【Lou Cheng】 How easy is another day

Ming Lou has spent most of his life worrying about money, and money is the least of his worries.

In the early years, a gun, a roll of bandages, a bottle of morphine, a hundred sticks, a hundred rolls, and a hundred bottles, where to buy them could be three or five points cheaper, and how much shipping cost would be the most suitable, all of them were in his mind inside.

Later, he left these things alone, and there were other things to remember. He remembered the interest rates of the three-month and ten-year U.S. Treasury bonds, the closing points of the New York Stock Exchange, the exchange rates of various mainstream currencies, and the prices of crude oil and gold. ... Whether it is important macroeconomic data or the prices of major commodities, he can write it down.

Gold mountains and silver seas flowed through his hands, and the accounts in the hands of him and Mingcheng were both true and false, and the most experienced accountants might not be able to detect any flaws.But that's someone else's money.Whether it is raised by oneself or handed over by others, as long as it is spent on others, one point will not be missed.So when everything is full, there is a loss. When it comes to your own life, when you spend your own money, it will be completely messed up.

A pint of milk?A baguette?A pound of Philips?a watch?Anyway, he just listened to the numbers and wrote the checks.After arriving in the United States, the green bills all looked the same at first glance, and the confusion between Washington and Franklin always happened once in a while.Mingcheng once teased him, thank you for studying economics, a great professor, two Ph.

Minglou refuted in all seriousness, that economists who can't do the math are qualified economists.Otherwise, why not study accounting?

Mingcheng had nothing to say about this kind of righteousness, and then, resigned to his fate, he took a look at Minglou's wallet regularly, and stuffed enough cash for him to ensure that Minglou was not short of money.

Therefore, Mingcheng is indeed somewhat responsible for the issue of Minglou's poor management of his own money.

END

Now you know who is in charge of the family...

The Story of Salt ([-])

After the General Assembly adjourns, the continuous work has finally come to an end, and the joy that overflows the heart can wash away all fatigue.As a celebration, Master Qiao gave everyone in the regiment a holiday before leaving for the country. The rule was to act together, not to be alone, not to go to places that violated organizational discipline, and to return to the station before dark.There are not many young people in the group, and some of them are very worried, and would rather stay in the station to work overtime, sort out documents or even sleep, but not leave the hotel; but there are also some people who are open-minded and bold enough to invite a companion to see the street view of Manhattan.The allowance for foreign visits is still there. Whoever doesn't have parents and family members must bring something back.

Wei Xiabi arrived earlier than the main force, and many people wanted to ask him out, expecting him to lead the way and be a companion, but he refused.

It's not that he was timid, but he remembered the last time he was a guest at Uncle Lou's house, staying overnight at Uncle Lou's house and leaving the next day, Uncle Lou told him, when your work is over this time and you are leaving, you must tell us, Come home again as a guest.At that time, Wei Xia did not dare to promise that he would not be able to do the Lord's work at all, so he only faltered and said that he would definitely come to see the two uncles when he had time.But now that he was on leave, he thought about it, gritted his teeth, and reported to Master Qiao, saying that he wanted to act alone to see his father's old friend.

I felt guilty about this report, and racked my brains to write Lou Jingming's position. I originally wanted to write more about patriotic overseas Chinese, old friends of the Chinese people, etc., but I thought that the other party hadn't given the details at all, so I couldn't see it at all. Uncle Cheng is a businessman and has nothing to write about. He was ready to be rejected and criticized, but to his surprise, the report he submitted was actually approved.

Not only approved, but the leader of the regiment called him into the room for a talk, showing that Mr. Lou Jingming is indeed a patriotic overseas Chinese, who has supported my country's independence and liberation for many years, and is a patriotic and friendly person living in a capitalist country. An old friend of our party, who is also a pro-China faction in the United Nations system, has done a lot of work in restoring our country's legal seat in the United Nations, so Comrade Ming Weixia is allowed to visit on behalf of the organization.

This certainty, Wei Xia didn't know why, his teeth were chattering indistinctly with joy, and he didn't listen to the discipline emphasized later.Suppressing the excitement in my heart, I bid farewell to the leader, but was suddenly stopped again.

Seeing that the leader was thinking, Wei Xia was shocked, thinking that his colleagues had reported the matter of staying outside.Unexpectedly, the other party just said: "Before you go, remember to ask Lao Cheng to get a gift to take with you. There are no trivial matters, so don't go empty-handed."

After Weixia went out, he quickly called Minglou, and Mingcheng answered the call.Hearing that Wei Xia had asked for leave, Mingcheng was also very happy, and said that he would discuss it with his Uncle Lou and call him later.

Wei Xia was waiting in front of the phone.The call came back after a while, and this time it was Minglou who spoke, asking him if half an hour was enough to prepare.They picked him up outside the hotel in half an hour.

Wei Xia kept saying no.Ming Lou said on the other end of the phone: "Don't waste time. That's it. Let's park the car across the street."

