Chapter 17 Chapter Sixteen

On the eve of New Year's Day, the Energy Angel Foundation of Shi Jiamin, a Chinese-American, held a listing ceremony at Longtian Hotel.At that time, Guo Tianliang and Zhang Guojun had not yet gone on vacation abroad, and they worked hard for this event, inviting more than 100 coal bosses from large and small coal cities, as well as many government officials, journalists and celebrities. Shi Jiamin knew in her heart that these network resources belonged to Guo Tianliang and Zhang Guojun, but she had only one real network resource in this city, and that was her former lover and current mayor Li Lilin.As a result, to her surprise, her only personal connection did not attend the event and did not cheer her on.

Li Lilin's phone was turned off that day, and Shi Jiamin didn't contact him until the meeting ended.Shi Jiamin, who was middle-aged and experienced all kinds of hardships, couldn't restrain his emotions after the meeting, and hid in a corner and secretly sobbed... It was also at this time that Zhang Guojun and Guo Tianliang came behind her inadvertently, and each of them said the most common words, but those words almost moved her for the rest of her life. What Zhang Guojun said was: Don’t worry about it, my child. I was also the mayor.What I do in that position every day is involuntary work.Otherwise, don't call the mayor.

Guo Tianliang comforted her: Little sister, I didn't come to cheer you up for the mayor.I support you for your cause, so don't worry too much. In contrast, the person I trusted the most failed me at the most critical moment. Yesterday, Li Lilin called her, and she immediately turned off her phone.As a result, Li Lilin came to her office in person half an hour later, bringing a large bouquet of flowers. According to her past personality, Shi Jiamin slammed the door and left long ago, never wanting to see this familiar face.However, now she is middle-aged after all, and she can no longer play childish temper.She stood up, tried her best to appear friendly, and received this special "guest" warmly.

"Although I came late, my congratulations are the most sincere and sincere." Li Lilin put the big flowers in front of her. "Congratulations, sometimes it's like feelings, the later they come, the more people cherish them." The woman in front of her has another kind of mature beauty. "My congratulations, I don't want to be mixed with other people's congratulations. That way, it will tarnish my feelings and your own." Li Lilin sat down on the sofa without waiting for Shi Jiamin to greet him. "For me now, as long as it's sincere congratulations, it doesn't matter whether I'm alone or mixed, let alone superior or inferior, regardless of priority, just like choosing friends, because I don't want to be with others, I only want to be with me Alone, such a friend may not welcome him when he sees me." Shi Jiamin made a pun.

"No matter what, I just want to be with you alone, and I don't want to meet people who don't want to associate with them at all." Li Lilin finally said what was in his heart. Shi Jiamin almost pulled her face down: "I'm sorry, my job is a social job, not for anyone. I hope you can understand." "Okay, let's stop talking. In order to express my sincerity, I will donate 100,000 RMB to your foundation in my own name. How about it? Are you satisfied?" Li Lilin hurriedly took out the money. Shi Jiamin was really moved at this moment, and her eyes suddenly became moist: "Do you think that one hundred thousand yuan can make a heartbroken person change his mind?! Can a person regain his dignity?!"

Li Lilin felt that his actions that day were really unreasonable: "I still have a way to make up for it. This Sunday, I will give up other arrangements and serve you as a volunteer for a day. You can do whatever you want, without any compensation. How about it?" Shi Jiamin made no statement. "After finishing the volunteer work, if necessary, I'll be the host on weekend nights. I'll treat your most important friend to a meal to help you get back your face." Li Lilin continued to give in. "My most important friend? Didn't you say that some people don't want to get in touch at all?" Shi Jiamin asked back.

"As long as you think it's necessary, you can ignore my feelings for the time being." Li Lilin really stood in front of her, and found that she was very upset about what happened that day, and he couldn't make it through emotionally. "Forget it, let's take care of your feelings. It's just the two of us staying together on weekends, and we don't call anyone else." Shi Jiamin realized that the upright Li Lilin made a big step, and he couldn't make progress, "It's settled , be a volunteer for me on weekends, and accompany me to inspect Longquan Fort, which is a project we need to fund immediately."

This weekend is actually the twenty-ninth year of the Chinese New Year. The reason why Li Lilin is willing to volunteer is to avoid the constant stream of gift givers. Now, gift-giving during the Chinese New Year has almost become a culture, and such an atmosphere has even formed in Coal City: Anyone who gives gifts is a positive person, and the coming year will definitely prosper.Those who hide at home and don't give gifts must be the ones who have been defeated steadily, and they will definitely sink and decline in the coming year.The more gifts you give, the more friends you will have, and the more promising you will be.The more stingy, the more incompetent, the more unlucky...

