Twenty-one, come on!
People of a feather flock together, objects categorize themselves. In the natural world, mammals are divided into two categories, carnivores or herbivores; in society, human tribes also fall into two types, nomadic and farming, unfortunately, we all belong to the latter.
Since modern times, the Chinese have been constantly searching for the root cause of their own suffering. The final conclusion is that those who eat grass can't beat those who eat meat, and with too much rice and white flour, they naturally become muddle-headed; thus, they began to encourage the masses to follow the dietary structure of the powerful nations: a cup of milk every day, to strengthen the Chinese people.
In fact, the temperament inherited from our ancestors is not so easy to change. If you have the chance, you can come to our farm and take a look. We raise cows, sheep, pigs and other animals in enclosures, feeding them like they're crops. People who eat this kind of food are unlikely to become carnivores!
I don't know when it started, but the Chinese began to count their fingers to calculate the country's total GDP, taking this as proof of government performance and officials' promotion. It seems that as long as the economy grows, all problems will be solved. But if you flip through history, you'll find that during the Opium Wars, our GDP was also the world's first, so how did we end up being beaten by a few "small countries"? In fact, everything is the same, quality is far more important than quantity, no matter how many sheep there are, they're still just a piece of meat in a wolf's mouth. Wake up, do you still remember the Great Leap Forward?
From a young age, Chinese children are told to be "well-behaved" and listen to adults, or they will get spanked. Once they grow up and become independent, they have to obey the organization and respect their leaders, otherwise they might be "suppressed". When it comes to dating, it's even more so - not only do Chinese people prefer someone who is elegant and refined over someone with a strong physique, but they also consider being "honest and down-to-earth" as a standard for choosing a partner. However, equating being "simple" with being "vulgar" is quite strange. The Chinese have some inexplicable experiences - they say that a dog that bites doesn't bark, which is truly absurd. If you go to a military dog training camp, none of the dogs are pretending to be deep and profound. Extending this logic to humans, because "talking too much will lead to losing", people should be "quick in action but slow in speech". Silence is seen as a sign of being introspective, while those who talk too much are often criticized for being "superficial".
As a result, many successful people are portrayed as "deeply mysterious", busy for half a day, and others don't know what they're doing; but the outcome is often missed opportunities. By the time you've got everything ready, you'll find that the flowers have wilted. Yi Xin is a good example. She knows that Xu Zhen Liu, who didn't grow up with his parents from a young age, is most afraid of loneliness, yet she often leaves him for ten days or half a month at a time, making it impossible for her relationship with the boy to reach the temperature needed for thorough boiling. In fact, she dares to do this because she believes in the traditional Chinese motto "less talk, more action" and assumes that Xu Zhen Liu will understand.
In recent months, Yi Xin and Zhuo Liu's contact has been scarce, but she hasn't been idle. The development zone production base she planned and prepared is already taking shape. In fact, the girl is so invested in this project because she is thinking about her future with Zhuo Liu. Yi Xin originally planned to work hard for a few years to be promoted to department manager within the company, which wouldn't have been a problem given her intelligence and capabilities. However, an unexpected twist occurred when she discovered that Liang Pei, the deputy general manager in charge of personnel, had ulterior motives towards her and was becoming increasingly unscrupulous. According to Yi Xin's personality, she would have liked to give him two slaps on the face and walk away, but she couldn't bear to abandon the fruits of her labor over the past three years. Although "a tree can be transplanted, a person cannot," someone like her who had just become familiar with middle management shouldn't make rash moves unless absolutely necessary. Just as she was torn between options, the headquarters decided to invest in a new production line, and Yi Xin, as an expert in financing and financial analysis, participated in the initial planning. She took the initiative to propose that she lead the project, so as to distance herself from trouble, while foreign companies were also hesitant about the official connections required for this new project. The company's high-level executives hoped to utilize Yi Xin's father's connections in the political arena but didn't know how to bring it up, and thus they reached a mutually beneficial agreement. According to the girl's plan, after several years, when the branch company was established and put into production, she would naturally be the best candidate for the top position, which is also the usual practice of foreign companies in cultivating new talent. By then, Zhuo Liu's "book mountain" should have been climbed sufficiently, and the two could build a love nest together in the vast development zone, free from financial worries, allowing him to choose his own path in life without any concerns.
