I'll wait for you amidst the romance of nature.

A moment later, the waiter brought over the dishes we had ordered later. Tie Nan really went all out; for just three people, he ordered a whole table full of food. Actually, after spending time with him, I could tell he was pretty stingy. He wasn't just stingy with his friends, he was even stingier with himself. For example, he never smoked more than seven yuan worth of cigarettes. So, his generosity today was unusually unusual…

Just as I was wondering what was going on, he reached out and called over the waiter, saying he wanted to stir-fry some organic vegetables for us.

I stopped them, saying, "Don't order anymore, we can't possibly finish all this food."

He replied nonchalantly, "It's fine, order whatever you like..."

"I'm afraid you'll regret it once you calm down... This meal alone cost almost a thousand yuan!"

"No regrets... What do I have to regret about Coach Ma's card?"

I was stunned, and after a long pause, I replied, "So it turns out it was Coach Ma's card! You almost stole his credit!"

"How could I steal his credit? I've already told you the truth..." After saying that, he took out his membership card and said to the waiter waiting on the side, "Make one of the dishes I just mentioned, and two bottles of watermelon juice."

I felt sorry for Coach Ma, so I asked, "Why is he getting a membership card here for no reason? He doesn't even use it himself, and you're reaping all the benefits."

Tie Nan replied, "You don't know this, he used to sing here for two months. The boss was a real jerk, unwilling to pay him a salary, so he just gave him this prepaid card... Coach Ma asked me to find a way to cash out the money in it; he only needs two thousand yuan."

"This is a tricky situation, it's not like a bank card."

"It's not as difficult as you think. As long as you have thick skin, you can get it done." After saying that, Tie Nan stood up and then shouted to the people at the next table, "I have a membership card for this manor here, with more than 3,200 yuan on it. Name your price, and I'll sell it if I think it's reasonable."

After he finished speaking, a group of tourists at the next table, who seemed to be on a company-organized trip, replied, "Our table has spent almost 3000 yuan. Why don't you sell us your cards? I'll pay you 2500 yuan."

Tie Nan readily agreed, "Okay, that's about my price range. If no one else offers a higher price, you can take it."

Immediately, someone interrupted, "Dude, I ate quite a bit too. Sell me your card, I'll pay 2600. By the way, can I buy anything else with this card in this manor?"

"Absolutely! With this card, you get a 8.8% discount on all local Dali specialties when buying them at the manor."

"Okay, sell it to me, 2600, I'll pay you in cash."

No sooner had this guy finished speaking than the other guy objected, raising the price of the card by another 100 yuan from the original 2600. In the end, the card, originally worth just over 3200 yuan, was driven up to 3200 yuan by these two guys. Firstly, it was out of spite; secondly, they wanted the card to offer discounts on souvenirs at the manor. It seems they have other shopping needs besides food.

……

Tie Nan, beaming, returned to our table with the 3,200 yuan from the guy who made the first bid. He said, "Coach Ma has too much of an image to maintain; he definitely wouldn't lower himself to do something like this. But I'm different."

"That's good. It's a win-win situation for you two. If you don't help him get rid of this card, it's useless for him to keep it."

"you do not say……"

As Tie Nan spoke, he poured Tao Zi a glass of watermelon juice. Tao Zi smiled and said to him, "So this meal is on you again."

"Just borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha... By the way, what do you do for a living? How come you have free time to come out and have fun at this time?"

I was worried for Peach, but she just replied casually, "Guess."

"Start my own company."

Why?

"Judging from your demeanor and attire, you seem like it. Besides, if you didn't run your own company and it wasn't a holiday, where would you find the time to come all the way to Dali for fun?"

"Hehe, she could also be a mistress being kept by someone else."

Tie Nan stared blankly at Tao Zi, speechless. Tao Zi laughed again, "Just kidding. I don't own a company, nor am I someone's mistress. I'm just an ordinary receptionist at the hotel."

I breathed a sigh of relief, because before Peach entered that industry, she worked in a hotel. But later, for some reason, she was brought into that industry by someone else.

Tie Nan replied, "I don't believe you. Your outfit doesn't look like something a receptionist would wear."

"When you're going out to meet friends, you should dress a little more formally... Hehe, these days, as long as a woman works diligently, who can't grit their teeth and save up enough for a luxury outfit?"

Tie Nan gave Tao Zi a thumbs up, then poured her a glass of juice and said, "I admire independent women the most. I'd like to toast you."

Just as Taozi and Tienan clinked glasses, I noticed a subtle change in her expression; a look of disappointment flashed in her eyes. I believe she didn't like this lie either, but she had already gone too far, too far down this path of no return…

……

After dinner, I drove Taozi and Tienan to a nearby GG company. We discussed our needs with the designer and received their quote. After that, Tienan called me aside and whispered, "I need to discuss something with you."

