"Boss, there's an interview." Zhou Yao came in with a file, "It's an official interview, quite meaningful. Do you want to accept it?"
"I've seen it. The interviewer is Du Reporter, a very famous reporter, upright and gentle, not bad."
Upon hearing this, Su Li rubbed his temples, "No need, turn it down."
"Boss, do you have a headache again? Haven't you been resting well recently?" Zhou Yao asked with concern.
The boss must have been exhausted recently, often sleeping at home. Zhou Yao was a little worried about his health.
Staying up with no sleep or rest for the company before, and now even when the company was doing well, Su Li still didn't have much rest time.
"No, just a little tired." Su Li didn't want to say more. He hadn't dreamt of that little courtyard again.
"Then I'll contact the TV station to turn down the interview," Zhou Yao said, "It's a pity. I heard Du Rourou reporter is an excellent reporter. My cousin's 8-year-old daughter has set her goal to become a reporter when she grows up."
"Wait! Who did you say?" Su Li was stunned for a moment.
"Du Reporter." Zhou Yao didn't understand.
"What's her name?" Su Li asked hoarsely.
"Du Rourou, Rou for soft." Zhou Yao replied.
"Go... tell them, I agree to the interview." It took Su Li a while to find his voice again.
Zhou Yao left. Su Li sat in his position, feeling a little confused.
Du Rourou. He had heard this name before...
In that small courtyard, the lively and cheerful little girl named Du Rourou was beside "mother".
He remembered.
Su Li was distracted all day.
Zhou Yao was a bit worried, "Boss, why don't you go home and rest? Leave the follow-up work to me."
"When is the interview scheduled?" Su Li asked.
"Next Saturday." Zhou Yao said.
"Can it be moved to tomorrow?" Su Li asked him.
"Why the rush?" Zhou Yao scratched his head, "Let me communicate with them."
After about an hour, Zhou Yao came back sweaty, "Done. Tomorrow afternoon at 3:30, Du Reporter will come to our company."
Su Li felt complicated. "Okay, I'll give you a raise."
Seeing Su Li like this, Zhou Yao was very curious indeed, "Boss, you've been quite strange these past few days."
"Is that so?" Su Li smiled faintly, "Just consider me a little curious."
"Curious about what?" Zhou Yao was curious too.
"Curious... about magic, or miracles."
The next afternoon, the reporter arrived on time.
Su Li was dressed neatly and handsomely as he waited for them in the office.
Du Rourou walked in, "Mr. Su, I have long admired your name. I'm Du Rourou."
Seeing the familiar face, Su Li smiled lightly, "Nice to meet you, Du reporter."
The interview went very smoothly. At the end, Su Li said, "I made reservations at Xin Garden. Du reporter, would you like to have dinner with me?"
Du Rourou raised her eyebrows.
Xin Garden was a high-end private kitchen restaurant with membership system. Only members could dine there, and the membership requirements were extremely harsh.
"Of course." Du Rourou smiled.
The private meeting had a more relaxed atmosphere. Du Rourou's expression was much more relaxed too. "Thank you Mr. Su for your generosity in letting me enjoy this meal."
Su Li smiled and poured champagne for her. "I have also long admired Ms. Du Reporter. Very impressed."
"To be honest, I thought you wouldn't accept the interview. I sent the invitation hoping for long-term contact, but you accepted it. I'm surprised." said Du Rourou.
She was dressed elegantly and decently, with some wrinkles on her face, looking very wise and gentle.
Su Li just smiled without replying.
"I heard Ms. Du didn't study journalism in university?"
"Yes, I studied editing at Nanyang University. Then in graduate school I got a dual degree. After entering the TV station I became a reporter." said Du Rourou.
"Then...do you know Wang Wenhao?" Su Li asked again.
"Who?" Du Rourou looked puzzled, "Sorry, I haven't heard of him."
"It's fine, I was just asking randomly." Su Li smiled and changed the topic.
The atmosphere throughout the dinner was very harmonious. As they were leaving, Du Rourou exclaimed, "If my son could be as gentle and successful as Mr. Su, I'd really burn incense and pray to Buddha."
"Your son?"
"Yes. My partner and I married late. My son just started college this year. He's a rascal, always running out to play. I can't control him at all."
Su Li didn't ask further and had the driver send Du Rourou home. As he walked along the road, he kept thinking.
He wanted to go take a look at Nanyang City.
Back home, he felt a little tired. He sent Zhou Yao a message to book flight tickets to Nanyang City before slowly closing his eyes.
He dreamed of that little courtyard again.
This time he seemed a little older in the dream.
Su Li sat up from the bed and eagerly pushed open the door.
There were still many people in the yard. Some were tending to the flowers and plants, some were washing clothes and sweeping the floor, some were chasing and playing.
Su Li stood at the door, holding onto the doorframe without daring to step forward.
Xiao Jun came from the living room, saw him at the door in one glance, strode over, and lifted his son onto his shoulders. "Come on, son. Dad will take you skateboarding."
Su Li froze on the man's shoulder, not daring to move. He had never experienced this strange feeling before - very high up, but the man's big hand was supporting him so he wasn't scared at all.
With one hand holding his son and the other holding the skateboard, Xiao Jun slid out of the door and glided towards the park.
