Li Lan asked, "You're not looking for a partner. Why are you interested in my soul?"
The girl smiled and said, "It's better than someone like me. I hate myself now. I have nothing, I'm exhausted, and I don't even dare to say the word 'future'."
Li Lan lit a cigarette and was about to speak when his phone rang. He looked at the number. It was his mother. He didn't answer it immediately. Instead, he deliberately waited for a few seconds, pretending that he wasn't playing with his phone all the time.
"Hello, Mom. Why are you calling me now?"
"My good son, how are things over there?" He Fang asked with a smile on the phone.
Li Lan leaned against the wall with a cigarette in one hand and a phone in the other. He smiled and said, "It's not hot at all. It's even a little cold at night. I'm covered with a blanket. But you guys should pay attention to avoid the heat. What are you and Dad doing? It's already eleven o 'clock. Why aren't you asleep yet? "
All these years, the old couple had been sleeping early and waking up early. It was rare for them to be up so late. It was even more impossible for them to call him at this hour.
He Fang said, "I woke up and went to the toilet. I suddenly remembered something and wanted to tell you. Don't forget it."
Li Lan smiled bitterly. "Why can't you tell me tomorrow? Why are you in such a hurry? "
He Fang said, "Your Uncle Liu Hai is treating you to dinner next month. You have to come back."
"You know it's next month. Why are you in such a hurry?" Li Lan finally understood what his mother meant.
His mother had always liked Uncle Liu Hai's daughter, Liu Bai. She said that she was inviting him to dinner, but she must have secretly hoped that he and Liu Bai could develop a relationship.
His mother was kind and his father was open-minded. They didn't care about family status, but they called themselves a family of scholars. In order to match this name, his father put an entire building next to his house full of books.
His mother is building the country's largest university library and the country's largest digital library in Unilever University, which is completely open to the public. However, the digital library is currently in an awkward situation because of large-scale copyright infringement, and his mother is worried about it.
In the future, the so-called digital library might be reduced to a simple retrieval system.
From his mother's point of view, she still wanted to find an intellectual family to be in-laws.
Although Liu Hai is in the official career, his wife is a nationally renowned medical expert, and his mother-in-law and father-in-law are the founders of the aerospace field.
Liu Bai, on the other hand, was much more hardworking than Li Lan. She was about the same age, but she already had a master's degree in law from Harvard. In terms of educational background, the two of them were not on the same level.
He Fang said, "Liu Bai is already back. I'm treating her mother and her to dinner tonight. To tell you the truth, you won't get another chance like this if you miss this opportunity. You'd better focus on your work. Don't make me worry."
Their family could choose any daughter-in-law they wanted, but it was very difficult to find a satisfactory one.
The two of them and Liu Hai were classmates, and they didn't break off their friendship after they left society. Putting aside money, the two families knew each other very well. The little girl was beautiful and ambitious, so they couldn't be more suitable.
She was very satisfied with her arrangement.
Li Lan said, "Let me see what time it is. Mom, let me tell you the truth. Don't get your hopes up. She might not even like me."
Their family was rich, that was true, but Liu Bai's family wasn't bad either. Her father was in charge of politics, and they were already at that level. Money was at most icing on the cake for them.
He Fang said, "Don't bother with those useless things. Are you looking down on your father? If you're coming back, call me in advance. Your Uncle Liu is out of town now, so he doesn't have much time to come home. You have to make arrangements in advance. Do you understand, you silly boy? Alright, that's all I have to say to you. As long as you know what you're doing, it's fine. "
"Understood." Li Lan hung up the phone unhurriedly.
He actually had a plan in mind. Maybe it was just his mother's wishful thinking. He didn't know if the Liu family would agree, but he knew that his father wasn't very happy about it.
His father's opinion was the most important.
As far as he knew, his father was very unhappy with Liu Hai. Even today, the two of them could still quarrel when they met.
As long as the two of them were in the same room, it was hard for outsiders to imagine that vulgar words would come out of the mouths of a provincial leader and a tycoon. It was simply unbearable.
The girl stared at him while he was on the phone. Seeing that he had hung up the phone, she handed him the tea that she had brewed.