Although Yi Xin herself lacks interest in studying, she comes from a family of intellectuals and has a natural respect for scholars. She doesn't expect to gain wealth or fame through her efforts, so she quietly plans for the future, not just for him, but also for herself. Women have a natural maternal instinct that makes them want to take on responsibilities alone, rather than relying on others. In fact, according to Freud's theory, the fox spirits and beautiful snakes in Pu Songling's "Liaozhai Zhiyi" are reflections of his own desires. The fact is that Xu Mama's strong support has contributed to her husband's carefree life. However, this effort may not be appreciated, especially by the Chinese people who value simplicity and humility. During the SARS outbreak, Tongrentang's loss-making medicine was rumored to be "profiteering from national calamity", which shows the importance of effective communication.
In the social pyramid, the higher you go, the colder it gets. Successful people seem to be invincible, but their inner struggles can only be known by themselves. This group of unlucky ones is not in the minority, apart from Yi Xin herself, her old classmate Li Bin also "fortunately" belongs to this group.
"What are you doing here?" On Friday evening, after class, Zhen Liu had just walked out of the research institute's gate after teaching a half-day basketball lesson to female students when he saw Li Bin's very eye-catching Peugeot 407 parked by the side of the road: "Who are you picking up?" He asked with a shake of his head.
"I've been waiting for you for half a day," Li Bin said, turning his body to open the passenger door and starting the engine: "Isn't your class supposed to end at 4:30?"
"Really?" Zhen Liu sat down with a mixture of trust and doubt, although they had known each other for many years, but the two had hardly ever met alone: "Is there something wrong?" The boy found that Li Bin's face seemed to be not quite right.
"How about we go for a drink?" He didn't respond directly to Zhen Liu's question, but instead smoothly steered the car onto the highway.
"Alright, alright," In Zhen Liu's impression, Li Bin had always been a gentle and elegant person, never as solemn as he was today, as if there were thousands of words pent up in his chest that he couldn't help but express: "Guests follow the host's convenience." As the semester drew to a close, graduate students who no longer had to worry about exams became more relaxed. The boy had originally planned to accompany Wu Yu to buy groceries and cook dinner, but curiosity led him to change his evening plans.
The newly bought original car drove smoothly from Ping'an Avenue into a small alley, seven turns and eight turns, stopped in a relatively spacious open space. Relying on the old horse's intuition, he judged that this place was probably not far from Houhai, and he could vaguely smell the noise of the crowd on the lake shore at dusk in early summer. Sure enough, following Li Bin through a narrow alley that only allowed a small fat man to walk sideways, the two came to the front door of the bar. The boy looked up and saw the ancient-style signboard with the bold words "Misty Night" written on it, probably from the hand of some melancholic literati who often lingered here.
"Hey? You're here pretty early today," said a manager dressed in a professional suit, beaming with joy as he greeted Li Gongzi. He was clearly a regular here, or else he wouldn't have the privilege of having a reserved parking spot behind the bar on this bustling pedestrian street: "Is this your friend?" asked the female manager, who had a keen eye for detail like Ah Qiang's wife, as she discovered Zhen Liu and gently patted Xiao Pangzi with her soft arm: "We've got seats saved for you guys," she said, exuding a rich, layered scent of French perfume that was reminiscent of honeysuckle, but a bit too strong.
"Still Chevys?"
"No, bring me the Royal Salute I've been saving," Li Bin said, pulling out a "Mild Seven" and lighting it up for himself.
"You're also too extravagant," said the wine cabinet, emitting a warm amber glow, this top-grade Scotch whisky retailed at least three times more than its market price in nightclubs.
Li Bin's cigarette had burned halfway, but he only took two light puffs: "I really miss my school days," he flipped through the notebooks brought by the stream: "It would be great if I could read books for a lifetime."
"Yes, Yi Xin always says that staying on campus is a form of escapism for me."
Li Bin shook his head, it was unclear whether he was denying someone's point of view.
"What's wrong, got lovesick?" Pillow Stream stroked the knight relief on the wine bottle while half-jokingly steering the conversation deeper, a trick he often used.
