pedestrian

Dreams are beyond the reach of manpower. After making an appointment to work overtime together the next day, Chang Zheng and Tao Ran didn't sleep well.

Chang Zheng was born unable to remember the content of his dreams. Whenever he thought about the old things, he would always have a strange dream that night, and then wake up in the early morning and forget about it, but his heart was cold, and then he opened his eyes until dawn.The hospital was one of the places he hated the most. He went there for most of the night and didn't even think that he didn't dream of anything special when he came back.

In the morning, Chang Zheng sat on the bed with a blank mind for a long time, until he was about to see Tao Ran in a private occasion, and a little bit of excitement slowly ignited in his heart.

Tao Ran was indeed his good medicine, Chang Zheng thought so, and vaguely hoped that he was more than just a good medicine.Maybe, just maybe, Tao Ran is his chance to start over.

Tao Ran on the other end also woke up quite early.This feeling is like the eve of the spring outing when I was a child. Although I tried my best to pretend that I didn't expect it at all, I could only helplessly admit that I was actually looking forward to it after tossing and turning all night.

Lying down with eyes open until Caesar's scratching on the door sounded on time, Tao Ran had no choice but to sit up, sighed in the silence of the early morning, packed himself up and prepared to go shopping.It is true that middle-aged love is like an old house on fire.

The black-bone chicken is chilled, and it has been taken out to drain before going to bed. It just needs to be washed again, cut into pieces and added to the pot with seasoning.Other materials were not so easy to handle. Tao Ran came back from a trip to the vegetable market early in the morning, and was busy standing in the kitchen without stopping.Wash the pork belly first, cut the mouth, turn it over, use the back of a knife to remove the residual tissue in the inner layer, then sprinkle flour and knead it finely, and finally sprinkle salt and let it stand.The beef brisket is removed from the film and fat, put ginger slices cooking wine, boiled and blanched, and then put into the pressure cooker with the beef tendon, you can wait.Chicken liver and green leafy vegetables are all fried, so don't worry...

In addition to the wok, he actually took out two saucepans and a pressure cooker. The natural gas stove was not enough, and he had to plug in an additional induction cooker to cope.Chang Zheng was about to arrive, and when he called to ask how to park in the community, Tao Ran suddenly woke up from his busy schedule.

This kitchen is full of Chang Zheng's favorite food.Food can best carry emotions. Chang Zheng is such a smart person. He came to see what he didn't understand.

A hibernating bear can't refuse the arrival of spring.Even though he warned himself that the time had not come, the snow had melted and the sound of the creek gurgling had already entered the cave where he lived.The warm sun was emerging, the south wind was lingering, and the grass leaves sprouted new shoots. He couldn't ignore all these, so he had to follow his instinct and slip out of the cave quietly.

In the room's most homely scent, Tao Ran was silent for a long time alone.Just like a bear looking at his first footprints in the fresh snow on the mountain, a guilty conscience that is about to be pierced arises spontaneously.

Chang Zheng came earlier than he expected.As soon as he entered the door, he looked at Tao Ran and smiled brightly: "It smells so good, are you done?"

The two of them had never seen each other without a suit. They glanced at the sweater and trousers that were almost the same as their own, and couldn't help but smile at each other.Tao Ran motioned him to get the slippers by himself, then turned around and went into the kitchen again.

"Not yet, I haven't cooked the cooking yet, and I have to wait for the meal."

People who like to eat animal offal will never mistake this scent, Chang Zheng rolled up his sleeves as he walked inside: "You rest, I'll do the rest."

"Oh, you came so early just to pick up my class?"

"That's right." Chang Zheng looked around and found out exactly what to do next, and began to wash the bean sprouts under the running water: "If I'm stuck in lunch time to enjoy the benefits, then who am I? .”

Tao Ran teased him with a smile: "Aren't there too few times when you sit back and enjoy what you get?"

After getting along for so long, Chang Zheng has long since stopped taking this boss-subordinate stalking too seriously: "Who told me to be your boss. Besides, didn't I come to work overtime with you? Bai Manman It’s outrageous, and in the end it’s all done by you, I’m afraid that under the pressure of our Manager Tao, one day he will abandon me if he’s unhappy.”

Taking retreat as an advance, the tricks that have been used countless times on customers, are equally effective when turned around and used on our own people.Tao Ran sighed inwardly, turned on the coffee machine and made himself a cup of latte, then simply sat on the bar stool in the kitchen and watched Chang Zheng cook.

The two stews are almost ready, and the soup is only missing various fungi. After washing the bean sprouts, Chang Zheng came to ask, "What's in the pot? Which one is the soup pot for the mushrooms?"

"This is stewed pork belly with celery and lettuce." Tao Ran just sat there and pointed to him: "That one is stewed beef tendon and beef brisket with taro. The black-bone chicken soup is over there, and I have arranged the mushrooms. You can just order them in the order I put them." .”

Tao Ran has this temper in everything he does.Either you do it yourself, or you accept the results of what I do, fine-tuning is fine, don't question my ideas and procedures.Chang Zheng smiled and shook his head, already doing what Tao Ran said.

