He only had one customer for the whole night. His total income was a hundred yuan, but the cost was only a glass of water.
Of course, he could also say that there were costs like electricity and rent …
However, he could not just let it go like that. When Xu Le was still around, those were also costs, but his income was almost negligible. He had to find a suitable comparison to give him some satisfaction and confidence in life.
Besides, Zhou Ze only knew it was Valentine's Day because of the girl with the corgi.
He scrolled through WeChat and found Doctor Lin's WeChat ID. He clicked on it. He wanted to send a red packet, but he realized he did not have enough money. 1314 was enough, but it felt a little stingy.
It's not like she's sleeping with me.
Forget it.
I'm not sending anymore.
Zhou Ze tossed his phone aside and flipped through a random book. He remained in the same position until the morning.
He went next door to eat some wontons. Zhou Ze had no idea if the skin was thin or if the filling was thick. He followed his usual method and gobbled down a bowl of sour plum juice. He then pinched his neck and took deep breaths to suppress the urge to vomit.
Zhou Ze felt like his future was shrouded in a shadow when he thought about how he would have to follow the same procedure every time he ate.
Zhou Ze recalled the man who was also in pain in the video. He felt a little sad. Eating used to be one of the greatest pleasures in the world, but now, it was no longer a part of them.
He wondered if there was an anorexic club in the world where people would sit around a table and raise their thumbs up to whoever could swallow a mouthful of food first.
"Eat a lollipop!
My XXX is so awesome! "
Zhou Ze took a deep breath. He could not help but shiver at the thought.
Either way, the video yesterday, including the old Daoist priest and the man who was drinking porridge, was too far away for Zhou Ze.
After Valentine's Day, it was New Year's Eve, which was also New Year's Eve. If it was in the past, the commercial center would definitely be decorated with lanterns and streamers, making it look like the "New Year". But in fact, it was still the same, deserted.
It was just like life.
Since there was glory, there would naturally be loneliness.
Zhou Ze remembered that when this commercial center first opened, it was in the limelight for a while. Now, no one cared about it.
Xu Qinglang's business was good today. It was probably because many other shops were closed. He still insisted on doing takeout on New Year's Eve, so he naturally received more orders. After all, customers had fewer choices.
From time to time, there would be delivery boys in blue, yellow, or red clothes coming in and out of his noodle shop. Zhou Ze squatted in front of his bookstore, smoking and sighing.
If only that f * cking Xu Le had opened a braised chicken restaurant.
The immortals in the fairy tales loved to say: One day in Heaven is one year on Earth.
In fact, Zhou Ze felt that this should be correct, and it was also applicable to hell.
He remembered that he died in a car accident … No, he remembered that when he was sent to the incinerator to be burned, it should have just been Children's Day, and now it was New Year's Eve in the blink of an eye.
Half a year's time had passed by so quickly. It was like a fleeting dream. It was just a muddle-headed walk on the road to the netherworld.
Zhou Ze was a little tired after smoking and thinking. He took out his phone to see if there were any movies on recently. The cinema happened to be nearby. He could kill some time there.
"Hey, do you have any newspapers at your place?" Xu Qinglang came out after sending off the last batch of delivery boys.
"What are you doing?"
"Pasting the walls," Xu Qinglang said.
"Are you that frugal?"
"Pasting the walls with newspapers makes the atmosphere and sense of the times. Don't tell me you sold them all yesterday?"
"I still have some left. Wait here, I'll go look for them for you."
Zhou Ze went back to his shop and took out a stack of newspapers from a box on the second floor beside his freezer. He gave it to Xu Qinglang, who was waiting for him.
"You're not going home for New Year's?" Xu Qinglang asked.
"I'm going to spend the New Year with my books."
Unfortunately, Zhou Ze did not have a goatee, nor did he have any alcohol.
Otherwise, he would have poured a lot of wine for his stupid words.
"Aren't you not going home, too?" Zhou Ze asked after enjoying himself for a while.
"There are more than twenty apartments, which one am I supposed to go home to?" Xu Qinglang sighed.
"…" Zhou Ze was speechless.
