As they walked out of the hospital, Ji Yuchen complained, “I think that doctor is a quack! Couldn’t even diagnose anything!”
Xu Chuang comforted him, “Isn’t it good news that they said nothing’s wrong? The report also says everything’s normal. Maybe you’ll remember everything in a few days, so don’t worry just yet.”
Although he couldn’t understand the professional terms on the report, with all those sections and zones, the conclusion said “no obvious abnormalities,” which should mean everything’s fine. He didn’t know how Jiu’er lost his memory or what accident he went through, but at least his body was healthy.
After leaving the hospital, Xu Chuang took him to the police station. It was two in the afternoon, right during nap time, and Ji Yuchen was complaining about being tired and refused to walk. Xu Chuang ended up carrying him to the police station, where he found a police officer sipping tea and asked for help.
He explained in detail how he found Jiu’er on the mountain and brought him home, only to discover he had amnesia. The police officer listened with great interest, amazed that there was actually someone with amnesia, and insisted on waking him up to ask questions.
Ji Yuchen was clearly displeased at being woken from his dream, frowning with a sharp gaze like a little fox ready to scratch someone.
The police officer chuckled, “You really don’t remember anything? No one’s forcing you, right? Could it be a case of human trafficking?”
Every year, a few people go missing in these mountains—not too many, but not too few either. Xu Chuang had heard of a neighboring village where a child went missing and was never found.
He turned to look at Jiu’er, wondering if the little guy had been kidnapped and hit his head while escaping, causing his memory loss.
The person sitting beside him puffed up and denied, “I wasn’t kidnapped, and I’m already an adult!”
The police officer laughed, “See, you remember that, don’t you? Just now, you said you didn’t know your age.” He jotted something down in his notebook, saying, “Nowadays, it’s not just children who get trafficked. Plenty of people your age go missing…”
Ji Yuchen was indifferent, thinking that getting kidnapped was foolish, muttering, “I’m not that dumb…”
He had no solid evidence, just a stubborn mouth, privately thinking the police officer wouldn’t be much help.
The officer asked a series of questions about family, address, contact information, or any possible clues, but Ji Yuchen couldn’t provide any. In the end, he had his photo taken at the police station and left his fingerprints on the report. The officer took down Xu Chuang’s phone number, saying they’d notify him if there was any news.
As they left the police station, the officer escorted them to the door, advising Xu Chuang to keep an eye on his “child.” He mentioned that things hadn’t been peaceful lately, with several missing person reports in the past six months, including some teenagers and young adults, many of whom were quite good-looking.
He glanced at Ji Yuchen, subtly nodding his chin, and Xu Chuang frowned slightly, listening as the officer explained, “Nowadays, there are all sorts of tricks. Good-looking young people are also targets for traffickers, so be careful.”
After the officer finished speaking, he patted Xu Chuang’s arm and turned back inside.
The man stood there for a moment, then took Ji Yuchen’s wrist. He figured it might take a while to find Jiu’er’s family and asked if he would like to stay at his place temporarily until they found his parents.
Ji Yuchen didn’t seem unhappy and agreed, “Sure, thanks, Brother Chuang.”
The two went to the market to buy things, mainly personal items for Ji Yuchen, like underwear, socks, toothbrush, and towel. Xu Chuang also bought him a couple of outfits, saying he could change into them.
Ji Yuchen had a unique taste in clothes, disliking the colorful ones the shopkeeper recommended, thinking they looked like costumes for a play. He ended up choosing two T-shirts, one black and one white, and a pair of pants, one long and one short, all basic and inexpensive.
The shopkeeper watched him come out from behind the dressing curtain, exclaiming in awe, saying it was rare to see someone who could make such ordinary clothes look like a celebrity. She exaggeratedly guessed, “Could this handsome young man be a star filming a show here? There’s that show with a bunch of young people farming, and it’s quite popular!”
The shopkeeper gestured excitedly, almost bumping into someone nearby. Xu Chuang pressed her arm down and pulled Jiu’er closer to him.
“Auntie, how much for these two outfits?” Xu Chuang interrupted her.
The shopkeeper named a price, and Xu Chuang quickly paid, pulling Jiu’er out the door, not giving her a chance to ask more questions.
With his arm in a cast, Ji Yuchen found it inconvenient to change, so he kept the new clothes on and put the old ones in a plastic bag, which Xu Chuang carried for him.
As they left, Ji Yuchen spotted a vendor selling candied hawthorns by the roadside. The red fruits on the straw stack glistened in the sunlight, and Ji Yuchen suddenly craved them, stopping to stare for a long time.
When Xu Chuang turned around, he saw him staring at the candied hawthorns, unable to move his legs, and walked over to ask if he wanted some.
Before Ji Yuchen could answer, the vendor eagerly introduced his wares, saying he had all kinds and guaranteed they were delicious, or they were free.
Listening to the introduction, Ji Yuchen noticed the variety of candied hawthorns on the stack: some with white glutinous rice, black glutinous rice, red bean paste, and various fruits in the middle of the hawthorns. He curiously asked about a round, brown one, “What’s this?”
