if there is no tomorrow

Chapter 21
The morning after the interview, I was woken up by a knock on the door before I got up.I went to open the door in my pajamas, and found that Captain Fang was standing at the door with some people who looked like leaders.The Chinese body can speak. For example, in a group of people, which one is the first leader, which is the second in command, and which is the third treasurer, their body will be clearly displayed.

Captain Fang introduced me to the first leader of this group. He said that it was a Deputy Director Liu of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and the second person was Director Sun of the Beijing Municipal Office of Spiritual Civilization. .I invite everyone to enter the room, including sofas, chairs and small benches, the living room is full of people.Deputy Director Liu's official opening remarks were thanks, condolences and commendations.Director Sun handed me a bonus of 30 yuan for acting bravely and asked me if I had any difficulties or requests.After thanking the leaders at all levels for their care, I made a request: I do not want to accept interview invitations from any media in the future.Director Sun held my hand and said enthusiastically: "That's impossible. You are the hero of this city and the spiritual example of all citizens. We must increase publicity. We know that you are low-key and don't covet fame and fortune, so We, the media, need to be more proactive.”

Deputy Director Liu said: "As a role model, it is also your responsibility and obligation as a citizen to carry forward your courageous spirit. However, speaking also depends on the occasion. There are certain things that should be said on certain occasions, and certain things that should not be said on certain occasions. , Comrade Xiaoyu..."

I interrupted Deputy Director Liu: "I'm sorry, Deputy Director Liu. First, I am not a party member, so I am not your comrade. Second, promoting the spirit of righteousness and bravery is harmful to the role of ordinary citizens as an example. It will cause some unnecessary I think it would be more humane to teach citizens how to save themselves in dangerous situations.”

I felt someone stab me in the back, and I knew it was Captain Fang without turning around.I ignored Captain Fang's good intentions. Deputy Chief Liu is his leader. Even if I am not terminally ill, the Chief of the Public Security Bureau would not care about me as an unemployed.Now I have no worries, no home and no job, and I am a free body. The real freedom is not the freedom of what I have to do, but the freedom of what I do not do.Captain Fang knew my situation better. He was worried that I would say something worse, so he stood up to smooth things over, and took his deputy director Liu to leave in a hurry.Captain Fang and the others just left, and then Luan Bing walked in. She said that she had been there for more than ten minutes, and was stopped by two plainclothes at the door.I said to Luan Bingran: "I heard your voice when I was in the room, so I issued the order to evict you."

Luan Bingran made a face at me: "You are a calamus! How dare you issue an order to evict the chief of the public security bureau."

I smiled and said, "Who made me a city hero?"

Luan Bingran suddenly stopped smiling and said to me, "Thank you."

I asked her what to thank me for?Luan Bingran thanked me for saving my life.I said: "Actually, I should thank you. Men are brave because of women. You make me brave."

Luan Bingran said: "What you have shown is not only courage, but also wisdom that is not chaotic in times of crisis."

I said that I didn't have so much wisdom in the past, but you not only made me brave, but also inspired my wisdom.Luan Bingran seemed to feel that the topic was going off track, so she hurriedly opened her schoolbag and took out her notebook, and said with a smile: "There is your last wish, we have to prepare it."

I said, "Is it a farewell dinner?"

Luan Bingran said: "Yes, but the idea is not very mature, because if you announce your illness at the dinner party, everyone will lose their appetite to eat and drink. My idea is to go to Donglaishun to have a meal of old Beijing boiled mutton first, and then Go to the Carved Time Coffee Shop to book a room, the banner is a bit vague, otherwise the boss will definitely not book it for us, and the banner says Mr. Yu Huanshui's farewell night, what do you think?"

I said: "Don't go to the coffee shop, find a five-star hotel near the place where you eat, and book the presidential suite of the hotel. The banner says Mr. Yu Huanshui's farewell night."

Luan Bingran said: "Our charity association's budget for this event is only 6000 yuan, and the president's plan is tens of thousands for one night."

I pointed to the 30 bonus on the table, and said to Luan Bingran, "All meals and lodging are included for relatives and friends coming from other places, and air tickets will be reimbursed."

Luan Bingran smiled: "A state of not wanting to live at all."

I sighed and said, "I really want to live a life, but it doesn't give me a life."

Luan Bingran flipped through her work diary and said that there were only four people who rushed over from other places: "Your father, primary school teacher Duan Cuixiang, and Fa Xiao Zhang Tiehammer, the three are Sichuan Guangyuan, and the other is Song Yuanyuan, your crush in college. People are in Guangzhou."

I asked Luan Bingran: "Have you contacted all the people you invited?"

Luan Bingran said: "Not yet, I have to confirm the place of accommodation and the time of the farewell meeting before I can contact everyone."

I said, "Just set it for next weekend, don't put it off any longer, I'm afraid I don't have time."

Luan Bingran looked up at me, said with a smile, "From your look, you really don't look like a cancer patient."

I said, "Maybe it's a flashback."

Luan Bingran said: "It's still early to return to the light."

I asked her, "Is this the way you anesthetize terminally ill patients?"

Luan Bingran said, "I really don't think you look like a cancer patient."

