The enthusiasm of the residents of the small town for the carnival was far higher than Jiang Wang expected.
This kind of small celebration, not only has a foreign name, but also eats, drinks and plays, and the time and venue are set just right. It is really interesting for the locals who live a boring life.
Jiang Wang originally planned a publicity fund in advance, but after spending half of it, he found that there were already people scrambling for the leaflets alone, and the hotline couldn't stop calling 24 hours a day.
No, to avoid stampedes, more security guards should be hired to guard against pickpockets and human traffickers.
For the first time, the eldest brother felt the pain of too much money, so he ordered a familiar factory to temporarily print tickets.
Of course, relatives and friends will issue a batch of tickets first, and each partner school will also distribute a batch of family members of service teachers. After the bookstore is full, a batch will be given away, and there will be another batch for free within a limited time. There are not many tickets left.
Jiang Wang rushed his assistant directly to buy a punch card. Once the number of people in the venue reaches the limit, no one is allowed to be released.
"Brother Jiang, can't you?"
"Absolutely," the man took a deep puff on his cigarette, "We'd rather earn less."
When the layout of the venue was started three days in advance and the tables, chairs, circuit boards were placed, many teachers from various schools came to see the situation in advance.
Jiang Wang is honest and honest, thinking about win-win for all parties in everything, so he specially greeted many schools during the planning period.
He will arrange special reception services for anyone who intends to purchase guidance books, set up an enrollment consultation office, and arrange students to come to be volunteers.
While he was busy, Jiang Wang seemed to sense some sight, and looked up at the other side amidst the loud sound.
Ji Linqiu wore a baggy black T, with a silver chain hanging beside his collarbone, and a lazy smile.
"Teacher Ji?" The wolf with a big tail smelled it, and walked over like a human: "You are also here to inspect the work."
"I took the initiative to apply." Ji Linqiu was in a good mood, and let him lead the tour together: "It's so lively, there are magicians and live bands."
Jiang Wang looked at the musician who was still trying out the bass guitar, and discovered some interesting details.
"Mr. Ji likes bands?"
"Well, listening to LIVE is very enjoyable, but I only have tapes and CDs, and I haven't seen it with my own eyes." Ji Linqiu took a sip of ice-cola, and half-jokingly said: "If it weren't for my identity as a teacher, I might ask if I could go up and sing for two It's the first time."
Jiang Wang looked sideways: "You go up and try now?"
"Not today." Ji Linqiu looked regretful: "It's not appropriate to have colleagues today or students after the opening."
Jiang Wang found that Ji Linqiu's character and identity were too contradictory.
He is a good teacher with full marks.
He speaks softly to the students, works patiently and speaks softly, and makes it impossible for anyone to find fault with his words and deeds in school.
But the closer you get, the more you can see Ji Linqiu's rebellion.
It seems that something inside is struggling to resist, even living in self-denial and double contradiction.
The former is not a hypocritical performance, and the latter is not a faux trend.
Both are very real, but they cannot be matched.
Ji Linqiu knew that Jiang Wang was watching him, but strangely, he didn't avoid anything, as if he was happy to be seen by the other party.
Even if it will be misunderstood.
"I have a suggestion." Ji Linqiu walked to the open space next to the fountain, leaned over to look at the field drawn with black tape: "What did you want to put here?"
"Performance area or science popularization display board." Jiang Wangsi said: "The amusement items are already saturated, too much will distract their attention."
"We can have a live abacus and mental arithmetic competition, and memorize the spelling of words with prizes," Teacher Ji said unhurriedly: "Put three rows of tables and chairs, a host and a speaker, and give away whatever stationery guide books you have."
Jiang Wang hissed.
"Good guy, you are more ruthless than me."
"This kind of thing is always avoided by children, and parents compete for comparisons. If they can't compare, they will come to the side to find you to buy books and newspapers." Ji Linqiu said with emotion: "I just won two deals for my friend, and her phonetic transcription class has not been recruited yet. Manchu."
Jiang Wang nodded, ordered the secretary to handle the matter, and continued to walk in with Ji Linqiu.
"There is a situation, are you talking about friends?"
