The next morning, after washing up, Zhou Ze went to the noodle shop next door as usual. This has gradually become a habit of his life. When eating is no longer an enjoyable process, it becomes a pure task. To do the task, just be simple and efficient. No place is more convenient and quicker than Xu Qinglang's place.
"Bitter melon juice." Xu Qinglang placed a large glass in front of Zhou Ze, and then brought a plate of egg fried rice.
Zhou Ze first tried to take a sip. The moment the liquid entered his throat, he felt unbearable bitterness between his lips and teeth. Then, after swallowing it, even his intestines and stomach began to get tangled.
After waiting for about ten seconds, Zhou Ze finally came to his senses and let out a long sigh of relief.
It’s really bitter.
"Haha, isn't it strong enough?" Xu Qinglang looked like he was about to praise me, and then sat down in front of Zhou Ze. "By the way, you really have a strong taste. You can't eat without drinking this stuff?"
Zhou Ze calmed himself down, then picked up a large cup of bitter melon juice and drank it all in one gulp. Then he quickly picked up his chopsticks and began to wolf down the egg fried rice in front of him.
A minute later, Zhou Ze finished his meal, put the plate down, and closed his eyes.
"The way he eats looks just like a devil from hell." Xu Qinglang teased.
It's just that whether this is a joke or has other meanings is unknown.
Zhou Ze opened his eyes and glanced at the other person. On that day, the five migrant workers came back to life on the seventh day after their death. It was normal that his sister-in-law and wife could not see. However, the noodle shop owner could see, otherwise he would not have made those five servings of braised pork rice.
But the two of them had a tacit understanding of seeing through but not saying it out loud, and they never broke the window paper. Perhaps this is the way to get along with each other.
"Why aren't you taking orders today?" Zhou Ze asked.
A few days ago, even on New Year's Eve, Xu Qinglang's phone kept receiving takeout orders. But today, it seemed much quieter, and there was no delivery guy coming to pick up the food.
"Take a break." Xu Qinglang took out a cigarette, took one bite himself, and passed one to Zhou Ze.
Although it is a bit strange to not rest on New Year's Eve,
But as a man with more than 20 houses,
There is indeed capital to be willful.
"Do you know about ghosts carrying a sedan chair?" Zhou Ze asked. He still remembered what happened last night clearly, but he was not in a hurry to do anything. He just went home and lay down in his freezer to sleep.
It was indeed Zhou Ze who rescued the person himself. If there were any problems, Zhou Ze didn't want to get involved.
He just lived his life carefully, seriously and lively. If he encountered something in his daily life, he would do it if he could, but he would not force anything.
Even if the little girl in the lily skirt really had some problems, it was no longer Zhou Ze's business.
"Ghosts carrying a sedan chair?" Xu Qinglang was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Haha, there are many ghosts on New Year's Eve. It is said that when people burn sutras and paper money during the New Year, the ghosts have some extra money and are willing to take a taxi."
Xu Qinglang continued to talk nonsense, then yawned, "By the way, why is your bookstore not open yet?"
"Wait till night."
"Okay, be willful." Xu Qinglang took out his cell phone and glanced at it. "How about we go to the movies this afternoon?"
scene,
There was an awkward silence for a moment.
"No." Zhou Ze refused.
"Look, you're so disrespectful. I worked so hard to make you a new drink, but you're not even willing to watch a movie with me.
Men, none of them are good. "
“… …” Zhou Ze.
"Sorry, I forgot that I am also a man." Xu Qinglang shook his head somewhat resentfully, with an expression as if he hated why he was not a woman.
"Did you suffer any psychological trauma when you were a child?" Zhou Ze asked. "I do know some psychologists who can help you."
Xu Qinglang laughed out loud.
"Heterosexuality is just a heresy created for reproduction, homosexuality is true love."
“I beg to differ.”
"We cannot work together if we do not share the same ideals."
The conversation between the two after dinner ended unpleasantly.
Zhou Ze returned to his bookstore, opened the door, thought about it, and decided not to lock it. He simply sat behind the counter, turned on his computer, and sent a WeChat message to Dr. Lin:
"Going to a movie this afternoon?"
After waiting for about ten minutes, Dr. Lin replied:
"work."
It doesn’t mean that people can’t get sick or have accidents during the Chinese New Year. Zhou Ze, who used to be a doctor, knows that holidays in hospitals are too exaggerated.
It’s understandable if you think about it, but it’s still a bit unpleasant.
Zhou Ze really wanted to tell her that he was Zhou Ze, not some Xu Le.
But I was also worried that the ending would be that Dr. Lin would be so frightened that he would doubt his life, and even the vague unrequited love he had before would be destroyed. Of course, the most important thing was that for some things, the fewer people knew about it, the better.
