Some people become more isolated as they get older, while others become more free-spirited.

After living a disciplined life, and realizing they don't have many days left, they naturally become more carefree. Otherwise, they feel like they're missing out.

At least,

in the old Taoist's view,

having a little wine and peanuts with an old brother he's just met is one of life's great pleasures.

"Old brother, you look very hale and hearty."

The old man said with some envy.

At this age, it's not about who has more money or whose children are better, it's about who has a better body.

Living longer than you is what makes me better!

The old man had heard the old Taoist unclogging the sewer inside while he was keeping watch outside.

Most of the people who come to this Dark Gate Alley are middle-aged and elderly, after all, the "sisters" inside are also getting on in years; young people wouldn't come here.

Others come and go in a hurry, and compared to the old Taoist's long stays, the difference is clear.

"Hey, just exercise more often. Let me tell you, with my physique, even if a group of ghost messengers stood in front of me,

I wouldn't be afraid at all!

Not at all afraid they'd take my life."

The old Taoist said, patting his skinny chest forcefully.

He spoke with great confidence!

"I envy you, old brother." The old man took a sip of wine, smacked his lips, and sighed, "I'm old, I'm not doing so well. I'm even getting a little senile.

Who knows when I'll wander off and get lost.

If I get lost on the street, that's fine, at least there'll be people watching me. If something happens, no one will dare to help, but maybe someone from the nightclub will call the police or an ambulance.

But if I end up in the wilderness, there won't even be anyone to collect my body. I wonder which wild cat or dog will eat me, ha ha."

"Senile?" The old Taoist was taken aback. "Then why are you still working?"

"If I don't work, what else is there to do? Being locked up at home is the same as being out here, right?"

They drank a toast,

the bitterness of old age swirling in the wine.

"How about this, it's almost evening anyway. I'll cook a couple more dishes, and we can have a meal together here, what do you think?"

"Okay, then I'll shamelessly wait."

The old man stood up and walked into the kitchen.

It was a two-bedroom apartment, about sixty square meters, very cramped, and the kitchen was even smaller.

"You live alone?" the old Taoist asked.

"Yes, I live alone. I don't bother renting it out. It's quiet living alone, even if it's a bit small."

"If you live alone, it's not small at all. Those young people drifting in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou live in places that are really small."

"That's right, and I heard the rent is going up again soon, it's really not easy."

After a while, the old man came out and said, "I'm going downstairs to the vegetable garden to pull some scallions, old brother. Sit here and have some more wine, I'll be right back."

"Thank you for your trouble."

The old man walked out the door and left.

The old Taoist went to the bathroom, relieved himself with a splash, and came out. He pushed open the bedroom door and looked around. The bedroom was empty, with no bed, but there was a large freezer.

Like the kind of freezer used to sell cold drinks in small shops, lying horizontally in the corner, still plugged in.

The room was clean and spotless.

The old Taoist had seen air fresheners and disinfectants in the toilet earlier.

This old brother was truly a particular man when it came to living.

He was almost as clean as his boss.

The old Taoist remembered that the boss also had a freezer on the second floor of the old bookstore, but the boss's freezer was terrifying, the kind used to store dead bodies.

For a long time, the boss slept in it, but of course, because of his special physique, only he could sleep in it without freezing to death.

If Lao Zhang and Little Lori slept in the freezer, there would be no need to wake them up for breakfast the next day; just prepare for their funerals.

However, after the boss got Yingying, the ice coffin was not moved to the new store on South Street.

To this,

the old Taoist understood.

Heh,

men.

Pushing open the door to the second room,

the old Taoist was stunned.

Inside, there was only a straw mat on the floor.

No television, no other items, as simple as could be.

The old Taoist stroked his chin.

This old man lived a frugal life.

No wonder he was getting senile.

If I lived here, I'd get senile too.

Thinking about it this way, the old Taoist suddenly felt that living in the bookstore, being startled by something every now and then,

seeing a ghost the day before yesterday, seeing a dick yesterday,

and seeing some other whatnot the day after tomorrow,

being constantly stimulated,

could prevent senility.

Closing both room doors, the old Taoist walked to the door and looked out. Why had that old brother been gone so long to pick some scallions?

At this moment,

a woman carrying a plastic bag came up from the stairwell below.

The layout of this building was like this: the ground floor was shops, the foot massage parlor was one of them, and the upper floors were all residential.

