Which way to go is the road?

When Xiang Fei woke up again, it was already evening. Looking at the sudden darkness, he felt a pang of panic and instinctively pressed the automatic timer on his watch: "It's exactly 7 PM!"

How long did I sleep? Where am I? Xiang Fei thought carefully before realizing that this was his cousin's house.

Using the faint light from outside the window, he turned on the room's fluorescent light. The glaring light made him immediately close his eyes and shield them with his hand. After his eyes adjusted, he observed the room and found that although it was in an urban village, the room was elegantly and refreshingly furnished, and it even had a private bathroom. Xiang Fei quickly went to the bathroom to take care of personal matters and washed his face. He felt much refreshed, and the alcohol had mostly worn off.

Looking at the mess she had made of the bed, she quickly went over and tidied it up. With nothing else to do, she took a mop from the bathroom and mopped the floor twice. Afraid of getting it dirty again, she retreated outside the room.

This is a small courtyard enclosed by two-story buildings. In the middle, two sycamore trees grow taller than the roof of the second floor, and you can touch the leaves of the sycamore trees directly from the second-floor passageway.

At this moment, Xiang Fei stood by the railing in the second-floor corridor, looking at the sycamore tree and the dim lights of the other tenants. It was a distance from the city center, so it was relatively quiet. There were no roaring engines or noisy car horns, but he could hear the hustle and bustle of people near and far, bringing a real sense of the lights of thousands of homes.

"1-2-3-4!" A loud, clear voice called out from an unknown direction. Xiang Fei found it strange that there was a military camp in this urban village. Normally, students didn't do morning exercises during military training. Before he could think too much about it, he saw his cousin Wang Zhiqiang's family and three friends walk into the courtyard. They looked up, saw Xiang Fei, and greeted him.

"Awake?" Wang Zhiqiang went straight up to the second floor and patted Xiang Fei on the shoulder with a smile.

"I've been awake for a while now. Thank you so much, Uncle, for bringing me back. I promise I'll never drink so much again!"

"It's okay, don't drink too much with outsiders. It's not a big deal for us to get together, so a little drinking is fine. You're a good drinker, no fuss, just sleeping!"

"I got drunk as soon as we met, and now you're taking care of me. I feel really awkward. I was planning to rush back tonight, but I'm afraid there won't even be any buses left!"

"I wasn't planning on letting you leave today anyway, why would you leave! There's a place to stay here!" Wang Zhiqiang's voice suddenly softened as he leaned closer to Xiang Fei and asked, "Are you okay at the internet cafe? Why don't you come help me? I think you're quite pleasing to the eye! With me looking after you, Sister E will feel at ease!"

"Thank you, Uncle. I came to visit you mainly to put my mother's mind at ease. Actually, my mother also wants me to stay with you; it's family ties, and she trusts me. But I want to venture out on my own first and broaden my horizons!" Xiang Fei felt uncomfortable contradicting his uncle like this. "But Uncle, how about this: although I won't be working for you, please call me anytime you need help. I promise I'll be there immediately!"

Wang Zhiqiang stroked Xiang Fei's head and smiled knowingly. He had been making his way in Yandu since he was 16, so how could he not understand Xiang Fei's thoughts?

For a child wandering far from home, having someone to rely on is the most secure thing, but this means losing access to a vast world outside. Regardless of whether that reliance is suitable for them, they can only grit their teeth and work hard, changing themselves to adapt. Conversely, venturing out on their own, while perhaps riskier and involving many detours, makes it easier to find an industry that suits them and that they enjoy.

Wang Zhiqiang himself had made his way up in the same way, so he not only didn't blame Xiang Fei for rejecting him, but also admired this resourceful young man.

"It's alright, then go ahead and try it out yourself. Remember, Feifei, my door is always open for you!"

"Thank you, Uncle!" Xiang Fei took two steps back, leaving space for Wang Zhiqiang to bow, and tears welled up in his eyes. Xiang Fei didn't know how many relatives in the world were snobbish, but he knew that his cousin-in-law was not; he was treating him sincerely.

"Silly boy! Go down for dinner. I'll change my clothes and come down right away!" Wang Zhiqiang patted Xiang Fei's hair and said affectionately.

Xiang Fei went down to the courtyard. The outdoor table was already full of takeout food from the restaurant. Wang Zhiqiang's two children were playing around the table. Xiang Fei quickly helped set out the bowls and chopsticks, and got some chairs, preparing for dinner. A little while later, Wang Zhiqiang came down wearing a vest, shorts, and slippers, holding a cell phone in his hand. He walked over and shoved the phone into Xiang Fei's hand.

"Please don't mind my old phone. It's so inconvenient not having a phone in Yan'an; you need it for making friends and doing work!"

"Uncle, I'm earning a salary now! I can buy it myself with my paycheck!"