"Being trapped by emotions is a kind of happiness..."
According to the standards of those clay Buddhas in the temple, it seems that successful people should cut off all joys and sorrows to be considered truly strong. As the saying goes, "without desires, one is firm." Zhen Liang often feels that Li Bin is like a corpse on his father's operating table, seemingly bright and sunny but always feeling distant and silent, as if his heart was covered with a blanket. In the world of emotions, he is certainly the dream lover of many girls, but Li Bin, who has been taught since childhood to prioritize "studies and career," seems to not understand the ordinary things that people take for granted. After his natural instincts were cut off like an useless appendix, his relationships with every girl were as strict and precise as if measured by a ruler, like a celebrity worried about scandals damaging their image. Unlike those playboy princes, Li Bin is more like a lone wolf squeezed tightly by the flock, unable to speak out, holding onto his golden rice bowl while starving.
Perhaps it was an inevitability in chance, or a chance in inevitability. Having grown accustomed to handsome men and beautiful women, he was unexpectedly drawn to the simple and natural charm of Yuwen, otherwise he wouldn't have taken the initiative to lower his guard, repeatedly asking her out on various pretexts, and "overstepping" by participating in their class's spring outing activities. For Li Bin, who had long been unaware of what it meant to be himself, being able to do so was already a rare occurrence. In fact, Yuwen, who grew up in a small county town, did have a touch of simplicity and authenticity about her. Although she sometimes fawned on teachers, curried favor with leaders, and actively participated in various "required" activities like most young people with dreams but no opportunities, she never pretended to be refined or superior. In this superficial era, she stood out for being genuine.
Unfortunately, in Yunwen's eyes, Li Bin, who is thousands of miles away, seems very distant from herself. The boy's unprecedented enthusiasm was also taken for granted as his gentlemanly demeanor towards all females. Although she secretly rejoiced, she never thought about it further. On the contrary, it was Feng Ye, who was straightforward and not lacking in personality, that attracted her attention, especially after gradually learning about the boy's family background. This made Yunwen add a few points of understanding and tolerance to Feng's seemingly unreasonable words and deeds. The more he clashed with the values of the unfamiliar city, the more he could make Su Yunwen, who had also experienced the bitterness and sweetness of venturing into the world, feel a warm sense of sympathy.
"Don't be discouraged," the ice cubes in the glass slid silently, as Xu Zhongliu murmured to himself: "Opportunities require patience." In fact, Xu Zhongliu had never been very optimistic about Yunwen's choice. The necessary impulsiveness, passion, and even the thrill of rebellion that came with falling in love would eventually turn into hidden reefs beneath the calm surface when they grew old together. Therefore, it was often those seemingly bland and tasteless partners who could grow old together until their hair turned white.
"Why aren't you drinking?" Li Bin clinked his glass against the one on the table in front of him and downed it in one gulp.
"How about finding a backup?" Xiao Pangzi tried to turn around the dull atmosphere: "I think Aimee is pretty good."
Li Bin lost his voice in laughter: "Last night, I said that your tears would bury me alone, but this was wrong. I couldn't get everything after all. From now on, each person will only get their own tears..." The joking words seemed like self-mockery.
Actually, after learning about the "beautiful woman saving the bear" incident under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Bin, who was somewhat annoyed, indeed strengthened his interactions with Ai Mei, or more accurately, acquiesced to her gradual approach. However, a recent event turned this farce into a second Waterloo.
It is said that Microsoft's interview is considered the most difficult in the world, largely because all seven interviewers with completely different backgrounds have one veto power. In fact, large enterprises in Europe and America are much more humane than we imagine. Employees with good reputations will have far greater opportunities for promotion and salary increases than those who are selfish and escape public scrutiny. Under this system of "not tolerating traitors", Du Xiaozhong was quickly discovered and after a period of observation, the company decided to send him to the Chengdu office as deputy director of logistics, with his treatment also being adjusted accordingly. Logically speaking, this should be a good thing, but Ai Mei was shocked and dismayed after inquiring about it.
