Chen Jiaxian's family lives in an old arcade in Changlefang, Xiguan.
Yuecheng is located in Lingnan, where it is hot and humid, so people simply built a few "legs" to raise the building. The long lines of arcades are connected together, and the elevated areas are for people to pass through. They look like buildings "riding" on the street.
People live upstairs, which is moisture-proof and waterproof; you can do some small business on the first floor by taking advantage of the flow of people, so you don't have to worry about the storm.
Chen Jiaxian stretched out her hand, rubbed her eyes, and walked down the creaking stairs.
Downstairs is the Chen family's sweets shop. Chen Jiaxian looked at the words "Chen Ji Sweets" and turned away.
Neighbor Jiang Bo was frying Chencun noodles in a cart under the arcade, and the aroma of fried noodles was everywhere. Chen Jiaxian squeezed into the crowd and took out her mobile phone to scan the code: "Uncle Jiang, add eggs and sausage."
She paused when she saw the two digits in her WeChat balance: "Add sausage."
Uncle Jiang smiled: "Go to work?"
"Um."
Uncle Jiang used a shovel to cut open the red plastic packaging of the ham sausage and squeeze it into the fried noodles. Then he quickly cracked an egg and spread it on the hot frying table. The golden omelette was turned over on the shovel and patted on the Chencun noodles.
Chen Jiaxian was surprised: "I didn't add any eggs."
Uncle Jiang waved his hand, meaning he would not accept any money: "Sister, I will work again on the first day and make a lot of money."
Chen Jiaxian pressed her eyes and nodded.
She took apart the disposable chopsticks, held the fried noodles, and stood aside.
Looking up again, there was a woman standing two meters away.
It’s “that woman.”
…
"That woman" had her back to the candy shop, wearing a tailored little black dress, holding a cup of coffee with one hand and talking on her cell phone with the other.
The fingernails are cut into short square shapes and neatly painted red.
Her toenails were also painted meticulously, and she wore cross-strap black sandals, stepping on half a broken granite brick.
It had just rained, and the columns of the old arcade were mottled and black, and the facade was peeling off in pieces. Drainage in the old city is poor, and rainwater mixes with mud to form puddles.
The heels of her shoes were dotted with three pearls. When she stepped on them, they soaked in the sewage and shone slightly.
In the slow, dilapidated and dirty environment, the woman was out of place. She was talking on the phone, speaking very fast, every word was like a broken iceberg, her temperament was crisp, and her whole person carried a strong sense of presence that could not be ignored.
Guan Xi, 30 years old.
She looks wanton and chic.
Somehow, facing Guan Xi, 20-year-old Chen Jiaxian suddenly felt ashamed. An unknown source of inferiority mixed with shame slowly climbed up, as if she was the peeling pillar that needed to disappear as soon as possible.
She couldn't control her gaze and looked at it several times.
Then, he lowered his eyelashes and used chopsticks to poke at the fried eggs in front of him.
…
Guan Xi, who was envied by Chen Jiaxian, finished two phone calls and lowered his head to check his work email on his mobile phone.
5 whole days.
It has been five days since she was demoted from the Zhuoxiu Group headquarters to the Changlefang project of the Yuecheng branch.
There was only a solitary email in her mailbox notifying her of being demoted to the Changlefang project.
In addition, other work notices and work arrangements——
Empty.
She was completely ignored by the Changlefang project.
Guan Xi frowned.
She went to the cart on the side and ordered fried Chencun noodles, and chatted with Mr. Jiang who was frying the noodles.
"Demolition? It can't be demolished." Uncle Jiang said firmly, "After living here all your life, who wouldn't want to die in your own bed?"
The young man in a white shirt next to him smiled and said: "Old man, after the demolition, we will live in a new house. It will be clean and tidy, and there will be an elevator. The times are changing with each passing day. You have to change your thinking and keep up with the times."
Uncle Jiang's shovel clinked on the frying pan: "I don't care what era it is! Did I agree to the development of the era? I didn't agree, so why should I change my mind? It's too overbearing!"
Guan Xi's cell phone rang again, but she ignored it and listened to the white shirt teasing: "What should we do? If we don't change, we will be abandoned by the times."
Uncle Jiang was furious: "Pushing on the street, isn't this bullying the elderly? If you don't want to, you will be abandoned? Is this the truth in the world? Pretty girl, tell me, is that right?"
Guan Xi, known as the "beautiful girl", raised his head.
She thought for a while and said: "This is wrong. The advancement of culture should be reflected in 'tolerance', rather than forcing people to accept a certain culture, labeling those who do not accept it as 'heresies', or ignoring their need."
"Yes!" Uncle Jiang slapped his thigh, "You have to force me! There is no tolerance!"
"I won't argue with you, just take a look, it will be demolished soon." White Shirt smiled, "Now the demolition plan has been finalized, big demolition and big construction."
Demolition and construction?
Uncle Jiang waved the spatula: "Demolish it all?! I'm going to cover you up! The neighbors won't agree!"
The white shirt said: "Old man, if I were you, I would accept the reality."
