It was already late, and the last table of customers in the store except Cao Zhen had already checked out and left.

The chefs and waiters at the restaurant are also coming home from work, ready to come back tomorrow to clean up the mess.

Cao Zhen watched Patigul close the door of the hotel, and he was about to go back to his temporary rental house.

But before he left, he heard Patigul say, "Zhen, let's go together?" ”

"Okay, let's go!" Cao Zhen simply agreed neatly.

At this moment, the average low temperature of minus ten degrees did not form an obstacle, and the two walked slowly along the streets of the small county town.

Because it was too late and the temperature was very low, there were not many people on the streets.

Patigul looked ahead and asked, "Do you really plan to come back after you go back for the New Year?" ”

"Not necessarily, let's see how it goes." Cao Zhen said.

Patigul wanted to speak several times and stopped, Cao Zhen also saw that the expression on her face was a little strange, and asked her, "Patigul, what's wrong with you?" ”

"It's fine!" Patigul shook her head.

Cao Zhen said with a smile: "If you have something, just say it, which of us will follow whom." ”

Patigul was amused by him: "Am I so familiar with you?" ”

Cao Zhen nodded seriously: "Of course, Patigul, to be honest, I have been eating in the restaurant for more than two months, and I watch you work every day." ”

He really dared to say that it was the first time that Patigul knew that he still had such a habit: "You are very happy to watch me work? ”

The next moment, Patigul raised her leg and kicked at Cao Zhen without warning, which was an underdrawn.

But she didn't notice that there was ice on the ground, and when she lifted her leg, she stepped on the ice with the other foot, and the soles of her feet slipped, and her body slid forward at once.

Cao Zhen was also very confused about this unexpected situation.

He couldn't watch Patigul fall and not save her.

I was still thinking about countermeasures in my head, but my body had instinctively leaned forward, one hand was slung and my other hand was also wrapped around Patigul's waist, and finally before Patigul fell, he relied on his body's instinct to hold her in his arms.

This sense of fulfillment in her arms makes Cao Zhen, a bachelor who hasn't been in love for so many years, a little doubtful of her authenticity!

For fear that it would become empty again in the next moment, Cao Zhen kept holding on and not letting go.

Patigul was also a little confused, she never expected things to change like this, but she also enjoyed the feeling of being hugged tightly by Cao Zhen.

After a while, Patigul blushed a little and said, "Cao Zhen, you, you let go of me." ”

"I'm afraid you'll fall again." Cao Zhen said.

"It's okay, I'm standing firm." Patigul said.

Cao Zhen reluctantly let go of her, but he didn't know what's going on, as soon as he let go, Patigul hadn't stood firmly, and his body leaned forward again, and Cao Zhen was right in front of her, and this time it was as if Patiguli was throwing himself into his arms.

Cao Zhen blinked, if he wanted to say that it wasn't intentional, he didn't believe it.

He didn't let go after hugging her this time, and said with a face: "Patigul, your feet are uncomfortable?" Or I'll carry you on my back? ”

But Patigul shook his head in Cao Zhen's arms: "I'm fine, it's okay." ”

She didn't want to get up either.

Both of them consciously ignored this matter and hugged each other and walked forward.

For almost an hour, although the two of them were wearing thick down jackets, they were still a little unbearable after a long time.

"Patigul, it's too late today, I'll send you home first." Cao Zhen took the initiative to say.

It's been a bit chaotic here lately, and it's so late, so he doesn't worry about Patigul going back alone.

"Okay." Patigul nodded in agreement.

Patigul's house is not very far from here, and Cao Zhen was about to leave after sending her home, when Patiguli suddenly called out to him: "Cao Zhen, don't you go up and sit?" ”

"......" Cao Zhen was stunned at the time, in his opinion, this was more like a signal.

Looking carefully at Patigul's face, which was whiter under the light, Cao Zhen suddenly asked her: "Patiguli, I may like you, do you like me?" ”

It's direct enough, but Cao Zhen can feel that Patiguli likes him.

Sure enough, I saw Patigul nodding: "A little." ”

"Would you like to come with me to my hometown?"

This question has always been in Cao Zhen's heart, and he can't let go of it for a long time.

He was sure that he really liked Patigul, and not just because he was beautiful.

Of course, he didn't deny that he was first moved when he saw Patigul very beautiful and knew that she was single.

Cao Zhen didn't dare to confess for so long, because he was afraid that after he pierced this layer of paper, the hazy feelings between the two would be gone.

After all, Xinjiang is more than 3,000 kilometers away from his hometown Pingyuan County, which is no joke.