The angle determines the field of view. In her opinion, Du Xiaozhong's return to Sichuan was no different from a triumphant return home. Originally, he had many connections in his hometown and naturally became the target of affection for many infatuated girls. However, she herself was far away in Beijing and couldn't help but feel left out. People often say "you only appreciate what you have when it's gone", but in fact, when danger appears, it can reveal a person's true nature. Just like those middle-aged women who constantly talk about divorce but would never actually agree to it, Ai Mei's long-term "suppression" of Du Xiaozhong stemmed from her own inferiority complex. It seemed that she only felt safe when she was one step ahead. Of course, her interactions with Li Bin and the foreign professor also had an element of self-promotion. However, the more the girl struggled, the more it showed how much Xiaozhong meant to her. Many girls from ethnic minority groups in southwestern China have this characteristic: they seem carefree in their relationships with men, but are actually loyal and faithful in love. This is something that should make those descendants of the Yellow Emperor who preach morality but are actually immoral feel ashamed.
It wasn't until then that Li Bin realized that Ai Mei's closeness to him was no different in essence from Su Yunwen's "arising from emotions, stopping at propriety and righteousness". Both were merely a kind of aesthetic appreciation. Once things came to a head, others would still return to their "real" lives, leaving him alone under the spotlight to continue singing and dancing. To say it without exaggeration, he was a model carefully crafted by modern society and placed in a display window - both a pampered child and an abandoned one.
"I've already spoken with the boss, Xiao Zhong will stay in Beijing and become an assistant manager at the customer service center, with a salary increase," Li Bin poured another cup: "You go tell Ai Mei, I'm applying to go to headquarters for half a year of training, and before I leave, I won't see her."
The singer on the stage over there was swaying her two shiny legs in rhythm, seemingly having forgotten the lyrics, mumbling something indistinguishable that sounded like it was about the impermanence of worldly things. I recall Pascal saying that if humanity's future is truly beautiful, then we wouldn't need to deceive ourselves by placing vulgar pleasures on the precipice. But conversely, since none of us are clear about where humanity's future lies, why not indulge in timely pleasures and make the most of this fleeting life?
Xu Zhènliú turned his head back and found that the leader with the handsome eyebrows and eyes was half-sitting and half-leaning on Li Bin's sofa armrest, whispering: "Little Ling will finish singing soon, she'll be over in a moment." Her captivating gaze wandered over the boy.
"Let's go," said Li Bin, who had drunk more than half a bottle of aged whiskey without showing any signs of intoxication. This "Dugu Qiubai" (a nickname for someone with exceptional drinking capacity), one of the few in his social circle who could outdrink Xiao Pangzi, flicked away the cigarette he had just lit and stood up, neither paying nor signing the bill.
When he got back in the car, Li Bin had regained his usual confident and carefree demeanor.
In a large shopping mall, the most deserted stores are those luxury counters. Occasionally, a few timid customers will visit, but they usually just window shop and leave. Fortunately, these jewelry and precious items do not have an expiration date, and their value often increases with age. Therefore, bosses who don't open their doors for three years can afford to wait. Similarly, people like Li Bin don't need to worry about gains or losses in the short term. With time, their value will surely increase.
However, for these fresh goods, the situation is much more dangerous. After the age of 26, their half-life will not exceed five years. Nowadays, in marriage advertisements, you can often see those large-scale "leftover" women who are being cleared out at a discount. The conditions are usually quite good: master's or doctoral degrees, high incomes, elegant and refined, luxurious houses and cars. Obviously, they were all highly sought-after goods back then, but after picking and choosing, they suddenly realized that the good men had already become husbands of other women. So, they can only lower their standards and sell themselves at a discount, otherwise, they would have to grit their teeth and pursue younger men. Therefore, when it's time to take action, you must seize the opportunity, especially for these arrogant and proud female graduate students.
A year after entering the capital, a big red happy character was finally posted on the door of the girls' dormitory. This time, the winner is Cheng Xiaofeng, also known as the deputy class leader of Zhen Liu's class. The girl who broke the record comes from Fengyang, Anhui Province, majoring in Linguistics. It is said that her graduation thesis mainly argues that humans invented written symbols to mark territory because of the natural evolution of mammals' behavior of dividing territories with urine.
