Making a living in Dongguan, her fiery red lips offer me tenderness.

Tang Li ordered a large portion of stir-fried rice noodles, some barbecue, a plate of stir-fried clams, and two bottles of beer.

"Sister Tang, how long have you been here?"

"I started working in 96, but I've only been running this beauty salon for three years."

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​opening a beauty salon?"

"A few years ago, I went back to my hometown to give birth. My ex-husband's sister runs a beauty salon in the county town. I helped out at her salon and learned some skills."

"Later I got divorced. When I came here, I felt that the wages for working were too low. I thought it would be better to open a small shop. The storefronts in the urban village are relatively cheap, so I rented one."

"oh!"

"It's good. Being a boss is better than working for someone else."

"Yes, although it doesn't earn much, it's definitely better than working a regular job, and it's also more flexible."

"Sister Tang, how long have you been divorced?"

"It's been four years. I opened this shop in Fenggang after my divorce."

"Oh, you haven't had a boyfriend in the past four years?"

"I dated someone last year, but it wasn't a good match."

"What's wrong?"

"He couldn't earn money himself, yet he wanted to borrow money from me. We dated for a few months, but I felt he was unreliable, so we broke up."

"Sister Tang, what kind of person are you looking for?"

"Xiaoyang, I'm 30 this year. I've been married once and have a child. I'm past the age of being naive. I want to find someone with a certain material foundation, at least someone who owns a house in the city. If I find a partner and my quality of life declines, then it's better not to find anyone."

Ding Yang cursed inwardly, "Damn it, I gave my virginity to Huang Mao, my love to my ex-husband, who am I going to give my reality to? I even want to find someone with a house in the city, is it illegal for someone to own a house?"

"Sister, you're only 30 years old, and your son is already in second grade. You got married quite early."

"I was naive back then. I was working in a factory when I met a boy who was very nice to me, so we got together. I didn't think too much about it and didn't even ask for a dowry."

"I only realized how naive I was after I got married and had children. I left the children with his parents and went out to work again. What I didn't expect was that even though we were so poor, he was still looking for young girls in the factory."

"Hehe, men are all lustful, it has nothing to do with being rich or poor."

"Xiaoyang, don't be like that scumbag."

"Don't worry, I know what I want, I won't do anything reckless."

"Xiaoyang, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"No, I'm still a virgin."

"Pah! You look like a scumbag."

"It's true, my greatest strength is that I'm honest, but my greatest weakness is also that I'm honest, which is why I often suffer losses."

"Nonsense, I don't believe it."

"Believe it or not, it's the truth. Right now, I just want to find a job and support myself first."

"That's easy. There are factories all along this road towards Yantian, and many of them are hiring. You're so handsome and a vocational high school graduate, it'll be easy for you to find a regular job."

"Let's hope so!"

"However, in my opinion, you will definitely make a fortune in the future."

"I'm so poor I'm begging for food, how could I possibly become rich?"

"Hehe, Xiaoyang, Shenzhen is just a little way from here. There are tons of rich women there. With your looks and figure, even rich women would tremble at the sight of you. You'll have plenty of opportunities to make money in the future."

"Sister Tang, when you see me, do you tremble?"

Tang Li blushed.

"Everyone loves beauty. If you weren't handsome, we wouldn't have talked so much in the car. But even if you are handsome, you're not my type."

"Sister Tang, you can tease me, but you can't flirt with me."

"Go away! Who's flirting with you?"

Seeing her blushing, Ding Yang suddenly wondered if this woman might actually have feelings for him.

There's a line in "Rickshaw Boy" that says, "There are very few truths in this world. A woman's blush is worth more than a long dialogue."

Sigh, everyone wants to find a rich woman to take the shortcut, but it depends on whether you have the luck. They say that younger sisters are charming, but older sisters are even more alluring. A pretty younger sister is just a transition, while a gentle older sister is the ultimate destination. But where can you find such an older sister?

"Xiaoyang, have you ever had a crush on anyone?"

"I already said, I'm still a virgin, I've never been in a relationship, and I've never liked anyone."

"Can't you talk to me seriously for once? Do you think I'd believe that?"

"Sister Tang, let's not talk about the past, let's talk about the future instead."

"Xiaoyang, are you a very withdrawn person?"

"No."

"You're 24 and you've never been in a relationship. Isn't that lonely?"

"Sister Tang, loneliness is not because of a lack of interpersonal skills, but because of a loss of interest in playing along."

"If you can't find someone you like, you might as well stay single. Playing around is meaningless."

"As a man, you're not qualified to talk about love if you're broke. When it comes time to pay the bill, you'll only make yourself look awkward. The equator can't hold back snowflakes, tears can't melt sand, and being broke can't keep her."

