The sunset gradually sank behind the tall buildings standing opposite, and the rays of sunlight became fainter and fainter, dissipating at our feet at a speed that could be seen by the naked eye, but leaving behind the smell of the whole day, and the hustle and bustle before the night came.

I seemed to see through the qiē in front of me, and I also saw myself in this mortal world, and the loneliness was so obvious, I turned my head to stare at Mi Cai beside me, just smiled, and replied in the same calm tone as her: "I am also tired of those who live by acting every day, but no matter how well they act, God only gives them the same facial features as us, and the time they have to face, so even if they hurt me, I don't want to feel sad and hopeless, if the world is fair, Someday I will be better and happier than they are! ”

"Hmm."

"What about you, how do you want to live in the future?" I asked, with my head down, rubbing my foot against a raised floor tile.

"Be your best self."

I nodded, looking at the grocery stores and snack bars across the square with a somewhat sloppy gaze, and then saw the group of children who were very noisy at dusk, with their heads lowered, following their parents in the light and shadow of the street lamp, on the way home, they were growing, brewing the joys and sorrows of the adult world, but this did not prevent them, they were still secretly reminiscing in their hearts about the beauty of the frolic.

Night has come, the whole road is full of cars stranded during rush hour, Mi Cai and I put down holding each other's hands, and walked to the bus stop not far away, waiting for the taxi to come and go, we did not have any kind of communication, in the heart of the heavy heart, came to the Zhuo Mei building, and this is still a shopping paradise that represents the highest purchasing power in the city, but no one cares, under this material prosperity, how much tired fame and fortune are going on.

We waited under the scattered street lamps, Yan Zhuomei stepped out of a car on time, she walked in front of us with a black handbag, my mind was full of complicated feelings, I hated her a little, hated her troubles, hated her selfishness and unwillingness to fulfill.

Yan Zhuomei ignored Mi Cai and said to me meaningfully: "Young man, we meet again. ”

I replied in a deep voice, "Unfortunately, I can't say the word welcome." ”

Yan Zhuomei shrugged her shoulders: "That's not necessarily, you will welcome me this time." ”

I looked at her silently, I really didn't have anything to say to her, and I never felt that I would welcome her much, because she never had a proper attitude towards Mi Cai as a mother to her daughter, what she gave Mi Cai was the abandonment of childhood and the coercion of adulthood, perhaps, she was the number one play in Mi Cai's mouth, while performing, while doing whatever it took for the end.

Yan Zhuomei's attitude was not as sharp and oppressive as last time, but she smiled and said to me: "I have been abroad for so many years, I have been busy and tired, I have no time, and no one can accompany me to taste those roadside stalls that can be eaten with my mouth open, I really miss the simplicity of a meal in China decades ago, a table, a bowl of porridge, a basket of steamed buns, a plate of pickles, and a simple meal, I don't know if there is such an opportunity for me to relive the memories of decades ago?" ”

Mi Cai was not as repulsive as Yan Zhuomei last time, and took over the topic and said to me: "I remember that there is a snack street not far from the north, and you should be able to eat these things in it, right?" ”

I nodded, Mi Cai remembered correctly, there was indeed a snack street there, and there was the "Huifang Restaurant" that Fang Yuan and I used to frequent, and last winter, Fang Yuan and I had the last lunch in this restaurant, which was still commensurate with brothers.

Yan Zhuomei suddenly grabbed Mi Cai's arm, at first glance it looked like a pair of mother and daughter who had an intimate relationship, but Mi Cai reflexively changed her expression, maybe there had never been such an intimate body movement between her and Yan Zhuomei, but in the end, she didn't break free with love, but accepted it calmly, so I saw the smile on Yan Zhuomei's face, and she only had a heartfelt look at this moment

In the alley that smelled of oil smoke, Yan Zhuomei wrapped Mi Cai's arm and walked side by side, and I led the way for the two of them in front, although they didn't talk to each other much, but at least they seemed to be full of harmony.

I was going to quietly walk past the "Huifang Hotel", but I was recognized by the sharp-eyed and enthusiastic proprietress who stretched out her hand and grabbed me, and said, "Zhaoyang, what have you been busy with lately?" I haven't seen you in a while! ”

I didn't know how to tell her about myself for a while, so I could only smile and reply: "It's all busy, you can't do real business than the boss." ”

"Of course, our Huifang restaurant children are not bullied, what they do is a real repeat business, no, your good brother Fang Yuan, come to me every once in a while to eat and drink some wine, but I have never seen you kid again, ask Fang Yuan, he only said that you are busy, and he doesn't want to say more!"

