DBTHDCAR Chapter 21

“Through countless storms and the cycles of spring and autumn, battling wind, frost, snow, and rain in the turbulent stream…”

“Xiao Zhao, you’re in such a good mood.”

“Ah, after enduring all hardships, my devotion hasn’t wavered; youthful ambitions do not speak of sorrow.”

Walking through the corridor hung with salted chickens, salted ducks, and all sorts of clothes, Zhao Jingwen hummed a tune, in a great mood, greeting neighbors with a smile along the way.

“I heard your Xiao Xia got admitted to No. 1 High School early, is that true?”

Neighbor Aunt Tian, folding clothes, asked Zhao Jingwen.

“Haha, Auntie, so you heard too, huh.”

Zhao Jingwen proudly stopped in his tracks.

“Oh wow, I didn’t know before, Xiao Xia is such a good student. No. 1 High School, huh? In our whole building, no child had ever gotten in before, and he got an early recommended admission!”

“Aiya, Aunt Tian, it’s just a guaranteed spot in a middle school. It’s not like it’s Tsinghua or Peking University, nothing to make a big deal about.”

Even so, Zhao Jingwen’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

Last week, he got a notice from Xiao Xia’s homeroom teacher, asking him to come to the school for a talk.

Normally, Fan Jian would have handled it, but that scoundrel seemed to have moved in with his new girlfriend recently. No one even knew where she lived, so Zhao Jingwen had to step in himself and go to the school, getting the good news that Fan Xia’s recommended admission was confirmed.

More exciting than the guaranteed spot, though, was that this time Fan Xia didn’t just place fourth, he actually came in third in the entire grade!

In this midterm, Fan Xia overperformed, shocking all the teachers in the school. From ranking within twenties in the grade, he shot straight up to third, a progress like launching a satellite. All thanks to Xiaobei’s devilish training.

On the flip side, Forever Second Ding Zheyang, maybe under too much pressure this time, slipped up, losing his usual second-place spot. Not only was he overtaken by Zhuang Li, but Fan Xia even jumped ahead of him.

After the grades came out, Ding Zheyang reportedly fell seriously ill and took two days off. Even now, more than half a month after the exam, he still hasn’t recovered. Seeing Fan Xia and Ning Xiaobei is like seeing a ghost, and he’s visibly thinner.

Ning Xiaobei still hasn’t decided how to deal with the culprit who cheated his father out of three million. That this accidental turn of events could so heavily punish young Ding Zheyang was something even he didn’t expect.

“What are you talking about? Once you get into No. 1 High School, going to Peking University, Tsinghua, Jiaotong, or Fudan isn’t far off either. Xiao Zhao, don’t you think Aunt has a point?”

“Absolutely, you’re totally right.”

Zhao Jingwen laughed heartily. For the first time, he realized Aunt Tian was not only beautiful but kind and sweet-spoken.

They say “Nephews are a lot like their uncles,” and it turns out Fan Xia really is made for studying. Rounded up, Zhao Jingwen felt his own IQ as an uncle must be pretty decent too; otherwise, how would he have become a deputy manager at such a young age?

He walked into the house, checked himself in the mirror by the entryway, and the more he looked, the more he convinced himself he was a perfect mix of handsome and smart.

Humming a tune, he entered the living room and saw the almost-finished Russian battleship model on the coffee table. After all this effort, the model ship was nearly complete and already entering the painting stage.

Actually, Zhao Jingwen didn’t know anything about models. He had someone buy it simply because Ning Jianguo liked it.

After a few months of assembling it, he still couldn’t remember the battleship’s name. Anyway, the Russians gave everything, people or ships, names as long as a train.

“Xiao Xia, stay close to Xiaobei, learn all the way, and reach the peak of life.”

He lowered his head and stared at the model ship with those deep, mesmerizing eyes.

“Jianguo… soon he’ll be able to move here… tsk, then we can be together every day.”

The more Zhao Jingwen thought about it, the more excited he got. He even dropped to the floor and did two push-ups.

Life was really starting to look promising.

………………

Graduation season came quickly. The little friends who had spent five years together were about to go their separate ways. Even though they were still little kids, the sadness of parting was real. After the last class meeting, many of them shed reluctant tears.

Of course, Ning Xiaobei and Fan Xia were completely exempt.

Finally, they wouldn’t have to hang out with little elementary kids… middle school wasn’t exactly paradise either, but at least they were officially older kids now. Just thinking about it made them happy.

For Ning Xiaobei, he wished time would speed up, so he could jump straight to high school or even college graduation.

Fan Xia’s excitement was even simpler. Summer had arrived, he had been admitted to No. 1 High School, and tomorrow his dad would take him on a trip to Beijing, by plane, no less.

For a 1990s elementary school kid, flying on a plane was a big deal. Fan Xia didn’t know whether to be thrilled or scared; he didn’t even know what to do with his hands and feet.

“Boss, have you ever been on a plane?”

“I’ve be…no.”