"You bought it, so it's yours. This is a gift from me, don't throw it away when you leave!" My uncle said earnestly, but his expression changed as he sat down at the table and started laughing. "Here you go. Let me tell you a joke. A little kid who's usually naughty suddenly became well-behaved one day. He ran up to an old lady and asked, 'Grandma, are your teeth okay?' The old lady said, 'No, they're all gone!' The little kid quickly pulled out a bag of walnuts and said, 'Can you watch these walnuts for me? I need to go to the toilet.' He turned and ran off, seemingly in a hurry. At that moment, the old lady shakily pulled out a Nokia phone from her pocket and said, 'You little rascal, you think you can stump me?'"

Wang Zhiqiang looked around and, seeing that no one was smiling, said irritably, "Did you all plan this? Not a single smile on your face! Oh, by the way, Feifei, the phone I gave you is a Nokia; it can crack walnuts and can be used for self-defense!"

Then the youngest, Duoduo, spoke up: "Daddy, Daddy, they don't laugh at me, but they do!" Duoduo scratched her armpits with her chubby little hands, "Hehehehehe, hehehehehe!"

Everyone burst into laughter at Xiao Duoduo's antics. Wang Zhiqiang, however, nonchalantly picked her up and sat her on his lap, asking, "Tell me, what did you learn from that joke?"

"If you're taking walnuts to the toilet, you shouldn't leave them with the old lady for safekeeping; she's too greedy. You should give them to the old man!"

……

Everyone burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the quiet night air of the courtyard, washing away the sorrow and weariness of many in the village. Few villagers live in this urban village; almost all are migrant workers from the countryside, or, on a more advanced level, entrepreneurs.

Wang Zhiqiang is lucky; after hard work, he has a career he can rely on for a living and a happy family! On the other hand, Xiang Fei is also lucky. Not only did he make close friends like Dong Lu and Lao You, but he also found his cousin Wang Zhiqiang as a supporter. Not everyone who goes to the city to work or start a business can enjoy warmth and happiness like they do now. Many more people are still struggling and wandering in bitterness. Even for Wang Zhiqiang and Xiang Fei, who can guarantee that their future lives will be smooth sailing?

They strive to make the most of today, hoping that life will bring them a bright and sunny tomorrow.

"It is your warm gaze that makes me look resolutely ahead, reminding me that I should not give up when I fall..."

As the familiar ringtone sounded, Xiang Fei slowly opened his eyes. Instead of seeing the pitch-black basement, he saw the face of Wang Zhiqiang's son, Dongdong. The little guy was rolling over and covering his head because of the incessant ringing, expressing his dissatisfaction.

Xiang Fei quickly turned off the alarm, got up quietly, dressed, and went out.

At 6 a.m., the morning light, like a shy maiden, clung to the rising sun, while birds chirped and hopped among the branches of the sycamore trees. A few people were already hurrying along the streets and alleys, but overall, the area maintained a final tranquility before the hustle and bustle.

"You're up so early? Why didn't you sleep a little longer!" Wang Zhiqiang pushed open the door to the next room and came out.

"I can't sleep. I usually get up around this time; I have to be at the internet cafe cleaning by 7 a.m., otherwise everyone will be using the computers, which will affect business!"

"That's great, waking up early is a good habit! Would you like to go for a run with me?"

"Great! That's perfect, I'm wearing sneakers. I used to run every day when I was in school, and sometimes I did it in the countryside, but I never kept it up!"

"Let's go then!"

Xiang Fei followed his cousin Wang Zhiqiang to the entrance of the courtyard, and imitating him, he awkwardly did a few warm-up exercises before starting to run.

The alleyways and lanes in the urban village aren't very smooth, and there are often puddles, so you can't be distracted while running here. You have to dodge and jump from time to time. It was okay at first, but after more than 10 minutes, Xiang Fei was already panting. Wang Zhiqiang, on the other hand, seemed to get more and more energetic. Rome wasn't built in a day, so it was clear that he exercised regularly.

As they ran, they came to the side of a farmland. Their running slowed down until a peanut field appeared, at which point they stopped, panting heavily.

"Ah..." Wang Zhiqiang cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted at the lush green peanut seedlings. The sound traveled far without obstruction; it was unknown whether the citizens in the distant high-rises could hear his shout from the edge of the farmland. Wang Zhiqiang shouted until he was breathless, closed his eyes, took a deep breath of fresh air, and then smiled at Xiang Fei: "You should try it too. Yandu is too big; it's easy to lose yourself! So I often shout like this to call back my lost soul!"

"Ah..." Xiang Fei tried to shout too, then closed his eyes and took a breath of fresh air: "Uncle, my soul has returned!"

"Shout it a few more times, put in some effort!"

"No need, I've only just arrived in Yandu, and I haven't lost much of my soul yet. One shout is enough!"

Wang Zhiqiang smiled helplessly and shook his head: "Let's go back!"

Xiang Fei quickly did some more warm-up exercises, and when he finished, he looked back and saw that Wang Zhiqiang had already walked more than ten meters away: "Uncle, aren't you going to run back?"

"Why are you running like that? Aren't you afraid of getting tired? You know, proper exercise is important, right? This kid!"