"What are you talking about?" Ji Linqiu shook the ice-blue soda can, and said casually, "It's the younger sister who helped me a lot in the past, and she's getting married next year."
Jiang Wang was extremely disapproving of the old men's method of urging marriage with cattle, but he was also faintly anxious about Ji Linqiu.
He has no idea how such a good person in his previous life could end up alone, but it's best not to in this life.
"By the way, you are twenty-six, have you talked about it?" The man tried his best to sound casual, and joked: "Is there someone in your heart, and you have to guard yourself like a jade for that person."
The answer Jiang Wang presupposed in his heart was nothing more than yes or no.
If so, he has the responsibility to accompany the teacher out of the emotional pain and embrace the sunshine. Although it sounds strange to the Youth Digest, he will definitely do so.
If not, there must be another story behind it.
But Ji Linqiu didn't answer, and became emotionally withdrawn.
His gaze became empty, as if Jiang Wang had accidentally opened a room that had never existed. There were no walls or floors in it, and it was both existing and empty.
It took a long time before he lowered his eyes and opened his mouth.
"I have no idea."
He is younger than Jiang Wang, but he rarely shows such a confused expression.
"I don't know what will happen to me."
"Maybe it will have nothing to do with anyone for the rest of my life."
Jiang Wang realized that the atmosphere was not right, and was about to speak to calm down, Ji Linqiu laughed at himself.
"It's different."
"Maybe he will never fall in love and get married in his whole life, so never mind him."
Jiang Wang froze in place, his mind went blank for a few seconds, and quickly changed the subject, planning to take him to have a good meal.
"And you?"
"Me," the man touched his chin: "To be honest, I have been a soldier for many years, and you also know that it is impossible to fall in love in that environment."
"After coming out again, I have to settle down again, and I'm too busy with work." He laughed: "Our two progress bars are almost the same, both are zero."
Ji Linqiu blinked: "I didn't expect that."
"Didn't expect anything?" Jiang Wang turned to look at him: "Don't make fun of me, I'm probably going to blush."
"No," Ji Linqiu frowned and smiled, "I just thought... you seem to have a lot of experience."
Never even talked about it.
They reached an amazing agreement in some aspects, and it seemed more relaxed to play skewers at night.
No one gets full marks in life, so don't laugh at anyone.
On August 5th, the first Never Forget Carnival was officially held in Jinyue Plaza.
Adults and children all over the city waited eagerly for two weeks. As soon as the day came, all the 1,000 glittering balloons that could be received with tickets at the entrance were distributed at ten o'clock in the morning, and three people had to be hired temporarily in the afternoon to fight deliver.
These days, there is no Double Eleven and no Disney. Even if everyone earns money, they don’t have much desire to spend. It’s rare that there is a carnival and they are naturally willing to eat more and have fun.
International flavor
The fast food stalls here are selling very fast, and almost everyone has freshly squeezed juices and cream smoothies.
Some adults have never played many games themselves, saying that they are helping children to try their hands, but they actually stay by the amusement booth.
Jiang Wang smelled the messy smell of barbecue and fruit juice in the air, and led Peng Xingwang around for a while.
The venue is larger than he expected, and with the artificial trail loops and functional divisions, it is no problem to visit for a whole day.
Peng Xingwang greeted new friends and old friends all the way, as if all the children in the old city knew him.
There were even a few junior high school students who deliberately stopped to chat with him, and then waved goodbye.
Children also like such a lively place, they can't stop looking around, and even took a photo with Jiang Wang in front of the tulip flower wall.
Then I turned a corner and saw the abacus mental arithmetic concentration camp.
One group of children miserably counted and multiplied four-digit numbers on the spot, while the other group miserably memorized words on the spot.
At the same time, they are accompanied by parents who are like spirits behind them.
A host next to him shouted as hard as he had drunk ten cans of Red Bull.
"Come on! The first child will get a super invincible luxury gift package - full package of lifelong tutorial books! Half price discount for the advanced class of the phonetic symbol quick calculation entrance exam!!"
Peng Xingwang shivered.
"I don't remember this project!"
