EFB Chapter 254 The Gold Bracelet
Chapter 254 The Gold Bracelet
The fish in the insulated container has gone cold.
Song Huan sat on the steps at the alley entrance, holding the insulated box in her arms like she was holding a cat.
The streetlights were on, casting a dim yellow light on the ground and illuminating the empty alley.
He glanced at his phone; it was 9:30 PM.
She hasn't come back yet.
He hadn't seen her for a month.
It's not that I don't want to see them, it's that I'm afraid to see them.
That night she said, "I need 880,000 to marry you," and he shouted, "I'll earn that much," and then he never dared to go to her again.
He didn't know how to face her.
He was afraid she would ask, "How much have you earned?" He was afraid she would say, "You can't even support yourself?" He was afraid she would say, "Don't come here anymore."
So he didn't go.
But he couldn't hold back today.
He steamed a pot of sea bass, packed it in an insulated container, and tucked it into his pocket.
He wanted to tell her that he was already working hard to earn money, working three jobs: a bubble tea shop, a restaurant, and a convenience store.
He wanted to tell her that he calculates his daily income every night before bed, adding it up repeatedly.
He wanted to tell her that although 880,000 was still a long way off, he would work hard.
He will try his best.
He arrived at Lin Yue's building and looked up.
The light is off.
She hasn't gotten off work yet.
He turned and walked into that familiar alley, sat down on the steps, and placed the insulated box on his lap.
Waiting silently.
He heard footsteps coming from the alley entrance, and he immediately stood up and looked up.
Not her.
He sat down.
Then footsteps sounded again, and he stood up again.
It wasn't her, and she sat down again.
Back and forth, countless times.
"Da da da".
The sound of high heels clicking on the stone pavement was fast-paced and crisp.
His eyes lit up.
It's her, there's no doubt about it.
He stood up excitedly, almost dropping the insulated box.
At the alley entrance, a woman walked in, wearing that silver sequined dress, with her hair styled in big waves and her face made up.
She was looking down, fiddling with something on her wrist, and didn't notice him.
The streetlight shone on her hand, making the object reflect light and appear yellowish.
Gold bracelet.
She turned her wrist around, looking at it from all angles, a smile playing on her lips, as if admiring some precious treasure.
She thought to herself that the gold bracelet should be worth more than 20,000 yuan, and then she wouldn't have to worry about her mother's medical expenses.
Haha, what good luck! There are idiots rushing to give me money.
Just then, she looked up and saw that figure.
A thermal box, a white T-shirt, and faded jeans.
Song Huan stood ten meters away, watching her.
Lin Yue was stunned.
She instinctively hid her right hand, which was adorned with a gold bracelet, behind her back.
She moved quickly, as if afraid of being seen by him.
Song Huan walked up, smiled, and said, "You're back."
He held up the insulated food container. "I made you steamed sea bass. You said you wanted to eat it last time."
Lin Yue looked at the insulated box, at his face that looked a little haggard from staying up all night, opened her mouth, and wanted to say something.
Song Huan handed her the insulated food container. "You must be tired from working so late, so I won't bother you any longer. You should get some rest. I'll be going now."
He turned and walked away quickly, as if afraid he would stop.
He didn't turn around; he didn't dare to turn around.
He's not stupid.
He saw the gold bracelet.
She refused the silver bracelet he gave her, because she already had a gold bracelet.
He walked down the alley he had walked countless times, the streetlights casting long shadows on the ground.
He suddenly felt ridiculous.
Holding a silver bracelet, she said, "You are the woman I've decided to spend my life with."
Everyone else has gold.
Lin Yue stood there, watching his back.
The insulated box in my hand was heavy and hot to the touch.
She suddenly shouted something at his retreating figure.
"Song Huan! This is a gift from a friend!"
Song Huan stopped in his tracks, turned around, looked at her, and said in surprise, "What did you say?"
She shouted, "I said, this is a gold bracelet a friend gave me, don't misunderstand!"
He stood there, the streetlights shining on him and on her.
The two people were more than ten meters apart.
He looked at her for several seconds, then smiled.
He nodded, turned and left.
Lin Yue stood there, watching his figure disappear into the alleyway.
The insulated box in her hand was still hot, so she bent down and opened the lid.