The two fell silent for a while. Zhou Ze said, "Let me tell you a story."
"Sure."
Xu Qinglang nodded. His expression was a little reserved. His hair was a little long, and a few strands were hanging down to the corner of his mouth. He reached out to brush his hair away. His posture was gentle, and he looked really charming.
There was no need for outsiders to know about the atmosphere here.
"Once, on the day of New Year's, a man bumped into the richest man in the area on the road late at night.
The tycoon was dead drunk.
The man asked the man, 'Why aren't you going home?'
The man replied, 'Home, where is my home?'
My family and loved ones are not by my side. The home you're talking about, is it the biggest manor in the city? "
Xu Qinglang nodded slightly after hearing the story. He seemed to have the same feeling.
"Then, the man pressed the man to the ground and beat him up.
Who told you to show off on New Year's Eve! "
Zhou Ze continued to tell the story.
"…" Xu Qinglang.
The conversation between the two ended.
Zhou Ze returned to his bookstore. The heater in the bookstore was on. It was warm. He flipped his phone in his hand. There was no one he could contact.
He initially wanted to visit the orphanage, but he decided against it. He did not have much money left.
However, at this moment, a customer came to the door. It was a young man in blue overalls and a hard hat. He pushed open the door of the bookstore and walked in. He asked somewhat shyly,
He asked shyly, "Can I read books here?
How much is it? "The man pursed his lips.
"Sure, I'll pay as I see fit," Zhou Ze waved his hand, signaling the man to do as he pleased.
"That's great. Do you have any novels here?" the young man asked cautiously. "I like novels, the online kind."
Zhou Ze pointed at a box behind the bookshelf. "They're all there."
The man went to the box and flipped through it. He seemed to be in a good mood, but some of the books were still wrapped in leather.
"Open it, it's free," Zhou Ze said generously.
"Sure."
The young man opened a web novel and sat on the plastic stool to read.
As the boss, Zhou Ze sat behind the counter and trimmed his nails. The young man was reading there. About half an hour later, the young man stood up from the chair, took out his cigarettes, and handed one to Zhou Ze.
"It's not a good cigarette. Don't mind it."
"Heh, cigarettes aren't anything good to begin with. There's no distinction between good and bad."
Zhou Ze took the cigarette. The young man took one too. He walked out of the store and lit the cigarette while the cold wind blew.
Zhou Ze, who was planning to smoke in the room, was stunned. He gave up and put the cigarette aside. He continued to trim his nails.
The young man walked back after smoking outside. This time, he did not continue to sit on the plastic stool. Instead, he sat on the floor against the wall.
Although the air conditioner was on, the tiles on the floor were still very cold. The young man did not seem to mind. He must have gotten used to it.
After about a quarter of an hour, four men in clean, starched blue overalls came into the shop. The oldest of them looked to be less than thirty years old, and the youngest was probably only about seventeen years old.
The four of them came in together. The young man leaning against the wall waved at them. He must have called them over.
The people who came later greeted Zhou Ze. Zhou Ze gave them a perfunctory response and continued to trim his nails.
Zhou Ze decided to buy a set of professional nail trimming tools. Only then would he be worthy of his nails.
However, now that the express delivery service had stopped, and most of the physical stores outside were closed, he could only give up for now.
When he raised his head again, Zhou Ze saw the five workers sitting on the floor, each holding a novel and reading.
Judging from the cover, it was obvious that they were all web novels. Most of them were fantasy novels. One of them was holding a horror novel. He was biting his nails as he read. It was obvious that he was enjoying it.
However, Zhou Ze found it hard to agree with the other party's behavior of biting his nails.
Only by taking care of your nails would you know how to take care of your life.
From time to time, someone would laugh while reading the novel. This was a laugh that came from the bottom of their hearts.
There were many people in the bookstore, but it was very quiet. From time to time, there would be some noise, but it was not disturbing.
In the evening, Xu Qinglang walked in with a bowl of dumplings.
"Yo, the shop is quite lively."
Zhou Ze nodded with a smile.
"Brothers, do you want to eat something?" Xu Qinglang asked the workers sitting in the shop.
