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

I asked Tie Nan for the location on WeChat, and then forwarded it to Tao Zi. After that, I didn't ask about it anymore. For me, even if it's the best of friends or the most heart-wrenching love story, if it happens around me, I can only treat it as watching someone else's love movie at midnight.

It's not that I'm not enthusiastic; it's just that I understand love is like ocean waves—something even those involved may not be able to hold onto, let alone an outsider who can only worry about it blindly.

……

The next morning, Sun Jiwei sent someone to deliver a "sewage discharge qualified" certificate stamped with the official seal of the Environmental Protection Bureau. He also asked the delivery person to tell me: This certificate is very useful. If someone comes to conduct an assessment, be sure to show it to them. Even if we can't get a spot in the first batch to resume business, we are guaranteed a spot in the second batch, because the basis for the second batch to resume business is very likely this certificate.

I carefully put the certificate away, but I was still somewhat unwilling to give up. I knew that the guesthouse's hope of reopening in November was basically gone, because Sun Jiwei's inside information yesterday had made it very clear that only 4 out of the 30 spots were left. In terms of the guesthouse's facilities, we were simply not competitive.

I can only tell myself to be more open-minded, because I've already tried my best.

……

At eight o'clock, Coach Ma and I went to the building materials market. We bought woodworking tools and materials for making a bar counter, and then we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. Coach Ma said that we would decorate this small bar in the guesthouse ourselves. We could decorate it in an industrial style, which would save money and also show off our style.

Coach Ma also mentioned that there is a very impressive guesthouse in Dali. In order to save costs, the owner built it entirely by collecting scraps and branches from the roadside and mountains. It seems very uninspired, but some guests who like "rubbish culture" make a special trip to stay there. After several years of operation, it has become one of the most popular guesthouses in Dali.

Therefore, doing business in Dali doesn't necessarily require a lot of money to invest, but it does require dedication and unique creativity.

While we were working, Instructor Ma kept talking to me about some amazing people in Dali, so even though we did a lot of hard work, I didn't feel particularly tired. Before I knew it, it was noon.

I went to the restaurant next door and ordered two fast food meals, then went to the convenience store and bought two bottles of "Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon" beer. So I sat with Coach Ma under the shade of a tree by Erhai Lake and ate.

I raised my beer can to him and remarked, "This has been the most fulfilling half-day I've had since coming to Dali... It feels so good to be busy!"

Coach Ma smiled, then clinked glasses with me and said, "I didn't expect you could do some carpentry work. You did a good job building that platform."

"Children from poor families need to learn more skills to have a better chance of survival in this society... And you, where did you learn your renovation skills?"

"Like you, I come from a poor family... Before coming to Dali, I worked with my uncle in a renovation team. I could do simple design and renovation work."

"I'm not exaggerating, you're really a multi-talented guy. I just don't know how you managed to live such a useless life in Dali before!"

Coach Ma put down his beer can, looked at me, and after a long pause, replied, "Do you believe me? I used to run a pretty awesome decoration company in Dali. Several star-rated hotels here were decorated by our company."

"Holy crap... I can't believe this!"

"Seriously, I'm not bragging... but I had a bad run of luck with people, and my business partner tricked me into going to jail. I served two years and was only released last summer."

After Coach Ma finished speaking, he picked up a beer can and took a big gulp. I was stunned. I hadn't expected that behind his dejected appearance was such a past. It took me a long time before I asked, "Which bastard tricked you? Did you get back at him?"

"He's alive and well, and I don't want to get involved with him, so let's not talk about it anymore."

My curiosity was piqued by Coach Ma, but when I tried to ask him more, he lit a cigarette, lay down on the ground, and his eyes were vacant and lost. I could sense that this guy was living a more miserable life than Tie Nan. My curiosity was actually immoral, so I forced myself to suppress it.

I think I like Dali more now. It's a city where despair and hope are both very evident. Here, I can live a life that feels exhilarating, and I'm willing to build a career with these wounded brothers—it's a redemption, and also a magnificent struggle.

I lit a cigarette, lay down on the ground, took a drag, and then, under the bright sunlight, thought about the future. I said to Coach Ma, who hadn't spoken for a while, "Actually, I really want the inn to open as soon as possible. Once it's open for business, I want to bring my parents to Dali for a while… Right now, I'm really feeling uncertain."