I subconsciously looked up at the humble sign on the store, I don't know why Fang Yuan, who is the general manager of Zhuomei, still comes to this "Huifang Restaurant" to eat, is it nostalgic for those times that can no longer be recovered?

In the eyes of the proprietress, I am a person who is used to being silent, she doesn't need me to answer anything, so she asks me without pause: "I also ask you, inquire, is this Fang Yuan not very good recently, always drinking here alone, once, he was very soulless, the wine glass was full, and he was stunned not to let go, a good bottle of wine, he ruined half a bottle!" ”

I squinted my eyes to prevent the spicy smell wafting from the restaurant, as if I saw the owner of the part-time chef in the kitchen, chopping the fiery red peppers into pieces and stir-frying them in the pot

I was in a trance for a while, and finally said to the proprietress: "Aunt Huifang, have you seen the shopping mall called Zhuomei opposite?" ”

"What's more, I often go in with my wife to go shopping, but I haven't bought anything inside, it's scary expensive, by the way, I helped my girl buy a mobile phone in it last year, and it cost more than 5,000, which is really not a place where ordinary bosses can consume!"

"Fang Yuan is the general manager of that shopping mall!"

The proprietress opened her mouth wide in surprise and left a promise, after the promise that she would come to visit when she was free, she chased Mi Cai and Yan Zhuomei in her disbelief eyes, I remember, there was a snack bar at the end of the street that sold xiaolongbao and porridge, where it did not sell alcohol, but most people ate happily

In the Laolin steamed bun shop, Mi Cai and Yan Zhuomei have already sat down, the aisle is full of diners coming and going, the boss and his waiters are busy, so most of the waiters are standing by the steamer waiting for the buns to come out of the cage, and then take them themselves, but Mi Cai and Yan Zhuomei obviously don't know this rule, just waiting, but I am like a fish in water on such an occasion, skillfully preparing vinegar for them to dip in later, as well as two pieces of cake, and then squeezed in the waiting crowd, ready to get the latest steamed buns.

After a while, I put the steamer that was still steaming in front of Mi Cai and Yan Zhuomei, and filled two bowls of porridge for each of them, and then sat down around a very small table, Mi Cai and I were still sitting together, Yan Zhuomei sat alone, she tasted the taste of xiaolongbao before us, her eyes showed a little nostalgia, she put down her chopsticks, and said to me and Mi Cai: "More than 20 years ago, I was pregnant with Xiaocai, Zhongxin He was busy with work and didn't have much time to take care of me, but every evening later, He will buy some porridge and xiaolongbao here to take home, I like to eat it very much, because the boss is very particular about business, and each xiaolongbao is thin skin and stuffing" Speaking of this, Yan Zhuomei, a woman who is not to be arrogant and arrogant, actually had some tears in her eyes, and she said: "In the era when the market economy was just starting, eating this thing every day was a very luxurious behavior, so the whole family can eat like this, I will always remember: Zhongxin worked all day long, and when I gave birth to Xiaocai, He was a sturdy man, so thin that he only had 120 pounds left, and I swore that I couldn't let my family live in this kind of poverty, and I had been waiting for an opportunity, and I had been waiting for it."

She didn't say any more, her expression fell into silence in pain, and Mi Cai had already put her hand on her eyes, but tears were still dripping down from her palm, and some of the past was a lingering pain in her heart.

Yan Zhuomei shook her head, she closed her eyes and sighed, and said again: "I did wait for the opportunity a few years later, but I ignored it, although I Yan Zhuomei has no father and no mother, but Zhongxin He has family ties, maybe I am a selfish person, I have never treated my mother-in-law as my own mother, nor did I take Zhongxin's hard work in China as a thing, I resolutely went to the United States After arriving in the United States, I found that many things are involuntary, but in my life creed, There is no turning back, in order to survive, I constantly change myself, cater to this completely strange world, the loneliness and helplessness of a foreign land, like a poison that destroys the defense line in people's hearts, but I survived, I worked hard for myself here, and these are all thanks to my character, but I also paid the price for my character, and when I reached the twilight of my life, I had no home! ”