Chapter 156: After a long life, you will finally realize the truth!
"Who the hell called me soft and flat?"
“I’ll go!”
"Old cat! It turned out to be you, my son of a bitch!"
"You've changed so much! I saw Brother Biao, Wei Gou and the others teasing you in the group before, and I was a little bit skeptical. It's like you have a completely different face." Zhou Anping, who was at the snack stand, looked up at Chen Jue who was standing in front of the stall with a smile. He was stunned at first and was a little hesitant to recognize him, but when he saw again that it was indeed Chen Jue, he couldn't help but yelling.
The Bashu girl next to him, who was obviously hot-tempered, pinched his waist hard and said, "You little bastard! What are you yelling about? Are you still going to do business?"
"Ouch! Hiss! Honey, be gentle... This is my college roommate, the old cat in the group." Zhou Anping had a soft personality to begin with, and as he was about to get married, he became even more humble in front of his wife, turning into a henpecked man, quickly admitted his mistake and lowered his voice.
"Oh? It's your college roommate!"
"Then go and greet others. The students are about to go to evening self-study and there aren't many customers. I can handle it by myself." Upon hearing that it was an acquaintance, the Bashu girl put away her stern look and pushed Zhou Anping out of the snack stand.
Zhou Anping came over happily, and walked with Chen Jue to the curb not far away, half squatting and chatting.
"You're doing pretty well, Softie! You've even found a wife for you." Chen Jue teased with a smile.
"No, I can't compare to you cool guys. Wei Gou makes a million a year by running an early childhood education store, and I'm just trying to make a living. Brother Biao's new store has also opened, and business is booming. I heard that your ideas were involved." Zhou Anping looked worldly, and it was obvious that he had been standing next to the frying pan for too long, but he didn't smoke, and his eyes were full of hope for life. He was not under as much pressure as Wang Biao.
"I just came up with some bad ideas! Brother Biao has a lot of tourists over there, and you can make money by doing anything."
"What about you, Ruanping? Why did you think of setting up a cart and selling fried chicken bones? Didn't I see you still working before?" Chen Jue asked curiously.
"Oh! Forget about going to work. You don't know how low the salary is in Hezhou. You work hard for only two or three thousand a month, and a house costs hundreds of thousands. It's better to set up a street stall to earn some hard-earned money."
"I can set up a street stall and have a break with the students, it's so free and easy! The only problem is that I get greasy hair and dirty face every day, I can't compare with those big bosses like Wei Gou, and my reputation won't be good if the news gets out. I didn't tell anyone in my circle of friends that I'm a college student setting up a street stall." Zhou Anping scratched his head and explained embarrassedly.
"Making money! It's not shameful! I see that you have a good business and you have found a partner. You are better than me, an unemployed vagrant." Chen Jue smiled slightly, patted the other person's shoulder, and motioned him to keep working hard.
"Hehe! It's not bad. Let me tell you, everyone who eats my fried chicken bones says it's good. It's even posted on the Hezhou forum."
"Now I can make a few thousand yuan a day just by doing some casual things. I just mortgaged a house for my wedding. But I'm still not as good as that old man selling fried rice and noodles. His son came to set up a stall as soon as several universities opened here. The couple each pushed a cart and have been doing it for more than ten years. It is said that they have bought several houses and stores. They are worth millions and are still doing it."
"There are restaurants everywhere in Hezhou. They open and close every day, and new ones are replaced every day. Few of them make more money than this old man who makes fried rice." Zhou Anping pointed to a newly built villa community in the distance, then turned back and pointed to the fried rice master who was waving a spatula in front of a big pot. He also told Chen Jue the ins and outs of this industry.
Chen Jue was also moved this. When he was in college in Vancouver, he knew that those who set up stalls in Garbage Street and Food Street made a lot of money, but he didn't expect that they could make this much money.
But think about it, with the huge flow of people brought by several nearby universities, and the fact that they don't have to spend money on a store by pushing a cart, the couple can just go straight into business. A serving of fried rice costs seven or eight yuan, and if you add some ingredients it can go over ten yuan. If they sell a few hundred servings a day, they can indeed make several thousand yuan a day.
The only bad thing is that there is a lot of competition in the street stall business. Those who do well can make a lot of money, but those who do poorly can only make a living from drought to flood . There are many stalls with no one interested in buying anything.
Moreover, this job is dirty, tiring and not decent enough, so few people can stick to it.
Chen Jue walked from beginning to end of this garbage street, and didn't see many young people setting up stalls. Most of them were middle-aged people who were forced to do so by life.
Most young people care about their reputation, and few are willing to lower themselves to do something like Zhou Anping did.
…
The two chatted about their recent situation, and Chen Jue went to Zhou Anping's snack stand and ordered a portion of chicken collarbone to try. It tasted really good, better than the crispy bones he bought from Little Rabbit when he was in college. It was fried with a little spicy flavor, and the chicken collarbone was fried until it was crispy and delicious.
