"The rent of your restaurant has been signed for five years and is guaranteed by American law! If you breach the contract, my lawyer will sue you! Just wait until the store is closed to compensate you!"
"You... you... we are fellow villagers after all. When this store was handed over to us, you said well that you would make money back within a year. Who knew the business in this place was so bad. There were homeless people at the door, and there were homeless people upstairs. Hippie, no serious person dares to come to eat. We owe you one month's rent, and you are going to come to ask for money to close the store. Are you changing your attitude too quickly?"
"Hey, hey, hey, I just act according to the contract and go out to do business. Everyone relies on their own abilities. I am willing to admit defeat. If you are not running your business well, what does it have to do with me?"
"I... let's just declare bankruptcy and see what you can do to us!"
"Hehe, then I really want it~ You guys, take a good look at the agreement. As long as you can't pay the rent, I will take back all the 30,000 yuan deposit, and I can rent this place out again. Hurry up and pay this month's arrears right away. Yes. I tell you the truth, you are not the first here, and you will not be the last. I will give you three more days and you can decide what to do."
Dang Lei vaguely heard the buzzing sound of quarreling in his ears. The sound came through the door and the wall panel. He felt strange in his heart. Where was he? In the hospital?
When I opened my eyes, the surroundings were pitch black, but the strong smell of onions, ginger and oil smoke lingered in my nose. Is this a hospital kitchen?
Dang Lei struggled to get up from the bed, but he felt that his body did not belong to him. His whole body was sore and stiff. Every muscle did not obey orders and seemed to have its own ideas and fight against each other. This made him unable to get up.
The quarrel outside stopped, and there was a short, dull silence. An old man's voice said: "Youtang, please collect this month's rent first, and then hurry up and find a way to sell the restaurant to others. You are promising, you Go and see Guoyang. If the fever doesn’t go away, send him to Dr. Tang’s clinic. Don’t go to the hospital, it’s too expensive.”
Dang Lei gave up the struggle to get up, and his eyes gradually adapted to the darkness around him. He could see a dark water spot on the low wooden floor above his head.
This is definitely not a hospital. Dang Lei felt that his mind was in a mess. A large number of unknown fragments were mixed in his memory, flashing back quickly in his mind like a movie. He only felt dizzy and had to close his eyes and purse his lips tightly to endure it. pain.
He heard the door creaking open and footsteps. Someone came in. The person approached the bed. Dang Lei smelled the smell of onions, ginger and oil smoke again, which was stronger than before.
A warm, rough hand touched his forehead.
"It doesn't seem like the fever is gone." Gan Youwei murmured, half relieved.
Compared with the business of the restaurant, he is more worried about his son's health.
Seeing his son's eyes closed tightly and his lips turned white, Gan Youwei's heart lifted again after he had just let go.
He whispered: "Guoyang, Guoyang? Are you feeling better? Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?"
At this time, Dang Lei felt that his whole body was soaked in the water, and the sound in his ears seemed to be coming from the shore, dull and erratic.
Guoyang, who is Guoyang?
Who am I?
Where am I?
What time is it now?
His mind was rumbling and spinning like a cement mixer. Fragments and images of memories surged in like a broken dam. He felt like he could no longer bear it, and his head felt like it was going to explode.
Gan Youwei watched as his son's face became more ferocious, the veins on his forehead were exposed, and his lips were biting tighter and tighter, obviously in great pain.
He anxiously shouted to his uncle Gan Bingguang and cousin Gan Youtang outside: "Uncle! Youtang! Come and take a look, Guoyang seems to be seriously ill!"
The two entered the room. Gan Bingguang sat by the bed to check the situation, frowning and said: "Is Guoyang possessed by evil spirits?"
Gan Youtang asked suspiciously: "Bewitched? Can people be possessed by evil spirits in the United States?"
Gan Bingguang glared at his son and said, "It's the same in China and the United States! Youwei, has Guoyang been anywhere recently?"
Gan Youwei calmed down his anxious mood and thought for a while, "Guoyang and Guohui went out yesterday. After they came back, they started to have a fever at night. I don't know why it happened like this now."
"Where's Ah Hui? Call him over!"
Gan Youtang went up to the attic on the second floor and pulled down his son Gan Guohui who was playing with the game console in the room.
"Yesterday? Yesterday I... I took Guoyang around the area of Assumption Church yesterday... Didn't he just come here not long ago? I took him to get familiar with the environment. I really didn't take him anywhere else, let alone Nothing bad."
Faced with his grandfather's severe questioning, Gan Guohui did not dare to lie.
"Then was he frightened in any way yesterday? Or encountered something strange?"
"Scared? This... this... yesterday when I was passing by a basketball court, I was hit by a flying basketball. A black man yelled at us and rushed over as if he wanted to hit someone, but we returned the ball. Give it to him. Then when I threw the ball to him, a car almost hit us both. I think Guoyang might have been frightened."
