The barbecue restaurant in the county town tasted average, but its strength was that it was cheap and filling, one meal could count as two.
After eating, Hu Yuanyuan went back to the hotel. Sun Wenqu and Ma Liang found a small café and chatted until nine. Only when the café closed did the two of them slowly wander back to the hotel.
Sun Wenqu took a shower and lay on the bed in a daze.
This time when Ma Liang came to find him, it wasn’t only to play in the countryside, nor only to talk to him about that set of teapots. Even though he said it jokingly, Sun Wenqu knew Ma Liang still wanted him to come help, or if things were talked through, maybe even become partners.
When it came to making pottery, strictly speaking, Ma Liang’s style carried more of his father’s direct teaching, following the rules, stressing tradition, and having roots.
As for what dissatisfied his father about Sun Wenqu, aside from the inexplicable stubbornness and rebellion in his father’s eyes, was that he had talent but didn’t follow his father’s style.
The qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting that his father had forced him to study had not perfectly manifested in his pottery.
Too many ideas, forgetting the fundamentals.
That was what his father often said.
Sun Wenqu never argued, but he also never obeyed.
What the “fundamental” was, he and his father had completely different understandings.
For him, the fundamental, to put it sentimentally, was simply following one’s heart: I like it, I make it; I think it’s beautiful this way, so it is this way.
Originally there was no right or wrong in this, but for his father it was something that could never be reasoned through.
His father also didn’t care much about his thoughts. Even if he wanted to say something, there had never been such an opportunity.
Ma Liang understood him and appreciated his work. After being expelled from their master’s school and working independently, Ma Liang once said: Let’s work together. However you want to do it, that’s how we’ll do it. We can face completely different kinds of people.
But at that time Sun Wenqu had no direction. For him, pottery was a nightmare, he didn’t even want to touch it.
So Ma Liang hadn’t mentioned it again for many years. Recently, perhaps because of this set of teapots, Ma Liang had begun to have that idea again.
Sun Wenqu didn’t refuse as clearly as before.
But he also didn’t agree easily. Although his thoughts about pottery hadn’t changed, if he were really to continue doing it like this, once something he had once been obsessed with yet avoided like the plague became his direction, it wouldn’t be something as simple as an idea anymore.
That night Sun Wenqu didn’t sleep very soundly. It wasn’t as restful as sleeping in that room at Fang Chi’s house. When the village was quiet, you could hear the sound of snowflakes landing on the ground, calming and soothing.
The county town didn’t have that feeling. It was even noisier and more chaotic than the city. Early in the morning, cargo trucks roared down the street like they were fighting a war, shaking the bed.
Sun Wenqu was shaken awake within five minutes, as alert as if he hadn’t slept at all.
When he picked up his phone to check the time, he discovered that at around two in the morning Fang Chi had sent him two voice messages.
Was he still awake in the middle of the night?
Sun Wenqu frowned and tapped them open.
In the first one no one spoke. If you listened carefully, you could hear a faint rumbling snore.
“What the h*ll?” Sun Wenqu listened to the second one again.
This time someone spoke. It was Fang Chi’s voice, slightly nasal and a bit sleepy and muddled: “Did you hear it? Chief Huang’s snore. It’s snoring.”
Sun Wenqu laughed when he heard it. He put down his phone and got out of bed.
This kid really had heavy thoughts.
Ma Liang and his wife were still sleeping quite soundly. By the time Sun Wenqu finished washing up and went out to walk around the street before coming back, the two of them had only just gotten up.
“Went sh-shopping?” Ma Liang came into his room.
“Mm.” Sun Wenqu nodded.
“Anyone on the str-street?” Ma Liang pulled the curtains open and looked outside.
“No one. I thought I’d breathe some fresh morning air,” Sun Wenqu smiled. “Didn’t really get any though, the air in the village is still better.”
“Eat breakfast and then go bre-breathe,” Ma Liang patted his shoulder.
Breakfast business in the county town was pretty good, with many kinds of food. The three of them ate quite a lot, and Hu Yuanyuan even brought a cup of hot soy milk into the car.
“This car is like a refrigerator,” Sun Wenqu said. “Sit in it for ten minutes and you’re completely cold.”
“Stop always looking down on my car,” Hu Yuanyuan said. “This is a witness of history.”
“Let your witness of history…” Sun Wenqu was halfway through his sentence when the car jolted and he almost bit his tongue. “…take a rest.”
“It’s still holding strong!” Hu Yuanyuan laughed and handed him one of the two heat packs she had charged.
Ma Liang had a strong sense of direction. He had only gone to the village once before, but this time driving he still didn’t take a wrong turn. The car bumped along but was faster than the bus.
