Chapter 26: Reunion After Separation (3)

  Huh? Just as Dan Yong was walking quickly with a pleased expression, he turned his head back and let out a surprised cry. Suddenly, a very trendy and beautiful girl appeared in front of him, and for a moment, he didn't recognize her.

  In the late autumn of Lanzhou, there was a hint of chill in the air, but the fragrance that came with the wind still made Shanyou slightly stunned. He had his hair tied back, with large silver earrings hanging from his earlobes, and a black-and-white checked scarf wrapped around his neck. A pure white undergarment was covered by a dark-colored outer jacket, and on his chest hung a crucifix of unusual shape, as if it were meant to draw people's gaze to that spot.

  Very trendy, very beautiful, very fashionable, belongs to the kind of visual impact is very strong beauty, recognized when Dan Yong was stunned and lost his smile, laughing said: "How are you! ? It's only been a few hours since we last met, the change is too great, this should be the third coincidence, it's fate!"

  Tao Xuanhe was teased by Dan Yong's straightforwardness and couldn't help but laugh, for women, appreciation from the opposite sex always brings a sense of pride and satisfaction. This light-hearted teasing seemed to bring them closer together. Tao Xuanhe continued, "I feel like we have a destined connection. How did you end up here? And why are you dressed like you're sneaking out for a secret meeting?"

  "Hehe, come see a teacher, the one I mentioned at noon, he won't be back until tonight." Shanyong smiled and casually asked: "And you? A secret meeting or a date?"

  Shan Yong's smile didn't have any hint of teasing. His eyes glanced at the two people who quickly hid in the hall, and Tao Xuanhe also saw them when he turned his head, covering it up by saying: "I'm also here to invite a friend, but it's not a date. We haven't even met yet."

  "I guess your friend must be of the opposite sex." Dan Yong said with a half-joking tone.

  "Why?" Tao Xuanhe was taken aback, not expecting Dan Yong to suddenly say this.

  "It's simple, if it were the same sex, your dazzling outfit tonight would have no one cheering." Dan Yong smiled.

  Tao Xuan's eyes moved, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing. She laughed very happily, although she was never short of men flattering her, this compliment seemed to be particularly enjoyable for her, making her feel especially good. Dan Yong was also smiling as he looked at her, inexplicably staring at those sensual lips, suddenly thinking about Da Pangzi's evaluation, and now feeling that the fatty's eyes were quite poisonous, looking quite accurate. Especially after being influenced by Japanese movies, she couldn't help but think in that direction.

  Two people each had their own thoughts, but they didn't seem to mind the other's gaze of scrutiny and appreciation. After a few sentences of chat, Tao Xuanhe enthusiastically invited: "I find you quite interesting, I was going to invite you for lunch today, but since you didn't make it, how about I ask you out another day?"

  "It's no good." Zheng Yong solemnly shook his head.

  "What's the reason?" Tao Xuanhe thought he had been rejected and his heart suddenly sank.

  But unexpectedly, Shan Yong said sincerely: "It can be arranged, but it should be me inviting you. Regardless of whether it's because of today's events or out of respect for the lady, I must be the one to extend the invitation first. I'm formally inviting you now, I wonder if Miss Tao would do me the honor?"

  "Hmm..." Tao Xuanhe's emotions fluctuated instantly, and she felt inexplicably pleased to be gazed at by Shan Yongzhi's passionate eyes. At this moment, she thought she should calm down a bit.

  But unexpectedly, Dan Yong lowered his voice and whispered: "Worried about your boyfriend? If you're worried, I think you should accept the invitation. Some men need to be taught a lesson, otherwise, you won't know what weight you have in his heart. How about it? I'm sincerely inviting you again, hoping Miss Tao will honor me with her presence. I promise you won't be disappointed."

  "Hehe... ok, for this sentence, I'll definitely go." Tao Xuanhe lightly covered her mouth and smiled. It was both a concession and a compliment, and when facing Shan Yong, it seemed that reserve was no longer needed, the two of them seeming like they had known each other for a long time.

  It's a wonderful feeling, some people you feel alienated from for a lifetime, while others feel very familiar at first sight. Dan Yong is undoubtedly the latter to Tao Xuehe, from the accidental encounter on the street to the thrilling change in the restaurant, and now the ups and downs of his mood, let alone such a close distance, such an interesting conversation, and such a bad and provocative gaze, make Tao Xuehe feel a rush of heartbeat whenever they face each other.