"Your teacher Ji said," Jiang Wang said slowly, "Yes."
Peng Xingwang took a long breath, and tried to shrink back when he received the resentful eyes from his classmates.
"Brother," he said with difficulty, "then I'm... in trouble with you."
Jiang Wang stretched out his hand and hit his brain three times in a row: "Again! Misuse! Idioms!"
"It hurts!"
He only played with Peng Xingwang for less than 20 minutes, letting the children and friends go crazy together, and dealing with various on-site problems with the field manager himself.
Why does this stall steal the place from that one, some parents are walking around and suddenly find that the mistress is dating another man, or so-and-so's child is separated again and crying loudly.
In addition to being busy, I still remember to visit Peng Jiahui's stall.
—The business is really not so good.
Although cotton candy is vulgar, it is still thriving twenty years later.
"Come and taste it! Eat slowly!" Peng Jiahui was much more cheerful than before: "Thanks to my practice for more than a week in advance, otherwise I can't take care of my hands and feet now."
Jiang Wang accepted his gift naturally, took a big bite and looked at the queue behind.
A child next to him was dissatisfied and protested: "Why did he jump in line! You clearly said that jumping in line is not allowed!"
The parents hurriedly took the cub back: "What are you talking about, he is the boss, and the whole square belongs to him."
In an instant, more than a dozen children all looked at Jiang Wang as if they were idols.
Peng Jiahui was busy with his hands, but he was still able to distract himself from chatting with him.
"Well, brother, can I ask for a vacation this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon?"
On the surface, Jiang Wang disliked the sweetness of this stuff, but in fact he ate half of it in two or three mouthfuls, and said casually, "Please, please whatever you want."
"I finally made some money, and I want to take Xingwang to the carnival together, and play with him more." Peng Jiahui said with a nervous expression, "You know, I was really not very good to this kid..."
"It's all right," Jiang Wang said seriously, "This booth is yours, and the machine is yours too, you can play for as long as you want, I'm too busy these two days, you can let the child go back to sleep for two days."
Peng Jiahui nodded repeatedly, smiling happily.
He is still addicted to alcohol, after all, it is an inescapable physiological reaction.
But once you taste the sweetness of being sober and alive, you won't look back.
The carnival lasted until 9:00 p.m. that night, and the security guard urged people to leave reluctantly.
The cleaners swarmed up to clean up the place, and the small trucks drove over one after another to replenish the flowers and bonsai.
Jiang Wang stayed in the square the entire time, swallowing half a box of fried rice at the end of his meals.
He didn't take away the bulk of the profits, but only charged a symbolic booth fee.
Compared to searching for money and endlessly accumulating wealth, it seems that seeing the city is bustling with joy and happiness is more comfortable than imagined.
It's rare that everyone is happy, which is very good.
-2-
It was already ten o'clock in the evening when Ji Linqiu received the call.
"No way," he was still writing a lesson plan with his mobile phone in between: "Brother Jiang, are you still inviting me out at this point?"
"Are you coming or not." Jiang Wang lazily said, "If you miss it, you won't be there."
"Okay, where will I see you?"
"square."
Ji Linqiu capped the pen, casually put on a coat and went out to call a taxi.
The square is still brightly lit.
Dozens of workers were checking the bills and checking the plug-in lines, and many vendors also came to restock and pack their things after a short break.
"You only come to me when the fun is over." Ji Linqiu pretended to be a pity.
"I just want to find you after we're gone." Jiang Wang pointed to the table in the distance: "Go up and play."
The guitar and microphone are all there, and I can sing whatever I like.
Ji Linqiu didn't intend to become a singer.
He just likes a lot of things that normal people would never do.
He looked at the empty high platform for a while, it was dark and there was no light, and the people nearby were busy loading and unloading, no one would look.
"it is good."
Ji Linqiu is not a coy person.
He walked up the steps with long legs, tried the sound of the guitar briefly, and sat on the high chair to watch the almost empty audience.
"Sing what?" Jiang Wang looked up at him: "Jay Chou has released a new album, it seems to be called Qilixiang?"