After putting down the phone, Wei Xia hurriedly went to get the gift from the colleague in charge of foreign affairs gifts, then went back to the room and changed into a visitor's suit. When he got down to the hotel lobby, he was 10 minutes early, but when he got out of the hotel gate, he found that the car had already arrived.Mingcheng rolled down the car window, took off his sunglasses and waved to him with a smile.Wei Xia also smiled and walked towards them.

Wei Xia originally thought that this time he was visiting Uncle Lou's house next to the Central Park, but after getting in the car, Uncle Cheng said, "The weather is fine today, and you only have half the day, let's go for a drive."

So throughout the day, Minglou and Mingcheng took Weixia to be the most vulgar tourist, climbed the Empire State Building, took a cruise to see the Statue of Liberty, drove across the river, and looked at the skyscrapers of Manhattan across the river.The sun in the autumn afternoon was very good. They drank coffee and ate bagels by the river, fed the bread crumbs to the seagulls, and Weisha lay on the grass and took a nap.After a very sumptuous lunch in Uptown, Mingcheng took him to watch a movie on Broadway—that movie was the only American movie Weisha had seen for many years, and he still remembered the name of the movie many years later. FrenchConnection.

For such warm hospitality, Wei Xia was moved, and even a little apprehensive, not knowing what kind of affection he owed, and even unable to open his mouth to ask.After coming out of the movie theater, Mingcheng asked if he wanted to go for a walk in Central Park. He prepared a camera, and he could make a photo instantly, so he could take a photo back as a souvenir.

Wei Xia nodded, then shook his head again: "It's fine if it's just me. But I want to take a photo with you and show it to Dad when I go back."

Minglou and Mingcheng glanced at each other, Minglou smiled and shook his head: "This will cause you trouble, won't it?"

He spoke gently, but there was no question in his tone.Wei Xia was startled, and suddenly his eyes became hot. He looked at their smiling faces and replied softly: "It's okay. Just stay with you."

Ke Minglou still shook his head: "I don't really like taking pictures."

Wei Xia asked in surprise, "Why?"

"Old. It doesn't look good in pictures."

Wei Xia was about to refute, but he saw Mingcheng glanced at Minglou with a smile, but the words were addressed to Wei Xia: "He's talking nonsense, isn't he?"

Wei Xia nodded very honestly: "It's not old at all...it's very good-looking."

Mingcheng laughed, Minglou was startled, and laughed too.

But Minglou just refused to take pictures, and Mingcheng was not active about it. In the end, the three of them still didn't have a group photo.

With them, time always passes quickly. Seeing that the stipulated time is coming, and Wei Xia still has some important things to do, at this time, he can't care about being polite, so he can only say: "Well, the two uncles , I’m going back tomorrow, and I’m going to buy something for my family... You see, can you take me to a department store, and I’ll pick out some gifts for my dad and Jiahui.”

Minglou asked him, "What do you want to buy?"

Wei Xia scratched his hair a little embarrassedly: "I don't know, let's see what I can afford."

Minglou still asked, "Then think about it now."

He actually thought about buying a watch for his father—the Swiss watch he owns belongs to his father. It is said that it is a souvenir left by his teacher who died in the Anti-Japanese War, which is of great significance.But when he arrived in the United States, he quickly dismissed this idea.

Wei Xia thought about it again: "My dad's legs are afraid of cold. Beijing's winter is very windy. After snowing, the alleys freeze and it's hard to walk. I want to buy him a pair of shoes, and a pair of gloves and a scarf. It's warmer."

After finishing speaking, he went to take out his pocket, and said calmly and calmly: "However, my overseas subsidies are all here, and I don't know what kind of things I can buy. If I have some money left, I want to buy a pen for Jiahui."

Mingcheng instantly revealed a slight remorse: "I forgot my shoes."

Minglou patted Mingcheng on the back lightly, then asked Weixia, "What about you?"

Wei Xia smiled: "I don't lack anything."

Minglou smiled and glared at him: "I think you are short-sighted."

After finishing speaking, he took out several bags from the trunk of the car, and asked Wei Xia: "Can the suitcase fit in? We can't buy another one. Anyway, we need to buy shoes."

Wei Xia was dumbfounded: "No, no, this is not allowed...absolutely not. Uncle Lou, this...this is really not allowed."

"why not?"

"This is too costly for you. If I take it back, my father will talk about me." Wei Xia sincerely declined, "You have treated me so warmly, and I am already very sorry. Absolutely not... Uncle Cheng Say something." He didn't know how to push back, and soon the tip of his nose was sweating, so he had to ask for help from Mingcheng, who hadn't spoken much.

But Mingcheng said: "I bought them all. He is responsible for picking and choosing. Hurry up and see what is missing. Let's go buy now, time is running out."

"..."

But it's really not good to push by the side of the car.Wei Xia had no choice but to go first, and then got into the car.

