Nocturnal

Qin Mochi sat softly on the side of the road, feeling terrified in his heart.He felt that his situation could not be considered fatigue driving, but just now he really felt as if he had fallen asleep.

There's something sinister about this.

The number of vehicles on the road gradually increased, and a skinny black dog ran out of nowhere, wandering around Qin Mochi not far or near.It looks a bit like an adult Labrador, but it is too thin, and Qin Mochi is not sure what breed it is, but it doesn't look like a stray dog.Although it is thin, it is not dirty, and when looking at him, there is no deep-rooted defense that ordinary wild dogs have against humans.

The black dog walked around Qin Mochi twice, and sat down four or five meters away from him.Qin Mochi looked at him for a moment, and suddenly felt a little emotional, "Unexpectedly, when I was in such a mess, there was only a strange... strange dog like you accompanying me." Thinking of what Yang Ke packed for him in the trunk That pile of meat, I thought the dog came here after smelling it, right?But seeing how thin it is, it might have been hungry for a long time.

Qin Mochi breathed a sigh of relief, got up from the side of the road, opened the trunk, and looked inside. The pork was in large pieces, and he couldn't cut it. The chicken was slaughtered fresh and whole.Qin Mochi rummaged through the bag and found half a piece of duck. He took a plastic bag and put it on the side of the road. He waved at the black dog, "Come, eat, I'll take it off for you."

The black dog looked at the half duck on the ground, licked his lips, and sat still.

Qin Mochi sat down again, and pointed to the duck beside him, "For your sake of accompanying me, this is my thanks."

The black dog tilted his head to look at him, and hesitantly took two steps towards him.

Qin Mochi couldn't help but want to laugh, "I can't be counted as trying to make things difficult for you, right? Do I have to hide to make room for you when I give you meat? Brother Dog, you can't be so unreasonable, can you?"

The black dog stared at Qin Mochi for a while, but he still couldn't resist the temptation of the food. He leaned over carefully, looked at Qin Mochi tentatively, and whined twice.

Qin Mochi pointed at the duck, "Eat quickly, fresh duck, just slaughtered this morning."

The black dog seemed to understand his gestures, trotted over in two steps, picked up half a piece of duck, turned around and ran away.It moved too fast, Qin Mochi didn't stop it, and couldn't help complaining, "You took the plastic bag with you, and put it on the road, it's covered with sand... It's not hygienic."

It seems that the animals have to find a place where they think they are safe before they are willing to eat, maybe they don't care if they are clean or not.Qin Mochi patted the ashes on his pants, stood up from the side of the road, and waved his hands in the direction the black dog was running, "Thank you for accompanying me."

In the woods below the road, behind the dense and dry bushes, the black dog held the fat duck that had been bitten twice with its paws, carefully raised its head, looked through the gaps in the bushes, and looked at the figure on the road who turned away from a distance.After a long time, it licked its lips meaninglessly, lowered its head and continued to bite its food.

It was already past lunch time when Qin Mochi returned to the urban area. He found a random restaurant to eat a bowl of noodles, and then drove to Xia Zhi's house.At this point Xia Zhi went to work, but Lin Tang was definitely at home.After she retired from school, she has been recuperating at home. When she has time, she takes calligraphy and painting classes at the University for the Elderly, or grows vegetables at home.They lived on the first floor and had a small courtyard. She cleared up all the land in the small courtyard. In addition to growing vegetables, she also planted a lot of flowers, which can be regarded as finding something for herself to pass the time.

Looking at the pile of things in Qin Mochi's trunk, Lin Tang felt a little worried, "The refrigerator at home doesn't have much room, and there are too many. How about sending some to your grandfather? Anyway, we have to go there during the Chinese New Year. For reunion dinner."

Qin Mochi didn't want to go to Xia Zhenghe's house, but he brought this pile of things back, so it's not easy for Lin Tang to run errands, and he also knew what Lin Tang meant.In fact, Lin Tang regretted taking Qin Mochi back to his home regardless. If it wasn't for her impulsive decision, maybe the relationship between Qin Mochi, Xia Hong, and even Xia Zhenghe would not be as lukewarm as it is now.But regret it, regret it, Qin Mochi is a young man in his 20s, it's too late to say anything now.