The dishes are all prepared according to Chang Zheng's preferences. Anyone who can cook knows how much time it takes to process the ingredients to remove the fishy smell if pork belly and beef brisket are to be stewed.When Tao Ran said the word "pork belly", he almost gave up on himself.

Chang Zheng must have found out.The kitchen is full of bright thoughts, he must have discovered it.

Tao Ran buried his head in drinking his coffee like an ostrich, but the bit of bitterness in his fingers couldn't compete with the warmth of the room, and he was almost overwhelmed by inexplicable depression.In fact, he bought too much food, and he prepared it according to the amount for another dinner, but Tao Ran didn't have any ideas on whether to ask him to have dinner with him, how to ask, and when to ask.

The rare panic kept him silent.He watched helplessly as Chang Zheng reached out to pick up the wet noodles on the table, and carefully looked at the unprocessed chicken liver. He said to himself several times that it was over, but he just couldn't open his mouth to mention dinner.

In hesitation, ten seconds is like 10 minutes.Tao Ran seems to have returned to a certain Christmas when he was a child. He prepared gifts for his parents and put them under their pillows. Discover.

At this moment, Chang Zheng asked in an unusual tone as if he could read minds: "Are you going to eat noodles at night?"

Tao Ran suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly nodded at him.

Immediately afterwards, Chang Zheng picked up the chicken liver again: "Don't you have an iron pot? Why is there leftover chicken liver?"

This question was like giving a pillow to a sleepy person, and Tao Ran answered smoothly: "I'm afraid I can't control the temperature of the fire well. If I can't control this thing well, it's either smelly or old. Can you do it?"

——At this point, Tao Ran suddenly remembered that the Christmas in his memory was actually found before going to bed on Christmas Eve. In order to satisfy the child's psychology, they worked hard all morning to act out the surprise.

"I'm not sure either. How about I try? Otherwise, it will be a waste."

"Oh, that's not going to happen." Tao Ran turned his head and called in the direction of the living room: "Caesar!"

In the blink of an eye, Julius Caesar appeared like a dog.

"Do you want to eat chicken liver?"

While Chang Zheng uttered this question, he planned to squat down to feed him.He never expected that the flat-faced cat, who was looking listless just now, was trotting over, suddenly jumped up, and took the half piece of chicken liver still dripping with blood from his hand.

"..."

Seeing his astonished expression, Tao Ran laughed happily: "Yesterday he vomited, he was hungry, and today he sneaked into the kitchen and was scolded by me again... I think he has been thinking about that piece of chicken liver for a long time."

"Has he always been so lazy?"

"Yes, he is a eunuch, what else can he think about?"

So I stopped making the chicken liver, and fried the lily with the remaining celery, and then quickly fried a bean sprout, and the meal was ready.Chang Zheng knew that Tao Ran didn't like too much spicy food, so he only cut half a dried chili into the bean sprouts and removed the seeds.When he was about to turn off the fire, he stretched out his hand to Tao Ran without looking back.

"Liquor."

A bottle was delivered to him quickly, and he poured it into the pot without looking at it: "Mmm, the wine is not bad."

Just like Tao Ran didn't need to check if he didn't say "you read it again" when he handed over the ppt, so he didn't need to check whether the lid of the liquor bottle that Tao Ran handed over was unscrewed or not.

"It's a pity that I can't drink today, and I have to work later." With the short words of these parents, he finally bypassed the two terrible problems of the meal being too rich and why the dinner was prepared in advance. Tao Ran knew that he had already I understand everything, and now I just feel that he is considerate, and I really can't find any faults: "Why don't you go for a run in the afternoon? These hard dishes are high in calories."

He was putting the bean sprouts on a plate, and Chang Zheng started to ask knowingly when he heard it: "How did I know that I have to run with you after working overtime, I didn't bring any equipment."

"What equipment do you want, I'll just find clothes for you to wear."

Chang Zheng picked up the plate and walked towards the living room. When he passed by him, he glanced at him with a smile. He didn't expect to see his red ears by chance, and his heart skipped a beat.

Ah, seductiveness is really a technical job that tests the psychological quality. If you are not careful, you will put yourself in it.Chang Zheng and Tao Ran both thought this way, and finally sat down on both sides of the dining table, and began to eat the first meal of the day.

While he was cooking, Tao Ran squeezed four oranges with a juicer, filled out two glasses of orange juice and put them on the table.Chang Zheng picked it up and looked it up to the light, and sure enough the pulp was filtered clean and everything was in place.

"Come on, thank you for your hospitality."

Tao Ran raised his glass and touched him lightly: "Where, you cook all the vegetarian dishes."

The atmosphere of joy between the guests and the host continued from this moment to the beginning of work, and then the habit of working together for a long time made them quiet down quickly.In the middle, Bai Manman called three times and came in. Caesar was too quiet, and Tao Ran had to look for him every hour or so to see how the cat that was still sick yesterday was doing.The morning light of the afternoon slipped away from under the eyes slowly and quickly. When the sun was slanting to the west, the two went out and ran five kilometers around the community together, and then came back to take a shower and cook.

