Yonghe Road

Chapter 12 Fans
Xie Anmin took the taxi that took Zhong Ziqi into the city because Zhong Ziqi did not have enough money in his pocket to pay for the taxi fare.

My eldest brother, Zhong Ziwang, had gone to work in the southwest and hadn't sent back his wages yet. He said his boss withheld his wages and would pay them all after the Lunar New Year. This was fine; small amounts of money could be accumulated into large sums, which were more useful. However, the responsibility of supporting the family fell on Zhong Ziqi.

When Zhong Ziwang was at home, he brought his monthly salary home to help with the family expenses. Zhong Ziqi's salary as a substitute physical education teacher at the village primary school was enough to cover their own expenses. Now, the family can only rely on Zhong Ziqi's salary to make ends meet, not to mention the pregnant woman. Zhong Ziqi had just transferred the last thousand yuan in his pocket to Lin Yingying yesterday, so that she could go to the city hospital for a prenatal checkup. Wang Zian didn't come to the factory today, so Zhong Ziqi still hadn't received the advance on his salary from the tea factory.

At the moment, I was short of money and didn't even have enough to pay for a taxi fare to the city.

"I'm going to the city, you can take a ride with me," said Xie Anmin.

Zhong Ziqi did not ask Xie Anmin why he was going to the city. His brain circuit was not fast enough for him to change his mind so quickly. Even when he and Xie Anmin got in a Didi car together, he did not say "thank you" to Xie Anmin.

After dozens of minutes, the car arrived in the city.

"Who do you want to send first?" the driver asked Xie Anmin.

Xie Anmin pointed at Zhong Ziqi.

Zhong Ziqi then said, "The people are great."

That was the place Wang Zian told him on the phone.

The car was heading north along Binjiang Avenue. Xie Anmin saw a long stream through the car window. He could not see the source to the north, nor the destination to the south. The stream was spacious, and there was a park on the opposite bank. There were many facilities with artistic designs, suitable for taking photos and checking in.

"This is the mother river of our city, called Tongshan Creek, some people also call it Tongjiang. The Fu Culture Park is on the opposite bank." The driver introduced to Xie Anmin.

Xie Anmin turned his gaze back and asked the driver with a smile: "How did you know I was from another place?"

"I can see that you are an artistic young woman." The driver glanced proudly at the corner of the book sticking out of Xie Anmin's shoulder bag. It was a foreign classic.

"Master, you also have a keen eye." Xie Anmin praised.

The driver was even more proud. "We drive for Didi, so we've seen countless people. You have the temperament of an artistic young woman. Did you come to our city to find inspiration?"

In the back seat, Zhong Ziqi coughed, "The National People's Congress has arrived." Zhong Ziqi got out of the car, walked to the passenger window, and said a belated "thank you" to Xie Anmin. His silly look gave him the air of a foolish beauty.

"How are we going to get back later? Do you still need a ride from me?" Xie Anmin asked.

Zhong Ziqi shook his head: "No need, we have Wang Boya."

Zhong Ziqi waved to Xie Anmin and entered the guardhouse at the NPC gate. Xie Anmin watched him enter the NPC building before letting the driver drive away. She planned to walk around Fu Culture Park and take some photos. Accustomed to the glitz and glamour of the bustling world of fame and fortune, the slower pace of this small coastal city brought her comfort.

Zhong Ziqi walked into the People's Congress office building and saw Wang Zian standing at the stairs waiting for him. Wang Zian had come to the city today specifically to visit Mei Wending, the chairman of the Municipal People's Congress. The city's white tea industry leadership group is headed by Municipal Party Secretary Song Qinglai, with Mei Wending, the chairman of the Municipal People's Congress, as the executive deputy chairman. Since Wang Zian was in the white tea business, he had to make friends with the leaders in charge of the white tea industry. Director Mei was busy with official duties, so Wang Zian had to ask his father, Secretary Wang Kai, to mediate in order to make an appointment with him. Director Mei had to go to another county for a meeting in the afternoon, so he didn't go to the countryside in the morning, which gave Wang Zian an hour or two to talk.

