"I naively replied, "Xiaojing, don't talk nonsense. When did I ever do that? That day you called me to the hotel, didn't I leave?"

"I don't care!" Li Jing argued unreasonably, "If you don't tell me what you're doing, if you don't tell me where you're going, I'll report you!"

Well, I guess this trip wasn't worth it. I should have just stayed home.

Although I am young, I have learned a lot about human relationships and social etiquette in the past six months. I also know what words to say and what words not to say.

After careful consideration, I told a lie and said to Li Jing that our family was actually in the import business.

Those two years, there were indeed quite a few people who made a fortune by selling counterfeit goods in the south. This industry is somewhat gray, especially for electronic products.

Seeing Li Jing stunned, I added, "Xiao Jing, actually the Sony Walkman I gave you on your birthday was imported goods from home."

">

Seeing Li Jing's expression, I let out a breath of relief. She must have believed me at least a little bit because Sony Walkmans were very expensive back then – the price was equivalent to two months' salary for an ordinary person. How could I, a student who didn't even have a job, afford it?

After a few minutes, Li Jing started crying again and said, "Xiang Yunfeng, where am I going to find you if I leave? I'm not planning on going to university. After graduating high school next year, I'll go work. My mom says that I don't study well and might not have a good future in university. She thinks it's better for me to start working at an electronics factory sooner."

“

"Don't."

"I looked at her and said, 'You must not go to the electronics factory, Xiaojing. If you go there, you're finished, understand? Listen to me, you must go to college in the future. Knowledge changes destiny!'"

Li Jing stopped crying; she was amused by my words.

After some thought, Li Jing still shook her head and said, "But my family's situation isn't good. I heard from my older sister that university tuition for four years is over 20,000 yuan, and I'm not even sure if I can get in."

">

I pondered for a while and decided to have Li Jing wait for me on the arch bridge.

I hurried back to the inn and grabbed two thousand yuan. This money was mine, divided into halves. Half of it went to help Li Jing's family pay off his father's high-interest loan, and now there isn't much left.

I gave Li Jing twenty thousand yuan and also told her the address of my hometown, Mohe.

"I was afraid she'd feel burdened, so I said, “Xiaojing, how about this: we make a promise. After five years, when you graduate from college, you can come to Mohe and find me."

">"

That night, on the bridge, Li Jing and I made a promise to each other. She told me she would keep going to school and that after she graduated from university, she would definitely come find me in Mohe.

She made me wait.

The money was spent, but I felt so at ease back then.

Actually, it was all because of puppy love. Looking back now, it's ridiculous how we made such a big deal out of such a small thing.

And when I met Li Jing, she had changed a lot. I'll tell you about it later.

........

Late one night, a little past 1:00 AM, a green Great Wall pickup truck arrived at the inn promptly. After unloading two large wooden boxes, Red Sister and I got into the pickup truck. We were headed to a fishing boat arranged by Hongxing Fisheries.

That was a genuine mid-sized fishing vessel. Besides myself and Red Sister, there were four crew members in total. The captain was a bald middle-aged man, the pickup truck driver called him Old Huo.

Old Huo directed the crew to help us move our boxes. After seeing our accommodation, Hong Jie frowned and expressed dissatisfaction.

Lao Huo let us stay in a storage room next to the engine room. The storage room was full of dust and didn't even have a bed. There were two old mattresses on the floor, obviously hastily arranged.

Captain Lao Ho awkwardly said, "I'm sorry, you two will have to bear with it for a bit. I only received the order this afternoon to bring you to Zhonggang City. The conditions are indeed rather simple."

">

Master Yao took a third of the agreed payment, and this is what he arranged for us? Hong Jie's expression was displeased: "You call this 'simply modest'? Where do we go to the bathroom? To eat? There isn't even a window! It feels like we'll suffocate here!"

That won't.

"Old Huo scratched his head and said, "There's a metal plate on the access panel of the engine room. When it's convenient for you, just open the plate directly. As for food and drink, don't worry about it. Three meals a day are provided."

"

After explaining all this, Lao Huo gave us a walkie-talkie. He set the channel to 16 and said that only he could receive conversations on channel 16, other crew members couldn't.

Let's just call him directly if we need to.

(Editor in charge：the couple next door a novel)