“What happened to his family?”
Wu Yue Ming doesn’t want to talk about it but since he just spoke up about it. He Li Zhen also acts this way. He regrets it and realizes he shouldn’t find her.
“Kun Ge (Bro Kun) went back home last week.”
Last week.
That should be the time they parted. He Li Zhen thinks.
“Every month he will go back home, but he usually come back after two to three days. It’s rare thing for him to stay home for a whole week.” Wu Yue Ming says, “Yesterday…..”
“What did happen yesterday?”
“Yesterday night he called me…” Wu Yue Ming’s voice turns low.
He Li Zhen says: “What did he say?”
“He wanted to borrow 4,000 from me.”
He Li Zhen frowns. 4,000. It’s not too much or too little. But the important question, why does he want to borrow.
“Did he tell you why he wants to borrow money?”
Wu Yue Ming says: “I could tell you that he wants the money for his family, I couldn’t say anything more.
“Don’t use this childish way.” He Li Zhen raises her eyebrow and says coldly. “Guys around your age always love to act this way. You couldn’t say this or that, it seems that you have a lot of secrets.”
Wu Yue Ming suddenly turns his head and glares at He Li Zhen.
“What do you know?” His voice is not loud, “You don’t know about anything so don’t regard yourself as infallible.”
“Then tell me.” He Li Zhen gives tit for tat. “If you don’t tell me, how do I know?”
Wu Yue Ming holds his backpack and turns his body. “No need.”
“I could lend the money.” He Li Zhen says.
Wu Yue Ming stops.
“Tell me clearly about it. If you really couldn’t tell me, you could just go away.” He Li Zhen says to him. “But I have a condition if you want to borrow the money.”
Wu Yue Ming turns his body facing her again and says: “What is your condition?”
He Li Zhen says: “I want to give the money to him by myself.”
Wu Yue Ming hesitates for a while and frowns. He says lowly: “He doesn’t let me to tell other people about his address.”
He Li Zhen could see from Wu Yue Ming’s expression that he really doesn’t have a way out. He really needs that money. He couldn’t find anyone to lend him that amount of money.
Of course, He Li Zhen also doubts why Wu Yue Ming asking her for money. But she doesn’t consider it for now.
He Li Zhen looks at Wu Yue Ming and says nothing. Now she feels like she is an adult at this talk.
Wu Yue Ming just surrenders.
“Then I’ll tell you, but you should give the money to him. He… He really needs that money. But you also cannot tell other people about his address!” Wu Yue Ming speaks slowly. “He will kill me!”
At night 06:00 p.m., He Li Zhen comes out from the bank. She has a stack of money inside her handbag.
4,000. It’s like her two months salary.
She holds her handbag and then takes a taxi. She gets on the tai and tells the address. The driver frowns.
“It’s too far.”
“Then could you take me there?”
“Ay, okay.”
The car starts moving. He Li Zhen sits on the back and takes out a paper out of her handbag. Wu Yue Ming’s writing is too sloppy. His characters are twisted.
It’s been an hour.
The car starts to pass the trees.
The car starts to move to road that full of potholes. He Li Zhen feels like she is about to throw up soon.
“I couldn’t move ahead anymore.” The driver stops the car on the roadside and says: “It’ll be too late.”
“Okay.” He Li Zhen doesn’t say anything more, she just takes out her money. The taxi fee now is more than her usual amount.
She gets off the car. The air is very fresh and pure. He Li Zhen feels she is more clear-headed right now.
The street nameplate points out that here is Wu Wang Xiang. It’s forty kilometers from Yang City.
He Li Zhen recalls what Peng Qian told her about Wan Kun’s family scandal. She feels it’s hilarious. Supposedly no one knows what is Wan Kun’s family condition. He should be trying enough to hide it.
The area doesn’t have a complete asphalt road. The road is full of soil. He Li Zhen looks around and there’s a motorbike, who is waiting for passengers. He Li Zhen goes over and shows the paper.
