Chapter Six (Part 1): It’s All You
Another month passed. It was a Sunday evening.
Lu Qiang received a courier envelope. Its blue-and-white cover had already curled and wrinkled at the edges.
He turned it over and glanced at it, unable to stop himself from licking his lips.
The handwriting on it was crooked and awkward, but he knew it far too well.
The recipient was written as Qian Yuanqing, with the address listed as Qian Shulin Village, Wuqing County, Huaizhou City. The sender’s name was Lu Qiang.
The courier he had sent had been returned intact.
The hand gripping the corner tightened. A few seconds later, Lu Qiang tore open the seal. There was very little inside, only two sheets of paper, a hundred-thousand-yuan check, and a letter. The letter filled half a page, yet it was obvious that every stroke had been carefully considered before being written.
He read it from beginning to end, folded it up, then with a movement of his fingers folded it in half once more. After a pause, he suddenly tore the letter into shreds.
Residents were coming and going at the entrance of the residential compound. He took a step back, turned around, and tossed everything in his hand into the courier bag. A fragment fell to the ground, faintly revealing half of the character for “marriage.” In the very next instant, the wind carried it away.
Lu Qiang looked at the check and, in the end, gathered it up together with the pile of scraps.
He headed inside. Someone called out to him, “Qiang-ge.”
Lu Qiang stopped. Genzi came running in, carrying two bags full of sliced lamb and various vegetables.
“Qiang-ge, why couldn’t I get through to your phone? I’ve been calling all day.”
Lu Qiang glanced at the things in his hands. “It broke.”
“How’d it break?”
“Dropped it.”
Genzi froze. “Nothing happened, right?”
“No.” He did not say that he had smashed it against the door that day, only said, “Dropped it by accident.”
Genzi breathed a sigh of relief. “That old man’s phone of yours really needs replacing.” He followed Lu Qiang into the room. “I’ll buy you a smartphone tomorrow. Technology’s really advanced these days. The screen can even unlock with your fingerprint. You just say a word and it can dial the number for you.”
Lu Qiang did not take the bait. He put the courier on the table. “Why’d you come straight over?”
Genzi said, “Ge, how long has it been since we all got together? I thought this place looked pretty good, so I took it upon myself to get Kun Dong and the others together for a meal. Everything’s bought already. Da Long went to buy the pot.”
Lu Qiang crossed his legs and propped them on the table, then lit a cigarette without saying anything.
Genzi felt uncertain. He always had the feeling that something was on Lu Qiang’s mind today, that he was in a bad mood. He cautiously asked, “Ge, is it convenient?”
Lu Qiang blew out a smoke ring and glanced sideways at him. “It’s not.”
Genzi’s heart jumped, only to see the corner of Lu Qiang’s mouth suddenly curve up.
“Later. Wait until there are fewer people.”
Genzi settled himself firmly into the chair and relaxed. Only then did he look around the small room. The electric fan on the table was blowing hot air. His eyes swept over to the courier beside it. He craned his neck, and although the writing was blurry, he could make out enough to understand. He immediately knew.
“Ge,” he asked, “it got returned again?”
“Mm.”
“The money you had me send a few years ago got returned too. I sent it to your Italian account afterward.”
Lu Qiang nodded.
“Don’t worry. I transferred it using Li Qing and her sister’s account. Nobody can find out.”
Lu Qiang: “Mm.”
Genzi did not understand. “I don’t get it, Ge. You have money but don’t spend it, every day you…”
He stopped himself and secretly sized Lu Qiang up. It was not Genzi’s fault for saying it. Lu Qiang wore a thin, faded undershirt and old Beijing cloth shoes. Usually, he gnawed on steamed buns and ate at roadside stalls. If it were not for that face of his and the slabs of muscle on his body that could intimidate people, others would definitely take him for a beggar.
Lu Qiang also glanced at himself and said self-mockingly, “Been in there too long. Forgot how to spend money.”
After a pause, his eyes drifted toward the courier.
“The places I want to spend it on won’t take it.”
Genzi said, “Then why not go back home and have a look?”
After a pause of two seconds, Lu Qiang gazed out the window.
“Got no face to go back.”
Genzi said, “Now that you’re out, anything can be talked through. Once she knows the reason, one day she’ll forgive you. After all, you two are…”
Lu Qiang interrupted him. “There wasn’t even a chance to explain.” He nudged the courier with his heel. “She didn’t even open it. She can’t see the letter.”
