Chapter 1 — Dear Wife, Do You Remember Me?

When I was six years old, I hugged my neighbor's leg tightly and cried loudly.

“When I grow up, I will be your wife!”

He squatted down, smiled and pinched my nose: "Okay, I'll wait for you." Then his family moved away, and suddenly there was no news for 19 years. I just considered it a childhood joke. Until I dressed neatly in a suit and walked into an interview at a prestigious corporation. The man sitting behind the desk smiled meaningfully.

“Wife, do you still remember me?”

The job application file in my hand made a "pop" sound and fell straight to the ground. 01 I have long forgotten the story when I was six years old. If it weren't for every New Year's holiday my mother would tell as a funny story, I wouldn't even be able to remember what that neighbor looked like.

“When I was little, I chased people down three streets.”

“The dress is torn, but it still hugs people's legs tightly and doesn't let go——”

“Mom, stop talking.”

"Still crying and wanting to marry someone else, the boy's mother laughed at that moment and wanted to hurt herself——"

“Mom!”

Every time she finished telling the story, she had to sigh:

“I don't know where the Chu family has moved to, that boy must have a bright future now.”

I never cared about this. What does a six year old child know? By noon yesterday I couldn't even remember what I ate. At the age of twenty-five, I decided to quit my job at my old company. Worked for three years, no promotion, no salary increase, and my boss was always there to help me pour water for tea. The day I slammed my resignation letter down on the table, the whole room fell silent. My mother called and scolded me impulsively. Dad was silent for half a day and then said, "Go home, son." I'm not coming back. I scattered more than forty CVs. Interviewed seven or eight companies. Some people criticized me for lacking experience, others criticized me for demanding a high salary. The forty-third CV I submitted to a company ranked in the top 3 in the industry. To be honest, I don't hold out any hope. Unexpectedly, the next day I received an interview notice. That morning I woke up at five o'clock. Flatten your shirt and put on a vest. Changed two subway trains and one bus, arriving forty minutes early. The receptionist told me to go into the meeting room and wait. I sat and waited for twenty minutes, rehearsing my introduction three times in my head. The door opens. The person who walked in was not HR. Be a man. About one meter eighty tall, wearing a dark gray vest, the buttons on the cuffs are dull bronze. He carried a cup of coffee and walked leisurely. I stood up, extended my hand: "Hello, I'm——" He didn't shake my hand. Put the coffee cup on the table, lean against the edge of the table, and look down at me. That smile. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, his eyes carrying an indescribable emotion.

“Wife, do you still remember me?”

My hand stiffens in midair. There was a "beep" sound in the head. The file slipped through my fingers. The sound of paper falling to the ground echoed clearly in the quiet meeting room. He bent down to pick it up for me, conveniently brushing away the dust particles that didn't exist on it.

“Chu Dien.”

He pointed at himself.

“My neighbor for six years.”

“When I was little, I used to come to your house every day to eat, remember?”

I remember now. That name was like a key, opening up all the memories that had been sealed for the past nineteen years. Sycamore tree at the end of the alley. He rode his bike and took me to buy ice cream. I fell and tore my knee, he carried me home. And that sentence——

“When I grow up, I will be a wife Older brother."

Looking at my expression, he burst out laughing.

“Looks like I remember.”

I took a step back, bumping into a chair.

“Chu… General Chu?”

“Call me brother.”

“…This is an interview.”

“Yes, interview.”

He pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his legs.

“Sit down, let's talk properly.”

I sat down. Palms are sweaty. There was only one thought floating around in my head. Why is he here? When did he become like this? Chu Dien, whom I knew when I was six years old, wore a white tank top and his knees were always covered in mud. As for the man in front of me, from head to toe there were only two words. Money. Rights.

“Yes…” I cleared my throat, “Can we have a normal interview?”

He turned over my file and looked at it intently for three seconds.

“Okay, normal interview.”

“First question——”

He raised his eyes.

“When do you plan to marry me?”

The air conditioner in the meeting room was blowing loudly. I tightly grasped the seam of my pants above my knee. This interview is wrong. 02

“I'm serious, please interview properly.”

My voice was calmer than I expected. Worked at the old company for three years. The biggest gain is learning how to not change your face in front of your boss. Chu Dien looked at me and lost his smile.

“Okay.”

The next fifteen minutes, he actually asked very decent questions. Work experience, project experience, reason for leaving. I answer each question carefully, without any gaps. After listening, he closed the file.

“Come next Monday to register. Administration Department, Manager position.”

“…Is that all?”

“My ability is enough.” He stood up, "Don't think too much."

I also stood up, picked up my bag and went out. At the door, he said a sentence.

“To Niem.”

I stopped walking.

“Let's go eat together this afternoon.”

“Okay, I still have work——”

“Refused to be void.”

I turned around to look. He put the phone to his earpiece, waved his hand at me, saying "you go out first". I walked out the company door and stood idly on the side of the road for five minutes. Then took out the phone to call my mother.

“Mom, do you still remember Uncle Chu's old neighbor's son?”

“Chu Dien? Of course I remember! What's wrong?"

“I just met him.”

The other end of the line was silent for two seconds, then my mother screamed.

“Where to meet? What is the boy doing now? Are you married yet?

“Mom——”

“When I was little, I wanted to marry someone, but they told me to wait——”

“Mom! I'll just give you an hour's notice!"

I hung up the phone. The phone screen showed a WeChat message. Strange number.

“12 noon, Italian restaurant in the company lobby.”

“Don't be late. ——Chu Dien”

I stared at the screen for a long time. When did he become my WeChat friend? When did I agree? Looking back through my history, I discovered that there was a WeChat number on the information form filled out before the interview. Alright then. Five minutes to twelve, I arrived at the restaurant door. Hesitate for thirty seconds to see if he should enter. If you don't enter, it seems narrow-minded. But when I entered, it seemed like I was paying attention. Forget it, just think of it as revisiting the past. Pushing the door open and entering, Chu Dien was already sitting next to the window. He changed into a dark blue shirt, rolling the sleeves up to his forearms.

“Sit down.”

“Thank you.”

I sat down, covered half of my face with the menu.

“Please feel free to call.”

“There's no need to be polite.”

“There is no need to be polite, we are officials What's the matter?"

I lowered the menu: “Old neighbors.” He smiled lightly: "Is that all?"

“What if not?”

"When I was six years old, I didn't say that."

“Does what a six-year-old child says count?”

“It counts.” He looked at me seriously, "I've been planning for nineteen years now."

I picked up the glass of water and took a sip. The water was so cold, it made me choke.

“You... stop joking.”

“I'm not joking.”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolled for a moment, then gave it to me. On the screen is a photo. Yellowed, very low resolution. Two children stood under the sycamore tree.