  In fact, men's desire to cheat and women's desire to have an affair are equally strong. As for Tao Jia, this girl, Chanyu has already started to take pity on Wenjie Ge who is being pursued by someone with ulterior motives.

  Responding to the invitation, Tao Xuehe smiled and handed a business card to Shan Yong, who politely accepted it, but apologetically said that he didn't have one himself. Tao Xuehe naturally knew a thing or two about his identity and didn't mind, leaving only her phone number. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she casually asked: "By the way, I saw you saying goodbye to a guest in the hotel earlier. Is that old man your friend?"

  "Oh! ? Shan Yong's eyes rolled around and he thought of something. Connecting it with the identity of this family, he smiled and said: "I understand, maybe our friends are the same person."

  "What a coincidence?" Tao Xuanhe thought it was possible, but still couldn't help feeling a little surprised.

  "Otherwise, how can it be called fate? It's just so coincidental." Danyong guessed and knew what Tao Chengzhang was thinking.

  Tao Xuanhe smiled and asked Dan Yong in a secretive tone: "Who did you say it was? I'll go verify it."

  Perhaps in her eyes, it was impossible for Dan Yong to have any connection with the gourmet in his seventies. Dan Yong smiled and said: "Surnamed Zuo, named Nannan. You must be here to invite this gourmet to Ruzi Xianghuo Hot Pot?"

  Suddenly enlightened, Tao Xuanhe was filled with great surprise and astonishment, her eyes wide open, nodding repeatedly. Perhaps the person in front of her today had brought too many surprises.

  "Is he really your friend?" Tao Xuanhe asked in astonishment.

  "Isn't it unexpected?" Dan Yong pulled, it seems that knowing celebrities has its benefits, looking at the girl's admiration.

  "It's nothing." Tao Xuan said calmly.

  "Is it still Le Dai Peng's friend? He has specially invited Le Dai Peng to dinner, won't you be more surprised?" Dan Yong smiled.

  It seems that no matter how strange things happen to these two, they seem normal now. So, with a change of heart, he made an unreasonable request and said straightforwardly: "If you don't mind helping me out, please invite Professor Zuo to our store tomorrow to taste some fresh... consider it a personal favor I owe you. I'm waiting here for Director Guo from the Bureau of Commerce to introduce us, not sure if we can make a deal yet."

  "This...". Danyong hesitated for a moment, looking at Tao Xuehe's expectant expression, and suddenly smiled, saying: "It's nothing, who doesn't want to owe someone a favor and get something for free."

  One after another, the rich family's daughter was so dizzy in her heart. Dan Yong said as he picked up the phone and dialed a number that sounded like it was from the southern province of Guangdong, Tao Xuanhe listened carefully with his ears perked up, and heard him inviting someone in a familiar tone:

  "Hey Lao, how about I find a place for you to eat tomorrow? ... It won't cost anything, free food? ... Don't rush to refuse, think about it carefully, a big feast with donkey meat, not worse than fresh seafood. If it weren't for the Donkey Meat Fragrance Hot Pot Food Festival, we wouldn't have bumped into each other. Alright, it's settled then, I'll come pick you up tomorrow at noon... Don't thank me, the boss of Donkey Meat Fragrance is waiting downstairs to meet Director Guo, all because of your reputation as a foodie. If anyone is freeloading, it's me following you around... haha, okay, talk to you later..."

  Hanging up the phone, putting away her mobile, and smiling at Tao Xuanhe as she greeted him, Tao Xuanhe's eyes were already wide open to their limits, his pupils unmoving, as if he had been staring at Shanyong for a long time. Shanyong signaled to him, and only then did he come back to himself, awkwardly covering up his own loss of composure, smiling and thanking Shanyong. But Shanyong continued to warn him: "I'm telling you, don't go making a big fuss with some fancy reception, the old men are all fed up with that official hospitality... These famous people are like women, they have a bit of a temper, if you're not careful and accidentally offend them, who knows, it might end in an unpleasant parting."