Almost slipped out. Ning Xiaobei quickly corrected himself.

Ning Xiaobei had flown plenty of times after starting work, he practically got sick of it.

Especially in the first few years after starting work, around 2005 or 2006, high-speed rail wasn’t common in China yet. To get to even slightly distant cities without delaying work, flying was the only option; after all, foreign companies weren’t short on money.

Flights between Shanghai and Beijing were usual, twice a week like clockwork. On weekends, returning to Shanghai, he often ran into air traffic control delays, so he had to work at the airport with his laptop. Over time, he got to know the few people who always shared the same flight, and they eventually became good friends.

“Really? Then I’m a bit cooler than you.”

Fan Xia said happily. He was about to fly on a plane, and Xiaobei didn’t know when he’d get the chance.

Ning Xiaobei gave him a sidelong glance, thinking, Cool? That’s only because your dad’s willing to spend the money!

“Remember to bring chewing gum.”

Ning Xiaobei recalled a trip to Shenzhen when he unfortunately got airplane-induced otitis media, running a high fever for three days. It almost delayed work. Kids’ eardrums are much more delicate than adults’, so he hoped Fan Xia would have a good trip.

“When you get back, we still have tutoring to finish.”

Ning Xiaobei said this with a teasing smile.

Sure enough, Fan Xia visibly wilted.

If he were a little dog, right now he’d be a black-furred pup with drooping ears and tail.

And Ning Xiaobei? He was like an evil little Azrael-cat grinning at him, meow~

……………… 

Grandma Ning sat at the entrance of Jiande Lane, smiling as she watched a group of young men running back and forth between her house and the truck parked in the alley, working with great energy under the sun.

“Xiaobei, come here.”

Grandma Ning held out her hand and took a fifty-yuan note from her pocket.

“Go to the grocery store at the alley entrance, and have the owner send over a crate of Aquarius salt soda. It’s scorching hot, and the kids have been working hard. Let them quench their thirst.”

“Got it!”

Taking the money, Ning Xiaobei dashed toward the alley entrance.

By now, his bond with Grandma Ning had grown stronger than ever. The pocket money he got from her each month far exceeded what he received from his dad.

Today was a big day. The Ning family will move. They finally got the keys to the welfare apartment two months ago. After a bit of renovation and airing it out, they could finally move in officially.

Back then, there were no decoration companies. Units assigned by work were all bare shells, so you had to handle everything yourself.

For ordinary people, that meant going to the train or bus station to find workers. Every day, men would sit by the roadside with wooden signs in front of them reading “Electrician,” “Mason,” “Carpenter,” and so on.

Once you got all the workers together, you still had to go to the building materials market to buy supplies. From floor tiles to hinges and switches, everything had to be handled personally, it was exhausting.

But what kind of person was Ning Jianguo?

He was the workshop leader at the Third Shoe Factory and could handle plumbing and electrical work himself.

He had excellent connections, and many apprentices and younger workers were happy to help when they heard the Ning family needed renovation. Someone would saw the wood while another chopped bricks, and soon everything was done.

Not just that, Ning Xiaobei had once visited the construction site and saw that all the walls in their home were painted by Uncle Zhao and his dad together. With a long pole in hand, they took turns painting, enjoying themselves immensely.

It turned out that when Uncle Zhao’s home was renovated, Dad had helped too. Now it all came full circle.

It wasn’t just the renovation, today’s move was handled the same way.

The Ning family didn’t hire a moving company. Uncle Zhao borrowed a big truck from the factory, and the young men arrived early in Jiande Lane, working nonstop until now. By tradition, moving had to be finished in the morning to bring good luck and prosperity.

“Grandma, are you really not coming to live with us?”

Ning Xiaobei sipped his soda and leaned against Grandma Ning as he asked.

“I’m not going. When I die, I’ll die right here.”

Grandma Ning sat in her wicker chair, hands gripping her cane, firmly shaking her head.

“And besides, your new place is so small, only two rooms, right? If I moved in, where would you sleep? Would you have to squeeze in with your dad? Once you’ve moved out, this whole place is mine from top to bottom. I can live however I like. That’s just fine.”

“But the new house has a bathroom, a flush toilet, and a shower. Dad bought a water heater, hot water comes straight out of the tap. No need to boil water anymore.”

Ning Xiaobei said.

“Oh, I’m not saying I’ve never lived in a building or never taken a hot shower. Ever heard of the ‘Normandy Apartments’? I lived there when I was young. Big stars in Shanghai, like Zhao Da and Wang Renmei, lived there too. And that Yue opera singer, Lin Daiyu… Wang Wenjuan was my neighbor back then. What’s the big deal? I can go take a look, but I’m not moving in there.”

Grandma Ning was adamant, and Ning Xiaobei and his dad couldn’t change her mind.

Still, living alone made them uneasy, they needed someone to look after her. Someone in the alley had a live-in helper, and she mentioned that her sister from northern Jiangsu was coming to Shanghai and willing to try working at the Ning house.