"Thanks." Li He took a sip of tea. His throat, which had been dried up by the steam room, finally felt a little better. He smiled and asked, "From your tone, you seem to have been educated. Why do you still speak so eloquently?"
The girl smiled and said, "If I had been educated, I wouldn't have the chance to appear here and talk to you."
She picked up the box of cigarettes beside Li Lan's hand without hesitation and lit a cigarette in front of him. She smiled and said, "But I occasionally flip through some books and memorize good sentences. Now that I'm familiar with them, I'm just hoping to meet someone who has tender feelings for me."
Li Lan was stunned. He didn't expect her to tell him the truth. Since she said it so sincerely, it meant that she had no hope for him. He smiled and asked, "How do you know that I don't have tender feelings for women?"
The girl said, "You said that this is your first time here. At first, I thought that you were pretending, but now I think that it's true. Old foxes come to the bathhouse and spend money. Whether it's their mouths or their hands, they won't be honest.
If you don't understand the rules, how can you have tender feelings for women? "
She smiled, revealing a row of snow-white teeth.
"If I don't understand the rules, won't I have tender feelings for women?" Li He wanted to get to the bottom of it.
The two of them asked and answered as if they were guessing riddles.
The girl shook her head and said, "You don't even understand what I mean, so naturally, you won't have tender feelings for women. For example, now, do you understand what I want?"
Li Lan finally understood. It was nothing more than money that made him willing to be a rich man. But even though he knew the answer, he couldn't say it out loud. It would seem too heartless.
If he really said it out loud, the girl would pretentiously reprimand him. Do I look like someone who values money so much in her eyes?
He pinched the cigarette butt and smiled. "Different professions are worlds apart. I don't understand. Why don't you go and do your work? I won't waste your time."
The girl asked, "Are you so heartless? I want to chat with you for free, but you still refuse?"
Li Lan took out a few banknotes from his wallet and handed them over. He smiled and said, "If you want to chat, then chat with me about this money."
The girl didn't take it. Instead, she said, "Why are you like this? I just want to chat with you."
Li Lan didn't insist. He stuffed the money back into his wallet and threw it on the bed. He then asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
The girl moved closer to him. "Why don't you ask for my name?"
"What's your name then?" Li Lan asked.
"You're so annoying. If I don't tell you, you won't ask?" the girl rebuked.
Li Lan shrugged. "It's not too late to ask now. May I know your name, Miss?"
"Well, seeing that you're so sincere, I'll tell you." The girl didn't continue to pester him. She raised her head and said, "My surname is Gao, Gao Siqi. Do you remember it?"
"Gao Siqi, remember." Li Lan nodded.
Gao Siqi looked at Li Lan's waning interest and asked, "Do you look down on me in this line of work?"
"Why would I?" Li Lan shook his head.
Gao Siqi continued, "Don't lie to me. I think you look down on me. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't do this if I wasn't forced to. This used to be a gold mine. There were many gold mines here, and people from all over the world had them. My family moved here from the south, and I went to high school here.
But later on, the gold mine slowly dried up. My father's business wasn't doing well, and he made a mistake in his investments. He owed a lot of debts. As for me, I'm no better than a chicken.
It's not easy to find a job in a small place. Moreover, I don't have much education, so I can barely do this job. "
Li Lan was dubious when he heard her sudden confession. However, he knew about the local gold mine, and he wasn't unfamiliar with it. This was because it was something his uncle used to brag about when he went out.
Whenever people asked his uncle where he was from, his uncle would say Huma. However, not everyone knew where Huma was, and they didn't even know the location of the Greater Khingan Range. While his uncle was spreading geographical knowledge, he also talked about the gold mine in Huma.
Huma had a history of mining gold for hundreds of years. Since ancient times, it had been known as "Black Water Inlaid, Gold Paving the Road". The earliest gold mining location was mainly in present-day Mohe, and it slowly expanded to Huma.
He smiled and said, "Yeah, none of them are easy. Why don't you go out and have a look? After all, there are more opportunities than at home."
