On Saturday afternoon, Zhan Xi went out to keep an appointment with Wang He.
Since Wang He had a car, they agreed to meet at a shopping mall southwest of Qiantang so that Zhan Xi didn't have to go to the city.
Zhan Xi no longer wore a down jacket, but a beige woolen coat, a sweater and jeans inside, and small boots on his feet.
She was wearing a turmeric plaid scarf and her long, smooth hair was draped over her shoulders. Her young face was already beautiful, and after a little makeup she looked even more beautiful.
I don't know if it was because of the cold or because of shyness, but her cheeks were flushed. Wang He looked at the girl who was gradually approaching, and felt like a warm breeze blowing through the cold winter. He was very satisfied with Zhan Xi's figure and appearance.
The two men greeted each other and it was almost time for dinner. Wang He suggested eating Cantonese food and chatting while eating. Zhan Xi had no objection.
As they walked toward the escalator together, Zhan Xi quietly sized up the man. Wang He was 28 years old, and he looked pretty much like the photo, with short hair, about 1.75 meters tall, not too fat or too thin, with regular features, and nothing wrong with his appearance.
Sitting down in the Cantonese restaurant, Wang He ordered food and did not forget to ask Zhan Xi about her dietary restrictions. Zhan Xi had no opinion on what to eat and only asked for a pot of hot drink, so Wang He ordered a jug of black rice juice for her.
While waiting for the food to be served, Wang He saw Zhan Xi sitting upright and asked with a smile: "Are you nervous?"
Zhan Xi shook his head: "No."
Wang He poured her a cup of hot tea and said, "I heard from the introducer that you are taking the civil service exam?"
Zhan Xi: “…”
She answered honestly: "I took the written test last month, and I don't think I'll make it."
"The results won't be out until January." Wang He asked again, "If I don't pass, will I take the exam again next year?"
Zhan Xi said: "I haven't thought about it yet."
Wang He smiled again: "Don't be nervous, I'm not an invigilator, we're just chatting casually. I also wanted to take the civil service exam at first, and then I took the exam for my current unit first. I didn't expect to pass the exam, and I have been working here for more than three years."
Wang He works at the Food and Drug Administration and is said to be very capable and has a bright future.
Zhan Xi asked, "Are you busy with work?"
"It's OK." Wang He said, "You are a girl, I actually suggest you continue to take the exam. If you pass the exam, you will be much more comfortable than working in a private company. Some positions are busy, but they are stable after all. After getting married, girls will focus on their families, especially when they have children. At this time, you will know the advantages of the system over private companies. If you see a suitable civil service recruitment exam, you can also try it."
I really don’t like talking about these topics... However, Zhan Xi thought about it carefully. If she was asked to choose a topic, she wouldn’t be able to pick anything. She couldn’t tell Wang He that she wanted to change her job.
All she could say was, "Thank you. I'll keep an eye on it."
Hot dishes were served one after another, and dinner time was a good time for the two to exchange basic information about their backgrounds. Some things were not convenient to say on WeChat, like checking household registration, so when they met, Wang He did not hide anything and introduced his family situation.
What bureau does his father work in? His mother was a university teacher before she retired. What is his undergraduate school and major? Where did he study for his master's degree? When did he buy his wedding house? What is its price, location, area, and appreciation
His uncle is awesome, doing what he does here and there, his younger uncle is also pretty good, doing what he does here and there, his classmates are also very impressive, some of them started businesses, some of them immigrated, some of them got their doctorates…
Compared with him, Zhan Xi found that he had nothing to say. His parents were both small town residents and lived in a three-story self-built house.
My mother is retired, with a monthly pension of just over 3,000 yuan, and my father works as a quality inspector in a factory in town, earning 4,000 to 5,000 yuan a month to retire. None of the aunts and uncles in the family can be boasted about, but there are a few who are lazy and like to eat.
There are three things that my parents are most proud of in their lives.
The first one was that a long time ago, my father bought a single storefront on the main road of the town at a bargain price. He has been renting it out for many years, and the annual rent is enough to cover the family's living expenses;
The second thing was that when Zhanjie graduated from university, they bought him a three-bedroom apartment in full while the housing prices in Qiantang were still high;
The third thing is that they raised a little daughter named Zhanxi, who is beautiful, well-behaved and good at studying.
