windy city rainy season

The winter vacation in American schools started from mid-December to mid-January. As soon as the final exams were over, Mr. Tang packed himself up and returned to China on the day he finished the students' grades, and left his home with two tenants with confidence.Dr. Chang is currently at the bottom of the hospital food chain, and his salary is comparable to that of a bonded laborer. There is no Christmas holiday to speak of. It is his turn to be off on Christmas Eve. Thank God.As for Tao Yu, he was alone everywhere anyway, so he simply took advantage of the winter vacation to work part-time to earn living expenses.

With the tuition fee for the second semester settled, Tao Yu felt more at ease, and began to pick up light and economical jobs as a part-time job.He saw an information about the recruitment of a Chinese gift shop in the notice board of the student activity center, and went for an interview. Coincidentally, the proprietress was also a Beijinger, in her 30s, and her name was Mary. She was very satisfied with this little fellow. He agreed to come to work.The work in the gift shop is very easy, greet customers when they come, and read books by themselves when there are no customers, which is very suitable for Tao Yu's current state - before the holiday, the tutor assigned him some homework for searching documents, and he can read them when there is no one in the store. article.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, when Tao Yu woke up, he saw Chang Zheng making breakfast in the kitchen.Dr. Chang's cooking skills are limited to sliced ​​bread sandwiched with ham, cheese and lettuce leaves. When he doesn't have time to go out to buy food, he can eat this all at once.Ever since Tao Yu was in charge of the lunch and dinner of the three bachelors, Dr. Chang's simple sandwiches only had a chance to stand out for breakfast.

Tao Yu watched for a while with his toothbrush in his mouth, then silently set up the pot, spread out two golden poached eggs, ordered a few drops of soy sauce, put one in front of Dr. Chang, and then went back to the bathroom to continue washing.

When he came out to eat his share of poached eggs, he found that there was not even a scum left in the pot.

Doctor Chang smiled shyly, and took out the remaining four eggs from the refrigerator.

Tao Yu couldn't laugh or cry and said, "Are you trying to get coronary heart disease out of one meal?"

"How is it possible?" Dr. Chang said, "A team from Missouri State University has done research for half a year, and there is no necessary relationship between eating eggs and serum cholesterol levels. At most, protein breakdown causes the burden on the kidneys."

Well, who told someone to be a cardiovascular doctor? Tao Yu had nothing to say, so he continued to spread the eggs.

"Aren't you going to work today?" he asked.

Dr. Chang surfed the Internet on the computer, and replied casually: "Take a break, and go to be on duty at nine o'clock in the evening, how about you?"

"I'm going to visit the store later." Tao Yu spread eggs while thinking about dinner, "The store closes at five o'clock today. Do you want ribs tonight? I'll stop by the supermarket to buy them?"

Chang Zheng didn't answer, looked at the webpage, and suddenly asked, "Have you been to Sears Tower?"

Sears Tower is a landmark building in Chicago. It was built in 1973 and has been known as the "world's tallest building" for many years. It has 108 floors and a height of 442 meters.The viewing hall on the 103rd floor has a sky platform, which is made of all glass. Looking at the ants-like cars and pedestrians under their feet, the viewers have a masochistic pleasure.Tao Yu has seen photos taken by others on Weibo countless times, but he has never been there.

He shook his head and asked, "Why, is there any activity there on Christmas Eve?"

Chang Zheng turned the screen of his laptop around, and the English webpage was titled 25 Best Places to Go for a Vulgar Christmas Eve, and SearsTower was among them.The photos on the Internet are very attractive. They are night scenes taken from the viewing platform. Under the shadow of the lights, the city streets are vertical and horizontal, extending to the sky.

"I haven't been there either." Chang Zheng said, "The business hours are until eight in the evening. You still have time to get off work. Do you want to go?"

After half a year of living under one roof, the two tenants had never gone anywhere together—not counting the tacos.Tao Yu couldn't help but glanced at the other party, and found that Chang Zheng had an expression of "going to a tourist attraction is in vain". After thinking about it, he really had no reason not to go, so he nodded and said "OK".

After eating four poached eggs in the morning, Dr. Chang patted his buttocks contentedly and called home.

Tao Yu poked the remaining eggs with a fork, and looked at his mobile phone hesitantly. After looking at it for a while, he turned the mobile phone upside down, thinking that Christmas is not a Chinese holiday, so why bother.