Guan Xi glanced at the white shirt. The white shirt nodded politely, picked up his fried rice noodles, turned around and walked away.
Uncle Jiang angrily said: "Oh, he is a project engineer from Zhuoxiu Real Estate. He said he wanted to demolish it, and he was inseparable. Alas!"
Guan Xi said: "You are really good at judging people."
Uncle Jiang has the wisdom of Uncle Jiang. Recently, the Changlefang project team of Zhuoxiu Real Estate moved in. He pushed the noodle cart over and specialized in employee sales. The business was booming and he knew almost everyone.
"How is business today?" Guan Xi asked.
"It's great! Even though today is Saturday, there is a project meeting today - you can see they are wearing shirts - and more employees are here than during the week!"
Guan Xi was thoughtful.
Uncle Jiang shook his head and sighed: "Xiguan has been destroyed. If I were still young and had to beat the shit out of this bad guy - ugh!"
Guan Xi said: "Yes, you used to run long-distance freight transport, and you were not afraid of anything."
Uncle Jiang was surprised: "How do you know? Can you read faces?"
Guan Xi smiled and shook his head: "Feeling."
Uncle Jiang pointed to the middle-aged man carrying him across from him: "Where is he?"
Guan Xi looked at it and said: "Mid-level people within the system or state-owned enterprises, but not public institutions."
The man was on the phone while buying stir-fried noodles: "Okay, Director Zhao, the materials will be sent to you today... I'd like to ask you at the Wang Hall..."
Jiang Bo glanced at Guan Xi in surprise.
God!
"What do you do?"
Guan Xi avoided the important and took the easy: "I am your new neighbor. Uncle Jiang, want to talk?"
Jiang Bo laughed and said, "I don't have anything to talk about, old man."
Guan Xi said: "Talk about what you know about Xiguan and your thoughts on demolition."
Half an hour later.
"Uncle Jiang, it's time to close the stall." A young and tall boy walked down from the arcade behind Uncle Jiang. When he saw Guan Xi, he smiled at her again, "Miss Guan."
Guan Xi nodded: "Good morning, Chen Jiahao."
Chen Jiahao has an energetic and cheerful face with a tanned complexion. He pushed open the door of "Chen Ji Tang Shui" and Guan Xi stared at it thoughtfully.
The door of Chen Kee Tang Shui is very unique. The first floor is a carved wooden door that opens to the left and right, only half a person tall. The second floor looks like a large wooden frame with a dozen logs stretched across the middle. The third layer is a normal wooden door.
Chen Jiahao smiled sheepishly: "When I get rich, I will replace it with a sliding door. The wood of this broken door is almost rotten."
Guan Xi said: "This door is very good."
Chen Jiahao scratched his head: "Okay?" It was obviously very old-fashioned.
Guan Xi asked: "What is this door called?"
Chen Jiahao pointed to the half-person-high carved wooden door on the first floor: "Hanging door." Then he pointed to the large wooden frame on the second floor: "Washing door. The function of these two doors is similar to that of the railing door. The wooden door at the back is usually Leave it open, use the lattice door for ventilation, and the hanging door to prevent prying eyes. Hey, only the elderly can use it."
"Oh, and one more thing." Chen Jiahao patted the door, "The logs here must be odd numbers. It's an old man's rule. Don't ask me, I don't know why, and I don't care."
Guan Xi nodded: "Can I order a bowl of sugar water?"
Chen Jiahao wanted to say that he didn't care about the store, but looking at Guan Xi's smooth face, he nodded mysteriously.
Half an hour later, Chen Jiahao took Guan Xi to visit Grandma Jin.
He didn't know what kind of evil he had been possessed by. She just ordered a bowl of double-skinned milk, then asked him to talk about Xiguan, Cantonese opera, house inheritance, how many brothers his father had, Miss Xiguan, and finally asked him: "Can you take me to visit Grandma Jin?"
Guan Xi didn't understand what kind of evil he had been possessed until he came out of Grandma Jin's small living room and asked Chen Jiahao to take him to visit the next house.
…
The project office building of Zhuoxiu Real Estate in Changlefang is not far from the Chen family, and Chen Jiaxian can walk there.
Standing under the office building, the morning sun reflected coldly on Chen Jiaxian's face.
She looked up.
This is Zhuoxiu Real Estate, a place where countless elites from prestigious schools have worked hard to fight for. Just for a short period of project work, they can spend a lot of money to renovate an office building.
It is another world that Chen Jiaxian has never set foot in.
Much bigger than a candy store.
Several white-collar-looking people walked into the office building while making phone calls. They looked hurried and looked professional and busy. Chen Jiaxian habitually took two steps back and got out of the way.
Chen's father's words suddenly came to mind: "Why do you compare yourself to others?"
It's not too late to escape now.
A sense of shame enveloped her, but deep inside, another kind of joy quietly swelled.
If Chen's father knew about it, he would definitely sneer again: "You don't overestimate your capabilities."
But, but.
Desire, what is it?
Is it this little joy deep inside?
Chen Jiaxian shook her head, her face tightened, she raised her feet and stepped heavily into it.
She obeyed her desires——
She longs for this world, more than a candy store.
