Chapter Fifty-Four

In the afternoon, the plane flew across the blue sky from far to near, and its appearance gradually became clear, leaving behind a pale white trail cloud.

In front of the glass window on the ground, the dark-skinned young man looked up at the plane, and subconsciously tidied up his thick clothes against the glass to make himself look more energetic.

Immediately, he turned and walked towards the exit of the airport, waiting there in advance.

At the side, a familiar tour guide was holding a small flag to welcome the guests, and casually greeted him: "There are guests coming to the island again, Xiaolei."

"Yes, Uncle." Qin Lei smiled honestly, "I don't know if he is here on the island for tourism or for business."

"I reckon it's for business. It's still cold, and in summer, there will be more guests."

The latitude here is very high, and the temperature is quite cold. Even though it is almost May, many places in the south have turned from spring to summer, and the air covering this land is still filled with a bleak chill.

The two chatted unimportantly, until after the plane landed for a while, the first passenger to go out appeared at the exit.

They immediately stopped talking and concentrated on looking for the guests they were waiting for in the crowd.

This is a very small airport, about the size of a bus terminal in an ordinary city. There are very few flights every day. This is already the last flight of the day.

Qin Lei actually didn't know what the guests he was going to pick up today looked like, he only knew that they were two male guests who came from the far south.

He had agreed in advance to wait for them at the exit of the airport. Anyway, there were not many people in the whole airport, especially few tourists, so it should be easy to recognize.

But in fact, when those two figures appeared in his field of vision, he was inexplicably sure.

The man in the black woolen coat was pushing the suitcase with a tall and straight figure. Even if Qin Lei couldn't recognize the brand of the clothes or the suitcase at all, he felt that they were tainted with an expensive smell.

The other man who was traveling with him had a dazzling hair color rarely seen in daily life. He was wearing a dark brown flight jacket and was casually carrying a backpack in his hand. He was talking to the people around him.

At the moment when Qin Lei was in a daze, the young man in the jacket turned his head and looked over, calmly passed all the other eyes that were staring at them, and asked with a smile, "Mr. Qin?"

"Ah, it's me!" Qin Lei said quickly, "Hello, hello, just call me Xiao Qin."

In the face of these two extraordinary guests, he inevitably felt a little cramped and nervous. For a while, he didn't know whether he should take the initiative to pick up the expensive-looking suitcase.His hands froze in mid-air.

The guest with dazzling hair laughed and joked, "No need to help, the box is very light."

The other guest's tone was gentle and steady, with a sense of business-like distance: "Is the car outside?"

"Yes, yes." Qin Lei led them out immediately, "I'll go and drive the car over here."

When the group got into the car and officially set off for their destination, Qin Lei, who was holding the steering wheel, was extra cautious.

This is the best off-road vehicle he has ever driven.

When he went to pick up the car as ordered, he asked the owner of the car dealership that the price was an astronomical figure that he could not imagine, and the performance was so powerful that everyone who could drive could not put it down.

At this moment, driving on the rugged and steep road is almost like walking on the ground.

The destination of the two guests was the secluded island where Qin Lei grew up. It was five or six hours away from the airport, and they had to take a boat instead.

Along the way, not only the terrain is steep, but the road conditions are also relatively poor. The local economy is not good enough to squeeze out money to repair the road.

As the roads become more and more old, and there are fewer and fewer people, it becomes a vicious circle.

But objectively speaking, the scenery here is very good, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, the ocean is vast, and the folk customs are extremely simple.

Qin Lei has always thought that his hometown is beautiful, but the location is too remote and the transportation is inconvenient, so the reputation is not obvious. Only some experienced travel friends will come here to visit.

In the past, when Qin Lei picked up other guests to play on the island, he either took an old minibus or drove his own broken van. He was dizzy all the way, and when he got out of the car, he had to rest for a long time to recover.

Today is the most comfortable car he has ever driven.

The guests in the back seat even fell asleep.

Qin Lei, who was concentrating on driving, heard a low voice: "Drive more steadily."

