DBTHDCAR Chapter 44

A week later, Zhao Jingwen returned from a business trip to Guangzhou.

The negotiations had gone smoothly, and his next step was to decide whether to invest in a factory himself. Once Ning Jianguo finished his current plumbing and electrical work., he couldn’t wait to take him and the two kids out to eat.

They chose 【Xinghua Lou】 on Nanjing Road, a famous old Shanghai restaurant. Even though it wasn’t the weekend, the place was buzzing at mealtime.

“I heard from Xiao Su,” Zhao Jingwen said while placing food into Ning Xiaobei’s bowl, smiling, “Xiaobei is amazing. He’s practically my little money-maker.”

“Just this week alone, the foreign customers he handled are worth what we’d normally do in a whole month. Those foreign ladies… Xiaobei just tells them about something, and they buy it. American, British, French, and even Japanese customers. Right?”

Zhao Jingwen grew more and more fond of Ning Xiaobei, almost wishing he were his own son.

“Now look at you, Fan Xia,” he said, turning to point at Fan Xia, who was busy devouring a steak. “A guy with such thick, tough skin, and yet he gets embarrassed in front of foreign women! It’s hilarious.”

When he returned to the store a couple of days ago, Miss Su had reported on what the two kids had been doing. Zhao Jingwen nearly laughed himself silly.

“Uncle, don’t say any more,” Fan Xia mumbled, feeling completely defeated.

Even Ning Xiaobei hadn’t expected this. Fan Xia, usually bold and forward with pretty ladies, suddenly froze in the store when he saw foreign girls with hot figures and skimpy outfits. He was so shy that he couldn’t speak and even hid behind the doorway.

Seeing that pressing Fan Xia to approach customers didn’t work, Ning Xiaobei simply took matters into his own hands. With fluent English, he guided several foreign customers straight to Zhao Jingwen’s stall.

Miss Su, though not well-educated and without any foreign language skills, was used to dealing with all kinds of people while working here. When she saw foreigners, whether white, black, or yellow, she didn’t hesitate, simply lifting her calculator and letting the numbers do the talking.

But when it came to the more detailed stuff— fabric, outfit matching, and design ideas—she had to admit defeat.

At that moment, Ning Xiaobei cheerfully stepped forward, holding up the clothes and chatting effortlessly with the group of foreigners. Words flowed from him like a river, praising every detail in a way that left the foreign women smiling from ear to ear, buying one piece after another, full sets at a time, without even haggling.

The foreign women were so happy shopping that they stuffed US dollars into Ning Xiaobei’s hand as tips for his guidance. By the end of the day, the tips even exceeded the salary Zhao Jingwen had given them.

Not only that, several of the ladies dragged Ning Xiaobei over to the market entrance to take photos.

Fan Xia watched helplessly as the women planted lipstick marks on Ning Xiaobei’s cheeks with those huge mouths, bright red as if they’d just eaten a child.

He thought if their mouths were any bigger, they could just swallow Ning Xiaobei whole.

Hiding behind Ning Xiaobei, Fan Xia was overwhelmed by the sharp, cloying scent of their perfume. His usual fearless bravado melted instantly like ice cream under the blazing sun.

Ning Xiaobei also knew how to build good relationships with neighbors. Not only did he get the foreigners to buy clothes at Zhao Jingwen’s store, but he also brought them to the shops of the Shanghai Fashion Godmother and a few other ladies who had spoiled him and Fan Xia with treats, where they bought silk socks, sunglasses, and various little accessories. This, in a way, perfectly embodied the principle of the advanced helping the less advanced, the rich helping the less rich, eventually achieving the small-prosperity goal of shared wealth.

“Nowadays, those aunties really treat Xiaobei like their own son. When Xiaoxia and Xiaobei didn’t come to help during the summer break, they even came to ask me, Ah, why isn’t Xiaobei here? He’s a No. 1 High School student, isn’t he? Truly remarkable…ah, he’s even more popular than I am.”

Zhao Jingwen picked up his cup and took a sip of yellow wine, visibly excited.

“So… you’re quite popular with the women in the market, huh?”

Ning Jianguo was busy peeling shrimp for his son when he heard this, and his dark eyes flicked toward him, barely lifting.

“Ahem… I meant Xiaobei is just… likable. Don’t get any ideas…”

Zhao Jingwen’s voice shook slightly.

“My son is of course likable.”

Ning Jianguo tossed the peeled shrimp into Ning Xiaobei’s bowl, wiped his hands with a napkin, and smiled gently at Xiaobei. “I’m just going to the bathroom. You and Xiao Xia enjoy your meal.”

Ning Xiaobei, sensitive as ever, caught the slight oddness in his dad’s tone and nodded obediently.

As soon as Ning Jianguo left the private room, Zhao Jingwen slipped out right behind him.

Ning Xiaobei put down his chopsticks and glanced at the half-closed door of the room, then turned to watch Fan Xia still battling with his black-pepper steak, thinking that ignorance really was bliss.

Ever since he had overheard things he shouldn’t have and seen things he wasn’t supposed to downstairs last time, many things Ning Xiaobei had ignored suddenly became clear.