Chi Guilan firmly believed that her daughter was destined to be rich and prosperous, and that she would have a stable career and a happy marriage in the future. She told everyone she met that she had a good fortune. As for her daughter's future husband, Chi Guilan had very high standards.
After the meal, not to mention that Zhan Xi had no interest in Wang He in the first place, it was really interesting that he was also driven into autism at this time. He didn't know where his mother found this person from. His conditions were too good. The two of them were not evenly matched at all.
Wang He didn't seem to have this feeling. After dinner, he asked Zhan Xi if he wanted to go shopping.
It was dark, the temperature outside was very low, and the wind was blowing. Zhan Xi felt cold and asked, "Where are we going?"
Wang He said, "There is a university town nearby. I studied there for my undergraduate degree. There is a Fenglin Night Market Street. It is very lively. Let's go for a walk. It's just right for digestion."
Zhan Xi thought about it and agreed.
—
Fenglin Night Market is not far from the university town. Because it was Saturday, even though the weather was cold, there were still many people visiting the night market, most of whom were college students.
Luo Jingyu was walking on the night market street carrying a black backpack. He still pulled down his hat and wore a mask. He looked at the bustling crowd and felt quite uncomfortable. He walked through the crowd with his hands in his pockets and hardly made eye contact with anyone.
It was his first time here and it took him a while to find Chen Liang’s stall.
The location of the stall was OK, in the middle of the night market, with a two-meter-long shelf and several light bulbs hanging on the top, illuminating the goods on the shelf. Luo Jingyu saw an A3-sized sign next to a pile of small items, with red words on a white background saying:
Love Booth
The stall owner is deaf-mute
No bargaining!
Luo Jingyu: “…”
When Chen Liang saw him, he smiled and signed to him, his mouth opening and closing: "Xiaoyu, here you are! Come and sit here!"
Luo Jingyu walked to the back of the stall and sat down. Chen Liang's girlfriend Maomao was also there. She had a baby face and short hair. She was holding an electric water bottle to keep warm and smiled at Luo Jingyu.
Chen Liang has been sitting here since the shop opened at 4pm. He has been choked by the cold wind. He sat next to his girlfriend and asked Luo Jingyu shiveringly: Have you eaten
Luo Jingyu took something out of her bag and nodded.
He brought a lot of jewelry made of heat shrink film, some of which were inventory and some were made some time ago. Each piece was covered with a plastic bag. Finally, he handed Chen Liang a price list and started sign language: This is the money for me, I don’t care how much you sell it for.
Chen Liang took it, took a look at it, and replied: Okay, no problem, your prices are always fair.
Maomao also signed: "Xiaoyu, your food is really popular. Can you make more for us? I can also sell it in my online store."
Luo Jingyu's eyes, which were revealed through the mask, curved slightly, and she raised her hand to gesture: No, I've been too busy lately and can't make all the things in my own store. I made these things when I had time. If you want to sell more, you can learn it yourself. It's not difficult.
Maomao curled his lips and said: If I could do as well as you, of course I would learn it, but I just can’t do it well!
Luo Jingyu asked Chen Liang: Is business good here
Chen Liang lit up a cigarette and didn't answer.
Maomao shrugged: Let it be, the weather is too cold, let's wait and see when it gets warmer, it should be better than before.
Chen Liang was the poor male classmate who was slapped by a drunk when he was fifteen years old.
He is dark and thin, but his facial features are energetic. After graduation, he worked as a kitchen helper in a restaurant, and also worked as a mover, milkman, and courier... After meeting Maomao, the two of them set up a night market stall together.
Chen Liang wears a hearing aid in his left ear, so he can hear a little bit, but he is completely deaf in his right ear. He opens his mouth to speak when he signs. Luo Jingyu and Maomao don't know how well he speaks, but he enjoys it and sometimes even introduces products to customers.
Maomao saw that the customers all looked confused and almost died of laughter. He knew that ordinary people could not understand what Chen Liang said.
They used to set up stalls in the city, but the stall fees were expensive. Later, they heard that there were charity stalls for the disabled at Fenglin Night Market, so they submitted an application. They waited for two years before it was their turn, and they immediately packed up and moved to another location.