Grandma Ning firmly believed a recommendation from someone familiar was more reliable than a random helper. The girl, called Xiao Mei, had already come to try the job a few days ago. Her cooking couldn’t match Ning Jianguo’s, but it was quite to Grandma Ning’s taste.

After Ning Xiaobei and his dad moved out, Xiao Mei would move in as the live-in helper.

“All right, let’s go, let’s go.”

Seeing that most of the move was done and it was nearly noon, Zhao Jingwen wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and walked over to them.

“Grandma, Xiaobei, come on, let’s go see the new house!”

Grandma Ning nodded repeatedly in agreement. With Ning Xiaobei and Zhao Jingwen helping her, she got onto the truck. The young men climbed into the back of the truck as well, white towels draped over their heads, sitting among the furniture boxes.

Manager Zhao, true to his sales background, knew how to create a lively atmosphere and keep the energy up.

Moving house was one thing, but he actually had drums and horns ready on the truck. Conveniently, many of the young men were from the factory’s propaganda team and immediately started playing.

Didi-da, didi-da, clang-clang, bang…

And so, with music blaring and drums beating, the truck, loaded with the Ning family’s furniture and Ning Xiaobei’s hopes for the future, raced toward the Workers’ New Village on the north bank of the Suzhou Creek.

……………… 

A series of red firecrackers went off, occasionally bursting into a few “rise high¹高升 (Gao Sheng) – signifying ones’s wish for success and prosperity in life” shapes.

After getting off the truck, Ning Xiaobei’s dad and Zhao Jingwen each held a long bamboo pole used for hanging clothes and walked at the front. This represented “rising step by step and continuous advancement.”

Ning Xiaobei had it worse, lugging a bright red toilet behind them.

But the toilet had been specially bought at the City God Temple for the move. Brand-new, pristine, no bad smell, so holding it wasn’t unpleasant.

Before leaving, Ning Xiaobei had asked Grandma Ning why every household in the Workers’ New Village already had flush toilets, why bring an old-style one? Seemed redundant.

Grandma Ning gave him a mysterious look. She said the toilet was for suppressing evil spirits. If anything unclean lurked in the new house, the toilet general would drive away all demons and ghosts.

Thinking back, Ning Xiaobei realized that even more than twenty years later, when people in Shanghai got married, the bride’s family would still prepare a brand-new red-wood toilet for the new house, though by then it had become a miniature handcrafted version. And now he understood why.

Ning Jianguo had deliberately chosen the weekend for the move. Neighbors in the Workers’ New Village came to watch the spectacle; many were his colleagues from the shoe factory and hurried over to congratulate him. Of course, there were also strangers, smiling broadly, offering a few words of congratulations; mostly just to snag a cigarette.

Even though Ning Jianguo had quit smoking himself, he still followed tradition. He opened a whole pack of ‘Double Happiness’ cigarettes, handing them out along the way to share the joy with neighbors.

“Good luck entering the house!”

Xiao Sun, Ning Jianguo’s apprentice, clipped a cigarette behind his ear, grabbed a small gong, and ran to the door of Room 316. He knocked three times with a loud clang-clang-clang. Everyone burst into laughter and gradually carried the furniture inside.

“Xiaobei, come here. These pastries are for the neighbors. Put them in this red plastic bag, one pair per household. Remember to be sweet with your words. They’re people we’ll be living next to for a long time.”

Ning Jianguo squatted down in front of Ning Xiaobei, holding a big enamel basin filled with the bright red Ding Sheng Gao (Victory Rice Cakes) and pointed to the pile.

Ning Xiaobei nodded, signaling his dad to get busy; he could handle it himself.

“Please take care of us, please take care of us.”

Going door to door, Ning Xiaobei delivered gifts, and soon every household on the third floor had received theirs.

The neighbors, holding their cakes, lingered at the doorways, watching the bustle at 316, exchanging glances and whispering to one another.

“What’s with all this ‘please take care of us’? We’re not Japanese, so ridiculous.”

“Shh… keep it down, they can hear you.”

Last year, the feud between the Ning family and the Ma family over this apartment had already spread throughout the shoe factory and textile group. Most neighbors had at least heard of the Nings.

Some didn’t know the details and assumed the Nings were some larger-than-life, formidable family. But then they saw Ning Xiaobei, a fair-skinned little boy, polite and well-mannered, and his dad, warm and generous, the model of a Shanghai gentleman. They weren’t sure what to make of it.

“That little boy, I know him,” Aunt Tian from the second floor came upstairs to watch the fun, leaning against the doorway while eating sunflower seeds. “He goes to No. 1 High School.”

“Which No. 1 High School?”

The plump aunt from the third floor asked curiously; her daughter had just started middle school this year.

“What other No. 1 High School could it be? It’s the same one that Xiao Zhao’s nephew, Fan Xia, next door is going to. The city’s prestigious No. 1 High School.”

