When I sat before you again, there was a child by your side. You had lost your former humor, appearing both kind and formal.
Perhaps to break the awkwardness, you leaned in to stroke the baby's cheek and exclaimed, "My, how time flies! I'm already forty, and your son has grown so much!" In truth, I desperately wanted to ask: "When you look at my son, do you miss the daughter you left behind? Even though you left her a million-yuan apartment in Shenyang and provided twenty thousand in child support." But I knew I shouldn't be so reckless as to bring up your past. I simply asked with a smile, "Do you know what I like to eat?" As I asked, I recalled asking him the same question a few days ago; he had replied guiltily, "I'm sorry, I really don't know." But you, however, blurted out, "Soft fried pork tenderloin, snow cotton bean paste, braised pork ribs, peanut egg milk custard, leek and egg dumplings, and sauerkraut and meat dumplings! Your favorite foods aren't expensive, but they are all sweet and fragrant—just like your personality!"
Hearing those words, my eyes stung. After a few seconds, I shook my head with self-deprecation. We have known each other for over a decade; perhaps because we are so familiar, we know each other's tastes and temperaments perfectly. While I was lost in thought, you called the waiter: "Bring half a jin of leek and egg dumplings, half a jin of sauerkraut and meat dumplings, a portion of peanut egg milk custard, snow cotton bean paste, and a plate of stir-fried intestine for my drink snack!" You explained with a smile, "You're driving, you can't drink." I reminded you, "It's fine, I'll only have one beer, it won't affect my driving. By the way, what does the baby want to drink?" Your attentiveness always moved me. "Let's avoid carbonated drinks; let him drink the same as me." You called the waiter again: "Two bottles of hot Lulu!"
Then, we drifted into trivial topics until the food arrived. When the conversation turned to housing prices, I suppressed my curiosity. I couldn't help but wonder: "Is living in a villa comfortable? Is this the life you sought after leaving the woman you lived with for ten years and who gave you a daughter?" However, I knew I couldn't be selfish anymore. After all, you drove all the way from Shenyang just to see me.
