We simply ordered a few snacks, including duck neck, pork ribs with salt and pepper, and shrimp with a less authentic taste. Lao Hu and the driver ordered rice noodles, and I ordered a bowl of rice noodles. The snack street in Houjie is at its most popular at this time, and there is a lot of people outside the house, pushing cups and changing cups, toasting and staggering, it is very lively.
The house is buzzing, the flames are pulled out high and high, and there is a sound of gas burning. The cook skillfully holds the pot in his left hand and the spoon in his right hand. Next, a delicacy was poured into the plate, a small ladle of clear water dripped into the bottom of the pot with a splash, a long-handled wire brush was brushed randomly a few times, and the air valve was opened again.
"Sir, let's have some beer. Pure draft beer. It tastes pure. It's on promotion. It's very cheap. Would you like to try it?" The girl who sells beer saw us raising her chopsticks, approached us again, and began to sell enthusiastically.
"Xiao Chen, do you want something?" Old Hu looked at me.
"I'll come when you come, and the driver won't drink, and I'm alone. The weather is boring." I said.
Old Hu chuckled a few times, but didn't say anything. The girl selling beer held a card that looked like a price list, and threw me a very provocative wink from a distance. Next to Lao Hu, the specially customized advertising dress was close to Lao Hu's waist, and she lowered her head and spread out the price list , The sales started, which made Lao Hu a little bit hard to refuse, but he couldn't refuse rudely. After the other party said a lot, Lao Hu said a few short words: "I'm sorry, I don't drink."
The girl still had a smile on her face, maintained an excellent working attitude, twisted her buttocks, and went to the next table. One table after another, in twos and threes, some tables were full of people, persuading people to drink, the voices were loud, and they were very excited. In contrast, our table looked quite well-behaved, eating slowly and without making noise.
"Should Xiao Chen go back to the gas station or go to my place to have a look?" After eating, Lao Hu handed me a napkin.
"Go back to the gas station."
"Go to my place and have a look. It's not too late, it's only eleven o'clock." Lao Hu opened the door, leaned in, and looked at his watch. Then he said: "The smell of ink in the factory is too strong. I rented a suite nearby, and I just rented it not long ago."
"Oh, it's a new home, so I have to visit it."
The car was parked on the side of a newly opened road outside Lao Hu's factory. When we got off, Lao Hu asked the driver to drive the car back to the factory. The driver asked when he would come and take me back to the gas station. , just walk back by then, it’s not far away, the driver said: “Then I’ll squint first, and you can make a phone call then.”
The apartment that Lao Hu rented was on the third floor. Through a big iron door on the first floor, he turned the key, and with a click, the heavy iron door opened, and the lights on the stairs magically turned on automatically with the sound of footsteps. The stairs are not very wide, and the sides are made of stainless steel for the fence, the floor is tiled, and the walls are scraped and plastic. Touch it, it is smooth and clean, and it does not stick to your hands.
The door of Lao Hu's room is also a brand new stainless steel door with a piece of glass on it, printed with bright red Chinese knots. The room is not big, only about [-] square meters in total. There is no kitchen, just a small toilet with a water heater installed in it.
In the middle of the room is a small dry wood tea set and a few simple stools. There is a black desk near the window sill, and a newly bought computer on it is covered with a piece of embroidered thin cloth. There are a few books lying on the table, and a small bar-shaped bookmark is exposed, which looks like a small tail of a stuffed animal. On the left is a big spring bed with a quilt on it, brand new and looking very warm.
"I thought you were renting a suite with several bedrooms and one living room."
"Why do you need so many rooms?"
"I thought your family was here."
"They only come once a year, and they don't stay for a long time. The last time they came, they only stayed for a week and stayed in a hotel." "Would you drink tea? Pu'er or Tieguanyin?" Lao Hu asked me.
"Oh, I'd better just drink boiled water, I can't sleep if I drink tea." "Can you surf the Internet here?" I asked.
"Yes, just right, there are a few questions you can teach me, I'm not very good at using it." Lao Hu put down the boiling water cup in his hand, and was about to turn it on.
"Haha, neither will I."
"No, you have a computer for a long time. I saw you had a computer when you were still here at the Jiu Gas Station."