“Oh? Then how does this ‘please take care of us’ kid compare to Xiao Xia in grades?”

The plump aunt immediately grew interested. “So that means our building has two No. 1 High School students now.”

This shabby tube building actually has pretty good feng shui, blessed by the God of Literature.

“Xiao Xia got in through recommendation. As for this one… he got in as the top scorer in the independent entrance exam. I heard that aside from losing two points in the Chinese essay, he got full marks in every subject, broke the school’s record.”

Aunt Tian clicked her tongue in amazement as she spoke.

All of this she had pieced together bit by bit from Zhao Jingwen. Whenever Xiao Zhao talked about this kid Ning Xiaobei, he looked so proud, as if he were the boy’s real father, it was downright comical.

“First place? No wonder he’s so polite. If my Ling Ling has any questions in the future, she can go ask him.”

The plump aunt’s eyes lit up. In a blink, she had forgotten she’d just mocked him as little Japanese a moment ago.

This old tube-style building had four floors, with twenty households on each floor, arranged in a concave shape. After entering the main gate, there were staircases on both the left and right sides.

After finishing with the third and fourth floors, Ning Xiaobei grabbed another bag and headed down to the second floor.

As soon as he reached the landing, he saw a familiar figure; dark-skinned, carrying a huge travel bag, sitting on a small stool in the corridor facing the stairs.

“Fan Xia?”

Ning Xiaobei was startled and leaned on the railing, staring at the dusty, disheveled figure in front of him.

“Weren’t you supposed to go to Beijing with your dad? How are you back so soon?”

Fan Xia’s trip to Beijing had happened to clash with the Ning family’s moving day. At first, he even wanted to skip the trip and help Xiaobei move first. Zhao Jingwen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, saying, “You’re so small. What could you possibly help with? At best, you could carry a chamber pot.”

Fan Xia felt embarrassed after hearing that. He repeatedly promised Ning Xiaobei that he would take lots and lots of photos and bring back plenty of Beijing specialties before reluctantly leaving.

According to the original plan, the father and son were supposed to visit not just Beijing, but also Tianjin and Chengde, making a full trip of it and only coming back after at least ten days to half a month. But how many days had it even been? And the kid was already sitting here? What about his dad, Fan Jian?

“Boss!”

Fan Xia looked up at Ning Xiaobei, his mouth trembling as he suddenly spread his arms and rushed toward him.

“My dad…my dad doesn’t want me anymore! He’s got a new wife, so he doesn’t want me anymore!”

The dark-skinned boy cried his heart out.

—————

At noon, Ning Jianguo hosted a meal at a small restaurant downstairs to thank everyone for helping with the move. Fan Xia had been on the train for a full day and night, so he had no appetite at all. He lay on the bed groaning the whole afternoon, and only in the evening did he recover a bit, going upstairs with his uncle to have dinner in Room 316.

Grandma Ning sat on the newly bought leather sofa, looking a bit displeased at the black Russian warship model displayed in the glass cabinet. She only held back because she heard it was a gift from Zhao Jingwen.

“When people give housewarming gifts, they either bring practical things like thermos flasks or washbasins, or maybe a calligraphy piece saying ‘Smooth Sailing’ to bring good luck. What does your Uncle Zhao mean by giving a warship with cannons?”

Grandma Ning pulled her grandson closer and asked in a low voice.

“Grandma, this is a nuclear-powered warship. It runs whether there’s wind or not. It’s way powerful than ‘Smooth Sailing.’”

Grandma Ning was momentarily at a loss for words and pursed her lips.

“Xiao Zhao’s place is right below ours?”

Leaning on her cane, Grandma Ning tapped the floor and asked.

“Yes, Grandma. If anything happens at our place, I’ll hear it right away. Just turn at the stairs and I can run up here, very convenient.”

Zhao Jingwen replied with a careful, ingratiating smile.

“So that means the toilets in our two homes are stacked one above the other. If both are being used at the same time, the one upstairs sits down, and the one downstairs…”

Grandma Ning narrowed her eyes and gestured with her hand as she spoke.

Zhao Jingwen’s expression changed. He had clearly never thought about that problem before.

“Grandma, please stop. Hurry and wash your hands, it’s time to eat.”

Ning Xiaobei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He quickly cut off the rather fragrant topic and pulled Grandma Ning toward the bathroom.

Zhao Jingwen’s mouth twitched. Who knew the old lady had such dark humor?

Even though they were completely worn out after a full day of moving, Ning Jianguo still insisted on cooking dinner himself that evening.

To celebrate the housewarming, he really showed off his true skills today. There were four cold dishes, four hot dishes, and one soup.

The four cold dishes were: braised squid in rich brown sauce, fragrant and savory baked gluten with mixed toppings, sweet red date taro paste, and crisp Shanghai-style salted chicken.

The four hot dishes showed even more craftsmanship.

There was the Republican-era specialty Xilu bamboo shoots: thin bamboo slices rolled and stuffed with fish paste and shrimp paste, then steamed and finished with a sauce of diced bamboo shoots and Jinhua ham, bright green, tender-crisp, rich and savory in flavor.

