Prev | TOC | Next
———
~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~
______
CHAPTER 1
PART 6
Upon hearing Fan Lin's words, an awkward atmosphere descended upon everyone, including Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei. Li Xueli glared at Fan Lin, as if to say, "How could you say that?"
Fan Lin gestured with her hands in the air and looked at Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei, explaining, "I'm sorry for saying that. I didn't mean to target you specifically. I just feel that people who can be called 'friends' should at least have some basic understanding of each other. But the fact is, we know nothing about you."
"Aren't we in the process of 'self-introductions'? After we introduce ourselves, they will also introduce themselves," Li Xueli said.
"Xueli, I'm talking about 'understanding,' not 'introductions.' I used to work in the HR department of a company, where I had to review dozens of resumes every month and listen to people introduce themselves. But can I truly understand their personalities and character from that?" Fan Lin explained.
"In that case, what do you suggest?" Li Xueli asked.
"I think it's fine that you invited the new neighbors for a meal. But to invite them to join our big family after just five minutes of meeting seems a bit hasty," Fan Lin replied.
"Yes, I agree with what you said," Su Xiaotong chimed in. "If I were in your shoes, I would think the same way. Maybe others feel the same, but they just didn't say it outright like you did."
Fan Lin raised an eyebrow and looked at Su Xiaotong with an intriguing gaze.
Li Xueli sighed, "Yes, I am super outgoing, and you all know that. But it doesn't mean I'm a brainless fool. Su Xiaotong and her family are all people worth getting to know, and I have already verified this to some extent."
Su Xiaotong looked surprised and wondered how Li Xueli had verified it.
Li Xueli glanced at Su Xiaotong and said, "I didn't intend to say this in front of you, but since we've come this far, why not share it?"
She looked at everyone. "This morning, after I bumped into Su Xiaotong in the elevator, I kept chatting with her. I could tell that she didn't want to talk for too long with someone she just met, but she still tried to answer my questions as much as possible. When I invited her to come to my house for a meal, it was clearly a bit abrupt, and I hardly had her permission, but she still came with her family, and they were dressed nicely. They brought expensive pastries and fruits as a gesture. At the beginning of the meal, I noticed that Gu Lei only took a bite of the food and has been feeding his son since then. Taking all of this into account, I believe that their family is polite, well-mannered, has a good character, high emotional intelligence, and is generous. They are patient and caring, obviously have received higher education, and understand social etiquette. Aren't such people worth making friends with? Of course, I haven't known them for even a day, so it's impossible for me to discover their flaws. But who doesn't have flaws? Do we only want to be friends with 'perfect' people?"
After Li Xueli finished speaking, there was a moment of silence among everyone. Fan Lin spread her hands and said, "Alright, you convinced me. Besides, when I directly questioned them earlier, they didn't get angry. Instead, they understood and said I had a straightforward personality, which indeed proves their 'good character' and 'high emotional intelligence.' As you said, such people are indeed worth befriending."
As Fan Lin spoke, she poured a full glass of red wine and walked up to Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei. "When I said 'welcome' earlier, it was just a polite gesture. Now, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Welcome your family to join our big family. Cheers!"
Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei stood up and replied with the customary response, "No need to drink, just take it easy." The guy in the sweatshirt smiled mischievously and said, "Don't worry, Fan Lin used to be in the business circle, she can handle her alcohol!"
While talking, Fan Lin had already finished the entire glass of red wine. She then tilted the glass forward, showing the empty glass and her sincerity. Gu Lei quickly picked up a bottle of red wine from the table, poured himself a full glass, and said, "If the lady can do it, how can I not join in? I'll also have a full glass."
After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank every drop of the wine in his glass, which was met with cheers and applause from everyone. A woman in her fifties said to Su Xiaotong, "Does your husband usually drink? He shouldn't push himself too hard and end up getting drunk."
Su Xiaotong smiled bitterly and replied, "Please don't worry about him. His biggest hobby is drinking."
"Really? That's great! We have one more person to drink with in the future!" A voluptuous and charming woman exclaimed excitedly, then turned to Gu Lei and asked, "How good is your alcohol tolerance, to be honest?"
Gu Lei smirked and said, "It's not that great, but I can handle a little over a catty."
"Baijiu? High-proof ones?"
"Um…"
"Wow, that's a lot!" the guy exclaimed.
"For tonight's welcome party, we must have enough drinks. I'll take care of it!" Fan Lin said generously. "Xueli, bring out the two bottles of Wuliangye that I left with you last time!"