He glanced at the rearview mirror reflexively, immediately stopped the answer he was about to blurt out, and nodded seriously instead.

In the cold afternoon, the temperature inside the car was very comfortable. His crimson hair was smudged on the pure black woolen material, and Mr. Chi was leaning on his lover's shoulder to sleep.

In the exceptionally quiet and peaceful atmosphere, the silent Qin Lei drove the car even slower.

This trip was actually a bit strange. The two guests were not interested in the regular itinerary he provided. They only said that they were going to the islands, and they were going to the farthest and smallest island among them.

The scenery there is quite beautiful, but if you come to take pictures on a special trip, it must depend on the time and weather, instead of going directly out of the airport.

So Qin Lei couldn't figure out the purpose of their trip.

But Mr. He paid a lot of money. He has a kind personality and is always worried that he will get too much money. For this reason, he wants to work hard to complete everything that the guest has asked him to do.

And he is still very curious - what are these two guests doing here?

They looked out of place in this forgotten and desolate land, as if they were from another world.

Through the rearview mirror in the car, Qin Lei could see Mr. He in the back seat maintaining his unchanged posture, letting his lover sleep peacefully on his shoulders.

He lowered his head and stared at his lover's sleeping face for a moment, watching the slender and thick eyelashes like crow feathers, trembling slightly with breathing and sleep.

Immediately afterwards, he looked sideways at the unfamiliar scenery passing backwards outside the car window, his eyes flickering quietly.

It contained a complex emotion that Qin Lei could not understand.

It almost gave him an illusion, as if the steering wheel in his hand was not only guiding the smooth journey in front of him.

It is a long and turbulent journey.

As dusk fell into the night, the circling gulls returned to the port, and the pre-booked boats carried the guests and sailed to the islands scattered in the sea.

As they passed the penultimate island, they came upon the bridge.

A long bridge connecting the two islands.

The long journey reached the end without a sound.

Qin Lei heard Mr. He's voice: "Dock."

The noisy sea breeze blurred all the emotions in the words.

Qin Lei drove the boat to the shore neatly. He is a rare tour guide in this area. He can drive and sail a boat. He is familiar with everything here and wants more people to appreciate the beauty of his hometown.

They docked at the edge of the smallest island. Several old houses were scattered on the barren land, only one of which was still lit.

It was already night, and the faint aroma of food wafted in the wind.

The old man who was over seventy years old heard the commotion outside, opened the door and came out. When he saw Qin Lei, he smiled: "Are you bringing someone to play again?"

Qin Lei greeted warmly: "That's right, Uncle, have you eaten?"

"I've eaten, why are you here at night?" The old man said with concern, "The scenery is better during the day."

If it is during the day, you can see the endless blue sea, and there are gorgeous sunrises and sunsets in the morning and evening. It is a beautiful scene like an oil painting, which is very suitable for tourists who like photography.

But it was night at this moment, and the sea was dark, with only sporadic lights flickering on the islands.

Inside the open door, there was an old man. She was half leaning on the bed, and the rice bowl she had just eaten was placed on the table in front of her. Her voice trembled: "Is it Xiaolei?"

Qin Lei took the initiative to take a few steps forward, responded to the old man's greeting, and gently helped the wheelchair placed in the room to a place that would not interfere with walking.

At the same time, he did not forget to introduce to the two guests standing aside: "Uncle and Grandma are the only residents on this island, Grandma has bad legs and feet, and it is inconvenient to walk around, have you noticed the bridge just now?That's Uncle..."

When he spoke, he looked at the guests politely, but the moment he met their eyes, he suddenly felt that they already knew what he was talking about.

Qin Lei didn't know why he had such a bizarre idea.

Perhaps it was because their eyes were too quiet.

It was so quiet that even the churning waves around me lost their sound.

Qin Lei bid farewell to the old man he knew well, and took two guests to the bridge, the only place that could be called a scenic spot at night.

When looked from the sea just now, couldn't see clearly, but when got closer, could see the appearance of the bridge clearly.