The groom's name is Hu Gao, a Beijing native. His grandfather was an eighth-level old carpenter who had made a sofa for the Congolese Embassy in Brazzaville. His parents worked at a furniture company and were quite accomplished; they had even passed on their skills to their only son, Hu Gao, before retiring. Now it seems that the elderly couple's vision was indeed far-sighted. The state-owned enterprise where Hu Gao works has been struggling to survive and has not publicly recruited new employees for years, instead relying on migrant workers from other provinces to reduce costs. With his iron rice bowl, Hu Gao naturally looked down on ordinary girls, but even slightly better-off girls didn't bother with him. It wasn't until a few months ago that he met Cheng Xiaofeng, a decent-looking girl introduced by their neighbor Zhang Shu, that the young man felt like he hadn't wasted his youth. His parents at home naturally also frequently nodded in approval of this marriage. After all, it's not like they had produced a master's degree holder; the Hu family had never even produced a high school graduate. Of course, Cheng Xiaofeng wasn't marrying down either - she was from Beijing and had a two-bedroom apartment. To make way for the newlyweds, Hu Gao's grandfather had moved to the balcony before the wedding, leaving behind his ancestral, earthquake-resistant double bed that could withstand a level 12 earthquake. This was already quite generous of him; after all, they were just looking out for their own interests.
Actually, Xu Zhongliu had never spoken more than a few words with Cheng Xiaofeng and was in no way familiar with him, yet he unexpectedly received an invitation to attend the other's "fairy tale wedding". He had intended to decline on some pretext, but on the day of the event, several senior members of the graduate student association came to his dormitory building early in the morning to "urge" him, and he could only hastily put 300 yuan in a red envelope as a gift and follow them away.
Xu Zhongliu felt like he might have been kidnapped when he was sitting in the car, as the restaurant rented for the "grand ceremony" was too far away and they had to rush on the highway for over 50 minutes to get there; fortunately, they didn't arrive late, and the wedding procession hadn't arrived yet, probably still cruising around the Fourth Ring Road. This wedding was fully sponsored by the furniture factory's trade union, and all the cars used were Audi A8s reserved for company leaders. The Hu family could be considered one of the three major founding families, and they had unusually "grafted" a female intellectual, so the factory gave them plenty of face.
At the entrance, there was a registration desk. Wang Lan had just finished signing in and was about to enter when the chairman of the conference ran up to him with a smile all over his face, reminding him to sign on behalf of *** as well. This finally dispelled the boy's doubts. He smiled wryly and deliberately scribbled "Wang Lan" in a crooked way: "Do I need to indicate my position?"
"No need, no need," said the chairman with a radiant smile to Xu Zhifang: "We'll write it together in the end."
Here is the translation:
Next, it's time to pay up. Zhen Liu took out an envelope and handed it over to the master of ceremonies. This procedure was handled directly by the accountant from the factory, who put all the red envelopes into a uniform bag and wrote "XXX congratulatory gift" on it, leaving no room for pretence. In fact, despite saving a lot of expenses, the cost of this wedding, including decoration and various purchases, almost depleted the Hu family's entire savings. No wonder they were so particular about the financial aspects; the Beijing middle class's emphasis on "face" is evident, indeed, for those who have nothing substantial to show off, they can only rely on this mirage to maintain their self-deceptive "dignity".
In Western culture, white symbolizes purity, so the wedding dress of a new bride is made like a mosquito net; but this color is similar to China's mourning clothes and funeral rods, making people feel very unlucky. Where is our red skirt and red sleeves that look so festive? As a result, various indigenous and foreign combined colorful wedding dresses were produced, with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple - only what you can't think of, not what you can't do. For example, today's Cheng Xiaofeng wore a big red "mosquito net" to make a stunning appearance. In fact, foreigners also have wedding dresses in this color, but according to their customs, those are prepared for remarriage.
"Come, come, everyone, let's have a toast," said Hu's father with great relish as he poured wine for the "honored guests" at the main table: "This was bought when my son was born, and I've been saving it for his wedding day." It seems that the Chinese way of "using the old for the new, and the foreign for the local" is quite well-matched - not only has it added color to the wedding dress, but even the "daughter red" has changed its nature.