Someone will come to catch me,
Zhou Ze is very clear about this.
He was waiting, and while waiting, he did not choose to curl up and shiver in some dark corner like a rat in a gutter. He still needed to live, and live a normal life. Otherwise, he might as well not come out of hell and follow the main group to finish the road to the underworld.
As for the neighbor next door, Zhou Ze had no idea whether he had noticed it or not, and he was too lazy to find out.
"In the evening."
Dr. Lin sent another message back.
Zhou Ze smiled. He felt that his smile made him look like a fool, and he was transported back to his middle school days when he saw the class study committee member looking at him shyly.
In the past, I was too tired to live.
In this life, you have to live a more relaxed and free life.
There are many truths in life that you can only truly understand before you die or when you are old, but by the time you understand them, you have already lost the opportunity to start over.
Zhou Ze cherishes his current life and opportunities.
A red car stopped on the road in front of the bookstore and two women got out.
One is less than thirty years old and the other looks only five or six years old.
The woman was wearing a red dress with flowing hair. Although she was a mother, she still couldn't hide her charm, which made her even more attractive.
The girl was wearing overalls, and probably several layers of warm clothes underneath. She was wrapped up like a little dumpling, looking cute and adorable.
But when he saw the girl, Zhou Ze's eyes narrowed subconsciously.
The person who comes has bad intentions.
The good ones don't come.
I don't go looking for her.
But she came to me on her own initiative.
I heard from Dr. Lin before that at the thank-you banquet, the other party called him uncle, and Zhou Ze was complacent about it. Now that I think about it, the other party had no intention of letting him go.
In the final analysis,
The father of four children died because of this girl.
The door of the bookstore was pushed open, and the woman looked around curiously, while the girl timidly walked to Zhou Ze's counter, looked at Zhou Ze, and said in a soft voice:
"Hello, uncle."
Zhou Ze nodded, slightly reserved.
In fact, I was wondering whether I should just use my fingernails to strangle this girl to death
"Hello, I'm Ruirui's mother."
The woman walked up to Zhou Ze and placed a gift box on the counter.
"Thanks."
The woman bowed to Zhou Ze.
Deeply affectionate.
"You're welcome." Zhou Ze still didn't stand up.
He really wanted to pretend that everything was normal so that the girl wouldn't notice anything.
But it's too difficult.
Even if it is Oscar-winning actor level,
After seeing the driver's memory footage from last night,
It's probably hard to look normal in front of this girl, right
Since I can't pretend to be like this, I might as well not pretend.
"Mom, I want to read here." said Ms. Ruirui.
"Okay, Mom will go get her hair done first, and you can stay here with uncle and read." The woman smiled at Zhou Ze, "Thank you for your hard work."
“It’s not hard.”
"It was only after asking Dr. Lin that I found out that you opened a shop here."
Melon woman.
"You and Dr. Lin are really a perfect match."
This is so insincere that even Xu Le himself wouldn't believe it.
The woman drove away, leaving her daughter behind. This place was originally a bookstore, and Zhou Ze was her daughter's half-savior and Dr. Lin's husband, so she felt relieved that her daughter could stay here temporarily and didn't have to worry about anything happening.
Next, Ruirui chose an illustrated book by herself and read it while sitting on a plastic stool.
No quarrel, no noise.
No one asked for drinks or snacks.
Zhou Ze was sitting behind the counter, looking at her.
Just at this time, Xu Qinglang walked in and saw the little girl who looked like a porcelain doll. He immediately walked over and picked her up.
"Oh, what a cute little girl."
"Thank you, sister." Ruirui responded.
The smile on Xu Qinglang's face bloomed like a chrysanthemum, becoming brighter and brighter.
The little girl's flattery really touched Xu Qinglang's sore spot.
Zhou Ze continued to sit there with a sullen face.
"Come out, I have something to tell you." Xu Qinglang put the child down and pointed at Zhou Ze.
Zhou Ze and Xu Qinglang came out.
"Someone from the square came and asked us if we wanted to terminate the contract. They would refund the rent we had prepaid."
"Don't return it." Zhou Ze didn't want to make any more trouble for the time being. What's more, he didn't have enough capital. Even if he got the advance rent, it would not be enough for him to open another store.
"I thought the same thing." Xu Qinglang nodded, indicating that he understood. "Then I will go and discuss it on your behalf?"
"OK."
"Okay, it's settled."
The two men stood outside the door and smoked a cigarette before leaving.
When Zhou Ze turned around, opened the door and walked in,
I found that the little girl was no longer on the row of small plastic stools, and the illustrated book was placed on a stool.
Zhou Ze frowned.
Lift your head,
At the stairs, there was the sound of footsteps of small leather boots.
The little girl walked out from there, half of her figure was visible and the other half was hidden by the wall.
She just
Went to my second floor.