“Shi Fu (Sir), do you know where it is? Is it far away?”
“Ah, I know. 50 dollar, will you go or not?”
He Li Zhen doesn’t want to waste anymore time, she says: “I’ll go, but you need to send me off to the exact place.”
“Okay, okay, let’s go.”
He Li Zhen gets on the motorbike.
The road around has no light, He Li Zhen clutches the driver’s cloth and looks at the sky.
That time she just realizes that she is here.
A weak twenty six woman goes to this unknown place on a motorbike just for that kind of student.
“The house that you are looking is at the front.” The driver says after twenty minutes of rough ride.
“Ahyoo, what are they doing?”
He Li Zhen gives the money to the driver.
Because there’s no streetlight, everything is a bit dim and dark.
Though she couldn’t see clearly but she could hear it.
There’s a noise inside the house.
He Li Zhen just takes her handbag and goes over.
In front of the house, there’re several motorbike. Inside the house there are four people standing. The door of the house is blocked.
There’s light inside the house. The house’s roof is made from wood.
Under the light, she notices a familiar face.
It’s Wan Kun.
He is standing under the light with his hair blocking his eyes. His head is lowered down, he has no expression on his face. He doesn’t say anything too.
“How many days have it been —-!?” Suddenly someone roars. He Li Zhen regains herself: “It’s not that we make things difficult for you! If you owe money, you need to pay for it—-! Who is unreasonable now—-!?”
Wan Kun seems to reply but because He Li Zhen is standing quite far, she couldn’t hear it clearly. She moves closer, yet no one seems to notice her.
“If you don’t give me money, then in the future you shouldn’t come out of the house anymore!” The one who is talking is the bald one. He points to Wan Kun and says: “How many days have you been dragging!? D*mm*t, you guys are rubbish! No wonder that t*rt was dying of illness—!”
He is talking and kicking things.
Wan Kun is gloomy. Hearing the bald man’s scolding, he bites his lips and tries to control his anger.
“We don’t mean that we are not returning your money, but couldn’t you give us few days?” A man says. Then a door inside the house is opened. A skinny old man comes out of the room. He just be blindly subservient standing behind Wan Kun.
“All day long you’ve been forcing, isn’t it taking advantage of our weakness?”
“Taking advantage of our weakness?” That bald head man laughs and says: “When we lend you money, were we taking advantage of your weakness? Em, Old man! When you were asking for money, you were begging and almost kneeling down in front of me? Now you just know that you have been taken advantaged off? “ That bald man takes a brick and wants to throw it to that old man.
Wan Kun suddenly moves.
The time that bald head man picks the brick, Wan Kun has moved forward. Wan Kun clutches his hand yet he doesn’t attack. He just throws away the brick and pushes him back.
The bald head man retreats few steps and people behind him support him to stand firm.
Wan Kun stands in the middle of the room, he says with a low voice. “I have no money now. Give me one more week, or five days.”
“A week, dream on you—-!” The bald head waves his head and the men behind him start to move forward.
Wan Kun bites his lips and takes a wooden stick. He yells to the old man. “Get inside the room —!” The old man is shivering and getting inside the room. He locks the door.
The men start to move and attack.
“Stop —!’
All the men are startled and looks at the door.
The time Wan Kun sees He Li Zhen, he is surprised too. Wan Kun just responds the time the bald head man walks toward He Li Zhen.
“Who are you?”
He Li Zhen says coldly and says: “How much is it?”
The bald head man is happy: “Why, would you pay back the money? Ask him”
He Li Zhen looks at Wan Kun but he doesn’t say anything.
“You are not telling her? Then I’ll tell her. Around 180,000. Could you pay it?”
He Li Zhen holds her bag and asks seriously: “What do you say?”
“180,000!”
The time that bald head yells, He Li Zhen suddenly notices Wan Kun move. He looks like he wants to punch someone. She holds his arm.
“Wan Kun, don’t do it!’
