Behind People’s Cinema there was a small park where folk performers often came to make money by putting on street shows.
As soon as the group got off the bus, they heard the loud clang of gongs.
“Ladies and gentlemen, don’t miss it if you’re passing by!”A bare-chested man slammed a bronze gong onto the ground and set up a ring of fire.
Wen Xi grabbed Zhou Jingchen’s sleeve and squeezed into the crowd, clearing the way with her hands while calling out loudly,
“Make way, please—there’s a disabled person here. Please make way!”
Seeing Zhou Jingchen leaning on a crutch, the surrounding men and women kindly moved aside to make some space.
“Hey, there’s a good spot here!” Fang Haoyu, quick on his feet, soon found an excellent viewing position and called the two of them over.
Wen Xi bent slightly and moved through the crowd together with Zhou Jingchen until they reached Fang Haoyu.
The fire ring had just been set up when the door of a bamboo cage creaked open.
A macaque wearing a small red hat jumped out, stood upright on its hind legs, and bowed to the crowd, making everyone burst into laughter.
The monkey trainer cracked his whip with a sharp “snap!”
The monkey immediately dropped onto all fours, climbed up his pant leg onto his shoulder, then somersaulted back to the ground.
Standing beside Zhou Jingchen, Wen Xi’s face was full of excitement. She clapped repeatedly and cheered. Whenever something impressive happened, she would even jump a little and tug Zhou Jingchen’s sleeve, asking if he saw it.
Seeing how happy she was, Zhou Jingchen couldn’t help but smile. Quietly, he pulled her a little closer to his side. His tall body formed half a protective barrier, shielding her from the unfamiliar men around them.
Suddenly the gongbeats on the stage became rapid.
A graceful woman wearing a red silk outfit walked in from outside the crowd.
She stood in the middle of the open space and began swaying her hips to the rhythm.
Holding a rose between her teeth, her gaze seductive, she slowly unfastened the buttons of her clothing with her fingers. The red silk slipped from her shoulders, revealing a tight inner top beneath.
Immediately, whistles and laughter erupted from the crowd.
On the other side, the monkey jumping through the fire ring act was starting.
The trainer splashed some kerosene on the ring. The flames instantly flared higher, orange tongues of fire licking the air with crackling sounds.
With a sharp flick of the whip, the little monkey suddenly arched its body and shot through the fire ring like a red ball of fur, stumbling slightly when it landed.
The crowd exploded into thunderous applause, and people began tossing coins into the performance area.
Wen Xi curled her thumb and index finger to her lips and let out a loud whistle like a mischievous street kid.
The whistle caught the attention of the woman performing the striptease nearby.
She danced along the edge of the crowd, brushing the rose against a man’s cheek. She gave a coy smile, spun around, and moved on.
Dancing and swaying, she gradually reached the spot where Wen Xi and the others were standing.
With a snake-like motion of her waist, she moved close to Zhou Jingchen, who was leaning on his crutch.
The teenage boy’s ears instantly turned red, and his face flushed.
He turned his head to look at Wen Xi.
Wen Xi’s eyes curved into crescent moons. She gasped dramatically, “Woooow~,” covering her mouth in excitement. Her eyes sparkled with the thrill of watching the spectacle.
The woman reached out and lightly touched Zhou Jingchen’s cheek. In front of him, she slipped off another colorful garment, leaving only a close-fitting dudou (traditional chest garment) and long pants.
Many of the men watching swallowed nervously. Someone shouted,
“Take off more!”
The woman’s movements became even bolder. As she twisted her waist, the bells on her costume jingled. She hooked a finger into Zhou Jingchen’s shirt collar, pressed herself against him briefly, then stepped back again in a teasing motion.
Beside them, Fang Haoyu and Wen Xi whistled loudly with delight. Seeing Zhou Jingchen’s face turn red as if it might drip blood, the two of them became even more excited.
After teasing Zhou Jingchen, the woman spun away and lightly pinched Wen Xi’s cheek before dancing gracefully toward the other side.
Soon after, an old man carrying a tray walked around the crowd asking for tips.
Wen Xi checked her own pockets, then Zhou Jingchen’s pockets, and secretly regretted spending his fifty cents on spicy snacks earlier that day.
