On a rainy afternoon, I took a taxi from Lu'an, Anhui Province to a mountainous area dozens of kilometers away. The road in the mountainous area was very muddy due to rain erosion. The taxi driver complained constantly along the way. The car drove stumblingly, but finally arrived at the location. The driver collected the fare, said "This is a place where birds don't shit, only ghosts want to stay here", and then drove away.
The rain is still falling. After getting out of the car, I jogged all the way to the work shed not far away. On the construction site in the distance, a group of people wearing raincoats were busy working nervously. From a distance, everyone's skin is as black as charcoal. I remember that when I was in high school, I had a classmate named Da Ruan. His skin was as dark as that of black people. Nowadays, all of these people are not black but are better than black, which is amazing.
Speaking of black people, I remembered the purpose of this trip again. I came from thousands of miles away, traveled across mountains and rivers, and worked tirelessly to see my classmate Ding Dong. I haven’t seen him for more than 20 years since graduation. Some time ago, it was rumored that Ding Dong was infected with the Ebola virus while working in Africa. Now that I was invited by him, I couldn't refuse the warm hospitality. I had to come see him. Besides being too emotional, I also had to have some courage.
It is said that when the Ebola virus attacks, people bleed from all the orifices, like a zombie, biting anyone they see. Moreover, this time Ding Dong went to the Central African Republic, a country that once had a food problem. He is notorious as a human emperor. Thinking of this, I can't help but sweat my hands, and I am very uneasy about this meeting.
When I opened the door of the project manager's office, I was greeted by a musty and stinky smell, which was very pungent. The taste is so unique and brings back long-lasting memories for me. Yes, this smell is the smell of smelly socks. I remember that Ding Dong didn't wash his socks for several months, which made everyone dizzy. It took a long time to get used to it. Now, more than 20 years later, I rediscovered this unique smell of Ding Dong, which brought back many past events, switching back and forth in my mind like a slideshow.
The office, which is more than ten square meters, is messy and disorderly, with things piled up randomly, making it difficult to see. An old man wearing reading glasses lowered his head and buried himself in the drawings. His half-white and sparse hair swayed gently in the breeze indoors.
As I got closer, the old man heard the noise. He raised his head and asked me who I was looking for. I said I was looking for Manager Ding. The old man looked me up and down with his cloudy little eyes, and then said in a rough voice that Manager Ding was not here and had gone to Lu'an to collect payment, and asked me to come back next time.
I was a little bit resentful, but what the hell, I came all the way to visit someone, but I didn’t expect that I would be rejected by someone with a warm face but a cold butt.
When I walked out of the project management department, I was a little confused. After all, it was too far away from the city. I had to contact Ding Dong quickly and ask him when he would be back. Unexpectedly, when I went out with my front legs, the old man came out sneakily with my back legs. When he saw that I hadn't left yet, he seemed to be frightened and ran away.
I became suspicious and thought that this old man was so weird. Why was he so evil? A worker happened to be walking by and I said I'm looking for your manager Ding. The worker nuzzled at the old man who ran away and said, that's not it!
I ran after him.
I shouted Ding Dong’s name as I ran. Unexpectedly, the old man ran faster. This made me excited, thinking that no matter how bad I am, I am still a marathon runner. Can you, an old man, outrun me? !
So, I chased him desperately. The distance between the two people was getting closer and closer. The old man panicked and stumbled over the bumpy soil under his feet. He didn't care about the blood on his face, so he got up and ran away. An old yellow tooth was left lying quietly on the ground with blood.
Seeing that he couldn’t get rid of me, the old man suddenly got his wits about him and ran to the dry toilet on the construction site. He slipped into the women's bathroom and refused to come out no matter what I called him.
Later I slapped my forehead, blaming myself for being dizzy today and forgetting to declare my home address. Then I said Ding Dong, I am Lao Li, and I came to see you at your invitation. These words had immediate effect, and the old man came out of the women's room.
Old man, no, it should be classmate Ding Dong walked up to me, rubbed his hands in embarrassment, and said, Brother, please report to your home early when you come. I thought you were here to collect debts, but it’s scary. It kills me, hehehe! Then he looked me up and down and said, brother, you have grown taller, fatter, and more heroic, no wonder I can’t recognize you!
I also looked at Ding Dong carefully and felt that he had aged too fast and was completely different from the person in my memory. I remember that when he was a student, Ding Dong loved beauty. He wore blue suits, gray suits, white suits, floral suits, etc. He changed them around like a revolving door. He also had a head of wasp-shaped hair that squirmed in the wind. In short, he made a very handsome impression on his classmates, especially the girls. Whenever he twerks and walks as a model on campus, he attracts many girls to watch, causing screams from time to time.
Nowadays, time is not forgiving, things have changed and people have changed. The Ding Dong in front of him not only had half white hair, but also almost lost his hair. His wrinkled, dark face was dotted with age spots. Also, his figure was already as tall as a bamboo pole, with a slight hunchback. What's even more frightening is that he also lost several teeth in his mouth, and his mouth turned into a black hole, which made me take a breath of air.