Qin Mochi took a bunch of local pigs and chickens to Xia Zhenghe's house unhappy.Xia Zhenghetu is clean, lives in the suburbs, and has a rather big villa. Besides the old man himself, there are only a few helpers.Oh, by the way, there are also cages of thrush starlings and so on.Qin Mochi doesn't like this community. Although the conditions are really good, he always feels that every house is far away from each other, and it's too quiet, without fireworks.Like the place where the monster lives in the story.

Qin Mochi regretted that he came back too late, if only he could come earlier, when Xia Zhenghe was taking a nap, at least he had a valid reason not to see him.

Qin Mochi helped Auntie Zhang, who was in charge of the kitchen, move the things in the trunk in, and was thinking about whether to sneak out through the back door, when he saw Xia Zhenghe's secretary, Lao Hu, appear at the door of the kitchen.Lao Hu is also over 50 years old this year. When he was young, he was Xia Zhenghe's secretary. Later, his wife passed away, and his sons and daughters all went abroad. Xia Zhenghe asked him to move here, and the two old men stayed together.Lao Hu was a very kind person, and he was always polite to Qin Mochi, Xia Zhenghe's disliked grandson.

"Master Mochi," Old Hu looked at him with a slight smile, "Sir is in the study, let me call you over."

Qin Mochi frowned, nodded perfunctorily, "I'll be there right away."

Auntie Zhang in the kitchen has worked in Xia's house for a long time, and she knew what's going on here, so she quickly waved her hand and said, "Go, Master Mochi, I'll take care of the rest."

Qin Mochi put down the things in his hands helplessly, and followed Lao Hu to the study upstairs.The door of the study was ajar, before Qin Mochi entered, he saw Xia Zhenghe sitting behind the desk reading a newspaper, with a cup of steaming green tea beside him.Qin Mochi knocked on the door symbolically, and before he put his hand on the doorknob, he heard a flutter of wings flapping in the study, followed by a few birds hanging on the balcony chirping and croaking together.

Xia Zhenghe was also taken aback, looked up and saw Qin Mochi standing at the door, and asked casually, "What are you doing?"

"What can I do?" Qin Mochi asked him dissatisfied, "I haven't come in yet, and I'm separated from your group of idiots by the whole study."

Xia Zhenghe looked at the frightened flock of birds hanging on the balcony jumping up and down as if seeing wild cats, feeling baffled in his heart.Qin Mochi seldom came to his study before, but it was not the first time he saw these birds, and he had never seen them react so violently.Especially the starling with the yellow beak, whose whole body was hanging upside down on the top of the cage, and was still croaking, "Help... help..."

Xia Zhenghe waved his hand at him, "You go downstairs and wait for me."

Qin Mochi rolled his eyes, and said to himself that you were the one who let him go upstairs, and you were the one who let him go downstairs, so you know that the grandson picked up for nothing is not worth as much as those broken birds in your mind.

Sure enough, as soon as he turned around, the birds on the balcony slowly quieted down.Xia Zhenghe looked at him with a strange expression when he went downstairs, "Where have you been?"

Qin Mochi said bluntly, "Countryside."

Xia Zhenghe frowned and said to himself, "Didn't it hit something..."

Qin Mochi looked at him lazily, "I didn't hit him, but I was possessed by a ghost."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Xia Zhenghe's face changed slightly. He is an elderly person and he doesn't like to hear such words.

Qin Mochi didn't want to stay here any longer, so he asked him directly, "What's the matter with calling me?"

Xia Zhenghe was not very satisfied with his attitude, but he also knew that Qin Mochi's temper was soft rather than hard, and he didn't go around in circles with him, so he asked straight to the point: "I heard that 'Fuyuan' wants to hire you to be the director of their design department ?”

Qin Mochi let out a "hmm" and waited for him to continue.

Xia Zhenghe was a little displeased. Qin Mochi should be able to hear the hidden meaning behind his words, but he refused to cooperate and insisted on letting himself speak out...

