Chapter 8: 8

“Bit of an overreaction, no?” Yan Hang took a bite of his pizza.

In all honesty, they’d been to many places, and seen many an open-chested, cigarette-toting old lady, as well as hair-pulling, trouser-yanking fights… but arguing topless really was a first.

“I dunno. If she had her top on I would’ve gone over to find out…” Dad trailed off, looking at Chu Yi.

Dad was a sly old fox. No matter how mild, Yan Hang’s mood changes had never been able to escape his notice. He instantly saw that Chu Yi knew the old lady.

And from the way Chu Yi was gnawing on his pizza, it wasn’t just a matter of knowing her.

Yan Hang immediately recalled the white-faced, caterpillar-browed old granny.

…this was awkward.

He exchanged a look with Dad. Just as they were about to change the topic, Chu Yi finally swallowed his mouthful of pizza and said in a quiet voice, “That’s m-my grandmother.”

Yan Hang really couldn’t continue the conversation. He looked at Dad.

“Your grandmother?” Dad steeled himself and soldiered on. “Well your grandmother is… really hot-tempered, huh… quite the, uh… heroine.”

Chu Yi glanced at Dad and suddenly laughed.

“Haha,” Dad laughed along awkwardly.

“It’s f-fine.” Chu Yi took another bite of his pizza. “I kn-know what sh-she’s like.”

“Oh,” Dad responded.

“Has she always been like that?” Yan Hang wasn’t used to beating around the bush and asked directly.

Chu Yi nodded.

Yan Hang fell silent. He understood a little better why Chu Yi was the way he was, and why people picked on him. His grandmother’s habit of suddenly undressing was probably a major factor.

“Does she have a mental illness?” Yan Hang asked after a pause.

“No,” said Chu Yi, shaking his head. “She’s j-just a h-heroine.”

Dad couldn’t help but chuckle.

Chu Yi laughed too.

“Some things in life, you won’t really understand till you’re older,” said Dad.

Chu Yi gazed at him.

“Like the fact that you are your own person, first and foremost,” Dad said.

Chu Yi didn’t speak. He took another bite of pizza.

After eating in silence for a bit, Dad finally found an appropriate topic of conversation. “I saw on the news that there’ll be a music festival in two days, we should go and have a look.”

“Where?” asked Yan Hang.

“The whatsit-whatever plaza,” said Dad.

“What’s whatsit-whatever?” Yan Hang asked as he ate.

“…I don’t remember,” Dad replied.

“I kn-know it,” said Chu Yi.

Yan Hang turned to look at him.

Chu Yi didn’t speak for a long time, solemnly eating his slice of pizza with lowered eyes. Only when he finished did he look up. He met Yan Hang’s gaze with surprise. “Huh?”

“What do you mean, ‘huh’?” Yan Hang was speechless. “Where’s the rest of your sentence?”

“W-what?” Chu Yi continued to stare.

“He’s just telling you that he knows which plaza it is,” Dad said, unable to stop laughing. “What else is there to say?”

“Well? What plaza? Where? How do you get there?” Yan Hang continued in a stream of questions. “Or are you going to take me there?”

“‘Kay.” Chu Yi nodded.

Yan Hang had nothing to say. He finally stuck his thumb up at him.

“What an interesting kid,” Dad said as he laughed.

After dinner, Yan Hang leaned back in his chair and slowly rubbed his fingers with a paper napkin.

Chu Yi took one look at the table, then stood and tidied up the plates and bowls at lightning speed.

Yan Hang and his dad did not have the habit of putting things away immediately after eating. They would stretch out and relax for a while, reminiscing their enjoyment of the meal.

Chu Yi’s modern speed was completely foreign to the both of them. Before they could stop him, Chu Yi had already taken the stack of dishes into the kitchen.

“Chu Yi!” Yan Hang got up and followed him into the kitchen. “Just leave them there.”

“It’s convenient,” said Chu Yi simply. He turned on the tap and quickly began to wash the dishes.

Yan Hang walked over and leaned against the wall, looking at him. “Relax. It’s my house, not yours.”

Chu Yi washed the dishes swiftly. After a moment he said, “It’s a, habit.”

Yan Hang patted his shoulder and turned to leave.

“Have you no shame?” Dad looked at him. “Are you really letting our guest do the dishes? It’s bad enough that you’re not helping, but you didn’t even stay to watch?”

“I don’t want him to get nervous and drop the dishes,” said Yan Hang.

“What an interesting kid, to be raised in that kind of place.” Dad sighed. “If he were my boy…”

Dad looked at him and clicked his tongue. “Actually, it wouldn’t be much better, would it?”

