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Chapter 05 Secret

The road from the urban area to Chongming became more and more empty. In less than an hour, the car passed the Donghai Bridge and drove onto the main road running through Chongming Island - Chenhai Highway.

Not long after driving on Chenhai Highway, Han Zhao followed the navigation on his mobile phone and turned into a small road. After driving for a while, he stopped on the side of the road and called his classmates.

"The third intersection?" Han Zhao looked ahead, "There is a grocery store at the intersection, right? Got it, I'll be there soon."

Following the instructions given by their classmates, they didn't drive far, and they successfully found their destination - a three-story building with a front and back yard.

A fat man in his thirties stood at the entrance of the small building. Seeing the car approaching, he immediately opened the courtyard door and directed the car to park in the courtyard.

"Small steamed buns!"

After coming to a complete stop, Han Zhao jumped out of the car and bumped his shoulders with his classmates who were waiting for him.

"Han Zhao!"

The old classmate was all smiles, and he was obviously very happy to see him.

The two had just spoken a few words when Han Zhao waved to He Jing to let him get out of the car.

"The groom-to-be, Bao Xiaolong, and my friend He Jing," Han Zhao introduced each other, "He Jing has never been to Chongming, so I'll bring him here for fun."

"Sorry to bother you." He Jing said a little restrained.

"What's bothering you and not disturbing? A wedding needs a lot of people to be lively." Bao Xiaolong, known as "Xiaolongbao", is obviously very hospitable. "It's just that I don't have time to go shopping with you guys this time."

Han Zhao quickly waved at him: "You are busy with your work, I will take him shopping."

The three stood and said a few more words, Han Zhao took the luggage from the car, and handed the dance of Yale to his old classmate: "Bring a succulent that is easy to grow for you to play with, put it in the south, and water it in ten and a half months." Just water."

"Thank you, my wife will definitely like it." Bao Xiaolong took the flowerpot and walked into the building, "Come on, I'll take you to your room."

In the small building built by the family, each room faces south and has its own balcony.However, there was only one bed in the huge room.

"I thought you had a girlfriend," Bao Xiaolong patted Han Zhao's shoulder, "I'll make you two quilts tonight, okay?"

"No problem." Han Zhao glanced at He Jing and answered directly.

Bao Xiaolong walked to the bed and pointed to the switch of the electric blanket: "It's cold in the countryside at night, don't forget to turn on the electric blanket."

"Thank you," Han Zhao put down his luggage and said to He Jing, "wash your face before coming down, let's go down and chat for a while."

He Jing nodded in agreement, and when he finished packing and went downstairs, he saw Han Zhao and Bao Xiaolong sitting on the sofa in the living room on the ground floor, pushing a red envelope back and forth.

"He Jing!" Seeing him coming downstairs, Han Zhao beckoned him to sit down, and slipped a thick red envelope into Bao Xiaolong's pocket.

"You say you!" Bao Xiaolong yelled without looking at He Jing, "You are not married anymore? I am not going to return the courtesy?"

"No," Han Zhao replied without hesitation, "If you don't keep your innocence, how can you be your best man?"

"You are innocent...hahaha..." Bao Xiaolong pointed at Han Zhao and laughed, "You are innocent..."

Seeing that he was out of breath from laughing, Han Zhao tapped on the table with his fingers: "The kid is by my side."

Bao Xiaolong turned his head to look at He Jing, and abruptly stopped laughing.

Here, He Jing had just pricked up his ears, but he didn't want to continue. He couldn't help but muttered in a low voice: "How small..."

"How old is He Jing?" Seeing that Han Zhao would not let him talk about his romantic past, Bao Xiaolong could only change the subject with a smile.

"22," He Jing subconsciously puffed out his chest, "I've already graduated."

"Oh? Han Zhao said you are our primary school boy?" Bao Xiaolong asked him, "Where do you work now?"

Speaking of this, He Jing suddenly stopped, and replied in a low voice: "The law firm where I practiced can't become a regular, and I'm looking for a job."