Then Biluo shrimp, Grandma Ning’s favorite from Suzhou. Biluochun tea, known in Suzhou dialect as “so fragrant it startles people”, paired with fresh river shrimp that were springy and juicy. With the tea’s aroma rising, it was elegant and delicious, loved by everyone in the Jiangnan region.

Next was sizzling eel shreds: stir-fried eel with bamboo shoots and scallions, and just before serving, a splash of smoking hot oil was poured over it, creating a sizzling sound! The fragrance of meat and sauce burst upward, utterly mouthwatering..

The final dish was half meat, half vegetable, the famous Shanghai dish caotou with pork intestines. Dark red pieces of pork intestine, cut into thumb-sized sections, sat atop green clover leaves with a faint aroma of wine. Red and green in contrast, one bite filled the mouth with rich flavor, making it impossible to stop.

From cold dishes to hot stir-fried, it was either local Shanghai cuisine or Suzhou-style dishes.

But the final soup was Western — Russian borscht.

Unlike the simple version in factory or school cafeterias, made with Shanghai sausage and tomato soup, this authentic borscht had been simmered for an entire afternoon with great care.

Diced beef was slowly stewed, then combined with onions, potatoes, and carrots sautéed in butter. Beetroot, not tomatoes, gave the soup its deep red color. The result was rich in color and smooth on the palate.

As people would say in Shanghai dialect: sweet, a little salty, slightly sour, and wonderfully fragrant —  all in one. Absolutely heavenly.

After one sip, Fan Xia was stunned as if he’d tasted something divine. Then he downed three large bowls in one go and finally shook off his gloomy mood.

“So good… how can it be this delicious? I’ve never had borscht this good in my life.”

Fan Xia licked the red soup from the corner of his mouth as he spoke.

“I learned this dish from my master.”

Ning Jianguo raised his glass, speaking with a trace of nostalgia.

“My master, back in the old days, worked as a helper in a restaurant run by White Russians. That’s where he picked up his cooking skills. It was around Rue Massenet… now called Sinan Road. Even though that area used to be part of the French Concession, there were many Russian bakeries and restaurants there.”

“Xiaobei, do you know Massenet?”

Seeing Ning Xiaobei listening with great interest, Grandma Ning turned and asked.

Ning Xiaobei shook his head.

He only knew that in the future, it would become a trendy hotspot, a famous must-visit place for tourists in Shanghai.

“A Frenchman, it was named after him. He wrote very famous popular songs. It’s a pity not many people know about him now.”

Grandma Ning lowered her head and smiled faintly. “When I was young, I often went to Sinan Road to wait for people and drink coffee. There were also Rue Molière and Rue Corneille, both named after famous French playwrights. One wrote comedies, the other tragedies… Yes, isn’t life just a mix of joy and sorrow?”

Ning Xiaobei had never heard any of this before. Looking at his grandmother’s nostalgic expression, he felt a little dazed. What had she been like in her youth?

Just like before he came to this world, he had never thought to truly understand his father Ning Jianguo. He realized he knew just as little about his grandmother’s past.

A woman who once lived in the Normandy Apartments, who often went to Sinan Road for coffee, and who eventually ended up living in Jiande Lane, what kind of remarkable life had she lived?

The nostalgic mood turned a little melancholic, but fortunately Zhao Jingwen suddenly stood up with his glass.

“Today is a happy day, what tragedy or comedy? Today is all comedy! If you ask me, this is a case of double happiness arriving together. First, we celebrate the Ning family’s move, and second, Xiaobei getting into No. 1 High School. I say we all raise a glass, happiness on top of happiness!”

“No, no…it’s three happy events arriving together!”

Ning Xiaobei also stood up, raising the glass of orange juice in his hand. “My dad took the chef certification exam last month, and now he’s got his Level Two Chef Certificate! His cooking skills are officially recognized by the country!”

“No wonder Uncle’s cooking is so good. Boss, I’m coming to your place to eat every day from now on.”

Fan Xia really was the type who remembers the good food but forgets the pain. Whatever unpleasantness he encountered in Beijing had already been thrown beyond the clouds. He downed his glass of orange juice in one gulp and let out a long, satisfied burp.

“Oh, it was Xiaobei who told me to take the exam. He said it’d be a waste if I didn’t get a certificate for my cooking. The two of us, father and son, taking the exam together, improving together.” Ning Jianguo laughed heartily.

Zhao Jingwen hadn’t known about this at all and shot Ning Jianguo a reproachful look. Ning Jianguo’s gaze wandered as he chuckled awkwardly, trying to explain it away.

Watching the interaction between the two of them, Ning Xiaobei felt something was a bit off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He could only chalk it up to being too tired from the move and imagining things.

Compared to the adults, it was Fan Xia who truly worried him.

Ning Xiaobei turned to look at the dark-skinned boy, who was busy picking up food, and let out a sigh.

