White Olive Tree

Chapter 10

Chapter 10
Song Ran lowered her head and wiped her fingers with a towel, very seriously and vigorously, as if there was something dirty on her hands that needed to be wiped off urgently.
Shen Bei handed the tablet menu to Li Zan: "Would you like to order more, and see if there is anything else you want to eat?"
He glanced at it, but he was a little careless, and said, "Let's do this first, if it's not enough, add more."

   "All right."
Song Ran lowered his eyelids and wiped his hands over and over again.
The colleagues at the table, male or female, were all very interested in Li Zan. It was hard for a soldier like him not to be the focus.
Xiaochun was the first to ask: "Listen to Shen Bei, are you a soldier?"
   "Um."
"When did you start serving as a soldier?" Xiao Qiu asked.
Li Zan said, "Eighteen."
"How long have you been in the army?" A male colleague asked.
"Almost five years."
Xiao Xia asked: "Is there anyone else like you in your team? Those who want to be single..."
"Oh!" Shen Bei interjected with a smile, "What are you all doing? Those who know say you have occupational diseases, but those who don't know think you're checking your household registration."
Spring, summer, autumn and winter booed her together: "Tsk tsk tsk, protect yourself hard."
Li Zan didn't answer for a while, and turned to look at Shen Bei in a slightly silent manner, with an unclear expression.
Shen Bei just smiled at him.
Listening to the booing and laughing at the table, Song Ran's heart was cold, and the hot towel in his hand was already completely cold.  She thought that it should be because she was sitting too close to the air conditioner, so she always felt the cold wind blowing in her heart.
Li Zan didn't speak, and the table was quiet for a few seconds.  Then he got up and said to go to the bathroom.
After he left, Shen Bei looked at the crowd and said angrily, "Stop gossiping!"
Having said that, the table became lively again, and Xiao Xia asked, "Hey, how did you know each other?"
Shen Bei laughed a few times, and said: "My dad once went to a meeting, a very high-level meeting. It happened that he was in charge of the explosion-proof investigation. My dad's secretary was a little bit reluctant at the time, and refused to let him check the box.  It's a bit arrogant to use my father's official title to suppress him anyway."
"And then?" Everyone was extremely curious.
"He said, 'It's military law that can overwhelm me. You are not qualified.' The secretary was so angry that he wanted to move him, but he 'accidentally' twisted and dislocated the secretary's hand. My dad was very impressed with him.  , I want to introduce you to me. After inquiring for a long time, I finally asked his instructor to arrange it. Cool?"
"It's so romantic." Xiaochun said, "Your dad can see it, so he must be very good."
"That's right. I heard from their instructor that they have made meritorious service several times. At that time, my dad's secretary wanted to go to the team to sue him, but he got nothing. He is very respected."
A male colleague interjected: "It's hard to cultivate bomb disposal talents. Those who need talent must be protected as treasures in the army. Besides, the military and government are two systems, and the secretary who wants to exert pressure with a little power is hitting the wrong door."  gone."
"But it feels like your boyfriend is so quiet, he doesn't talk much."
"It's not about you, it's a bunch of problems. He looks gentle, but he's actually very proud. He doesn't like others to make trouble with him. You don't have to ask the bottom line later, I'll ask you."
"Tsk tsk tsk," everyone said bitterly, "If you look like this, you still have today."
Shen Bei giggled.
The person she was talking about was a little strange to Song Ran, as if she had never seen it before.
Song Ran's nose was so sore that she couldn't hold it any longer. She turned her head and got up to get the sauce outside.
She quickly walked through the corridor, rounded the corner, and when she suddenly looked up, she saw Li Zan. The mist in her eyes instantly evaporated in fright.
Li Zan was leaning against the wall of the corridor to send text messages, frowning slightly, his expression was not very good; her sudden appearance also surprised him, his face softened a little, his dark and bright eyes looked at her quietly, but  No intention of talking to her.
Song Ran didn't have anything to say to him, and walked past him with her head down.
She walked to the side of the small cooking table, was stunned for a while, and then took a plate to mix the dipping sauce.