By the time the performance ended, it was already near evening.
Still unsatisfied, the three of them stood by the roadside waiting for a bus home.
At that moment, a white sedan stopped across the street. The driver honked a few times, rolled down the window, and leaned his head out, shouting toward them,
“Wen Xi! Jingchen!”
“Dad!” Wen Xi exclaimed in surprise and waved toward him.
She turned to Fang Haoyu.
“Come ride with us. I’ll ask my dad to drop you off.”
Fang Haoyu waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s completely the opposite direction. You two go ahead.”
After saying goodbye to him, Wen Xi grabbed Zhou Jingchen’s sleeve and the two crossed the street together.
When they reached the car, they saw that Xiang Qin was also sitting in the passenger seat. Wen Zhiting had taken her to a neighboring city for a business trip earlier that morning and had just returned.
Wen Xi got into the car first. She took Zhou Jingchen’s crutch and leaned it against the side, waiting for him to sit down before Wen Zhiting started the car.
“What are you two doing here?” Xiang Qin turned around and looked at them.
“We came with Fang Haoyu to watch an acrobatic performance,” Wen Xi replied, still excited from the show. She leaned forward and kissed Wen Zhiting on the cheek.
“Dad, buy me a monkey.”
Wen Zhiting laughed and rubbed his daughter’s face.
“What, my daughter doesn’t want to go to school anymore and wants to become a monkey trainer?”
Xiang Qin said gently,
“Daughter, you’re in the third year of junior high school now. You should put aside some of your playful thoughts and focus on studying. And Jingchen’s leg isn’t good—how could he stand outside for so long? Don’t you think about your younger brother?”
Here we go again, Wen Xi thought, rolling her eyes inwardly.
She lightly nudged Zhou Jingchen with her elbow.
Zhou Jingchen immediately understood.
“Aunt Xiang, I’m fine. My leg doesn’t hurt. Watching the performance was fun.”
Xiang Qin fell silent and took out a bag of pastries, handing them to the two children.
The sky gradually darkened. Only a faint glow of sunset remained at the horizon as the car drove steadily toward home.
In the back seat, the two kids quietly ate the snacks while half-listening to Wen Zhiting and Xiang Qin chatting.
Xiang Qin said,
“When you were first promoted to factory director, you carried out major reforms. The factory’s output doubled the very next year. The reason everyone could live better lives was because of your leadership.”
She gently placed her hand over Wen Zhiting’s.
“Now the economic environment isn’t good. Many state-owned factories have already closed. You’re still trying your best to save this one. Even if one day the factory really collapses, it won’t be your fault.”
Wen Zhiting sighed.
“I’m about to draft another list of layoffs. Whoever ends up on that list will hate me. But writing any name on it makes me feel terrible.”
“Don’t say that,” Xiang Qin replied. “If it weren’t for you, the factory would have collapsed back in 1992 during the state-owned enterprise reforms.”
She squeezed his earlobe.
“It’s okay. Don’t carry all the pressure alone. You’ve already done your best. Let’s just keep the factory going as long as we can.”
For all the years Wen Zhiting had served as factory director, he had never taken bribes or sought personal gain. He only wanted to move the factory forward.
His integrity, sense of responsibility, and honesty made Xiang Qin admire him deeply.
In the back seat, Wen Xi was stuffing a piece of red rice cake into her mouth. While chewing, she glanced at the green pastry in Zhou Jingchen’s hand, then searched through the bag again.
There were no more green ones.
She pouted unhappily, grabbed Zhou Jingchen’s wrist, and leaned over to take a big bite from his green pastry.
Zhou Jingchen paused for a moment, then handed the remaining half to her.
“You can eat it all.”
She shook her head and pushed his hand back, silently mouthing,
“I just wanted a taste.”
Whenever they bought snacks—like tanghulu (candied fruit skewers)—she never allowed Zhou Jingchen to buy the same flavor as hers. If she bought hawthorn, he had to buy grape or orange, so she could taste two flavors by herself.
Zhou Jingchen was already used to it.
Without saying anything, he ate the rest of the pastry from the side she hadn’t bitten.