After divorcing Fan Xia’s mother, Fan Jian had finally remarried. This trip to Beijing hadn’t been just a father-and-son trip, it was three people… no, to be precise, four. Fan Xia’s stepmother was pregnant, there was another person on the way.

According to Fan Xia, this new, heavily pregnant stepmother had been constantly picking on him during the trip. One moment she said she couldn’t walk anymore, the next she complained of stomach pain. They hadn’t even made it through half of the Forbidden City before she started insisting on going back to the hotel to rest.

Fan Xia had been looking forward to this trip for years, and he immediately threw a young master’s tantrum.

Normally, whenever he lost his temper, his dad Fan Jian would surrender right away.

But things were different now. Old Fan had a new wife, and that wife was carrying a new child. Seeing Fan Xia throwing a fit, rolling on the ground and making a scene, he actually did something that heartless. On the spot, he took his son to the train station, bought him a sleeper ticket, and sent him back alone. Meanwhile, he stayed in Beijing with his new wife, happily continuing their honeymoon.

Lying alone on the sleeper train, Fan Xia grew more and more upset, crying all the way back to Shanghai. He had forgotten that today was the Ning family’s moving day. When he got to his uncle’s door and knocked for a long time with no answer, he suddenly felt like the world had gone dark, like no one in the world cared about him anymore: his parents didn’t want him, his grandma didn’t dote on him, and his uncle didn’t love him either.

Luckily, at that moment, Ning Xiaobei appeared, walking down the stairwell bathed in sunlight, like an angel descending from heaven. Fan Xia couldn’t hold back his tears anymore.

Poor Officer Fan, turns out his life story was this tragic.

Ning Xiaobei looked at him with a loving gaze, as if he were looking at his own son.

Dad will treat you better from now on.

……………… 

This was the first time in his life that Ning Xiaobei had come to a detention center.

Looking at Ding Zheyang sitting across from him in a gray prison uniform, the first thing that slipped out of his mouth, almost without thinking, was, ‘So they shave your head in detention centers too.’

“So, Ning Xiaobei, did you come here today just to laugh at me?”

Ding Zheyang pushed his glasses up and spoke expressionlessly.

Of course Ning Xiaobei wasn’t that bored. A few days earlier, with Fan Xia’s help, he had already reported the case and confirmed that his father was also one of the victims in Ding Zheyang’s fraud case, and the amount lost was significant. This meeting today was part of the investigation process. Sitting beside Ning Xiaobei was the economic crimes investigator handling the case.

“Yes, I admit it. I scammed your dad. He knew I’d been your classmate for over ten years, so he never doubted me. Whatever I said, he believed. He even said that money was meant to be saved for your future marriage and children. He asked me to invest it for him, said the more it earned, the better.”

Ding Zheyang had probably already scammed tens of millions, so he didn’t care much about this three million. He admitted it outright.

“Ding Zheyang, how did you end up like this? When you were young… you were a good student, and the teachers liked you. Didn’t you later get into the University of Finance and Economics and go study in Japan? Why did you turn out like this?”

Ning Xiaobei truly couldn’t understand. Someone who had been outstanding since childhood, who should have had a bright future. How had he come to this point?

Now with his head shaved down to stubble, Ding Zheyang’s face was full of hostility. Behind his black-framed glasses, his otherwise decent-looking eyes were filled with anger and mockery. His thin lips were pressed tight in complete disdain, as if he held some deep grudge against Ning Xiaobei.

Ning Xiaobei couldn’t make sense of it. If anyone had the right to hate, it should be him, so how had their positions completely reversed?

It suddenly struck him that even though they had been classmates for over ten years, he had never really observed this person closely. In some ways, Ding Zheyang now felt even more unfamiliar than a total stranger.

“Ning Xiaobei, ever since we were kids, you’ve always kept me under your heel, always had to be better than me in everything. And you’re asking why I hate you? That’s right, I deliberately scammed your dad. Who told you to have such an easy life? You have no idea how proud your dad is when he talks about you. Said you’re a senior executive in a foreign company, that after switching jobs you were valued at a unicorn startup, already a partner. Your company’s almost done with funding, about to go public, right? I’m jealous of you…jealous to death. I’ve been dying to see you brought down a peg.”

Ding Zheyang straightened up as he spoke, growing more and more agitated.

“Watch your tone!”

The officer sitting beside Ning Xiaobei slammed the table hard.

Ding Zheyang took a breath, fiddled with the gleaming handcuffs, and let out a cold laugh.

“You don’t even know, do you? Of course you don’t. How would someone like you understand what people like us think? You’re so high and mighty…”

Ning Xiaobei pressed his lips together tightly, saying nothing.

“Your dad was really easy to fool. Back then, I recognized him first when he came to the bank to handle some business. Oh, I was still working at the bank at the time, but I quit not long after. Your dad used to come alone to manage his finances. I don’t think I ever saw you accompany him.”

Ding Zheyang let out another cold laugh.