"There is no network cable, it is used as a DVD player."
"Why not pull a network cable?"
"I haven't thought about it. I don't even have a TV. Besides, I always hear the lady boss saying that so and so are addicted to games online. I don't like playing games, and I don't know what is good about going online." I said.
"For new things, you always have to follow the situation. You just have to control whether it's good or bad." Lao Hu sat by the tea set and made tea.
I sat down and drank it if I didn’t drink it. Pu’er, Lao Hu said it was a gift from a friend. It’s a good time to drink Pu’er in this season. Ask me to try it, and I shouldn’t be unable to sleep. I'm not used to drinking it. When I first tasted it, I felt a bit musty, not as pure and fragrant as green tea, but Lao Hu said it was just the smell, and I gradually got used to it.
While we were drinking tea, we chatted without saying a word. When we talked about his factory, he shook his head: "Arrears in the abrasive tool industry have become common these years. There is business but no funds. Some small factories dare not accept orders. Last month I was also taken away from an order, which made me very passive, and made you arrears with your fuel payment for several months."
I wanted to say it didn't matter, but I didn't say it because it was against my will. There is no funds for doing business, and there is no way to turn around. No matter how good a friend is, friendship is friendship. I can promise not to urge him, but I still hope that he will repay the loan as soon as possible. I looked at his face and said seriously: "You can be more frugal in terms of living expenses."
"That's a small amount of money, you can't save much, and you can't save the entertainment necessary for doing business." Lao Hu waved his hand and vetoed it.
"That's right, at your level, some entertainment is really out of your control." I stood up and prepared to leave.
"Hehe, it's almost here." Lao Hu also stood up. Raise your wrist and look at your watch: "The driver must be asleep."
"I'll just walk back, the street lights are bright, and it's not far away."
"How about staying here for one night, the bed is big enough." Lao Hu invited.
I took another look at the big warm bed, the gray bedspread, floral quilt cover, soft and thick, maybe it would be very comfortable to sleep on. It's just that there are some concerns in my heart, I glanced at Lao Hu, and tentatively said: "I don't sleep well."
"What kind of irregularity?"
"I like to sleep with the quilt in my arms."
"It's okay, such a big quilt, you can hug it however you like. Haha."
"Well, let's feel the boss's Simmons."
When I got up the next morning, I found myself sleeping inside, close to the wall, thinking, didn’t I sleep on the edge of the bed outside at night? I looked at Lao Hu who was washing up, and Lao Hu turned his head: "Are you up? Good morning."
"Good morning." I ran my fingers through my hair.
Opening the curtain behind the computer, you can see a newly opened road with few vehicles, orderly street lights, newly planted flowers and plants, and fresh air flowing into every corner of the room. water, wash your face and rinse your mouth.
There are several snack bars on the opposite side of Laohu's downstairs, some selling barbecue, some selling spicy skewers, and some serving breakfast and meals. The newly planned real estate, newly renovated storefronts, and fresh tables and chairs. I had a simple breakfast with Lao Hu and waved goodbye. Lao Hu invited me to come and drink tea with him when I was free, and I also invited him to drink tea at the gas station when I was free.
In fact, we don’t get together very often, sometimes several times a month, sometimes once a month, mostly because of need, such as when delivering fuel, when collecting money, when thanking each other, mostly When Lao Hu called me, I seldom took the initiative to invite him. I had psychological scruples and always felt that I was suspected of being a climber, and sometimes I felt that I had the mentality of eating and drinking. Because, every time we get together, he always rushes to pay the bill. I am very happy, but I can't be too greedy.
Young is young, just a few years younger, Ozawa and the others don't know where the energy comes from, as soon as they don't go to work, they start organizing, what show tonight? I always have to call, they don’t mind being rejected, but I started to feel embarrassed to refuse, they asked to go to Houjie, it was lively, I asked to go to the fruit farm, clean, verbally abused and argued, most of them compromised , They have a car, come and go freely, go out more often, my brother has an opinion, and starts to remind me, saying that I have changed.
Have I changed? I repeatedly asked myself in my heart, have I changed? Why can't the sound of mahjong cover up my inner loneliness, why singing and dancing can't dispel my restless mood, why can't red lips spirits replace him in my heart.