Before the conversation began, Director Mei thought of something and said to Wang Zian, "Last time when I was playing basketball at your Baile Village Primary School, I met a young man who was a good basketball player..."

After listening to Director Mei's description, Wang Zian took out a photo of Zhong Ziqi from his phone and showed it to Director Mei. He asked him, "Director, are you talking about Ziqi?"

"It's him, it's definitely him." Director Mei was very excited.

So Wang Zian called Zhong Ziqi and asked him to come to the city immediately. He then took out the specialty tea "Red Dress and White Wrap" of "Zhiyin White Tea House" and asked Mei Wending to appreciate it.

Wang Zian temporarily positioned "Zhiyin White Tea House" as a high-end custom tea shop, which suited the current market conditions for white tea. Seeing Wang Zian's youthful perspective on the white tea business, and given that he was Secretary Wang Kai's son, Mei Wending explained domestic tea market policies, the city's supportive policies for the white tea industry, and offered some marketing advice. Wang Zian benefited greatly from this.

Zhong Ziqi arrived, and Wang Zian led him to Mei Wending's reception room. The 1.8-meter-tall figure immediately caught Mei Wending's eye.

What a handsome young man.

Mei Wending smiled widely, stood up, and personally poured tea for Zhong Ziqi. He asked what school Zhong Ziqi graduated from, whether his current job at Baile Village Primary School was formal or temporary, and also asked him where he usually played basketball since he was so good at it. After hearing Zhong Ziqi say that he had only participated in the school basketball team in high school and sports college, and had not played basketball again after graduation, Mei Wending extended an olive branch, added Zhong Ziqi's WeChat, and sent him his location.

"This is the address of the city's 'Xuefeng' basketball club. Let's play basketball together on weekends." Mei Wending's enthusiastic invitation made Zhong Ziqi flattered, and he looked at Wang Zian helplessly.

As for Zhong Ziqi, he actually didn't quite understand how high of an official position Mei Wending held. But Wang Zian knew that for a county town, the director of the People's Congress was the head of one of the four leading groups in the city and a department-level cadre. In this city, he was a very important official.

After being patted on the back by Wang Zian, Zhong Ziqi's mind raced and he blurted out to Mei Wending, "Can An An come too?"

Wang Zian was really impressed by Zhong Ziqi. He patted him on the back to remind him to thank Mei Wending, not to ask him to recommend the talented person regardless of his relationship with him.

Mei Wending was stunned for a moment, then said, "Zi'an also likes playing basketball?"

"I fought in the army."

"Then let's meet at the Snow Wind Club this weekend."

As the business trip was about to begin, Mei Wending stood up to see the guest off.

Coming out of the NPC office building, Zhong Ziqi said to Wang Zian with a smile: "Wang Boya, why don't you thank me?" "Shouldn't you thank me?" Wang Zian felt strange. He brought him to meet Director Mei Wending, so why did he ask him to thank him in return?
Zhong Ziqi said, "I suggest that you go to the basketball club to play basketball with me this weekend."

"thank you."

Zhong Ziqi naturally didn't realize Wang Zian was being sarcastic, so he just said, "Thank you, just pay for my taxi fare back to Baile Village."

Wang Zian asked, "Don't you have money for a taxi?"

Zhong Ziqi nodded pitifully.

"Then how did you get into town?"

Zhong Ziqi then told Wang Zian that he had hitchhiked into the city with Xie Anmin.

"Miss Xie has also come to the city?" Wang Zian said excitedly, "Where is she now?"

Zhong Ziqi shrugged. How would he know?

So Wang Zian called Xie Anmin, who was taking photos at Fu Culture Park. But what's a photo shoot without a photographer? Selfies alone wouldn't capture all the artistic check-in spots along Tongshan Creek.

Wang Zian volunteered to be the photographer.

Xie Anmin saw Wang Zian coming alone to Fuwenhua Park on the east bank of Tongshan Creek. He couldn't help but look behind him. Wang Zian said, "Are you looking for Ziqi? Ziqi went to pick up a friend."