For example, on Wednesday or Friday afternoons, his dad would disappear for a few hours, returning with a faint smell of soap on his clothes.

Or every time the home phone rang twice and got hung up, his dad would use the excuse of buying soy sauce or getting the newspaper to step out, returning about half an hour later.

Once, Ning Xiaobei was sitting on the toilet when he suddenly heard tapping sounds from the nearby drainpipe. At first, he thought some kid upstairs was playing a prank, but after it happened two or three times, he realized…it was Uncle Zhao sending intelligence to his dad!

Ning Jianguo had been a reconnaissance soldier when he was a volunteer, and the two men were using the drainpipe to signal each other. No wonder just now, when Xiaobei had rushed into the bathroom in pain, his dad had beaten him there and looked so embarrassed.

In this era without cell phones, two middle-aged men had to be this sneaky just to have a private conversation.

Once Ning Xiaobei figured out the pattern, he never tried to race to the bathroom again. Every time, he and Fan Xia would either do homework or wander around the neighborhood, browsing books at a stall or roller-skating at the rink. giving his dad the freedom to go on his little dates.

“I’m going out for a walk.”

Ning Xiaobei got up and reached the door of the private room. Halfway out, he heard a commotion outside; singing, shouting, laughing, and someone even singing a song. The place didn’t feel like a restaurant at all; it was more like some kind of entertainment hall.

“Boss, wait for me!”

Fan Xia tossed aside his steak bone, spread his little black hands smeared with sauce, and sprinted after Ning Xiaobei, peeking over his shoulder to see outside.

“Wow, looks like the Japanese are holding a meeting too.”

Fan Xia licked a bit of pepper off the corner of his mouth.

In the main hall outside, five or six tables of guests, young and old, were gathered, singing together. On the small stage, a familiar woman held a microphone, her red lips opening as she sang the Japanese version of 《Kitaguni no Haru》 (Spring in the North) with perfect timing, drawing cheers from the audience.

The woman on stage wasn’t anyone else, she was the tour guide they had seen outside the clothing market a few days ago, Ding Zheyang’s mother.

After finishing 《Kitaguni no Haru》, Mother Ding sang a song by Teresa Teng, the Japanese version of 《When Will You Return?》. Her voice was soft and flirtatious, no less charming than the singer herself.

“Wow… Four-Eyes’ mom is more Japanese than the Japanese themselves.”

Fan Xia listened, fascinated.

When the music ended, applause erupted. Usually the Japanese guests were very polite, bowing constantly and saying ‘sumimasen’ all the time, but after a few drinks, they became lively and enthusiastic. Fan Xia almost shouted in surprise, two elderly Japanese men actually went up to the stage, one facing Mother Ding and the other holding a cup, insisting on toasting her.

The scene got a little too wild for kids, so Ning Xiaobei just closed the door and sat back down.

“Boss… um…”

Fan Xia spread his messy little hands, looking troubled. “I… I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Wait a moment.”

“But I really need to go.”

“Hold it.”

Fan Xia pouted, thinking his boss was being a bit unreasonable today.

But just like Zhao Jingwen wouldn’t dare say much when Ning Jianguo frowned, Fan Xia felt the same around Ning Xiaobei. In Shanghai dialect, you could say Ning Xiaobei was like his prescription, he could calm Fan Xia down completely.

A little while later, Zhao Jingwen came in from outside holding Ning Jianguo’s arm. Ning Xiaobei listened and realized the commotion outside had quieted down. He nodded at Fan Xia, giving him the go-ahead, and Fan Xia shot out like a rocket.

Turning back to Ning Jianguo, Ning Xiaobei saw his father’s steps were a little unsteady, the corners of his eyes slightly glistening. How could he, who was mentally over thirty, not realize what had just happened between these two adults? He could only pretend to be clueless and smiled at them.

“The tour group outside… the guide is your classmate’s mother, did you know, Xiaobei?”

Ning Jianguo sat back down, placing the white napkin over his lap, and pointed outside with a smile.

“She’s Ding Zheyang’s mom, but I don’t know her name.”

“Oh, Forever Second Place, huh…”

Ning Jianguo remembered him too. “I heard his grades aren’t so great anymore. Last parent-teacher meeting, his name was around number thirty on the big list. Last time, his dad came instead.”

The whole grade knew about the infamous report on Yan Bingru.

“They both run a travel agency, specializing in taking Japanese tour groups. They’re kind of famous in our market too.”

Fan Xia came in after washing his hands and saw his uncle chatting away with Ning Xiaobei and Ning Jianguo.

“The husband drives the bus, the wife leads the group as guide; keeps the profits in the family.”

“Do they make a lot?”

Ning Jianguo asked curiously.

“A lot. Foreigners are rich and naive. There are plenty of shops in the market that focus just on tour groups. They pull the customers in, settle the kickbacks, and the more the foreigners buy, the more they earn. And it’s not just the clothing market, you should see those Japanese going to Suzhou or Hangzhou to buy pearls and silk; it’s like money doesn’t matter to them. That husband-and-wife team easily pulls in over a hundred thousand a year.”

