me, so he must come to see me off this morning.

When I called, he had already arrived at the intersection of Tulip, so with a traffic light alternate, he drove Yu Xin's BMW Z4 to me.

When he got out of the car, he was still carrying a box in his hand, and after meeting me face to face, he handed the box to me and said: "This is the pure natural propolis I brought back from abroad, which is very effective in protecting the stomach and delaying aging, especially suitable for people like us who have irregular schedules." ”

I have always regarded Zhao Mu as one of my few relatives in this world, so I didn't be too polite to him, I took the propolis from him, and said to him: "Since I have been transferred back to Nanjing to work, and my relationship with Yu Xin is also very stable, is it time to think about the marriage of both parties?" ”

Zhao Mu barely weighed it, so he shook his head and replied: "Brother Qiao, for me, transferring back to Nanjing to work means that I can live a stable life with peace of mind from now on...... I'm still very young, it's the age of hard work, and I don't choose to get married now, in order to have better material conditions to be responsible for my future marriage and family......" After a slight pause, he whispered again: "I think, about how important the child's living environment and educational environment are, the two of us should have the most personal experience, we must not let our next generation repeat the road we have walked, because it is terrible to think about!" ”

I nodded, feeling that my perspective on the problem was still not as comprehensive as Zhao Mu's, in my consciousness, since we like each other, we should give this kind of legal protection, and marriage is the best choice. But they ignore that marriage and family are the two things that need to be managed well in this world. Otherwise, if you get married rashly without adequate preparation, most of them will end in a bleak ending, and the former Yang Jin and Jiang Jiyou are the most vivid examples.

I patted Zhao Mu on the shoulder, signaling that I agreed with the point he had just expressed.

He didn't seem to want to dwell too much on such a topic, so he turned to me and asked, "How long are you going to stay in Shanghai?" ”

I smiled and replied, "I've been in Shanghai for almost two months, and if you count the days when my grandmother was hospitalized there, it's been almost a quarter, but I feel that everything related to Shanghai has just begun." ”

"Well, I know you went with determination...... So I don't want to say much hypocrisy, I just hope that you can have a new start over there. ”

"It's the same with you in Nanjing."

When I said this, Zhao Mu's hands and I naturally shook together. And this scene, just like when he went to school in Beijing, we also shook hands and encouraged each other like this. Therefore, I don't have to take the warmth and coldness of people too lightly, because many friendships can really stand the test of time.

After chatting a few more words, Zhao Mu looked at the watch in his hand and said to me: "Brother Qiao, today is the first day I report to the headquarters of Jinding Real Estate, I have to arrive about half an hour in advance to prepare some handover materials, I won't talk to you more, you pay attention to safety on the road." ”

I answered, Zhao Mu was about to turn around and leave, and I called out to him with no peace of mind, but after a moment of silence, I reminded: "Mr. Xiao is still serving his sentence in prison, and the water of Jinding Real Estate is deeper than ever, you yourself should try to be cautious and meticulous in dealing with people, you know?" ”

Zhao Mu looked at me, said "rest assured", then opened the door and got into the car, and the moment he started the car, he followed the gradually dense traffic and disappeared into the fog that interfered with the vision.

……

After Zhao Mu left, I went to the food stall opposite to buy two breakfasts while Chen Yi hadn't come, including Chen Yi's favorite Nanjing wontons, and Chen Yi didn't let me wait too long, she came to the small hotel where I stayed on time after five minutes.

However, the car parked in front of me surprised me and was a little embarrassed, because I saw this black Land Rover not long ago, which was owned by Chen Yi's current boyfriend Wang Ze, and Wang Ze opened the door of the cab and walked down from the car at the next moment, and we stood facing each other.

He didn't look like a person who would be cold, so he smiled before me and said, "I happened to have nothing to do in the past two days, so I plan to accompany Xiaoyi to Shanghai for a walk, and I should give myself a short vacation." After a pause, he said: "The road to Shanghai is not long, it is not short, and it is very tiring to drive alone, so when we get to the service area in Wuxi, we can change it, so that no one is tired." ”

Seeing his friendly appearance, I was embarrassed to be too cold, so I responded with a smile and said "no problem". And Chen Yi also urged us to get into the car quickly at this time, I subconsciously opened the door of the back seat and wanted Chen Yi to go first, but Wang Ze had already opened the door of the passenger cab for Chen Yi before me. Only then did I suddenly realize that Chen Yi was no longer the Chen Yi she used to be, and there was already a more important man in her life than me......

I can't say what it feels like in my heart, but I just looked at the small wontons I bought for her in my hand again, and then took advantage of the moment they got into the car and gently put it next to the garbage bin next to them, because of such a thing, with Wang Ze present, it is not my turn to do it.