"Going for hard liquor? Mixing baijiu and red wine can easily get you drunk."
"It's alright, let's have fun! Go and get them, red wine doesn't pack as much punch!"
"Alright!"
Li Xueli brought out the two bottles of Wuliangye from the wine cabinet, and Fan Lin opened both bottles together. She said, "I've already toasted with the new friends. As for you all... do as you wish."
"We won't lose to you. Xueli, bring out the baijiu glasses!" The voluptuous woman poured herself a glass of baijiu, walked up to Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei, introduced herself as Han Lei, clinked glasses with them, and offered a toast. Gu Lei downed another glass of baijiu, while Su Xiaotong, with a lower alcohol tolerance, drank a little less red wine to express her gratitude.
Afterward, everyone raised their glasses and toasted the couple. Gu Lei, indeed, had a high alcohol tolerance. After going around the table, his face turned slightly red, but he remained clear-headed. However, he was definitely feeling the effects, and so were the others. Alcohol truly was a great facilitator of closeness and atmosphere. A group of people who were initially not very familiar with each other became warm and familiar after a few drinks. They no longer held back and engaged in natural and casual conversations.
"Oh, we've been so focused on drinking that we forgot about the self-introduction session. It's a tradition, we can't skip it," Li Xueli reminded.
"I'll go, I'll go. We agreed that I would start," the girl with short hair raised her hand generously and said, "I'm Xia Qi, I live on the 9th floor, and I've been in Lishi City for over a year. After graduating from university, I came here for tourism, and then I couldn't help but fall in love with this place. I opened a coffee shop near the Yuehai River where you can read books, listen to music, daydream, and pet cats. It's my dream come true. So, that's what I did! My coffee shop is near the community. I'll treat you to coffee another day! The coffee beans we use in our shop are imported from Sumatra, Indonesia."
"Sounds great! I love these kinds of cozy coffee shops," Su Xiaotong spoke honestly. She felt a strong connection with Xia Qi, sensing an instant closeness between their souls.
Next, following the counterclockwise order, they took turns introducing themselves. Next to Xia Qi was a couple. The man looked around forty years old, wearing thick-framed glasses that indicated he had severe nearsightedness. The woman appeared to be in her twenties, with a gentle and feminine demeanor. The man spoke, "I'm Yuan Dong. I used to be a teacher at a rural middle school in Guizhou. Several years ago, I unfortunately developed motor neuron disease, commonly known as 'ALS', do you know what it means?"
Su Xiaotong nodded regretfully, "Yes, I know. With this disease, the body gradually loses mobility, but you..."
"I'm not paralyzed yet. This disease is progressive, and the duration can vary, but the ultimate outcome is complete paralysis from the neck down. The left side of my body has already stiffened, requiring assistance or a cane to move around. Under these circumstances, it's naturally impossible for me to continue teaching. So, I wanted to spend the rest of my life in a beautiful place while I can still move. Sigh, I didn't want to burden anyone, but she insisted on coming with me to take care of me."
Saying that, Yuan Dong cast a gaze filled with complex affection towards the woman beside him. The gentle woman continued, "I'm Shen Fengxia. I used to be Mr. Yuan's student. Mr. Yuan has been kind to me. My family initially planned for me to get married after finishing junior high school. However, Mr. Yuan walked several dozen miles to my house to persuade my parents to let me take the high school entrance exam and continue my studies. Eventually, he convinced my parents... Little did I expect that shortly after I started working, Mr. Yuan developed this disease. I couldn't find any other way to repay his kindness, so I decided to take care of him, and later..." She shyly glanced at Yuan Dong, her cheeks turning red. "We gradually developed feelings for each other and became lovers."
"That's wonderful," Su Xiaotong said. "Have you two gotten married yet?"
"I want to get married, but Mr. Yuan doesn't want to burden me, so he has been reluctant," Shen Fengxia said with frustration.
"You both are people of love and righteousness. I toast to you," Su Xiaotong raised her glass, and Gu Lei followed suit. The two of them walked over to Yuan Dong and Shen Fengxia, gesturing for Yuan Dong to remain seated. The four of them politely clinked glasses and drank.
"It's my turn now," Fan Lin said as she poured white wine into her glass, self-deprecatingly saying, "My story is short and can't compare to their tear-jerking love story. It's ridiculously melodramatic. I used to work for a state-owned enterprise in Shanghai and was charmed by a man's good looks, so I married him. As a result, this guy cheated on me with at least two other women behind my back. When I found out, I exposed his deeds and divorced him without hesitation." She glanced at her daughter, "I'm sorry, darling. I shouldn't have said that about your father in front of you."