Hú Gāo is two years shy of thirty, which means this wine has a history of 28 years. The other day, I went to open the洋荤 with Li Bin, and Zhuān Liú specially looked it up - what's called "Royal Salute" refers to Scottish whisky that has been aged for over 21 years (symbolizing the 21-gun salute when European countries receive foreign heads of state); by analogy, this bottle of "Virgin Red" should be called "Chinese Salute" (China fires 28 rounds of artillery on major celebratory occasions, symbolizing the 28-year revolutionary process from the founding of the party in 1921 to the founding of the country in 1949).
As I raise this cup of fragrant wine, I always feel a hint of fishy smell in my mouth. 28 years, how much fresh blood is needed to condense into today's prosperity? At that time, Mao Zedong launched the "**" movement, with the initial intention of avoiding the restoration of capitalism, but what was the result? The ruling class of China today is still the petty bourgeoisie. The boy glanced at the joyful officials, scholars, and so-called workers, taking advantage of the guests' distraction, he secretly poured some turbid old wine on the ground, wondering if the mandarin ducks would dream of those lonely souls in the underworld tonight.
"Pop!" Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the bride and groom held a large bottle of champagne to pour over the five-tiered wine glass tower...
When mainland media describe the appearance of their motherland, one word is often used: "changing every day". Indeed, nowadays in China, everything comes and goes quickly, leaving people dazzled. The wedding banquet that was still bustling with activity just a moment ago has already become a distant memory, with the venue empty and quiet. When I returned to my research institute after a few days, the hot topic of discussion from just a few days ago seemed to have been forgotten by everyone, and everything had returned to its "original" state amidst the hustle and bustle.
Of course, the two large double喜 characters in front of the dormitory building were still fluttering in the gentle warm wind, but they could no longer attract any attention from passersby. During the "Cultural Revolution", in order to cooperate with the surging mass movement, it was often necessary to create some large-scale outdoor paintings on the theme of leaders. In that era of great enthusiasm, the color red naturally became the most commonly used tone in the works; but the problem was that this pigment was often very unstable, and after a few days of wind and sun, it would become a pink symbolizing opportunism. It wasn't a big deal for other things, but if the "red glow" on our leader's face really faded, it wouldn't be a joke. To solve this tricky problem, manufacturers had to come up with a solution that wasn't very good, using expensive cinnabar as the raw material for red, and marking on the packaging "for leaders' faces only". It's worth mentioning that this cinnabar is actually a good thing, if you've had a fright, putting it in a pig's heart and stewing it to eat will work. However, the large red喜 character in front of the research institute building definitely didn't use such precious pigment, so I estimate it will soon become dull and tasteless. In fact, even cinnabar, which can drive out evil and support justice, is not foolproof; if used for grinding, it can produce various colorful effects, just like human hearts, singing different songs on different mountains.
Xu Chen wandered aimlessly in the courtyard for an entire afternoon, feeling that nothing was quite right. The library was as dull and lifeless as ever, and even the basketball court, where people usually sweated profusely, had become deserted. Unconsciously lifting his head, he suddenly realized that the scorching sun had lazily dipped towards the distant mountains, it was time to "know when to return" like a tired bird in flight.
Pushing open the door and entering the house, I found that everything inside wasn't any warmer than outside. Wu Yu had obviously come back home; this morning when she left for work, it seemed like she said they would have dumplings for dinner, now the dough was "waking up" in a basin, various ingredients for the filling were already chopped but hadn't been mixed together yet, the boy touched the stove which still had some residual warmth, probably having just been extinguished.
The old air conditioner was still humming, the TV was on, but the sound had been turned off. The news anchor's facial expression looked a bit comical. Wu Yu must have left in a hurry, as she usually took care of everything at home before going out, even if it was just to buy a newspaper downstairs; let alone when the house gradually became dark without anyone turning on the lights, and the mistress still hadn't returned...
When she was awakened by the noisy doorbell, Zhī Liú looked at the wall clock and it was already 7 o'clock. She had even forgotten to bring her keys.
"You, you..." Facing Wu Yu, who sat silently beside the desk after entering the house, the boy who had just returned from his daze couldn't tell whether he was dreaming or awake. He imagined countless possibilities and then denied them one by one.
Teacher Xiao Wu raised her head and looked at Zhen Liu, her face seeming to be both bright and dark: "Let's go live in the basement today."
