Chapter 10 The fourth city light.2

Looking at Mei's face, Tang Na was silent for a while, and said to Mei that you are the manager and I am the clerk you hired, and you can say anything about me.But regardless of the management of this restaurant, you are a divorced woman, and I am a divorced man. I have never mentioned your family, so you shouldn't disregard my self-esteem as a man and say one sentence after another. hurt me.Mei was startled suddenly, looked carefully at Tang Bao's icy face, and said very carefully: "You never thought about starting a family again?" Tang Bao's eyes widened suddenly, the hard ice on his face softened, and he stared at Mei's face like a mist.He said:

"I've thought about it, who am I going to marry?" May was dumb for a while, then looked elsewhere. "I can increase your monthly salary by another two hundred. If you save more money, it's not difficult to find a woman in the countryside. There is nothing you can't do if you have money. After you get married, take her to the city and rent two houses. , buy two city hukou slowly, and still be a decent family.” After finishing speaking, Mei thought Tang would say something.At that time, they were in the same room, in the newly established office, sitting across the table, and when she turned around, she saw a layer of greens floating on his face for no reason, just like the color of the painting just now.She didn't know where her words hurt him.The corners of his eyes were hanging upwards, his lips were tightly closed, as if he was unwilling to speak, facing Mei was like facing his bitterly hated ex-wife.After sitting quietly for a while, he stood up resolutely, shook his hands and walked out angrily.

This time, he did not return to the restaurant for three whole days. 73 The eclipse came at nine forty-three.At first, the sun was shining brightly, as if covered a little by a dark cloud.Above the city, the east is sunshine and the west is shadow.Where light and shadow meet, there is a faint pinkish red.Here on Asia Street, everything fell into pale shadows.Tang Bao's voice was still emitting from the middle of the speakers, and strands of dark things jumped out of several tweeters and spread to the entire city.The ninth digit of the first prize has already come out, and a little later, when the tenth digit blasts out of the loudspeaker, one of these screaming crowd will become a millionaire in the blink of an eye.Deposit the money in the bank and enjoy the high interest rate of the private bank. Even if you travel abroad once a day and spend recklessly, you still can't use it up.Ten thousand citizens in Asia Street were agitated by the lottery, which was newly called a lottery.On the ground of Asia Street, they trampled their excited hot breath into long, flat white strips, kicking them back and forth.The tenth digit was about to be shaken out, and people suddenly cut off their breathing.Ten thousand heads, one after the other like candied haws, froze above the city.There is a creaking sound from the speaker.The law enforcement officers, standing on specially elevated tables and chairs, stretched their necks slenderly, as if hanging themselves, and supervised those who might wantonly cause trouble due to not winning the lottery.The shaking ball keeps spinning like the earth, and the dice jump and fall in the shaking ball, and the loudspeaker is amplified, like thunder in February, deafening.Tang's voice said, please keep an eye on the lottery tickets, after thirty seconds, the last number will drop.The lucky one will thus become the richest person in the city.Pay attention, pay attention, there are still twenty seconds...eighteen seconds...sixteen seconds—at this time, Asia Street suddenly fell into darkness, as if the whole street fell into an abyss.

The eclipse came. There is still light in the Asia Mall.This Asia Street, named after the Asia Mall, fell into darkness in a blink of an eye.From here, you can see a piece of sunlight hanging on the spire of the towering Erqi Memorial Tower, as if the spire is covered with a layer of gold.The spire is burning brightly, shining with the light it should have.Elsewhere, as if suddenly, dusk dropped its curtain.Mei stood on the steps of Xiaofa House in Hong Kong and Taiwan, her body, which was still drenched in sweat just now, suddenly felt cool, as if she was suddenly in the wind on the top of a mountain in the scorching summer.She let go of the skirt she had been holding in her hand.In the dusk-like darkness, people held their lottery tickets, stared blankly for a while, and shouted loudly:

"Turn on the lights!" "Turn on the lights!" Tang Bao said loudly the coming time.I don't know which room he was sitting in to manipulate the lottery jackpot.Needless to say, his surroundings must have been brightly lit.He didn't know yet that the eclipse had begun.Ten, nine seconds until the last dice fell from the shaker.Time is like a galloping fast horse, running towards the last number without falling or rising.The crowd began to stir.The noise is like the flood of the Yellow River brewing and breaking its embankment, and every noise is like a collapsed commodity building.Tang Bao was still yelling that the time was approaching the finish line.His voice was painted with the light of gold and silver, and polished very loudly. Every time he yelled, he lingered on Asia Street for a while, just like the chains of a tank, rumbling towards the city. .A mass of darkness rushed towards the sun at the pole.It is not yet known whether a total solar eclipse, an annular solar eclipse, or a partial solar eclipse will occur.Opposite the darkness, half a day of sunlight appears clean and clean; half a day of darkness, opposite the sun, once again appears thick and turbid.A group of pigeons flew over the city suddenly, and flew towards a place where the sun was shining. Finally, after circling several times, they landed on the top of Erqi Pagoda.The dove is like a shining point of light, twinkling on the tower that rises into the sky.May felt the commotion sweeping towards her like a flood.Tang Bao's voice froze in the air and refused to spread, the half-rotten and half-scented goods warehouse.From his voice, the half-warm, half-mildewy breath poured out like rain, converging into a river, flowing underground in Asia Street, like an underground river flowing through the city.

Mei felt a violent tremor under her feet. She walked down the steps of Hong Kong and Taiwan's hair house, and with the light of half a day still, it was as if she was walking in the evening.With the last light of the setting sun, I walked quickly along the eaves of the street and the shop windows towards the east end of Asia Street.Rather than walking, it would be better to say hiding.People holding lottery tickets yelled to turn on the street lights quickly, wanting to knock down the buildings of Starlight Mall.In the shadow of the sun, the tea-colored glass on the facade of Starlight Mall looks like a huge black cloth stretched on all sides.Boundlessly, it covers the citizens waiting to win the lottery below it.