"It's okay, Mom. I know he's a scumbag," Fan Wenjing nodded like a mature person and said, "But what did you do to him...?"
The young man in the sweatshirt burst out laughing, nearly spitting out his drink, and everyone joined in the laughter. Fan Lin said, "It's nothing, sweetheart. You don't have to worry about it."
Suppressing her amusement, Su Xiaotong asked, "When you got divorced, how old was your child?"
"Just a little over one year old. Because I injured him severely, which constituted intentional harm, I lost my job. After leaving the state-owned enterprise, I ran a travel agency with friends for a few years. When I came to Lishi, I fell in love with this place and bought a house here to settle down."
Su Xiaotong nodded in understanding.
Now it was the turn of the young man in the sweatshirt. Although he looked a bit unkempt, he was quite handsome, and his personality seemed somewhat carefree. "I'm Wang Xingxing, 23 years old, a professional esports player. Do you know Dota? I used to be the national champion of this game. But my parents couldn't understand this kind of profession. They always said I was not focusing on my studies and forced me to find a regular job. It's so annoying. I used the money I earned before to buy a small apartment in Lishi and live a carefree life. It's awesome."
Next to Wang Xingxing was an aunt in her fifties. Before she introduced herself, Li Xueli said, "Aunty Yamei, if you don't want to, you don't have to talk about your past."
"It's okay, I've long since let go," the aunt said with a faint smile. She continued, "My name is Gong Yamei, and I'm 58 years old this year. Obviously, I'm the oldest among all of you. Since I was 20 years old, I've been immersed in the business world, starting companies and running enterprises. At one point, my business thrived, and I had assets worth billions. But a few years ago, due to various reasons, the company went bankrupt, leaving me with massive debts. Along with losing money and my career, my family also experienced upheaval and ultimately fell apart. I lost my husband and son, becoming all alone. Exhausted both physically and mentally, I had lost hope of living. Fortunately, with the guidance of a master, I gained a new understanding of life and existence. So I came to Lishi, bought a house, and planned to recuperate and spend my remaining years in peace."
Su Xiaotong nodded. In fact, before the meal, she had noticed that Gong Yamei was holding a string of prayer beads. It was evident that after experiencing the tribulations and setbacks of life, she had adopted a Buddhist mindset.
It was now Li Xueli's turn, and she said, "The reason I came to Lishi is simple. I was tired of the busy and restless life in the big city. I detested crowded buses and subways, despised the fierce competition among peers, abhorred business socializing, and loathed endless overtime. What I yearned for was a simple and happy life. And here, I have achieved that."
After speaking, she looked at Han Lei, who was sitting next to her. Han Lei had already introduced herself earlier when she was drinking with Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei. Now, she was peeling a shrimp and asked, "Should I also say something?"
Read only on https://royaltywrites.com.ng/
"Everyone has already spoken," Su Xiaotong replied.
"Okay," Han Lei put down the shrimp in her hand and smiled charmingly, "Actually, the reason I came to Lishi is somewhat similar to Wang Xingxing. My profession involves pole dancing in a bar, the kind that involves revealing attire. My parents are old-fashioned and consider it provocative, not respectable. I used to perform in a bar in my hometown, and my mom actually pulled me off the stage in front of everyone and covered me up with clothes! When we got back home, we had a big argument. I told them that pole dancing isn't embarrassing, but their actions were what truly embarrassed me. In the end, we couldn't communicate anymore, and since I loved this line of work, I had to come to Lishi, far away from them, where they wouldn't see and be bothered. Lishi has many bars, and I perform in one of them. If you're interested, you're welcome to come and watch me dance!"
As she spoke, she gazed at the little boy with a teasing look, winked her right eye, and seductively said, "What do you think, little brother? Want to broaden your horizons?"
Of course, Gu Xiaoliang couldn't understand what she was saying, but Gu Lei's face turned red. Su Xiaotong said, "Leave him be, but I'd like to watch."
"Hahaha, that's great! Let's go to our bar for drinks another day, without your husband and son!" Han Lei laughed heartily and clinked glasses with the couple.
Now, only Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei were left. Li Xueli said, "What about you two? Tell us about your reasons for buying a house and settling in Lishi."
Su Xiaotong pondered for a moment and said, "My husband Gu Lei and I were college classmates, studying design. We used to work in Jingzhou, but later... because of our son, we decided to leave Jingzhou and live in a small town. Lishi, with its beautiful scenery and pleasant climate, was our mutual choice."