"Huh?" It's been over half a month since the so-called backbone teacher training ended that they hadn't gone to that side.
Before Xu Zhongliu could respond, Wu Yu, with an expressionless face, walked into the small cottage that was originally given to Zhongliu without saying a word. When she came out, she had changed into a white dress with red flowers. It wasn't until much later that the boy remembered that this dress, which always seemed familiar to him, was actually the one that Little Wu Teacher used to love wearing many years ago. Although it was now somewhat old, it showed a certain special warmth and serenity.
"What about those dumplings?" Zhen Liu still hesitated.
"Let's go," she didn't respond, but silently turned off the air conditioner and TV.
Until the two sat side by side in the taxi, the boy was still as if in a ten-mile fog. He turned his head to ask what was going on, but found that the light blue ribbon on Yuan Lei's notebook had been neatly tied into Wu Yu's hair at some point, still with the same "ten thousand" knot.
In fact, two months ago when he proactively invited Yan to meet, Yuan Shixiong was facing the most important decision of his life. At the beginning of this year, a "sea turtle" (a Chinese who has returned from overseas) doctor was newly transferred to Tongtian Hospital, and this doctor mainly studied surgical treatments for stubborn mental disorders; however, the market for this perspective is quite limited, after all, domestically-born doctors always believed that "ideological and political work is the lifeline of all other work", and they were not enthusiastic about the method of wielding knives. In order to showcase his overseas study results and benefit the people of the motherland, the sea turtle doctor decided to conduct a hospital-wide "sea election" (a play on words), where patients who were willing to "try before buying" could do so, and if it was ineffective, they wouldn't have to pay a single cent.
"How can he be so stupid?" Wu Yu stared out of the window in a daze: "Can this kind of thing be tried casually?"
Actually, Yuan Lei's decision is quite understandable: he has been bearing the weight of high expectations for so long, and being trapped in that dark corner for over a decade would push anyone's endurance to its limits. In China, mental illness is not considered a disability in the classical sense, but those who suffer from it are shouldering an even more pervasive pain than physical disabilities, with even their basic dignity stripped away. Ordinary people can barely tolerate this, let alone those who were once proud sons of heaven. This time, Yuan Lei chose to defy his family's opposition and risk everything because he had had enough of the endless torment; by his calculations, it was better to end things quickly rather than drag out a miserable life.
After the pillow flow, it was learned that Yuan Shixiong had accepted the so-called "inner bag forelimb damage bundle", which is said to have a special effect on severe cleanliness. Unfortunately, the main surgeon who performed the operation "lost by a hair's breadth" and damaged the needle sword when it was only a few millimeters away from perfection. However, the treatment effect was still obvious, and the original symptoms had basically disappeared, except for some side effects. After the operation, Yuan Doctor didn't say half a word in a month, but stared blankly into the distance, as if thinking about something.
His sister said that Yuan Lei had been writing the outline of "A History of Chinese Language Philosophy" before his surgery, and wanted to complete it with you after he recovered... A transparent tear hung on Wu Yu's dry cheek for a long time, before falling down reluctantly. If it were those coquettish women with thick makeup, the clown in "Pear Blossom Spring Rain" would have looked extremely ridiculous and fake at this moment.
"His sister?"
"It's Yuan Fei, your class teacher..."
No wonder, Zhen Liu had always thought that this mysterious senior brother had the ability to predict the future, not only was he familiar with his own secrets, but also with the recent rumors and anecdotes in the courtyard.
As she sat in the dimly lit basement, Wu Yu's emotions had somewhat recovered. On this sweltering summer day, it was surprisingly chilly here: "You haven't eaten yet, have you?" As usual, she thought of the boy's warmth and nourishment.
"I've eaten," this kind-hearted lie actually had some basis in reality, for some reason the lunch at the wedding banquet seemed difficult to digest and was still churning away even now.
After a long while, Wu Yu wiped away the tears on her face, and without any makeup, she looked even more pitiful: "By the way, your dad called this afternoon..."
"Oh," Qian Liu didn't understand why Wu Yu suddenly thought of this "unimportant" matter at this time.
"He is going to take Wei Dan to Australia to study."