“I just called him every now and then, asked how he was doing, showed a bit of concern, and he opened his heart to me, told me everything. When it came to giving money, he was quicker than anyone…”

Ning Xiaobei clenched his fists tightly.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Uncle in a long time. How is he?”

Ding Zheyang said with a mocking tone.

“He’s dead. Just last week.”

Ding Zheyang froze.

Behind the thick lenses, Ning Xiaobei’s miserable expression was reflected clearly.

Ding Zheyang’s open mouth slowly closed.

Little by little, he lowered his head, staring at the chain fastened around his ankle, unable to say another word.

After walking out of the detention center, even though the sun was shining brightly outside, Ning Xiaobei still felt cold all over. He hugged his arms and remained silent.

“Thanks for making the trip.”

A black Lexus was parked by the roadside. Seeing them come out through the iron gates, Fan Xia got out of the car and came over to greet the officer.

Noticing Ning Xiaobei’s pale face, he placed a concerned hand on his shoulder. Xiaobei forced a faint smile.

“It’s part of the job.”

The economic crimes investigator nodded at Fan Xia and gestured toward the detention center. “The one in there was your classmate too?”

“Yeah. The three of us grew up together. We’ve been classmates since we were kids.”

Fan Xia stood with his hands on his hips, squinting as he spoke with a sigh. “Never thought one of us would end up inside. Forever second place, a total bookworm, how did he end up like this?”

“Maybe it has something to do with his family,” the officer said. “Both his parents are gone. Back in 2011, during the earthquake in Japan, his whole family of three was there. In the end, he was the only one who survived…”

Ning Xiaobei raised his head and exchanged a glance with Fan Xia. This was something they had never heard about before.

“But no matter what, you still can’t break the law… Alright, Mr. Ning, thank you for today. If we need further cooperation during the investigation, we’ll contact you again. Goodbye.”

Ning Xiaobei got into the car with a heavy heart, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

It wasn’t until the car got onto the elevated highway, and Fan Xia turned on the radio, letting a song drift through the narrow cabin, that he slowly came back to himself. With a sense of guilt, he thanked Fan Xia, who was driving.

“Sorry to trouble you again today. It’s not easy to get a day off, and you still had to deal with my family’s mess.”

“Come on, I’m a police officer, it’s my job to serve the people. Besides, we’re old classmates. Helping each other is normal. Last time at the nursing home, my uncle even said we should keep in touch more and carry on his friendship with Uncle Ning.”

Fan Xia turned and grinned brightly, showing a row of white teeth.

He had taken his uncle’s words to heart and knew his old classmate was going through the pain of losing his father. He made sure to call him on WeChat at least once a day to help him cope.

He also remembered that Ning Xiaobei had been in poor health since childhood, with asthma. He had been bored waiting outside earlier and wanted to get out of the car for a smoke, but he forced himself to hold it in.

Looking at the confident and spirited Fan Xia now, Ning Xiaobei couldn’t help but think of the dream version of him from last night, the dusty, worn-out Fan Xia who had just come back from Beijing, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yes, long live friendship. As thanks, let me treat you to a meal. You pick the place.”

“Really? Then I won’t hold back. I want hairy crab, it’s the perfect season for it right now.”

“Hairy crab it is!”

Fan Xia laughed loudly, stepped on the gas, and the car sped forward.

People living in big cities usually don’t feel the seasons much. Terms like the Spring Equinox, Autumn Equinox, Winter Solstice, and Summer Solstice are just words printed on the calendar. Shanghai people, on the other hand, tell the seasons by what they eat: qingtuan (mugwort mochi) in spring, 8424 watermelons in summer, hairy crabs in autumn, and sugar-roasted chestnuts in winter. Once these foods hit the market, it means the season has changed.

Technically, to eat hairy crabs properly, you’d have to go to Bacheng for authentic Yangcheng Lake crabs. But it was already afternoon, and a round trip would take too long, so they had to find somewhere in the city.

“Too bad Tongchuan Road’s seafood market got torn down. I remember my uncle used to take me there a lot— Coral grouper, tiger grouper, abalone, oysters… tasty and cheap.”

Fan Xia drove to a bustling food street and pulled over.

“I heard these places all moved from that area. They’re old restaurants, and they guarantee that every crab comes straight from Yangcheng Lake. No washed crabs²Washing crabs in water, or keeping them in water to increase their weight before sale, can lead to inferior, lower-quality, and potentially less flavorful meat., I promise.”

He pointed at one of the restaurants, “Qiqi Food City.”

“So you’d been planning to rip me off all along, huh? You even did your homework and picked the place already,” Ning Xiaobei teased with a grin.

“Hahaha, I just happened to see it on the app earlier. Pure coincidence,” Fan Xia said.

He tossed the car keys to the valet at the entrance, and the two of them walked into the lavishly decorated restaurant.