After getting in the car, Minglou told Mingcheng to go to Barneys.After the car started, Weixia looked at Minglou again, and finally said, "Uncle Lou, I really can't accept these things. I know it must be suitable, but I can't accept them."

He gritted his teeth and said, "It's not just about money. If I take these things back, it will be really troublesome..."

He couldn't be more blunt.Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Minglou just nodded flatly: "I know."

"I'm afraid you don't know..."

Minglou waved his hand, and said slowly: "Since you said so, then you can choose some small, inconspicuous ones. We have already bought gloves and scarves, which are the same color as the one you are using now. Your father likes to use leather gloves. It's waterproof and doesn't restrict your fingers. Take it back to him. When we get to the department store, you can find a changing room and change out the shirts on your body. The suit is also covered, and the coat is completely covered. Take the other shirts with you. , you can fit this bag now. You can’t see the shirts. If you can take them all, you can take them. It’s the same if you can’t. Keep the old ones. You and Jiahui each have one pen, which was given by Uncle Cheng and me. A gift from you. When you grow up, you are all scholars. You need a pen. This pen is not eye-catching and can be used every day. If Jiahui still wants to go to university in the future, she will take it with her. It is our kindness .”

"Also." Ming Lou paused, and took out a watch from his pocket, "I saw your watch—do you know its origin? Whether you know it or not, you should make good use of it. Your father used to I have always liked watches, and I don’t know if he still has any available ones. Put this watch in your pocket, don’t let others see it, take it back, put it away, and in case something happens in the future, give it to someone who knows how to do it , maybe it can be of some use.”

Wei Xia was really stunned, as if cotton was stuck in his throat, staring at him blankly, unable to speak a word for a long time.

Mingcheng interrupted at this moment: "It's almost here. Wei Xia, has your father's shoe size changed? Is it still 41?"

"40..." Wei Xia replied blankly and subconsciously.

"Can you wear this size?"

"……can."

Time was tight, so Mingcheng found a place to park and asked Minglou to take Weixia to buy shoes.Wei Xia never knew that there are so many styles and types of shoes in the world, and he even sneezed because of the smell of perfume all over the room.He was confused, and his English vocabulary was almost useless here. In the end, it was Minglou's idea.

After picking out the items, he was going to pay for them.Mingcheng stopped him, and then Weixia realized that he, a young man in his prime, had no way to break free from his grasp.He was in a hurry, but all his strength was like a mud cow falling into the sea, and it was useless in front of Mingcheng. He had no choice but to look at him almost beggingly, and softly shouted at him: "Uncle Cheng... "

"Silly boy, don't be stubborn, go and change your clothes and shoes." Mingcheng whispered in his ear, "Your father and we have known each other since before you, we are as close as brothers Do you know the word?"

He gently, softly repeated those four words in Weisha's ear.

Without any reason, Wei Xia's eyes turned red.

On the way back to the hotel, the three of them were very quiet, which was quite different from the lively conversation they had been having for several hours.The new clothes fit exceptionally well, and tailoring is nothing more than that.Wei Xia's hand was always in his pocket, and the watch that Minglou handed him was covered very hot, as if a small coal was scalding his palm.

Wei Xia's heart was in a mess, and he wanted to ask too many things, but he couldn't ask them.Who are they?Who is the father?Who is mine?Why are you so nice to me?Why have you never heard a word from your family?

Seeing that the street scene became familiar again, Wei Xia knew that if he didn't ask, he didn't know when the next meeting would be.

He moved, and was about to speak, but Minglou took the lead again—as if he had some special ability, he could always take the conversation before others were about to speak—he still smiled at Wei Xia, but This time the tone was mostly discussion, without the unquestionable sense of authority before: "Weixia, there is something else I want you to bring back."

"To whom?" Wei Xia fixedly looked towards Ming Lou, his voice and expression tensed.

Minglou was still smiling, and after Mingcheng had parked the car, he took out a small envelope from the inner pocket of his suit and handed it to Weixia.

Weisha didn't answer.

Ming Lou poured out the contents of the envelope, it was just a photo.

"Give your dad a look. Then he'll know what to do."

Wei Xia looked at the photo, and then at the person in front of him.It was their group photo, a small color photo, which should be a recent photo.

Minglou saw his doubts and said, "I just took the photo yesterday. I haven't seen him for many years. This time, I invite you to be a swan goose."

There is no writing on the back of the photo, Weixia thought about it, and asked Minglou: "Do you have any letters? For my dad, or for your other friends in China. I...I can take them back." He hesitated for a moment , still said.

Both Minglou and Mingcheng shook their heads: "That's it."

Wei Xia nodded, carefully put the photo into the inner pocket of his suit, and then looked at the two people who were waiting for him to say goodbye with a smile again: "Be sure to take it back."

"Good boy." Ming Lou gave him an approving smile, "Then take this back with you."

They each gave him a hug.

END