i'm not a bad man

Chapter 148 Gradually softening
Back at her residence, Zuo Xiaowei had already tidied up the house. She sat on the sofa in the living room and ordered a fruit plate. While eating the fruit, she watched a certain female-oriented fairy tale that was popular recently. drama.

Seeing that I was back, she put down the pillow in her arms and gave up half of the seats so that I could sit next to her.

I put the 3 yuan in cash I got back from Brother Shanhe on the coffee table, and then sat down next to her. She got into my arms and asked, "Why did you go out for a walk and bring back such... Rich?"

"There is no need to list the house with an agency. Brother Shanhe is going to renew the lease of this house. This money is what he gave me..." After a pause, I added: "The day after tomorrow is the weekend, and there are still two shopping malls left to perform. Let’s do one show a day and leave on Monday.”

Zuo Xiaowei counted on her fingers: "One day tomorrow, one day the day after tomorrow, one day the day after tomorrow... We can leave in three days!"

"Ah."

"Since graduation, I have been back home twice. The last time I went home was in August last year. It has been more than a year since I went back."

"Why didn't you go back last year for the New Year?"

"It's not that I feel sorry for you spending the New Year alone in Qingdao, so I wanted to stay with you. Who would have thought that on the New Year's day, your mobile phone was turned off and no one could contact you, causing me to waste my time to go home and reunite with my parents. Opportunity… By the way, what on earth did you do on New Year’s Day?”

"A man in an RV."

"You haven't been out all day?"

"There are families eating and shopping together outside. Why should I go out by myself?"

Zuo Xiaowei looked up at me with a distressed expression on her face, then hugged me tightly and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, you won't celebrate the New Year alone in the future. Our family has a very lively Chinese New Year, and it's even more lively in the small town. There are lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere, and firecrackers are set off, which is particularly festive... By the way, we are not a tourist city. During the Chinese New Year, many scenic spots will organize activities, such as lion dances, dragon lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, and free gifts for tourists. Where are the dumplings!”

Over the years, I have been wandering around and spending several Spring Festivals outside. I feel that the flavor of the New Year is getting weaker and weaker. I can’t help but ask with doubts: "Is it really that good?"

"Of course, in addition to these, you can also go out on the street to set traps, play balloons, throw darts, and buy scratch-off tickets... The year before last, I was very lucky. I spent 20 yuan to set traps, and I trapped a little white rabbit and a pair of them. My dad still keeps a budgerigar, and he also makes money from the scratch-off game. I spent 100 yuan and finally won 500 yuan. I won hundreds more playing cards with my old cousins ​​at night. That’s how I live. The happiest Spring Festival ever!”

Zuo Xiaowei spoke so vividly that I smiled along with her. I could probably imagine what life in a small town was like, but would the cost of being happy there really be so low?It’s just hoops, scratch-offs, playing cards...

……

Perhaps because of too much anticipation, Zuo Xiaowei's enthusiasm for watching the drama disappeared instantly. She ran to my room again and helped me pack my things. She said that some large luggage that cannot be loaded in the car can be sent by logistics first. When she gets to their place, she can ask her friends to help receive it.

I do have a big box that contains all my livelihood tools. Other than that, I can take it with me in the car.

……

Early the next morning, I was woken up by a knock on the door. I opened the door and walked outside. There were two staff members wearing uniforms of a certain logistics brand. Under Zuo Xiaowei's instructions, they moved the big box, and I I watched the whole process without saying a word. It wasn't until I paid the logistics fee that I spoke for the first time and asked about the payment method.

The reason why I chose to speak at this time was also to cater to the upcoming life in a small town, and to prove that I was willing to go, without any help or instigation.Watching the big box being carried away, my heart that had always been anxious and uneasy fell to the ground. My tool for making a living had already taken one step forward, which meant that I had no way to retreat; although the future was unknown, I really So no more random thoughts.

……

After breakfast, I called Saozhu and the others again, but no one answered. I guess I drank too much last night and slept until now. Tomorrow is the day of the charity performance, and I have neglected to rehearse before the performance. On the last day, I couldn't get the people together, which forced me to give up the idea of ​​a band performance. I reluctantly accepted Zuo Xiaowei's proposal, and we could only perform a simple performance between the two of us.

……

Yesterday's rain continued intermittently until today. Liu Chuang and I were the only ones who refused to give up. We went to Saozhu's bar in the rain to borrow a set of speakers, and then returned to my place to talk to Zuo Xiaowei. We have rehearsed 20 singing songs that will be used tomorrow.

In the evening, although the rain stopped, the weather was still gloomy. Liu Chuang and I stood side by side by the guardrail, while Zuo Xiaowei was preparing dinner in the house. The world of the three of us was very simple, but also a little sad...

If everything goes according to the original plan, there will be a sensational performance in the city tomorrow night. I have even thought about the idea of ​​the performance, but God is not as good as God. When things develop in the end, I can only keep everything simple.

……

I lit a cigarette and said with some apology to Liu Chuang beside me: "I'm sorry, brother, I couldn't do the best on this matter."

"You have no obligation to help me. No matter what you do, there is no need to apologize to me. Instead, I should thank you. I have been in Qingdao for so long, and you are the only one who really wants to help me find my child. "

I looked up at the sky. It was high enough here so that the lights of the city were out of my sight. All I saw was the sky.It has been raining continuously in Qingdao. I really want to see some twinkling stars outside the thick dark clouds, because this is a sign that the weather has cleared up. I don’t want it to still rain during the performance tomorrow, which will affect the performance... …

This is my last hope for this performance. Unfortunately, all I can see are the dark clouds in the sky. They have been reflected red by the lights of the city, like open bloody mouths, trying to swallow this whole thing alive. Like the world.

Not wanting to give in, I put my hand on Liu Chuang's shoulder and finally said: "The purpose of our charity performance is to find the child. The scene is not the most important. The most important thing is how much attention it can attract. So, I thought about it, let’s start a Douyin live broadcast tomorrow night. If the platform provides traffic, the effect may not be worse than previously thought.” (Author Wei Xing’s public account: ***, check the character prototype photos.)
"it is good."

"Then we will split up tomorrow morning. I will buy the equipment needed for the live broadcast, and you will go to the advertising company to make a larger missing person notice and create the background for the live broadcast."

……

After chatting for a while, Zuo Xiaowei also prepared today’s dinner, which included a tomato and egg, a fried pork slice with potatoes, and a portion of fried shrimp tail. The fried shrimp tail was for Liu Chuang and I to drink, so she was considerate. He prepared a few bottles of beer for each of us and asked us not to drink too much.

Zuo Xiaowei's family is not pampered, and she has a strong ability to live independently, so she is also the only female friend around me who can cook for herself. Facing such a Zuo Xiaowei, my heart gradually softens, at least At this moment, I want to live a good life with her. Even if I go to their small city, I don’t want to be a salted fish like before...

While she was going to the kitchen, I opened the shopping app, then selected a women's shoulder bag worth nearly [-] yuan, and put it in the shopping cart, waiting to deposit the money Shanhe gave me into my bank card tomorrow. , you can buy it for her.

It's time to go back to live in a small city, and I hope I can give her some dignity; this time, I really give it to her, and I won't be like before, where I gave it away and wanted to come back.

(End of this chapter)