White Olive Tree

Chapter 4

At eight o'clock in the evening, the food street was full of traffic.  The rain was still falling, but it couldn't stop the enthusiasm of Liangcheng people to eat out.
Liangcheng is hot and humid in summer. It is hard to stay at home, and the air conditioner is too stuffy, so everyone likes to go outside to cool off.  The old people like to put on small stools and gather at the alleys to blow the breeze with cattail fans, while the residents of the new community flock to the garden square.  Several lakes and riversides in the city are the best places to enjoy the cool.
Young people are more restless and like to make friends. Gathering in open-air food stalls, eating barbecue and drinking beer, it's fun to sweat profusely.  There are also a lot of delicacies in Liangcheng, such as fresh lake game with local characteristics, river fish and wild vegetables, snacks... After trying everything, you can't finish it in a month or two.
The food street is located by the river.  As night falls, neon lights come on.  The lights of "Jiangyu Restaurant" and "Crayfish" are colorfully hung in the night sky.  Shopkeepers flooded the streets to attract customers.
After Song Ran parked the car, the shower stopped.
The waiter at the lobster shop is setting up outdoor tables and chairs at the entrance.
Several people discussed it and decided to sit outside.  Just after it rained, the river breeze was blowing comfortably.
Song Ran ordered three large pots of spicy crayfish, and ordered lotus root pork ribs soup, stir-fried lotus root with green pepper, fried Chrysanthemum chrysanthemum, stewed fish head with radish, and a pile of barbecue...
Xiao Qiu stopped her and said, "Don't order too much, you won't be able to finish it later."
Xiaodong laughed and said, "A bonus for a business trip? So generous."
Song Ran said: "If you can't finish eating, you can pack it."
It would be embarrassing to invite colleagues to dinner if there are too few dishes.
Xiao Xia said, "Why bother. That's enough."
"Oh." Song Ran closed the menu, "Then order these first, and add more later if you don't have enough?"
   "OK."
Everyone sat around a table. They had a lot of communication at work on weekdays, but they rarely gathered in private. At this moment, they stared at each other, giggled at each other, and the air was quiet for a few seconds.
Xiaodong brought up the topic: "Liangcheng has opened up the settlement policy, and now housing prices are going to rise again."
Shen Bei reapplied her lipstick and said relaxedly, "I've never paid attention to housing prices."
Xiaochun: "Of course you don't need to pay attention. It's better for you locals, you have a house, you can spend your salary as you want, and you don't have to worry about anything."
Song Ran shook his head: "The locals can't afford a house either."
Xiaoqiu said: "You don't have to worry. Among our new batch of reporters, you are the strongest. A promotion and salary increase will come sooner or later."
Before Song Ran could say anything, Shen Bei threw the lipstick into the Chanel bag, raised her head and asked, "Have you ordered a drink?"
Song Ran: "Yes. Two pinches of watermelon juice."
Soon the crayfish were served, and everyone put on gloves to eat.
Xiaoxia was soft-spoken and praised: "To be honest, "The Story of the Eastern Kingdom Before the War" is really good, I like to read it very much. Ran Ran, I have discovered it before, whether it is the manuscript you wrote or the records you made, look at it.  It’s quite ordinary, but it’s always attractive.”
Xiao Qiu echoed: "Yes, you can always see angles that others can't see."
Song Ran smiled slightly as a response.
Shen Bei asked: "Song Ran, you study journalism, right?"
Song Ran shook his head: "No. I study history."
"Huh?" Everyone was surprised.  Most of them are media-related majors, and even Shen Bei has a lot to do with the International News Department.
Shen Bei: "Our department is still recruiting from the Department of History?"
Song Ran: "When I was studying, I liked to write short essays, and I have contributed to the newspapers under Liangcheng Satellite TV."
"Oh." Everyone suddenly realized.
Xiaochun: "It seems that I have liked reading and writing since I was a child. No wonder the articles are well written."
Xiao Xia bit the prawn meat and said, "Ran Ran looks like Wen Qing at first glance, she speaks little and is quiet, just hold the book and read when you have nothing to do."
Xiaodong said: "Song Ran is too introverted, she can be more lively."
Song Ran explained: "I'm not introverted..." It just means that most of the time, I don't have anything to say.
"Have you ever encountered any danger after staying in Dongguo for so long?" Shen Bei asked.  At the beginning, the leader also arranged for her to go to the front line. She was afraid of the war and did not dare to go, so she stayed in the country to analyze the situation.  Seeing so many vivid stories recorded by Song Ran now, I am also a little greedy.
She asked: "The situation over there is turbulent, it's chaotic."
"Sometimes you will encounter thieves. Other dangers... nothing." Song Ran paused, thinking of that man that day.
When I think of him, a feeling comes out.
He is not a symbol, but a picture.  His camouflage uniform, half-fingered combat gloves, his eyes.
But she didn't want to say it.
I don't want to mention a word to anyone.
It's as if one day you suddenly read a good book or heard a good song, so good that you just want to keep it private and don't want to share it with anyone.
The crayfish was a bit spicy, and she was sweating from the tip of her nose.
The street was still wet, and the river was rushing tens of meters away.