"The last six seconds, five seconds..." This call that bites the time bursts out from the branches of the plane tree, and stands above people's heads for a long time. It bounced back with a bang, and some of them fell to the ground like scattered gold coins.Part of it is like a balloon rising in a festival, slowly rising into the sky above the city.The falling part hit people's scalps, causing them to freeze suddenly; it hit people's ears, as if someone had flicked everyone's earlobes from behind with two fingers, and all ears were During the bounce, there was a slight tilt and flash; when it hit people's shoulders, the shoulders trembled suddenly, and there was a gust of cold air, which shuttled down the back, and the whole legs were numb from the cold; There was a bang on the lottery ticket in the house, and the hand was stiff, but the lottery ticket was trembling endlessly, and the street was filled with the golden trembling sound of lottery tickets like autumn leaves.The part of the voice that rose from Asia Street, some were hung with branches, and became banners like cloth strips, fluttering in the wind of the solar eclipse; The short-circuited fire that exploded instantly illuminated the darkness brought about by the solar eclipse, like a flash of lightning gliding past people's eyes.With this light, people can see that the lottery ticket is still tightly held in their hands, and the edge of the lottery ticket is wet with sweat.There are also voices, smoothly rising into the sky, rubbing the corners of high-rise buildings, and the outdoor antenna of the TV upstairs, stumbling over mountains and plains, rivers and fields, villages and ravines, and finally melting and disappearing in the shadow of the solar eclipse. In the atmosphere of late autumn.

May walked very fast, dodging people eager to win the lottery. Tang Bao chased after her footsteps reluctantly. "Attention! Attention! The last number of the first prize is about to come out, the last number..." However, the half-day sunlight in the city was gone.The whole city was plunged into darkness.The day is gone.At 9:45 in the morning, the city was plunged into darkness and entered the state of night again.The eclipse put the city in a black bag. 74 Asia Street looks like a sudden power outage at night, but outside the street, although it seems night, there are bright lights.Mei finally got rid of the bustling tide of Asia Street.Maybe it was a total solar eclipse. Mei turned around and looked around, but she couldn't see a ray of sunlight. Tall buildings stood around her in all directions.She had a feeling of being squeezed by something, and her chest asked and swelled.The street lamps in Erqi Square brightened up one by one.There are also meridian roads, weft roads, and office buildings. Almost all of the things that should be lit at night are now lit up.

Mei walked very fast.She remembered that twenty years ago, when she first arrived in the countryside, she didn't have the slightest understanding of rural society.In addition to the educated youth who accompanied them to the countryside to miss the city, they laughed at the rusticity of the countryside with contempt.At that time, she didn't understand the true nature of the country, and thought that Zhangjiayingzi, where she went to the countryside, was the birthplace of ignorance and ignorance.In winter, there was a lunar eclipse.A crescent moon on the southeast mountain was swallowed by a black shadow one by one.The villagers who were eating suddenly came out of their homes, holding gongs, bronze mirrors, and iron pots and pots, and rushed to the mountain ridge at the head of the village one after another, knocking and shouting as they ran:

"The dog is eating the moon, hit the tengu!" "Tengu, go, if you don't go, your skull will be smashed!" "Come out, the moon, and we will support you forever and ever!" The moon was finally swallowed by the Tengu.The world is in chaos.The country people knelt in the cold on the mountain ridges, knocking on bronze and iron tools, cursing the tengu and calling for the moon.Mei and other educated youths ran out of the educated youth's room and told the captain that the lunar eclipse was caused by the fact that the earth formed a straight line between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun's light on the moon, and the moon would reappear by itself in a short time.The captain let out a yell, and said to get the hell out of you kids in the city, if you don't kneel down, get into the room and don't come out!The team leader knelt in front of the whole village and knocked down the house with a piece of water tank.There was no one in the village, it was as quiet as a cemetery.Men and women, old and young, all kneel on the mountain ridge.The children were trembling with fear beside the adults.At that time, standing behind the villagers, I could only hear the jingling and calling all over the world.Listen carefully to other places, from another village, another mountain ridge, there is the same voice coming faintly.It was extremely cold, but people were praying for the world in the cold, until the tengu spat out the moon piece by piece, and the mountains, ravines, villages and fields melted into the bright white moonlight again...