Before going on the bridge, Qin Lei explained: "Although this bridge was originally built by Uncle alone, with limited materials and capabilities, and the appearance is not very strong, it may be a bit scary, but this year, someone has helped to reinforce it., now it is very stable, you can go with confidence."

Mr. He, who had been silent for a long time, finally said, "Have you reinforced it this year?"

He observed the bridge cautiously, and compared the images in the news screen in his memory, he did find a difference.

"Yes, it's those foreigners who came to run business. Uncle told me about it for a long time. After that, every time I brought foreign guests over to play, he would take the initiative to say hello."

As he said that, Qin Lei remembered the doubts along the way, scratched his head with a smile, and said frankly: "To be honest, I thought you were here for business at first, but after I saw it, I didn't feel like it."

These two guests are not like those busy salesmen, but like big bosses who came to inspect investment.

Mr. He continued to ask: "People often come here to do business?"

"There were very few in the early years, but it has gradually increased in the last six months." Qin Lei thought about it seriously, "I heard that we have special seafood here, so come and have a look."

Seeing that the two guests seemed to be very interested in this matter, he introduced them very patiently.

"We have a lot of delicious seafood here, and they are all unique to this place. They can't be eaten in other places, but they are not well-known, and the transportation cost is high, so in the past, no one specially came to do this business."

"I was also very curious about why these people came here suddenly. I specifically inquired about it, and said that it was because there is a very popular shopping app now, which has a module for special products, which is very popular among customers in big cities.There are a lot of novelty things that were not well-known before. I remember that the app is called... what is it called, it seems to be some kind of tree."

While Qin Lei was still trying to remember, Mr. Chi beside him said softly, "Three trees."

"Yes, this is it! Has Mr. Chi used it?"

"Used it." Mr. Chi glanced at his lover beside him, and asked again, "Did the salesman from 3Trees come here?"

Qin Lei shook his head: "No, maybe our place is too remote to be noticed by them, and those salesmen said that they don't need to talk about resources by themselves now, and many poor local governments like ours will take the initiativeFind the door..."

For poor and backward places, as long as there is one thing that can become a commodity or service with economic value and has a stable market, everything in the local area can be changed.

Mr. He, who seems to be very proficient in business, finished his unfinished sentence succinctly for him.

"There are many follow-up products on the market that imitate this model. These teams need to find a lot of unique product resources, so they found it here."

Countless salesmen flocked to previously unknown counties and villages, and many poor places were rediscovered.

Some of them came to this island and saw this rudimentary bridge. Maybe they were moved by the love between the old couple, or maybe they took the initiative to contribute out of the consideration of the transportation that may be used in the future.

So the bridge has a new look.

The butterfly flapped its wings gently on the night of the typhoon a few months ago, and the storm it set off has continued to this day, spreading to remote and isolated islands thousands of kilometers away.

It is the bridge in the book, but not quite.

This is the final answer given by life.

The salty sea breeze blows through the overlapping planks, and the bridge shakes slightly when walking by.

Qin Lei saw the pair of lovers behind them interlocking their fingers and walking across the bridge side by side.

A bleak, simple, unattractive bridge.

But Mr. Chi said, "It's very beautiful."

Mr. He didn't speak, but held his hand tightly.

The only old house on the island where people live is still lit, and the crooked figure of the old man is projected on the window, vaguely.

Qin Lei knew that Uncle Ah was sitting by the bed, holding a washbasin, and helping Grandma wipe her face with a towel.

Surrounded by the sound of turbulent waves, endlessly beating against the shore.

The shore he is most familiar with.

He was suddenly gripped by an indescribable feeling.

Born and raised on a sea island, Qin Lei did not leave his hometown with no prospects when he became an adult, like most young people, to go to work in more developed provinces to earn money.

He worked as a tour guide after graduating from high school and never left his hometown.

Because every bright morning in his life is spent in the most beautiful scenery in his eyes.

Somebody, he thought, would discover his hometown.

There will always be more people docking on this coast.

Qin Lei is waiting for that day to come.