The Western academic community often scolds Chinese intellectuals for "lacking imagination". Indeed, in the arena of intellectual combat, it is often said that "as far as our thoughts can reach, we can go that far". Of course, this evaluation is only general, and among Chinese scholars, there are also those with insightful "慧眼" (wise eyes), such as Yuan Lei and Xu Zhen. Unfortunately, the latter, while enjoying the pleasure of free thinking, often fall into another extreme, loving to entangle everything together, and often cannot distinguish between reality and falsehood.
After being in contact with Zhao Rang for nearly a year, Zhentao had always been suspicious that this mentor who cared about him so meticulously seemed to have some kind of unusual relationship with his father. In fact, the clever boy often came up with strange ideas, and after the truth was revealed, he couldn't help but laugh at himself; but this time, he guessed correctly.
Marx believed that coincidence is a form of necessity; indeed, the seemingly irrational and coincidental events often have their own inevitable fate. More than a decade ago, when everyone was shocked to discover that Xu's father and Zhao's teacher "got together", after the initial astonishment, it seemed that no one had seriously thought about how the resentful wife who woke up from her nightmare fell in love with a fallen genius who never wanted to be bound by any shackles. Of course, this "fateful encounter" could not be accepted by two families of renowned scholars, and the eventual beating of the mandarin ducks was also reasonable.
Actually, people with a literary temperament like Meng's father often can't escape the "chronic disease" of being hesitant and indecisive. When they fall in love, it's quite pleasant, but when it comes to making sacrifices for their loved ones, they lack the grandeur of "being a nobleman with thousands of households". However, this is still debatable. Compared to those "pure men" who can pick up and put down things easily, being able to marry an "honest intellectual" might be considered a kind of good fortune that's like finding a general among dwarfs.
"That's right, as you once said," Wu Yu sighed deeply: "Love is indeed a 'God's gamble', and it's right to believe in your initial choice." Indeed, since we are facing an ancient mystery that has no answer, the more times you choose, the more chaotic the situation will be, and of course, the farther away from happiness.
But this seemingly simple reasoning process is not so natural in real life. Years ago, Wu Yu decided to leave Yuan Lei, who had once made him infatuated, and on the surface, it didn't seem as unbearable as Lu Yuanhang thought. At that time, if Lu Yuanhang himself were in the same situation, he might have made the same choice. Facing a boyfriend who has an extreme obsession with cleanliness in every aspect of life, seemingly romantic but actually unimaginable for ordinary people: perhaps being able to tolerate wiping down everyday items dozens of times a day is still bearable, but when he involuntarily criticizes your words and actions, it's hard for others to understand. In fact, the most painful one is Yuan Lei himself, who is not lacking in trust towards his first love of many years, but is completely exhausted by illness and unable to extricate himself. So, being considered a "good person" in the eyes of the public is more a matter of innate luck than a cultivated achievement.
"Really, cherish the people in front of you," Wu Yu looked at Zhen Li who didn't know what to say: "Don't regret for a lifetime because of temporary curiosity." The boy understood that she was referring to Yi Xin.
Indeed, for someone like Zhen Shui who appears to be strong but is actually a perpetual juvenile, having a partner who can "cover" for him is absolutely a good thing. In fact, this is also a common problem among Chinese scholars - when faced with right and wrong, they won't compromise or yield like ordinary people, and may even be more chivalrous than a martial artist, but when they return to the warmth of their haven, they often become like newborn babies, needing women to pamper and love them.
That was a stormy night ten years ago, in the single dormitory where Yuan Lei lived during his internship at the Institute of Physics, which was also the basement across from him that often made Wu Yu stunned. The young couple took a painful and sweet step. Fate played tricks on people, making many men's souls upside down and unable to extricate themselves from the "bloody" scene, but it made Yuan Doctor, who was overly fond of beauty, lose his soul, feel chilly in the back, and even unable to do anything... It was from then on that he gradually became overly sensitive to everything in life, filled with fear...
At some point, Wu Yu extinguished the old table lamp on the bedside that was already very dim, and slowly pulled down the light blue hairband that was shining with a faint glow in the moonlight. She looked at the bewildered pillow, perhaps something behind the boy's back: "Come."