"What's up?"

"You were going to take Taozi around Erhai Lake this afternoon... How about this... How about I take care of it? I definitely know Dali better than you do. After we visit Erhai Lake, I can also take her to other places."

I looked at Tie Nan and asked, "Are you interested in her?"

Tie Nan didn't deny it. He replied seriously, "I like women who are loyal and beautiful... Tell me, who wouldn't want a love that's as devoted as brothers and sisters?"

"You can go with her, no problem... but you really can't handle her."

"Does she have a boyfriend?"

I hesitated, then finally just shook my head...

Tie Nan breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "That settles it then... I have plenty of time, let's take it slow."

I handed him the car keys and said, "Take it easy, know when to quit while you're ahead."

"Don't worry, I've always been very open about relationships... I'll treat you with sincerity."

"I'm telling you to quit while you're ahead."

Tie Nan punched me and laughed, "Are you worried about me getting hurt, or are you worried about her getting hurt?"

"Everyone's afraid..."

Just as I was about to say something, Peach walked over to us and asked, "What are you two whispering about? Now that you've finished, hurry up and go."

Tie Nan gave me a wink, but I was a little lost, unsure if this was a bad start. However, I couldn't resist Tie Nan's urgency, and finally said to Tao Zi, "I need to go to the Industry and Commerce Bureau later to process a change of registration for the inn. Tie Nan can take you around this afternoon."

Peach has always been a very accommodating and understanding friend of mine. Although she was a little disappointed, she still nodded and replied, "Go ahead and do your own thing. I'll be fine."

"Okay, I'll definitely take you around tomorrow."

Taozi smiled and then followed Tie Nan away... But for some reason, looking at her back, which seemed to spark a lot of imagination, I felt inexplicably worried. I was afraid that she would be influenced by Wang Lei and become a sentimental woman in Dali, and then fall in love with a "bad" man from Dali, a man who wouldn't even know what she did for a living.

I'm sure that if they fall in love, it will be a painful beginning, because Peach is a woman who needs others to accommodate her too much.

……

In the afternoon, I actually took all the inn's documents to the Industry and Commerce Bureau and made some changes to the registration. By the time I finished, it was already evening. Just as I was about to call Taozi, I found a message from Ye Zhi on WeChat.

"Michael, my schedule has changed. I'll be arriving at Dali Airport at 8 PM tonight. If it's convenient, could you pick me up from the airport?"

I don't know why, but this was such an ordinary thing, yet a warm feeling welled up inside me. I felt that Ye Zhi considered me a friend, because she herself is not a sociable woman, but she asked me to pick her up from the airport, and I also really enjoyed being alone with her... because the quietness she gave me seemed to have a kind of power.

I immediately called Tie Nan and asked him for Ye Zhi's car. He answered after a moment, and I asked, "When are you planning to come back?"

"It's only halfway around the sea."

"Brother, you've been out for over five hours, and you're telling me you've only circled half the coast? Are you driving a tractor?"

"Before going around the sea, I took Taozi to Jizhao Nunnery. She insisted on going there to offer incense and pray for her friend, and I couldn't stop her."

I suppressed my urge to complain, because I knew that Taozi was praying for Wang Lei in the other world. So, I simply asked Tie Nan, "When will you be back? I need the car urgently."

"We definitely won't be able to get back anytime soon; there will be a massive traffic jam when we pass through the city later!"

I wiped my face hard, a wave of helpless frustration welling up inside me. I could imagine that if Ye Zhi got off the plane and didn't see me, she would definitely think I was incredibly unreliable! Just then, Tie Nan asked me again, "What do you need a car for?"

"Going to the airport to pick someone up."

"Let's go on my motorcycle."

"It's over 30 kilometers, and you want me to ride a motorcycle!"

"It's rush hour right now. Riding a motorcycle is much more efficient than driving... Go for it, it's a motor vehicle after all. Thirty kilometers isn't as scary as you think. I've actually ridden a motorcycle to pick up guests from the airport before, and it wasn't difficult at all!"

"Alright, alright, as long as you guys have fun, I'll figure out a way to handle this myself."

After I finished speaking, I hung up on Tie Nan. I tried contacting several car rental companies, but they all said it was too late and they didn't have any cars available. Finally, due to the pressure of time, I decided to take a gamble and actually rode Tie Nan's unlicensed motorcycle to the airport...

When the wind blew freely on me, I actually thought it was a good way to enjoy the azure sky and colorful clouds of Dali, as well as the half-hidden sunset behind Cangshan Mountain, with an unobstructed 360-degree view at dusk!