I wasn't quite sure why I had agreed to the fat man. I felt that when it came to matters concerning the fat man, I had repeatedly shown an inexplicable lack of principle and clarity of consciousness.
The next day, right after work, I went straight to the fat man's house. I didn't make an appointment with Xiao Yu in advance. I thought that for a girl as calculating as Xiao Yu, making an appointment beforehand might instead make her guarded and thus affect our communication.
The moment I saw Xiao Yu, I was stunned.
"Sister Yanyu? Is it really you, Sister Yanyu?" Xiao Yu's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Liu Yu, how could it be you?" I supposed my expression must have been even more exaggerated.
Suddenly, the door to my memories was flung wide open. Two years ago, I had hired a part-time cleaner, and it was Liu Yu. At that time, she had just come to the city from the countryside, looking quite shy, filled with a sense of timidity and curiosity towards the city and its people. When she first came to my house, she was extremely cautious in both her speech and actions. However, she was quick and efficient in her work, and also quite clever, being the kind of dexterous girl who was quick-witted and easily won others' favor. After we got to know each other better, she became less reserved and talked more. Every time she came to my house, she would affectionately call me "Sister Yanyu" over and over again. She would often enthusiastically inquire about things related to the city from me, and also ask me some questions about women's clothing and the like. When she saw that I was in a good mood, she would even boldly ask me why I had gotten divorced and why I hadn't fallen in love and remarried yet, and so on. Although sometimes she seemed a bit too gossipy, on the whole, she was quite likable. Sometimes I would invite her to have dinner with me and had given her some clothes that were about seven or eight tenths new. Occasionally, on weekends, I would also take her to stroll in the park or go to the cinema to watch the latest hot movies. At those times, she would be extremely happy, saying that if she could live a leisurely life like mine one day, she would have no regrets in her life. Seeing her look of longing, I encouraged her, "You can do it! As long as a person sets a goal, and works hard and steadily towards that goal with diligence and perseverance, their dreams will surely come true." She said, "I will. I'm not afraid of hardship. I want to gain a firm foothold in this city. I want to be the master of this city!" In her excitement, she cupped her hands around her mouth, stood on the balcony of my house, and shouted towards the night sky: "I must be the master of this city! I, Liu Yu, must be the master of this city! Just you wait!" In an instant, I felt that her echoes filled the whole world, so vivid and full of vitality. She turned around to look at me, her eyes shining brightly. Her innocent and naive look had once evoked a strong resonance in me, reminding me of my own ideals, struggles, and the bittersweetness and joys during the process of striving when I was young. My eyes became moist. I told her, "Xiao Yu, I don't know how many migrant workers like you, who are full of beautiful fantasies about life, there are in this city, but I know that every day, there will be people whose dreams come true through their own hard work. I'm looking forward to that day for you, really! Looking forward to it very much!"
She ran over and grasped my hand, saying, "Sister Yanyu, I won't let you down, definitely not! Just you wait!"
I thought that at that time, I was indeed full of expectations for this girl. Just because one is young, everything is possible; just because one has dreams, everything is possible.
On a certain Saturday evening, I received a call from my work unit asking me to work overtime urgently. At that time, Liu Yu was doing the cleaning in the kitchen. Originally, I had promised to take her out for a big meal that night as a reward for her hard work over the past two months.
"Sister Yanyu, is there something going on at your work unit?" As soon as I hung up the phone, Liu Yu stuck her head out from the kitchen and asked.
"Yes, we can't have dinner together tonight. I'm sorry." I said.
"Sister Yanyu, you often invite me to eat. It should be me who's sorry." Liu Yu was always so considerate.
"Don't say that. I'll keep this meal for you. I'll treat you another day. I'm going back to the work unit now. Just lock the door when you leave."
Liu Yu said, "Sister Yanyu, it's not good for me to stay in your house alone. Or, I'll leave first, and when you come back, I'll come again."
I said, "Silly girl, what's not good about it? You're not an outsider. Don't you think I can trust you?"
"Sister Yanyu, you're so nice. I've worked as a part-time cleaner for many families. They all guarded against me like I was a thief. Especially in the houses where there were men, those women looked at me with their eyes like searchlights, as if I wasn't there to work but to steal things. Are we part-time cleaners not human beings?"
I smiled. By this time, I had already changed my clothes.
"Only Sister Yanyu doesn't treat me like an outsider or a servant. I feel really warm and happy in Sister Yanyu's house. When I become prosperous in the future, I'll also respect and care for others like Sister Yanyu." The little girl could talk quite coherently, as if she really knew what she was talking about.
I said, "Cook whatever you want to eat. Just treat my house as your own. Don't be polite or restrained. Also, don't go back too late."
"Okay, I know. Sister Yanyu, be careful on your way." She stood at the door watching me go downstairs, looking just like a real younger sister, which made one feel warm and cozy.
At twelve o'clock at night, when I returned home from the work unit, Liu Yu had already left. There were meals on the table, and also a note with a few lines of crooked words written on it: "Sister Yanyu, remember to heat up the meals when you get home and eat more. You're too thin. You forgot to put away your necklace, earrings and wallet. I've put them in the drawer of the bedside table for you. I know you're busy with work, but no matter how busy you are, you have to take care of yourself, for your own sake and for the sake of those who love you."
At this moment, the simple and delicate feelings of this rural girl touched me and warmed that night.
Not long after that, she quit the job, saying that she had found a better job, and that she would definitely contact me once she had settled down, asking me to wait for her good news. But for some reason, I never heard from her again after that, as if she had vanished into thin air. I had even inquired at the job center, but the person in charge there didn't know where she had gone either.
Now I know that the so-called better job was actually going to work at the fat man's house.
However, I often think of her. Whenever I think of her, I feel that the world is so warm and beautiful.