Chapter 677 Three Aunts Offer Suggestions 3
The night deepened, like a huge piece of black silk, gently covering the ancient city of Beijing, and tightly wrapping the courtyard full of fireworks. In this quiet atmosphere, each window of the courtyard is like a warm little lantern, emitting soft and warm light. The light is like a loyal guard, carefully guarding the small world inside each window, trying not to let the inky night completely invade, so that the small space always retains warmth and tranquility.
He Yuzhu dragged his slightly tired body back to the house. He first walked to the old but very clean washbasin rack, picked up a towel, turned on the faucet, and clear water flowed out, wetting the towel. He wiped his face carefully, feeling the cool touch taking away the fatigue and dust of the day. Then, he simply rinsed his mouth. After doing all this, he slowly walked to the bed and lay down gently.
At this time, the house was quiet, so quiet that one could hear the sound of time flowing, with only his slight breathing, rising and falling, regular and steady, like a small metronome in the silent night. The occasional chirping of insects outside the window was like a tireless performer, playing a few crisp notes from time to time. The chirping of insects and He Yuzhu's breathing intertwined, as if it was a quiet night song carefully composed by nature, echoing in this small space, adding a different charm to this silent night.
He slowly closed his eyes, intending to clear his mind and have a good sleep, but scenes from tonight kept appearing in his mind like a movie.
Xu Damao's nervous expression is still vivid in my mind. He is always noisy on weekdays, but tonight he seems particularly nervous. The beads of sweat on his forehead and his hands that unconsciously clenched and unclenched all show his inner nervousness without reservation. Lou Xiao'e is still so reserved, with slightly lowered eyes and a faint smile on the corners of her mouth. Every move of hers reveals a different kind of gentleness and shyness, as if she is a budding flower in spring, exuding a faint and charming fragrance.
Chunyan is as lively as ever, chirping and moving like a cheerful little bird, bringing endless vitality and excitement to the surroundings. Of course, there is also the indescribable emotional fluctuation in my heart, which is a complex emotion, like multiple threads intertwined, which is difficult to sort out and explain, and quietly spreads in my heart.
He Yuzhu knows deeply that the emotional entanglements between people have always been complicated and subtle, especially in such an old Beijing courtyard full of human touch, which carries too many stories and witnesses too many joys, sorrows, anger and happiness. Everyone's mind is like the lake illuminated by the bright moonlight. On the surface, it looks calm and peaceful like a mirror, but under the seemingly calm lake, there are actually endless ripples. As long as you touch it lightly, it will ripple in circles, causing layers of emotional waves.
He sighed softly, and in his sigh there was sympathy for Xu Damao. After all, they had known each other for many years, and it was hard to bear to see him fall into such a situation.
At the same time, he also has a slight worry about his future. Life is like an unknown river. He doesn't know what kind of reefs or whirlpools he will encounter ahead. In this complex emotional world, how can he steer the ship and grasp those relationships that are close or far away? He Yuzhu understands that friendship and love are not something that can be understood overnight. They both need time to slowly settle, just like the aged wine, which becomes more fragrant as it ages.
You need to understand with your heart, think from the other person's perspective, and appreciate those subtle emotional changes from the other person's perspective; you also need to be broad-minded to tolerate the shortcomings of others and the unsatisfactory things in life. And he, in this series of experiences, like a sapling that grows slowly in the grind, gradually learned how to better handle these delicate relationships, how to find the right balance between maintaining oneself and taking care of others, so that he and the people around him can live more comfortably in this complex world of human relationships.
Amidst such a myriad of thoughts, He Yuzhu's originally clear consciousness gradually became blurred, as if a pair of invisible hands gently pulled him into sleep.
In the dream, time seemed to flow backwards, and he seemed to be back to his carefree childhood. The courtyard at that time was full of laughter and joy, and the sun was always so bright, shining in every corner of the alley. He and Xu Damao, Lou Xiao'e, Chunyan and other friends in the courtyard were like a group of free birds, chasing and playing in the alley.
