Dispute at Station 021

  I hastily changed the subject "This second cup, I'll toast to my old classmate, to our irreplaceable brotherly bond!"

  "Alright, haha, I'll keep you company then." Zhang Jun drank a whole cup in one gulp.

  "The third cup, I toast to my old classmate. Meeting is fate, parting is love. Today, I won't say anything else, just wish you a long and beautiful life, longevity and boundless good fortune!"

  "You think I'm what? Am I not an old monster now? However, since you're being sincere, I'll spare you and drink this cup with you."

  "Haha!" Amidst our loud laughter, we downed another glass, but I caught a glimpse of Zhang Jun's gaze on me, which seemed a bit off.

  I put down my wine glass, took a bite of food, "Chen Xue, how have you been lately? Are you okay?"

  "It's just like that, a three-point-one-line life, can't say it's happy, can't say it's sad, just barely getting by. How about you?"

  "Oh me! I'm also barely scraping by. After graduating, I served in the army for a few years, but now they don't want me anymore and I've become one of the people."

  "That's good too, the troops should have arranged a job for you!"

  "Yes, I'm not interested. I want to go out and take a walk first, see more of the outside world. Having been in the army for so long, I don't understand many things about the outside world. Let's talk about it in a few years. You should have a boyfriend by now, being so pretty, there must be many people chasing you!"

  "Don't even mention it, I don't have a boyfriend yet!"

  "No way! Who are you trying to fool? I don't believe it. Your cheating skills are too poor!"

  "Believe it or not, if you don't trust me, there's nothing I can do about it."

  "Come on, come on, eat! What's the matter? No boyfriend? Find your sister-in-law. No girlfriend? Find your sister-in-law. It's all taken care of by your sister-in-law." Zhang Jun hastily interrupted, so I wouldn't be too embarrassed. I knew that Zhang Jun couldn't bear to see me like this. No matter how well I hid it, he saw and understood everything...

  That day, Zhang Jun and I drank a lot of wine together. We drank and vomited, vomited and drank, drank and vomited again. I only remember that we talked about things in the army over and over again. In the end, we said something unclear, and I don't remember it clearly either. I vaguely saw Yushu's wife helping one person and then another, busy running around. When I woke up, it was already the second night, and my head still felt dizzy. My sister-in-law cooked white rice porridge and some vegetable soup for me. Eating these things is best for nourishing the stomach at this time. Chen Xue also disappeared somewhere.

  Sister-in-law seems to have figured out that I was looking for her, so she said: "Stop looking, she's already gone. You two are not suitable, you two started drinking yesterday and she's already left. Don't think about it anymore. She's already said that you two are just ordinary classmates!"

  "Sister, what are you talking about? They've already said it's just a normal classmate relationship, not what you think. You're overthinking." I took another sip of lavender tea, I still prefer this light floral tea, feeling much better.

  "Uh... sister-in-law, after Jun Ge wakes up, you tell him for me that I've left and didn't say goodbye. Let him know not to drink so much in the future, it's bad for his health, and as he gets older, he won't be able to take it."

  "You're leaving now? Can't you stay a few more days?"

  "Never mind, it's better to leave now. I'm afraid that if we wait until later, both of us will not be able to bear it. It's too troublesome. Leaving like this is fine."

  "Alright then, be careful on your way and don't run into any bad people!"

  "Sister-in-law! What are you saying? I'm afraid of bad people? You should hope that bad people don't run into me, I'm a martial artist's son!"

  "Right! Look at me, I've even forgotten about this matter. Let's keep in touch more often!"

  "Don't see me off, you stay and take care of Jun Ge instead, I'm fine, I'll leave first."

  "Walk slowly!" My sister-in-law saw me off at the gate of the yard, and didn't go in until I was out of sight. I don't know when I'll see her again next time, maybe this lifetime will never meet again, maybe this is the last meeting of this life. As for my relatives, I think it's better to wait until I die later, everything is not that important anymore.

  Xue Chen! I still want to believe her, I still want to believe what she says is true, but my military career tells me that she's lying, what she says is false. But I'm forcing myself to think that what she says is real. I think, no matter how her life goes in the future, it has nothing to do with me anymore. Maybe, being with someone else, she'll be happier. She knows I love her, and I know I love her. As for whether she loves me or not, it's already not that important to me. I really wish I hadn't joined the army, hadn't participated in the selection, hadn't learned so much professional knowledge. That way, I wouldn't have seen through her lies, and I could continue to deceive myself, making my mood a little better. Even if it's self-deception, at least I feel happy. I can still retain a bit of clarity.

  I strolled alone on this quiet street, hailed a taxi by chance and rushed to the train station. I just caught the last train to Xi'an. On the bus, my mind was swaying with the swaying carriage until I arrived in Xi'an. I came again to that very poor train station in Xi'an.

  I had already booked a train to Kunming for today, I don't like the feeling of taking a plane, I like sitting on the train and watching the scenery, at the station, I saw her again, that woman who made me both love and hate.

  Chen Xue and a man stood together, the man was very tall and handsome, looked very strong, they seemed to be discussing something, as they talked, they started arguing.

  I took a look, it's the couple's business, what does it have to do with me? What am I to them that I should interfere in their affairs? The inner struggle made me walk closer to them, listening to their conversation. Although I felt it was a bit despicable, I couldn't help my emotions, even though I've learned many ways to control my emotions.

  "I'm telling you, mind your own business. Who do you think you are? Whether I'm good with any woman is my own affair. I'm telling you, I don't want to be with you anymore, I don't want to sleep with you. What are you anyway? You're just a cheap woman, there are plenty of women like you everywhere, get lost." The man yelled at Chen Xue.

  "So I've wasted these years of youth on you, and you're just a scoundrel." Chen Xue shouted.

  A loud "slap" echoed through the air as Chen Xue was slapped to the ground, clutching her face and staring up at the man with disheveled hair scattered all over.

  "You're the damn idiot, damn it, you've gone too far."