  "What? What to do?" Tao Xuanhe was stunned, and the model broker had dealt with many people of this type before, but it was still the first time he had encountered such an old man, and he was immediately shut down by a single sentence from Shan Yong.

  "This isn't difficult either." Shan Yong glanced at Tao Xuanhe, hooked his finger, and said mysteriously: "I'll teach you a method."

  "What's going on?" Tao Xuanhe leaned in with a mysterious expression, following Dan Yong.

  When he leaned in, Shuang's eyes glanced at the two people in the foyer window and smiled. Slowly changing positions, he lowered his voice and said: "Ask Lei Dapeng to bring that electric patrol car from Urban Management to pick up the old man."

  "What? Is that okay?" Tao Xuanhe was startled and didn't notice that he was almost face to face with Shan Yong.

  "Unconventional methods can lead to victory. It's best to call those three silly kids up, they're quite lovely and you've seen how cute they are. They'd make a great pair with the two foodies. The older you get, the more novel, fun, and unexpected it is, the happier he'll be."

  "You won't lead me into a trap, will you? Those two can talk endlessly about anything." Tao Xuanhe had learned his lesson.

  "What's the benefit of leading me into a trap, Old Left is not only our teacher but also our friend. If it weren't for being in the city, he would be happy to ride on a donkey cart. Moreover, he especially likes to tease Lei Dapeng." Shuang Yong said with a smile, almost whispering in Tao Xuanhe's ear, and estimated that he had given him another bunch of weird ideas, making Tao Xuanhe laugh so hard that his face was flushed.

  The distance between the two people was so close that if you didn't know, you might think they were lovers whispering to each other. Moreover, these movements seemed intentional, and when speaking, Shanyong blocked the peeping direction. If the angle wasn't right, it would seem like the two people were stuck together intimately.

  Not only did they get closer, but Tao Yinghe also left a thought, this thing she couldn't do, lightly pulling on Shan Yong's sleeve and begging him to be a good person and see it through to the end. Tomorrow, please invite someone to come over, don't invite that old lecher Zuo, Shan Yong is definitely reliable, patting his chest in agreement. The two said their goodbyes, Tao Yinghe saw Shan Yong onto the car, then excitedly rushed back to the entrance hall saying something about this unexpected discovery, perhaps she was too excited and didn't notice at all that her dad Tao Chengzhang's and boyfriend's faces weren't looking very good.

  Director Guo has arrived, and things are indeed as seen with one's own eyes. Lao Zuo readily accepted the invitation, had a few cups of tea, and left from Lao Zuo's residence. When Tao Xuehe came down, she excitedly told her best friend Ning Jia about this unexpected discovery over the phone, but she didn't notice anything unusual around her. Tao Chengzhang's face was somewhat pale, while his boyfriend Pan Wenjie's face was a bit ashen...

  …………………

  …………………

  Dan Yong didn't go home after leaving the Dongming International Hotel, but instead returned to the sauce meat shop in Jiefang West Store. It was the peak business hour at night, and from Jiefang Road, it could almost cover the entire western district. Xiaoru, who was in charge of receiving calls and handling cash, would efficiently arrange for employees to deliver a certain amount of sauce meat to each stall. The three delivery boys were all young men, one of whom had graduated from a technical school, and two of whom had higher qualifications than Dan Yong. Unfortunately, they had been unemployed at home for two or three years before coming to work here with low wages. However, it was a pity that in this shop, those with qualifications were lower in status than the uneducated Genwa and Dabiao, and could not avoid being scolded and ordered around.

  The boss hastily arranged a few sentences and left, now every day's sales are at least over 1,000 catties, if it goes up again, it will be close to the limit that this small store can bear, of course, it is also the ultimate of this pure handmade method. Before, Dan Yong was still considering the next step to expand, but today he obviously didn't have the mood. After leaving the store, he strolled along Hero Road, entered an old friend's teahouse and sat for a long time, when he came out, he brought two buckets of tea leaves, and then went into the night market shops to turn around, chose a peach wood comb worth hundreds of dollars, the car didn't go far, and was attracted by a half-length women's coat again, stopped the car and entered the store, in a short while, he came out with a big package.