The vendor said, “That’s yam bean~ Sweet and soft, melts in your mouth, you’ll want a second bite after the first!”
The vendor’s sales pitch was convincing, and Ji Yuchen was immediately tempted, turning to look at Xu Chuang. He blinked at him, and before he could say anything, Xu Chuang had already taken out the money.
He bought Ji Yuchen a skewer of yam beans and, seeing his indecision, also bought the hawthorn with red bean paste. Ji Yuchen tried the yam bean first, feeling like he hadn’t had it before, but found the taste mediocre and didn’t want another bite after just one.
Holding the skewer, he regretted it and asked the vendor if he could return it.
The vendor said, “No way, you’ve already eaten it.”
Ji Yuchen felt cheated by the vendor, who had promised it would be delicious.
He wanted to argue, but Xu Chuang pulled him back, saying if they didn’t hurry to the station, they’d miss the bus back to the village. He handed him the hawthorn skewer, and Ji Yuchen, torn, asked Xu Chuang, “What about this one? I don’t want it anymore…”
He thought Xu Chuang didn’t like sweets, as he hadn’t reacted when Ji Yuchen asked which one he preferred, telling him to choose whatever he liked.
The man took it and finished it in a few bites, tossing the skewer into the trash and pulling him to the station. Ji Yuchen couldn’t help but remark, “You’re a real foodie, can eat anything…”
They hurried to the station and managed to catch the last bus back to the village.
There were quite a few people waiting for the bus, and they lined up at the back. Xu Chuang carried the bags and moved forward, turning back to check on Jiu’er, who was staring blankly at the street, seemingly lost in thought.
He thought Jiu’er had seen something he wanted to eat again and couldn’t move his legs, so he turned around and followed his gaze: there was a tofu shop, not yet open.
Xu Chuang squeezed through the crowd and asked, “Do you want tofu?”
Ji Yuchen shook his head, muttering softly, “I just felt like someone was watching me, but when I turned around, I didn’t see anyone. It’s a bit strange…”
His expression seemed puzzled, and Xu Chuang looked around, but there was indeed no one there. He put an arm around Ji Yuchen’s shoulder, saying they should get on the bus and promising to bring him back to town for a proper visit next time.
The nearest town was several kilometers from Qiantang Village, and the bus ride alone took an hour. Once they got off, there was still a small ten-mile walk to the village.
Recalling the painful experience from the morning, Ji Yuchen felt his legs go weak. Xu Chuang stood by the roadside, looking at the nearby fork in the road, and soon said, “The vehicle’s here!”
He was referring to a tractor, its chugging sound audible from afar. Ji Yuchen stood there, bewildered, watching as Xu Chuang spoke to the driver, handed over a pack of cigarettes, and then called him to get on.
He hadn’t expected this to be the way back to the village, feeling it was even less dignified than the morning’s motorcycle ride.
Ji Yuchen was pulled up to sit in the haystack, and Xu Chuang asked, “How does it feel? Better than the morning, right?”
Ji Yuchen bit his lip, thinking it was indeed more comfortable than the motorcycle, just not very dignified.
The tractor moved slowly, and the two sat in the back trailer, swaying with the bumps in the road. Ji Yuchen leaned against the hay and asked Xu Chuang, “Did you buy the cigarettes just for this?”
Xu Chuang nodded, “Yeah, you get dizzy on motorcycles, so I thought this might work. There are tractors going back and forth every day at this time.”
He grinned, putting his hands behind his head and chewing on a straw, looking relaxed. Ji Yuchen found this twenty-year-old man to have a charming contrast of maturity and cuteness, making him want to know more.
He asked Xu Chuang, “Do you smoke?”
Xu Chuang licked his lips, saying he used to smoke a bit when he worked in the city, but smoked less after returning to the village, saving money.
Xu Chuang didn’t have any unpleasant smells, just a mix of soap and a faint body scent, making him feel clean and comfortable. Ji Yuchen didn’t like the smell of smoke, so he asked Xu Chuang not to smoke either.
They talked a lot on the way back, mostly about Xu Chuang, discussing his hunting in the mountains, working in the fields, and delivering packages in the city. Ji Yuchen learned that he also had a job feeding pigs at the village’s pig farm, working on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and sometimes on weekends.
He couldn’t help but remark, “No wonder you keep feeding me… you’re used to it…”
The tractor’s engine roared, and Xu Chuang didn’t hear him clearly, asking him to repeat it, but Ji Yuchen didn’t, resting his head on the hay and dozing off.
By the time they reached the village entrance, it was already sunset. The path home was a series of steps, and Xu Chuang offered to carry him back. Ji Yuchen didn’t hesitate, climbing onto Xu Chuang’s back, wrapping his arms around his neck, and resting his head on his broad shoulders.
Xu Chuang’s shoulders gave a sense of solid security, making Ji Yuchen want to sleep as soon as he touched them, nuzzling his head to find a comfortable position.
He heard Xu Chuang chuckle softly, saying, “Alright, let’s go home.”
[Author’s Note]
Little Glutton X Big Eater