"You're quite trendy." Ji Linqiu smiled, bowed his head and plucked the strings: "I wrote a song, listen to it."
Jiang Wang laughed and looked at him carefully.
"Don't say how long you will live, lest you live up to your age."
"People chatting and clinging to each other, letting the bone broth gurgle."
"And my soul is too far away, like the moon floating on the water."
"The emotions were wasted, and I suddenly forgot all about it."
A few strings sounded clear and clean, and the hoarse voice was deep and gentle.
Ji Linqiu's melody was very simple, and the voices of several chords were very soft, making him seem to be singing a cappella.
For the first time, he sat in the empty night and sang, facing the empty distance, facing the noisy cicadas.
"Sometimes I think, when everyone sleeps with their eyes closed,"
"Is it true that the painful places have the same shape?"
"I want to hug hard, the place where my heart is refrigerated."
"Also apprehensive, afraid of seeing the dawn."
Ji Linqiu opened his eyes, his long eyelashes seemed to be shining.
"All choices are reweaving memory into a web of redemption,"
"Maybe one more step forward, and there is no need to flee."
He paused for a long time after singing, and then he put the guitar back in place, set the chair, and walked down slowly.
"It didn't feel like anything at first," Ji Linqiu covered his face with the back of his hand, "I'm still a little embarrassed."
Jiang Wang was still looking up, as if looking at a rare place that he would never go up.
"I don't even open my mouth in KTV." The man stretched his waist: "I have a tone deafness, and I don't have such good conditions as you."
They seem to have made an appointment to take a walk together for some reason, and no one made a suggestion, so they walked slowly along the edge of the square together very logically.
Jiang Wang was too lazy to think about the topic, and Ji Linqiu didn't speak.
After walking for almost ten minutes, Ji Linqiu looked at him again.
"How is the singing?"
"It sounds good." Jiang Wang said sincerely: "The sound is good, with a long ending, and it's very comfortable to listen to. I won't praise it any more."
Ji Linqiu glanced at him, put his pockets in his pockets and continued walking.
After a few steps, he asked again.
"Where are the words? How is the writing?"
"You're quite narcissistic." Jiang Wang couldn't help but make fun of him, but gave him a good review seriously.
"Although there is nothing romantic, but it is very comfortable to listen to, and I like it very much."
Ji Linqiu seemed to have received a great evaluation, so he looked carefully at his expression.
"real?"
"I really like it." Jiang Wang waved his hand: "If you praise me again, I will be ashamed, please let me go."
Jiang Wang walked next to Ji Linqiu, feeling that this buddy is also a person of philosophy.
He found out that young Yang Kai has always liked philosophy, from the time when it snows and blossoms, to when he gets married and has children, he can always feel a lot of things, and sometimes it is annoying to be long-winded.
But Mr. Ji's philosophy is inexplicably good for a while.
He loves it.
The carnival opened on time the next day, and the traffic was even more explosive than the first day, so that Jiang Wang had to call a team of security guards to patrol around to prevent people from getting in through the gaps in the fence.
This small city usually looks like young people and children have all run out, so how come there are so many activities.
Ji Linqiu had a training meeting during the day, so he never came to play.
Peng Xingwang ran to a high place on tiptoe, searched and searched, and finally got a little frustrated.
But the child can always think of a way. He deliberately picked out several books that adults like, and carefully wrapped them in paper. Grilled ostrich skewers and crispy fried cod sticks. Please Jiang Wang to send it to the teacher.
Jiang Wang was exhausted from too much work, so he simply left it to the assistant secretary to figure it out, and ran another takeaway for his children.
Before leaving, I thought of something, ran to the side of the plum blossom cake and asked for a big one.
The peddler actually recognized him: "You! Aren't you that one!"
The assistant was afraid that the peddler would drag Jiang Wang to tell his fortune, so he was ready to stop him like a bodyguard.
"I still owe you three bags of small cakes! You wait for me to bake them for you!"
Peng Xingwang was about to take him all the way to the car, and asked curiously, "Why three bags?"
"Brother, besides giving me food, who else do you want to give?"
Children are still very wary of things like someone competing for favor.