She added fermented bean curd, mashed garlic, chili powder and sesame oil. She wanted to add some vinegar, but the label of vinegar and soy sauce were not posted. When she was distinguishing, a low voice came from behind her: "This is vinegar, this is soy sauce."
He stretched out his hand and pointed twice.
"Oh, thank you." She only dared to glance up at him hastily, but didn't quite see his face.
He walked past her, and she couldn't stay for a moment, she was like a light on her back, and she was about to leave. When she thought of something, she glanced in the direction of the private room like a thief, then looked back at him, and said, "Return the rope to you."
Li Zan was putting chili peppers on the plate, and turned around in surprise.
The hall was dimly lit, and the light from the cooking table reflected on his face, giving people a soft illusion.
He smiled briefly, took the rope and stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans, saying, "I lost the note that day when I had to go to work urgently."
Song Ran said: "I also lost your piece of paper, so I haven't called. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." He said, and continued to add small ingredients.
He was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans today. He had lost the toughness of his military uniform. He looked clean and friendly.
But that was probably a self-hypnotic fantasy of hers.  This has always been the case.
Song Ran didn't look much, and when he walked back to the box, the corners of his mouth almost collapsed.  She wanted to go home and couldn't stay for a second.
She ate that meal very seriously, and ate hot pot all the time, as if she had never eaten it before.
Shen Bei didn't mention Li Zan's matter again, and everyone stopped gossiping.  It’s just that the chats on the table still occasionally fall on him unconsciously. The male colleague Xiao Zhao is very curious about his occupation, and asks: “Is bomb disposal difficult to learn?”
Li Zan said: "It is easy to get started, but difficult to go deeper."
Xiaochun: "But I feel that there are very few explosions in real life. What do you usually do at work?"
Xiao Zhao interrupted and said, "You don't know about it. There are still some in life, but most of them are kept secret and not announced."
Song Ran didn't participate in the chat, but lowered his head and stuffed a piece of raw bitter melon into his mouth.
Shen Bei asked: "Huh? Whose piece of abalone belongs to? Who hasn't eaten yet?"
The abalones are counted according to the number of people. At this moment, there is only one abalone left on the big plate.  Everyone has eaten.
Xiaoqiu said: "Ran Ran, haven't you eaten?"
"Ah?" Song Ran raised his head and took a look, "Oh."
Shen Bei turned the big abalone in front of her: "Ran Ran."
Song Ran picked it up and threw it into her small pot: "Thank you." She smiled at Shen Bei, and saw Li Zan sitting beside her, quietly eating vegetables.  Maybe it was too hot, his face was a little red.
She didn't look at him for a second, as if it was a sin.
She had never eaten such a big and fresh abalone, but it was tasteless even in her mouth. After all, it was not something she paid for.
The dishes on the turntable quickly bottomed out. Shen Bei picked up the menu again and handed it to Li Zan, asking, "Do you want to order more?"
Li Zan said, "No need."
"You're welcome, I'm treating you today."
   "Is it?"
"That's right, I was the outstanding reporter of Liangcheng Satellite TV in the first half of the year. I was awarded a bonus, am I good?" Shen Bei had a sweet voice, tilting her head to ask for praise.
He let out a "huh".
Song Ran pinched the chopsticks, her fingernails turned white.  She never thought that the words "excellent reporter" would hurt her so much like this moment, and the pain made her almost cry.
Fortunately, no one added food in the end, the meal was finally finished, and they broke up.
Everyone gathered at the door to bid farewell to each other. Li Zan saw Song Ran through the shadows, and their eyes accidentally met. He looked at her quietly for a second, and then smiled at her.
Song Ran gave him a standard smile in return. Her eyes were shining, with gentleness, kindness, and happiness in her eyes. It's a pleasure to meet you.  She smiled, a bitter feeling fell straight from her throat to the bottom of her heart.
Azan...
Don't laugh at me anymore, really.
She turned her head away, her eye circles were almost red.
Colleagues left in three cars according to the route.
Accompanied by Song Ran were Xiaoqiu and Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao was a fan of the military. He even said several times that he never thought of it: "I actually saw a live bomb disposal elite. Hey, why didn't I join the army?"