The tranquility and tranquility of this half day, as well as the illusion of living together, all precisely made Tao Ran's heart move again.

After dinner, pour the chicken soup, add the boiled green vegetables in the soup and the leftover mushrooms at noon, reheat the leftovers, and stir-fry the vegetarian ones just right.Chang Zheng's earnest manner of eating, as always, made people unable to move their eyes away. Tao Ran didn't want him to find that he was looking at him, but couldn't help but want to look at him. This entanglement slowed down his eating speed.

"What's the matter, is there too little salt in the soup?"

Chang Zheng sat on the side near the kitchen, and Tao Ran didn't bother to be polite to him: "Well, it's a bit weak. You can bring the salt shaker here, I'll add it myself."

A vibrating sound of an incoming call from the mobile phone rang when Chang Zheng entered the kitchen. Chang Zheng's mobile phone was in his pocket, and he reached out to touch it: "It's not mine, you answer it."

"My phone seems to be on the bar in the kitchen, can you bring it here for me?"

When the phone was handed over from Chang Zheng, the words "Wu Yue Yin" just happened to light up on the screen.Chang Zheng's face changed suddenly at that second, Tao Ran glanced at him, before he could be surprised, he answered the phone first.

"Boss, are you looking for me?"

He didn't walk away on purpose, and the room was too quiet, so Wu Yueyin's voice came out clearly: "Why are you still calling me the boss... Forget it, I need your help with something. I'm really sorry this time, really I'm going to trouble you."

"What's the matter, you said."

"I have already planned to travel for the next two weeks. Today, my husband suddenly decided to leave tomorrow. It seems to be a temporary appointment from above. In the past, I always entrusted He Xunyan to our neighbors. There are also children of similar age in their family, but they are not at home this time. We don’t have many relatives and friends here. I’m sorry to say that there will be a piano competition next month, and I don’t want to delay the piano practice. He himself mentioned you... "

Tao Ran understood the hesitation in her tone, and thought it was a pity that there is no one in such a big city who can take care of the children, so he took the initiative to take over the conversation: "My house has a piano and a guest room, so let me take care of you for a few days first. "

That end is naturally a thousand thanks.Wu Yueyin wasn't very warm-hearted, and what she meant was that she really got the favor, so Tao Ran didn't have much to say.

"I'll pick him up later? If there's anything I need to pay attention to, tell me after we meet."

Wu Yueyin is also a smart person, and immediately realized: "Did I bother you? I'm sorry, the matter was too urgent, and I forgot to ask you if you have anything to do tonight. Why don't you set a time, and I will drive Xun Yan to you later. Come here, it's the same."

With the time for these back-and-forth responses, it was time for Chang Zheng to finish adjusting his expression.Thinking of this, Tao Ran gave Chang Zheng a questioning look.

There was no hint of personal affection in this gaze, Chang Zheng understood that it was asking himself if he would continue to work overtime later, so he shook his head at him.

"No, I..." Tao Ran raised his hand to look at his watch, "Just pick him up at eight o'clock."

Wu Yueyin thanked him again, and didn't hang up until Tao Ran said with a smile, "You're welcome."

It's better to talk straight when you're bored, Chang Zheng tapped the edge of Tao Ran's bowl with the tip of his chopsticks, and reminded him in a flat tone: "You have to go out later, eat quickly."

Tao Ran sat back as he said: "Do you know my former boss?"

"I know. You didn't tell me the name of the previous boss before, so I never had a chance to know it was her." Chang Zheng picked up food for him as usual, and also added a chopstick of freshly fried chives for himself: "I have A high school classmate who was very close at the beginning, Wu Yueyin is his sister. I know that she lives here with her family, but I have lost contact with her since then."

Very close, how close can I still remember my sister's name after so many years?

Tao Ran knew in his heart that this topic should end here, and in fact he did so.With the joint efforts of the two of them, the dinner was finished peacefully.Then Chang Zheng helped him wash away all the residue, put the tableware in the dishwasher, and left in a logical manner.

"Then I'll go first. I haven't packed my luggage yet for the plane tomorrow morning."

Tao Ran sent him to the door: "Be careful driving at night. It's already very cold in the north, so don't bother, bring two extra thick ones."

Chang Zheng has completely returned to his most familiar state, and replied with a smile: "Where did I go to university, have you forgotten? I have been working there for several years after graduation."

"Bai told you to be polite, and you took it seriously."

Outside was the dim light in the corridor, Chang Zheng's footsteps reached the door, and his expression suddenly became unclear.Tao Ran didn't know that at this moment, there was actually a slight sadness in the expression on his face.

This is obviously not for farewell, but for the words of Chang Zheng's high school classmates that both of them deliberately ignored before.After living to this age, whoever touches who's mind, we can't understand each other very well.

Suddenly, Chang Zheng felt that he couldn't see Tao Ran like this at all.

He took a step forward, took the initiative to give Tao Ran a hug, and then kissed Tao Ran lightly on the cheek.His lips stayed for a little longer, Tao Ran didn't break away, and saw his ears turn red again.

So he sat next to Tao Ran's burning ear in satisfaction, and said in a low voice, "I'll return this to you. Remember to give me something else next time."