Xia Zhenghe coughed twice, "Then what is your answer?"

Qin Mochi looked at him in surprise, "They contacted me when I just won the award in October, and I'm still sitting here, isn't the answer obvious enough?"

Xia Zhenghe frowned, "I heard that 'Fuyuan' airborne an executive manager, this new manager seems to be very interested in you..."

"Hey, hey," Qin Mochi said hastily, "Don't use words just because you are old. What do you mean being interesting to me?"

Xia Zhenghe's face sank.

Qin Mochi groaned inwardly, thinking that this topic is so frightfully irrelevant.

"Give me an answer," Xia Zhenghe patted on the armrest of the sofa, "What do you think? Your father and your third uncle want you to help in the company, but you refuse to go even after you have told me several times."

Qin Mochi frowned, "Third Uncle has opened a shop at my doorstep." Who would believe that such a demeanor really sincerely invites him into Xia's company?Besides, Xia Hong has always been worried that Qin Mochi would work in the Xia family and rob his two sons' property. His third uncle has such a good relationship with Xia Hong, would he think about him?

"I've heard about this too." Xia Zhenghe frowned, "But Xia's is a chain store for the public, and your studio is high-end customization, and the customer base is different. There won't be a big conflict."

Qin Mochi, "...you really know how to analyze."

Xia Zhenghe looked at him sullenly.

The old and the young looked at each other for a moment, Qin Mochi lowered his eyelids, and said lightly, "I won't go to 'Fuyuan'. Don't you just wait for me to say this?"

Xia Zhenghe breathed a sigh of relief, if Qin Mochi went to "Fuyuan", the relationship with Xia Hong would definitely become more rigid.He is old and doesn't want to see his children and grandchildren turn against each other.

Qin Mochi leaned back lazily, "Why don't I go to Shanghai this year, so that you can rest assured." During the competition two years ago, I met a judge from Shanghai, and Zeng Ji tried his best to persuade him to go there side development.To Qin Mochi, he is a craftsman, where can he not support himself?

"No!" Xia Zhenghe vetoed this proposal, "I'm old, how many days can I live? Where do you want to go if you're not by my side?"

"What are you talking about?" Qin Mochi said casually, "Your old man is in strong health."

Xia Zhenghe sighed, "Don't blame your father, he's actually not easy. It's normal for you to have less contact with him, and it's normal for you to have less affection, but you can't say that he has no affection for you."

Qin Mochi's lips moved, and the words that had been buried in his heart for a long time were twirling around on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't say anything in the end.There are thousands of appearances in this world, and everyone believes that what they see with their own eyes is the truth.Perhaps seeing is believing, but a part of the truth is not the same as the whole truth.Just like the story of the blind men touching the elephant, what everyone touches is part of the truth, so what?No matter how real a leg and a long trunk are, they are just part of an elephant.

Qin Mochi sighed helplessly in his heart, and thought to himself, forget it, there is nothing to explain.He is not short of love, nor has he ever counted on the good intentions from Xia Hong. To others, the truth is not that important.

Coming out of Xia's house, Qin Mochi first went to his own store to store the few colored diamonds he received today.Qi Ming was looking for green gemstones recently, and when he saw the green diamonds received by Qin Mochi, he was almost dizzy with joy. He rolled over with the application form and hugged his thighs, completely ignoring his image in the eyes of the two assistants. Refresh the lower limit, and finally succeeded in getting Qin Mochi to sign the application form. He happily ran back to the workshop with the small box in his arms. Before entering the door, he still reminded Ningning to remember to order takeaway for him. He will work on the night shift while the iron is hot. .

Qin Mochi thought to himself that there is no normal person in my staff... The two assistants were relatively normal when they were first recruited. It has not been two years, and Zhang Xiaomi is not quite right anymore. Well, I don’t know if Ning Ning is still there. How long can it last...

Qin Mochi dug Qi Ming out of the workshop, and called Ning Ning and Zhang Xiaomi to go downstairs to carry things. He divided the local eggs, sausages, and fruits he brought back from Yangjiazhuang into two boxes each. benefits.The new year is coming soon, and it is not enough to just give out bonuses. Some things will be given out, so that it seems that their small group is more humane.