Twenty years later, stepping on the darkness of the solar eclipse, thinking about the scene of the lunar eclipse in the countryside, I suddenly awakened to the generosity and selflessness of the countryside.A city controlled by modern civilization will definitely not have the slightest worry about losing its light.The noise on Asia Street began to disappear bit by bit behind Mei.Suddenly the ground is quiet, like leaving the village and the countryside calling for the moon.Lights from other places dimly illuminate the end of the street.The shops on both sides have their doors and windows closed, waiting for the new life of the sun.For a while, Mei was walking alone.Mei seemed to be walking through the tunnel alone, and the bustling turmoil in her heart just now faded into a lake of calm water in the silence.She thought of Tang Bao again, and saw Tang Bao push the door and walk into her room. The moonlight was bright that night.The city is as clear as it has been washed.The sound of traffic on the street gradually faded away.The restaurant was closed, and everyone in the store was soundly asleep.Mei is reading on the bed in the house. It is a popular magazine. It is a commercial publication edited by an association in this city. relieve boredom.This was the third day Tang Bao left the restaurant.When Tang left, Mei asked people to look for him again and again at his acquaintances and friends, but they all said that he had never been there.He still had a few months' salary left, and May knew that he would come back without saying anything.But she didn't expect him to come back at this time.He went straight into the house without knocking.Mei was startled, tightened the quilt, and straightened up. She said, "You don't even knock when you come in." He stood behind the door, dressed neatly, had newly cut his hair, shaved his beard, and his face was filled with a sea of ​​red, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to start. She said: "You are someone I hired, and you will leave for three days without asking for leave. You can tell me if you have an opinion on me. You can also say if you don't want to. It's like you and my business." The rosiness on his face disappeared immediately, like stepping from the edge of a fire into a cold world of ice and snow.The visible excitement and hesitating words formed the icy green of the twelfth lunar month on his face. She felt that the words were too heavy, so she hurriedly took a breath, and let go of the quilt that was tightly grasped by her hands. She said, "Where the hell have you been?" He said, "Go and run my own business." She said, "What's the matter?" He said: "Now I am also a city person, just like you." She said, "Do you have a household registration in this city?" "There's nothing I can't do here right now," he said. Mei straightened her body even more, bent her legs, and wrapped her hands around her knees.She looked carefully at his straight face.Suddenly felt that he was sick.She read something else from that face.She had already had a premonition that Tang was not an ordinary person from a small town.She could see that when he was out of power, he could walk under the crotch like the ancient Han Xin, but after three days and two days, once he gained a firm foothold, he would be in trouble.At present, Mei's business is booming, but there have been more than ten changes in the staff in the past few months.Some of the girls who are newly called service girls are not bad in appearance, but they are not good at entertaining customers, needless to say, they affect business.Some have good looks, are easy to entertain, and are very popular in the rising service industry, but they are too arrogant, and ordinary people cannot command them.There are a few girls who are both talented and beautiful, and they are obedient and intelligent, but they are all introduced by Tang Bao.Mei already felt that this situation was a kind of crisis, and she was always worried that Tang would rely on his ability and adapt to society, and because of his great merit in the restaurant, one day he would suddenly let go and change his face in front of you.As expected, he was convinced that he had come and stood in front of him, as if he was about to tear down a corner of the scene at the climax. Mei said, "Tang Bao, if you have something to say, just say it." 75 Now walking in this darkness, thinking about what happened that night calmly, my heart is very relieved, and I feel that everything is inevitable.A farmer who was fortunate enough to enter a factory from the land, self-respecting his talents, and being unrecognized for his talents, he could paint the RMB on the field to make it look like the real one, but because of his wife's denunciation, he was imprisoned for five spring and autumn. Even if there are advertisements for fake and inferior goods, one can still live a decent life.It was just the pain in prison that made him reluctant to pick up the paintbrush again.However, his family was separated from his wife and children, and he had no place to live. One can imagine how indignant and injustice he felt towards life, destiny and society. The inexplicable hatred in his heart was no less than the eight hundred miles of Dongting Lake, deep and wide. . She said Leopard, if you have something to say, just say it. He really said it