“Mhm.” Yan Hang laughed. “So stop praising yourself all the time.”

“Will he be staying here all afternoon?” asked Dad.

“Probably not. He usually heads home around this time.” Yan Hang lowered his voice. “It’s bad enough that he didn’t go home after buying the oil, but not even eating at home? He’ll probably be in trouble when he gets back.”

Just as Dad sighed again, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. “I’ll be out for a bit.”

“Okay,” replied Yan Hang.

When Chu Yi finished the washing up and came out, Yan Hang was sitting on the window seat watching the street outside.

“I’m done,” he said to Yan Hang as he walked over.

“Thanks,” said Yan Hang. “Is it okay, not going home for lunch?”

Chu Yi didn’t reply.

Yan Hang turned to look at him and noticed that he was looking outside too.

“Wanna sit?” Yan Hang shimmied over to the side, leaving a space for him.

Chu Yi leapt up and sat.

The two gazed out at the street for a while. Chu Yi turned to face him. “Ji- Ji- Ji…”

“Quack quack quack,” said Yan Hang.

Chu Yi was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

“Quack?” Yan Hang looked at him.

“Ji, dao,” Chu Yi said, chuckling. “Your name…”

“Hell no, my name is not Yan Jidao,” said Yan Hang. “Don’t listen to my dad’s bullshit, he’s full of it.”

“Oh, okay.” Chu Yi continued to laugh. “Your dad’s f-fun.”

“He’s alright,” said Yan Hang.

“My dad’s n-not too ch-chatty,” said Chu Yi.

“Then where’d you get that smart mouth from?” asked Yan Hang.

“Maybe I’m r-repressed,” Chu Yi replied seriously.

Yan Hang laughed. “You’re pretty funny, as they say…”

“N-no one t-talks to me,” said Chu Yi.

“Oh.” Yan Hang pulled out a cigarette.

After digging through his pocket for ages without finding his lighter, he was about to check if he’d left it on the coffee table, but Chu Yi had already leapt down in one movement and retrieved the lighter from the table, handing it over to him.

“Fuck,” Yan Hang couldn’t help but exclaim, “are you an odd-job guy at home too?”

“My mum’s r-really busy, she’s always t-tired when she g-gets home.” Chu Yi didn’t climb back up onto the window sill, stretching his arms out and leaning onto the seat.

Yan Hang lit his cigarette.

“Are those…” Chu Yi pointed at the roadside, “your sh-shoes?”

“Hm?” Yan Hang looked out and saw the sports shoes he’d left next to the bin. “Yeah.”

“You d-don’t want them a-anymore?” Chu Yi looked at him with some surprise.

“They’re dirty,” said Yan Hang. “Plus they’re old, I’ve been wearing them for a year.”

“They’re NB, what a w-waste.” Chu Yi sounded quite pained. [1]
[1] I think this is a double reference to Nike and NB (as in the slang term, 牛逼, meaning fucking awesome)

Yan Hang looked at the doorway. Chu Yi was still wearing those ancient roadside-seller shoes, but… eyeballing it, his own shoes probably wouldn’t fit, either.

“How about this,” said Yan Hang, pulling out his phone. “Chu Yi, you…”

Those girls liked Chu Yi a lot. If Chu Yi appeared on camera a few more times, he could probably get a pair of new shoes– and if someone was crazy enough to send a yacht, he could even get new clothes.

It wasn’t just his shoes that were so old they left people speechless. His school uniform, which he wore all the time, had patches worn translucent from washing.

“N-no need.” Chu Yi quickly understood and reacted instantly, reaching out to stop him. “No.”

Yan Hang looked at him.

“I have sh-shoes, new ones,” said Chu Yi.

“Then why d’you wear thoese?” Yan Hang said.

“They fit,” Chu Yi laughed, adding, “I’ll ch-change them t-tomorrow.”

Yan Hang didn’t press the matter. But he was a little bemused. “Do your parents work?”

“Yeah,” Chu Yi nodded. “Mum’s w-water station is c-closing down though, and my d-dad’s a driver.”

“That’s not so bad…” This confused Yan Hang even further. “A driver would make at least a few thousand a month, right?”

“Mm.” Chu Yi rubbed his chin. “I d-don’t get it, either.”

Yan Hang was about to speak when Chu Yi’s phone rang.

He stood up violently, as if frightened. After a moment’s pause, he took his phone out of his pocket. There was another long lingering hesitation before he reluctantly accepted the call.

“Hello?” he said softly.

Yan Hang saw that the caller was his father.

