Bai Fumei in the 70’s

Zhao Lanxiang heard the man's low and hoarse words and saw that his ears were slightly red. Her cheeks suddenly turned red.

Her heart was sweet, like it was dyed with honey.

How come there is such a lovely man?1

He Songbai's youthful and naive energy is something that her old man didn't possess, and it makes her palms sweat enthusiastically.

Zhao Lanxiang squeezed his rough hand and said, "Let's go do something serious tomorrow!"2

He Songbai touched the back of her head, smiled naively, and did not speak.

The next day, He Songbai put on new clothes.

He knew that he came to a big city to collect debts, and he had to dress better and couldn't lose to others, so he especially brought both new clothes that his girlfriend made for him.

When He Songbai went out of his room, he was slightly taken aback when he saw Zhao Lanxiang.

Zhao Lanxiang wore a snow-white shirt, and the wide hem was stuffed into the pants casually. The pure black trousers wrapped her two slender legs. She was in a sharp and clean look, with a touch of sunshine-like brightness.

She beckoned when she saw him and walked briskly to his side. Her black hair was flowing side to side.

"Let's go."

Zhao Lanxiang took his hand and got into a bus with him.

Soon, she took him to a photo studio.

"I haven't taken a photo with Brother Bai yet. Le't go in and have a look."

She communicated with the staff of the photo studio and decided to take two photos. One full-body photo and one version of half-body photo.

Although the cameras of this era are backward and the viewfinders are limited, there was no doubt about the photographer's technique and professionalism.

They took them to the big tree in the yard when they took the full-body photo. Zhao Lanxiang sat in a chair, and He Songbai stood behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

The photographer repeatedly thinking about the look for a long time, and asked them to change the pose for a long time before he clicked the shutter.

Zhao Lanxiang smelled the scent of withered hibiscus on the tree, she picked up one from the ground and sniffed it. The woman's gaze contained a kind of unmoving tenderness, like nostalgia, like reminiscence, as if she was passing through time. The photographer captured this scene with a flash of inspiration.

After taking the photo, He Songbai, who is wearing a dress shirt, unbuttoned his shirt and sighed with relief. There was a lot of sweat on his forehead, and taking pictures was really a torture for someone like him.1

Zhao Lanxiang smiled and said, "We are leaving the city tomorrow. Can you give us the film directly?"

The employee nodded. He carefully sealed the film, and told her, "Don't let it be exposed to light, otherwise you will shoot the photo for nothing."

Zhao Lanxiang smiled and put the film in the package into her bag.

After finishing this "business", He Songbai sighed with relief and wanted to take Zhao Lanxiang to play.

Zhao Lanxiang shook her head, not agreeing with him.

She know that he was short of money to do something big, and she was reluctant to spend his money.

Zhao Lanxiang said happily, "There is very little time, but I want to go through S City. Brother Bai, let's take the bus."

It's only a five cents for a bus trip, and you can't finish fifty cents for a full day.

Zhao Lanxiang's cheerful appearance convinced He Songbai.

He Songbai secretly bought her a brooch on the street, squeezed it hard in his hand, and followed her to take the bus.

Zhao Lanxiang put his head on his arm and asked him with a smile, "I'm curious how you collected the debt."

On the first day of finding Zhu Housheng, the man came back with nothing, and she knew that Zhu Housheng will not want to lose the money.

He Songbai hesitated and under her burning eyes, he confessed half and hide the other half .

"People with a bit of status generally want their reputation. I went to the factory for a few days and he became honest."

In the other half, he paid several fierce gangsters and pretended to be a creditor every day in front of the factory where Zhu Housheng works and at the door of Zhu Housheng's house. Later, Zhu Housheng jumped over the wall and wanted to call the police. He fell into a sack and beat him up, and he calmed down.

But this kind of slightly dark things, he didn't tell her.

He Songbai also said, "He is bullying me as an outsider... Find a few local people to support him, and he can't be honest anymore."

It's more than just being honest. At this moment, Zhu Housheng was lying on the bed with his old waist and moaning. Zhu Housheng groaned, scolding Grandma Li for selling the IOU to others casually. They are all old accounts from so many years ago, and I have deliberately turned them out, really stingy!4

Those gangsters are really rascals!

Zhu Housheng raised his old waist in fear and asked his son, "You go out and look, are those people outside still making trouble?"

Zhu Housheng's son worked in the government, and he has lost all his face to his old father in the past few days. He reluctantly said to Zhu Housheng, "Did you not pay off the debt yet?"

Poor Zhu Housheng's family never saw the real "creditor" He Songbai from start to finish, and was satisfied that Grandma Li had sold the IOU to someone else in exchange for money, and the real creditors had become those evil and vicious local gangsters.

He Songbai coughed lightly and said, "If you ask for the money, this matter will be over, don't think about it!"

Zhao Lanxiang nodded with satisfaction. They rode all the way from the bustling street market to the outskirts of the lonely population. The densely packed tube buildings and red brick houses gradually turned into small earthen houses and straw huts in the countryside. There were only two passengers left in the car.

He Songbai stuffed the brooch into Zhao Lanxiang's hands silently.

"Give you."

Zhao Lanxiang spread her palms, saw the silver gardenia-shaped brooch, narrowed her eyes, and her eyes became deep.

"Give it to me?"

He Songbai nodded with red ears.

Zhao Lanxiang likes gardenia for no reason. The perfume on her body still smells like this. This is because her old man loves this smell so much, so she also loves it.

Zhao Lanxiang kissed him happily, while the driver was not paying attention, and while the suburbs were sparsely populated.1

The bus stopped and didn't wait for people for a long time. The driver rested for a while and then turned back on the road. The fresh and cool wind in the suburbs blew in from the car window.

Brushed the woman's soft and long hair.

She whispered softly.

"When you are old and grey and full of sleep."

"And nodding by the fire, take down this book."

"I loved the sorrows of your changing face"

"Bending down beside the glowing bars. Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled."1

He Songbai's face was as hot as a fire.

How Love fled, and paced upon the mountains overhead, and hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Many years ago, Grandma Li was holding her young grandson with difficulty, waving her palm sunflower fan and reading while fanning.

Read the letters that Grandpa wrote to her.

He Songbai turned his face silently, red from the base of his ears to his neck.

In the afternoon, the setting sun of egg yolk gradually sinks into the mountain. The temperature dropped sharply and became slightly cooler.

After completing several bus routes, one of them smiled and the corners of their mouths were smeared, while the other followed behind him in silence.

After returning to the guest house, the two began to pack up their luggage for the next day's train journey.

He Songbai folded the clothes one by one and opened the box. Eight brand-new "Longines" watches reflected cold silver light, the dials were delicate and simple, and the sound of dripping in the silent air was subtle.

He silently took out these eight watches, stuck in his pocket, and left the guest house.

...

Author's Note: "When You Are Old" - William Butler Yeats, 1893

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.