Zhong Ziqi has already received An Hongdou's call.

Zhong Ziqi was standing at the entrance of Fu Culture Park when he saw a girl in a long red dress gracefully walking across the street along the zebra crossing. Her red chiffon dress looked alluring in the summer, but her expression was innocent and shy, creating a sense of contrast, like a fiery red butterfly with awkward and simple movements.

Zhong Ziqi loved this red butterfly so much that he ran towards her with a smile on his face, his mouth stretched to his ears.

"Hongdou." Zhong Ziqi naturally stretched out his hand to An Hongdou, and An Hongdou also naturally put his hand into Zhong Ziqi's hand.

They walked down the park steps hand in hand, and were instantly healed by the long Tongshan River that lay before them.

In the past, I always looked at water from a vertical perspective. I have never looked at the stream from a horizontal perspective like I do now. It is like a silver ribbon extending infinitely to both sides, so timeless and spectacular.

Zhong Ziqi opened his mouth, but with an empty head and little education, he could only utter two words: "Fuck."

On the side, An Hongdou clenched her fist and knocked on Zhong Ziqi's arm: "I've told you so many times, don't swear."

The punch was no stronger than a mosquito bite, but Zhong Ziqi still acted as if he was vulnerable and seriously injured. He bent down exaggeratedly and grinned, which made An Hongdou giggle and punch his arm with her little pink fist.

In the distance, Xie Anmin, who was sitting on the swing, cast a nonchalant look towards the laughter over here, like a girl's long hair without the rubber band, loose and seemingly very comfortable.

Wang Zian attributed Xie Anmin's comfort to the "20 minutes in the park" he'd taken to relax and recharge his spirits. It's said that spending a short time outdoors daily, even without exercise, just minutes in the park can improve performance. This Fu Culture Park, built along the banks of Tongshan Creek, is the result of this coastal city's ongoing efforts to manage rivers and lakes, harness water resources across the region, and cultivate a vibrant city through clear waters. It benefits the city and its inhabitants.

Fu Culture Park is located on the lower side of Tongshan Bridge. To the north of it is Shuibei Park built along the stream. A "rainbow runway" is hidden in the dense green shade, birdsong and flowers. Water lilies open their smiling faces in the circular pool, looking delicate and beautiful.

The Fu Culture Park below has a charming name: Shili Tongxi. Facing the waters of Shili Tongxi, the entire park is filled with "Fu." It features a creative "Pillar of Blessing" lamppost cluster, a "Flowers Blooming, Wealth and Prosperity" leisure landscape, and children's entertainment facilities. In the evenings, when adults get off work and children finish school, this place becomes a great place for strolling.

Now, there are only two couples of young people on the empty banks of Shili Tongxi River.

Handsome men and beautiful women, very pleasing to the eye.

"My girlfriend." Zhong Ziqi introduced An Hongdou to Wang Zian for the first time.

Xie Anmin got down from the swing and squinted her eyes at An Hongdou. She recognized her. She was standing on the side of the road that day, still wearing a snow-white long dress. Zhong Ziqi left Xie Anmin behind, strode over and added her on WeChat.

Haha, it progressed so fast. We were strangers at that time, but in just a few days, we became girlfriends.

"Her name is An Hongdou." Zhong Ziqi said to Wang Zian and Xie Anmin with a bright and proud smile on his face.

Red beans. The exquisite dice are filled with red beans. Do you know how deep my longing for you is? Xie Anmin's mind suddenly flashed back to Wen Tingyun's "Nan Ge Zi." Wen Tingyun often mentioned red beans in his lyrics, and there's a line: "The silk ribbon carries the fragrance, yet it still carries the red beans I sent you when we parted."

"Hello, Xie Anmin." Xie Anmin smiled at An Hongdou.

An Hongdou asked, "Xie Anmin, is that the great writer Xie Anmin?"

"It's her." Wang Zian said.

An Hongdou immediately changed her ladylike demeanor and screamed excitedly, "Xie Anmin, I'm your fan."

(End of this chapter)