Genzi was no good at comforting people either, so he scratched the back of his head. Lu Qiang instead asked, “What did you say that smartphone could do?”
Genzi gave an “Oh,” straightened his back, and repeated all those functions again.
Lu Qiang tapped the tabletop. “If you’ve got nothing to do tomorrow, come pick me up.”
“Hm?”
Lu Qiang said, “Let’s find somewhere to spend some money.”
***
At ten that night, the night had finally quieted down. Gentle light spilled from the streetlamps in the distance.
Most of the people out taking walks or dancing had dispersed, with only a few late returners hurrying past the entrance. The stone table behind the guard booth had been temporarily commandeered for bowls and chopsticks. The pot in the middle bubbled away, steam curling upward, the fragrance of meat filling the air.
Several men sat around the stone table, shirtless. Lu Qiang was well liked. Residents occasionally passed by, and instead of complaining, they would smile and greet him, asking why they were eating so late.
Kun Dong had brought two bottles of erguotou. Before long, they were already empty. Everyone’s faces were flushed from drinking, sweat streaming down their bodies beneath the scorching heat, yet they were enjoying themselves immensely. Lu Qiang had added a singlet, which was already soaked through against his body. The lines of his shoulders were lean, powerful, and sexy, his muscles giving off a rugged beauty beneath the soft light.
Once they were drunk and having fun, the men started shouting at the tops of their voices, hollering and carrying on.
Lu Qiang frowned. “Keep it down.”
Only then did the volume drop.
Lu Qiang picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and swished it back and forth in the broth twice. He did not dip it in any sauce, simply tossed it straight into his mouth. After eating, he went back to biting down on the cigarette in his hand, smiling silently as he mostly listened to the others bragging and bullshitting.
Another hour passed. They had drunk their fill and started eating the meat and vegetables. Kun Dong glanced toward the path outside the entrance. Two women happened to walk past together.
He said, “Qiang-ge, you’ve got some serious eye candy around here. Quite a few beauties in this place.”
Lu Qiang did not even raise his head. “Thought it was you. Always thinking about what’s down in your pants, aren’t you.”
Kun Dong choked.
“Exactly,” Genzi chimed in. “What, you’ve got X-ray vision? They’ve already been gone for ages. How do you know they’re beauties?”
Kun Dong rubbed his chin. “Those two? Just look at their figures. You can tell at a glance they’ve got to be good-looking.”
Genzi glanced over. “Are you blind? You call that good? Their asses are practically hanging down to their heels. Not even half as good as Li Qing’s.”
Lu Qiang snorted with laughter. “Pathetic.”
Kun Dong cursed at him. “You’re not blind, but Li Qing’s ass doesn’t sag. Her tits, on the other hand, have practically fallen all the way to your grandma’s house.”
Genzi cursed and leapt to his feet, hitting him with his chopsticks. “Say that again…”
The others burst out laughing.
Da Long suddenly whistled, and Lu Qiang looked up at him.
Da Long’s eyes had gone straight. “Quick, look at this one. This one’s good…”
They all followed his gaze.
A woman had just entered through the gate and was passing in front of the guard booth. Her ponytail was pulled high, her eyes lowered, her face clear and pretty. The warm light illuminated her smooth, rounded forehead, her eyebrows straight, her nose high and delicate. She wore a slightly tight black shirt, its full contours outlined across her chest. The hem was tucked into white pencil pants, and the narrow line of her lower back framed her hips into a mature peach shape.
Da Long whistled again.
This time, the woman heard him. She turned her head slightly but did not dare look in their direction. Her footsteps paused for an instant, then hurried even faster than before.
Da Long jumped to his feet. “Hey, sweetheart!”
The woman was practically running.
Genzi said, “This one is a real beauty.”
“Where? Where?” Kun Dong also got to his feet. “I didn’t get a good look just now…”
That little white speck disappeared from view. Lu Qiang pulled his gaze back and glanced at the few men, who were practically drooling all over the dining table. Irritation surged through him. He kicked Da Long back onto the bench and barked, “All of you, settle down!”
***
Later, after the few men had eaten and drunk their fill, they patted their asses and left. Lu Qiang took a walk through the garden to sober up.
Under a streetlamp, a young man and woman sat on a bench, with a woman’s handbag placed between them. For a long while, neither said a word. They sat stiffly, somewhat restrained.