In addition, Maomao also runs a small online store, and he can earn some money every month by openly using the name of a deaf-mute person.
Luo Jingyu sat for a while, Maomao patted Chen Liang's arm, Chen Liang turned to look at her, and Maomao gestured: I'm hungry, go buy some food.
Chen Liang glared at him: "Go by yourself! I'm hungry too, go pack two meals and bring them back."
Maomao rolled his eyes: I don’t want to move!
Chen Liang's face was full of expressions, and his facial features were twisted: You want to stay with Xiaoyu, right
Maomao was so angry that he beat him, and Luo Jingyu lowered her head and laughed secretly.
He stretched out his arm and patted Chen Liang. When the other party looked over, Luo Jingyu signed: You two should go eat together. It's too cold here. Let's go to the store and have something hot. I'll keep watch for you for a while.
Maomao thought this was a good idea and tugged at Chen Liang's sleeve: Let's go, let's go, eat quickly and come back soon.
Chen Liang stood up and pointed out the things on the stall to Luo Jingyu. All the goods had price tags. He pointed at the sign and told him that he would not accept any bargaining.
Finally, he took a fluffy white headband earmuff from the shelf and threw it to Luo Jingyu: It's too windy here, I'm giving you one to wear to cover your ears.
"..." Luo Jingyu took the earmuffs and immediately thought of Teacher Egg. This is something for girls, very cute, Teacher Egg should like it.
Maomao took out a bunch of red ropes from under the stall and handed them to Luo Jingyu: Xiaoyu, if you have nothing to do, help me braid some ropes. You are good at it.
Chen Liang opened his mouth and laughed: Don’t bully Xiaoyu!
I don't know what strange sound he made, but a couple passing by the stall looked over here at the same time. Chen Liang didn't react, and Luo Jingyu and Maomao both noticed it.
Maomao patted Chen Liang and said, "Keep your voice down, everyone is looking at you."
Chen Liang scratched his scalp and shut up awkwardly.
Luo Jingyu signed: You guys go ahead, I'll braid the ropes, just give me the pattern.
Maomao gave him the sample. Luo Jingyu knew what kind of weaving method it was at a glance and made a gesture to indicate that she understood.
Chen Liang and Maomao went to eat, and Luo Jingyu sat alone by the stall. It was not the first time for him to help Chen Liang guard the stall, so he was not nervous. He looked at the stall owners and customers around him and found that someone was also secretly looking at him.
Luo Jingyu looked away, knowing that his previous communication with Chen Liang and Maomao in sign language must have attracted other people's attention. He thought about it, stood up, took the sign that said "Stall Owner is Deaf and Mute", and put it upside down under the stall.
The weather was really cold, especially because of the strong wind. Luo Jingyu's ears were frozen red, but she didn't think the earmuffs were childish. She put them on her ears, pulled up the hood, and carefully braided a few red ropes.
He didn't contact "Egg Pudding" that day because she was going on a blind date.
Luo Jingyu didn't know about her plans and was afraid of disturbing her, but she was always thinking about her and wondering whether her blind date was going well.
I hope everything goes well for her. The other party is in good condition and it is a good thing that they are attracted to each other.
There is a little hope... Even if it doesn't go smoothly, it would be best if someone else likes her and she doesn't like him.
He couldn't accept that Teacher Jidan, such a good girl, was being despised by others.
Last night’s conversation actually made Luo Jingyu very sad, and she suffered from insomnia once again.
He vaguely felt that he had developed some inappropriate feelings for "Egg Pudding", and he even felt panicked when this dangerous thought came to his mind.
He was unhappy when he knew a boy gave her milk tea, and he felt even more uncomfortable when he knew she was going on a blind date.
But it is clearly impossible for him and Teacher Egg to be together. From any perspective, they are two completely unrelated people.
He foolishly tried it, but the result was obvious: Teacher Egg didn't think about it that way at all.
During the day, Luo Jingyu was so upset that she even ruined a simple embossed flower, which had not happened in the past two years.
Feeling suffocated at home, he took the initiative to contact Chen Liang and asked him to visit his new stall.