I asked Luan Bingran: "If I didn't have cancer, would you marry me?"

Luan Bingran hesitated for a moment and said, "No."

I asked her, "Is it because I'm ugly?"

Luan Bingran asked me back: "Am I that shallow?"

I asked Luan Bingran: "Then why didn't you marry me?"

Luan Bingran continued to ask: "Do I have to marry you?"

I was stunned for a moment: "But...but that day in the cave..."

Luan Bingran said: "That night, I thought I was going to die, and you are so brave and fearless, I have no other choice."

I asked her, "What other options do you have now?"

Luan Bingran closed the notebook and said: "I have a lover, he is studying in Australia, I will wait until he comes back."

For the next week, I didn't become idle, because I wanted to live each remaining day meaningfully.Even working and living, I have been in Beijing for 17 years, but I have never been to many places.Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Prince Kung's Mansion, Bada Hutong, Houhai, I plan to visit one place every day.This week, I didn't ask Luan Bingran to accompany me, and let her concentrate on arranging my final farewell meeting.When I was wandering under the begonia tree in Prince Gong's mansion, I was suddenly awakened by the phone ringing. It was Lu Fumeng calling. He said that he had received a call from Luan Bingran asking him to attend the weekend farewell meeting, and asked me what was going on?I told him my misfortune, and he cried on the phone, asked me where I was, and insisted on coming to find me for a drink.When we met in Dongdan, Lu Fumeng's eye circles were still red, and he said, "You don't look like you have cancer."

I said, "I'm going to hold on with all my energy. I have to hold on until after the farewell meeting before I fall apart, so that you won't feel sorry for me when you see me."

Lu Fumeng took out a stack of newspapers: "A few days ago, the newspapers were full of Yu Huanshui. I thought it was the same name. Dude, you are a fucking man."

I said, "I've been a loser all my life, and I have to be a man when I die."

After drinking five bottles of beer, Lu Fu asked me with tears in his eyes: "What do you need me to do?"

I said, "Nothing is needed, as long as you come to my farewell meeting tomorrow night."

Lu Fumeng asked me again: "Why don't you go to the hospital for a try, maybe you'll be lucky, just..."

I asked Lu Fumeng: "You have been witnessing my luck, is it better?"

Lu Fumeng raised his neck, drank another glass of beer, and said, "One day in the future, if I get cancer, I won't go to the hospital. That's where the last drop of blood is drained from the poor."

I didn't want to talk about my illness anymore, so I asked Lu Fumeng how was the female painter?Lu Fumeng said: "I was still hesitating whether to change my girlfriend or not, but through your bloody example, I decided to marry a female painter as my wife, and find a down-to-earth woman to love for the rest of my life. This is him. Damn happy."

I drank a glass of beer with Lufmont to express our congratulations.All of a sudden, I was so sad that I kept pushing and changing cups with Lu Fumeng, and I even told Lu Fumeng that I was broken in love.Lu Fumeng said, "You are divorced, not broken in love."

I corrected Lu Fumeng: "After the divorce, I fell in love again."

Lu Fumeng wiped away his tears: "You really have a big heart, you're still like this... You belong to the typical group that was poisoned by traditional Chinese culture. When you were young, you were taught to be an upright gentleman, and you kept all your desires in your heart. When the middle age understands the meaning, the desire in the bottom of my heart will burst out like a blowout, and I will be hot and flirt everywhere, and I will never forget to fall in love when I die."

I said it wasn't what you imagined, so I told Lu Fumeng about Luan Bingran and I.Lu Fumeng said: "At that time and that place, both of you thought you were dying, and any promises and choices you made at that time were not the normal you and the normal her, so...so don't think so much , let’s get down to the road.”

Lu Fumeng was getting more and more drunk, crying and laughing for a while, and the diners at the next table were all rolling their eyes at us.Lu Fumeng got into a fight with a young man next to him. He pointed at me and asked the young man: "Do you know who he is? He is the city hero that is said on TV and newspapers all day long. He is the hope of this city. He is Yu Huanshui. My college classmate, he is going to die..."

After Lu Fumeng finished speaking, he lay down on the young man and cried, crying loudly, his tears and snot all rubbing on the young man's sweater.At the time of checkout, the restaurant owner refused to charge the money, saying that it was the honor of the restaurant that the heroes of the city could come to have a meal.Lu Fumeng regretted: "I hesitated for a long time just now and didn't want to order a sauced elbow."

Walking out of the restaurant, winter is coming, and snowflakes are falling in the sky again.There is so much snow in Beijing this winter. In our hometown in Sichuan, there is almost no snow, so I especially like snow.I clearly remember that in the first winter when I went to college, there was a heavy snowfall at night. I was so excited that I didn’t sleep all night. I turned off the lights in the classroom and sat quietly by the window alone. I saw snowflakes stacked one by one until Whiten the whole world.

Lu Fumeng suddenly raised his voice and sang Luo Dayou's "Story of Time", which is the repertoire of our chorus every time in the corridor of the university: "The distant journey, yesterday's dream and the distant laughter, when we meet again, we have experienced How many miles have I traveled..."

(End of this chapter)