“Your son… is he co-coming to pi-pick us up?” Ma Liang asked.
“Mm. Afraid we’ll drive into the mountains,” Sun Wenqu said.
“Really? Or maybe he just wants to ea-early…” The car jolted and Ma Liang didn’t finish the sentence. He cursed, “D*mn.”
Sun Wenqu smiled but didn’t say anything.
“Tell him to co-come out. We’re al-almost there,” Ma Liang said.
Fang Chi stood on the rooftop terrace with a cigarette between his lips.
Second Uncle and Aunt were going back tomorrow or the day after. Right now they were packing things. Grandpa and Grandma had prepared a big pile of local specialties for them to take along.
Fang Hui was lying on Fang Chi’s bed in his room talking on the phone with classmates, complaining that there was nothing fun in the countryside and casually expressing some vague opinions about rural development.
Actually Fang Chi was quite irritated. Just seeing Fang Hui rolling around on his bed wearing the coat he had worn outside all day yesterday, normally Fang Chi would have gone in and beaten him up.
But today he wasn’t in the mood.
Every year at New Year things were lively at the beginning, but after the liveliness there would suddenly be emptiness.
After everyone left, Grandpa and Grandma would return to the days of just the two of them and Xiaozi guarding the house. Even though they didn’t seem unhappy, Fang Chi felt heartache for them.
His phone was ringing. Fang Chi pulled it out while running down the stairs. By the time he answered the call he had already reached the back yard.
“We’ve reached the intersection, the one with the big chicken farm,” Sun Wenqu said on the phone. “About twenty minutes to the road leading to your village.”
“Mm. I’m heading out now.” Fang Chi hung up the phone and let out a loud whistle.
A few seconds later Xiaozi rushed out from the back yard and ran after him barking.
Fang Chi ran out with Xiaozi. When he reached the intersection and looked, the car hadn’t arrived yet. He picked up a stone from the roadside and threw it far away.
Xiaozi barked and ran to fetch the stone, bringing it back.
He took the stone and threw it again. Xiaozi happily ran to fetch it again.
In the past when he waited for someone, if Xiaozi was with him, this game was the best way for the two of them to pass the time.
After throwing stones for a while, a car drove over from the road.
It was Ma Liang’s shabby little van, the one whose door had to be kicked to open after closing it.
Fang Chi whistled. Xiaozi ran back and stood beside his leg.
The car stopped in front of him. The passenger window rolled down, and a rather pretty woman smiled at him. “Fang Chi, right? Hello.”
“Hello.” Fang Chi guessed this was Ma Liang’s wife, but he hadn’t expected her to greet him first and wasn’t sure how to address her.
“My name’s Hu Yuanyuan. I’m your aunt.” Hu Yuanyuan stretched her hand out the window.
“…Oh.” Fang Chi shook her hand. Truly worthy of being Ma Liang’s wife.
The back door opened and Sun Wenqu jumped down. “D*mn, this cr*ppy car froze me to death.”
Hearing that voice made Fang Chi feel suddenly comfortable. Before he’d never thought Sun Wenqu’s voice sounded nice, just that he always spoke with a bit of laziness in it, of course except when scolding him. But hearing it suddenly now, he realized the voice actually sounded quite pleasant.
“You walking in?” Hu Yuanyuan asked.
“Mm.” Sun Wenqu patted the car door. “You guys drive in first.”
“Alright.” Ma Liang nodded with a smile.
Watching Ma Liang skillfully turn the car into the small road back to the village, Fang Chi opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. He felt very embarrassed, this kind of “picking someone up” was a bit… well…
“Xiaozi is really well-behaved.” Sun Wenqu grabbed Xiaozi’s head and rubbed it while the dog wagged its tail beside him.
“That car of his doesn’t have heating, right?” Fang Chi looked at him. After a long pause he finally said that.
“It broke three years ago when I went into the mountains, and it hasn’t been fixed,” Sun Wenqu rubbed his hands and bounced in place. “Even my gloves are frozen through.”
“My…” Fang Chi took off his own gloves, hesitated, and held them out in front of him. “Mine are warm.”
Sun Wenqu smiled, looked at him, but didn’t say anything and didn’t take the gloves.
Fang Chi glanced at him and started to pull his hand back.
Sun Wenqu suddenly grabbed the gloves and put them on. “You’re actually pretty good at taking care of people.”
“Ah.” Fang Chi answered and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
“Let’s go.” Sun Wenqu patted his arm.
The small road back to the village wasn’t very long, but the two of them walked quite slowly, like taking a stroll. Sun Wenqu used the scarf to cover half his face, leaving only his eyes exposed, and didn’t complain about the cold anymore.