The old man's apartment was on the third floor.

"Are you?" The woman looked at the old Taoist with some suspicion.

"I don't live here, I'm visiting a friend."

"That old man is your friend?" The woman was a little surprised.

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"That old man is quite strange. He just sits at the entrance of the alley playing chess all day. You hardly ever see him go out."

"People get old."

The old Taoist expressed his understanding. Knowing that you're senile and still wandering around aimlessly, that's just asking for trouble.

"Where is he?" the woman asked.

"He went downstairs to pick scallions."

"He's cooking at home?"

"Yes."

"Heh heh, isn't it strange? I've never seen him go out to buy groceries, but he always seems to eat well. Sometimes when I go upstairs, I can smell meat cooking in his house."

"Heh heh."

The woman finished gossiping and went upstairs.

The old Taoist returned to the room, sat down at the table, and started peeling peanuts.

During this time, Zhang Yanfeng sent him a WeChat message, asking where he was and that he wanted to come find him.

This scared the old Taoist so much that he trembled.

He wasn't afraid that Lao Zhang would turn him in, after all, the boss would still have to take five thousand yuan to the police station to bail him out.

But the old Taoist didn't want Lao Zhang to drive a police car around here, scaring the sisters downstairs.

Therefore, even though he saw the message, the old Taoist simply didn't rush to reply.

After a couple of sips of wine,

the door was pushed open, and the old man returned, holding a handful of scallions.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I'll go cook now, so you can taste my cooking."

The old man went to the first room and came back with something in his hand, it looked like meat.

The old Taoist didn't pay attention.

Soon, a fragrant smell wafted from the kitchen.

"Mmm!"

The old Taoist rubbed his hands,

looking forward to it.

About half an hour later,

braised pork, stir-fried pork slices, salt-fried pork, and a pot of bone soup,

were placed on the table.

Seeing the table full of meat,

the old Taoist was stunned.

"Brother, now I know how you got senile."

Eating so greasy every day,

nothing but meat,

damn,

who else would get senile?

"Heh heh, when I was a kid, my family was poor, and I always wanted to eat meat, but I couldn't.

Now that I have the means, and I don't have many years left to live, I might as well just eat as much as I can. Who knows if I'll be poor in the next life, right?

Mao and Xi also said that eating braised pork nourishes the brain."

"That's right."

The old Taoist picked up a slice of meat and ate it.

The meat was delicious,

rich but not greasy,

(o゜▽゜)o☆

So delicious!!!

The old Taoist ate with gusto,

feasting,

not even eating rice, just eating meat,

and finally drinking three large bowls of meat soup,

feeling incredibly satisfied.

Patting his belly,

the old Taoist exclaimed:

"Wonderful, comfortable, satisfying!"

The old man raised his glass, clinked it with the old Taoist, and they both drank it down. He had also finished eating.

"Old brother, with your skill, it's a pity you're not a chef. Even the cook at my company isn't as good as you."

"Oh, you own a company, old brother?"

The old man was a little surprised and immediately asked.

"Yes, I own a company. The store is on South Street."

"South Street, that's amazing." the old man exclaimed.

In the eyes of the local Tongcheng people, South Street is the most prosperous area in the city center. Being able to open a store there, the rent alone is scary enough.

"It doesn't make any money, it's a loss. It's full of inhuman creatures, it's worrying."

"Heh heh, that's right, business is hard to do these days, and it's not easy to find honest and reliable employees either."

"That's right, the employees in the store are lazier than the next. If I don't keep an eye on them, if I don't whip them from behind, they'll dare to bask in the sun and drink tea right under my nose.

It's really hard being the boss."

"You have to teach your subordinates a good lesson, you have to set the rules."

"That's right."

"It's not easy, I heard you have no relatives and no family, but you actually opened a company. Unexpectedly, unexpectedly, you're quite interesting. Why did you come here to spend your money?

With your income, you shouldn't have to come here.

If something happens to you, the employees in your store would be worried to death, right?"

"It's just that I like this kind of place. The girls in the club are indeed young, but I can't bring myself to do it. They're all the age of my granddaughters, or even great-granddaughters, I really can't do it.

Besides,

we're all this old, so how much impulse and desire do we really have?

We just want to find comfort,

to find a confidante to talk to and chat with, don't you think?"

"That's the truth."

The old man nodded,

but silently sighed,

his expression,

a little disappointed.