“I’m at my c-classmate’s house.” Chu Yi seemed to be relaxed, speaking to his father. “Yeah, I’ve ea-eaten… I b-bought the oil, I’ll b-be b-back soon.”

Chu Yi hung up. He had no time to explain, turning and running to the door.

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“Calling you home?” Yan Hang jumped down from the window.

“Mhm.” Chu Yi smiled at him apologetically. “Mum’s a-angry.”

“…I’ll go with you.” Yan Hang felt a little guilty, since he was the one who invited Chu Yi over to drink his oil. “I can explain it to her.”

“It’ll be f-fine.” Chu Yi put on his shoes and lifted the oil. “Chill.”

Behind him, Yan Hang said something else, but he didn’t hear it. He lifted his oil barrel and hurriedly walked away. Once he was sure that Yan Hang couldn’t see him anymore, he began to run.

Dad was home, so it was a good time to get back. Dad would speak for him.

Mum probably wouldn’t say anything. Unless she was asking him to run errands, Mum acted as if he wasn’t there. Nana was the one who made him uneasy.

Just as he turned the corner and ran towards his flat, someone on a bicycle came flying out, suddenly kicking him as they brushed past.

Unprepared and impeded by the barrel of oil in his arms, Chu Yi staggered and fell to the ground.

“Huh, how come this stump’s so shaky?” said the person on the bike.

Chu Yi heard the voice with some shock. He turned to look – sure enough, it was Liang Bing, someone he had avoided ever since he was little.

Other than Nana, nobody in the neighbourhood dared to cross Liang Bing. The fact that he hadn’t yet been put behind bars at the age of twenty-something was a sign that God was blind, Chu Yi always felt.

But Liang Bing hadn’t been back to this neighbourhood for the past two to three years. He thought Liang Bing had left for good, never expecting that they would meet again at his least prepared.

“Long time no see.” Liang Bing grinned at him.

Chu Yi didn’t speak. He got up and dusted off his trousers, before picking up the oil and continuing to run.
“I’ll come play with you in two days!” shouted Liang Bing from behind him, still smiling.

When he took his keys out, Chu Yi realised that the palm of his left hand had a large gash from breaking his fall earlier. He took a nervous look at his sleeve. The elbow had ripped.

He stood for a while with his hand raised before putting it down at last and carefully opening the door.

It was dark inside. The living room had no windows, so the lighting was poor. Without the lights on, you couldn’t see anything even during the day.

He entered the house. Before his eyes had adapted to the darkness, he heard Nana’s voice.

“Look who the hell decided to come home!”

Chu Yi instinctively raised his arm, but didn’t manage to block the plastic water tumbler Nana threw at him. His head throbbed.

At least it wasn’t Pops’ stainless steel bottle.

“It’s normal to eat at a classmate’s house,” Dad said as he walked out of the kitchen. He stood between Chu Yi and Nana and took the oil barrel from his arms. “Next time, let us know if you’re not coming home to eat.”

“Mm,” replied Chu Yi.

“He was meant to get the oil! Not go and eat!” Nana walked over, pushed Dad away, and slapped him on the back.

“Have you had enough!” Mum yelled. “You just love beating people up, don’t you!”

“Hell! You tryin’ to talk back to your own mother?” Nana turned and pointed at Mum. “You don’t know how to raise him, so I’m doin’ it for you! And you wanna stop me?”

Mum flung the bottle she was holding onto the table and went to her room.

“Come.” Dad pulled Chu Yi towards the room, but just as he opened it slightly, Mum pushed it shut from inside and locked it before he could open it again.

Dad paused. He could only turn and push Chu Yi into the kitchen, closing the door.

Nana didn’t break in, only standing and screaming from outside the kitchen.

“Really, why didn’t you mention you were going to eat at your classmate’s house? And so suddenly too,” Dad said in a low voice.

Chu Yi didn’t reply. He didn’t want to talk about Nana fighting on the street.

“I bought you some new clothes. When…” Dad glanced at the kitchen door. Nana’s voice sounded through as if the door was non-existent. “When your Nana’s done, I’ll give it to you.”

“Okay,” said Chu Yi.

Dad had a good temper, or rather… Chu Yi didn’t know how to define Dad’s personality. Basically, he had never seen his dad get angry in all his life. Dad was always trying to make peace and calm people down, but was always helpless in the end.

Nana shouted for about half an hour. Dad and Chu Yi spaced out in the kitchen.

When Nana finally had her fill of raging and joined Pops in critiquing whatever was on TV instead, Dad patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll get the clothes for you.”

Chu Yi nodded.

Dad went out and disappeared for a long while. He probably couldn’t get into his room.