straight.As if it was an explosion after being suppressed for a long time, his words rumbled like a collapsed high-rise building, and the atmosphere was smoky.He said he was not from the countryside at all.He said that he was originally from the city, his father was the earliest commercial bureau chief in the county, and his mother was an art teacher. He said that when he was three years old, his father got mixed up with the daughter of a county magistrate, and they divorced his mother.Immediately afterwards, his mother was labeled as a rightist and sent to his hometown in the eastern part of Henan. He said that there, his mother died of illness and exhaustion, and he had to marry a rural girl and have children.He said that in his dreams, he wanted to be a city dweller again and come to this city.Said that Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, is the capital Beijing or the United States in his heart.At the end of the 1980s, my mother was rehabilitated, and he got a job in the county fertilizer factory, but it was a temporary worker.He said that he drew money just to buy his family's urban household registration.But he also said that he did not expect that he had been in prison for five years. His father knew about it and never went to see him, nor did his wife and son visit the prison once.Said that while he was in prison, all he wanted was to come out and make a lot of money, live the life of a city dweller, and come to this city to be a city dweller.He was talking and cursing, as if he was running on a busy street, kicking every person he saw.In the end, he said that his grandma's ancestors were eight generations old. He didn't expect his father to die three years ago. He regretted that he couldn't slap his father himself.Said that his father left him a step-aunt who was from this city, said that he paid for his aunt to help him buy a local household registration, and said that he became a city person after all.After speaking, he looked at Mei peacefully, looking relaxed and confident, as if at the most critical moment, he revealed his underground identity that he had committed to for many years.From his complicated demeanor, Mei already knew clearly that he himself would never allow himself to commit himself to being someone else's helper in someone else's restaurant.He came to this city because he wanted to put this city under his feet, not just live in this city. May said, "What are your future plans?" He said, "I want to marry you." He then explained that he thought of marrying her as soon as he got to her, but he was still a peasant and a peasant.But she is already a legitimate urbanite, and she may even become the master of the city, he dare not bring it up to her.He said that if he didn't want to marry her, he would never be her helper, and he would never work hard for her restaurant.He said that now that he has urban household registration, he can propose marriage to her.He spoke so calmly that Mei felt that she was suddenly confronted with a man who stood naked and stood still. To retreat would be hypocritical, to advance would be superficial, and to stand still like him would appear vulgar.At this time, Mei lifted the quilt on her lap, put on a coat over her pajamas, stood at the window, leaned against the table, and looked at Tang Bao in detail for a while. She said, "Did you fall in love with my store, or my people?" I have taken a fancy to both the store and the people.He said, you have been in the country for twenty years, we are all people who have been kicked and beaten by the countryside, and you are neither vulgar, but also know how to run a business. Guarantee that both of us are great people in this city, we will have our own small building and our own car.In the future, you will guard the house, and I will take charge of it, and you will have endless blessings and glory. The wind at night was very cool, and a trace of it squeezed in through the window cracks, lifting the sky-blue curtains high.Mei grabbed the edge of the table with her hands and said, Tang Bao, I was right, you didn't fall in love with me, you fell in love with my shop.She said you misunderstood me Tang Bao, we are not the same at all.You hate the city and you hate the countryside.You hate your father, your wife, your children, everyone.You hate the whole world.But I have nothing to hate.I have been in the countryside for more than 20 years, and the village called Zhangjiayingzi has nothing to do to me.It is true that I am divorced, but I am ashamed of my ex-husband and the land.My twelve-year-old boy is buried there, and I dream about him almost every night.I guess you're different, we're not alike at all.I don't want to take revenge on anyone, I just want to live a peaceful and peaceful life in this city.I'm not the ambitious woman that people say I am.It's better to make a lot of money, but it's fine to live this life if you don't make a lot of money.You misread me.I'm not one to run a business.I am forced to do business, and one day, I will fall into business: I know that one day I will fall down.You misread me.You can find a better woman than me.In such a big city, there are plenty of young, beautiful women with a lot of money. When Mei was speaking, Tang Bao stood still, with his back straight, as if he had bent over in front of people for a long time, and