Their laughter was like the sound of clear bells, rising and falling, resounding through the sky, as if to pass all the happiness to every corner of the world. At that time, they had only simple happiness in their hearts, which was as simple as a sweet candy, which could be sweet to the heart when they put it in their mouths; they also had pure dreams, dreaming of seeing the bigger world outside when they grow up, and being able to do whatever they want, without the complexity and troubles of the adult world. Life was like a colorful painting, depicting only beauty and hope.
However, no matter how beautiful a dream is, it is only a dream after all, just like the gorgeous but short-lived fireworks in the night sky, there is always a moment of fading, and dreams always end. When the first ray of gentle morning light, like a golden thread, shines through the window lattice carved with ancient patterns and sprinkles on He Yuzhu's face, the warmth seems to be the gentle call of nature, urging him to slowly wake up from his sleep. He first frowned slightly, as if he was still nostalgic for the carefree and beautiful time in his dream, and then slowly opened his eyes, and his sleepy eyes gradually became clear, and just like that, he ushered in a new day.
Outside the window, the old locust tree with a thick trunk and luxuriant branches and leaves in the courtyard stood there quietly. It has gone through countless springs, summers, autumns and winters, and witnessed countless joys and sorrows in and outside the courtyard. At this moment, in the gentle breeze, its branches and leaves swayed gently like gentle arms, making rustling sounds, as if a kind old man was leisurely telling stories of joy or sorrow, plain or legendary in the long river of time. The swing of each leaf was like turning the pages of the past years, making people immersed in the distant atmosphere.
He Yuzhu knew very well that life was like an unknown journey. Every day there would be different scenery and various situations. But no matter what he would encounter today, whether it was a difficult problem or a small disappointment, he was already prepared and would face it with a more mature and determined heart.
This maturity is slowly precipitated through the tempering of many past experiences, like steel that has been tempered a thousand times, tough and reliable; this firmness comes from the beliefs that he always holds deep in his heart. He firmly believes that as long as there is love in his heart, that love is like the warm sun in winter, which can dispel the cold and warm everyone around him; as long as there is a dream in his heart, that dream is like a shining lighthouse in the distance, guiding him to keep moving forward on the road of life and not lose his way; as long as there are brothers in his heart, the friendship between brothers is the most solid backing. No matter what kind of wind and rain he encounters, he can support each other and hold up a clear sky together. So, he feels that in this complicated world, there is nothing that cannot be overcome. No matter how big the difficulties are, as long as he holds these beautiful emotions and beliefs, he can always cross them step by step.
After getting up, He Yuzhu stretched his body and then began to tidy up in an orderly manner. He tidied up the slightly messy bed and folded the quilt neatly, just like what he learned in school when he was a child, making the bed look neat and tidy. Then, he walked to the shelf with simple toiletries, picked up a towel, dipped it in clean water, wiped his face carefully, picked up a comb, combed his hair neatly, and immediately felt much more energetic. After tidying up, he was ready to go out to work.
Before leaving, he seemed to remember something, and deliberately stopped and turned to look at Xu Damao's room. The window was closed, the curtains were drawn tightly, and there was no movement in the room. He guessed that he should still be sleeping soundly.
Seeing this, He Yuzhu raised his lips slightly and smiled softly, his smile full of concern and expectation for his brother. He stood there, staring quietly for a while, silently blessing Xu Damao in his heart, hoping that he could have a sweet dream and forget all the troubles and fatigue of last night in his dream.
He knew very well that the heart-to-heart talk last night was of extraordinary significance. It not only cleverly resolved the misunderstandings that had accumulated between them, just like clearing away the layers of fog that obscured their friendship and allowed their hearts to be closely together again, but also made their friendship, like gold tempered by fire, become deeper and purer, and able to stand the test of time.
At this moment, He Yuzhu is looking forward to it. Today, Xu Damao will appear in front of everyone with a brand new look, with the joy of reconciliation and the rekindled passion for life, and start this new day full of hope with everyone.