Gao Siqi slowly moved closer to Li Lan and placed her hands on his shoulders. Seeing that he didn't move, she leaned her head against him and whispered, "We're outsiders. We don't have any relatives here, and we don't have any relatives outside. If I go out alone, my mother will definitely be worried. Besides, my father drinks so much every day, and I'm worried too. I still have to work hard and earn money to support the family. "
Li Lan said, "Yeah, good luck then."
When he was watching "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre", his mother was right beside him. She purposely repeated the lines in front of him, "Don't believe women's words easily, especially beautiful girls. They're especially good at lying."
He didn't take these words as the truth, but he would occasionally recall them to verify them.
Gao Siqi's phone rang. After picking it up, she said a few words on the phone and hung up. Then, she said to Li Lan, "Sorry, the leader is rushing me. I have to go. Continue to light the clock."
Li Lan put on his slippers and walked her to the door. After watching her carry her small bag into a room at the end of the corridor, he closed the door and lay on the bed. Without thinking or doing anything, he fell asleep.
The next morning, the first thing he did when he woke up was look at his phone. It was only seven o 'clock.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, his stomach was empty. He was really hungry.
He put on his clothes and went downstairs. He wanted to pay the bill at the counter, but the cashier rejected him.
The cashier smiled and said, "Mr. Li, feel free to go out if you have something to do. Brother Fang has already arranged everything."
"Thank you then." Li Lan didn't stand on ceremony. He walked out of the bathing area and looked up. There was a mutton soup restaurant opposite the road.
The mutton soup restaurant wasn't big. Other than the six tables inside, there were also four tables outside. He didn't go in, but sat outside.
The golden sunlight shone from the leaves onto his table.
There was a big pot filled with soup at the door. The boss was busy and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Li Lan said, "Three sesame seed cakes and a bowl of noodles."
The noodles were served. He used his chopsticks to stir the soup in the bowl. Before it cooled down, he drank a big mouthful of soup, ate a mouthful of noodles, and took a bite of the sesame seed cake. As he chewed, he watched the bustling road.
"Hey, are you having breakfast here?" Gao Siqi suddenly stood in front of him.
"Huh?" Li Lan was very surprised. He didn't expect to meet her here. "You work so late. Why don't you sleep a little longer?"
Gao Siqi shook her head. "My mother has to go to the hospital for a check-up this morning. I went home to pick her up and then sent her to the hospital. I was waiting for a taxi at the entrance. I happened to see you, so I came over to say hello. If there's nothing else, I'll leave you to your work. "
Li Lan didn't understand her change. From their conversation last night, she was clearly a cheerful and straightforward person. He didn't expect her to become so bashful now.
He asked politely, "Do you want me to drive you?"
Gao Siqi waved her hand. "No need, thank you."
Li Lan said, "I'm serious."
Gao Siqi pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment. She tightened the bag on her shoulder and twisted her hands together. She asked in a low voice, "Can I really?"
"Boss, another bowl of mutton soup and two sesame seed cakes." Li Lan gulped down the mutton soup in the bowl and took the last biscuit from the basket. He stood up and said to her, "Eat something first. I'll go get the car. Wait here."
"Thank you." She watched as Li Lan left.
Li Lan walked back into the bathing area. He rested his hands on the counter and asked, "Who parked the car last night?"
The waiter smiled and asked, "Boss Li, do you need the key?"
Li Lan nodded. "Yes."
The waiter made a phone call. Two minutes later, a security guard came in with the key.
Li Lan took He Anwen's car key, thanked him, and left the bathing area.
He Anwen's car looked like a Passat, but it didn't stand out.
Li Lan drove the car to the entrance of the mutton soup restaurant. Without waiting for Gao Siqi to greet him, he got out of the car.
He smiled and said, "Don't be in a hurry. We'll leave after eating."
"Have another biscuit?" Gao Siqi said, "I can't eat that much."
"Okay." Li Lan picked up another biscuit. The biscuit looked big, but it was ridiculously thin. He smeared some chili on it and rolled it back and forth, finishing it in a few bites. Seeing that she had already drunk half a bowl of soup, he went to pay the bill with the boss.
After she finished eating, the two of them got into the car. Li Lan followed her instructions and drove out of the city. After another ten miles, they turned into a small road and entered a village in the countryside.
The buildings in the village were scattered. Along the way, they only saw three to five families.
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