when he was straight, he would never bend down again.In the dead of night on the street, the street sweepers had already started to get up and sweep the floor. There was a rushing sound, and water flowed into the house. "The leaves under the broom creaked and rolled in the wind, like floating objects on the running water. Thinking of that night, although the weather was calm, I always felt that I was on the cusp of the storm. I am very grateful that I returned to the city for the first year During the rest of my life, I did not drift with the crowd and drift with the world, but turned myself into a superficial woman like the city itself. The regular attitude towards life cultivated in the countryside for more than 20 years, although it seems too rigid in the city, He was even dumbfounded, but finally he did not lose his moral character. Especially when Tang Bao stayed by his side, he slapped the new director of industry and commerce, which made Tang have to restrain some unreasonable thoughts at any time. Otherwise, in such a situation, sitting on the bed in his pajamas, surrounded by the night as deep as a tomb, talking with Tang alone about the marriage of men and women, according to Tang's future conduct, it is difficult for him to be straightforward at that time. Standing still, he listened to his comments one after another. It was not until the end that he stiffened his neck, smiled coldly, and said: "I know that young, beautiful and rich women in the city touch it. Duo, don't think I can't find them, if you don't believe me, just wait and see.Three years later, there will be a bunch of women following me, but the one I'm looking at right now is you, Manager Li Yamei. " 76 Now, Mei has boarded the 1001 tram bound for the eastern suburbs.The circular tram moves slowly, like a thick and big reptile.The city that was turned from day to night by the solar eclipse did not slow down its rhythm of life.All busy people are still busy.The streets and alleys are all lit up with street lights, and even the alleys and toilets are also brightly lit.All cars running on the widened streets had their lights on.Big lights and small lights, red lights and green lights, are on and off, and the whole city is flickering.This reminded Mei of the description in ancient books about the lights of thousands of houses and the dim lights, but she felt that she couldn't generalize it. To say that it was a city that never sleeps seemed vulgar and true.It was only ten o'clock in the morning. Because of the sudden black cover, many people who should take the car stood by the side of the road waiting for the sunrise, and at the same time they could have some scientific discussions about the solar eclipse.Few people got on the train, and they all sat in the first half of the tram.May sat alone in the last row.She hasn't taken a bus for two years.It is more than enough to buy a private car and use half a year's income to buy a high-priced luxury car.But she didn't buy it.Never thought to buy it.In this city, there are very few people who do not have a private car to do her business in this field, and they are even unique.Of course, there are work vehicles, a Japanese-made trolley with a trailer, which is mainly used for grocery shopping and pork pulling in hotels.She doesn't go out much, but when she goes out, she calls for a taxi.The reason why I don’t buy a car is that I stayed in the countryside for too long, thinking that I couldn’t afford a hundred yuan to give gifts to my ex-husband, which led to Teacher Zhang’s failure to be admitted to the university, and he is still guarding the thin piece of paper. Soil, it is inevitable that when spending money and squandering, there will be some trembling hands.Today, most of the taxi drivers sent the wealthy to watch the solar eclipse by the Yellow River.There are only buses in the city.She sat in the back of the car, not because she was different from the ordinary citizens who crowded the bus every day, but because she was looking for a kind of tranquility.Once upon a time, in the years when she was crowded on the bus, she had to be happy for a long time to occupy a seat in front of the bus, as if she had taken advantage of it.Right now, she especially wants to find tranquility. She walked out of the turbulent bustle of Asia Street just to find a kind of tranquility.At such an age, at such a struggle, at such a situation, I really need a quiet respite.There are many young people who are one or two generations later than her, and there are many people who are determined to never marry and have children.When you say that men are born with a family and women are born with a family, they will think you are an idiot.If you don't give some proof of the oriental truth about this, they will laugh at you as an old scholar in the late Qing Dynasty.Thinking about it, I am really old, I have been back to the city for so many years, I have been successful and famous for a long time, and I am a divorced woman, neither to keep my ex-husband's love, nor to fight against the superficiality of the city, but I have never had a close relationship with any man, Especially in the place on Asia Street, I feel incredible when I think about it.The girl from the restaurant.Several of them got married and started families and became mothers.There is another one, born