As Peter had predicted, I got a book list from him as soon as we got on the subway.

He and Miss Pender must have talked about everything.I don't have such an extremely long-lasting and always close friendship. It's hard to fill in the details of getting along with experience, but I still feel that his kindness to me is actually more like an extension of his relationship with Miss Pender .

I decided to accept the kindness wholeheartedly, thanked him, and added these primers related to injury recovery to the memo.

"Speaking of which, Peter's nickname is spelled in the Latin alphabet." Miss Pender and I talked in a low voice standing at the connecting position of the carriage. "Is it the Cyrillic alphabet you specially changed?"

She nodded: "Remind me to switch input methods when sending messages. We were introduced to each other in the first year of college, and 'Sonia' is a common Russian name. A lot of us danced together when he was not yet Know my last name... Maybe I'm not dark enough? He thought I was some kind of totally Americanized Russian, just back from sunbathing on some private island."

I've decided to drop superficial political correctness, at least with her.

However, maybe I haven't gotten used to it yet, so I still hesitated when I spoke: "Frankly speaking, I didn't notice the Slavic blood in you until you told me. I thought you were just more beautiful."

Miss Pender first laughed, but said nothing.She looked at me for a moment: "Why do you keep praising me today?"

"Just learning to open up." I shrugged, "Share more what I think is the truth, and if I'm not sure, I'll ask you directly."

Noticing my sense of proportion in public, she keeps her head down, maybe smiling.She took out her mobile phone, and I understood what she was going to do almost instantly, so I also held the mobile phone in my hand.

The phone vibrated.Miss Pender tucked the top edge of her mask in a nonchalant way.

Miss Pender: "That's why I like people who have the trait of being smart, and they're usually also quick learners."

I look up at her.

Her smile rippled in her gray-green eyes: "Smart girl."

Although I was praised so much, I felt that I must have laughed silly when I heard this.

Luckily she couldn't see—at least not fully.

At this time, I will face up to the convenience of the mask again.

Miss Pender went on: "My mother always said I didn't have a Slav nose, but hers was as small as mine. Our noses looked like Grandpa's."

Then I want to thank your grandfather, I thought.I like her small nose very much.

"I guess he's speaking Russian to you?" I switched to another hand. "It feels like something Peter would do."

"Russian boy who didn't know anything about cross-cultural people in his first year away from his home country. His college life was always 'rich', and there was one time before the final exam, when everyone was studying in a hurry, he must drag I went to find a pie. I didn't even know what it was!" She said a loud Russian word to describe the pie, "As a kind of revenge, I started speaking Polish to him. If it was Oral communication, plus body language, under normal circumstances we can understand each other's meaning, of course, the cumbersome part of Russian grammar will still bring obstacles to my understanding."

When she spoke the last sentence, Miss Pender's voice was very low.

"And some of the connections are also very strange." She whispered again.

I decided to take care of her emotions: "I guess it should be like that."

Miss Pender raised her eyebrows.

"Can Eastern Europeans who speak different languages ​​communicate as easily as Pakistanis and Indians?" I asked again.

"The difference is bigger, but as long as you have mastered one Slavic language, it is much easier to learn others. Moreover, whether people from India and Pakistan can communicate smoothly depends on the region, at least it is difficult for me." She said Looked at me, "Of course things have a solution, a culturally strong language like English, body language, stuff like that. Guess how I learned to tell the difference between Hindi and Tamil?"

I nodded: "I know that feeling. When you are asked for directions by someone who looks like a compatriot, or walk into a Chinese restaurant, and the person chooses to speak Cantonese first-this is especially common for us, traveling all over the world in the early years Almost all ethnic Chinese are native speakers of Cantonese or Hokkien.”

"I understand a little," Miss Pender responded.The voice of our conversation on the subway was extremely low, but the ambient noise was so loud that I could hardly hear her answer clearly.

She whispered again: "And you have to be careful with the description of the geographical location. Now Poland is definitely a Central European country, and when you are more inclined to describe it as part of Eastern Europe ... you know, a little 'red'. "

I was originally very red.I thought to myself, at least my undertone must be red.

But her words still made me think.After leaving the station, we didn’t talk for a while, and when there were fewer people around, I asked, “Why are you willing to take the initiative to learn Polish, but never thought about learning Hindi?”

"There's a reason why I often speak Polish to Peter." Miss Pender turned around, switched her bags to her left hand, stared at me, slowly took off her mask, and said, "I'm a rebel."

She has a sly look in her eyes.

I laughed helplessly: "I will be fined."

"I have money." Her tone sounded nonchalant, but she still put on the mask obediently again.

We walked side by side on the outside of the sidewalk.Her apartment was in front of her eyes, and the pace of the two of them became slower and slower, and it was unknown who started it.