Everyone looked at each other.
They were at a loss.
"Forget it, I'll treat you."
After all, Xu Qinglang was a man with more than 20 sets. "It's not easy for us not to go home during the New Year. We're all out to earn money. We're all brothers."
"Then, thank you, Boss. Boss, you're rich." The oldest worker stood up and thanked Xu Qinglang.
"Of course, of course."
Xu Qinglang put down Zhou Ze's dumplings and returned to his shop.
Zhou Ze drank a little soup and forcefully swallowed two dumplings. The detestable Xu Qinglang had forgotten to bring him sour plum juice. He could not eat it.
Zhou Ze took out the cigarettes on the table and walked out from behind the counter.
"Change it yourself after you're done. I should have a full set here. Anyway, my shop is a loss-making business. Don't stand on ceremony with me."
Zhou Ze handed the cigarettes to them one by one.
The workers were flattered and took them.
Then, everyone stood up and walked to the door of the shop. They squatted in a row and smoked.
They did not want to dirty the environment of the shop.
Zhou Ze thought for a moment and walked out of the shop. Outside, the wind was a little cold. He squatted down and smoked with them.
The workers chatted.
Those who were married talked about their wives and children.
Those who were not married talked about their lovers in Tongcheng or in their hometown.
They joked with each other.
They teased each other.
Although everyone knew each other.
They still had something to talk about.
From their accents, one could tell that these workers came from all over the world. They did not come from the same village.
Tongcheng was close to Shanghai and belonged to the Yangtze River Delta region. Although it could not be compared to Shanghai, the number of workers here every year was still very large. As long as they were willing to work hard, they did not have to worry about not being able to find a job or not being able to earn money.
The cigarettes were exchanged twice.
Zhou Ze said, "Brothers, are you really not going home for the New Year?"
"I'm not going back. Everything is fine at home."
"It's quite troublesome to go back and forth. There's still work to do in the first month. The boss will even give out red packets. It's a waste not to take them. I can also send more money back."
"Haha, today is quite good. I have novels to read and cigarettes to smoke. This New Year is quite enjoyable."
"Boss, when are you closing?" a worker asked.
"I'm not closing," Zhou Ze replied.
"Boss, you're not going home?"
"The woman at home is disobedient, so I'm not going home."
Zhou Ze immediately felt heroic!
The workers gave Zhou Ze a thumbs up and cheered for him.
Of course, no one went too far to echo him. They could tell from his accent. Moreover, Zhou Ze opened a bookstore and not a fruit stall. The workers guessed that Zhou Ze was a local.
There was a reason why the locals did not go home for the New Year, so they did not continue to tease him.
Besides, they were the pillars of their families. They had to work hard to earn money. Their wives and children were taken care of by them. It was tough for them, but it was the same for their wives.
Life was built generation after generation of bitterness. Who would have an easy life?
Zhou Ze was about to continue smoking when he heard a shout from the distance.
"Xu Le!"
Zhou Ze raised his head and rose to his feet. He saw a Porsche Cayenne parked on the opposite side of the road. It was a familiar car.
Mm, it was his wife's car.
The one who shouted was his sister-in-law. She had indeed been scared out of her wits by Zhou Ze in the toilet a while ago, but now that she had returned to normal, it was impossible for her to think that her brother-in-law was a ghost, so she could only blame it on her being so scared that her eyes were playing tricks on her.
That being said, she would not be too nice to Zhou Ze. After all, he had scared her so much that she wet her pants. How embarrassing!
"Xu Le, let's go home for dinner!"
The sister-in-law yelled.
"I'm not going back, the store is busy. It's quite busy," Zhou Ze waved his hand.
What a joke.
Was he going back to see his cheating father-in-law and mother-in-law during the New Year?
Was he going to be angered by his insensible sister-in-law?
Most importantly,
He was rushing home to sleep in separate beds during the New Year?
Was he looking for trouble?
"Sister, is this guy crazy?
He's unreasonable and baffling, and he's so stubborn! "
The sister-in-law pouted in the back seat.
Doctor Lin smiled, "Let's go home and have dinner with mom and dad first."