"Look for it slowly." Seeing his gloomy expression, Bao Xiaolong got up and poured him a cup of tea, "Let Han Zhao figure out a way for you—Brother, I work as a civil servant in the countryside, and I can't go to the urban area a few times a year. "

Han Zhao smiled, found out the cigarettes he was carrying with him, and gave one to Bao Xiaolong.

Turning his head to light a cigarette for himself, he said, "He Jing's grades are very good, and he wants to be a lawyer. It's best to find a big law firm... It's a pity that I haven't been in Shanghai for a few years, and many relationships have been broken."

"Hey, let me say, why did you go back to Shanghai?" Hearing Han Zhao bring up this topic, Bao Xiaolong couldn't help asking, "Last year when everyone went to your place for a party, everyone envied that you were free and easy in Hangzhou...Why did you suddenly come back to Shanghai? Becoming a lawyer? It’s basically starting over.”

"Some things... have changed," Han Zhao twitched the corners of his mouth, as if he didn't want to say more, "Anyway, it's good in Hangzhou, and it's good now."

Bao Xiaolong smiled slightly: "How is the business now? Is there a stable case source?"

Han Zhao shook his head: "There are civil cases such as divorce and inheritance in my hands, just do whatever you want."

"Lawyer business is difficult at the beginning..." Bao Xiaolong sighed, "Our class is still in the law firm, and there are not many who persist until now."

"By the way!" At this point, he suddenly slapped his thigh, "The monitor is working as a partner in the university! Why don't you ask him to have a meal..."

Han Zhao's face changed slightly, and he fell silent for a while.

Bao Xiaolong has been a civil servant for many years, and his ability to read words and demeanor has almost become a survival instinct.Seeing that Han Zhao's face was not gloomy, he immediately changed the subject.

"Ah, you two don't know each other well. I don't think you two talked much at the last class reunion..."

"Don't talk about these boring things," Han Zhao got up from the sofa, licked his chin at He Jing, "go out for a stroll?"

There is no industry on Chongming Island. In the past, local residents have always complained that the local economic development is not as good as other suburban counties in Shanghai.However, with the opening of the East China Sea Bridge, the city government has planned Chongming as a green tourist area. Instead, the island has ushered in business opportunities because there is no industrial pollution.

But for residents living near their fields, life is business as usual.Han Zhao took He Jing to the fields for a walk, and visited Bao Xiaolong's crab pond and bamboo forest.When passing by a group of big white geese running around, He Jing wanted to touch the head of the goose, and the big white goose, which was half the height of a person, turned around and took a bite...

Han Zhao walked behind He Jing, and when he saw this, he pulled him past, which made the goose peck at nothing.

"Have you ever seen a goose?"

He Jing was half-embraced by him, and blushed slightly: "No, I haven't seen it... My family lives in the county, and my parents own a small shop."

"Young master," Han Zhao teased him, "I don't even know the evil of the goose."

As the night fell, the big white geese held their heads high and walked past them with a "quack".When they reached the gap in the river, they lined up and jumped into the river one after another.

Seeing the geese wandering far away, Han Zhao let go of He Jing and walked forward.

"It's getting dark, let's go back."

In the evening, Bao Xiaolong's mother cooked, picked vegetables from the field, slaughtered a big white goose, and asked his father to catch crabs from the crab pond to entertain the guests.

Although the season for eating crabs has passed, the small Chongming crabs are cut into two each, wrapped in a special sweet bean sauce and fried, and the taste is still sweet and delicious.The vegetables in the private plot without pesticides are fresh and refreshing, and the white goose marinated in salt water is plump and tender, which He Jing keeps praising.

Seeing that he likes to eat, Han Zhao put another piece in the bowl for him: "You can be regarded as revenge..."

He Jing turned to look at him, and smiled "hehe".

The home-brewed old baijiu prepared by the host was sweet, and after a few cups of persuasion, He Jing began to talk more.

"Brother, Uncle and Aunt, I offer you a toast." He Jing raised the cup in his hand to Bao Xiaolong's family, and said with a smile, "The food is delicious! Thank you for your hospitality!"

