Chapter 19: A Leg Ache Means Rain

“Back then, when my dad misspoke at school, he was beaten up by his own student. His leg was injured right then. The treatment wasn’t timely, and on top of that, the climate in the southwest is a bit humid. I don’t know how, but he ended up with this problem. You can’t usually tell, but my dad isn’t feeling well today, so he’s not walking steadily. Just you watch, it’s definitely going to rain in the next two days.”

Ah Zhe’s tone was extremely calm as he said these words.

Li Xiangdong asked, “Didn’t you go to the hospital to have it checked?”

“We just got back, so we haven’t had time to go to the hospital for a check-up yet.”

Ah Zhe smiled, “Anyway, my dad’s injured leg is more accurate than the radio broadcast now.”

Zhang Sen suddenly stood up, slammed the table, and said angrily, “What the hell! You can still laugh? Who beat your dad up like this? Let’s go find him, I’ll kill him!”

“Keep your voice down, don’t let my dad hear.”

Ah Zhe went to close the door, but Qian Bin ran in at that moment. He walked to the table, didn’t ask whose cup it was, grabbed it, and chugged it down in one go. “What were you guys arguing about just now? Ah Zhe, do you have any chili peppers at home? I’m planning to stir-fry the large intestine.”

“Yes, I’ll go get them for you. My dad and I have been in the southwest for these past few years, and our tastes have changed. We’re short on everything at home except chili peppers.”

Qian Bin stopped Ah Zhe, who was about to leave the room. “They’re in the kitchen, right? I can get them myself. Ah Zhe, you continue chatting with Dongzi and the others.”

After Qian Bin left, Ah Zhe went over and closed the door. He sat back down at the table, lit a cigarette, and continued, “I appreciate you brothers’ good intentions, but the matter is already in the past. The person who beat my dad has already come to apologize. Let’s just leave it at that.”

He changed the subject, “I know about Binzi, he’s with his dad in the restaurant’s back kitchen. What are you guys doing after coming back from the countryside? Have your jobs been assigned?”

Xiang Lin touched his convict’s haircut, “Didn’t I just tell you? I was assigned to be an apprentice at a barbershop.”

Zhang Sen looked embarrassed, “I was assigned by the subdistrict office to pedal a tricycle. I’ve been doing it for a while now.”

“I’m reporting to the passenger transport section of the Beijing Railway Bureau tomorrow.”

Li Xiangdong hadn’t wanted to say it, as it seemed like he was showing off. But since everyone else had spoken, it wouldn’t be right for him not to.

“What the hell! Dongzi, weren’t you assigned by the subdistrict office to pop popcorn?”

“Yeah, Dongzi, I heard that too. How did you end up in the railway system?”

Xiang Lin and Zhang Sen were envious when they heard that Li Xiangdong was reporting to the railway system tomorrow, but there were no ill intentions, just pure curiosity.

“We’ve been assigned to the same place!”

Ah Zhe looked surprised. He had also been assigned to the passenger transport section of the Beijing Railway Bureau, but he had no intention of going.

Xiang Lin caught on, “What do you mean ‘also’? Ah Zhe, you weren’t assigned to the railway system too, were you?”

Seeing Ah Zhe nod, Zhang Sen deliberately joked, “This is too unfair! I want to work in the railway system too. I’m pedaling a tricycle every damn day, my legs are all swollen!”

Xiang Lin laughed loudly, “Forget it. If anyone’s going, it’s the three of us. With those long legs of yours, it would be a waste not to pedal a tricycle.”

“Get lost! Who said long legs are for pedaling tricycles? You’re just jealous that I’m taller than you. Why didn’t you eat more good food when you were growing? Now I have to look down to talk to you.”

Zhang Sen clamored for Xiang Lin to stand up and compare heights with him.

Seeing the two of them about to argue again, Ah Zhe smiled, “You two, stop arguing. Seriously, I don’t plan to take the job the subdistrict office arranged. Why don’t I go to the subdistrict office and see if I can transfer my job to you two? I just don’t know if the subdistrict office will agree.”

Xiang Lin said anxiously, “Ah Zhe, we’re just kidding. I have no intention of taking your job. If I did that, would I still be human?”

“That’s right, I’m not that kind of person!”

Zhang Sen followed up, stating his position. He was just joking and had never thought of it that way.

“Ah Zhe, don’t just come up with ideas on a whim. The subdistrict office isn’t run by your family. How can you have the final say?”

Li Xiangdong asked, knowing the answer, “Besides, if you don’t take the job the subdistrict office arranged, what do you plan to do?”

Ah Zhe hesitated for a moment, then said, “Many families had trouble over the years, but most of them came back last year. Why did my family’s return to the city get delayed until now? It’s because of my mother and my maternal grandfather’s family. They say we have overseas connections. My dad still hasn’t been assigned a job. We’re planning to go abroad in a while to join my mother.”

Xiang Lin and Zhang Sen were very surprised by this news, but Li Xiangdong was not.

In his previous life, Ah Zhe and his father had gone abroad just like this. Because communication was inconvenient, they didn’t contact each other much. But Ah Zhe had come back once after the new millennium, so he knew some of the situation.

After Ah Zhe and his father went abroad, they found his mother and maternal grandfather’s family through the local Chinese community. But Ah Zhe’s mother had already remarried and had several children.

Faced with this situation, the father and son didn’t get entangled. They directly went out and rented a house, and just like that, they stayed abroad.

What Li Xiangdong knew was that because of the language and skin color issues, their life later on was not very pleasant.

Especially since the father and son had sold their courtyard house to go abroad. When Ah Zhe came back after the new millennium, he wanted to buy it back, but when he heard the price Li Xiangdong quoted, he was stunned on the spot!

Knowing that Ah Zhe and his father did not have a good life after going abroad, as a friend, he still had to try to persuade him.

“Ah Zhe, do you have your mother and your maternal grandfather’s address abroad?”

Ah Zhe nodded, “My dad knows. My mom sent us a letter after she left.”

“It’s good that you have the address. Ah Zhe, we’re childhood friends, so I might be a bit blunt. Don’t mind me.”

Seeing Ah Zhe gesture for him to continue, he went on, “So many years have passed. How can you be sure your mother hasn’t remarried? I think you should write a letter to your mother first and ask about her recent situation before making a decision.”

Ah Zhe didn’t expect Li Xiangdong to say such a thing, but he knew Li Xiangdong was saying it for his own good. They were all adults, and some things could be understood with a little thought.

“Dongzi, thank you. I’ll discuss it with my dad again.”

“What’s there to discuss? Ah Zhe, can you speak a foreign language? Don’t get yourself lost when you go out.”

“Little Linzi is right. If you go abroad, we brothers won’t be able to see each other in the future. You’ll be so lonely by yourself abroad.”

Xiang Lin and Zhang Sen took turns persuading Ah Zhe not to go abroad.

“I’ll say it again, you and your dad should consider it carefully.”

Li Xiangdong still remembered the big, dark, fat man who was with Ah Zhe when he returned to the country in his previous life.

Ah Zhe had introduced him as his son. At that time, his brain had completely shut down