  The mood is great, with the car window open and whistling, thinking about the surprise on his mom's face when she wears that dress, thinking about the good tea he'll serve to his dad with a sense of pride. Single Courage has really found some of his old feelings in these trivial matters. Now he thinks that his life is not as good as Lei Dapeng's, who can eat and play all day, even making work a game, driving around in a city management car, eating and drinking, taking bribes, much stronger than himself, working hard to make a living.

  No, Professor Zuo gave a lot of inspiration, but being too indulged in ideal things may cause missing many scenery in front of us, such as the cool autumn wind, such as this pleasant night, such as the joy of a family of three, and also, Tao's big-mouthed girl with beautiful eyebrows and eyes. These are perhaps the scenery that we have neglected before.

  Sister, Shanyong has thought it through, maybe he was too obsessed with that goal in the past, and his thoughts were all stuck in a dead end. To really become an extraordinary person like Sister, probably needs to have an environment that doesn't invade external things first.

  Do I have it?

  No, definitely not. Shan Yong knew that the difference was too great, and there were many things that one person couldn't achieve no matter how hard they tried. Within the limited scope of his abilities, he could only accomplish tiny things, just like this time. He clearly knew that the warehouse at Xi Yuan was a big cake, but he didn't dare to swallow it whole, nor did he have such good luck.

  The car drove up the mountain road, and all these worries were put aside. Getting out of the car with a big pile of things, shouting "Dad, Mom", the time was already past nine o'clock, and there was still a guest room light on in the store. Old mom hurriedly carried several plates to send upstairs, even her son didn't bother to greet him. Entering the kitchen, old dad was cleaning up pots and pans, Shanyong casually asked: "What's wrong, Dad, are there still guests?"

  "It's almost gone, two of them are already drunk." Dad smiled, and the farmhouse music also had such men who came to buy drunkenness. When he looked up at his son, he asked in surprise: "What are you holding?"

  "I bought a piece of clothing for mom." Danyong smiled and put the big bag on the case, pulled out a small bag and handed it over: "Here, Dad."

  "What?" Zhang Changqing looked into the bag, picked up the tea bucket and opened it, sniffed it, his eyes dimmed for a moment, and his son smiled and said: "Dad, your sense of smell hasn't degenerated yet?"

  "Of course not, Rain Before Dragon Well. This year's." Shuang Changqing said indifferently.

  No reaction, Dan Yong was stunned instead, looking at his father's thoughtful eyes, and asked: "Hey dad, give me some feedback? If not, just give me some feelings?"

  "He's wasting money. He only earned a few days' worth of money and he's already showing off." Shan Changqing gave his son a white eye, covered the lid, and put it down. It seemed like he didn't like it at all. This made Shan Yong's good mood disappear, and he was about to scold him, "Dad, you used to be a boss too, can't you loosen up a bit? You're always drinking 10 yuan per kilogram of Da Ye tea." Before he could speak, Teng Hongyu rushed in, saw her mother, and Shan Yong immediately put on a smile. Teng Hongyu first opened it with joy, but when she saw the pattern, she didn't like it and started picking out flaws: "No way, no way, Mom is too old to wear such flashy clothes... Look at this pattern, it's too gaudy. Son, go return it, what's wrong with you? It doesn't look good at all..."

  "Don't pull it down, throw it away yourself." Dan Yongqi snorted and turned around, walking away.

  He walked out the door and didn't go far, when Dan Yong quietly returned. His parents' habit was most clear to him as their son: they had gone bankrupt with the restaurant and were now afraid of spending even a single cent, so over the years they had saved up bit by bit. He listened closely and heard his father say, "The Longjing tea my son bought for me, heh heh, I'll try some first."

  "Look at you, so beautiful... You can't say that my son really has good taste, Changqing, look, it's even better than the opera costume I wore back then." Mother's voice urged Father: "See if the back is suitable?"

  Shan Yong quietly stretched his neck, and his mother was posing in front of his father with a "poss" (a pose), but his father was holding a thermos of tea and didn't even look. Suddenly Shan Yong burst out laughing and said: "Suitable? How can it not be suitable? It's so beautiful, but it doesn't match my dad, too young."

  "Hey, you little stinker." Teng Hongyu turned around, her face a bit red. But Shan Yong was already dashing upstairs, with the sound of his old man's chuckles behind him.

