Chapter 121

I'm not laughing; what else can I do but cry? Shi Yong, let me tell you, you as the Security Team leader have also done your duty to the end. How is Ya Ling's gym business,

"Can it support you two?" I asked.

"That gym, business is alright; letting Ya Ling support me would be no better than killing me. Whether I work as Security Team leader or not doesn't matter, brother, what I want to say is, our Da Heng Group is finished; if we can't think of a solution, can't we get a loan,"

Our Group Company will really have to hand over to the Southern Group by November.

"By then, we'll have nothing left." Shi Yong finished speaking, then helplessly squatted on the ground smoking.

I said: "Shi Yong, don't get worked up; this storm comes fast and goes fast. There's never been a storm that lasts a whole day, do you know why?"

"Why." Shi Yong, squatting on the ground smoking, asked.

"As the saying goes, 'Whirlwinds don't last all morning, sudden rains don't last all day; who causes this? Heaven and earth. Heaven and earth cannot last long, let alone humans?'" I said, looking at Shi Yong.

"What does this mean? I don't understand." Shi Yong said.

"Shi Yong, you should study well from now on; the meaning of this saying is that wind won't blow all day, rain can't fall endlessly; these natural phenomena are the work of heaven and earth. Since heaven and earth can't keep doing this for long, how much less can humans?"

We are all hurried passersby in the journey of life,

Many things we possess are only temporarily ours,

No one can possess them for a lifetime,

It's enough that we have once possessed them.

Shi Yong, we should have nothing to regret.

We created Da Heng Group together, we struggled together, we fought for him together.

In this process we enjoyed the wealth and power that Da Heng Group brought.

It's time to let go,

Shi Yong, do you understand what I'm saying?

Shi Yong took a puff of smoke,

After thinking for a while, he shook his head,

He said: "Brother, I kind of get it now—we've played with Da Heng Group, it's time to let others take over; if they play again it's just second-rate, and we have no regrets."

After hearing Shi Yong's words, my brows furrowed even more; I really didn't know what to say to him,

This Shi Yong, whatever he says gets distorted.

Forget it, I won't waste time on this useless talk with Shi Yong.

I said to Shi Yong: "At noon, go to the restaurant and get a spicy chicken dish; I want to drink some alcohol."

"Brother, that's easy, okay, let's have a good meal. Whatever the weather tomorrow, if it rains we'll let it rain, if it's windy we'll let it blow."

"I'm not afraid."

Shi Yong finished speaking and walked away laughing happily.

This Shi Yong is good in that he doesn't let anything weigh on his mind.

No matter how big the matter, as long as you let it go, eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink.

I should learn from Shi Yong; as for whatever, I'll eat another plate of spicy chicken first.

Time quickly reached noon,

Shi Yong and I had a private room set up at the restaurant,

I opened a bottle of alcohol,

Shi Yong poured it for me,

Shi Yong looked at the wine and said: "Brother, you really are willing to drink this today."

I laughed,

"If I don't drink now, I won't get another chance; I'll never be able to drink again."

"Alright, then I'll drink more." Shi Yong changed the cup to a bowl.

"Wine should be savored; drinking it like that leaves no flavor, just like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit." I said, looking at Shi Yong.

Shi Yong chuckled.

Soon the spicy chicken was served,

I looked at the steaming spicy chicken,

"This is truly a human delicacy; come, Shi Yong, keep me company with a drink." I said, raising my cup.

"Bottoms up." Shi Yong said, raising his bowl.

We clinked cups, then drank it all in one go.

"This aged wine is so mellow; it lingers in the mouth, slowly swallowed, slowly savored, only then can you feel its uniqueness—just like those beautiful women." I said to Shi Yong.

"I don't have your patience to savor; just drink it down. Women are the same—people just need them for life." Shi Yong said.

"You're too unromantic; that's why Ya Ling doesn't like being with you." I said.

"Don't mention Ya Ling; it ruins the mood. You just talked about beautiful women—how did you bring Ya Ling into it?" Shi Yong wouldn't let me talk about Ya Ling.

"What's wrong with Ya Ling? Isn't she pretty? Appreciate Ya Ling properly—she has her own flavor. That muscular build—no woman can compare. Shi Yong, heaven's arrangement in marriage is just right: you're strong, and the wife you got is similarly suited." I laughed.

"What's up with you today, praising me so much? I'm far stronger than Ya Ling. There's no comparison. We're talking about beautiful women—is Ya Li pretty?"

You say she's forty, yet she doesn't look a day old and is very flavorful.

"Brother, I have a question for you—answer honestly. Back when we worked in the demolition department, did you and Ya Li...?" Shi Yong's face broke into a mischievous smile.

"What do you mean? That's vulgar; Shi Yong, you can't joke like that."

"I'm not that kind of person." I said, stern-faced.

"Back then, Wu Xiezi and he said about me, Ya Li likes you, you two opened a guesthouse together. Brother, this is pointless—what's there to fear? That man has been through a lot. I'm not an outsider; I definitely won't spread this about you."

"Actually, Ya Li still likes you; her gaze toward you is different. I even heard her secretly call you Yansheng brother. If you two didn't have that, how could she treat you so well? For a woman, only that makes her remember you a lifetime." Shi Yong finished, laughing nonstop.

"Alright, that Wu Xiezi, always spouting nonsense. Otherwise, how would he have jumped to his death?"

Ya Li and I have nothing between us; she and Tian Bin once talked about love.

"You don't know this? We won't talk about this anymore." I said, then lifted my wine cup again.

"You just said we were talking about beautiful women. Really, okay, I won't say it. Do you know what Tian Bin is up to?" Shi Yong said.

"Tian Bin used to be the son of Director Tian; isn't he working in Lanling County?" I said.

"Tian Bin's former workplace went bankrupt; now he's unemployed at home, making a living selling vegetables at the Lanling vegetable market. You said Ya Li originally wanted to find Tian Bin, then it's not just following him selling vegetables in Lanling, right? Back then Tian Bin didn't even look up to Ya Li, he dumped her; seeing that made me angry."

"Who would have thought, in just a few decades, Ya Li is now a big shot, while Tian Bin makes a living selling vegetables. Brother, this fate is really interesting." Shi Yong took another sip of wine.

I didn't drink, continued to pick up spicy chicken with chopsticks and eat,

After hearing Shi Yong's words,

I put down my chopsticks,

Then let out a long sigh,

"Time, fate. Life is like this; we don't know how we'll be in the future."

Sigh, as long as one is self-reliant, can support oneself, can support one's family, it's not considered a failure. A mature man is not to die tragically, but to live humbly.

Only by living can there be hope and a future.

Shi Yong, we might end up with nothing,

"Hope you won't hate me then." I said, looking at Shi Yong.

"Brother, what are you talking about? I mean, I'm willing to follow you selling vegetables, as long as you don't drive me away."

At worst, we brothers start over." Shi Yong said, raising his wine cup.