How have you been today?

Author: Liu Jie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Li Zhibin had just returned from a business trip when he got into a fight with his wife at home, making his whole day miserable. The reason was that after coming home, he impatiently wanted to have sex with his wife, Yu Hua, to complete their "duty." After finishing, Yu Hua got off the bed to take his clothes to the laundry. Li Zhibin, lying in bed, suddenly saw Yu Hua rummaging through his pockets, which made him very uncomfortable. He frowned and said unhappily, "Why do you have so many problems now? You've learned to rummage through pockets?" At first, Yu Hua wasn't angry and even jokingly said, "Li Zhibin, do you have something to hide? Did you have a fling outside? If you don't, why are you so nervous?" These seemingly ordinary words infuriated Li Zhibin. Naked, he jumped off the bed and snatched his pants from his wife's hands, glaring at her, "What do you mean? Ican't stand people rummaging through my things, and you know that." With that, he threw the pants to the side and cursed under his breath.
Yu Hua wasn't an easy person to deal with either. She had a quick temper, like someone about to explode. Hearing Li Zhibin cursing her, she immediately flew into a rage, pointing a finger at his nose and saying, "Li Zhibin, say another curse, just try it." Li Zhibin didn't hesitate and cursed back. Enraged, Yu Hua grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it hard at him. Unprepared, Li Zhibin stumbled and fell into the nearby sofa. His anger flared, and he threw the pillow back at her with a vicious curse, dressed up, slammed the door, and left.
Downstairs, Yu Hua was still shouting furiously from the balcony, pointing at his retreating back, "Li Zhibin, you bastard! Don't come back tonight!" Hearing her, Li Zhibin instinctively stopped but didn't turn back. He seemed to ignore her shouting and walked away.
He didn't stop until he reached the street, where he took out his phone and called Wang Hao to ask if he was busy. Wang Hao said on the phone, "I'm almost dying of frustration. Yu Zhen has been on a business trip for a week, and you didn't even call to check in." Li Zhibin replied, "If you're not busy, come out. I'll wait for you by the sea."
The Sea Person was a bar-style hotel on Zhanjiang Road. The owner was a young man who had studied in Japan and was very good at running the business. Originally, he had started with a small storefront on Shantou Road, but it had grown into a rather influential hotel in the east. The Sea Person's biggest feature was that both its environment and cuisine were suitable for the petite bourgeoisie like Li Zhibin, so they often gathered there when they were free. They mainly ordered a few dishes: stir-fried young (chicken), bacon beef tenderloin, stir-fried pork with daicai (Chinese cabbage), and spicy stir-fried clams.
Clams, pronounced "GALA" in Qingdao dialect, are a popular beer accompaniment for Qingdao locals, mainly sourced from the Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao waters. They are tender and flavorful, and almost all Qingdao people consider them a type of "seafood." It's unclear what culinary secrets the chefs here have, but this group of friends never got tired of eating these dishes.
After arriving at the hotel, Li Zhibin assumed Wang Hao would follow soon, so he ordered the four dishes again and asked for several bottles of beer, lighting a cigarette and waiting. Sure enough, Wang Hao arrived after a short while. As soon as he walked in, he rushed at Li Zhibin, shouting, "Where have you been? I've called you several times, and your phone was off. Yu Zhen isn't home either. I don't even know how I've been passing these days. Usually, I'm chased around by phone calls, but not even one in the past two days. It's so frustrating."
As soon as he sat down, he noticed Li Zhibin's grim expression and asked, "Did you fight again?"
"!" Li Zhibin cursed, "Stop talking, just drink!"
Li Zhibin and Wang Hao had been high school classmates at Qingdao No. 19 High School. No. 19 High School was a key high school in Qingdao, and there was a saying that if you got in, it was like stepping one foot into university. During high school, their relationship was very close. After college, they went their separate ways, but reunited after graduation. Li Zhibin studied economic management and worked in a state-owned enterprise for three years before realizing he wasn't suited for it. First, the salary was low—just over a thousand yuan a month, which wasn't enough for much. Second, he couldn't find his place there, as state-owned enterprises emphasized seniority. There were already several "returnees" (overseas graduates), doctors, and masters ahead of him, and by the time it was his turn as an undergraduate, it would likely be too late. Moreover, staying in a state-owned enterprise for too long might even lead to his professional skills becoming rusty. So, he decided to quit and find a place where he could better utilize his talents.
Around that time, he saw an advertisement in the newspaper for "MyHome," an American insurance company, setting up a branch in Qingdao and recruiting talent. He applied for the position of sales manager and was directly hired because of his fluent English, which shocked the interviewer so much that he nearly fell.
Wang Hao studied mechanical manufacturing, so he should have gone to a company after graduation. However, his father, thinking it wasn't secure enough, used his connections in the city to push him into the district government. Last year, he passed the civil service exam and was assigned to a sub-district office, continuing as a small-level clerk.