After leaving Mt Zhongnan, he cleaned himself up. He shaved and changed his clothes. By the time he made it into the city, it was already afternoon. Qin Sheng was headed to district on the outskirts of the city, where his benefactors resided. He himself lived there since primary school, and he treated the couple as his own parents. If his grandfather hadn't forbidden it, he would have taken them as his godfather and godmother.
When Qin Sheng entered, a middle-aged woman embraced him and started shedding tears. "Sheng'er, you've finally returned. Where have you been these past two years? Do you know how worried we were?"
Qin Sheng didn't know how to explain it himself. But he did know that this woman treated him like her own son, so he hugged her and let her vent.
The woman finally recovered after a while. She pulled Qin Sheng into a chair, having already prepared a full table of food for his return.
"Auntie, I already heard about the situation. Are you well? How is Uncle Lin?" Qin Sheng asked evenly.
He knew that when he'd left two years ago, the family had nearly come to ruin. Uncle Lin had been swindled and the company's funds embezzled. They'd almost gone bankrupt and destitute.
"Sheng'er, your Uncle Lin was destined to have a hard life." At that, Wang Li burst into tears again.
Qin Sheng felt a bit guilty. Although they weren't his birth parents, he'd long ago become a member of this family. He was the only other man, aside from Uncle Lin. He should have undertaken the family's burden, but…
"Auntie, it's OK. Let's be thankful it was a financial loss and not something worse. Grandfather said, long ago, that Uncle Lin would meet with a calamity in his life. He must have expected it to some degree, but as long as he's alive, there's still hope," Qin Sheng comforted Auntie Wang.
"Your Uncle Lin is fine. He's ready to move on from this ordeal." Wang Li wiped away her tears and shook her head.
Qin Sheng continued, "Moreover, I've returned. I'll definitely find a way to help Uncle Lin."
"Sheng'er, your Uncle Lin is fine. You won't be able to help, so don't trouble yourself with it. As long as you and Xin Xin are well, I'll feel at peace." Auntie Wang didn't take Qin Sheng's words seriously. He was just an ordinary child, and Old Lin was involved in something rather big. What help could the boy be?
"Oh, Auntie, which university does Xin Xin attend?" Qin Sheng asked with concern. Xin Xin was Uncle Lin and Auntie Wang's daughter and only child. She was a few years younger than Qin Sheng, and he'd always thought of her as his younger sister.
"You went to school in Shanghai, so she chased after you to Shanghai," Auntie Wang replied, sad and yet somehow amused.
Qin Sheng perked up. "Shanghai? That's great. I'm headed to Shanghai tomorrow, so I should be able to meet up with Xin Xin."
"You just returned, and you're already leaving?" Auntie Wang asked, astonished.
That evening, Qin Sheng had dinner with his aunt, and it tasted just as he remembered. When he took a bite of the spicy eight treasure stir fry in steamed bread, his eyes had already turned red. He had no parents, only a grandfather. Others always called him an orphan, and it was only in this place that he felt a familial warmth.
His grandfather told him that whenever he was treated well, he didn't need to speak up about it. He simply had to remember them in his heart and stand up when they needed help.
So, one day, Qin Sheng would return all the hurt that was being dealt to Uncle Lin and his family.
After dinner, Qin Sheng left the Lin house and headed to the barbecue plaza in Yanta District. There was a place that had amazing barbecue skewers. When he visited in the past, he'd always go there with his best friends.
Qin Sheng knew that when he called up his four old friends, they'd be caught off guard at his reappearance. Only two of them could make it, but Qin Sheng didn't really have anything to say about that.
He knew that, as people moved on with their lives, they would grow apart. There are many things that will never again be as they once were.
"Old Qin, you fucker. We thought you disappeared. Where were you the past two years?" His two old friends arrived at the same time. Meng Zhe was the one who spoke. He was pretty good looking; they used to call him 'pretty boy' all the time.
"Damn. When you called, I thought it was a scammer. Motherfucker, I didn't think it was really you," Hao Lei cursed. He used to be a soldier and was only discharged recently. He was tall and lean.
"Let's sit and chat. It's all a long story." Qin Sheng gathered his friends and laughed.
After they sat down, Hao Lei called out, "Waiter, three cases of beer, ¥20 of meat, ¥20 of tendons, ¥20 of kidneys, three fried dough pancakes, one serving of roasted eggplant, and a vegetable plate."
"Tonight, we don't leave until we're drunk," Meng Zhe added cheerfully.
In life, one had to drink. But only when you're drinking with the right kind of people will you be able to enjoy yourself. If you drink with boring people, then all you're doing is drinking. How pointless.
And so, Qin Sheng happily replied, "You're on! No one leaves until we're all drunk."
The three men clinked their drinks and started chatting.
"What have you two been up to the past couple of years?" Qin Sheng inquired.
"I was discharged recently. Haven't found a job yet. Old Meng's engaged. He'll probably get married next year. You'd better not go missing then," Hao Lei answered with a laugh.
"What about the other guys?" Qin Sheng continued asking.
Old Meng sighed. "Old Xu and Wu Yong are on their own paths now. You probably called them too. Even the two of us only see each other a few times a year. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at…"
Qin Sheng replied regretfully, "Enough about that then. Let's drink."
"Come on. Let's drink. Drink."
It was the start of October, so the weather was still a bit warm and stuffy. The barbecue plaza was exceptionally busy. Everyone drank and ate heartily, laughing and griping about life. It was a familiar place and a familiar feeling.
Qin Sheng felt that things were pretty good.
"Old Qin, tell us where you've been all this while."
"I'll tell you another time. It's not a big deal, and everything's good now."
"This guy… Then what are your plans for the future?"
"The one o'clock train. After we're done drinking, I'm headed to Shanghai. I'll be working in Shanghai from now on," Qin Sheng explained. There was no need to hide things from his best friends.
"Shanghai? I think Su Qin's in Shanghai too."
"Old Meng, shut up," Hao Lei quickly cut his friend off. Meng Zhe also realized his mistake.
Qin Sheng chuckled and shook his head. "It's fine. Just say whatever you want to say. It's all in the past."
"Drink. Let's drink. Forget all this crap."
The three of them left without finishing their three cases of beer. Qin Sheng would be on the train awhile, but the other guys had work to do the next day.
Qin Sheng didn't really have any luggage, so he grabbed a taxi to the train station. Sitting in the car, he looked out the window at the nightscape with hazy eyes. The mottled image told a story of time. The familiar street names had already changed, and the city felt like a person past their prime. He looked over the city like a bystander at a scene.
When the train started moving, Qin Sheng knew that he was about to start a new journey…