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墨書 Inktalez
Of course, I didn't go out in that shabby outfit, even though it looked quite trendy and innovative after a good wash. I'm more of a conservative person and have a strong aversion to holey clothes and fishnet outfits. I was wearing clothes from Ouyang Jian.
I privately referred to Ouyang Jian as tall, rich, and ugly because he was quite tall. He had several sets of designer clothes in his closet, and I picked out a suit to wear when I left.
Ouyang Jian looked at me and said, "Bro, you look more handsome in that suit than I do."
Since I was relying on his sponsorship for the trip, I didn't want to hurt his feelings. However, I couldn't help but think to myself that anyone wearing this suit would look better than him; even in Versace, his image would still be a disgrace.
The three of us drew attention as we boarded the train—two disabled individuals dressed in hospital gowns. Fatty was still limping along; his surgery would take some time to schedule as he needed to recover first. The pain from his injuries had drained him completely. As for Ouyang Jian, he struggled just to get on the train with one broken leg.
Ouyang Jian sent his two subordinates away; he didn't want them to share in this situation. I thought to myself that this was what they called self-inflicted misery. Having two bodyguards and henchmen at least made the Hakka People wary. From what I knew about the Hakka People, their awareness of the law was extremely low. With his character, provoking the Hakka People's saintess could lead to serious trouble—if he got off easy, it would be a miracle.
Once we were on the train and they saw my outfit, Fatty felt embarrassed about returning home in a hospital gown to face Xiao Ting. He started pestering Ouyang Jian to buy him some clothes. His exact words were: "Get me a few sets from that brand. Make sure they're darker; that one is too flashy." He pointed at my suit.
Armani? You think buying Baymax vegetables is that easy? Just ask for a few sets?
I couldn't tell if Ouyang Jian was blinded by Fatty's promise or if he just had money to burn, but he quickly grabbed his phone and ordered the clothes. Then he cheerfully said, "They'll be fast; they're taking a flight. By the time we get off the train, our clothes will be waiting for us at the station."
There was an amusing incident on the way. A crew member knocked on our door to ask about our meal order. As soon as she entered, she saw two rather ugly and fierce-looking guys. Although the air conditioning was running on the train, Fatty still complained about the heat, sitting there shirtless with rolls of flesh all over him while staring at her. The crew member was a young girl who nearly bolted in fright but calmed down when she saw me; she realized there were actual people in this compartment.
Feeling quite pleased with myself, I asked her what she needed.
"The new chef on board is making Yangzhou cuisine today; do you have any requests?"
Upon hearing this, I felt deflated—I couldn't make decisions about spending money and had to glance at Ouyang Jian with a frown.
Fatty didn't care about any of that; before Ouyang Jian could say anything, he shouted, "Besides soup dumplings, bring us everything else! What kind of wine do you have? Yangzhou cuisine should be paired with red wine; bring us a dozen of the best red wines—my buddy can drink!"
As Fatty leaned forward and patted Ouyang Jian's shoulder.
"Yangzhou has soup dumplings?" I actually wanted to ask when pairing Yangzhou cuisine with red wine became popular.
"Morning skin wraps water; evening water wraps skin. You didn’t know that?" Fatty said while patting his already not-so-flat belly.
As the three of us entered my courtyard, we drew curious glances from everyone around. Our appearance was quite peculiar, and we had attracted attention all the way here.
The shop's door was tightly shut, with the boards secured, indicating it hadn't opened for some time. We entered the courtyard through a side gate.
Upon entering, I was taken aback; it looked like a scene straight out of Flower Fruit Mountain. No wonder Huang Hai sounded so mournful on the phone; this sight left me scratching my head.
The courtyard was filled with people. Of course, it wasn't very large, and I couldn't immediately count how many were there.
I knew Tang Yumo had arrived, so Xiao Ting and another Hakka person should be here as well. I had promised Tang Yumo she could bring one Hakka person. However, the first person I noticed wasn't one of the two beautiful women but someone I hadn't expected at all—Vietnamese A San.
He seemed excited to see me and quickly darted over. "Brother Qiang, I didn't expect to see you again." There were even tears in his eyes.
I thought about it for a moment. Although I had never trusted A San much and hadn't treated him kindly, we had been through life-and-death situations together. We had shared a bond that involved risking our lives for each other.
I patted A San on the shoulder. "Me too. It's like waking up from a dream—a nightmare that has finally ended. Go back and live well; don't let this nightmare be in vain."
But then I felt something was off. A San wasn't someone who valued loyalty too highly. After leaving the Underground Cavern and departing from Hakka Village, he had hardly shown fear in my absence alongside Fatty and Jack. Without constraints or limitations, he should have flown away like a bird instead of returning here.
In an instant, an ominous feeling washed over me; I hadn't seen Lao People.
"Buasong and Fumi? Where are they?" I asked Vietnamese A San anxiously.
I knew that within China, without A San, the two Lao People couldn't go anywhere nor could they return home. If Vietnamese A San was here, things weren't looking good for the Lao People.
"They went back; the Hakka people sent them off. Once they crossed the border, they'd find their way home," Vietnamese A San replied casually.
In my heart, the two Lao People held as much significance as Vietnamese A San did—sometimes even more than A San himself. I always believed that the most innocent ones in our group were those two Lao People; I didn't want to accept that their lives could be lost on my account.
This situation stemmed from me; everyone's life was connected to mine, including that of the deceased Ah Xiang. Although his death hadn't burdened me with much guilt, it was different for the Lao People. Hearing they were safe lifted a weight off my shoulders.
"Why didn't you go back? Wouldn't it have been safer to send them home?" I asked A San in confusion.
"He wants to be with Emong (us) for a long time; you all will be together," a voice called out from the corner of the courtyard.
I could tell who was speaking just by the sound of their voice without needing to look. It was Cao Mingzhe's strong Northwest accent. I incredulously glanced over and walked in that direction.
At that moment, I realized that the other two people accompanying me had already arrived here.
In this corner, there was a table surrounded by three chairs, occupied by Cao Mingzhe, Tang Yumo, and Xiao Ting.
As soon as Xiao Ting saw Fatty, she jumped up like a sparrow, circling around him excitedly before bursting into tears after her initial excitement. Her emotions shifted rapidly within a short span of time.
Fatty unabashedly wrapped his arm around Xiao Ting's shoulders, and the two leaned in close together, whispering as they walked away. They seemed to completely ignore everyone else present.
However, this was not the most eye-catching scene; what truly drew my attention and made me break out in a cold sweat was Ouyang Jian. He sat in a wheelchair, with one leg encased in a plaster cast resembling a cannon barrel. His already bulging eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets, and drool dripped down from the corner of his mouth.
Opposite him sat Tang Yumo, along with three Hakka People gripping their knife handles. (To Be Continued...)
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