On this day, he waited for two guests who didn't look like tourists, but guests with extraordinary temperament and generous spending.

He had a perhaps silly guess.

In the howling sea breeze, the young tour guide suddenly spoke, as if introducing the local scenery to the first-time visitors, but with a kind of uneasiness and incoherence that is rare for tour guides.

"The scenery here is really beautiful, but too few people know about it."

"I know many places similar to ours. Some have become filming locations, some have been written into songs, and some have found a special scenery that attracts tourists."

"Then, they're all seen and everything gets better and better."

Qin Lei actually didn't know what he wanted to say, he just said in the most sincere tone: "There is such a beautiful sea here, there are all kinds of delicious fish, there is a bridge built by Uncle, it should be seen..."

The two guests listened to him quietly.

In the end, Mr. He stared at the land far ahead, and said softly, "There will be that day."

They remained where they were, as if they were about to talk.

So Qin Lei took the initiative to go to the distance and wait.

He sat on the stone, held his breath, and waited patiently.

Waiting for a silly fantasy to come true.

The sea breeze brought butterflies in the dark night, like light and shadow, lingering and flying in the corner of his simple and heavy clothes.

Amidst the sound of the surging tide, He Qiao said nothing, his quiet eyes wandered between the land and the sea.

The seeming confusion disappeared, and the shackles fell quietly.

After breaking the delusion, it condenses into something more solid and powerful.

Chi Xueyan stared at the deep sea beside the bridge, as if he saw the gently fluttering butterfly wings, shuttling among the waves, about to set off another storm.

So he took the initiative to ask: "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about a sea-crossing bridge." He Qiao said, "The bridge plan in the second news is not the best choice."

And he will find the best plan.

Then create a unique coordinate.

Chi Xueyan understood what he meant, and instantly remembered the dialogue that was always engraved in his memory.

He smiled and asked: "So, you are going to become a sanctimonious capitalist?"

The other protagonist who happened to be in the dialogue also remembered that answer verbatim.

"Yes." He Qiao raised his eyebrows and wrapped his arms around his waist, "A dentist who is very good at coaxing people."

Time seems to have returned to the convenience store on the night of the typhoon.

Together they witness a twist of fate.

That fate paddled the boat, turned around and sailed to the opposite bank of the new life, and the ripples pushed away have drifted to this day, and are now attached to the bridge under their feet.

A faint smile escaped amidst the sound of the waves.

In the field of vision, the tide is raging, standing side by side by the bridge where the end of the sea can not be seen, as if in this world, there is no two people who are more compatible than them.

The only difference is that there are no two ice-cold drinks as loot after this adventure.

And Chi Xueyan wanted the spoils.

So, surrounded by a black woolen coat, he suddenly leaned over to his lover's ear, and said softly, "I want to wear your coat."

He Qiao nodded lightly and asked, "Why?"

He has worn Chi Xueyan's coat several times, but the other party has never worn his coat.

Hearing this, Chi Xueyan smiled, with a special emotion in his voice: "Because, I'm thinking about the most suitable thing to do now."

He Qiao clearly remembered that this was the third time he had said something similar.

The first time was after making the decision to get married together, sitting in the newly bought sports car, Chi Xueyan said that he should understand the weight of the rules, so he signed a prenuptial agreement of non-interference.

The second time was across from the convenience store, under an umbrella sheltered from wind and rain, Chi Xueyan asked him to guess, but did not announce the correct answer.

This is the third time.

Chi Xueyan didn't ask him to guess again, and he still didn't announce the correct answer.

Only the sentence that concealed the secret, brushed He Qiao's ear together with the warm breath.

Chi Xueyan didn't tell him what was the best thing to do at this moment.

He just murmured, "When I wear it, it's sure to wrinkle it."

The originally cold sea breeze seemed to be filled with damp heat.

In the blurred night, he raised his face slightly, looked at He Qiao over the dark collar, his eyes were extremely bright, bright and deep.

It seems to hide a strange vortex, with the taste of desire.