“Was the county town fun?” Fang Chi asked.
“What do you think,” Sun Wenqu smiled. “You stayed there for several years.”
“Not very interesting. Not as fun as the village.” Fang Chi smiled too.
“Was visiting relatives yesterday fun?” Sun Wenqu tilted his head to look at him.
“It was alright. We went to my second grand-uncle’s house, it’s just…” Fang Chi rubbed his nose. “Fang Ying’s grandpa.”
“You saw Fang Ying?” Sun Wenqu asked.
“Mm.” Fang Chi frowned slightly as he thought about it. “Grandma was showing off like she’d found treasure, saying our house had a ‘Shuisqu’ staying there, that the couplets he writes are really good and all that. She knows you’re staying at my house.”
“If she knows, then she knows,” Sun Wenqu said with a smile, hopping a little. “It’s fine.”
“I’m afraid she might come over these days. She’s on pretty good terms with my grandparents,” Fang Chi said a little worried. “If you don’t want to see her…”
“Don’t worry, she doesn’t dare come,” Sun Wenqu clicked his tongue. “If it weren’t for your sake, with someone like her, I’d have had someone deal with her long ago.”
“Deal with her… how?” Fang Chi asked.
“You guess. With a good-for-nothing rich kid like me, how else would I deal with a scammer who delivered herself to the door?” Sun Wenqu laughed. “You’ve behaved well, otherwise I’d deal with you along with her… So I do get sesame soup today, right?”
“Huh?” Fang Chi froze for a moment, and only after a while did he realize Sun Wenqu had already changed the subject. “Oh, right.”
“Is it good?” Sun Wenqu said. “Can you add a bit of milk?”
“Yes,” Fang Chi said.
Sun Wenqu didn’t speak again, and Fang Chi didn’t make a sound either. It was quite quiet around them. At this moment there were no firecracker sounds either; you could hear their footsteps and Xiaozi’s footsteps, and their breathing.
“In your room…” Fang Chi walked with his head lowered. “That box, is it an erhu?”
“Which box?” Sun Wenqu asked.
“The long wooden one that looks like the packaging box for some martial-arts secret manual,” Fang Chi said.
Sun Wenqu burst out laughing as soon as he heard that, and couldn’t stop for quite a while.
“What’s so funny?” Fang Chi clicked his tongue.
“It is,” Sun Wenqu nodded. “Li Bowen gave it to me.”
“He gave it to you?” Fang Chi frowned. “You’re still keeping something he gave you? Doesn’t it bother you?”
“The instrument’s a good one, probably Uncle Li picked it,” Sun Wenqu said, smiling as he rubbed his face. “It’d be a pity to throw it away. If I’m in a good mood, maybe I’ll even carry it over to Li Bowen’s place and play it there.”
“Crazy,” Fang Chi sighed. Actually, many times he couldn’t quite figure out Sun Wenqu’s real thoughts. Even knowing that beneath his lunatic exterior there was another face, he still couldn’t get a read on him. “When you said you’d play for me, you mean with that one?”
“Mm. Let you hear the sound of a good instrument,” Sun Wenqu nodded.
When they reached the entrance of the village, Ma Liang had already parked the car. He and Hu Yuanyuan were carrying a large pile of things.
Fang Chi was stunned when he saw it. “What are you doing?”
“Paying New Year’s visits,” Ma Liang said.
“This is way too much,” Fang Chi looked over it, various foods and alcohol, plus several big boxes of nutritional supplements for the elderly. His grandparents had never eaten such high-end supplements in their lives. “You could open a shop with this.”
“Then we’ll open one,” Ma Liang said with a smile.
The family loved liveliness. As soon as Ma Liang and his wife entered the house, they received a warm welcome. Grandpa and Grandma immediately started bustling about cooking dishes, and also took the opportunity to sigh that Fang Chi’s friends were all “grown-ups.”
Although Ma Liang stuttered, he was more talkative than Sun Wenqu. Sun Wenqu often just sat silently and listened. Ma Liang quickly got chatting with Second Uncle and the others, and with Hu Yuanyuan there too, the house suddenly became extremely lively.
Mom called Fang Chi into the yard. “These are all your friends?”
“Mm.” Fang Chi nodded.
“Where did you meet so many people?” Mom looked a bit uneasy. “Sun Wenqu looks like a young master at a glance, and this Ma Liang is generous with money too. What do they do?”
“They make pottery,” Fang Chi said. “Sun Wenqu’s dad seems pretty formidable.”