He Yuzhu slowly stepped out of the slightly old but full of life gate of the courtyard. As soon as he stepped out of the threshold, he took a deep breath of the morning air as usual. The air was mixed with the fresh fragrance of flowers and plants, and a trace of moist water vapor, as if it was a unique breath carefully prepared by nature overnight. When he breathed it into his lungs, he felt particularly fresh and his whole spirit was lifted, as if even the slight sleepiness left over from the night was dispelled without a trace by this freshness.
At this time, there are more and more pedestrians on the street. Everyone is in a hurry. Some are carrying baskets in their hands, probably rushing to the vegetable market to pick out the freshest ingredients to prepare delicious meals for the family; some are carrying bags and rushing to work. Everyone is busy preparing for the new day, rushing to his own track of life, making this ordinary-looking street suddenly filled with a strong sense of fireworks.
He Yuzhu looked at the familiar scene in front of him, his mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a faint smile, and then he took a big step and walked towards the steel mill. As he walked, he silently calculated today's work plan in his mind. The ingredients that had not been processed in the kitchen kept appearing in his mind. He was thinking about what dishes to prepare today, how to make the workers eat more satisfied, and how to reasonably arrange the division of labor among the workers to ensure that all the work in the kitchen can proceed in an orderly manner. While thinking about these work matters, he couldn't help but think of the short but warm conversation with Chunyan last night. Chunyan's gentle words and eyes full of understanding, like the warm sun in winter, shone into his heart, making him feel a warm current in his heart. The warm current slowly flowed through his body, making him feel warm all over. It was Chunyan's gentleness and understanding that made him more determined. He secretly made up his mind to work hard and earn more income with his own hands to create a more comfortable and warm living environment for his family and let his friends live a good life. He felt that as long as he worked hard enough, other things in life would naturally flow like the river water, and everything would develop in a good direction.
Unconsciously, He Yuzhu arrived at the gate of the steel mill. As he stepped into the factory, the familiar roar of the machine instantly reached his ears like a warm welcome song. The sound was deafening, but it made him feel very kind, as if it was a unique background music of the steel mill. At the same time, the hearty laughter of colleagues also intertwined, one after another. Some were talking about trivial matters at home, some were sharing small interesting things at work, and some were joking with each other. These sounds gathered together to form a vivid labor picture, showing the full vitality and vitality of the steel mill.
He Yuzhu walked straight towards the kitchen without stopping. As soon as he entered the door, before he could even stand firmly, a group of co-workers who had a good relationship with him on weekdays surrounded him as if they had been waiting for a long time. They all asked him about his blind date, and the scene was very lively.
"Zhu Zi, I heard that you had a blind date yesterday? How was it? Was the girl pretty?" Li Dazui wiped the shiny kitchen knife in his hand while squinting his eyes with a curious smile on his face, as if he was extremely gossipy about the matter and couldn't wait to know the truth.
He Yuzhu was stunned when he saw this, then he smiled and shook his head with a bit of calmness and composure on his face, and said: "Blind date is just a beginning. How can you see the whole thing all at once? You have to take it slowly. However, I think, for me, the most important thing at the moment is to do my job well first. After all, work is the foundation of our life. Only by doing a good job and earning more money can we let our family live a good life. Other things will fall into place naturally. There is no need to worry too much about temporary gains and losses." As he spoke, he walked to his work station and began to prepare for today's work. His serious and focused look made the workers around him nod secretly, thinking that what he said made sense.
"Hey, Brother Zhuzi is a very down-to-earth person. Unlike bachelors like us, we just think about nonsense all day long." Xiao Wang interrupted, causing a burst of laughter.
He Yuzhu started his busy day with laughter. He handled the ingredients skillfully, and every cut revealed his love for cooking and respect for food. In the kitchen, steam rose and the aroma of food filled the air, making the whole space full of warmth and vitality.
At lunch time, workers came to the canteen one after another and praised the delicious food on the table. He Yuzhu shuttled among the crowd, asking for everyone's opinions from time to time, with a satisfied and proud smile on his face. He knew that this job was not just for a living, but also a way for him to realize his self-worth and convey love and warmth.