Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Most Painful Thing

East Sea Cinema.

"Brother An."

"It's you, kid. What are you doing here? Are you coming to watch a movie?"

Xu Fei stepped forward and pulled An Third Brother aside.

"I'm not here for a movie today. There's something I want to discuss with you."

An Third Brother took out a cigarette, offered one to Xu Fei, and lit another for himself.

"Go ahead, there's no need for formalities between us."

Xu Fei took a drag and said, "I want to ask you for a ride."

"Oh, that's all? Sure, it's Sunday, nothing much going on at work. Let's go."

An Third Brother turned to head toward the truck.

"Brother An, aren't you going to ask where I'm going? Or what for?"

"What's there to ask? I trust you."

He got straight into the truck. The Liberation truck rumbled to life, the smell of diesel wafting out.

Xu Fei settled into the passenger seat.

"Is it to Xiao Zhang's place?"

"You know?"

An Third Brother smiled.

"I saw you go there last time. I could tell you were interested in their millet, right? Planning to buy some today?"

Xu Fei raised his thumb.

"Impressive, Brother An! I didn't expect you to be so observant."

"A driver relies on his eyes. If I couldn't see through such simple things, all these years of driving would be wasted."

The truck slowly pulled out of the cinema. The two chatted about many things along the way. An Third Brother was truly worldly; there was nothing about the surroundings of East Sea City that he didn't know, and Xu Fei learned a lot he hadn't heard before.

Soon, they arrived at Xiao Zhang's house.

"What brings you here?"

"Surprised, Xiao Zhang?"

Xiao Zhang put down his work and smiled, nodding. "Come in, let's sit inside."

They followed Xiao Zhang into the house. Last time, Xu Fei hadn't entered; now, stepping inside, he was taken aback.

On the kang bed lay an old man and a child. The elder seemed paralyzed below the waist. Seeing guests arrive, he smiled and sat up.

"Welcome, please sit."

Xu Fei smiled and sat at the edge of the kang.

On the western side, a boy who seemed mentally impaired crouched in the corner, muttering to himself. He wore a shirt, but his lower half was bare.

"Who is this?"

Xiao Zhang gave a bitter smile. "This is my son."

Your son?

"When he was three, he had a high fever. It damaged his brain, and he's been like this ever since." Xiao Zhang glanced at the elder. "This is my father. He's been paralyzed for over ten years."

Xu Fei turned to the old man. "Grandpa, how's your health?"

"Sigh, it is what it is. Are you Zhang Liang's colleagues?"

Xu Fei nodded.

An Third Brother paced around the room, shaking his head helplessly. Besides sacks of grain, there wasn't even a decent cabinet.

"Brother An, sit."

Xiao Zhang brought over a stool, but two of its legs were propped up with sticks. It looked so shaky, one might suspect it would collapse under any weight.

"Brother Xu, about last time—"

Xu Fei waved his hand.

"It wasn't your fault. I know. It's over."

Zhang Liang nodded gratefully.

"Stay for lunch. Last time you were in a hurry; this time, don't rush off."

Xu Fei nodded. "That's right. Brother An and I will stay, but you shouldn't be the one to treat us."

He pulled out twenty yuan and handed it to Zhang Liang.

"Xiao Zhang, do us a favor and buy something good to eat."

"This—so much?"

"Is it?" Xu Fei firmly pressed the money into Zhang Liang's hand. "Go on."

Xiao Zhang left the house.

Xu Fei began chatting with Zhang Liang's father. About half an hour later, Xiao Zhang returned with a slab of meat and a bottle of spirits.

"In this area, that's all we can buy. It's not like the city. Hope you don't mind."

He placed the remaining money in front of Xu Fei.

Xu Fei picked it up. "Meat and wine, that's plenty."

He stood and said, "Let me show you what I can do in the kitchen today."

He followed Zhang Liang outside.

They lit a fire.

The country stove might not compare to those in the city, but the food cooked over wood had its own rustic aroma.

That was the taste of the countryside.

Xu Fei recalled his own time in the twenty-first century. Such flavors—how many people chased after them, spending money to eat in rural villages? Yet now, they're seen as backward.

Wasn’t this the conflict of ideas brought by progress? He fried a dish of scallion and meat, stewed minced meat with white tofu, and warmed the spirits.

He set up a kang table.

The three sat around it, giving Zhang Liang's father the seat of honor.

The old man seemed not to have eaten meat for years. He took a deep sniff, then carefully smelled the cup of wine Xu Fei poured for him.

He closed his eyes.

"It's been over ten years since I last drank... sigh!"

Xu Fei saw the glimmer of tears at the old man's eyes, and his heart twisted.

This scene made him think of his own parents. Since his rebirth, Xu Fei had deliberately suppressed those memories, trying not to think of them, but still he was moved by the sight.

"Come!"

He raised the chipped bowl in his hand.

All four drank a sip of wine.

Zhang Liang's father put down his bowl, tears streaming down his face.

Xu Fei forced himself to look away, toward the child.

"Here."

The child seemed drawn by the aroma of meat, and slowly crawled over. The instinct for food made him forget his fear of strangers.

Xu Fei picked up a piece of meat and handed it to the child.

The boy grabbed it, immediately retreating to the corner, and gulped it down, even though it was still hot.

Zhang Liang said worriedly, "Careful, don't burn yourself."

The child paid him no mind. The hot meat made him cough several times.

Xu Fei wanted to pat his back.

Zhang Liang stopped him.

"Why?"

"He hits people."

Xu Fei frowned. "You?"

"I haven't... touched him in ages."

Xu Fei didn't know what to say.

A father who hadn't hugged his own child in so long—what greater pain could there be?

"Brother Xu, Brother An, let's drink."

Xu Fei sensed why this man, though living so far from East Sea, insisted on going to work every day, leaving behind an old man and a child. What must he feel inside?

He didn't dare ask about Zhang Liang's wife, but he could imagine. In a family like this, what kind of woman could endure?

"By the way, Brother Xu, is there something you needed?"

Xu Fei nodded.

He suddenly made a decision.

"Xiao Zhang, do you want to make money?"

"Huh? Make money?"

"Yes."

"Of course I do, but... but I..."

"I have an opportunity this time."

"Business?"

Zhang Liang glanced awkwardly around his home.

"Brother Xu, you can see, apart from the old man and the child, I don't have a penny. Well, there is some millet, inside and outside."

Xu Fei smiled and nodded. "Millet is enough."