beautiful and intelligent, who works as a cashier in a restaurant with a high monthly salary.Boyfriends are all over the mountains and plains, live a very free and easy life, and speak eloquently.She said to Mei, why bother you, manager, you have to be talented, you have to be good-looking, if you don't seize the youth and enjoy a few years, then you will regret it.These days, it's not that beauties are unlucky. When they were good-looking, they gave birth to a peerless talent. They couldn't meet the glory of the golden house, but instead suffered a lifetime of devastation.Thinking about her persuasion, it is natural that the reason is very solid, but I am not a chic woman who can afford it and let it go.Sometimes, I would lie on the bed, take a novel I liked to read, and think about Zhaojun's seductiveness, and I would not escape the dust outside the Great Wall; if a noble concubine spoils a country, it would be impossible to escape the death of Mark.I am a mortal woman now, running a restaurant with a thriving business in the chaotic society, for whom?Why do you live so poorly?It's not that she looks inferior and no one cares about her, nor is she a vulgar person who deserves only cold eyes.But in the end, I have endured so hard all these years. When the car passed under the street lights, she could see herself reflected in the car window, a faint portrait, not much older than when she was in the countryside.Then look carefully, the lines in the corners of the eyes, after all, wind, rain, frost and snow, criss-cross, imprinted many irresistibly.There seemed to be a white hair hanging down from the corner of the eye.She felt a chill in her heart, and when the wind came to autumn, she saw a heavy snow falling early.The doubt is that my eyes are dazzled, I misread the reflection of the lamp, and I want to wash it every day, but I can't find it.Calmly moved his face two inches closer to the window, and waited until the next street lamp came, and sure enough, a white hair on Yinyin was hanging down from the top to the corner of the eye.With a deep sigh in my heart, I turned around and leaned back on the chair, slightly closing my eyes. No matter who is waiting for me in the eastern suburbs, I will marry him, cat or dog, and I will never let down his painstaking kindness.Mei thought to herself, the cool black wind gently blowing through the crack of the window lifted her hair up and down again.The world outside the car is still without sunlight, it is an endless dark color of the world.When she saw the white hair, Mei made up her mind to bet that she would be born with the invitation, closed her eyes and walked for a while, but gradually became a little scared, and didn't know what kind of man she was waiting for her in Bishagang.For example, people who walk around Asia Street in the dead of night.For example, for a person like Tang, he would rather die than marry.There are several venereal disease hospitals on a long street of Asia that is several miles long, which is beyond reproach.However, experts who mainly treat sexually transmitted diseases in this city are renting houses and opening clinics in this street one after another.Two years ago, the city's public security officers suddenly raided various hotels in the name of household registration checks one night.The incident of male robbers and female prostitutes will fill the streets of Asia in the coming days.It was later learned that the reason why several hotel owners had exceptionally prosperous business was that they concurrently ran underground businesses for men and women.Among the women who were taken away, there was a girl who used to be a waitress in my restaurant. She was a 19-year-old suburban girl whom I had always admired. Leopard introduced him, but Tang Leopard withdrew and set up another family, so he had no choice but to let him take him away.Unexpectedly, she worked under Tang Bao during the day, and depraved herself and others at night.I remembered that she had worked beside me for some days, and when she was locked in the black room of the street police station, I went to give her some clothes that girls must change.Unexpectedly, when she took the clothes, she fell on Mei's shoulder with tears streaming down her eyes, and said a word of earnest entrustment. "Manager Mei, you can marry anyone, and you must not be fooled by Tang Bao." When I asked what happened, I didn't say a word, just the tears streaming down my face, rippling with regret and sorrow after the breath.However, from the convulsions of her lying on her body, I saw that she was crying all over the floor in pain, as helpless as autumn leaves.Relying on the similarities between women and her own married experience, she has already felt Tang's horror and the bottomless abyss in front of the girl. The two are like the current eclipse, spreading a boundless black in front of people's eyes. If she didn't Eyes like a pair of ring lights that can illuminate the world in front of him, I'm afraid they would have bowed under Tang's body long ago. Mei sat still, thinking endlessly, but her eyes were looking at the street scene illuminated by the lights in front of the car. 77 Mei and Tang Bao's inevitable breakup in business came later in the summer.In the provincial capital this summer, the weather is very hot.In the streets and alleys of