“Pottery?” Mom didn’t understand much about it and couldn’t ask anything else. She only added, “People like that aren’t on the same road as ordinary folks like us. When you make friends like that, you need to be careful.”
“…Oh.” Fang Chi nodded.
Today’s lunch was quite lavish. Normally dinner would be the bigger meal, but because Ma Liang and his wife had to return to the county town at night, Grandpa and Grandma put all their signature dishes into this noon meal.
As usual, Fang Chi buried his head in eating. Sun Wenqu also didn’t talk much. Ma Liang and Second Uncle and Dad, on the other hand, drank very happily.
Mom’s words left Fang Chi a little dazed.
Not on the same road.
He felt that wasn’t exactly accurate, but the powerful aura Sun Wenqu had when seriously making pottery, and that completely different state of his, gave Fang Chi a sense of distance that he could clearly feel.
He turned his head and glanced at Sun Wenqu. Sun Wenqu was gnawing on a chicken drumstick. He also tilted his head and met Fang Chi’s gaze.
“Is it good?” Fang Chi asked.
“Mm,” Sun Wenqu answered. “Your grandma said the kids in your family don’t eat drumsticks.”
“Anyway I don’t like them. I like chicken wings,” Fang Chi said.
“Then eat them,” Sun Wenqu looked at him. “You look like you don’t have much appetite today.”
“I’m fine.” Fang Chi smiled and lowered his head to pick at a couple bites of vegetables.
After the meal everyone started playing mahjong again. Hu Yuanyuan went into the kitchen to ask Grandpa for the secret recipe of braised pork. Sun Wenqu and Ma Liang went upstairs, probably to talk business.
Fang Chi didn’t really feel like playing mahjong, so he sat on the sofa watching Xiaozi in the yard playing with his own shadow.
About half an hour later, Sun Wenqu and Ma Liang came downstairs again.
“I’m going out for a walk with Liangzi,” Sun Wenqu said when he came up to him. He reached out and pinched and rubbed the hair on top of Fang Chi’s head. “You want to come?”
“No,” Fang Chi shook his head. He could tell Ma Liang had serious business with Sun Wenqu and didn’t want to follow. “Don’t go too far. Don’t take the small paths. Watch out a wolf doesn’t carry you off.”
“…Got it.” Sun Wenqu took a milk candy from his pocket and put it into Fang Chi’s hand, then turned and went out with Ma Liang.
“You two, did– didn’t you, do something?” Ma Liang followed Sun Wenqu along the road toward the mountains behind the village. While lighting a cigarette he asked.
“Hm?” Sun Wenqu turned his head.
“The kid’s state… no– not right.” Ma Liang exhaled a puff of smoke.
“Your tongue isn’t smooth but your eyes are pretty sharp,” Sun Wenqu said.
“Got in… in bed?” Ma Liang asked. Then, before Sun Wenqu could answer, he shook his head. “Doesn’t look like it.”
Sun Wenqu smiled and didn’t speak.
“Anyway there’s… something going on,” Ma Liang said, staring at him with the cigarette in his mouth.
“You see something on my face?” Sun Wenqu turned his face toward him.
“No,” Ma Liang said. “In this area you’re an old… old fox.”
“Bullsh*t,” Sun Wenqu clicked his tongue. After walking a few steps he added, “Hard to say. Can’t quite tell what he’s thinking.”
“So you got… got thoughts?” Ma Liang quickly pressed.
“Wouldn’t say that,” Sun Wenqu said. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
“Not playing anymore?” Ma Liang looked at him. “Can’t… can’t play anymore?”
“Do you know how to talk or not!” Sun Wenqu laughed. “Who chats like that?”
“I thought Fang Chi was more… mature,” Ma Liang stretched lazily. “You might’ve had some… some thoughts. You used to say you wouldn’t… touch kids. Been holding back three… three years. Maybe you figured… it out.”
“Mature, my *ss,” Sun Wenqu took a milk candy from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. “No matter how mature he is, emotionally he’s still a kid. Suddenly the door to a new world opens, boom, hormones explode, anything could happen. Give it two days, he comes to his senses, and it’ll all be nothing but passing clouds.”
“You’re talking about… yourself,” Ma Liang blew a puff of smoke toward the sky.
Sun Wenqu didn’t say anything. Even if it was his former self, that was still experience.
The two of them wandered around for a while. Ma Liang turned the topic back to business. Sun Wenqu still refused to become partners, but aside from that teapot set, Ma Liang wanted him to do some other designs, not a partnership, just helping out for now. Sun Wenqu agreed.
But Ma Liang suddenly bringing up Fang Chi’s matter had thrown his thoughts into disorder. It took him quite a while to settle down again.