"Yes, that's true!"

"Boss lady, give me two more bottles of beer!"

The two ate at a late-night food stall for over an hour before heading home at 11 p.m.

As I walked back, there were far fewer people on the streets, but there seemed to be even more prostitutes at the end of the alley.

Ding Yang, a cigarette between his fingers, began humming under the influence of alcohol... "Looking Back".

"I used to follow Youyou, An'an, Fanfan, Fufu, and Zhongzhuiwen. Only then did I realize that Pingping, Dandan, Congcong, and Rongrong were the real ones. Looking back, Huang Ran and Rumeng! Looking back at Wu Xin and Yijiu, only Wu Jing and Chang Lu are still with me..."

Ding Yang hummed a song, while Tang Li, perhaps due to the alcohol, walked with a bouncy gait, her breasts bouncing up and down with each step. Where there were people, people trembled; where there were no people, her clothes trembled—a blur of reality and illusion, and that was life.

The two returned to the shop, turned on the lights, and pulled down the roller shutters completely.

Tang Li unfolded the sofa, and flipped it over to make a bed.

Then I opened the cabinet and took out the yoga mat.

"Xiaoyang, go take a shower first. I'll set up the bed for you. There's shampoo on the shelf in the bathroom."

"Okay, I understand!"

Ding Yang went to the bathroom and took a cold shower. He didn't know where there was hot water and was too embarrassed to ask.

The bathroom was a bit small, and even taking a shower was a bit rushed. I quickly took a shower and came out wearing only my boxer shorts.

Tang Li was stunned. The eight-pack abs were clearly defined, and she almost swallowed hard.

"Xiaoyang, it's a shame you're not a model with a figure like that."

"No, I'm destined to be a laborer."

"Did you used to work out?"

"No, but I like to exercise. I had decent grades in physical education in school and I also practiced boxing, so I'm only half-baked."

"Would you like to use a hairdryer to dry your hair?"

"No need, it'll dry in a bit."

Tang Li gave Ding Yang a blanket.

"It's a bit chilly at night, cover yourself with a blanket so you don't catch a cold."

"Thanks!"

Tang Li turned around and went to take a shower. The sound of the rushing water made Ding Yang's mind wander, and he also felt a little thirsty.

After a while, the two of them went to sleep.

Ding Yang lay on the floor, separated by a yoga mat, while Tang Li slept on the open sofa.

"Snapped!"

Tang Li turned off the light, and the room suddenly became pitch black. The storefront didn't even have windows, and it was almost impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.

After a while,

"Xiaoyang, I can't sleep."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know why, but I can't sleep. I'm not sleepy at all. I wonder if it's because I drank alcohol earlier."

"Sister Tang, let me chat with you for a bit."

"What are you going to talk about?"

"You can talk about anything you want, from astronomy and geography to everyday gossip."

"Come on, we're a lone man and woman, not literary figures or experts on astronomy and geography. Do you think we'd have anything in common?"

"Hehe, let's tell dirty jokes then!"

"Didn't you say you were a virgin?"

"Even if you've never eaten pork, you've still seen a pig run, haven't you?"

"Who would believe that?"

"Sister Tang, how many men have you slept with?"

"Ugh, is that even a question?"

"Didn't you say you couldn't sleep? I'll chat with you, consider it a game of truth or dare, you can refuse if you don't want to answer."

"Besides my ex-husband, there are only two."

"So that makes three."

"I guess so? What about you?"

"Didn't I already tell you? I'm a virgin."

"Nobody would believe you."

"If you don't believe me, then so be it."

"Xiaoyang, what kind of girlfriend are you looking for?"

"How can I, in my poverty, dare to enter the bustling world? How can I, with nothing in my pocket, dare to mislead a beautiful woman? Now I am penniless and dare not fall in love."

"As the saying goes, 'When people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lustful desires.' I haven't even solved my basic needs, so I dare not think about those things."

"Hehe, men aren't like women, so how do you solve that?"

"Big sister, do you even have to ask this?"

"Go ahead and say it!"

"Big sister, I'm truly impressed by you."

"I'll do it myself, and I'll have plenty to eat and wear!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"You're such a smooth talker, you're like a seasoned veteran of the underworld, you must be a womanizer."

"That's right. I'm a realist, and no one can control me. When it comes to dating, if you're trying to have your cake and eat it too, you'll eventually capsize. If you're trying to have your cake and eat it too, you'll never be able to stop. You can fall in love with one woman after another, forget one after another, and there's never a shortage of the next one. Out with the old, in with the new. As long as you change women quickly, there's no sadness, only love."

"Scumbag!"