Along the way, I didn't talk to Chen Yi much except for work, but they had a lot of common topics, they talked from Europe to the Americas, and then planned to travel to several important countries in Europe and the United States in the near future.

Actually, we're all adults, and I know better than anyone how much can happen on an intimate trip, but even so, I've been listening in silence as they plan their travel schedule perfectly.

Perhaps, this time Chen Yi is really emotional, she will marry Wang Ze, and it is likely that the wedding date will be after this trip.

……

When we arrived in Shanghai, it was already lunch time, and I wanted to treat them to a light meal, but they had already made an appointment with the others, so after getting off the highway, we parted. I went to the old factory, where I was the only one who lived now, and after having a working meal with the workers, I joined their team and did what I could do like mixing cement until dusk......

I didn't change out of my mud-stained clothes, I just lit a cigarette and sat down on the flat stone and looked at the bar that looked like a beer bottle......

I can't put it into words, I wish that tomorrow the workers would be able to color the main body, and then let people all over Shanghai and even the whole country know that there is such a bar that looks not serious, but contains the dreams of countless musicians.

And that's my happiness, and it makes me forget about the pain that can be attributed to fate.

At this moment, I completely relaxed myself, just lying on the grass completely, my eyes were blue sky and white clouds, thinking about some pictures that might appear in the future, and of course the cigarette in my hand was not extinguished, and even fantasized in the diffuse smoke, will one day, Xiao Ai will also know about the existence of this music bar...... And isn't music her favorite?

Perhaps, my subconscious is full of her, which is why she did such a thing. I looked at the guitar next to me and stopped doubting myself, otherwise why would I want to learn guitar again? Before I knew her, I was a musical idiot.

I sat up again, then picked up my guitar and sang "When You're Old", hoping that when I got old, I could live with faith as I do now, and faith is the best weapon to kill all gossip and slander.

Singing and singing, I put down my guitar and shouted at the setting sun in the distance: "I am the most lonely person in the world...... I'm a lonely dad, no, it's his grandpa......"

In the empty yard, there was no one else, and I just enjoyed the pleasure of madness. So I liked this twilight even more with impunity, and I also liked this old factory that had not yet been fully developed.

Just when I wanted to take advantage of no one else to snort a few more times, I suddenly found that Yang Qu and Yang Jin were standing not far from the gate looking at me, and a Mercedes-Benz car was parked behind them.

It's so quiet that there's no reason why I shouldn't notice them coming, so they must have been there just when I was playing the guitar and singing.

Yang Qu seemed to like this kind of family meeting scene, she jumped up and ran towards me, then took my arm and said, "Brother, quickly take your son out and show us...... Our mother is so pitiful, she still looks like a woman in her early 40s, and she will be a grandmother! ”

I impatiently shook off her hand, then glared at her, and replied, "What nonsense are you talking about?" ”

"There's no nonsense, I just heard you shouting to be someone's father...... Otherwise, you're crazy, and you seem to be even more ruthless later. ”

Just when Yang Qu was messing around with me, Yang Jin also walked to my side, she looked at my dirty clothes, and then said to me: "After I got off the plane, I called you twice, but you didn't answer, so I asked Yang Qu to take me here to have a look...... She said that as long as you go back to Shanghai, you will definitely be in this place. ”

Yang Jin said, turning to look at the bar that was being built in the back. I felt that her expression was like that of an able-bodied person, looking at an ant whose nose and eyes could not see clearly.

So, I replied to her without any emotion: "I've been helping the workers on the construction site this afternoon, and it's not convenient to bring my phone with me." ”

Yang Jin didn't blame my behavior, she just said: "I've found this place, tonight, let's have a meal together as a family." ”

Before I could say anything, Yang Qu put her paw on my body again, and she echoed Yang Jin and said, "Brother, you hurry back and change your clothes, and then go to dinner with us, the restaurant has already been booked." ”

I reluctantly glanced at their mother and daughter, I always felt a little awkward in my heart, I think they are a family, and no matter how I look at it, it is a bit redundant, and even have a meal with them, I have to change my clothes first.

As if feeling my rebellious mentality, Yang Jin took the initiative to say to me: "When the family eats together, just want to be casual and comfortable, if you don't like the hotel we booked, you can also take us to eat your favorite restaurant." ”

Hearing her say this, a little mischievous thought suddenly germinated in my heart. I want to take them to the night market, and I have to have such momentum, why should I accommodate their habits. I just like to sit at a barbecue stand with a group of friends, drink beer, talk loudly, and then forget all my worries, like a free fish, in this world that is bigger than the ocean, fearlessly expressing, naively thinking that I am the best......

I really just hate Yang Jin's current superiority, and I am also tired of everyone's awe and shameless stammering of her...... In my opinion, she who used to hold my hand and go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, and she who would go to the parent-teacher conference for me is the most real!

...