After moving the things, there was only a box of native eggs and a box of fruit left in the trunk, which he left for Tao Li. Tao Li is a Buddhist and doesn't eat meat, so Qin Mochi didn't leave meat products for her.Qin Mochi ran all day today, and he could finish it all at once, and he will run to other related households tomorrow.After all, it was the end of the new year, so there was a lot to do with New Year's greetings and gifts. Even if he had only a small studio under his control, there were quite a few things involved.

Qin Mochi called Tao Li. Tao Li was on her way home from get off work. After answering the phone, she complained that she was tired like a dead dog after working overtime for several days, and asked him and Xia Zhifei to have dinner together.

Tao Li also studied jewelry design and is currently working in the design department of "Fuyuan". In the beginning, people from "Fuyuan" contacted Qin Mochi through her. Although Qin Mochi didn't like the Xia family, he didn't have any rebellious followers. My family is interested in doing it.As for the new manager that Xia Zhenghe was talking about, he could ask Tao Li what was going on.

There was a traffic jam on the road for a while, and when Qin Mochi arrived at the hotel, Tao Li had already arrived and was waiting for him in the parking lot. Seeing Qin Mochi's car approaching, she waved her hand happily, "I'm waiting for you."

Qin Mochi moved the things into her car and told her, "They are all local products of Yangjiazhuang. Lao Yang said that he collected the eggs one by one from the chicken coop."

Tao Li disdained, "Listen to his nonsense. Does he still have that meticulous skill?"

Qin Mochi teased her half-truthfully, "Hey, Lao Yang is an old bum, but he's looking for a new love."

Tao Li paused in closing the car door, and looked at him dissatisfiedly, "Stop teasing us all the time, can you? It's been hundreds of years since I told him."

"Oh," Qin Mochi elongated his voice, "I'm relieved when you say that, this guy is entrusting me to make a gift for Xinhuan."

Tao Li looked at him dissatisfied.

Qin Mochi begged for mercy, "I don't care about you?"

Tao Li sighed, "It's good that we can get along like this now. I don't want anything else." She winked at him as she spoke, "Besides, I also have goals, much better than Lao Yang, that old bastard. .”

Qin Mochi knew Yang Ke because Tao Li was the lead. He knew that she and Lao Yang were classmates at the beginning.When she returned to the country, Lao Yang had already divorced and moved to the countryside to become a farmer.Qin Mochi always felt that these two were played by fate, which was a pity.

Tao Li took his arm and said, "Okay, you, you, who haven't even had a girlfriend before, still act as a relationship consultant with me? You can save yourself."

Qin Mochi fell silent.He felt that his situation was a bit complicated. He was originally a late-maturing breed, but at the age of first love, he found out that his crush had both men and women, which scared him half to death.For a long time, he avoided both men and women.Later, when I was a little older, I knew that there were people like him who were not sensitive to gender, and there was no big difference in the eyes of men and women.But the fear that originated in adolescence is deeply rooted and lingering.This caused Qin Mochi to be almost 25 years old, and he hadn't had a serious relationship yet - because no matter whether he was looking for a man or a woman, he would always feel that something was wrong.

Of course, Tao Li knew about his problem. When the two of them were interns abroad, many people chased after Qin Mochi, but Qin Mochi didn't respond to anyone.Tao Li didn't think it would be so complicated, she thought it might be because Qin Mochi's mental age was not grown up yet, or it was the old saying: Fate didn't come.

Xia Zhifei came late, and he was hypocritically polite as soon as he entered the door, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm late. Isn't it the Chinese New Year, there are many things to do, and I have to run everywhere."

Qin Mochi teased him, "A unit as full of justice as yours is running out of relationships?"

"You are enough." Xia Zhifei made a grimace, and said to Tao Li, "I will take you to a good place later."