“Over a hundred thousand? That much?”

“‘Young Master’ Fan Xia was stunned.”

“Not bad. Back when they were working in Japan, they earned even more,” Zhao Jingwen said with a smile. “Have you ever seen that TV show—《Shanghai People in Tokyo¹Shanghai ren zai dong jing is a 1996 Chinese series directed by Zhang Hong and Fu Min, starring Chen Daoming and Ge You》?”

Ning Xiaobei nodded.

In the ’90s, there was a craze in China for going abroad. Whether university students or ordinary people, anyone who could find overseas connections, whether to study or work, would swarm out. Later, the director Zheng Xiaolong, who became famous for 《Empresses in the Palace》, made a film called 《Beijinger in New York》, starring the future superstar Jiang Wen.

The film had a famous line: If you love someone, send them to New York, because it’s heaven; if you hate someone, send them to New York, because it’s hell.

Set in Shanghai, the saying changed: whether you love or hate someone, just send them to Tokyo.

Many locals went to Europe or America, but even more went to Tokyo. In 1996, Shanghai TV aired this drama starring Chen Daoming.

“They went to Japanese factories as trainees, settled in for a while, and then started working illegally. Over a year, after deducting the costs to get abroad, they could make 200,000 to 300,000. Send it back to Shanghai, they could buy houses, appliances, and everything else.”

“Weren’t they caught?”

Ning Jianguo asked.

“Of course they could be caught. If they were, they’d just be sent back. Either way, they still made plenty of cash. After five years, they’d come off Japan Customs’ blacklist, and could go again. So this travel agency business they run now is just temporary, once the time is up, they’ll go back.”

Zhao Jingwen had once considered tapping into this tour guide network himself, so after eating with them, he understood all the inside details.

But the commissions they charged were just too high. Zhao Jingwen calculated that for every tour they brought in, he’d basically be working for the guides, so he dropped the idea.

“So, that means Ding Zheyang’s parents will still go back to work illegally in Japan?”

Ning Xiaobei had heard bits and pieces before, but for Fan Xia, it was the first time he was learning this, and he listened with rapt attention.

“Fool, they’re already running their own business, why would they go back to working for someone else? Of course, they’re aiming to immigrate. Oh, in Japanese terms, it’s called naturalization. Just like that table tennis player from before, used to be called He Zhili, now she’s… Koyama Chire. Then they send their son abroad too, first for study, then naturalization. The whole family becomes new Japanese citizens.”

Zhao Jingwen laughed heartily.

“Ah? Why would anyone give up being a perfectly good Chinese person to become Japanese?”

Fan Xia had grown up watching 《Tunnel War》 and 《The Landmine Warfare》²Tunnel War (地道战) and The Landmine Warfare (地雷战) are classic Chinese wartime films from the 1960s that dramatize guerrilla resistance against Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War, often watched in childhood to cultivate patriotic sentiment.; he coudn’t say he held fondness for Japanese people.

Sure, he could enjoy Japanese anime, eat sushi or sashimi, even visit Japan for a few days, but to stay there and become a Japanese citizen? Absolutely not.

“Right. Once your studies go well, your uncle will send you abroad too.”

Zhao Jingwen, drunk, was now running his mouth.

“I could send you to Africa, those African brothers would treat you like one of their own!”

Then he let out a painful yelp, turns out Ning Jianguo had kicked him hard under the table, making Ning Xiaobei shake his head in exasperation.

After eating and drinking their fill, the four of them prepared to leave the hotel.

“I’m going to the restroom. Wait for me, Dad.”

When Ning Xiaobei came out and was washing his hands at the shared sink, someone bumped his shoulder.

Turning, he saw Ding Zheyang’s mom, her face flushed red from drinking, both hands struggling to hold onto the marble countertop. She had clearly had quite a bit to drink.

“Auntie, are you okay?”

“Young boy, you recognize me?”

Ding Zheyang’s mom squinted through her hazy, drunken eyes, trying to focus and place the boy before her.

“Auntie, I’m Ning Xiaobei, Ding Zheyang’s classmate.”

“Oh… so you’re Ning Xiaobei!”

The woman looked a little surprised, and a little flustered.

“Yangyang talks about you all the time at home… such a good kid,” she said, affectionately patting Ning Xiaobei on the head. “Yangyang really likes you, says you’re good friends.”

What?

Ning Xiaobei never expected to hear that from Ding Zheyang’s mom.

Good friends with Ding Zheyang… what kind of good friends was that supposed to be?

………………

Author’s Note:

Zhao Jingwen: What are these foreigners saying on TV? Translate it for me.

Fan Xia: I don’t understand.

Zhao Jingwen: All those years of schooling… wasted!

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• 1
  Shanghai ren zai dong jing is a 1996 Chinese series directed by Zhang Hong and Fu Min, starring Chen Daoming and Ge You
• 2
  Tunnel War (地道战) and The Landmine Warfare (地雷战) are classic Chinese wartime films from the 1960s that dramatize guerrilla resistance against Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War, often watched in childhood to cultivate patriotic sentiment.