Seeing that it was getting later, the young couple who were busy greeting student customers in the stall had no time to chat. Chen Jue did not stay here for long. He said hello to Zhou Anping and went to find a hotel nearby to stay.
There are still two days before this boy's wedding, so there is plenty of time to reminisce. In addition, Chen Jue feels a little tired after hiking for several days. After eating a large bag of chicken clavicles, Chen Jue has a good sleep in the hotel.
The next morning, Zhou Anping came to visit alone. After asking, he learned that there is an unwritten custom in marriage. The newlyweds have to go home to prepare on the day before the wedding. It seems that this custom exists in many places.
"Come on! Old Cat! I'll take you to try Hezhou's breakfast! I guarantee you'll love it here." Zhou Anping said with a smile and took Chen Jue into the Wuling minivan that was driving.
The car drove out of the university campus and headed towards the streets of Hezhou Old Town. They found a noodle shop that looked like it had been open for a long time and sat down. Zhou Anping recommended the local specialty mutton offal noodles to Chen Jue.
Because Chen Jue has a big appetite, he ordered a bowl of rice that weighs three liang. In the Foggy City, rice noodles are counted as two liang.
A bowl of noodle soup with a lot of mutton offal sprinkled on the noodles. The soup is clear and red, and it is served with chopped green onions and pickles. It tastes slightly numbing but not spicy.
Zhou Anping introduced that although people in the Fog City love spicy hot pot, they don't eat too heavy breakfast, but rather light breakfast. The noodle shop also provides unlimited refills of free sweet soy milk, which is paired with salty and spicy mutton rice and is indeed unique in flavor.
The TV in the noodle shop was playing the morning news. On the screen, a manned rocket was slowly taking off into space. The host announced in a clear and melodious voice: "I wish Feizhou No. 19 a successful launch."
Several nearby residents who were eating noodles in the restaurant were whispering, "I am so impressed! They are really rich, sending rockets to outer space every day. How many manned rockets are they launching this year?"
"It seems to be the twelfth one. The news used to report every day that a lunar space station is going to be built." Another uncle slurping noodles echoed.
Chen Jue also glanced at the news out of curiosity. Lately, he had been busy hiking and cultivating his mind, and had not paid much attention to news and current affairs.
Feeling unsatisfied after eating the mutton offal noodles, Zhou Anping took Chen Jue to the entrance of a nearby vegetable market and bought a steamed bun to try.
The consumption in Hezhou is low, and you can even see people using Mao Zedong notes as change in the vegetable market. Chen Jue recalled the days when he was working there. He didn't know when this kind of Mao Zedong note began to disappear from his sight, but seeing it again now feels very familiar.
…
After breakfast, Chen Jue and Zhou Anping went to his wedding room, which was more than 120 square meters. It was said that it cost more than one million yuan to complete the whole construction including decoration, which had emptied out his savings over the years and the assets of his parents' generation.
The two chatted at home and reminisced about life after graduation. At noon, Wang Biao drove there first.
This guy came to Wudu closer than others, and he brought a trunk full of Gongshan specialties. It was obvious that his new store was doing a booming business, and his previous sad expression was gone.
Upon seeing Chen Jue, Wang Biao deliberately pulled Chen Jue over to the side and muttered: "Old cat! I will return the money to you later!"
"Of course, Brother Biao! This means being a boss means you're really rich." Chen Jue smiled slightly. He didn't expect that his roommate's condition had changed drastically just after he left.
"Hehe! It was your idea that was so good. Let me tell you..." Wang Biao took Chen Jue to chat about the business of the specialty store for a long time, and by the way, he returned the money he had borrowed from him to Chen Jue. Chen Jue also returned the IOU in his backpack to him.
Seeing that Wang Biao only brought his eldest son here, it must be that his wife-in-law was at home pregnant and was not suitable for running around and working hard.
A few hours later, Cheng Wei rushed over from Beijing with his ex-girlfriend, with whom he had just reunited. The two were very sweet and loving, and upon asking, we found out that they had already scheduled the wedding. Everyone was shocked by how fast they moved.
Later, Jiang Fan and roommate Huang Zhe drove over with their wives and children. Seeing that there was no room to move in the house, the roommates who had not seen each other for several years went to a nearby hot pot restaurant and booked a private room.
However, since most of the people in the group prefer light tastes from coastal areas, they specifically ordered a shuangyuan hotpot. As soon as the hotpot dishes such as tripe, duck intestines, tribute vegetables, fried crispy pork, etc. were served on the table, everyone started to talk, and they opened the wine. There was constant laughter in the box.
Everyone called out each other's nicknames from college and dug up past embarrassing gossips. The noise lasted until after nine o'clock before everyone dispersed and went back to their hotel to rest.