At noon that day, Ding Dong asked the canteen to add a few more dishes for me to catch the wind.
To be honest, I don’t have any other specialties except that my taste buds are more developed and I am quite particular about food. I used to dream of becoming a gourmet! This time I traveled all the way to Anhui. I wanted to eat authentic Anhui cuisine, but I was a little disappointed - except for honeycomb tofu, which is barely considered an Anhui cuisine, the rest were basically made from local ingredients, simple and simple, like dried peppers. There are tofu, fried peanuts, and canned fish. By the way, there is also a large plate of pork stewed vermicelli, which is an authentic Northeastern style dish. Unfortunately, there is not a trace of lean meat in it, it is basically pork skin, and the hair has not been shaved clean, so it looks a bit leaky. But Ding Dong ignored all this and picked up a piece of hairy meat skin with chopsticks, put it in his toothless mouth and chewed it with relish.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory divides human needs, that is, happiness and satisfaction, into five levels. The first level, which is also the lowest level, is the satisfaction of physiological needs. A classmate of mine who hates knowledge also has a famous saying: Damn, literati are pretentious, as long as they have food and drink, it’s good! Comparing Ding Dong and me, it seems that the environment really shapes people. It’s true!
Ding Dong seemed to see the look of worry on my face. Quickly explain, he said, brother, this place is in a ravine and the transportation is inconvenient. You have to go far away to buy groceries. Everything is troublesome! If the reception is not good, just make do with it. Finally, he cursed angrily, "This damn place belongs to me!"
The eating place is in Ding Dong’s project manager’s office. Bricks are stacked on four sides in the open space and a board is built on top to form a dining table. Although it is simple, it is better than the workers who squat or stand outside to eat. Better. In addition to Ding Dong and I, there were two other people accompanying us: Lao An, a construction site safety officer. Although he was about the same age as us and had a square face, his hair was completely bald and he looked very old. In addition, he always felt that He has a feminine touch in his gestures, and he speaks in a cooing voice; the other is the only woman on the construction site, Sister Zhen, the cook in the canteen, and the dishes on the table in front of him are her handiwork. Sister Zhen is in her early fifties, well-maintained, with big breasts and fat buttocks, a MILF, and her charm is still there. However, she speaks in a vulgar way and is also a bit of a slut. You can tell at a glance that she doesn't have much connotation.
While Ding Dong was explaining, Lao An suddenly lowered his head and covered his mouth and snickered. Ding Dong was stunned for a moment, then his face turned red, and he began to spit bitter words at me. He said, brother, you don’t know what a hard life I lived. I relied on borrowing money to survive, and I was in panic all day long. I demolished the east wall to make up for the west wall. His series of complaints were nothing more than Party A's delay in appropriating funds, material suppliers and subcontractors chasing for money, etc., mixed in with a lot of things such as "Chu Ke Niang", "Niang Xipi", "Grandma's legs", I think this is one of the gains Ding Dong has gained from leading the project department to all over the country over the years.
The wine is served. Ding Dong and I toast to our reunion. As soon as the wine was in my mouth, the topics gradually started to increase. I talked about the past in high school, especially the white gloves, and I was filled with endless emotions. Ding Dong sighed, his eyes moist.
Ding Dong took out a pack of cigarettes from his desk, handed me one, and asked if he would smoke? ! I waved my hand and said I didn’t smoke. Ding Dong smiled strangely and said that this was no ordinary cigarette. Smoking it would make you feel extremely happy and make you want to die. When I heard this, I thought this was obviously a drug, so I refused even more. Ding Dong lit a cigarette, and while smoking, he laughed at himself and said, "Who does engineering and travels all over the world, who doesn't have all the five poisons?" !
Ding Dong’s drinking capacity didn’t seem to be very good. After three rounds of drinking, he started to get up and tell dirty jokes without restraint. Not only that, he also touched Sister Zhen who was sitting next to him. , groping people, and forcing them to drink. Sister Zhen was not angry and responded to him with a smile. The two of them hugged each other and kept talking obscene words.
Seeing me dumbfounded, Lao An explained in a cooing voice that everything was lacking on the construction site, but men. Women were rare animals on the construction site. If you live a single life like this at a construction site for too long, even if Pan An comes, he will definitely become a flower-picking maniac! Therefore, it is not easy for Manager Ding, understand!
I was silent for a while, and then I chatted with Lao An about the situation at the construction site.
Suddenly, there was a noise outside, mixed with angry curses. The office door was suddenly pushed open, and a young man wearing a safety helmet ran in like a whirlwind and whispered a few words in Ding Dong's ear. Ding Dong was shocked, and seemed to wake up from the drunkenness in an instant. He stood up in a panic and kept saying, Quick, quick, hide me...