Inside, a dozen or so large glass fish tanks stood in the main hall. They weren’t just full of live seafood wriggling around, there was one tank with a black sea worm called “dragon worms” crawling everywhere. A group of girls circled it, exclaiming, “So gross!” while snapping photos uncontrollably.

Below the glass tanks were seven or eight green insulated buckets. The Yangcheng Lake crabs were sorted by size into different buckets, each claw bound with a plastic ring to mark its noble status.

“So, boss, how many pairs do you want?”

The owner came over eagerly when he saw them.

“All of these just came in fresh this morning. You two can just have four, two males and two females, steamed. Our other small dishes are good too: stir-fried snails, stir-fried clams, and crayfish. Pair that with a couple bottles of wine, very reasonable.”

“You… Ma Jiaqi?”

Ning Xiaobei pointed in surprise at the owner, who was dressed in a rainbow of colors like he’d just returned from a Hawaiian vacation.

“You’re… Ning… Ning what?”

The colorful Ma Jiaqi squinted his little almond eyes, muttering “Ning…” for a long moment. He gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, slapped his palm hard, and finally said the three words.

“Ning Xiaobei! Yes, Ning Xiaobei. I’ll never forget you in my life!”

“Hey…”

Ning Xiaobei gave an awkward smile. Well, no need to hold a grudge that long, right?

“Oh wow, really didn’t expect this. After more than twenty years, I still get to meet you two. Truly, you never know when you’ll bump into someone in life.”

Steam rose from the white-bellied, golden-haired hairy crabs and the other dishes of seafood as the waiter placed them on the table. Ma Jiaqi, now the boss of the seafood restaurant, stood by the table, pouring wine and smiling: “Come on, come on, let’s have a toast. This meal’s on me.”

“No, no, no, I can’t. That’s too much. Besides, I was planning to treat Fan Xia to the crabs today anyway,” Ning Xiaobei stood and clinked his glass with him.

Fan Xia watched him throw back a shot of baijiu³distilled sorghum liquor in one gulp and was speechless.

Wow, this kid can really drink now. He used to just sip orange juice as a kid…

“Really, my friend… back then, when you grabbed that brick and lectured that gang of little thugs I brought over, I was genuinely scared. And then you shoved the brick into my hand, and right after that, the police came running out from behind me… I swear, I nearly peed my pants,” Ma Jiaqi said, reenacting the memory with a look of nostalgic horror.

“Let’s not talk about childhood stuff anymore,” Ning Xiaobei said.

“Later, your family moved to the Workers’ New Village and became neighbors with him, right? I heard you both got into No. 1 High School. Good students, huh… tsk tsk…”

Ma Jiaqi set down his glass, shaking his head in admiration.

“But my family isn’t doing too badly either. After my dad got fired from the factory, he threw himself completely into business, and it actually worked. This food court here? That’s all his kingdom now. Gotta thank your family for helping us along the way.”

“Don’t mention it, don’t mention it.”

“After I graduated middle school, I spent three years mucking about in a technical school, then started helping my dad with seafood. Now, sure, we’ve got money, but I haven’t got much book learning. I’ve pinned all my hopes on my son, Ma Xiaoqi, hoping he’ll make something of himself, get into a good school, and have a bright future.”

Ma Jiaqi gestured at Ning Xiaobei and Fan Xia.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you two to still be together after all this time. Over twenty years, right? You’ve got a good bond. It’s rare, really rare.”

Ning Xiaobei glanced at Fan Xia, who looked back at him.

Both kept silent about the fact that they had only recently reconnected.

“Strange thing is, ever since I ran into you, I’ve bumped into so many people from my past, it’s like these hairy crabs. You pick one up, and there’s a whole bunch waiting behind.”

After finishing three cups, Ma Jiaqi went off to check on other tables. Fan Xia cracked open a crab, picking the meat from the corners of the shell, and sighed thoughtfully.

Ning Xiaobei lowered his head guiltily and poured himself a cup as self-punishment.

He definitely couldn’t admit it was because of him.

“Xiaobei, funny thing is, I thought being apart for so many years would feel strange. But after keeping in touch lately, it’s like we were never really apart.”

Fan Xia worked the crab meat with the leg shell. Ning Xiaobei, empty-stomached, had already downed several cups of baijiu and was feeling the buzz. He stared blankly at Fan Xia, and only nodded after hearing the sentence repeated three times.

“Then… let’s not separate again…” he mumbled.

And with that, he collapsed onto the table, completely drunk.

Fan Xia watched him, his red-cheeked face tilted slightly toward him, as he gently nibbled on the slender crab leg, looking thoughtful.

……………… 

Author’s Note:

Hidden boss in this story: Ning Xiaobei’s Grandma!

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『dapotaturs note: Next – Middle School Arc ♥』

• 1
  高升 (Gao Sheng) – signifying ones’s wish for success and prosperity in life
• 2
  Washing crabs in water, or keeping them in water to increase their weight before sale, can lead to inferior, lower-quality, and potentially less flavorful meat.
• 3
  distilled sorghum liquor