desolate

It's the third time.

"Sorry, we only accept handmade designs, customization, tombstones here...we didn't accept it."

Zhou Ze tried to explain to them again why no tombstones were engraved in the store.

"Isn't the one on the tombstone also engraved? What's the difference?" Xu Duozhi sometimes takes it seriously, such as now.

"It's not the same..." Zhou Ze pressed his patience. He couldn't say it directly. According to Zhou Haiyang's temper as a self-proclaimed artist, unless the person buried in your family is one of the top ten people who moved the world, otherwise he would not dig the grave. Forget it?

Of course, Seo Da Ji may also be happy to see it happen.

"Curly hair."

Pei also seemed to finally feel that Xu Duozhi's behavior was embarrassing, so he interrupted Zhou Ze before he gave his fourth explanation.

Xu Duozhi thought that Pei was also encouraging himself: "Grandpa Pei, don't worry, I will definitely handle things well..."

"What the hell." Pei couldn't bear it anymore, and grabbed his collar, "Look at the engraving, and then think about what I want. Is it the same thing?"

Xu Duozhi looked at the things on the table, and at Zhou Ze who was very embarrassed.

"Oh...!" Xu Duozhi touched the back of his head, as if he had realized it.

Zhou Zechong also showed a gratified smile to Pei.

Fortunately, there is someone who understands.

It's a pity that this guy didn't even give him a look.

As if he had confirmed that there was no business to do, Zhou Ze quickly sat back at the table and had no intention of greeting them again.

Pei also watched his slow movements, and moved his toes, but the next second, after seeing the text message on his mobile phone, his feet turned around in place, dragging Xu Duozhi towards the gate.

"Let's go, that young master is urging you."

"Ah? Why is he in a hurry!...Grandpa! Grandpa! Be gentle..."

……

The voices of the two became farther and farther away, and gusts of northwest wind came in from the door, and the linen curtain was blown over and over.It wasn't long before it was completely dark.

From the beginning to the end, Zhou Ze didn't raise his head again. When Zhou Haiyang came back, it was completely dark outside.

"Come and help me move it." Zhou Haiyang waved to him as soon as he entered the door, "Hey, be careful..."

He moved back another stone.Zhou Haiyang propped up his waist and moved around, and when he lowered his head, he saw the leftovers that Zhou Ze used to practice his hands.

"You can't do this, is your hand raw? The thread is all crooked."

Zhou Ze didn't speak.

Not only is he a raw hand, but in the past ten years, the number of times he has touched a carving knife can be counted on the fingers. Whenever Ms. Ma Wenjing sees things that have nothing to do with learning, she will give him special and strict oral education.

Zhou Haiyang probably also understood what was going on, he just sighed without saying anything.Soon, a small trailer was pulled from the back yard, and I was going to play with my own stones again.

Zhou Ze stared at his busy movements for a while, then put on his coat: "...I'm going out...to buy something."

"Well, wait a minute." Zhou Haiyang stopped him, and took out several tens of 20 yuan from his trouser pockets. The largest denomination was 50 yuan, and he gave Zhou Ze all his brains. "I didn't buy you anything when we met. Use it and bring back a 26 soft cloud."

Holding the warm banknotes in his hands, Zhou Ze pushed back: "It's okay, I have living expenses."

Zhou Haiyang didn't answer his words, but gave him a nudge: "Go."

Walking out of the store, the long street at the door had died down, the temperature was lower at night, and even the moon could not be seen when looking up, Zhou Ze was wrapped in a long coat and plunged headlong into the night.

In fact, he doesn't need any school supplies, and he doesn't want to go shopping on the pedestrian street.Regarding Pingjiang, I lived here most of the time before I was eight years old. Although my memory is vague, it is not completely unremembered.

After leaving the long street, he could see the sixth middle school he was going to across a road.There are no 24-hour convenience stores everywhere in small cities, and shops in small streets and alleys close early.Zhou Ze went all the way to the entrance of No. [-] Middle School before finding a canteen that was still open.

"A pack of 26 soft clouds...forget it, two packs."

Zhou Ze walked out of the convenience store holding two packs of cigarettes.

Surrounded by the main road, there are many people coming and going, and he has no habit of smoking in public places—swallowing, Zhou Ze followed the iron fence of No. [-] Middle School to a corner.

The street lights on this section of the road were broken, and it was dark all around.

Seeing that there were indeed no more passers-by, Zhou Zecai was about to reach for the lighter in his pocket, when a sound of jingling and beating beside him interrupted his movement again.

Zhou Ze squeezed hard in his hand and almost broke the lighter.

Maybe he was standing too close, and the dark figures inside all turned around.

"Damn, what are you looking at?"

The person closest to him seemed to glared at him viciously. The whites of his eyes were the most eye-catching thing in the dark. When he opened his eyes, the two eyeballs seemed to burst out of his sockets.

"……sorry."

"Leave far away!"

Zhou Ze apologized lightly, and when he looked away, his eyes swept over them again—there were two stubborn ones surrounded by seven or eight sloppy people.

However, at this moment, one of them suddenly made a dangerous move, and while the others turned their heads, smashed it with the helmet in his hand.

After that, there was a scream and chicken feathers all over the place.

Some were even thrown headfirst into a dumpster.

……

"Pei Ye, you fucking wait for me!"

As long as these people lose, they will leave such a line that has been said hundreds of thousands of times without changing a single word.

Their original advantage was completely suppressed by Pei Ye's resistance like a mad dog.Simply this group of people are just naughty children, not to the point of being desperate, and they will be afraid when facing lunatics.

"Wait for your mother."

Pei Ye always only replied these three words. He shook his arms and walked out from the middle of the wall blocking him. He threw his helmet high to Xu Duozhi who was running in a hurry.

