The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

It's been quite a while since I came home; it's time to go back.

While eating breakfast, Ye Shu mentioned it to his father:

"Dad, I'm planning to go back tomorrow. Grandma's all settled, and I can't take too long off work at the shop."

His father was drinking porridge with pickled vegetables when he heard this, and nodded. He put down his bowl and chopsticks, casually took out a cigarette pack that was already half-smoked from his shirt pocket, shook out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and the smoke blurred his silent face.

A few seconds later, the smoky voice finally came:

"Okay, we should go back now. Your boss is a good person and takes such good care of you, we can't be ungrateful. It's not good to linger too long, so go back and work hard."

"Yes, I know."

Communication between father and son is always like this: when it comes to the future and responsibilities, they say a few more words. When it comes to reluctance and concern, it's all hidden between the smoke and nods.

After finishing his meal, Ye Shu returned to his small bedroom. Instead of packing his luggage, he changed out of his pajamas and put on a comfortable jacket.

Where are you going?

His father saw him walking out from the living room and asked him a question.

"It's nothing, I'm just going out for a stroll."

Ye Shu said as she changed her shoes at the door:

"It's been a long time since I've been back, let's take some photos."

Stepping out of my quiet little courtyard, the morning sunlight was a bit dazzling.

The streets are narrow, lined with old bungalows and small buildings, with power lines crisscrossing overhead. In the distance, the faint sounds of the city drift by, carrying the unhurried rhythm unique to a small county town.

He waved to the red Minato parked by the roadside, and the Minato immediately turned around and drove toward him with the hum of its motor.

"Xiao Gangtian" is what they call a taxi here. It's called a taxi, but it's really just a small electric tricycle with a metal shell over it. Apparently, the first manufacturer of these vehicles was called "Gangtian," and that's what everyone calls them after that.

Don't let its small size fool you; it's affordable, and three yuan can take you all over the county.

In winter, some drivers would put a small coal stove in their car, with a chimney sticking out from a hole in the roof. When the car was running, it would puff out smoke, looking like a small train engine from a distance.

Ye Shu still remembers that when he was a child, he once thought that all taxis in the world looked like that. It wasn't until he saw on TV that taxis in big cities were all sedans that he asked his father:

"Dad, why are the taxis here different from the ones on TV? They're all sedans."

His dad was busy fixing a bicycle, head down, without even looking up, but his answer was very realistic:

"Who would still be driving a taxi around here if they had a car? They couldn't even earn enough to cover gas costs after a whole day's work. A car, please?"

Later, Ye Shu understood that it wasn't about being handsome or not, but about survival and adaptation. On this land, Xiaogangtian was the most reasonable taxi.

It's not noisy, it's easy to navigate through the streets and alleys, and the prices are affordable. It has also witnessed the slow passage of time in this small county town.

Just as Ye Shu was looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, pretending to be a literary youth and silently reciting words in his mind, Xiao Gangtian had already stopped in front of him.

The driver was an older man. I reached out to open the back door for him and asked:

"Young man, where are you going?"

Ye Shu crawled inside. The carriage seemed a bit more spacious than she remembered, enough to seat two or three people. The seats were covered with cheap velvet cushions that were worn shiny.

There was a faint smell of engine oil and old plastic in the air, mixed with a hint of smoke emanating from the middle-aged man.

"Go to a large shopping mall."

"Big department store" is a specific term used in this small county town. Only that department store, which has stood for many years, deserves to be called that by the locals.

Although new "shopping centers" or "commercial cities" were later planned in the area, in the mouths of the local people, they were just ordinary "shopping malls".

Although the "major shopping mall" is no longer the largest shopping mall, it is an unspoken privilege that carries the familiarity and recognition accumulated over the years.

Without saying a word, the driver twisted the handle and Xiaogangtian sped off.

Ye Shu sat on the car seat, the sponge of which had long lost its elasticity, his back slightly hunched. He wasn't short, so it was really difficult for him to sit upright in the car.

Through the small glass window, which was slightly blurry from repeated wiping, I quietly watched the street scene flowing outside.

Familiar buildings, signs, and roadside trees... rush past in a blur.

Although I come back every year for the Lunar New Year, I always seem to notice some changes each time I return.

The old bookstore has been transformed into a bubble tea shop, a new courier station has appeared on the street corner, and the old school building in the county's primary school has been renovated...

But more than anything, it's a sense of constantness that seems to have never changed.

The width of the streets, the shape of the sky cut by power lines, and the dry, cold yet warm atmosphere of a small northern town are all still the same.

After passing through several streets, Xiaogangtian finally stopped in front of a five-story building.

The exterior of the small building was covered with white ceramic tiles, a style popular in the late 20th century. Now, the tiles have turned yellow, and some have fallen off at the corners, revealing the gray-black cement underneath.

On the rooftop, the four faded metal signs for "Department Store" still stand there stubbornly.

This is a "large shopping mall".

This building has stood here as long as Ye Shu can remember.

It wasn't actually that big, and it even seems a bit small now, but for a considerable period of time, it was the center of the commercial world in this small county.

Though small, it has everything you need. From the first to the fifth floor, it offers almost everything a small town resident could require for daily life, from food and clothing to household goods. Bed sheets and blankets, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar... you name it, there's a stall here.

The air is filled with the smells of fabrics, cosmetics, snacks, and fresh produce all year round, creating a unique, complex yet welcoming "mall smell" that belongs to large shopping malls.

After paying, Ye Shu emerged from the small harbor field, stood by the roadside, and stretched vigorously to ease his somewhat stiff back.

He stood in front of the building, looked up, wondering if he could find something suitable to give them.

Ye Shu did not choose to go to those newly opened shopping malls for two reasons. First, there are indeed many local specialties there that cannot be bought elsewhere.

Secondly, this place was Ye Shu's dreamland for many years when he was a child.

For no other reason than that there are many toys sold here. Regardless of whether the butler allows it or not, at least it satisfies the eye every time Ye Shu comes. Therefore, Ye Shu feels a deep sense of familiarity with this little building.

Ye Shu didn't linger and stepped into the automatic door, which was also an aftermarket installation.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a strong smell of goods and the sounds of people.

He wandered aimlessly between floors, past the counters selling thermal underwear, past the stalls filled with roasted nuts and seeds, and past the general merchandise area that sold Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (good fortune) no matter the day.

Just as Ye Shu was pondering what to buy for them and was about to walk inside, she suddenly heard a woman's voice behind her:

"Hey, you're Ye Shu, right?"