The cursing grew louder and louder, shattering the silence of the night. The dozen or so families in the courtyard were all awakened, turned over, and went back to sleep. Which family in the courtyard didn't beat their children? Children from poor families were beaten from the very beginning; and not only the children, but even the wives and daughters were beaten. This was because life was so harsh, and they couldn't bear it.
Many years ago, Old Tang could wield a 180-pound broadsword four or five times a day, drawing cheers from the crowd. He's been doing this for years, and his child is now twelve. He's getting old; today he can still draw a bow and wield a sword, but what about tomorrow? The day after?…”
"Look at you, look at you, you haven't even mastered writing properly!"
Illiterate people see any stroke of a character on paper and consider it "learning." Huaiyu hadn't even finished his homework, and this only added fuel to the fire. Really, if he got into a humiliating fight, how would he apologize to Teacher Ding tomorrow? If Teacher Ding didn't accept him, Huaiyu's future would be bleak.
Old Tang was furious:
"Get out! Get out!"
He kicked Huaiyu away, and Huaiyu staggered, facing the deep, desolate night, like a beast poised to pounce. Huaiyu gritted his teeth, unable to wipe away his tears. The world was vast, and he didn't know where to go. This was the first time his father had ever kicked him out. He could only huddle in the corner of the courtyard, trembling. Then he saw Zhigao.
"Hey, is that you?"
Zhigao came over, and the two of them depended on each other for survival. Huaiyu remained silent.
"Hey, your dad's picking you up. Go ahead and kick him! You're too scared? Right? Afraid of being thrown?" Zhigao teased him. Seeing Huaiyu rubbing his sore spot, Zhigao continued:
"Don't be afraid, your dad only has a head, maybe he's a pushover."
"Get lost," Huaiyu stopped crying, "and you keep complaining to others. How are you going to repay my father? Your sister beat you up, and you still won't repay him?"
“My sister never touches me.” Zhigao said with a hint of melancholy, “I wish she would treat me to a meal, but she won’t, she wouldn’t dare—…”
"Didn't you just go back?"
"I'll go back and get the money."
"Where are you going? To sleep in Xiaoqi's rickshaw?"
Ambitious and with jade-like, plump eyes:
"I'm not going anywhere else. Since you have nowhere to go, I'll stay with you for the night."
"Stop lying to me. Who needs you to stay with me? Can't I manage? I'm not afraid of the cold."
After sitting huddled together for a while, the two began to feel uneasy. The cold wind made the vibrating tone of the watchman's gong sound longer. The three people in the street patrolled in shifts, watching the street and announcing the time. One hit the gong, one beat the wooden clapper, and one carried a hook pole. If a thief was spotted, he would use the hook pole to catch him, and he would not be able to escape.
The night watchman did not notice that two comrades-in-arms, half-paralyzed from the cold, were squatting in the corner outside the north room of the tenement.
Zhigao thought for a moment, then thought again, and finally pulled out two newspapers from the stack tucked inside his coat and handed them to Huaiyu:
"Here, put on another piece of clothing!"
Huaiyu copied him, stuffing the newspaper inside her clothes to keep warm. They couldn't help but laugh at each other, amused. Zhigao then drew another newspaper. Huaiyu refused. Zhigao said:
"Stubborn!"
Aren't you cold?
"I'm used to it. I'm immune to all poisons, tough and strong."
Huaiyu slurped and sincerely said to Zhigao, "If we're really going to make a name for ourselves, you're better than me."
When Huaiyu praises someone, Zhigao inevitably makes a rash move.
“I’ve suffered more than you!” Zhigao said.
As Fang spoke, Zhigao became discouraged, and he immediately went back to talking to himself:
"So what if I suffer? I'm just a miserable person. I'll live one day at a time, and I'll probably die of misery in the future."
No, it won't.
"Yes! Huaiyu, do you remember the fortune we told each other?"
"I remember, the three of us were—"
"Don't even mention it. I'm definitely living a life worse than death. If I die before you, you'll have to buy a duck to offer as a sacrifice to me."
What if I die before you?
“Then—I’ll buy—I’ll bring Dandan to offer as a sacrifice to you.”
"You can't lift it, she's quite fierce."
"Huh? Who's Dandan? Huh? Who?" Zhigao teased, and Huaiyu didn't react in time: "She's the one from that day."
"That day? That one? I can't remember at all. Oh, I think it was a little girl in a red coat. Right, she went back to Tianjin, right? Hey, what's wrong?"
"What? Stop nagging me, I'm not listening to you anymore."
"Honestly, we don't even know if we'll ever see each other again. If she dies before my brother and me, we'll never know."
"All you do is talk about 'death' all day long! No wonder your husband calls you 'Gap-toothed'!"
"Oh, give me back my newspaper, let's see you freeze to death! Give it back! My good deed goes unrewarded!"
"I won't pay it back! My fingers are stiff from holding it in."
The door suddenly burst open. The menacing-looking Boss Tang nearly yelled:
"Get back inside!"
It turns out my heart ached too, and I've been waiting for Huaiyu to repent.
Huaiyu pouted and twisted her lips, refusing to go inside.