Qin Mochi showed a bored expression, the good place Xia Zhifei said should be a bar or a more distinctive club.Qin Mochi doesn't come out to play very often. In his opinion, all bars are similar: wine, music, the smell of perfume laced with sweat, and noisy crowds.In contrast, he prefers to stay at home alone, even if he does nothing.

"So this person is boring." Xia Zhifei shook the wine glass in his hand, and said to the only lady in the box, "Don't you think he is a very fashionable person, but why does he live like a retired old man? of?"

Tao Li flipped through the menu and said without looking up, "So you don't understand the world of autism."

Qin Mochi protested, "I don't have autism!"

Xia Zhifei looked at him suspiciously, "Actually, I have always suspected that you have autism. You basically don't talk at home, no matter how many people are sitting in the room, you don't seem to see it... Fortunately, you Not like us."

Tao Li turned her head and asked him lazily, "What's the matter with you and your father? Aren't you the eldest son in the family? I think most people attach great importance to the first-born child in the family."

Qin Mochi pursed his lips, "Probably there is no relationship between father and son."

Tao Li was dissatisfied, "What kind of answer is this?"

Xia Zhifei thought for a while and said, "Maybe it's true, I don't think you are so... so cold to my dad."

Qin Mochi said in his heart that I'm not stupid, who treats me well, can't I see it?In this family, Xia Zhenghe does not interfere with the affairs of his children's family, he looks on coldly and has the same attitude towards everyone.It's not like being a grandfather, but rather like the patriarch of a tribe.In Xia Hong's mind, only Liu Xiaowan and her two sons are family members, not Qin Mochi.And here in Qin Mochi, apart from the two brothers Xia Zhilin Tang and Xia Zhinian Xia Zhifei, everyone else is just in the name of an extra family member.

Tao Li was sullen, "Because you lost it for ten years? Shouldn't the lost and found child be more cherished by the family?" How can there be a father who loses his child and closes the door happily to live his own life?Is this really my dad?

"If you want to cherish it, it depends on whether I like it or not." Qin Mochi shrugged, "Let's not talk about this, didn't you say that someone in your company introduced you to a partner last time? Where is the person? When will you bring it out for us to see? "

Tao Li withered immediately, lying on the table like a shrunken flower, and said listlessly: "It's divided."

"Why are they divided again!" The two men cried out in unison.

Tao Li leaned on Qin Mochi's shoulder, squinted at Xia Zhifei who was on the sofa beside her, and blinked pretending to be ambiguous, "Oh, there is no way, there is a Romeo living in my heart."

Xia Zhifei showed the same expression of reluctance to be fooled by Qin Mochi, "Just do it."

Tao Li laughed.She is not particularly beautiful, but when she smiles, she has a particularly bright feeling. Qin Mochi especially likes to see her smile.He always felt that Tao Li should still have some feelings for Yang Ke, but for some reason, the two of them remained indifferent, and neither of them made further expressions, which made him, a bystander, very depressed.

Tao Li waved her hand, "Let's not talk about me, I'm not in a hurry to get married now, my mother's goal is to win an international gold medal, then I can be like Mochi, and I will be coquettish wherever I go."

Qin Mochi almost spit out his wine, "Am I so frustrated?"

Tao Li smiled and asked Xia Zhifei, "What about you, when will you be promoted?"

Xia Zhifei said vaguely: "My department pays well, and the year-end bonus is also high, so promotion...is difficult."

"Then what is your specific job?" Qin Mochi was curious. He only knew that Xia Zhifei worked in the Public Security Bureau, but Xia Zhifei never said what he did specifically.

Xia Zhifei just smiled, "Don't hook me up to make mistakes, our department can't say it."

Qin Mochi looked at him dubiously, "Really?"

Xia Zhifei smiled but did not answer.

Qin Mochi waved his hands in disappointment, "If you don't say it, don't say it, hey, Tao Li, do you see who is the real bullshit?"

Tao Li shook her head, raised her head and said, "By the way, Qin Mochi, Lu Qiming is back, and now he is my immediate boss."

Qin Mochi froze for a moment.

Xia Zhifei asked, "Who is this person?"

Tao Li smiled mysteriously, "Our Mochi is going to have a headache."