Chu Yi turned to look out the window. After some time, Dad came back into the kitchen with a plastic bag in hand. “Here, try this.”

Chu Yi took the clothes out of the bag. It was a tracksuit, light grey and quite decent-looking.

He could tell when he unfolded it that it would be too small, but still removed his school jacket and put it on.
“Seems… kind of small?” Dad said awkwardly.

“I can wear it.” Chu Yi pulled at the sleeves.

The sleeves were short, and the length a little too short as well, but it was wearable if he didn’t zip it up.
The track bottoms were short too. He couldn’t bend his knee, or the pant legs would ride up.

“My son’s legs are too long,” said Dad.

Chu Yi chuckled.

Dad was the only one in the house who wouldn’t scold or beat him, and would smile at him, but he never remembered his birthday, or what grade he was in. When people asked him about Chu Yi, he told them for three years that his son was in his final year of primary school.

So he wasn’t the least bit surprised that Dad had bought him undersized clothes.

“How about we get the track bottoms adjusted?” said Dad.

“No need,” said Chu Yi. “I can wear it. Th-thanks, Dad.”

“So… wear it now? Or do you want to change back first?” asked Dad.

“I’ll wear it,” said Chu Yi. He didn’t want to change in the kitchen again.

When he walked out of the kitchen, Nana laughed coldly.

Chu Yi walked towards his grandparents’ room. Nobody was in there at the moment, so he wanted to stay there for a bit, but Mum called out from her room: “Water!”

He turned to get her a glass of water and sent it to her room.

“You ate at your classmate’s place?” asked Mum.

“Yeah.” Chu Yi nodded.

“What kind of weird classmate would ask you to lunch?” Mum continued.

Chu Yi didn’t reply.

“Be careful, they might have put laxatives in your food. Then you’ll be in trouble soon enough,” Mum said, frowning.

Chu Yi turned to leave, going to the room next door.

He lay down blankly on his little bed for a while, and then bent down to retrieve a shoebox from under his bed.

There was a pair of new sports shoes his mum had bought him at the beginning of the year, but he hadn’t worn them since his current pair were still in shape.

[Got a scolding?]

Yan Hang sent Chu Yi a text, then lay down on the sofa.

He was thinking of looking around tomorrow to see if there were any jobs that suited him.

He wasn’t too bothered about losing the café job, but he had to find work anyhow — firstly because he didn’t have a lot of money left, and secondly because he was bored.

Dad hadn’t given him any money lately, probably because he hadn’t made any.

But what worried Yan Hang more was the way Dad left after looking at his phone. It seemed a bit different from his usual self.

How so, he couldn’t quite say. The old fox never let people see through him so easily. It was just that they had lived this way for a while, so Yan Hang could feel it when something was off.

The insecurity long buried in his heart began to resurface.

[no]

Chu Yi replied.

Yan Hang looked at the text. Even if he wanted to chat, there really was no way to carry on from there.

[do you run every night?]

Chu Yi sent another text.

[Yeah]

Yan Hang looked at his own reply. It was just as effective a conversation killer.

Fortunately, Chu Yi had the magical ability to revive the dead.

[I usually go running at night too]

[I can tell, you’re good at running]

[are you running today? I’ll take you, I know the good routes]

[Sure, when and where]

[I’ll come get you]

[OK]

Yan Hang waited for a bit. Chu Yi didn’t reply, so he put down his phone.

Just as he was about to doze off for a minute, his phone rang again.

[are your shoes still there?]

[…I’ll check]

Helpless, Yan Hang got up. Chu Yi’s fascination with those shoes made him feel compelled to take them back, wash them, and continue wearing them.

[Yeah]

[can you pick them back up?]

Yan Hang stared at these words for a while before finally gritting his teeth and walking out the door.

There were a number of people on the street. He had to hurry. The more time he spent lingering next to the bin at this hour, the more people would notice.

But striding over and picking up the shoes wasn’t a great look either. A lot of people still turned to stare at him.

What are you looking at! These are my own damn shoes!

Yan Hang went back into the house and threw the shoes on the floor, responding to Chu Yi with a voice message: “I picked them up.”

[you really don’t want them anymore?]

“I don’t. Just say what you want with them,” said Yan Hang. “It wasn’t easy for me to go pick them up, okay.”

[if you don’t want them, give them to me]

Yan Hang was about to say that they could be too big for him, but didn’t in the end. If he added insoles, it would be better than his current pair.

[Okay, get them tonight]

[I will, thanks]

Looking at Chu Yi’s serious reply, Yan Hang fell back onto the sofa.

“Ah…”

–

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