Though she is not that strong so she just slaps him.
She feels that she will be crazy soon, she yells: “Do you hear that I tell you to stop?!”
He Li Zhen never slapped anyone in her life time, it’s her first time. Supposedly Wan Kun also never be slapped. Both of them just turn silent. He Li Zhen is so furious. She turns her head and looks at the bald head man.
“I’m serious. Now how much he need to pay back to you?!”
That bald head notices that this woman seems serious, she really wants to pay back the debt. “A month, they should pay 3,000. Why are you asking? Do you want to pay for them?”
He Li Zhen is relieved. She takes out the money and gives it to him.
“Take this and just leave. If not, I’ll call the police!”
The bald head takes the money and counts it for several time. Then he asks the men behind him to count it again.
The money wouldn’t be lacking but he just wants to humiliate them.
He Li Zhen doesn’t notice it, she just watches Wan Kun secretly. She is afraid that he couldn’t bear it and want to fight again.
But Wan Kun doesn’t move.
Since the time she slapped him, he doesn’t move. He just stands still.
At last that men leave. Then the old man comes out from the room.
“Ay, this is….” The old man looks at He Li Zhen, he is curious.
He Li Zhen looks at both of them. From their appearance, this man should be Wan Kun’s father. She takes a deep breath. “Ni Hao (Hello), I am Wan Kun’s literature teacher. I am He Li Zhen.”
“Ah Ah, Lao Shi (Teacher).” That old man suddenly says: “I am Wan Kun’s Papa. Wan Lin. Lao Shi, why are you here?” Wan Lin is confused. He actually wants to ask why are you paying our debt? or perhaps should we pay back your money?
He says it and wants to shake hands with He Li Zhen. Yet before He Li Zhen lifts her hand, Wan Kun just slaps his hand away.
“Wan Kun, what are you——“ He Li Zhen is surprised. Wan Kun glares at her: “Shut up!”
He Li Zhen doesn’t say anything else. Wan Kun acts like a crazy beast.
Wan Kun holds her arm and drags her outside.
“You—- What are you doing?” Wan Kun walks so fast. Half way He Li Zhen almost falls down, yet he doesn’t stop.
Wan Lin just stands there and looks outside.
Wan Kun takes He Li Zhen far away then he just stops.
He Li Zhen shakes his hand and says: “Let go!”
Wan Kun’s voice is very low.
“Why are you here?”
“—- What?”
“I ask you why are you here?!” Wan Kun roars. He Li Zhen is surprised. Wan Kun is so furious.
“Who told you where I live? Is it Wu Yue Ming? Is it him?”
“I am asking you question—!”
He Li Zhen is a bit dizzy to be asked a lot of questions.
He Li Zhen then looks at Wan Kun and says to him: “Wan Kun, calm down.”
Wan Kun looks at her. At night, his eyes are icy. It’s cold and bright.
He stands and turns his body. He says: “I’ll pay you back your money. Give me a month.”
He says it and walks away.
“What would you do to pay me? You would work again at that place? Didn’t I tell you that if you ——“
Wan Kun stops for a while and then turns his body again. He stands in front of He Li Zhen.
“In the past I seem to not making it clear. Now let me tell you. Don’t talk to me about a general principle. I don’t care. I’ll work at the place where I would have money. For what I owe you, I would pay you back everything. Thank you for what you did. In the future, just think that you don’t have me as your student.”
He turns his body like he is cutting off relation. It somehow makes He Li Zhen trembles.
He walks away yet he doesn’t walk too far. He goes toward the maize field and sits down on the rock. He takes out his cigarette and smokes.
He knows that He Li Zhen is not walking away but he doesn’t look at her anymore.
This night is not as same as that night. Today the wind is blowing hard.
She looks around and feels teary. Her legs are aching slightly. She leans on the tree and just lets the mosquitos bites her. She doesn’t shift her gaze.
Without her noticing, under the moonlight, his lonely figure and perseverance moves him silently.
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