As the year drew to a close, even Jianghe City, which was usually not very cold, saw ice flowers bloom.
It was the last day of 2007. Shi Hua stood by the roadside in thick clothes, his hat already covered with a layer of white snow, and a layer of accumulated snow on his shoulders. He shivered, rubbing his hands from time to time to warm them with his breath. He spread out his hand, and before long, the snowflakes on his palm melted in his hand, and his fingers already felt numb. He quickly wiped away the water with his clothes and stuffed his hands into his pockets, although this didn’t help much and wasn’t very warm. After all, the temperature was already very low, and there was no warm place on his body.
He was standing under a withered tree by the roadside. There were few people walking on the street because the weather this year was really bad. It felt like it might get even colder in a few days, and then he really wouldn’t want to go out. Fortunately, he had muddled through this semester in a busy way, just waiting to submit a lackluster answer sheet at the end of the term in a few days, and everyone would go back to their respective homes.
Finally, after shivering in the cold wind for about an hour, he finally waited for the two people, Mo Wenli and Meng Yue. He saw two people dressed in thick clothes, their hands tucked into their pockets, walking carefully. Seeing Shi Hua trembling by the roadside, Mo Wenli looked at him apologetically, “Sorry, we’re late. The teacher asked us to go to the lab just now. He told us about the next semester’s research experiments, which is related to our graduation, so, sorry.”
“Why are you standing here? Why didn’t you find a shop to sit in? You’ll freeze to death.”
“Let’s go, let’s talk inside.” Meng Yue walked over cautiously, almost falling several times. Winter in the south was really hard to bear. Not only was it rainy, but especially after it snowed, the ice and snow melted and froze on the ground, making it difficult for people to walk, and cars were also prone to skidding. A few days ago, she saw a news report saying that the economic damage caused by winter amounted to billions of yuan.
Spring and autumn were Meng Yue’s favorite seasons. They didn’t have the severe cold of winter, so she didn’t have to keep thinking about the stove, and they didn’t have the heat of summer, so she didn’t hate not having air conditioning everywhere. The temperature in spring and autumn made her feel the gentlest and freest. At this moment, she only hoped to have a vacation soon. Meng Huan’s house had a stove, and there was also air conditioning in the room. She couldn’t wait to sit inside for two months and get through this cold winter.
“My phone is out of power. We agreed to meet here by the roadside. If I wasn’t here, I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find me when you came. Let’s go, let’s talk inside.” Shi Hua shook the snow off his hat and shoulders, turned around and walked on the road, his toes already feeling frozen. After walking around two corners, he arrived at a music bar in a few minutes. This was a new one that had recently opened near the school. He heard that the interior was very well-equipped and the prices were reasonable. Mo Wenli asked him if he knew where it was, so Shi Hua went to ask people and found out the information. After that, Mo Wenli said to come here for a chat.
Pushing open the door, the warm air instantly made Shi Hua feel like he had come to another world. Although he couldn’t see anything, his glasses were covered with fog. “It’s so warm,” Mo Wenli said.
The three found a corner to sit down. They didn’t meet often. They would have a big gathering every week or two, and occasionally they would make an appointment to have a meal together. They were all alumni, and they didn’t lack topics to chat about when they sat together. Meng Yue heard Mo Wenli say that Shi Hua often contacted her on his phone, and she also thought this person was quite interesting, so they were indirectly friends.
But as a third person, Meng Yue felt that Shi Hua’s attitude towards Mo Wenli was more than just a friend. Maybe he had even further ideas. Of course, she had never had Shi Hua’s contact information. Every time she saw Shi Hua, it was through Mo Wenli. The three of them meeting regularly seemed to have become a kind of tacit understanding.
“Shi Hua, you are worthy of studying journalism. You will definitely be a good reporter in the future. You can find anything for me. The shop is so hidden, as if you are afraid of us finding it.” Mo Wenli sat down and poured a cup of cold tea for Shi Hua. After all, she and Meng Yue were too late. In such a hot place, when she saw Shi Hua standing there, she was actually a little embarrassed. Why was this woman so hypocritical?
“There’s no way. Good places are expensive. This place has two floors and is not small. If you go outside, the rent will probably double.” Shi Hua drank a glass of hot water. This was poured for him by Mo Wenli. It was so delicious, warm, and considerate.
The three ordered a few big dishes, and as usual, they ordered a bottle of wine. After the first lesson, Meng Yue and Shi Hua had also learned their lesson. Just as Mo Wenli was about to take out the second bottle, the two of them reached out at the same time to stop her.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry, eat first. I don’t think this wine is very good. Drink less.” Shi Hua quickly said.
“Why? Don’t you drink alcohol to warm up in winter?”
“Hey, hey, hey, I think Shi Hua is right. I don’t think the quality of this wine is very good either. I just drank two sips and my head is already a little sore.” She and Shi Hua looked at each other, and the two quickly moved the remaining wine to the side. If they drank any more, Mo Wenli would vomit here in a while, and they would be embarrassed to stay here. It was so cold outside, they really didn’t want to go out so soon! It was better to keep Mo Wenli a little sober.
This was a consensus reached by Shi Hua and Meng Yue without communication. The two’s eyes revealed a tacit and firm look.
Mo Wenli belonged to the kind of person who liked to drink alcohol, but couldn’t drink much. When Meng Yue was in the dormitory, she asked her why she liked this thing so much. Mo Wenli frowned and said, “Um… I don’t know, but the feeling of being drunk is very cool.”
“Ah? Very cool? Every time I wake up the next day, I cry and tell you that I will never drink again.”
“Oh, oh, oh~ you don’t understand.”
“You don’t understand, but if I have to take care of a drunk myself once, you will think I understand.”
To this, Mo Wenli always snorted and pretended not to hear.
Because her younger sister Meng Huan also always drank, she also said that she didn’t understand the taste of wine. Meng Yue really didn’t understand. It was so hard to drink, how was it sold uniformly throughout the country? But Meng Huan often went home drunk, staggering back was several times. After being criticized by Meng Yue several times, she didn’t stagger back anymore, because she directly chose not to go home.
“Are you guys busy lately?” Shi Hua looked at Mo Wenli and asked.
“I’m quite free, because I have to do experiments next year. In fact, you don’t understand at all. You just listen to the clouds and fog. You’re afraid that you won’t know anything when the time comes.” After the wine entered her throat, Mo Wenli began to talk loudly and generously about her recent affairs.
“What about you, Shi the Great Reporter?” Regarding this title, it was a professional question that they had talked about before. Shi Hua said that he would probably become a reporter in the future, because he liked freedom, and the feeling that a reporter gave him was that he thought it was such a profession. From then on, Mo Wenli often called him that.
“Could it be that you are secretly pursuing some big sister? Tell us about it and let us analyze it. I will definitely get it for you!”
Hearing this, Shi Hua couldn’t hold back the tea he drank in his mouth. Did this woman really have no feelings at all! He contacted her every now and then! Wasn’t his performance obvious enough! Shi Hua was also the first time he liked a girl. It wasn’t that no one pursued him. His family and his personal qualities were all good, but he had never pursued anyone. He didn’t know how to act.
He glanced at Meng Yue slightly. He wanted to know if Meng Yue had seen it. Meng Yue just smiled slightly, then lowered her head and didn’t speak, because she couldn’t help but want to laugh. Mo Wenli was dull, and Shi Hua was dull, but they were quite a match.