The cold wind from the night market street ruffled Luo Jingyu's hair.
Pedestrians come and go in front of my eyes, the picture is flowing, and under the backdrop of neon lights, the street is bustling and lively, yet extremely quiet.
Luo Jingyu stayed in this small corner, with a calm figure and steady eyes, yet seemed so lonely.
—
"When I was in college, I would occasionally come here to hang out, but it's been eight or nine years, and a lot has changed. Several snack shops that were very popular back then are now gone," Wang He said as he walked.
Zhan Xi walked beside him, his hands in his coat pockets, and asked casually, "Are you here with your girlfriend?"
She thought, boys wouldn’t go to the night market alone or with other boys, right
Wang He admitted: "Yes, my girlfriend, but I was young at that time and it was just a joke."
Zhan Xi didn't like this statement: "Don't say that. Two people can be together because they love each other."
"That's right." Wang He turned his head and asked her, "What about you? Have you ever been in a relationship before? I heard from the matchmaker that no, but I don't really believe it. You are so beautiful, there must be a lot of boys chasing after you."
A vague figure emerged in Zhan Xi's mind. She could hardly remember the person's appearance or name. She only remembered the feeling when her girlish heart was moved.
She was just a freshman at that time, 19 years old, and she did have feelings for a boy, but that was all.
The two had known each other for less than a month, and this immature relationship, which could not even be called "first love", was strangled in the cradle by Chi Guilan, and they never contacted each other again.
Zhan Xi replied to Wang He: "No, I'm very busy with my studies at university."
Wang He was even more unconvinced: "How busy can the schoolwork be in college?"
Zhan Xi thought, why don't you try to study two majors? If you are not busy, I will take your last name! But he said, "Maybe I am too stupid. If I don't spend more time, I will fail easily."
After walking for a while, Zhan Xidong looked around, absent-mindedly looking at the stalls on both sides, and only wanted to go home.
It’s too cold, and this road is so long! How long will it take to get there
She heard Wang He say, "Zhan Xi, what do you... think of me?"
Zhan Xi didn't say anything and suddenly stopped.
Wang He also stopped and continued to talk to himself: "I think you are a good girl after meeting you today. I don't have any rules when looking for a girlfriend. I just look at the eye contact and the feeling. I liked you at first sight and we got along very well. I don't know... what do you think?"
He turned his head to look at Zhan Xi and found that the girl next to him was standing still, staring blankly at a stall not far to the right.
"Zhanxi." Wang He called her, but she didn't respond.
"Are you happy?" Wang He patted her shoulder.
Zhan Xi was startled and trembled a bit. He asked, "What?"
Wang He asked: "Did you hear what I just said?"
Zhan Xi seemed to be in a trance: "What did you say?"
Wang He: “…”
His face looked unhappy, but Zhan Xi didn't have time to care about him. His eyes fell on the stall again.
To be exact, it was the man who fell behind the stall.
A man wearing black clothes, a hood and a black mask.
It was rare to see people dressed like this, and Zhan Xi recognized him at a glance as the man who lived in the same apartment building as her.
If it was just a neighbor, it wouldn't be surprising, as this place is not far from Qingque Jiayuan.
The key point is that Zhan Xi saw his hand.
It was the first time I saw the two hands of this man in black exposed.
He was braiding a red rope. His fingers were very flexible and he was very skilled. Zhan Xi even suspected that he could do it with his eyes closed.
Those beautiful hands, under the illumination of the light bulb and against the black clothes, appear even whiter in complexion, and their ten fingers are slender, clean, graceful and flawless, just like a work of art!
It's not uncommon for a neighbor to have a pair of beautiful hands! There are many men with beautiful hands in this world.
However, there was a red mole on the back of the lowest part of his right little finger.
One, red mole.
Zhan Xi didn't know her eyesight was so good. She first noticed the man, then his hand, and finally the red mole.
She didn't care what Wang He said in her ear. She took two steps towards the stall, stood in front of it, and said softly, "Xiao Yu?"
The young man lowered his head, concentrating on braiding the red rope, and did not react.
Zhan Xi mustered up his courage and spoke a little louder: "Hey, are you 'Big Fish'?"