Chapter 25.1
Sunday, January 20 Weather: Cloudless
A few days ago, early in the morning on my way to work, I received a phone call.
A complete unfamiliar phone number, even the display of the city was something I have not heard in my whole entire life. With hesitation, I pressed the answer key: ‘h.e.l.lo, how are you, may I know who is speaking?’
‘He, He, Xiao Bei Bei….’
Heard the familiar and horrible voice, my scalp burst, hastened to say: ‘Sorry, you dialled the wrong number.’ I quickly hang up the phone.
Immediately, the phone calls again. ‘You are so cruel, so cruel, so cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel.’ The phone persistently ring. Just when I was hesitated whether to throw the phone onto the track and calmly watch the pa.s.sing train pressed it into a pancake, the ringtones finally stopped, followed by a text message:
‘Dead bad girl, hearing your voice for the first time, I know you are crying an aria or exclamation tone. Don’t pretend, quickly answer the phone!’
I took the phone and sign three times, helplessly return the call: ‘Dad, what up?’
‘Xiao Bie Bie ah, I recently travel on a business trip in F City for a day, so take this opportunity to see you ah.’ A middle-aged uncle’s voice came out from the phone.
‘Oh, no need, I’m fine. After a few days, I am go home to see you and mom. You don’t have to purposely come.’
‘That cannot do ah, you wait for me, I will treat you delicious foods. Furthermore do you need me to bring any necessity…….. do you need me to help you to bring …….’
‘No need, no need, over here I have everything, you just come will do…. en, if you don’t come will be better.’ I murmured.
My dad automatically ignored my words: ‘See you next week Xiao Bei Bei and remember to pick me up at the airport.’
I was listening to the echoing sound of the phone like a lost soul. I know my dad didn’t finish that sentence is ‘need me to help you to bring a man?’ According to the my past experience, if the answer is “Yes”, he has the ability to bring a dozen of men for me to choose. If the answer is “No’…. it will be best for me to prepare a man first.
Although the son will never think their mom is ugly, neither the daughter will think their father is vexed, but….. I still sincerely admire others family where their father is serious yet kind and gentle. Ah, if this request is a bit high, then I want a homely kind father. But my dad…. uncle, you say you are a university history professor, how can it be so vulgar philistine ah?! Every time when we meet can you be like other fathers where you care about my future and career ma? Why after I had pa.s.sed 18 years old, left home to study… every time when we meet you will asked me question about man ah!
I have decided to find a man in 24 hours to work with me to get rid of my dad. I filter a list of a man and the first person that I think of is Peter. In the morning at the pantry, I caught Peter and begged him to help me with this.
Peter listened to my words, did not utter a single word, silently returned back to his seat, from under his desk he shake off a tattered jacket.
What are you doing? You want me to help you to repair? Once the matter accomplish I will buy you a new one.’
‘No, my girlfriend scratch it — after she discovered I chat with a lady who I used to like during my elementary school. She let me keep this jacket as a warning: If you dare to have a slight misconduct, you will just be like the jacket!
The broken jacket is so persuasive. I can only swallow the persuasive statement, silently blessing Peter and quietly left.
The second person that I thought of is Fat Man. Personally, I kind of like fat fat and wretched style. But my dad…. why you like to judge someone appearances kind of uncle ah. Due to Fat Man not matching with my dad’s aesthetic standards, even if I bring him to deal with this, is equally like not bring him. So the candidate was pa.s.sed again.
During lunch time, I hold a list full of cross out men’s name and complain to Luo Luo: ‘Nowadays what happen to all man, doesn’t have a precepts of antiquity, warm-hearted and *knifes piercing both sides spirit le. No wonder leftover woman become social problem.
* 两肋插刀 (liǎng lèi chā dāo): lit. Knifes piercing both sides (idiom); fig. to attach a great importance to friendship, up to the point of being able to sacrifice oneself for it.
Luo Luo asked the whole story with a blink of her eyes and said to me: ‘As a matter of fact there is a ready-made ma’.