I am not a literary giant

The West River is always shrouded in a hazy gray in the morning, the air thick with the bitter scent of flowers. In this hazy air, the sun appears like a large, frosted light bulb. Prince Xu stands at the entrance of the tobacco shop and lights a large cigarette.

That was the last big hit in his cigarette pack. As the smoke curled upwards, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He felt incredibly cunning.

His father lived neither too far nor too close to his home, and he would visit him once a month. Each time, he would try to bring something with him, such as milk or beer. When his wife found out, she would always take out the account book and make him pay for it.

My wife always says, "Look, after your baby is born, after deducting several months' worth of formula and diapers, our savings will be zero. If you give your dad a case of milk now, our baby will have one less can of formula; if you give your dad a case of beer now, our baby will have several less diapers. Don't take it to heart, just keep giving them away. A year from now, you'll have to explain to your child how you survived on air."

To avoid letting his children down in the future, he had to let his father suffer a little, but fortunately, his father didn't mind. However, Wang Zixu was different today. He now had over ten thousand yuan in secret savings, and his wife's accounts showed a surplus. His father didn't need to suffer today. His wallet was his confidence standing in front of the tobacco and liquor store.

Of course, he wasn't standing here solely to honor his father. He needed to give his father the contract for Wen'ai Company to sign later, and if his father asked too many questions, he would have to bite the bullet and tell him what kind of company it was.

Wang Zixu's father is named Wang Jianguo. Although Comrade Wang Jianguo smokes, drinks, and swears, he is a traditional and good comrade. If Comrade Wang Jianguo were to learn the details of this company, he would surely be furious.

But if he first had a few drinks with Comrade Wang Jianguo, given his personality and drinking capacity, he could easily sign ten names, let alone one. Then Wang Zixu wouldn't need to make up lies to deceive him.

Being filial to one's father is a good thing; deceiving one's parents is a bad thing. Even the sages of old could do no better than this: to do one good deed and avoid doing one bad one. Therefore, Prince Xu felt very cunning, and stood there smoking and grinning slyly.

Stepping into the store, one is greeted by a dazzling array of goods. The glass cases hold cigarettes, while the shelves display liquor. Between the glass cases and the shelves stands the owner, a dark-skinned, thin man with a hawk-like gaze fixed upon him.

Wang Zixu looked around and said modestly, "I haven't smoked many cigarettes, what grade is this pack of Liqun cigarettes?"

The boss said, "It's a bit higher grade than what you're smoking."

Prince Xu stubbed out his cigarette and threw it into the ashtray, then pointed to Hadrian in the cabinet and asked, "What about this one?"

The boss said, "It's a bit more upscale than the one you just turned off."

The prince, annoyed, said, "That's enough! Don't I know what kind of cigarettes I smoke? Anything else is better. Here's what you'll do: first give me two bottles of Daohuaxiang Vitality cigarettes, then two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes, and then I'll choose what I want to smoke."

After the shop owner helped prepare the pack, he returned, rubbing his hands together, and asked, "Would you prefer a business-style or a casual smoking experience?"

The prince asked humbly, "What is the 'business-style' smoking method? What is the 'daily ration' smoking method?"

The boss said, "The 'business style' of smoking is mainly for show; everyone exchanges cigarettes for tasting, which can showcase your class and taste. The 'daily style,' on the other hand, is for customers who smoke more heavily, focusing more on cost-effectiveness and taste."

Wang Zixu said, "Please recommend both of them to me."

The boss said, "For the business cigarettes, I recommend two. One is Huanghelou 1916. This cigarette is a long-established brand in the 100-yuan price range. It has a historical reputation and status halo. The packaging is low-key, simple, and has a literary and artistic feel. It also has a sense of historical weight. The design and recognition are second to none. If you take it out among smokers, you will be the brightest star."

"I also recommend He Tianxia. As the saying goes, a 20-yuan cigarette can't calm your mind, but a 100-yuan He Tianxia can. Its smoke is clear and pure. It ranks among the top three in sales nationwide in the same price range. Its packaging design is deep and tender, combining the characteristics of a wanderer and a tough guy."

Prince Xu pondered for a moment and then said, "Could you recommend a few more food brands for me?"

The shop owner said, "If you're looking for something to smoke regularly, I recommend Soft Cloud; if you prefer flavored cigarettes, I recommend Soft Jade; and if you're looking for something that evokes nostalgia, I recommend Xuanhemen."

Wang Zixu finally chose a box of Xuanhemen cigarettes, carried his bags out the door, and rode his electric bike. Suddenly, he realized that in this day and age, even sentimentality costs 20 yuan. If his wife found out, she would probably scold him again.

So he took out the empty box from the bountiful harvest, put Xuanhemen inside, and then threw away Xuanhemen's box. Riding his bicycle along the road, the wind whipping his hair, he felt increasingly cunning and grinned slyly.

My father lives in an old residential area in the north of the city. In this area, the first floor is raised by half a floor, and the lower floor is sunken by half a floor, forming a semi-sloping basement.

The initial design concept was to use these basements as garages, but the owners cleverly rented them out for only three hundred dollars a month.

His father only had a meager pension, and to make room for Wang Zixu and his wife, he moved out of the old house. Wang Zixu felt that he should pay his father's rent, and this semi-basement apartment on the hillside, with a monthly rent of 300 yuan, was the best place he could find with his current means.

Wang Zixu rode his bicycle through the neighborhood, passing countless elderly men and women fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans. They were all residents of these basement apartments on the hillside. The basements were dark, damp, and poorly ventilated; without air conditioning, living there in the summer would be a disaster. The elderly didn't like to turn on the air conditioning and instead sat in the courtyard to cool off.

When Wang Zixu arrived at the location, he found a shirtless man doing pull-ups on a clothes rack. His physique was slightly out of shape, but his muscles were still well-developed. This was Comrade Wang Jianguo.

Wang Zixu called out from behind, "Dad, Dad!" Wang Jianguo jumped down from the clothes rack, turned around and saw him, saying, "Son, you bastard, aren't you going to work today?"

Wang Zixu said, "I worked overtime last night, and my boss told me to catch up on sleep this morning. I couldn't sleep, so I came to see you."

Wang Jianguo walked over and said, "I thought you skipped work. Your boss treats you so well, you should still work hard and not complain about the low salary. You can't find a job like this even with a lantern. Look at these old folks over there, they're so envious of my son having a government job. Those younger guys are all from the underworld, they've been beaten up so many times."

Wang Zixu nodded in agreement, and took the cigarettes and alcohol out of the car. Old Comrade Wang Jianguo leaned over, rummaged through them, and glared at them, saying, "What the hell are you carrying? Did you rob a bank?"

Wang Zixu smiled and said, "I've earned some royalties recently. The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon, so I brought you some gifts to celebrate the holiday."