public water taps, it is a common practice to fight and scold whoever gets a bucket of bath water first.Due to the rapid economic development, industrial water consumption has risen sharply, and civilian water sources have often been exhausted. In addition, the Central Plains has experienced long droughts and no rain. For a short period of time, some residents were provided with rationed water supply.Advertisements to save water are posted all over the city.For this reason, the residents of several streets and alleys once rose up, went to the government to sit in, and took to the streets to protest.Such a rare political phenomenon in this city is obviously influenced by Western society.In this way, in order to fundamentally solve the city's water source problem, the government decided to dig another waterway from the Yellow River to the city and build a large water plant.Due to the long-term out-of-control of urban infrastructure projects and excessive investment in basic projects, the government decided to establish a water source joint-stock company because the government could not provide the special funds for a while. Investors can receive dividends from the company for a long time.Let water become a commodity, and water, like air, is indispensable from the president to the common people, both noble and humble. It can be seen that investing in the water source joint-stock company will be a permanent income from drought and flood. The final result of Mei and Tang Bao's marriage negotiations that night is self-evident.Leopard, who was full of loss and hatred, started to go to work as usual the next day, which caught Mei unexpectedly. She thought at first that he was going to leave in anger.However, he went to work, as if nothing had happened.It can also be seen that although he is a countryman, he is still well versed in world affairs, sophisticated and understanding, which is unmatched by others.In the restaurant, no one knows their differences except themselves.Even, in front of everyone, Tang and Mei made some innocuous jokes.In fact, those who are familiar with them, whether they are national civil servants in relevant government agencies or regular customers of the restaurant, think they are a match made in heaven.If you don't get married, it will be a pity for heaven and earth.However, the substantial cracks have reached the point where they cannot be filled.Tang Bao knew about some mistakes in Mei's management, such as not sending some foreign calendars to industry and commerce, taxation, etc. on New Year's Day, and which bureau chief was missed during the Spring Festival greetings.The last time the two sat down to discuss the future of the restaurant, it was this summer that the Water Source Co. With the hope of the future, Mei persuaded Mei to give up all she had and join the company as a shareholder. May said, "It's okay to buy some original stocks." "You have to give it your all," Tang said. May said, "It's not a gamble." Tang said: "The water source company in the future will be a business with no profit at all." "We're not going to get involved in that side of the business," May said. Tang said: "What is water, water is the life of people. Whoever invests heavily in the water source company will be able to control the water source in the future, and control the water used by citizens and factories. It is not impossible to control this city." Mei was surprised by Tang's bloody thought. "You want to control the city?" Tang was very disapproving. "People have to have a long-term vision, and the same is true in business." Mei smiled wryly. "I am very satisfied with the business I have today." Tang stared blankly at Mei's expression. "Then I have nothing to say." The inland cities at this time, due to the uncontrolled encouragement and stimulation of economic development, are far from the time when Mei just returned to Zhengzhou two years ago.During this period, Shenzhen, which was fully opened up, has developed countless stock wars. There are many people who have become rich overnight because of buying stocks and speculating in stocks.In Shanghai, it was less than two years since the stock price fell and he committed suicide by jumping off a building after paying only 6,000 yuan in compensation.The strong wind quickly swept inland and spread to the city.Ordinary people in ordinary streets are no longer idiots who know nothing about stocks.Originally, Mei planned to buy a batch of stocks in Water Source Co., Ltd., and whether she would pay dividends in the future or sell them at the right time, she was very sure to make a fortune.But she had this meaningful and plain conversation with Tang, but she couldn't explain why, anyway, she simply didn't even buy a single stock.This move shows that the two parted ways are imminent.貌合神离的情况，决不会再在饭庄持续多久。而梅作为饭庄的主人，一方面并无心辞他，另一方面，也找不到一辞之由。唐之所以还要委屈于饭庄兢兢业业，如梅所料，是他还没有找到自己起于东山、卷土于都市的机缘。 就这么相安无事地捱到夏末，机缘终于姗姗而来。 78 机缘起于都市商业、服务业的迅速发展。 二七广场那儿，已经成为国家最负盛名的商业区。长年持续不断的商业大战，在亚细亚商场、华联商场、商城大厦、人民百货大厦之间再三再四地升级。国家的新闻机构如报纸、电台、电视台，连篇累牍地进行旷日持久地跟踪报道，进一步刺激了各地顾客和大战的操纵者。加之一些作家、导演的介入，制作成畅销书籍和卖座的电影及三十集之多的肥皂连续剧，使商业区更加红极一时，名扬天下，及竞争和管理经验，也被国家的商业系统推广全国。最终，一切推波助澜之举，使那个商业区，被政府列入计划要以惊人之速，尽快扩建为商业中心城。二道胡同在一些市领导人勘查之后，被列入商业城的主要街道，将更名为亚细亚大街。 二道胡同的居民，被文件勒令搬迁往新的住宅小区；亚细亚街的建设，被勒令九四年底竣工，并投入商业性的使用。建设的方案，是实行土地拍卖。买走的土地，无论你搞什么营业性建筑，楼房都不得低于四层；其次，无论你什么样的建筑，都必须是商业服务性质。 