"..."

As they strolled back, turning a corner at the entrance of an alley, they brushed past a neatly dressed, handsome soldier. Xiang Fei turned back to look at the soldier, his brows furrowing deeply: "What's he doing here?"

"You know him?" Wang Zhiqiang asked quietly after hearing Xiang Fei's muttering.

"What's our boss's boyfriend doing here?"

"I guess they have relatives here! Soldiers might also have parents who come to the city to work."

"But the boss just told us yesterday that her boyfriend went to Lanzhou for special training, the kind of secret training where he can't contact anyone, not even his parents! How did he end up here?"

"Shall we follow them and see?"

"No need, Uncle, I can go by myself. It'll be easy for the two of us to be spotted if we follow them!"

"You've made it sound pretty mysterious. Well, I'm going back now. You can go with me and see for yourself. You haven't bought a SIM card for your phone yet, so take my phone and call your aunt if anything happens!" Wang Zhiqiang said with a mysterious smile, "I'll bring people to rescue you then!" He couldn't help but laugh after saying that.

"Okay, okay!" Seeing the soldier disappear around the corner, Xiang Fei got a little anxious and, disregarding politeness, picked up his phone and followed him.

Qian Luomei's boyfriend had met him twice, but Xiang Fei had an ordinary face and was inconspicuous among Dong Lu, Lao You, Xiangzi, and Wang Haoming. Now that he was in a place that was not far from the "Shuiyunjian" internet cafe, he probably did not recognize Xiang Fei.

However, Xiang Fei didn't dare to be careless and only followed at a distance. The soldier walked along the route they had taken back, crossed the farmland, and then disappeared around a bend. Xiang Fei walked over and found a fairly large courtyard with a five-star red flag flying in the middle, giving it a bit of a military camp feel. What made Xiang Fei suspicious was that no one was standing guard at the gate, and the gate was tightly closed.

Xiang Fei recalled the shouts of drill yesterday, which must have come from this courtyard. However, he couldn't see what was going on inside. A typical military camp wouldn't be like this, but perhaps they were special forces with special combat missions! Xiang Fei put aside his suspicions arising from curiosity and turned to walk back.

It was already 7 o'clock after breakfast. Xiang Fei quickly got up to go to work. Wang Zhiqiang didn't let Xiang Fei take the bus or subway back; instead, he drove him to the internet cafe in his black sedan. Xiang Fei greeted his cousin Wang Zhiqiang, got out of the car, and ran into the internet cafe!

Xiang Fei's secondhand mobile phone caused a sensation in the internet cafe. He didn't know that although the phone was secondhand, it was not cheap and was considered very advanced at the time. It could not only take pictures but also play MP3s!

Dong Lu accompanied Xiang Fei to get a SIM card, since Xiang Fei knew absolutely nothing about mobile phones. While Xiang Fei held his ID card and waited in line to get the card, Dong Lu sat on a public bench in the service hall, happily playing with her phone.

As soon as the card was issued, Dong Lu rushed over and quickly installed it, then helped set the ringtone and made various adjustments.

"You can use it. I'll use yours. I don't know how to use any more features anyway," Xiang Fei blurted out, seeing how much Dong Lu loved it.

"Really?" Dong Lu pouted and took various poses for selfies, her heart filled with joy.

"Your boyfriend is so good to you, that phone cost over 3000! You're so lucky, beautiful lady!" A saleswoman nearby couldn't help but say enviously as she watched the scene.

An ill-timed remark instantly created an awkward atmosphere. Dong Lu's face suddenly clouded over: "He's not my boyfriend!" The words slipped out without hesitation. Only after saying it did Dong Lu realize her reaction was hurtful, and she hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "He's my buddy!"

The salesperson apologized and tactfully walked away.

"I... my phone is fine, and besides, your phone is so expensive, it's not fair to you to exchange it. Let's forget it! Take your phone and let's go home!" Dong Lu tried to ease the awkwardness, then turned and walked out of the store.

Xiang Fei remained silent throughout. He was indeed a little hurt. It wasn't that Xiang Fei had truly fallen in love with Dong Lu, but rather that he had always had an irreplaceable fondness for her. Almost every step he took in Yandu was related to this young girl. He couldn't distinguish whether this fondness was romantic love or pure friendship, but he cherished it very much.

Even if Dong Lu didn't refute it, Xiang Fei wouldn't take the salesperson's words seriously, given the significant difference in their educational backgrounds. Dong Lu's eagerness to distance herself from him felt like a knife cutting a wound in Xiang Fei's heart. But that was for the best; at least Xiang Fei didn't have to bother figuring out the source of his affection. Thinking this, Xiang Fei felt relieved and quickened his pace to catch up with Dong Lu.

In the end, Dong Lu still got to use the phone that cost over 3000 yuan. Xiang Fei traded the right to use the phone with Dong Lu for the right to use the front desk computer when it was not in use, so that he could learn to type. In this way, Dong Lu no longer had any concerns, and the two continued their delicate friendship without a care in the world.