Patigul was not prepared at all, and she asked rhetorically, "Cao Zhen, is this important?" ”

"Very important to me!" Cao Zhen looked at Patigul without blinking, and he said very seriously: "I'm not afraid of your jokes, you are the first woman I really like, if you agree, I am running to marry you, can you understand?" ”

Patigul understood, and she also had a feeling of sudden realization.

Suddenly, I thought through a lot of things, and I obviously felt that Cao Zhen liked her, but Cao Zhen had never said anything to confess, so the problem was here.

What made Patigul feel even more incredible was another thing, Cao Zhen had never been in love.

Cao Zhen was a little disappointed when he saw that she didn't answer: "Patigul, don't you want to go to my hometown with me?" ”

"There are my relatives there, my good friends......"

"But if I go there with you, I'll have nothing, won't I?" Patigul said that she did not become brainless because of love.

"But you still have me!" Cao Zhen said smoothly.

After finishing speaking, the atmosphere at the scene was a little stagnant, and neither of them spoke again.

The cold wind blew, and it also woke up the two people in a daze, although he couldn't get the most ideal answer, Cao Zhen still didn't want his favorite person to be frozen here, he urged Patigul to go upstairs, and he was also ready to go back to his rental house.

But at this time, Patiguli turned his head and asked him: "Cao Zhen, is there a suitable place for you to open a Xinjiang Hotel?" ”

Hearing her ask, Cao Zhen's action of turning around and raising his leg to step forward was instantly frozen, he was still standing on the ground with one leg, and the other leg was hanging in the air, and the moment he turned around, his body leaned forward slightly, and he almost fell.

At this moment, Cao Zhen's brain was surprisingly good, and he suddenly understood the meaning of Patigul's words.

Turning around suddenly, Cao Zhen looked at Patigul with a look of ecstasy, and he said seriously: "Yes! ”

"Cao Zhen, you come to my house and tell me in detail about the situation over there." Patigul took the initiative to say.

Cao Zhen understood what Patigul meant, he felt a little too embarrassed, as a man, he should be more proactive.

"Your parents are at home, it's so late, is it appropriate for me to go up?" Cao Zhen asked her.

Who knew that Patigul said very freely: "My parents are long gone, and I have always lived alone." ”

She doesn't think there's anything here, she misses it in her heart!

Cao Zhen didn't expect Patigul to have such a life experience, and he had never asked before, looking at her stubborn appearance, Cao Zhen was a little distressed.

Cao Zhen followed her up, and the two talked at night, and one thing that Cao Zhen had always been entangled with disappeared in such a way.

Cao Zhen also said to Patigul: "I may continue to come back to manage these thousands of acres of cotton after the year, but it should not be too long." ”

"Cao Zhen, I may not be able to accompany you back to your hometown this year." Patigul said apologetically.

Cao Zhen shook his head, especially after the two of them clarified their relationship and went further, this was not a problem.

Cao Zhen asked her: "Let's go back together when we have time in the next year, this is no problem, right?" ”

"Okay!" Patigul happily agreed.

……

The Spring Festival is getting closer and closer, and Cao Shujie has been busier recently.

He had just come out of the branch of Yiling Rural Commercial Bank in Qingshi Town, and Ma Changrong, the credit manager, was following behind.

Ma Changrong still wanted to ask Cao Shujie to have lunch together, but Cao Shujie still had a few more to go, so he waved his hand and refused.

He took the initiative to say: "Manager Ma, let's get together again after the year, and choose a good place when the time comes, I invite you." ”

"Okay, Boss Cao, I'll wait for your call." Ma Changrong now attaches more importance to Cao Shujie.

Cao Shujie is an absolute high-quality customer in the entire Qingshi Town, and his ability to do this at a young age highlights his ability.

Watching Cao Shujie get in the car and leave, Ma Changrong thought about what the two had just discussed, and he was also sighing, sometimes no one can compare.

Cao Shujie has developed so fast in less than a year, he is really a high-speed train.

After Cao Shujie finished delivering things, it was not early, thinking about his parents, wife and children at home, he pondered that he should go home to see.

Ten minutes later, the car stopped at the door of the house, and before I got in, I heard the cheerful laughter of Meng Meng.

"Look, old man, frog, croak." Meng Meng learns the sound of frogs and looks particularly lively.

After Cao Shujie entered, he saw his daughter squatting on the ground, leaning forward, supporting her hands on the ground, and learning the way a frog jumped.

You have to say that she is very smart, but sometimes Meng Meng will do things that make you cry and laugh.

"Mengmeng, what are you doing?" Cao Shujie asked as he walked into the house.