The neighbors along the road were all greeting them.
"Little Xiao, going skateboarding again huh?"
"Yo, Little Ping'an is going too!"
"Be careful!"
The man greeted them with a smile all the way, and would occasionally pull Su Li to get him to say a few words too.
Su Li silently hugged the man's head tighter.
Once they arrived at the park, the man greeted his friends and found a flat spot to start teaching Su Li. The short body of the child had difficulty balancing. He almost fell several times but the man steadily caught him each time.
Su Li secretly pressed his lips into a smile.
After playing for a while, the man clipped him again to walk home.
As soon as they got home, they were spotted by Ding Sha.
Ding Sha came over to take the child first, then gave Xiao Jun a kick.
Xiao Jun grinned at her. "Didn't let him fall. I caught him every time. Right, son?"
Su Li immediately nodded heavily.
Ding Sha glared at him. "It's so hot and you took him out. What if he got heat stroke? Sunburn?"
Xiao Jun rubbed the back of his head and slipped away.
Ding Sha carried Su Li to wash up. At first Su Li still felt a little uncomfortable but then he thought, this is just a dream anyway... And this is mother...
After washing, Ding Sha carefully applied a bunch of products on him and even put some calamine lotion.
Su Li sneezed twice. Ding Sha was worried, "Caught a cold? Too hot?"
Su Li shook his head. "Itchy."
Ding Sha smiled and poked his nose, pulling him to go to the living room.
She brought him a bowl of soy milk pudding. "Eat up. You said you wanted to eat this yesterday, didn't you?"
Su Li knew this was soy milk pudding. He had wanted to eat it so much when he was little but didn't have the money to buy it. Later when he grew up, he didn't want to eat it anymore.
He carefully scooped a spoonful into his mouth with the spoon.
Cold and sweet, the red bean paste was chewy.
He narrowed his eyes. It tasted so good!
So this was what it tasted like...
He unconsciously swung his little legs.
At lunch he ate the meal Ding Sha had personally cooked. Su Li was extremely happy and ate until his stomach was bulging. Ding Sha was a bit worried seeing him eat so much, worried that he would throw up after eating so much.
Sure enough, in the afternoon while chasing Egg Yolk in the yard, he suddenly threw up all over the ground after running two steps.
Ding Sha took him to see the doctor. Nothing major, just feeling a little out of sorts.
Ding Sha was a bit angry. "Xiao Sixian, are you silly? How could you keep eating when you're already full? Have you forgotten what mother taught you?"
Su Li mumbled in his heart, mother didn't teach me...
But he said, "Tasted good..."
Ding Sha didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You can eat more next time if it tastes good. You can't eat yourself into a fatso in one go, understand?"
"...Understood." Su Li felt a little disappointed.
Could he still get to eat it again in the future?
...
After returning from the hospital, he had been burying himself in Ding Sha's shoulder the whole time. Su Li was droopy. Xiao Jun came to check on him several times and was also worried. "I won't bring him skateboarding anymore."
Ding Sha stroked the child's head. "Don't blame you. It's because he ate too much."
Xiao Jun still insisted. No way, any slight abnormality from the child could scare him witless.
Gong Sister-in-law compassionately patted his back, “Our little Ping'an, why are you so spiritless? Are you still uncomfortable?”
Su Li obediently shook his head.
Ding Sha couldn’t hold him and wanted him to get down, Su Li didn’t let go, “Hold.”
Ding Sha sighed and held him up again, found a place to sit down, and let the child sit on her lap before she breathed a sigh of relief.
He had eaten very few bites at dinner. Ding Sha carried him back to the room to rest, Su Li pulled her and didn’t let go. Ding Sha coaxed him and sang lullabies to him.
Su Li’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He pulled Ding Sha and suddenly wanted to speak, wanting to tell her who he was.
“Mother... I... I miss mother...”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the little boy had fallen asleep.
Ding Sha covered his belly for him, adjusted the air conditioner temperature, and kissed his forehead before going out.
When Su Li opened his eyes, he felt empty.
A feeling of loss was going to overwhelm him.
He sat up and took out a cigarette with shaking hands.
The phone rang twice, it was a message from Zhou Yao.
He said “Hello boss”.
Su Li picked up the phone and called him.
Zhou Yao the internet-addicted teenager hadn’t gone to sleep yet, and was startled by the boss's phone call, “Boss?”
“Do you think I can change my name?”
“......”
“Forget it, just kidding, have the plane tickets been booked?”
“Booked, next Tuesday. We have to work hard these next few days and get everything done early.”
“Ok, thanks for your hard work, go get some rest.”
“Boss!”
“What is it?”
"Are you...not able to sleep?" Zhou Yao asked gingerly.
Su Li was silent for a moment, "No, I...I just had a dream."
"I dreamed of mom and dad."
Su Li said before he could ask.
Zhou Yao felt some heartache for his boss. The boss had always been an outstanding person, but was often looked down upon or even ridiculed because his parents were unknown.
His parents had almost become the boss's obsession.
"Then..." Zhou Yao wanted to ask what the parents in the dream were like.
"Go to sleep, there’s still work tomorrow." Su Li said.
"I...want to go to Nanjiang City sooner."