What is she thinking?

I'm thinking about the scene when we first took this path.

I suddenly said, "Do you believe in karma?"

"It depends on which karma you're talking about, the Indian or the American..." Miss Pande paused, "Do you know? I don't even believe it. The past life determines the present life, or the wicked will have their own evil. An indulgence that only works as a placebo."

I took a breath. "That's sharp. Ever heard of 'Gloria'?"

"Patti Smith?" She turned to me, obviously in disbelief, "no—"

"What's the matter?" I looked at her, "I like her songs."

Miss Pender was coming to terms with this fact: "I just didn't expect that. You know, you occasionally talk about a sentence from the Bible, and I just thought you were more... gentler, on the existence and meaning of Jesus and things like that. serious matter."

"I believe there was a man. Historical records, archaeological evidence, there are many things that prove that he was the first person to mention the concept. And, maybe there just happened to be a martyr in the past with that name." I said, "I just don't feel like he died for my sin."

"So you identify with the lyrics to 'Gloria'?" she asked.Seeing me nodding, Miss Pande made a nasal sound.

"how?"

"You're nothing like that song."

"I know." I smiled at her, "but it wasn't like that when I was a college student."

Miss Pender stopped at the door and looked at me for a moment.

She just looked at me carefully, and there was something flowing in her eyes.Miss Pender said at last: "I like you the way you are."

I nodded slightly: "Me too."

We entered the apartment lobby with our bags and bags.Miss Pan De was waiting for me to register, she stood there for a while, and said, "Do you think it is possible not to let her register? There are 30 days in a month, and she has to register 32 times."

I paused.

"Of course, Miss Pan." The administrator said without any hesitation, "According to the "COVID Temporary Measures Act", the management office needs Miss Li to fill out a resident registration form, which takes about 15 minutes. Do you want to register today?"

Her tone was calm: "I'll give you 60 seconds. 59, 58..."

"—the previous registration records already contain most of the required materials. Uh, I will be more than happy to do it for you, but Miss Li, we need your signature authorization."

"Thank you." Miss Pender raised her eyebrows.

The workload of 15 minutes was compressed into 30 seconds by her.

I pressed the elevator door: "You are so overbearing."

"I pay them a large management fee every year." Miss Pender stared at me. "A large sum."

I didn't have any free hands, so I could only surrender with my eyes: "Every modern enterprise wants to collect as much information as possible, whether it is useful or not. You are right, and I completely agree with you."

Miss Pender blinked: "Including no longer need to register itself?"

I looked at her for a moment, and couldn't help laughing first: "I completely agree with you."

Opening the door, we took out the gifts in the bag one by one.She chatted with me while sorting out the categories: "What keeps you here? I remember it was just a coincidence that you came here in the first place, and the crab shell gave you the invitation, and you wanted to stay in a place that matched your stomach." place to fit in."

"That's it." I lowered my eyes, "After I decided to leave the United States, I tried to send my resume to some companies, but you know, considering the exchange rate, it is difficult for most Asian companies to provide attractive enough conditions. The salary is almost twice that of other companies, and Rudra especially wanted me to join his team," I was silent for a moment when talking about the boss, "The position is also very good, so I came here. It's safe here, walk alone in the early morning There is no need to be afraid on the road, all kinds of institutions are very efficient, and the lack of cultural activities is a disadvantage... Besides, you can also buy pine nut candies from Caizhizhai.”

Miss Pan De listened carefully, her hand movements slowed down: "Caizhi..."

"Caizhizhai." I repeated again at a slower pace, hugged her and kissed her, "Every time you speak Chinese, I find you are very cute."

She looked at me with some scrutiny: "Like a child?"

I shook my head and laughed: "Like someone who is very addicted to me."

"What kind of candy is that?" She deliberately didn't look at me, and went to the study with some things. When she came back, she had an extra booklet in her hand.

"Pine nuts wrapped in maltose, a specialty of Suzhou. When I was a child, my grandmother always asked me to take a big bag back home. I refused, so she emphasized that my mother loves to eat, and then we packed half a suitcase with all kinds of food. Osmanthus cake and even meat floss..." I unconsciously touched the fine hair on the side of my cheek, "But I rarely eat it. Too sweet things hinder my thinking. I like to eat mints that have no sweet taste."

"So someday you'll go back?" She was still standing, one hand resting on the couch. "Back to where there's pine nuts?"

"I don't think so." I looked at her, "What about you, do you have any specific plans for the future?"

Miss Pender handed me the brochure: "My future plan is for you to read this."

I took it and scanned the cover.

It is the instruction manual of the smart door lock.

"Go and take your fingerprints. The password is 062709." Miss Pender said.

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