After stuffing the dishes and pots into the dishwasher, he took his bag and went to the store.

Business was exceptionally good on Christmas Eve. Many lazy people who hadn’t had time to buy gifts for their family and friends all went out to do lastminute shopping on this day. The proprietress also came today, and she and Tao Yu stayed busy until the store closed at [-] o’clock.

When checking the bills and ordering the goods, Mary asked Tao Yu, "What's going on on Christmas Eve?"

Tao Yu said while arranging the shelves, "I have an appointment with my friends to go to Sears Tower."

Mary winked and smiled, "Is it my girlfriend, so romantic!"

Tao Yu smiled, he couldn't think of any romance in climbing a tall building, but he didn't refute it, especially the phrase "girlfriend", so that others would not always worry about why he didn't have a girlfriend.

The phone vibrated in his trouser pocket, and Tao Yu saw that it was a text message from Chang Zheng, and he was already in the parking lot outside the store.

"Are you here to urge you?" Mary showed a clear expression, and handed him a [-] from today's turnover. If you don't open the door, you can celebrate the festival in a down-to-earth manner."

(Note: 50 yuan can buy more than a dozen catties of ribs in Chicago, which cannot be measured in RMB [-])

Tao Yu thanked the proprietress, went out to the parking lot, and saw Chang Zheng's car parked at the entrance at a glance.

The road on Christmas Eve was very quiet, and Jingle Bells was playing in the car.Two days ago, God had snowed in a timely manner. At this time, the main road had been cleaned, and the snow was piled up on the sidewalk.The pine and cypress trees on both sides of the road are twined with red and green lanterns, and the tops of the trees are covered with white snow, which reminds Tao Yu of the western cartoons he watched when he was a child—this is the Christmas tree he remembered.

Chang Zheng drove around the city center and passed Macy's on State Street. Every year during the Christmas period, the windows here use dolls and props to decorate Christmas-related scenes one by one, never repeating the same.Then the car passed the city hall again. On the square in front of the gate, there was a three-story Christmas tree decorated with lights and colored balls.

Tao Yu was sitting in the car, infected by the strong festive atmosphere. He suddenly pressed the window and shouted to a young couple holding hands in the snow on the sidewalk: "MerryChristmas!"

It was almost seven o'clock when they arrived at Sears Tower, and it was already dark. The two bought tickets downstairs, and a staff member guided them to the elevator that went directly to the 103rd floor.Although it is rated on the Internet as a place worth visiting on Christmas Eve, it is like New Year’s Eve in China. Who would go to the top of Fragrant Hill to see the night view of the capital.At this time, in the viewing hall of Nuo University, apart from the two brothers and sisters who couldn't go home, there was only one staff member left, who was anxiously waiting to get home from get off work for the holidays, as if grass had grown in his heart.

Standing in front of the legendary sky platform, Tao Yu's heart trembled a little.In the past, he didn't take it seriously when he saw the menacing faces in the photos taken by others, but now standing here in person, he truly realized the feeling of walking on thin ice and the abyss beneath the ice. He stood in a daze for half a minute without daring to move his legs.

Chang Zheng waited for a while, saw his nervousness, grabbed his wrist and pulled him up to the rooftop.

Tao Yu stared stiffly at the ground 400 meters below his feet, feeling his heart in his throat, and there was only one thought in his mind-doesn't the fucking ticket include accident insurance?

"Look ahead." Chang Zheng reminded him.

Tao Yu reluctantly glanced forward, but he never looked back—it was not the beauty that a photo could contain, the outlines of the buildings in the night could not be seen clearly, only the lights wandering about, spreading into the distance, as if the stars were falling from the sky world.

"Chang Zheng..."

"Ok?"

"It's worth it."

Tao Yu realized the warmth on his wrist, didn't move, and let the other party hold it. He didn't know what Chang Zheng was thinking. In his heart, such a powerful beauty needs to be shared with others. On this day of reunion, he also hopes to be around Someone can be near.

They stood on the roof for a long time, Chang Zheng hummed a light rock Christmas song.

"It's Christmas

Baby, please come home

The snow's coming down

I'm watching it fall

Watching the people around

Baby, please come home

……

If there was away

I'd hold back the set ears

Butit's Christmas

Baby, please come home

......"

Tao Yu turned his head, looked at his red eyes silently from the reflection of the glass, thinking in his heart that on Christmas Eve, he should call home to report his safety.