After receiving the wedding gifts, Huaiyu couldn't wait to have her picture taken. She heard from her classmates that Da Bei's photos were clear and beautiful, so she looked in the mirror again and again, raising her eyebrows and glaring, preparing her expression.
Standing in front of the backdrop—half a slow-motion screen, painted with artificial rocks and flowers—I felt a bit nervous, and my body stiffened. I struck a pose, waiting for instructions from behind the camera.
"Stand a little further, yes. Please look this way, this way..."
A customer was secretly watching him through the lens, so close, yet so far. A single shot, and his soul was captured inside the camera. Finally, the photos were developed, black and white, adding color to his delicate features, like a painted mask.
His soul is scattered throughout the world.
Upon closer inspection, it was Tang Huaiyu.
"They're performing at Guanghe Tower!"
Whispers filled the air. Everyone there was someone they recognized…
Before long, his shadow was fixed, his fate was sealed. In this life, there are many partings and reunions, but in an instant, he was no longer entangled with what was predetermined. He will forever remain a radiant and outstanding martial arts performer of our time.
The shop owner recognized Huaiyu and immediately stepped forward: "Boss Tang, the photos taken by other customers are all black and white, but yours is special. It's brown, and I guarantee it can be stored for hundreds of years without spoiling or changing color!"
Huaiyu said, "Who knows how many hundred years? I need it in the next few days. Get the photos fixed."
"It would be great if Boss Tang used it to hang in the theater," the boss said.
"What theater? It's a dockworker's place. They're going to Shanghai!"
"Congratulations! Come on, grab a lottery ticket." It turns out that to celebrate the occasion, everyone who comes in is grabbing a lottery ticket.
"Oh, you caught number one!"
Usually, what they catch are worthless items, like embroidered purses and small earrings.
However, after Huaiyu handed the lottery ticket he had grabbed to the shopkeeper, he quickly put it away, turned on the other ticket with the number one number, and emphasized again:
"Mr. Tang, you're really lucky! You caught a gold ring! This will definitely make your trip to the docks even more successful!"
A large crowd gathered around, staring and laughing in disbelief.
The boss then arranged for Huaiyu to have his picture taken as a memento. A popular martial arts actor, in his theatrical costume in Dabei, holding a gold ring, with a smiling boss beside him... This will definitely be used for publicity in the future, maybe even enlarged and displayed in front of the shop, so that everyone who passes by can see it. It's truly a case of a showy sedan chair being carried by people.
Huaiyu was happy to do so. He thought, it's good to have some use; without ability, one would only be the ninth person at the Eight Immortals Table, never reaching this position. He then asked, quite pleased with himself:
"Is that enough? You've taken enough pictures!"
As the discomfort of the crowd gradually subsided, he eventually came to enjoy it, though he still pretended to be a little annoyed: "Hey, everyone's gathered around to watch, I'm not taking any more pictures!" He then turned and went to the dressing room to remove his makeup.
Then he turned around and went to Zhigao and his father.
That evening, he dragged Zhigao over to speak on his behalf, and Zhigao immediately launched into a long lecture:
“Zhigao saw it too, that was Teacher Ding. Dad, even with all that education, he's not much better. Times have changed; there's no official position to be held, no future. He can't even support himself—”
"It's not that I'm unhappy, it's that I'm worried." When Tang Laoda heard that he was going to the docks with the crew, the father and son argued for a long time without getting a word in edgewise: "You're not settled down yet." In the end, he was reluctant to let him go.
“Dad, this isn’t fashionable anymore. Opportunities don’t wait for anyone. I’m following Master Li, what am I afraid of making a fool of myself? If you let me go, of course I’ll go; if you don’t let me go, I’ll still go! If you let me out, in three years, I’ll definitely make a name for myself. If I don’t become famous in Shanghai, I won’t come back to see you!”
"Even if I don't become famous, I have to come back!"
"So you're agreeing?"
Old Master Tang naturally understood that he was losing control of him day by day, and Huaiyu was drifting further and further away from him. How could he have imagined that after raising him for so long, he would still soar to great heights on his own merits?
Huaiyu had only one thing on his mind: when he flew away, he would take the opportunity to resolve everything. Zhigao might be right; he could have anything. But for him, this was all he had right now. Should he still compete with him? While he remained silent, Zhigao immediately patted his chest and promised:
"Uncle Tang, don't worry. How could you not see what Huaiyu is like? Besides, I'm here for you."
"Zhigao, you take care of my dad and Dandan. If you don't behave, come back in three years and you'll be sorry!"
Dandan's voice rang out from outside the door:
"Oh, you called me here, and now you're playing tricks on me again! You..."
Huaiyu led Dandan to the courtyard. Facing the girl with a smile on her face, he had so much to say, but he could only tell her the truth hastily and without embellishment.
Zhigao peeked through the crack in the door, unable to hear what the two were saying. No, only Huaiyu was speaking. Through Huaiyu's distant back, he saw seven-tenths of Dandan's face. Her smile had suddenly turned into a comical expression, her lips unsure whether to curve upwards or downwards. Her facial muscles tensed, trembling slightly, her emotions a chaotic jumble, as if in the beginning of time, indistinguishable. She froze, her head slightly tilted back at the man before her, her ears ringing with a buzzing sound, like a bee after gathering nectar from a hundred flowers, yet ultimately possessing nothing. —She was even more empty than the bee; she hadn't even experienced the process of gathering nectar.
Zhigao's heart pounded wildly, filled with panic. He was paralyzed with fear, unsure whether to go forward to offer comfort or wait for a reply. It was such a simple matter, just a "farewell," but what was he saying? Had he betrayed him? He…
Later, Dandan only let a tear glisten in her eyes before swallowing it back with her big eyes. There was no more sadness. She forced herself to say, "Brother Huaiyu, I wish you a safe journey!"
She turned and left in a hurry. Before leaving, she successfully showed no sadness; she didn't cry in front of him.
Zhigao stepped forward, full of questions and unease:
"Said it? Said it?"
"nothing."
"real?-"
Huaiyu put her arm around Zhigao's shoulder and said, "Close your eyes." She stuffed something into his bag, and Zhigao looked up and exclaimed, "Wow, it's a gold ring!" He looked up.
Zhigao clutched the gold ring, looking up for a long time. He understood. He was truly pathetic; he owed Huaiyu far too much.
Suddenly he remembered that when he was a child, whenever he was hungry, Huaiyu would always give him a handful of crispy broad beans to satisfy his cravings. —Huaiyu was so good. Someone as despicable and incompetent as himself, who always looked out for himself, had, in his entire life, given such a brother…
Have you ever done manual labor?
Just a few days ago, he was saying: Huaiyu went to Shanghai to make a name for himself, while he settled down in Tianqiao, each finding their own place, which suited him perfectly. He also had Dandan… When he was encouraging him, wasn't he driven by selfish motives?