Lao An pushed away Ding Dong's desk and moved on a floor tile under the desk. Being pried up. It turns out that the floor tiles are hollow and there is a hole underneath. I couldn't help but think of the tunnel war, and secretly praised in my heart, what a cunning rabbit with three burrows, the wisdom of people who hide from debts is really infinite! However, this cave is very shallow and the entrance is narrow. Only a skinny person like Ding Dong can get in, and he has to squat down like he is trying to relieve himself. It is quite painful after a long time.
As soon as Ding Dong was hidden, a group of people broke in. The leader was a short, fat man with a fierce look on his face. Even though Humpty Dumpty was not very tall, he was full of energy, and his roar filled the room. The short fat man dragged a charming woman who was crying loudly, overturned the wine table, and roared like thunder: Ding Dong, you son of a bitch, you don't pay back the money you owe me, and you still dare to flirt with me! Come out here and see if I don't skin you!
Humpty Dumpty couldn’t find Ding Dong. He was furious and roared even louder. Many people on the construction site came to watch.
Later, the short fat man ordered his men to smash up Ding Dong's office, especially the plates of orchids that Ding Dong raised. They smashed and trampled on them, which made me feel sad. After venting their anger, the group left.
When Ding Dong came out of the hole, he looked shabby. When he saw me, he looked a little shy. He asked Lao An to ask someone to tidy up the office, and then he and I chatted for a while. He was a little depressed, and I was also a little angry with him. I thought, Ding dong, Ding dong, you have been molesting female classmates since junior high school and were made to stand in public by the teacher. Now decades have passed, why can't you change this? What a lustful and stinky habit!
Suddenly, the door was pushed open again, and the young man rushed in and said a few more words to Ding Dong. Ding Dong stood up and said loudly, "You've rebelled against them!" Everyone, get out of here and show them how awesome you are!
It turned out that a group of villagers whose land had been expropriated came to cause trouble. This is a common occurrence in contemporary China. In fact, it is generally the responsibility of the construction unit to deal with the villagers whose land is acquired, but the construction unit often leaves it to the construction unit that looks up to them. Construction project departments like Ding Dong can only bite the bullet and be taken advantage of.
Dozens of villagers came to make trouble, and the number of construction workers led by Ding Dong was only much larger than them. The two groups became more and more quarrelsome, each refusing to give in to the other. The leader of the rioting villagers was a thick-set woman with a loud voice and fierce quarrels. She looked very much like Grandma Liehuo in "The Ninth Grade Sesame Official". Ding Dong showed no sign of weakness, quarreling with her with his neck cocked like a rooster, his Adam's apple sliding up and down. The two were rivals in chess, and their quarrel turned into a physical conflict.
As a result, without any suspense, the huge body of "Grandma Liehuo" pressed the skinny Ding Dong to the ground. Ding Dong was scratching and biting underneath him, struggling desperately, and his two eyeballs were like glass. But "Grandma Liehuo" refused to let her go. Her two huge breasts, with H-cup breasts, pressed Dingdong's little face so hard that he couldn't breathe.
Suddenly, Ding Dong's eyes slowly turned red and his mouth made a hissing sound. Someone shouted, "Oh no, Manager Ding's Ebola disease has attacked again!"
The villagers and workers dispersed in a hurry. "Grandma Liehuo" also wanted to run away, but was held on by Ding Dong underneath her. In desperation, she slapped Ding Dong wildly and slapped him. A few teeth were lost and Ding Dong felt pain before he let go.
Ding Dong got up. At this time, he had become like a wild beast, biting everyone he saw. Fortunately, I ran fast and was not caught up by him.
Later, Lao An found a way. He commanded several workers to hold sticks and force Ding Dong into the corner. Then everyone rushed up and tied him up, and Lao An put Ding Dong back on him. Give the donkey his bit to prevent him from biting people. Sister Jane then gave him morphine to calm him down.
I watched from the sidelines, thinking that they seemed to be quite experienced in dealing with Dingdong’s Ebola disease, and they were familiar with it. I thought this was not the first time Dingdong’s Ebola disease had occurred.
Lao An told me that fortunately I ran fast, and being bitten by Ding Dong would be serious and would be contagious. Lao An also said that some time ago, there were two classmates who came to Ding Dong to reminisce about old times. It was said that one was from Qinhuangdao and the other was from Aksu. They were not as lucky as me, and they were both bitten by the sick Ding Dong.
After taking the morphine, Ding Dong became quiet and everyone sent him to the dormitory to sleep. It was almost dusk at this time, and the sky after the rain was particularly bright with colorful clouds chasing the moon.
I wandered outside Ding Dong’s dormitory door, recalling the scenes that happened that day, like a dream. In the quiet night, Di heard Ding Dong grinding his teeth like a beast in his sleep. He thought of the two classmates who were bitten by the sick Ding Dong for no reason, and his heart suddenly sank.