"Why are you going to a street court? There are inhumane niggas there. I'm new to Guoyang and I'm not familiar with this place. Don't run around. Go, fill a bowl of water and bring a pair of chopsticks."
"Okay grandpa, do you want to summon the soul of Brother Guoyang?"
"Go get it quickly and stop talking nonsense!"
Gan Guohui immediately went to get a porcelain bowl filled with water and a pair of bamboo chopsticks. Gan Bingguang placed the bowl on the bedside, held the chopsticks and stood in the water bowl, closed his eyes and muttered:
"I bumped into your bridge and blocked your road. No matter why you died, don't be surprised if you accidentally collided with me. Since you found my husband, I will give you some water and rice for your journey. After eating, please leave quickly. No injustice. Those who have no hatred should avoid..."
After finishing reading, Gan Bingguang let go, and the pair of chopsticks stood in the water bowl.
Upon seeing this, Gan Bingguang held the chopsticks, stirred them in the water, and read again:
"Have food and drink as you wish, retreat after eating, don't get involved any more, and keep your son safe. If you do it again, follow the law and order. Please ask Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and Virgin Mary to be your witnesses..."
Letting go again, the chopsticks still stood in the water bowl, Gan Bingguang said: "Go get some rice."
Gan Youwei took a handful of rice and carefully poured it into the bowl of water. The chopsticks that were originally standing in the bowl tipped over and fell to the ground.
Gan Bingguang glanced at the direction of the chopsticks, frowned, and murmured: "Why are the chopsticks facing Guoyang and not the door? It's because he refuses to go."
The head of the chopstick that fell on the ground pointed right at the boy on the bed.
Gan Bingguang picked up the chopsticks on the ground and followed the same steps again. The chopsticks were still standing in the bowl.
After placing the rice, the chopsticks fell to the ground again. This time, the two chopsticks were crossed together in a cross shape, just like a cross.
Gan Bingguang was surprised, while Gan Youwei noticed that the expression on his son's face gradually calmed down, his biting lips relaxed, and large beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.
"Uncle, Guoyang is sweating."
"Quickly, cover him with a quilt to cover his sweat. Then boil a pot of boiling water and let him drink more hot water and sweat. Then he will be fine."
Gan Youwei quickly brought a quilt to cover his son, boiled hot water, helped him up and fed him water every half hour.
Not long after, the boy wrapped in the quilt was sweating profusely. In a short while, he was soaked through two sets of clothes. He changed two quilts and slept in darkness all night. He didn't wake up until noon of the next day.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the water stain on the wooden ceiling again, and the smell of green onion and oil smoke echoed in his nose.
He knew he was not dreaming.
A middle-aged man was sitting on the edge of the bed with his chin in his hands, half asleep and half awake.
"Dad, why aren't you sleeping?"
The middle-aged man immediately woke up with eyes wide open and bloodshot eyes. But when he saw his son sitting up from the bed, his face was as normal and he no longer looked sick, he immediately smiled at the corners of his eyes and said, "You're awake, you're hungry." Right? I'll get you something to eat."
Gan Youwei's face no longer looked worried and anxious, and his tone was understated. In fact, he didn't sleep soundly all night.
The young man got up from the bed, but his head almost hit the floor. Looking at himself in the closet mirror, he was extremely surprised.
"This...how does it look exactly like the Gump I designed in the 2k game?"
The young man in the mirror has a square and handsome face, long arms and legs, which almost reach the ceiling in the low room.
He is just not that tall, and his arms and legs are not as strong as in the game, and are rather slender, but his big hands are like cattail fans, and he can definitely grab a basketball easily.
I was filled with deep emotion, and at the same time, I was extremely confused as to whether my previous life was a dream, or whether the current time and space was false.
But no matter what, he seems to be starting a new life.
"My name is Gan Guoyang. He was born on September 1, 1964. He followed his father Gan Youwei to San Francisco, USA three weeks ago and joined his uncle Gan Bingguang's family. They opened a Chinese restaurant in Tenderloin District, Gan's Restaurant."
"Three weeks ago, it was June 17, 1981. We flew direct from Shanghai to San Francisco. Now it is July 8... In 1981, we were still in the United States. I am 16 years old... 1981..."
Dang Lei...also Gan Guoyang, stood in front of the mirror sorting out the integrated memories, with mixed feelings in his heart, but also a little bit of excitement.
Because this healthy, tall body may be able to change many things.
"Guoyang! Come out and have something to eat. Can you get up? If not, I will bring it to you!"
Gan Youwei's voice came from outside. Gan Guoyang came back to his senses and responded: "I can get up and come out to eat! Wait for me!"
Gan Guoyang put on his coat and went out, but his head hit the door frame with a bang. He was two meters tall.
Apparently, he wasn't used to the height yet.
"Be careful, your brain should be damaged. Does it hurt?"
"It's okay, it hurts...it hurts a little, it means I'm not dreaming."
"You kid, what nonsense are you talking about? Eat something."
