My 26-year-old Female Tenant

  The identity of Mi Cai is not something that needs to be concealed. I said to Li Xiaoyun straightforwardly: "Have you heard of Zhuomei Shopping Center in Suzhou?"

   "I know, it's the most high-end department store in Suzhou, right?"

  I nodded: "Well, Zhuomei was founded by Mi Cai's father, and she is currently the CEO of Zhuomei."

  Li Xiaoyun was quite surprised. After a while of silence, he asked me: "Then you must be under a lot of pressure, right?"

   "We are people of two worlds."

   "Then you guys...?"

  I smiled helplessly and said, "Some time ago we had some conflicts, but she recently went to the United States, and the two places are separated. I don't know how to define our current relationship."

  Li Xiaoyun nodded and didn't ask any more questions, but I increased the speed of the car in her silence, and we returned to the inn after a while.

   After the two got out of the car, one left and one right, Li Xiaoyun stared at me.

  I asked puzzled, "What's wrong?"

   "Hasn't your hair been cut for a long time?"

  I touched it subconsciously, and said indifferently: "It's not that long!"

   "A man must be energetic, so hurry up and take care of him."

   "Tomorrow, I haven't eaten yet."

   "It's easy to handle. I'll cook for you. You go to get a haircut. You will have something to eat when you come back."

   "You finally came to Xitang once, and I asked you to cook, I am so embarrassed!"

  Li Xiaoyun didn't care about the urging, and said: "Hurry up, I don't want you to come back, the food is already cold."

  Her insistence made me a little helpless, but I still complied, and then took her to the inn, and introduced her and Tongzi to each other.

  Afterwards, the two left the inn again and walked together on the old streets of Xitang. She went to buy vegetables, and I went to find a hairdresser.

Soon I found a barber shop that was open on the street. When I was about to go in, Li Xiaoyun stopped me. She took out a one-hundred-yuan bill from her wallet and handed it to me, saying: "From you I took 1,000 yuan, and I have 338 yuan left."

   "Are you really planning to return it to me in this way?"

   "Yes, take it from you and use it from you." Li Xiaoyun said and handed the money to me again.

  I took it from her inexplicably, but I hoped that I would never use the money in the future, because every time I use it, it is when I am at the bottom of my life.

  …

  I accepted the barber's suggestion and cut a very fluffy short hair, which cost 30 yuan, but it was worth it, after all, I was much more energetic than before.

  Back to his own inn, Li Xiaoyun has already prepared some home-cooked dishes, chatting with the boy while waiting for me.

  I deliberately stroked my hair in front of the two of them, looking very ostentatious.

  Li Xiaoyun looked at me, nodded and praised: "Not bad, the barber's skills are good."

  I stroked my hair again, and then sat down beside the two of them.

  The boy came close to my ear and said in a low voice, "Brother Yang, there are several women here, and she is the only one who can cook for you!"

  I looked at Li Xiaoyun, and there was another indescribable emotion in my heart. Compared with Jian Wei, Mi Cai, and Le Yao, she is just a very ordinary woman, but she is also the most real woman.

  Li Xiaoyun packed a bowl of rice and handed it to me, beckoning me to eat it quickly.

  I nodded, and before I could say thank you, I devoured it, because the home-cooked food she made really made me feel like I was eating at home, without any wandering taste.

  …

  After eating and washing the dishes, taking advantage of the rare free time, Li Xiaoyun and I sat on the small balcony to chat and catch up.

  Looking at the Xitang River opposite, Li Xiaoyun said: "Zhaoyang, the environment here is really good. No wonder many literary and artistic youths gather together and want to come to Xitang to open an inn!"

   "I opened an inn in Xitang and it has nothing to do with the plot of literature and art."

   "What does that have to do with it?"

   "Money...I want to make money that will improve my life."

   "So did you earn it?"

  I shook my head, habitually lit a cigarette for myself, smoked half of the cigarette in silence, but suddenly the power went off.

  I got up and looked around, and it turned out that the whole street was stopped, not just our inn.

  Because there was no electricity, many residents gathered by the Xitang River, set up krathongs, and looked at the star-studded river, which really gave me the illusion of returning to the ancient Loi Krathong Festival.

  I found a few candle lamps with lampshades from the storage room, lit them and hung them on a pillar, so the gap between me and Li Xiaoyun was covered by candlelight again.

  After sitting down, I lit the cigarette that I had just extinguished after only half smoking, and asked Li Xiaoyun, "Where did we talk just now?"

   "I asked you if you made money from opening this inn, you shook your head at me, and then the power went out."

   "The electricity stopped well, and it was stopped according to the occasion."

   "How do you understand this?"

   "It's like my life, I can't see a little light."

  Li Xiaoyun looked at the hanging candlestick and said, "Isn't that light?"

   "It's okay, it's just a little darker."

  Li Xiaoyun said to me seriously: "It seems that you really have great expectations for this inn, because the light of this candlestick can't satisfy you at all."

   "Yeah... I want to make this inn a nationally famous scenic spot chain inn."

   "It's good for a man to have dreams and ambitions. I support you."

"thanks."

  Li Xiaoyun smiled and said: "Since it is said to be support, it must not be just verbal."

   "There are spiritual things!"

  Li Xiaoyun shook his head, didn't say much, just took out a bank card from his wallet and handed it to me.

   "Why give me the bank card."

   "I've heard from your friend (boy) that the 70,000 yuan rent for your inn this year hasn't been paid yet. There is 100,000 yuan in this card. You can use it first."

  I didn't reach out to pick it up, but asked her, "Where did you get so much money?"

   "My living expenses are not large, and the rest I usually have... I originally wanted to save it for buying a house and paying the down payment when I got married, but I don't need it for the time being, so you take it for emergency."

   "This won't work, really can't... I can't ask you for this money."

   “Not for you, but for your dreams and aspirations.”

   "Xiao Yun, do you really think I will succeed in Xitang?"

  "As long as you have a dream in your heart and work hard for it, half of the success is already achieved. Also, your hidden ability is the other half of success, so you will definitely succeed."

   "Thanks, I need that affirmation right now."

  Li Xiaoyun smiled, put the bank card in my hand again, and said to me: "It's getting late, I'm going to rest first."

"and many more."

  I yelled, and then stretched out my hand to grab Li Xiaoyun's clothes, and the bank card I held in my hand had slipped into her clothes pocket in a very concealed way.

"What's wrong?"

   "I don't know if there will be a call tonight. You can bring a candlestick back to the room for lighting."

  …

Li Xiaoyun just picked up a candlestick and left, while I was still sitting on the small balcony, not regretting not accepting Li Xiaoyun's 100,000 yuan in aid, because I shouldn't accept her money, really shouldn't …

It was late at night, and the candlelight from the candlestick became dimmer, but a flame ignited in my heart, illuminating the already dark world brightly. Against the background of the flame, I made an oath: How difficult it is, I want to continue to run this inn, and run it well... because I don't dare to live up to Li Xiaoyun's trust of 100,000 yuan!

  Closed close to the candlestick and opened the lampshade, I lit a cigarette for myself with the candle, and again weighed who to borrow the 70,000 yuan from.

  I understand very well: if I can't borrow it in a short period of time, Li Xiaoyun will give me the money she used for the dowry to relieve my urgent need.