"Did you come here without your family's knowledge?"

"Yes, I used to work in Shanghai. Although I was just a junior employee, I had a stable income and it wasn't a problem to support myself."

"Then why did you come to Dali?"

I took a deep drag on my cigarette and replied, "The problem lies in this 'neither here nor there' mentality of settling for less... Before, I had a girlfriend I dated for three years. She was a true Shanghainese, but she felt there was no hope for her with me, so she went abroad to study on her own."

"That's normal... Shanghai women are generally quite pragmatic."

I jokingly asked, "Are women in Dali materialistic?"

Coach Ma replied seriously, "I haven't met any local women from Dali, but I have met quite a few women from other places who have come to live in Dali."

How would you evaluate them?

"Now that you've opened an inn, you'll be dealing with a lot of people, so don't ask me about this. Just experience it for yourself."

I chuckled, then reached for the beer can, only to find it empty. I asked Coach Ma, "Want some more?"

"Bring two bottles of Old Village Chief beer; this beer just doesn't feel right."

……

Life in Dali is so free. Ma and I could get drunk just by having a casual lunch. We slept under the shade of trees by Erhai Lake in front of the guesthouse until dusk, and then went back to the guesthouse to do some renovations until it got dark.

At 7:30, Coach Ma left for the ancient city on time with his guitar, leaving me alone in the inn again. So, I spent my time alone, carrying the leftover scrap materials from the day to the garbage dump outside the inn...

At this moment, I really miss Yang Sisi, who was always chattering in my ear.

After dealing with all that trash, I was exhausted. I threw the trash can into the storage room and then lay down on the grass in the yard. I imagined myself as the brightest star in the sky, and all the other stars were just there to flatter me. That's how I found a sense of existence.

I'm an easily satisfied person. If it weren't for the constant pressure from my surroundings, I could live a very simple life. The next moment, I thought of my initial question again: Is there really a woman in this world willing to live such a simple life with me? We don't need a lot of wealth, just enough to eat and wear. The important thing is to be happy every day and do what we love.

I know Wang Lei was willing, but she's already dead.

Lu Jia definitely didn't want to, so she left.

My mind was a bit agitated, so I took my phone out of my pocket again, wanting to read some current events to distract myself. That's when I noticed an unread message from Yang Sisi on WeChat.

"Michael, let's go see a movie in Xiaguan! I'm so bored by myself!"

"I have no money."

"A movie theater just opened at Kunming Department Store today. As long as you follow their official WeChat account, you can watch their retro-themed show for free, so it doesn't cost any money at all."

"How do you know everything?"

"The hotel where I do training is right next to Kunming Department Store. Do you think I know that?"

"I'd like to go, but I can't get a ride here... How about I call Ye Zhi along?"

"How could you not be happy? You need two stunning beauties to accompany you to a movie... Either come over yourself, or don't watch it at all... Humph!"

"Alright then, I'll have to ask Ye Zhi to go see it; she has a car."

Yang Sisi immediately got angry and started sending me voice messages cursing me, calling me "shameless and disregarding the rules of the game." I listened and laughed at the same time. Actually, I just wanted to joke with her; of course, I wouldn't do something so despicable. Besides, I wasn't confident I could get Ye Zhi to come out. She seems to be quite busy lately.

But to be honest, I really like what she said about "rules of the martial arts world". In fact, isn't there a martial arts world between men and women? There are swords and shadows, as well as grudges and affections. In the end, those who don't abide by the rules of the martial arts world all go their separate ways!

……

That night, I splurged a little and spent fifty yuan to call a private car. I then went from Longkan to Xiaguan, where Yang Sisi was waiting for me at the entrance of the Kunming Department Store. She was beautiful and full of youthful energy, especially when the neon lights shone on her.

I suddenly wanted to remember this night, because it was the first time I had gone to see a free nostalgic movie with a woman in a city that was still unfamiliar to me.

I took a few steps towards her, and we met amidst the bustling crowd. She was holding popcorn, smiling at me... I smiled back, completely unguarded...

Unexpectedly, the next second she kicked him hard and then viciously cursed, "You beast, why didn't you bring Ye Zhi over?... Should I call her now and have her come over, so you can have her on both sides... Don't you even look at yourself? You're not satisfied with just one person willing to be with you!"