"Let's go together," Bao Xiaolong greeted Han Zhao and also toasted, "There is nothing to entertain in the countryside... You are also my primary school student, and you will come here often in the future!"

Even if the wedding day has not yet arrived, the atmosphere of the event is already strong, and the guests and hosts enjoyed a meal.After dinner, everyone sat in the living room and ate sweet millet. Han Zhao discussed with Bao Xiaolong about welcoming the bride tomorrow morning. Make things difficult for the sister group.

There were no entertainment activities in the suburbs at night. After everyone helped pack the hundreds of small red envelopes to be distributed to the sister group tomorrow, He Jing and Han Zhao returned to their room on the second floor, ready to rest.

"Take a shower first." Han Zhao packed his luggage and pointed to the bathroom for He Jing casually.

"Okay!" Still drunk, He Jing patted his hot face, took towels and clothes, and walked towards the bathroom.

In winter, it is sunny and night, although the temperature is low, the night is clear.

When He Jing came back from the shower, he didn't see Han Zhao.

A small light was turned on in the room, the electric blanket was turned on, and the bed was warm.He Jing looked around suspiciously, and found someone walking on the balcony outside the room.

After looking outside, He Jing opened the balcony door and walked out.

"Han Zhao?"

Han Zhao was smoking a cigarette standing on the balcony, with a tripod and a SLR camera in front of him.

"Done?" Han Zhao looked back at him, "It's cold outside, don't freeze after just taking a shower, go in quickly."

He Jing shook his head, and walked to him with his slippers on - the old baijiu had a long and strong alcohol, and the alcohol swelled up after taking a bath, and it was extremely hot at the moment.

"Are you taking pictures?" Seeing the camera lens on the tripod facing the empty sky, He Jing asked, "What are you taking?"

"Star Trail," Han Zhao raised his head and blew a smoke ring into the air, "There are no stars in the urban area now, only here."

He Jing raised his head in the direction of the camera, and there were indeed many stars inlaid in the dark night sky, flickering and flickering.

"Speaking of which, this is the first time I've seen a starry sky since I arrived in Shanghai..." He Jing took a deep breath into the sky, "What are star trails?"

"The stars move very slowly in the sky," Han Zhao raised his hand, and slowly slid his fingers across the stars, "Facing the same sky, the shutter time is set for a long time, and the trajectories of the stars can be photographed. Circles of star trails."

"Wow!" He Jing looked curiously at the lens with big eyes, "Can any camera be used?"

Han Zhao shook his head: "The shutter needs to be left for two or three hours. Digital cameras generally don't work, but traditional mechanical cameras do."

He Jing nodded his head half-understood.

The winter night in the suburbs is very quiet. Occasionally, cars drive by on the road in the distance, and the woods beside the road filter the passing lights into thin lines.

The sky and the earth are wide, the wine is steaming, and the heart beats faster.

Han Zhao looked at the sky and slowly smoked the cigarette in his hand, oblivious to He Jing's thoughts.

"Speaking of which," He Jing swallowed nervously, "I heard from senior brother that you have been working in Hangzhou? Why did you return to Shanghai... did something happen?"

The two of them are fellow examiners of the Si Kao, and Bao Xiaolong mentioned today that Han Zhao had a very happy life in Hangzhou before... He Jing intuitively felt that there seemed to be some story hidden in his sudden return to the exam.

Han Zhao looked at him slightly surprised, and suddenly smiled.

"In this atmosphere... I can't help feeling sorry for you."

"Fuck it," He Jing shrugged, "I'll keep it a secret for you!"

"Child..." Han Zhao shook his head slightly.

Seeing that He Jing was about to retort, he added with a smile: "How about it... If you tell me a secret about you, I'll tell you mine."

"My secret?" He Jing was taken aback by his general, "I don't have any secrets."

"Forget it." Han Zhao also shrugged at him, ending the topic.

The stars in the sky were still blinking gently, He Jing glanced at the starry sky, took a few steps back, and leaned against the balcony door.

After a while, his muffled voice sounded from the balcony:

"I don't like girls, is that a secret?"

The author has something to say: Sorry, the work is very busy and the text is very stuck, let's check if there is any update...