The fish is still hot.
She squatted down, picked up the disposable chopsticks next to the insulated box, took a piece, and put it in her mouth.
After chewing a couple of times, tears started falling.
She quickly wiped it with the back of her hand, then wiped it again.
I don't know if it's because the fish tastes good, or because of something else.
……
The weather in Nanjiang was lovely over the weekend; the sun shone down from above, turning the paving stones in the square white.
Li Yang, Zhang Li, and Wang Gang strolled around the square, holding milk tea in their hands and chewing takoyaki in their mouths.
"There are a lot of people gathered over there, what are they doing?"
Zhang Li stood on tiptoe to look into the crowd.
Li Yang also went over and said, "It looks like a boxing match? There's a doll getting beaten up over there."
Wang Gang pushed up his glasses. "Five yuan for a punch, not bad at business."
In the middle of the square stood a huge doll, brown and furry, which was a bear.
He had a sign hanging around his neck that read, "Five bucks for a punch. Vent your anger, relieve stress, show off your boyfriend power, come and punch me."
There was a cardboard box for putting money in the box next to it, and a lot of college students were gathered around it. Some boys wanted to show off their boyfriend power in front of their girlfriends, so they rolled up their sleeves and punched them one by one.
The doll was knocked around, tilting to the left and then straightening up again; it tilted to the right and then straightened up again.
The girls laughed, clapped, and shouted, "My husband is so awesome!"
After the boys finished playing, they shook their hands and looked smug.
The doll stood there, motionless, waiting for the next one.
A fit man squeezed out of the crowd; he was over 1.8 meters tall, muscular, and his T-shirt was stretched taut over his body.
A pretty girl with big, wavy hair and a miniskirt was following behind him, taking pictures with her phone.
The fitness enthusiast walked up to the doll, took out a red bill from his pocket, and slapped it on the table.
"I'm going to throw twenty punches."
The audience gasped in surprise.
The red banknotes were tossed into the cardboard box. The gym-goer stretched his shoulders, twisted his neck, and got into a fighting stance.
The first punch sent the doll taking a step back.
The second punch bent the doll over.
The third punch, the fourth punch, the fifth punch... With each punch, the onlookers gasped in surprise.
The gym-goer's punches were heavy and powerful, causing the doll to sway left and right like a tree struggling in a storm.
After the nineteenth punch, the doll could no longer stand steadily; its legs were shaking, and it tilted to the side before regaining its balance.
The gym-goer shook his hands, took a deep breath, and threw the final punch.
"Bang."
The doll fell to the ground, and its headpiece came off.
Li Yang dropped the milk tea in his hand.
Zhang Li's takoyaki slid out of her mouth.
Wang Gang's glasses slipped off his nose.
Beneath the hood was a pale face, covered in sweat. It was Song Huan.
"Song Huan!" the three shouted at the same time, pushing through the crowd and rushing forward.
Li Yang helped him up, Zhang Li helped him take off the mascot costume, and Wang Gang picked up the headgear and held it in his arms.
The students around him recognized him too.
"Isn't this from our school?"
"Why are you getting beaten up here?"
"Is it for the money? I heard it's five yuan for one punch, so twenty punches would be a hundred yuan."
Discussions came from all directions.
Song Huan kept her head down and didn't look at anyone.
His face was covered in sweat, tears, and red marks from being punched.
He stood there like a child who had done something wrong.
Li Yang supported him, his eyes reddening. "Are you fucking crazy? Just for a hundred yuan?"
Song Huan didn't say anything.
Zhang Li picked up the mascot costume, folded it neatly, and hugged it to his arms.
Wang Gang patted Song Huan on the shoulder without saying anything.
Three people helped him through the crowd and out of the square.
The sunlight shone down from above, casting the shadows of the four people on the ground.
Song Huan walked in the middle, head down, looking at her shoes.
The shoes were old; the soles were worn flat, and there was a tear in the upper.
He didn't speak, and neither did the other three. A cool breeze blew by.
He sniffed and looked up.
The sky is very blue, the clouds are very white, and I stroll along slowly.
He looked at the blue sky and suddenly smiled.
It was very short, like he hadn't smiled at all.
Li Yang looked at him, sighed, and said, "Let's go back."
The four people walked side by side.