Xiaoqiu said, "Come on, it's just your short hands. You don't see how other people's hands are. They look like those who play the piano."
Song Ran didn't answer.  Thinking of the moment when he stood beside her and pointed at the vinegar, his fingers were slender, well-proportioned, with well-defined joints.
After sending Xiao Zhao home, there were only two people left in the car. Xiao Qiu couldn't help sighing, and said, "Life is really unfair. Some people...everything belongs to her."
She didn't say it clearly.  Song Ran's heart was so stuffy that he couldn't breathe. He opened the window to breathe, and the night wind at the end of July was still hot.

Back at Green Lane, she was exhausted.  This day is too tiring, maybe because of the high temperature during the day, she is so tired that she has no strength.
Pushing the door open and walking into the yard, the moonlight spread all over the place.  Honeysuckle exudes a light fragrance at night.
Not a breath of wind.  The moonlight was mottled on the cobblestone path, and there was a bright white reflection, which turned out to be the note she had been looking for for a long time.
Li Zan's phone number is written on it.
In grief and pain, she stomped the paper and crushed it into the soil.  She put in a lot of effort, and the note quickly crumbled and merged with the mud.
She stood there with her head bowed for a long time, then suddenly bent down, covered her eyes, and let the tears flow.
She gradually cried out, climbed the stairs to the second floor while crying, entered the room and turned on the light, rummaged through all the writing awards she had won when she was studying, and the award certificates she had received from newspapers and magazines.  come out.
She opened them one by one, looked at them, wept uncontrollably,
"I'm obviously better than her..." She covered her face and cried, "I'm obviously better than her! Why isn't that award mine!"
...
The next day, Song Ran submitted an application to go to Dongguo.
She also became the only female reporter in the station to submit an application.
When Song Zhicheng learned of this decision, on the one hand he supported it, but on the other hand he was worried about her personal safety; he was a little undecided.
Song Ran then told him about Luo Junfeng.  Luo Junfeng said that her book could be published by the best literary publishing house, which moved Song Zhicheng who had always expected her daughter to be successful.
As for Song Ran, aside from the matter of the book, as a reporter, she always wanted to go to Dongguo again.
In the first half of the year, she went on a business trip to Dongguo, and that country in turmoil left a deep impression on her.
She wanted to record, but even more to witness.
However, Ran Yuwei strongly objected, not only reprimanded Song Ran on the phone, but also scolded Song Zhicheng bloody, saying that he betrayed his daughter for his unfulfilled dreams and vanity.
Song Ran didn't talk to her a single time, nor quarreled with her.  While remaining silent, he did not waver in his decision at all.
Ran Yuwei spent a lot of trouble sending his uncle, aunt, and cousin Ran Chi to persuade him. Ran Chi, a big boy, said halfway through the persuasion: "No, I have to tell the truth. Sis, war correspondent, you are so cool!"  His parents slapped him on the back of the head.
Song Yang also stood on the united front with them, she didn't want Song Ran to go to Dongguo:
"Last time it was reported in the news that an American reporter was kidnapped and killed. What will you do if something happens to you? I won't cry to death."
Yang Huilun spat at her: "How could something happen to your sister's fate? She is working hard to pursue her dream, unlike you, who is like a salted fish all day long. Worrying about these things is better than finding a job!"
The family was bouncing around for a while, but gradually calmed down because of Song Ran's unshakable determination.
At the beginning of August, Song Ran took the plane to Gamma.
The temperature was very high that day and the sun was very bright.
When the plane took off, the sunlight refracted in, dazzling.  She squinted her eyes to resist, and inevitably, she suddenly remembered that person again.
In the past two months, she has bloomed flowers in her heart.  How silly.
Looking at the large green mountains and blue rivers outside the porthole, she thought of the dry and gray city of Ale on June 3rd.
He dragged her to run all the way under the bright sun, and at the last second he pulled her into his arms and threw her to the ground.
At that moment, her heartbeat could not be controlled.
But the heartbeat at that moment...
Perhaps, after all, it was just a illusory misunderstanding.