From Li Lilin's point of view, it's not that he doesn't like gifts from others, but that he doesn't want to be coerced.Those who come to give big gifts are either big coal bosses or prominent government officials. If they take their things, they will sign an unwritten "cooperation agreement" with them. You have to do things for others, and if you can't do it, you will be looked down upon and scolded by others; However, if you don't want other people's things, it will be even more troublesome.The vast majority of gift givers are elite figures in this city. They have a lot of energy in their activities. If they refuse them, they will inevitably cause a lot of difficult problems for themselves: in the agency, they will be isolated, their prestige will be reduced, and no one will listen to them. , this mayor has become a decoration; in society, there are no alliances, no friends, no supporters, and finally manifested in the National People's Congress, the vote of confidence is very low, tossing your face in public, and even becoming a The object of ridicule; at home, relatives and friends will think that you lack courage, lack of affection, lack of means, lack of responsibility, and timid...

Accepting is neither, nor is not accepting. In the end, I can only run away. He had heard of Longquan Fort that Shi Jiamin suggested to go to. Longquan Fort is under the jurisdiction of another prefecture-level city adjacent to it. It is located at the foot of the Inner Great Wall. It used to be the residence of soldiers in the Ming Dynasty, and it was one of the 72 forts to prevent foreign invasion.Later, the Bingzhai was abandoned, and the fleeing common people moved in. Over time, it became a village.There were no more than a hundred or so people there, and no one knew him. Going to such a place for a day is the best choice for "refuge" during the festival.