如此，亚细亚的繁华崛起，便遇上了千载难逢的黄金良机，一些早就看上亚细亚商业区的本市人、外地人，还有在国外算不上大亨、但在中国却倍受敬仰的外籍华人，纷纷到亚细亚街购买地皮，设计营业性楼房。就在这时，唐和梅做了最后的分手。 “这条胡同被划为商业大街啦。” “听说了。”” “据说要进行地皮拍卖。” “都这样传说。” 唐问：“你不乘机买下一块？” 梅说：“看政府开的价格吧。” 唐说：“我想另立门户，自己搞些经营。” 梅说：“由你。我这饭庄也不是藏龙卧虎之地，只希望你生意大了，不要吃了我。” 唐说：“我不开饭庄，你放心。” 梅说：“真的不开？” 唐说：“真的不开。” 梅说：“为啥？开饭庄你轻车熟路。” 唐说：“不为啥。因为我轻车熟路，我开饭庄酒楼，就必须和你争拉客户，就必须千方百计把你的生意搞垮。同行无亲。同行是冤家。” 梅盯着唐看了许久。 “这样说，你需要钱可以先从饭庄借些。” 唐说：“有你这话就够了。我知道你的钱对我无济于事，留着你自己多买一寸地皮吧。眼下寸地寸金，希望你也不要把钱借给别人。” 这就分手了。在一个满是雨气的早晨，天空朦朦胧胧，有毛毛细雨的飘落。屋里的空气粘稠滞滞如女人一条条的白带，抓住任何一股，都能拧下一屋淡黑的霉气和嘀嘀嗒嗒的流水。由于繁华和乱哄哄的嘈杂，难得一见的麻雀，忽然也在外面树上啁啾出一团团球形的鸣叫，跳跳荡荡滚进来，又散开飞满饭庄的大餐厅。就在那种情景之下从雨雾中来了一辆小车，停在饭庄的门口，下来一个年轻的小伙，唐豹没作任何介绍，让其把简单的行李扔了一半，另一半搬入了小车的后仓。大家都出来送唐。毕竟相处了一些日子，彼此虽也时有争吵，但都早识唐非一般农民，也不是光在嘴上夸夸其谈的口头商人。他是一个有足够经营智商的实干家，加之涉世甚深，历经人生挫折，又是眼疾手快的角色，饭庄上下，都感到他的成功指日可待。送唐的时候，饭庄笼罩着九十年代苏联解体的凄惨之气。梅立在饭庄的招牌下面，几位厨师和服务小姐反倒过了门前的水道，立在马路边上，说唐哥，有一天发了，别忘了同甘共苦的弟兄。其情景很像港台电影、电视中那些分手的同舟共济过的兄弟。由唐介绍进饭庄的两位姑娘，竟当众留下了清清白白的眼泪。惜别的依依深情，出乎梅的料想。当下梅说： “如果豹子的生意大了，需要店里的谁，大家尽管过去。豹子也尽管来这要人。只要你那儿比这钱多。” 话里的意思，虽含而不露，如深闺秀女的言语。但到底大伙还是明白了自己主人那点嫉意，都不再说什么，也站在原地不动。唐却对此话抱以宽宏之笑，说有一天我唐豹栽了，望李经理念起旧恩，还给一碗饭吃。梅说那当然，随时欢迎，就怕栽的是我。至此，唐豹和大家一一握手告别，说些流行歌曲一样的客套话，便上车关了车门。直到车走时候，梅和大伙才看见，那辆车上除了那位搬行李的小伙，还有一个六十来岁的妇女。妇女的模样，连一点模糊的印记也没留下，大伙只看到她似乎穿了件粉粉的纱衫，好像头发也梳得十分光洁。 后来的传闻，罩着一种北京故宫的神秘，有人说那位女人，是唐豹继母的姐姐，有人说她是唐豹在饭庄偶然结识的朋友，是三十年代一位资本家的女儿，是一位老寡妇，云云。说他们之间颇有忘年交的桃红色的意味。无论哪一种情况，今天在梅看来，心里都十分难以容忍。愧你活了六十几岁，又在都市经风见雨，连唐的为人都不能窥其一二，也只能是被唐豹白白所用罢了。 前面立交桥上的荧光灯，炽白地亮在成为黑夜的白天里。从车窗里望出去，眼光迷乱，使人感到头脑乱哄哄得水高山低，河长江短，一切都错乱了位置。梅揉揉眼睛，把车窗打得更为敞开，将脸伸向车外吸了一口潮润的空气。立交桥上，站满了各样的人们，工人、市民、农民、学生、还偶有几个外国人，也许是从香港涌来的外籍华人，但从高拔的身材鼻梁看，怕也只能说是西方的人种，和中国人比较，只能有些生拉硬扯的血缘和牵强附会的关系。他们一律地将头昂在天上，寻找失去的阳光，又一副新奇无谓的模样。 可惜太阳还没有丝毫露脸的迹象。整个都市都还是夜的颜色，一望无际，又无休无止。 79 立交桥边，有一个不大的街心花园。花园边是新盖的住宅实验区，均在二十层以上的楼房，一排排如钻天杨树样密集而均匀。花园四边的荧光灯亮得不错，从电车上探望，连花园中摆放的盆盆墨菊，都可看得几分明白。妍红艳黄的菊，盛开在日蚀后的灯光下，粉粉淡淡却如飘落在花坛里秋叶，凄寒之气油然在上。花园里的老年健身运动场，往日是老少练功、做操，夜晚唱戏的专用设施，眼下那块场地上，孤单着一个精神的小男孩，在练习倒骑自行车。他神情专注，骑在车的平梁上，背向车把，面向车的后座，从开始歪歪扭扭，到终于能把车子倒骑得分外流畅，仿佛乐曲中的一段曲调，一圈圈小精灵般在那场上旋转。环形车从花园边上过去时，梅盯着那精灵似的男孩，心里有一个深深的哆嗦。如不是早夭，自己的孩子强也是这个年龄，也是这么纯净。日蚀在他是无所谓的。一堆垃圾似的热闹、现代化的立交桥和带电梯的住宅楼、崛起的繁华和繁华中没有光亮的游戏、及成年人的心计、手段、争风吃醋的打斗，弱肉强食、尔虞我诈，这些都市的勾当，在他都是一片纯净。他唯一想的，就是在老年人的训练场上，抒情地倒骑着车子，把车子骑得小夜曲一样优美。身边过去的汽车，桥上等待奇观的人们，头顶失去的日光，住宅楼里隐藏的故事，小男孩都未曾看见听见。他的心地还是一块鸟语花香的草坡。山坡上挂着几只野牧的白羊；斑斑点点的蝴蝶，起舞成一种随意的图案；山坡的下面，潺氵爰着一条汩汩的河水，游鱼时上时下，跳出水面时，把晶莹的水珠留在金灿灿的阳光里。 有飞尘从马路上扑到街心花园。路边的桐叶，带着秋天的沉重，慢慢旋着朝他的车子飞去。他只管在老年人的场地上，把他倒骑的车子，沿着逆时针的方向，尽力地骑得流畅而又流畅，如同数学课本上印刷的一道道的抛物线。 80 断然也想象不到，唐豹能以最低的价格，买下了亚细亚街最中心的一块大地皮。那儿原是本市第一鞋厂的大仓库。鞋厂濒临倒闭，被一家私人经营的皮鞋公司所吞并。国营鞋厂的先进进口设备，被私人公司的卡车小心翼翼地拉走了，国营厂的工人被公司经理选走一半，另一半去自谋出路了。国营厂的大仓库，被唐豹在本市最豪华的四星级宾馆的一顿盛筵买下了。用五十几万元人民币，对仓库内壁、地板进行了装修和柜台添置，十五万元的门面改造，就这样建起了亚细亚街最早营业的星光商场。 一切都在转眼之间。 营业那天，市领导在商场门口举行了剪彩仪式。电台、电视台、报纸等喉舌机构，因市领导的出面，无条件地为星光商场做了不取分文的软广告和硬性广告。星光商场的开业，成了本市商业中心城建设的快速度、高收效的典范，被主抓商业城建设的市长，做为嘴边的例子，再二再三的提起或表彰，以促进商业城的崛起和繁华。至于星光商场是如何的开业，那一笔巨额投资的款源，从何而来，不熟悉唐豹的人从不过问，熟悉的也只是私下议论而已，而有谁能够顾及和有权深究？面对星光商场开业的事实，这个城市也就渐渐把那些灰蒙蒙的疑虑忘得一干二净，连交易上的黑色的怪味也嗅不到了。 和唐豹分手以后，梅整整三个月没有谋他一面，连在地皮交易所穿梭的日子里，也没见过他的影子。从道听途说的消息透露，说唐同人合谋了一笔大的买卖：向俄罗斯输出劳务。且说为了国家税收上一些法律，唐和伙友还费尽心机地办了俄罗斯国籍。据说在这笔生意中，唐的任务就是要到豫东农村和安徽淮河一带及别的灾区招募农村过剩的劳力。消息是否确凿，也亦未可知。在梅看来，这样的生意无异于太空冒险。但再一转念，并不是没有可能，至少说劳务输出，也给国家赚回了急需的外汇。而经营的一方，每个人分得一百万、二百万人民币，或者大笔外汇，都是可能的事。不然，唐就是有三头六臂，也没有能力买下一块商场的地皮。那块地皮最早拍卖的价格是一百五十万元。因数字的可怕，人们只能叹为观止，很少有人问津。最后和唐成交是什么数目，一向无人知晓。在几年后的今天，坐在九七年深秋的环形路电车上，面对日蚀了的都市，去回想亚细亚大街的发迹，真该给唐和唐那样的人重重地记上一功。 因为星光商场的开业，引来了大批好奇的顾客。在二七广场商业区购物，无论是亚细亚商场、华联商场，还是商城大厦，都带有官办的性质。至于人民百货大厦，你依据其名，就更能品嚼官办的滋味了。尽管这久负盛名的商业中心，商品丰富、种类齐全、货架上琳琅满目，加之交通方便，价格公道，但因为官办，便一分就是一分，一元就是一元。顾客可以任意挑选货物，服务人员决不表露厌烦情绪，但却不能讨价还价。人是活人，价是死价。而星光商场的开业，恰巧满足了人们的贪欲心理。各种商品的标价，都有一定的浮动性质，你甚或可以把标价从中一刀斩断，也许成交还是很轻易之事。在星光商场的里边，有一部分柜台，唐采取了租赁形式，那些将过小康日子的买卖人，从那儿租来一米半长的玻璃专柜，每月向唐豹交纳一千八百元的管理费。不消说的，价格明显偏高，然却不需他们自己去同横眉冷对的工商、税务人员交往，自感也是一种省心。在那些柜台购货，有一种别样的乐趣。卖者可以漫天要价，买者可以就地还钱。成交了，前者叹息做了赔本生意，后者窃喜以为占了很大便宜。事实上，吃亏的总是消费的顾客。买到假冒商品，也是常有之事。那时候，你便只能怪你自己眼睛不锐了。但亏虽吃了，却有了讨价还价的乐趣，下次冒着上当的风险，仍然还要来星光商场。话说回来，同样的商品，在星光商场比二七商业中心廉价上百分之十或二十，也不是没有的事。 总之，星光商场带动了亚细亚大街的繁华。唐豹在一年之内，成了本市商业上的一颗名星人物。说到商业城，不能不说亚细亚大街。说到亚细亚大街，又不能不提星光商场和豹子。 星光商场开业以后，自己是见过一次唐的。梅依稀记得，似乎是去给自己的饭庄改为亚细亚酒楼求盖最后一枚公章的路上，刚从拥挤的公共汽车上下来，有一辆风驰般的轿车戛然而止，门开处，走下了一位西装革履的汉子，很有滋味地叫了一声李老板，抬起头来，唐豹已经笑着站在了自己面前。从根本说来，彼此没有实质的矛盾，相处的日子里，相辅相承，合作算不上多么愉快，但却十分顺手。梅不是那种固执己见的顽固分子，生理上也不到更年期的时候，关键时刻，常能放弃己见，采纳唐的建议而实现自己的意图，这多少也体现了唐在经营上做人的价值。所以这次偶然的相遇，彼此都还有一份惊喜。立在马路边上，让城市建设和发展的尘土落在双双的头上，彼此亲热地问了一些双方情况，道了生意上发财的祝福，最后唐说： “我开张那天，你该赏脸去凑份热闹。” 梅说：“去的都是市政要员，我算什么呢。” 唐说：“我在人群中到处瞅你。” 梅说：“你又没发帖子给我，瞅我干啥。” 唐说：“我真的没发请帖给你？” 梅说：“发了我能不去？” 唐说：“记得发了呀。” 梅说：“真的没发。” 唐说：“看我怎的把你忘了，忙得一塌糊涂。真是没良心的东西，怎能把你忘了。” 这样说着，就握手告别。该往东的往东，该往西的往西。望着一溜烟跑掉的小车，去回嚼怎的把你忘了那句语言和唐说话时浮在脸上的轻快笑意，梅的脸上不免有些挂不住的尴尬，心头如吃了枚吐不出的苦果。设若这种情况下，碰到的不是唐豹，而是任何一个共过事的熟人，笑也不会那样轻松。更不要说自己在乡下那些同一块土地上收割的庄稼人了。 81 唐豹的星光商场，转眼之间便立于亚细亚大街。相比之下，亚细亚酒楼的建设和开业，则是历经挫折和沉浮，不知自己为之多么地呕心沥血。也许别人的磨难，自己不知而已。星光商场开业以后，又有几家如美容中心、华艺时装店、发型新世界，如归宾馆相继开张。照理，别人都新打锣，另开腔地唱戏，要修装台子，建设剧院、招募角色，该比自己难出许多。而自己有饭庄的基础，也有一定资金，仅仅是请一支小型建筑队把酒楼承包后如期交付使用罢了。可就这些，却使梅整整瘦了十二斤的重量，开业那天，眼窝已陷下许多。 期间，父亲的病故，虽是常人的生老病死，却差一点使梅垮将下来。父亲得的是老年人常见的心肌梗塞症。馄饨馆子改为饭庄不久，由于唐的得力，便让他索性在家养老。也算享了几日清静安闲之福，可病危时候，做儿子的弟弟、弟媳，却从不到床前一站，并唆使其女儿不要去爷的面前，说爷身上有一身传染的病菌。酒楼那儿，已经即将开张，前一天，自然是要请有关人员为了关照去大宴一次。请柬已经送出，所请人员也答应照时赴宴。可父亲病情发发可危。派酒楼的人去叫了弟弟，弟弟却到第二天早上八时，如上班一样姗姗来迟，且前脚入门就说，姐呀，我今天给人谈一笔大买卖，侍候不了爸啦。话毕，后脚已经转向要走。父亲在床上说，让他走吧。他就果真走了。 请人入宴在九时开始，客人八点四十、五十到齐，八点半，主家自然要到场照应。弟走了，梅急得满屋打转，父亲又说，你也走吧，那边要紧。苦于无奈，梅将开水和药放在父亲手边，交待了几句，出门时，租来接客的小车已经匆匆在门口停着。 宴请人员，除了唐豹没到，送过帖子的，余皆全部到齐。且在宴上，工商、税务、卫生检查等各方，都异口同声，说要对亚细亚酒楼尽力关照。宴请从上午九时十分开席，至下午四时结束。回到家里，拖着疲惫的身子叫了一声爸爸，又叫几声爸爸，可是爸爸已经去了另一世界，手脚都已凉过，自己倒的开水和救急的药片，还安然放在床头。