No matter how badly the monkey was beaten, he was still unconvinced, but when he saw him raise his hand, he flinched in fear.

What are you afraid of?

Afraid of mad dogs.

Xu Duozhi saw the bruises on Pei Ye and Wen Jialang's faces as soon as he rolled his eyes, and his brain became hot, and he yelled: "Monkey I'm stupid/Your mother! It's a one-on-one match, why are you calling me?"

"Fuck, what did I just call you?"

Young people can't be excited the most.

The people who were about to die down immediately pushed, shouted and cursed, and the rags splashed, causing another commotion in the dark and narrow passage.

"Are you fucking stupid/pussy?" Pei Ye kicked Xu Dazhi.

Fortunately, a taxi stopped by the side of the road at this time.

Pei Ye grabbed one and stuffed it into the back row of the taxi like a stuffed cotton, followed by himself into the co-pilot.

"Master, drive!"

……

The car had already started, and those yelling and cursing were slowly left in a pile of unpleasant car exhaust.

"Brother Pei, here." As soon as the taxi left the street, Wen Jialang in the back seat took out his wallet and counted three red bills, "Excessive medical expenses."

Pei Ye rubbed the wound on the corner of his mouth, took the money without saying a word, and then prepared to draw a fare from it.

"I'll come, I'll come." Wen Jialang stopped him again.

Fine.

Pei Ye rubbed the money into his pocket again.

The master driver took the red ticket with lingering fear, and secretly looked at these bad guys who didn't do anything good at first glance, regretting the order more or less.

Pei also pretended not to notice the driver's eyes, but glanced at the rearview mirror: "Curly hair, did you meet anyone when you first arrived?"

"Who is it?" Xu Duozhi was very surprised holding the helmet, "I guess he was passing by, didn't you call someone?"

Pei also shook his head: "I'm afraid it's from our school, what kind of anonymous report has Director Yan been doing recently?"

He recalled that person, although he looked familiar, but... the other person had his back against the scenery, and he couldn't see anything clearly except for a vague outline.

Wen Jialang suddenly answered: "You said that coward/force just now? No way. But even if it's from our school, it's fine. I'm too frightened to fart, and I probably wouldn't dare to file a complaint."

Xu Duozhi sneered and said, "You're the only one who still says others are cowardly?"

Wen Jialang opened his eyes wide: "What's wrong with me, I'm not as good as Brother Pei, but..." He "but" for a long time, and finally "but" came out rich.

"Okay, you have money, please treat me to supper, I didn't even eat dinner." Xu Duozhi rolled his eyes at him.

Wen Jialang was used to his attitude towards him, and he was not unhappy at all, instead he took out his bulging wallet.

"Please, please, brother Pei, what do you want to eat? Barbecue? Hot pot? How about two dishes?"

"I don't want to eat, I have to go back."

Xu Duozhi let out a disappointment: "Why?"

"Su Ya said that the water pipe is blown. Curly remember that you have to help me look after the store tonight—turn around in front of the master and go to the waterworks dormitory."

According to his instructions, the taxi circled around the next intersection and passed the gate of No. [-] Middle School, heading for Pei Ye's house.

When they went back, they saw the group of gangsters again. Those people were asking where they were going, and they were walking on the main road.

"That seems to be the person just now."

Suddenly, Wen Jialang saw a leaning figure under a certain tree.Unfortunately, as soon as he finished speaking, the taxi turned into a dark alley the next second.

When Pei Ye heard the sound and looked over, he only saw a dilapidated construction site.

He lowered his head in front of the approaching mahjong parlor: "Forget it, I probably don't know him."

……

When Zhou Ze returned home, the store was closed, so he had to go up to the second floor from the weedy backyard.

Walking on the path paved with wooden boards, I am afraid that the next step will step into the mud.

The lights had been turned off in the house, obviously the owner of this house should have forgotten the mission he sent out at some point.Fortunately, Zhou Haiyang had given him the keys to his house earlier.

Loud snoring can be heard in the living room.

Zhou Ze fumbled in lightly, placed the cigarettes Zhou Haiyang wanted in a very conspicuous place, then found his suitcase in a corner, and slipped into his bedroom.

The bedroom was small, and the utility room was temporarily remodeled. The so-called window was not as big as his face, like an air vent that was opened for fear of suffocating the people inside.

The bathroom is on the first floor, only half the size of his utility room, but the window is twice as large, which may be due to the environmental factors when taking a shower.

Zhou Ze took off his clothes only to find that the window was open.Its position is relatively high, and when he stood on tiptoe and stretched out his hand, he suddenly saw a piece of insect corpses on the window sill.

He froze for a while.

Forget it.

One shouldn't get one's hopes up about the circumstances of a 40-year-old single man's life.

While consoling himself, Zhou Ze solved the bathing issue within 3 minutes at the risk of being seen by others.

After returning to the room, he didn't pack the luggage out immediately, but let it spread out on the ground, and the pack of cigarettes he just bought was stuffed in the gap among the pile of clothes.

hum- hum-

It seems that many people think of him today, and now there is another phone call.

Zhou Ze glanced at the note on it from a distance—unfamiliar numbers—should be said to be a string of strange numbers in Beijing.

He had already guessed who the person on the other end of the phone was, but he had no desire to answer the phone at all.

The other party also seemed to know him very well, and kept calling without answering. The two seemed to be using this phone call to compete their respective endurance.

After some battles across the air, it was Zhou Ze who disarmed first.

"Hello?"

A very polite and impeccable opening statement.

"...Hey, choose, why is it taking so long, I thought you didn't want to answer my call."

As soon as the other party's voice sounded, Zhou Ze couldn't help frowning.

"……elder brother."