There was something.
They had done a little something.
But Fang Chi’s personality was hard to describe, too cautious. You could tell when he was embarrassed, awkward, or unhappy, but you couldn’t judge what he was thinking, what he wanted, or what he resisted.
And right now Sun Wenqu didn’t have the state of mind to pick it apart bit by bit.
Besides, Fang Chi’s college entrance exam was coming soon.
Following the route Fang Chi had taken him running that day, Sun Wenqu and Ma Liang looped around and returned to Fang Chi’s house.
Xiaozi was at the yard gate, tilting his head and scratching an itch. Sun Wenqu walked over and flicked his ear. Xiaozi, deeply absorbed in his scratching career, jumped in fright, then after hopping away a few steps came wagging his tail back.
Hu Yuanyuan was still in the kitchen and seemed to be learning well from Grandpa. Ma Liang also went into the kitchen to join the fun.
Sun Wenqu glanced into the living room. Two tables of mahjong, no sign of Fang Chi.
He went upstairs and could hear Fang Hui making a phone call in Fang Chi’s room, his tone quite passionate. Sun Wenqu pushed open the door and entered his own room.
Fang Chi was lying on the desk, wearing large headphones and doing homework.
Sun Wenqu walked behind him and took a look. He was actually quite serious, his scratch paper was filled up.
“Hey.” Sun Wenqu patted his shoulder.
“Mm?” Fang Chi turned around and pulled off his headphones. “You’re back?”
“Went around for a bit, cold as h*ll,” Sun Wenqu picked up Chief Huang to warm his hands. “Ma Liang’s heading back to the county town in a bit.”
“Finished talking business?” Fang Chi asked.
“More or less. Could’ve talked on the phone too, but when I talk to him on the phone it’s a hassle. Face to face, I can understand what he means before he even finishes a sentence,” Sun Wenqu smiled. “You keep doing your problems.”
“Oh.” Fang Chi turned back and continued writing. “When’s he leaving? We should walk him out, right?”
“Don’t worry about it. Focus on your review,” Sun Wenqu put a candy on his test paper. “Liangzi’s not an outsider. No need to be so polite.”
Fang Chi put his headphones back on and buried his head in the problems again.
For the first time since he started reviewing, he was this absorbed. It was like he’d eaten the wrong rat poison, his mind was very quiet, and he just kept writing page after page.
It wasn’t until Sun Wenqu took the headphones off his head that he suddenly lifted it.
“What time is it?” The pitch-black sky outside the window shocked him.
“Past eight. Focus Interview has already finished,” Sun Wenqu said.
“Huh?” Fang Chi stared. “I haven’t eaten yet! Did you eat?”
“I did. Ate sitting right behind you,” Sun Wenqu said with a smile.
“Why didn’t you call me to eat?” Fang Chi touched his stomach. “I’m hungry…”
“It’s so rare to see you actually studying. I’ve known you this long and this is the only time I’ve seen it,” Sun Wenqu said. “Had to help you maintain it. Grandma left you a pile of dishes.”
“I want noodles. I’ll cook a few noodles to eat.” When Fang Chi stood up he suddenly felt sore all over. He twisted at the waist for a long time. “Man, my waist is about to break.”
“Before it breaks, make me some sesame soup too while you’re at it,” Sun Wenqu reached out and pressed on his waist. “Is it breaking here?”
Fang Chi didn’t speak. His back suddenly straightened sharply and then froze.
“Want me to pound it a couple times?” Sun Wenqu picked up a book and tapped his waist with the spine.
Fang Chi grabbed his wrist with his backhand and turned his head.
“Mm?” Sun Wenqu looked at him.
“I…” Fang Chi released his hand. “I’ll go cook noodles. You want milk sesame soup, right?”
“Right. More milk, and add more sugar too,” Sun Wenqu nodded.
“Mm.” Fang Chi walked out of the room.
Sun Wenqu heard his footsteps, but after only two steps there came a crash from the staircase, sounded like the New Year goods stacked at the stair corner had been knocked over, followed by something thumping as it rolled down the stairs.
“Oh my god, Fang Chi are you okay!” Fang Yun’s shout came from downstairs. “How did you roll down?”
Sun Wenqu froze for a moment and quickly walked out of the room.
The stairs were covered with scattered New Year goods. Fang Chi had just stood up from the bottom of the stairs. After patting his pants, he glanced upward and clicked his tongue.
“Missed a step. I’m fine.”
Then he turned and walked toward the yard, saying, “Even a horse can stumble in front… a dog can miss its front paw…”
Sun Wenqu went back to the room and laughed for quite a while.