It takes more than three hours to drive there from Meicheng. Since he is a volunteer, Li Lilin has assumed the role of driver. "Is this domineering car newly bought? The performance is really good." Li Lilin felt a gushing energy as soon as he started the engine. An office in a hotel and a car like this.” Shi Jiamin felt that Li Lilin's words had something to say, and he had malicious intentions: "Don't be so acetic and acetic, okay? You have to know that the donors of our foundation in the United States are all top-ranked big bosses in the world. Do we still buy them ourselves? Can’t afford a car? Besides, you have to go to the countryside often for charity, can’t you do without a good off-road vehicle?!” "I'm worried..." Li Lilin was a little embarrassed. "You are worried that I will use your name to bluff and cheat, aren't you?" Shi Jiamin shook her head and gave him an ugly sentence. "I didn't mean that." Li Lilin was even more embarrassed. "Stop defending yourself, a big man doesn't even have any sense." Shi Jiamin deliberately laughed at him, "Look at Guo Tianliang, you always slander him in front of me, saying that he is involved in gangsters, I am so scared Dare to associate with him. Later, when we actually contacted him, it was not what you said at all! Take the day of listing as an example, you were so dirty that you didn’t dare to go, I felt very humiliated. It was Guo Tianliang who enlightened me: the important thing It's really doing good deeds, it doesn't matter if important people come or not. In comparison, you are really petty." "Don't compare me with others!" A man is most jealous of a woman comparing him with other men in front of him, especially if his beloved woman does this.Li Lilin's self-esteem was challenged. "If I don't say this, don't others say it?" Shi Jiamin wanted to vent all the anger that was in her heart that day, "Nine out of ten people who participated in the ceremony that day were focused on the special relationship between me and you. I went, right? As a result, the man closest to me did not dare to take responsibility in public; the man farthest from me helped me with everything without hesitation. Everyone present saw it, I believe, Each of them will make a comparison between you and Guo Tianliang unintentionally, who is superior and who is inferior; who is selfish and who is high-spirited, everyone knows clearly..." "Please, stop talking." On Ping Road, Li Lilin drove up and down. As a last resort, Shi Jiamin had no choice but to stop her condemnation. After that, the two did not speak for almost an hour.When starting to climb the mountain, Shi Jiamin took the initiative to break the silence: "In the eyes of you Chinese men, what do American women look like?" "In the hearts of men?" Li Lilin thought for a while, and suddenly remembered Marilyn Monroe: "American women are the kind of movie stars who can have one-night stands with attractive men at any time." "It's quite interesting. Your sentence contains three characteristics of American women: firstly, you can dress up and look like a movie star; secondly, you are open-minded and free from stereotypes; lastly, you also slander American women's sex life. Whatever you want. I understand it right.” When Shi Jiamin was in college, her thoughts were very organized and logical. "Am I the kind of American woman you mentioned?" Shi Jiamin asked him intentionally. Although Li Lilin knew her best in the past, Shi Jiamin has lived in the United States for many years. He is not clear about any changes in that aspect, so it is difficult to answer: "This... this..." "Tell you, although I have lived in the United States for many years, I am a very traditional Chinese woman." Shi Jiamin said clearly. "What do American women think of Chinese men?" Li Lilin was curious. "It's what you were like more than twenty years ago." Shi Jiamin replied without thinking. "What was I like more than twenty years ago?" Men are more realistic, especially successful men, who almost forget about those unpleasant past events. "Twenty years ago, what did you say you were like?" Shi Jiamin couldn't forget the past. "I can't tell, mainly because I don't understand what you are referring to." When it comes to the past, Li Lilin feels a little weak after all. "Then let me tell you: more than 20 years ago, you were a rural youth who had just entered university!" Shi Jiamin didn't care that the person in front of him was a man of the city. "What is the relationship between rural youths who have just entered college and American women's impression of Chinese men?" Li Lilin thought that these were clearly two different things. "Of course it has something to do with it!" Shi Jiamin began her logical reasoning again, "Rural youths who have just entered university, first of all feel that the carp jumps the dragon's gate, and they have the feeling of being ahead of others; secondly, coming out of the countryside, they are born with a sense of freedom. In the end, after all, I grew up in the countryside and have never seen the world. When it comes to critical occasions, I have no manners, let alone gentlemanly demeanor. Just like the current Chinese men, after many years of hard work, they finally have money and money. Right away, I immediately feel that I am invincible; in addition, Chinese men are not lacking in vitality; in the end, they have everything, but they have no manners and no education! This is a shortcoming in growing up." "You are turning a corner and scolding me. Don't pretend that I can't hear you." Li Lilin realized that she had fallen into her trap again. "Tell me, does your behavior that day show that you are educated and gentlemanly?" Shi Jiamin was still worried. "What is upbringing? What is demeanor?" Li Lilin retorted, "Could it be that you are being educated and demeanor if you force me to mingle with people who don't even want to meet?!" "Then if you are with me, you are also in the same boat?" Shi Jiamin said angrily. "You changed the concept secretly." Li Lilin's speed increased significantly. "I solemnly tell you that they are my friends. If you are also my friend, please be a gentleman and learn to respect others." Shi Jiamin showed her hole card, "For so many years, without you as a friend, my career has been lost. It is still done; it has been so, and it will be so in the future.” A winding Great Wall, ups and downs, ups and downs along the ridge.This section of the Great Wall is not like the Great Wall in Badaling, Beijing, which is made of blue bricks. It is gorgeous and spectacular from a distance.As for the Great Wall near Longquan Fort, the towers are built with rocks, which are fierce and dangerous; the city walls are made of loess, thick and desolate. Longquan Fort is located in the embrace of the Great Wall. To be precise, it is in the middle of the mountain below the Great Wall.If it weren't for driving a modern car into the village, people would feel that time has flowed back to the Ming Dynasty. It is an uneven and winding village road. At the entrance of the village is a cross-eave building with double eaves like a city gate, with a big bell hanging above it. Dozens of deep houses and courtyards are lined up along both sides of the stone road in the cross-city building. However, due to years of disrepair, Many gatehouses have collapsed to varying degrees, the original carved beams and painted buildings have become unrecognizable, and even many wooden doors are decayed and incomplete. Looking from the outside to the inside, there is almost no complete screen wall or trace of repair... The strangest thing is that there are almost no people in the whole village, let alone chickens crowing and dogs barking, and cattle and sheep flocking.The whole village seems to have been sleeping since the Ming Dynasty until now, but during the sleeping process, many things could not withstand the erosion of the years and fell away, but people hardly felt anything because they were so sleepy. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. Such a well-preserved ancient folk village is like a living fossil, which is amazing." Li Lilin quickly took out his camera and took pictures of strange scenery one after another. . "This is not just a folk village!" Shi Jiamin led the way. "Then what else?" Li Lilin looked back, and the ancient clock turned golden under the noon sun. "When you arrive at the ancestral hall, you will understand everything." Shi Jiamin's fashionable clothes are in sharp contrast with the simple environment here. It is said to be an ancestral hall, but it is actually the ruins of ancient buildings with most of the courtyards and most of the houses collapsed.There were five or six old ladies in ragged clothes waiting for them. Obviously, Shi Jiamin had already greeted them this time. "Comrade Shi, sit down quickly, sit down quickly." One of the old ladies, whose face was carved like a dead tree, greeted the guests proactively. "This is a consultant of our foundation." Shi Jiamin introduced Li Lilin to the old lady. "Okay, okay." The old lady stretched out her hands like dead trees and poured water for them, "It's been such a long journey, it's hard work." "The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and you still come to help us, you are truly living Bodhisattvas." Another old lady lost all her teeth. "Strange? It's almost Chinese New Year. Where are the men in your village? They haven't come back yet?" Li Lilin has been to many villages, but he has never seen such a weird village. "There are no men, we are a widow's village!" The toothless old lady replied. "Jiamin, what's going on?" Li Lilin was quite surprised. "Ask me why? Listen to what the people say." Shi Jiamin lowered his head and drank a glass of water. The old lady of the dead tree: "You came down to investigate to help us. If it was someone else, the county would not let you speak, and we would not dare to speak." "Why?" Li Lilin felt one surprise after another. "Whoever wants to talk, the county will take back the 20,000 yuan that was compensated to the family." Another old lady nags. "Could it be that all men..." Li Lilin guessed most of them. "Yes, all the men in our village have died in the mine." The old lady of the dead tree had a strange expression, "There are not many men in our village, and there are a total of twenty-nine men, old and young, who can work, and they are all nearby. He was digging coal in the black coal mine. Last year, there was an explosion in the black coal mine, and all the adult men were buried alive, and even the corpses could not be found.” "What about the mine owner?" Li Lilin became angry. "Before the sound of the explosion hit the ground, that guy took the money and ran away." The toothless old lady couldn't speak clearly. "How did the government handle it?" Li Lilin asked anxiously. "What can the government do? Someone in the government has taken the kiln owner's money, and they must suppress this matter." The old lady of the dead tree obviously understands the whole situation, "In the end, in order to prevent us from causing trouble, the family compensated 20,000 They also specifically ordered: Whoever wants to report must return the compensation.” "That's right," the toothless old lady continued, "At first, everyone couldn't accept it, and they cried and quarreled. Later, the tears and crying dried up, and the quarrel was boring. After thinking about it carefully, the person is dead anyway, so continue to quarrel, men If they couldn’t survive, each family received 20,000 and shut up.” "No wonder it's called 'Widows' Village'. That's what it is." Li Lilin looked around, seeing only old ladies in front of him, and no young daughter-in-law. "What did the young women do?" "Cough! Don't mention it." The old lady of the dead tree said, "The men are dead, so we can't let people be widows. Many daughters-in-law received compensation and soon went down the mountain to get married. There are only more than 20 old ladies left in the village. , and eleven ignorant dolls." "I heard that Comrade Shi is going to take these eleven dolls to school in the city?" The toothless old lady looked at Shi Jiamin. "Yes, are you willing?" Shi Jiamin took the aunt's hand. "Why can't you bear it?" The old lady withered tree had sore eyes, "We are all very old people, one day after another, maybe one day we will fall down, and there is no one to deal with the funeral. At least Don't worry, it's just these children without parents, they are so pitiful." Toothless old lady: "Comrade Shi, from the appearance, you look like a Bodhisattva. If you take in these children, you will be rewarded." The old lady of the dead tree: "That's right. In the past, there was a mischievous person who asked to take in the child, but we didn't give it." "Why not give it to that person?" Li Lilin had tears in his eyes. "That person has a bad face. He looks like a human trafficker. We are determined not to hand over the child to him." The toothless old lady didn't hide anything. "You really found the right person." Li Lilin looked at Shi Jiamin again under the glare of the sun, and suddenly felt that she was a bit like the Avalokitesvara in the temple. "Ma'am, I'll take the child away in a few days. I'm here today mainly to give you New Year's greetings." Shi Jiamin suddenly opened the big bag and took out a stack of small red envelopes that had been sealed a long time ago. "This is Coal City A donation from Mr. Guo. Take it and buy some New Year’s goods.” "Son, we will be grateful if you help us keep those dolls. Money, we absolutely don't want it." The old lady withered tree pushed the money back. "Yes, we don't want money." Everyone was almost in unison. While Li Lilin next to him was deeply moved, his expression was slightly strange. ... On the way back, Li Lilin was still driving: "I finally understand why you chose to bring me to see this widow's village." "Why do you say?" Shi Jiamin noticed that the setting sun was hanging in the sky. "You want to change my view of a person." When Li Lilin said this, his tone was very slow. "Has it changed?" Shi Jiamin asked intentionally or unintentionally. "No!" Li Lilin was very firm. "Why?" Shi Jiamin obviously felt the speed of the car increase. "Anyone who designs traps carefully, there will always be traps in the trap, traps in traps, one after another, until you get in." Li Lilin was proud of his profound discovery. "I still say the same thing: You are too ungentlemanly." Shi Jiamin revealed a disdainful tone, "To tell you the truth, only the two of us know about today's arrangements. Guo Tianliang and Zhang Guojun were on the flight to Europe I don't know anything about it at all." "The money was funded by him, how do you explain it?" Li Lilin was dissatisfied, "Some people contributed money, and some people contributed. This oboe singing is really wonderful." "Shut up your stinking mouth!" Shi Jiamin finally endured to the extreme, "Old Guo, why donate money to this 'widow village' that is not under the jurisdiction of Coal City, have you ever thought about it?" "Why do you say?" "Old Guo mainly looks at the children in the 'Widow Village' with pity. On the other hand, he doesn't want those clumsy politicians in the coal city to feel that his charitable behavior is to court the stinky feet of the politicians!" Shi Jiamin replied angrily. For the first time in many years, Li Lilin blushed.