…
The next day, everyone got up early, led by Cheng Wei's Mercedes-Benz G, followed by several wedding cars, and went to the old neighborhood of the bride's home early to pick up the bride.
In Hezhou, people don't like to have a lot of ostentation, and wedding cars are not so particular, unlike in Vancouver where all cars must be Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi or even double R big Bentley. In Hezhou, as long as you have a car, you can participate in the wedding reception, and the atmosphere is particularly good.
Relying on the thousands of ten-yuan red envelopes prepared by Cheng Wei, the group successfully knocked on the door of the bride's house.
After the bride and groom were picked up and the ceremony was over, the wedding convoy headed straight to the hotel by the river. As soon as we sat down at the table, we realized that the wedding banquet here is still two meals, lunch and dinner. After lunch, the tablecloth was lifted and a mahjong game began. Moreover, the wedding banquet dishes are not expensive, a table costs hundreds or thousands, unlike in Vancouver, where a table costs tens of thousands.
The atmosphere at the wedding was lively. After watching Zhou Anping go on stage to greet the bride, the people at the roommate's table started to make a fuss, asking Chen Jue to find a partner among the bridesmaids to find a partner.
There are six people in a dormitory, and so far only Chen Jue, who has completed his studies, is still a single guy.
Looking at the happy families around him, and at his college roommates who are pairing up to raise the next generation, and then looking at the newlyweds getting married on the stage, Chen Jue feels that life is like a cycle. Everyone is ordinary and different, but the process is extremely similar.
…
After lunch, Zhou Anping suggested going to the nearby Wenfeng Ancient Street to shoot a wedding scene. Everyone in the dormitory, whether they were with children or girlfriends, followed.
This is the custom when every roommate gets married. After walking to the ancient street and strolling along the river, Chen Jue discovered that the river on this side of Hezhou is so magical.
The Jialing River, the Fu River and the Qu River meet at the confluence, presenting a strange sight of three distinct colors. Three streams of water in different colors swirl on the surface of the river, and finally converge into a circle, like a natural three-color pill, calm and tolerant without too many waves.
“Life may be like these three rivers, flowing without returning, and finally returning to one point.” Chen Jue stared at the wonder of the confluence of the three rivers and felt something in his heart.
When his roommates shouted that they wanted to take a photo, he came to his senses and joined the formation with a smile.
The photographer was sent by the wedding company. He had a very high-end camera. After taking a few group photos, he took another group photo with Cheng Wei's high-end mobile phone and sent it to a group of people.
But after posting this group photo, Jiang Fan found a graduation photo from somewhere and posted it next to it. Comparing the two photos, the six people in the photos looked drastically different.
Some are potbellied, some have haggard faces. They no longer have the youthful feeling of just graduating from school, nor do they have the arrogance they had before. Everyone has been smoothed out and has become more sophisticated.
Only Chen Jue's appearance in the photo has changed drastically. He is even more elegant and graceful than before, as if he has gone back to the past.
"Old cat! You son of a bitch! You're the only one in this photo who looks younger and younger!"
"Why don't you tell the truth? Which head transplant clinic did you go to?" Several people started laughing and joking, and were about to go back to the hotel to play cards to have fun and kill the afternoon.
When passing by a small shop selling Hanfu and ancient accessories in an ancient street, Chen Jue suddenly heard a clear song coming from the speakers in the shop: "The waves are rolling, the world is in chaos... Fates come and go, life is like a dream and a joy... The journey of life is long and arduous, and the truth can be seen after seeing through the prosperity..." It seemed that the shop owner specially downloaded the theme song of an old martial arts movie for the atmosphere of the shop.
When Wang Biao, Cheng Wei, Zhou Anping and others heard this song, they all said it was very familiar, as if it brought back childhood memories. They were all discussing which version of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer theme song this was.
Chen Jue hummed twice, and recalled the people and scenes he saw when he strolled out of Beidu, stepped onto the ground, and tempered his mind in the mortal world.
From the bustling metropolis, walk all the way to this small town of Hezhou full of the flavor of life.
From Li Wei, whose cooking skills are better than his martial arts skills, to Huang Shizhen who runs an orthopedic clinic, and Old Man Luo, the golden elixir master who sells Eight Treasure Tea on Mount Huashan by fortune-telling, to the college roommates around him who have been through different stages of life.
Everyone's spiritual imprint, every worldly face he had seen, and the word "Quanzhen" carved on the protruding cliff on Mount Huashan, all flashed before Chen Jue's eyes like slides at this moment.
Just like the old song says, "Life is like a dream, but seeing through the prosperity reveals the truth."
At this moment, Chen Jue finally understood that his emotions were hidden in the world, and his path was in this seemingly ordinary life that went on day after day.
"Being in the Tao, one does not know the Tao."
"Quanzhen... Quanzhen... It turns out that life... a simple and ordinary life is the 'true' one!"