Jiang Wang didn't bother to explain, he reached out to pick it up after it was baked, and tasted a few while it was still hot.
"No need to send it off, I'm leaving."
Peng Xingwang let out an oh, but was a little unresponsive.
"Eh?? Didn't you buy this for me??"
"You brought pocket money." The eldest brother didn't think there was anything wrong, and took all three bags away: "See you tonight, remember to go home early and do your homework."
"Eh??!!"
He drove away from the square, his ears freed after being bombarded all morning with stereo screams.
Jiang Wang didn't think carefully about what Ji Linqiu meant by the word heterogeneous.
His soul lives in 2027, and he sees the world clearly.
Who doesn't pretend to live step by step, and forcibly joins the group for decades, trying not to expose himself as an outlier.
Don't even pretend.
As usual, the old lady poked the coal stove to boil water at noon, and the stank of sulfur monoxide filled the corridor.
Jiang Wang pinched his nose and knocked on the door, shouting like a child.
"Ji·lao·teacher—"
It took a while for Ji Linqiu to open the door, with some wet red ink on his wrist.
"Hehe." He laughed: "Is the star a gift? Thanks."
"Why can't it be from me?" Jiang Wang is used to entering his house, and knows how to change slippers: "My child, I'm afraid you will be sad if you can't go, so I will buy everything I see."
"It just so happens that I haven't eaten yet, so let me order."
Ji Linqiu was still correcting the papers, as if he was busy with the teacher's evaluation, and signaled him to eat first.
"I'll come later."
Jiang Wang was not too polite, and went to the kitchen to find dishes to help arrange.
After entering, he yelled.
"Why are they all disposable?"
The man poked his head out: "You don't buy porcelain dishes, do you?"
Before Ji Linqiu could speak, he went to look through other cabinets.
"Good guy, the cups are all disposable paper cups, don't teachers use thermos cups now?"
Ji Linqiu put the pen back, approached and leaned against the wall to explain.
"Tea stains are not easy to clean, and the thermos cup is easy to get cold after a long time. It is better to throw away the paper cup."
"No way," Jiang Wang came out with a few paper plates and bowls: "Are you so busy?"
"Being a teacher is so busy." Ji Linqiu said calmly: "Keep tidy and save time, no problem."
Boss Jiang was noncommittal, and in the time it took to make a pot of tea, he arranged all the takeaways that the child dragged him to. Seeing that there were meat and vegetables and staple foods, it was a decent lunch.
If it wasn't for Jiang Wanglai, Ji Linqiu might not remember to eat until two or three o'clock.
He has never been taken care of so meticulously, and he is not used to it.
Jiang Wang ate at his leisure, and still had time to pour tea for him.
"I thought you were having a good time."
"It's okay," Ji Linqiu remembered something, and said slowly while drinking hot tea, "You respect the teacher so much, have you encountered anything before?"
Jiang Wang slightly chewed the ostrich meat, but did not avoid it.
"Well, I have been taken care of."
"I became a soldier at the age of fifteen. At that time, I had just finished junior high school, and the nine-year compulsory education had come to an end. I really couldn't afford the tuition fees."
"It happened that my physical fitness was up to standard, and I had won prizes in track and field. I just happened to be specially recruited into the army."
The man poured himself a cup of tea without looking at him.
"The notice was sent to go to the north, where the snow can be down to minus ten degrees, and the toes can be frozen off."
"I was in a daze at the train station and just happened to meet that teacher."
"He recognized me, asked me where I was going, and then took off my coat and gave it to me, saying that it was cold in the north, and the journey was short.
Heart. "
Jiang Wang remembered something, and his tone gradually slowed down, as if admitting his mistake.
"I have kept that coat for many years. At first, the sleeves were too long for me. Later, when the sleeves grew taller, I asked a tailor to change them. I used the same fabric and the same buttons."
"But one year I accidentally fell into the water, and the old clothes were not soaked, and they couldn't be worn when they were dried again."
Ji Linqiu stopped his movements, as if he could see his guilt, and said gently: "That teacher, you must miss him very much."
Jiang Wang looked up at him and laughed too.