After another while, the woman turned to look at him and said softly, “It’s too late. I’m going home.”
“Don’t. Sit a little longer.”
Her hips settled back onto the bench. “...You said you had something to tell me, didn’t you? We’ve been sitting here for half an hour, and you still haven’t said anything.”
“...It’s nothing.”
“So you have nothing to say?”
“...I do.”
“Then say it!”
“…”
She rubbed the sole of her foot against the ground, then stood up. “I’m leaving.”
“Wait.”
He immediately stood up after her, blocking her path.
The man was short and thin, his voice soft and unhurried. From his mannerisms, he looked like someone from the south. The woman was about the same height as him. She watched him without showing any impatience or annoyance, her lips slightly pursed, her eyes filled with expectation and encouragement. Yet he stammered and stuttered, unable to get even half a word out.
It was extremely quiet at this moment. There was no longer the clamor of people or the honking of cars, only the rhythmic chirping of crickets in the grass, one call after another, like a lullaby being sung to the earth.
On a bench in a secluded corner, a spark of red flickered on and off. Only by looking closely could one make out that there was still someone sitting in the shadows.
The woman finally grew impatient and took two steps forward. “If it’s that difficult, maybe just forget it.”
“No, it’s not that. I just…”
“Just what?”
“…”
The person in the shadows suddenly called out, “You’ve got a thing for the girl, don’t you? Taking a damn long time just to say one sentence.”
The two of them jumped and simultaneously looked in that direction.
Under the shade of the trees was a huge black silhouette. The streetlamp could not reach that spot, and with only the tiny red glow at his fingertips, there was no way to make out his features.
He took a drag of his cigarette and muttered, “Confessing your feelings, watching this is making my fucking balls hurt.”
The young man and woman exchanged a glance, still shaken.
Finally, in front of the delicate woman, he acted like a man and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t be scared. I’m here.” Then he turned toward the man. “What’s it got to do with you? Hiding back there in the middle of the night to scare people? Drunk bastard.”
Lu Qiang did not take offense. He watched as the two walked away side by side, farther and farther into the distance. The backs of their hands accidentally brushed, then they separated a little before gently touching again, constantly testing and chasing after one another. In the end, they finally took each other’s hands.
The scene was utterly ordinary, yet somehow it pricked at the nerves with its warmth.
Lu Qiang smiled and drew his gaze back. The cigarette butts on the ground were almost piled into a small hill. The smell of alcohol and smoke surrounded him. When there was something weighing on your mind, it was easy to get drunk.
He took a deep drag on his cigarette and lifted his eyelids.
Across from him stood a residential building. One by one, the lights of thousands of households went out. The warm yellow glow from the windows was the most tender of colors. His drunken eyes were clouded, and he squinted for a long while before finally counting them clearly: all the lights on the sixth floor were out, three remained on the fifth floor, two on the fourth, four on the second, and four on the first.
Only one light was still on on the third floor.
Before long, a shadow appeared in the third-floor window. The light behind her made her waist look extraordinarily slender. She wore a little camisole, her hair loose, the strands gently lifted by the breeze.
After standing in the breeze for a while, she slipped her fingers into her hair and combed through it twice, gathering it to one side with her hand. She stroked her neck, then raised a hand and pulled the curtains tightly shut.
Lu Qiang ran his fingers over the scar on his forehead. When he looked again, the light was out too.
He shot to his feet, swayed slightly, then hurried in that direction.
The lights in the stairwell were still broken. The door was tightly shut. Darkness stretched into more darkness at the end of the corridor, and he stood silently outside the door. After a while, Lu Qiang raised his hand and braced it against the door panel, lightly tapping it several times with his fingers, yet never actually knocking.
He was unhappy after receiving the returned courier today. At a time like this, he felt too lonely and wanted to find some way to feel warmth, but occasional vulnerability could easily cloud his judgment. He did not want that.
Kun Dong had brought two bottles of erguotou, and Lu Qiang had drunk nearly one bottle himself. He was afraid he might really get drunk, that his judgment would no longer be completely intact.
***
Lu Yin lay in bed, trying to fall asleep.
There was a faint sound at the door. In the darkness, she opened her eyes wide and looked toward it. She held her breath for several seconds. The silence remained as before. Lu Yin withdrew her gaze, found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes again.
The night was long and difficult to endure.
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