In that unknown parallel world, some extraordinary people live extraordinary lives.
Cai Gen, sitting at the dining table by the window, lit a cigarette.
A cigarette is 8cm, not counting the filter, which is 5cm, and usually takes 9 puffs.
A pack of cigarettes costs 7 yuan, each cigarette costs 3.5 cents, and a puff costs less than 4 cents.
Every time Cai Gen smoked, he remembered it clearly because he was very poor.
In winter in the Northeast, the sun is very warm in the morning, and it shines very comfortably on Cai Gen's pale face.
It was so comfortable that even if I just got up, I felt sleepy again.
The glass door of the restaurant was pushed open and an old man walked in.
"Boss, do you want bean bags?"
The old man first asked into the room, and then started looking around for someone. No one was at the bar?
In the corner by the window, I saw Cai Gen, walked over, and asked again.
"Boss, do you want bean bags?"
Cai Gen's sleepiness did not dissipate because of the visitor, and he casually looked at the visitor.
Black old-fashioned cotton jacket, black old-fashioned cotton trousers, and a patch with beautiful stitching can be seen on the trouser leg.
The clothes were very old, but they were washed very clean. On his feet were a new pair of large-toe furry cotton shoes, and on his face was a new white mask, and his ears were red from the cold.
He also had a pair of brand new white gloves on his hands, holding a series of bean bags and showing them to Cai Gen.
“Homemade, pure yellow rice and bean buns, 10 pieces for 15 yuan.”
Cai Gen stared at the bean buns. They were 1 yuan each in the morning market, which was bigger than this. The most important thing was that they would cause heartburn if they were sticky.
"don't want."
The old man saw that Cai Gen refused very simply and without any embarrassment, he continued to speak skillfully.
“It’s really home-made, green food.”
Cai Gen was not impressed by green food and remained persistent.
"don't want."
The old man felt a little unhappy and turned to leave, but as if he thought of something, he turned back and said with a tentative smile.
"Boss, can I exchange the bean bags for a meal?"
Cai Gen thought for a moment.
"It's 15 yuan a portion. I'll make it if you want to eat it. You can't exchange it for a bean bag."
The old man's eyes showed a very disappointed look. After waiting for a few seconds, seeing that Cai Gen could not change his mind, he turned around with a straight face, opened the glass door, and went out.
As the bell on the glass door made a crisp sound, Cai Gen lit another cigarette.
Through the glass door, I watched the old man put the bean bags in the basket hanging on the back of the bicycle.
He kicked off the ladder, pushed the cart, and walked to the next shop, continuing to sell his bean bags.
When Cai Gen took the fourth puff of his cigarette, he began to kowtow. Then he carefully pinched off the cigarette butt, leaving a relatively large butt, and then fell asleep on the table.
After sleeping until the afternoon, there was still no business, and no one disturbed Cai Gen's sleep.
I washed my face, felt a little hungry, and almost ran out of cigarettes. I still had to stay up one night, and it was hard to endure without a cigarette. I put on my down jacket and went to the supermarket at the door to buy cigarettes and instant noodles.
When I walked to the door of the supermarket, I was catching up with students after school, and the road was crowded with cars picking up students.
I entered the supermarket and bought a pack of cigarettes and two packs of instant noodles, one for now and one for late night snacks. While I was paying, I heard the sharp sound of brakes coming from outside.
"I'm going, there was a car accident."
"There are so many people, why are they driving so fast?"
"Yeah, isn't there a traffic policeman at the school gate? Why don't you care?"
"What the hell, traffic police. Those who are outside in winter are all policemen. Who do the policemen dare to care about?"
Cai Gen listened to the comments of the supermarket customers, didn't take it seriously, and walked out of the supermarket with his things.
I saw a group of people surrounding a bicycle and a car. The bicycle also had a basket on the back.
Cai Gen recognized that basket. It was the bicycle of the bean bag seller in the morning. I hope he is okay.
I only wore a pair of slippers to go shopping. It was so cold that I hurried back to my store.
When he turns on the TV, it is still Central News Channel 13. He only watches this channel every time, because it makes Cai Gen feel that he has not derailed from the outside world and is still concerned about national affairs every day.
When he came to the back kitchen, he turned on the gas and boiled a bowl of water. While waiting for the water to boil, Cai Gen took out a cigarette and was about to light it when he suddenly thought of something. He quickly ran to the front hall and found the cigarette from the ashtray.
I lit the big cigarette with my hands carefully, then returned to the kitchen and waited for the water to boil.
The water boils quickly, add the eggs, add the seasonings, and take it out of the pot. A decent dinner is complete.
I turned off the TV in the kitchen, sat back in the dining room, and stared out the darkened window. I saw all the high school students after school.
People who hurried past the door tilted their heads and looked inside, but no one came in, as if this was not a fast food restaurant.
The students are also very poor. They can no longer afford fast food, so they all go to small meals classes. When will this city get better?
In the country's famous mining areas, 7 out of 8 mines have gone bankrupt within a few years. Every family has no spare money, and life is difficult.
Cai Gen sighed while eating noodles slowly. It is said that the slower you eat, the less you eat and the easier it is to feel full, so Cai Gen ate very slowly.
"The spring breeze of reform is blowing everywhere, and the Chinese people are really up to their game."
Cai Gen picked up the phone, saw that it was his wife, and picked up the phone.
"Did you have meal?"
"What happened after eating?"
"Transfer 1,500 to me. It's time to pay for my son's after-school class."
"Didn't you finish paying for this semester?"
“It’s due next semester, so there’s a discount if you submit it in advance.”
"Well, I'll turn it around for you in a minute. Wait until I finish eating."
"Transfer it to me now. I'm waiting over there. It's due today."
"Well, let's turn now."
Cai Gen hung up the phone, transferred money to his wife, and began to calculate his financial problems in his mind. He suddenly raised his head and looked at the civil and military god of wealth at the bar.
Wen Caishen has a kind face, and Wu Caishen has a heroic face and is very impressive.
Moreover, Cai Gen felt as if they were laughing at him. Are they laughing at him? Or is he helpless?
After eating the noodles, Cai Gen lit a cigarette and started his usual entertainment, sitting at the bar and staring at the quartz clock at the door.
58.59.1, why is there one second less in every minute? Is it a problem with the clock or with the eyes?
It's 9 o'clock, 60 seconds less. It's 10 o'clock, 60 seconds less. It's 11 o'clock, still 60 seconds less.
Cai Gen lit a cigarette again. If this continues, I will live 24 minutes less than others a day, which is a bit of a loss.
At 12 o'clock, the glass door of the store was pushed open, and the crisp sound of the bell rang. In the silent midnight, it was very pleasant and refreshing.
"Boss, do you want bean bags?"
Familiar content, familiar tone.
Cai Gen lowered his gaze from the quartz clock and stared at the visitor.
The old man's clothes were all stained with dirt, and the white mask that covered his face was stained with blood. One of his new pairs of large-toe furry cotton shoes was missing, leaving only his socks, and his thighs were unnaturally twisted.
The brand new white gloves had become dirty, and he was holding a series of bean bags stained with blood. The first two bean bags had been crushed.
Seeing that Cai Gen didn't speak, the old man continued to speak in a muffled voice from the bleeding mask.
"Boss, do you want bean bags?"
"Boss, do you want bean buns? I made the bean buns myself."
"Why don't you want my bean bag? Why don't you want it?"
This chapter has been completed!