  Back in the attic, he rested for a while and adjusted his mood. He also unexpectedly discovered that temporarily putting down all the things on his mind made him feel much lighter. Not long after, guests left, and his mother came up to ask if he had eaten yet, asked about the business of Shi Jia Village sauce meat shop, and asked about why Lei Dapeng hadn't come for a long time. Although it was tedious and nagging, when Dan Yong responded casually, he found that nagging also had its benefits - the more his mouth moved, the less his brain worked. After sending his parents, who were used to sleeping early, downstairs, Dan Yong turned around and finally pressed the phone number of Zuo Xiying, which he hadn't dared to press for many days. The call connected, and looking at the time, it was still before midnight, so she definitely hadn't rested yet.

  But it's uncertain whether she will answer the phone or not.

  Connected, connected, Shanyou gently put it next to his ear, but there was no sound. When he listened carefully, he could hear a faint breathing sound.

  "Sister Shi, you're about to fall asleep, just respond with a word, and I won't disturb you." Shuang Yong said after a long pause.

  On the phone, a burst of laughter came out, Shanyong laughed, and finally broke the solemn ice that had lasted for several days.

  "Are you still angry after all this time?" Yun asked.

  "Hmm... You're still angry, what's wrong? Didn't you tell me not to be annoyed anymore? Why are you calling again?" Left Xiying's voice was full of anger, a woman who held grudges.

  "No way, you're making me feel disgusted too." Dan Yong changed his tone, speaking in a high-pitched voice on purpose.

  "What? Say it again?" Xie Ying was furious.

  "Say it if you're going to say it, you're really making me disgusted." Shuang Yong repeated.

  "Did I... disgust you? Speak clearly, if you don't speak clearly, I won't let you off... Was it intentional to annoy me? How could I not see that you're this kind of person?" Zuo Xiying was even angrier on the phone, perhaps she had been holding in her temper for these few days and it all burst out at once.

  "You and I have to make it clear... the feeling of disgust is just that, ever since we stopped calling each other, I've had this feeling of being unable to settle down. I think you might have this feeling too." Shanyong's face was filled with a sly smile as he slowly explained: "You misunderstand, this feeling of being unable to settle down is simply called disgust."

  In the receiver, a stifled laugh was heard, the kind that couldn't be held back. But after the laughter stopped, Zuo Xiying's tone turned cold and scolding: "You'd better not talk nonsense, this time you're just spouting rubbish and I won't even bother with you..."

  "Are you sure?"

  "What's wrong?"

  "Oh no, isn't that bad? Your dad has already agreed to invite me to your home as a guest during the winter break."

  "Are you kidding me?"

  "Really, I just came back from your dad's place, and tomorrow we're planning to invite him out for dinner too."

  "Hum, you'd better not have any ideas, trying to curry favor with my dad won't do you any good. You dare come to my house? Just watch me dare to kick you out!"

  "Hey, I haven't even said I'm staying at your place yet, and you're already kicking me out. Haha..."

  On the phone, although the words were quite angry at first, they became more and more trivial as the conversation went on, and even when Zuo Xiying said "get out of the door", it sounded a bit warm. After a few sentences, Shan Yong turned around and talked about Luzhou, and then mentioned something that both of them knew, and then talked about Lei Dapeng being a city manager, which made Zuo Xiying laugh. Then he talked about Lei Dapeng having two younger brothers who were even more capable of eating and fatter than him, which made Zuo Xiying laugh uncontrollably. The phone call went on until the mobile phone's low battery warning sounded, and it was already past midnight when they reluctantly hung up the phone.

  Plug in your phone to charge, Shanyong sent a text message: Good night, contact tomorrow.

  The instant message reply came: I'm sleeping, no way I'll contact you.

  Like a sentence of tender reproach, like a sentence of a little temper, but Shuang Yong just smiled and inexplicably thought of those lovelorn scholars in the Chinese department who would say to girls: Although we can't hold hands for life, I'm willing to gaze at you for a lifetime.

  But why must the ones who hold hands and gaze into each other's eyes be the same person? If they can't become a pair of lovers who can stay together, then they will inevitably become a pair of fools who gaze longingly at each other. What a waste, what a pity!

  Shan Rongruo thought, perhaps he had already started to accept reality and his heart was at ease. That night when he fell asleep, it was very relaxing, not as anxious as the past period of time.