"Yo, it sounds like you're planning to come out at night?"
"I'm his legal wife, after all," Doctor Lin did not say anything further. She started the car and drove away.
He watched the car drive away.
Zhou Ze yelled at his workmates, "Brothers, is my wife pretty?"
"Yes!"
"She's blessed!"
"She's so pretty!"
"HAHAHAHA."
Xu Qinglang came out of the store with a huge tray.
"Come, Red Braised Pork with Rice. Brothers, let's eat!"
The workmates were a little restrained and troubled. The oldest workmate said embarrassedly, "We didn't bring any..."
"We agreed that I'd treat you guys to a meal!
If you mention money again, you're treating me as if I'm not your brother. In the future, I might run into people from all over the world. When the time comes, I'll have to beg my brothers. "
"Sure!"
"Just one sentence!"
"I'll wait for you to come to my hometown..."
"Come!"
The workmates brought big bowls of rice into the bookstore. Everyone squatted on the ground and placed the bowls on the plastic stools to eat.
One of the workmates was reading a novel while eating. He was knocked on the head by a workmate next to him with chopsticks.
"You've eaten lard and lost your mind. If you accidentally dirty the book, how is the boss going to sell it?"
"That's right, let's eat first."
The atmosphere was very lively. Zhou Ze returned to his counter. He ate another three dumplings that were already a little cold. This time, for some reason, perhaps because of the atmosphere, his feeling of disgust was much less than before.
After the meal,
Everyone continued to read.
In the room, there was heating, and there were novels to read. It was very harmonious.
Unknowingly, it was ten o'clock at night.
The oldest workmate stood up and stretched. He said, "Brothers, it's time. Let's go back. Let's help them clean up the room."
"Alright!"
The five workmates helped Zhou Ze clean up the shop.
"Boss, we're leaving. Thank you for today."
"You're welcome." Zhou Ze waved his hand.
They left,
Unlike the girl with the corgi last night who left a hundred yuan after reading for a while, they read for the whole day and half the night without leaving a single yuan.
However, Zhou Ze did not mind at all, nor was he dissatisfied.
After stretching, Zhou Ze planned to call Xu Qinglang to take back the dishes in the shop. When he walked to the noodle shop, Zhou Ze saw Xu Qinglang sitting behind the table reading the newspaper.
Yes, the newspaper was given to him by Zhou Ze during the day.
Xu Qinglang was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He did look a little bookish. As expected of a man with more than twenty suites,
He looked elegant no matter how he looked at it!
"Clean up the dishes over there," Zhou Ze said.
"Okay, I'll go now."
Xu Qinglang put down his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He got up and went next door to clean up the dishes.
On the top of the stack of newspapers was a Yangtze Evening News. Looking at the date, it was from seven days ago
On the front page of the newspaper was a big bold black news:
"Residential Building Fire, Heroism Touched the World"
Last week, a densely populated residential area in Tongcheng suddenly caught fire. The fire was serious.
On a nearby construction site, five young construction workers ran in to save people regardless of the danger. In total, they saved more than twenty old people, women, and children. However, after they rushed into the fire to save people for the last time..,
They did not manage to run out again.
There was a big photo on the cover of the Yangtze Evening News,
This was a group photo of the five of them,
They stood shoulder to shoulder, making an old-fashioned peace sign, as if they had taken a group photo behind a shed when they first came to the construction site,
Young and inexperienced faces with some wrinkles of the vicissitudes of life.
In the photo..,
His smile was a little reserved, but it was also very bright.
Xu Qinglang walked into the bookstore,
Looking at the five bowls of rice on the plastic stool in front of him,
He had not eaten a single mouthful, and the food had long lost its heat,
On each bowl of rice, there was a pair of chopsticks stuck straight on top.
"Brothers,
Eat well,
Drink well. "
Xu Qinglang muttered.
Outside,
The sound of firecrackers rang out,
Tongcheng did not prohibit fireworks. For a moment, the sky was filled with multicolored light, and it was very lively and festive.
Zhou Ze raised his head and looked outside,
He said in a low voice,