When Mengmeng heard her father's voice, she didn't stand up to greet her, and threw him a sentence without looking back: "Dad, I'm learning frog jumping, show it to grandpa." ”

has to be convinced, she just has the ability to coax the old grandfather Cao Zhenghu very happy.

Cheng Xiaolin just shook off the washed clothes and put them on the radiator on the second floor, and these clothes can be completely dried overnight.

When I came down from upstairs, I saw that her husband had come back, and asked him, "Shujie, are you done?" ”

"There are still a few that haven't been turned around, and tomorrow I will be busy for half a day, and I will almost be done." Cao Shujie said.

Hearing him say this, Cheng Xiaolin nodded: "It's good that you don't go out, let's buy some New Year's goods for the New Year." ”

"Okay!" Cao Shujie agreed.

"Shujie, it's going to be the New Year soon, why don't you buy some benefits for Brother Chao?" Cheng Xiaolin asked him.

When I used to go to work, during the New Year's holidays, the school would buy New Year's goods.

Her husband's unit will also give a lot of benefits for the New Year.

Now that her husband is paying other people's salaries, does she have to think about this too?

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard her husband say: "I have a plan for this, and I must buy something affordable for Brother Chao." ”

"When we go to buy New Year's goods tomorrow, we will buy them for him together." That's what Cao Shujie said.

Cheng Xiaolin didn't ask her husband what he wanted to buy, and seeing that he remembered this, she didn't ask more.

……

On the morning of the second day, Cao Shujie went to the Yellow River Barrage Dam to walk his dog as usual, and watched Daha, Erha and the two German pastors surrounding him to spread joy, Cao Shujie was still very proud in his heart.

It was too cold on the dam, and fewer and fewer people came over, so Cao Shujie spread the leash for them and let them run as much as they wanted.

He also thought that if he were in the city, he would not have this kind of life.

There are less than ten days left before the New Year, and it feels like time is passing faster and faster during this busy period.

In Caojiazhuang, the atmosphere of the New Year is getting stronger and stronger.

When he returned home with four dogs, Cao Shujie tied them up, and after breakfast, he called his mother Wang Yuelan and asked her if she was going to the market to buy New Year's goods.

"I'm not going, you can go, you buy more, and I won't have to run again." Wang Yuelan said.

She also sees it now, what her son said is right, no matter which aspect, she can't be too serious.

Hearing his mother say this, Cao Shujie didn't say anything more.

When he was still packing his things, Mengmeng couldn't wait to call him: "Dad, let's go." ”

Cheng Xiaolin stuffed everything in the 'Mommy bag', came over to open the car door, and picked up Mengmeng into the car first.

Cao Shujie said to her: "Mengmeng, what are you in a hurry, let's go a little later, at least there is a place to park." ”

"You just want to do something beautiful, it's good to be able to stop within 1 kilometer." Cheng Xiaolin glanced at him.

She spoke, and got into the car.

Cao Shujie said hello to his grandfather, and Cao Zhenghu thought he was nagging: "I'm fine, you can go quickly, how can you be more verbose than me, an old man." ”

Cao Shujie was disgusted, he touched his nose and got into the car and drove towards Qingshi Town.

The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and many people who have worked in other places have begun to return one after another.

The last few big gatherings of the year were the liveliest places in the countryside.

And the big set of Qingshi Town is the best among them, this is the penultimate one a year ago, and if there is anything missing at home, it will no longer be delayed at this time.

For more than 10 minutes, Cao Shujie drove to the vicinity of Qingshi Town, looking at the cars and tricycles parked on both sides of the road in front of him, and then looking at the crowded crowd in front of him, the car couldn't drive.

"You're right, we have to get out of the car and walk for a while." Cao Shujie was also speechless.

Looking forward from here, at least more than a mile away, Cao Shujie is also very painful.

Cheng Xiaolin was very simple, she put on the 'mommy bag' on her back, and then took out a small cart from the trunk, and said to her husband: "You are carrying Mengmeng, let's move forward slowly, so many people, you must be optimistic about Mengmeng, don't get separated." ”

Just looking at the people in the big set crowding people forward, if they get separated, nothing may happen.

"Mengmeng, you must not run around for a while, you know?" Cao Shujie told his daughter.

Mengmeng nodded very seriously: "Dad, don't worry." ”

"You don't reassure me at all." Cao Shujie complained.

Cheng Xiaolin couldn't help but want to laugh when she heard her husband's complaint.

And Mengmeng lay on her father's back, and when she heard her father say this, she raised her hand to pull her father's hair, and knew how to say: "Dad, you hate it, I don't like you anymore." ”

I'm a little ashamed, I fell asleep in a chair last night, and I woke up at half past four, and my neck hurt from sleep.

Say sorry to your friends!

(End of chapter)