The table fell into a brief silence. No one asked the couple about the specific issues with their child. Apparently, Li Xueli had already informed everyone about Gu Xiaoliang being intellectually disabled before they arrived.
After a while, Gong Yamei asked, "Is it impossible for the child to learn and live normally in regular schools?"
"They can't enter regular schools at all, only special schools," Su Xiaotong said. "But we don't want to do that. We plan to keep the child with us, spend more time with him, and teach him some basic knowledge and common sense."
"That's good," Gong Yamei said affectionately, looking at Gu Xiaoliang. She said to him, "Xiaoliang, welcome to our big family. From now on, Grandma, these uncles, and aunties are all your family, alright? Grandma is very good at math, so I can teach you arithmetic in the future."
"Yes, I teach Chinese, so I can teach the child to read and recognize words," Yuan Dong said.
"I can sing and play the guitar. I can be the music teacher!" Xia Qi said.
"Can I teach my big brother to draw?" Fan Wenjing blinked her eyes and said. Fan Lin laughed and said, "You can teach your big brother to draw later."
Su Xiaotong was touched and kept thanking everyone. Gu Lei filled his glass and toasted everyone, expressing his gratitude. The atmosphere reached another climax. Fan Lin said, "Xia Qi, speaking of singing, why don't you perform a song for everyone and let our new friend hear your beautiful voice!"
"Sure!" Xia Qi, lively and cheerful, never seemed to refuse anyone's request. She walked out and brought her guitar from downstairs, sat on a chair, crossed her legs, sweetly smiled, and said, "I'll sing and play the song 'So Many People in This World' for everyone."
She strummed the guitar strings and sang softly with a lazy and delicate voice:
In this world, there are so many people.
In the crowd, a door stands open
In my hazy eyes, it remains
The first time I saw you, a blue morning
In this world, there are so many people
How fortunate that I have us
In this long journey of fate, from dawn to dusk
Often making me daydream of the distance
Gray leaves drifting in the pond
Watching planes thunderously fly away to distant lands
Footsteps echo in the long corridor of time
The lights come on, an empty silence
In the evening breeze, a few frames of the past flash by
The spinning in the rush, has it disappeared?
In the distance, you approach with a clear presence
Surrounded by so many people, yet the world remains silent
...
The room quieted down, the song and the sound of the guitar lingering around. Su Xiaotong was almost intoxicated, Xia Qi sang so well, on par with a professional singer. As the song ended, everyone applauded and cheered together, and she couldn't help but join in, offering sincere praise. Among the people, Gong Yamei's eyes became moist, and she gently wiped the corners of her eyes with a tissue.
"Oh, Yamei, why are you crying?" Xia Qi hurried over, embracing Gong Yamei's shoulder. "Is it the mood of this song that stirred up your memories? If I had known, I would have sung a cheerful song."
Gong Yamei patted Xia Qi's hand and said, "No, you sang so movingly. This atmosphere makes me feel especially happy. Thank you, Xia Qi, thank you all for everything you've brought me. You've made me experience the warmth and joy of a family once again."
Xia Qi was also moved to tears, her face pressed against Gong Yamei's cheek. "Yamei, you know my mother is no longer here. Although I call you 'sister,' you know, many times, I feel like you're just like my mother."
"If I had a well-behaved daughter like you, it would truly be a great blessing."
"Don't you have one now?"
"Yes, yes." Gong Yamei embraced Xia Qi with deep emotion.
"Hey, hey, are you two filming a melodrama here?" Li Xueli teased, "You're making me want to cry too."
"Let's have a drink, let's have a drink!" Fan Lin brought the atmosphere back. "Ah, we're so happy tonight, it's a pity that Lao Tan isn't here. Xueli, didn't you tell Lao Tan?"
"How could I not tell him? But he's on duty tonight, so he can't come."
"Lao Tan?" Su Xiaotong asked Li Xueli, "So there's still one person who hasn't arrived. Is he also our neighbor?"
"Well, sort of. But Lao Tan doesn't live in this neighborhood, he lives in another nearby one. He's a local, doesn't eat with us, but when he has free time, he likes to have a drink or two, so I often invite him to join us for meals."
"I see. What does he do for a living?"
"He's a police officer. He works at the Criminal Investigation Brigade in Lishi City."
Read only on https://royaltywrites.com.ng/
We hope you enjoyed this chapter! You can vote for this novel translation and drop a review on Novel Updates!❤️
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 Comments
What's on your mind...