The last glow of sunset hung in the sky when Wen Shiqing returned home. The courtyard had already been cleaned up so thoroughly that not even a single chicken feather remained.
If not for the sight of the one remaining chick pacing restlessly inside the coop, anyone would have thought the incident at noon had never happened.
Her nose suddenly stung again.
Just as she stepped inside, Yang Ying apparently heard her and came out of the bedroom. Seeing her daughter’s reddened eyes, she sighed.
“I saved some food for you. Have something to eat before you go to bed.”
Shiqing stared blankly and shook her head.
“I’m not hungry.”
Yang Ying stepped forward and took her daughter’s hand, softening her tone.
“Sweetheart, why are you getting so upset with your mother over a chicken?”
“Mom, that wasn’t just some ordinary chicken. Someone gave it to me to raise. You saw how I took care of her for more than two years. How could you just kill her like that?”
Yang Ying frowned and immediately latched onto the important part.
“Who gave you that chicken? Was it a boy? Why would a boy give you a chicken instead of something valuable? Listen to me, you mustn’t let some boy sweet-talk you into anything…”
Bang.
The door to the room across from them suddenly opened.
Xie Yucheng emerged with a gloomy expression and messy hair, looking as though he had just woken up.
He gave the two women a sideways glance, then coldly shoved his hands into his pockets and walked outside.
Wen Shiqing stared at his tall, straight back. Her heart gave a hard thump.
She turned to Yang Ying.
“Mom, I’m a little tired. I’m going back to my room.”
The warm yellow light illuminated the small bedroom. Pink-striped sheets were spread neatly across the bed, and the air was filled with the sweet, youthful fragrance of a teenage girl.
Shiqing’s eyes suddenly fell on an elegant box sitting conspicuously on her desk.
The box itself looked expensive and refined.
Her breathing grew shallow.
She reached out, picked it up, and opened it.
Inside was a beautiful, delicate women’s wristwatch.
A Shanghai brand, and an expensive one at that.
The silver watchband gleamed softly beneath the light. The dial was a warm ivory color, with twelve Roman numerals delicately painted in black. The time had already been set, and the steady tick-tick of the second hand struck directly at Shiqing’s heart.
The strap was exactly the right length, almost as though it had been made specifically for her.
Wen Shiqing’s eyes grew slightly moist. A soft smile curved her lips as her fingers gently stroked the watch face.
She didn’t need to think about who had given it to her.
Scene after scene flashed through her mind.
“Brother, what time is it? The news is about to start, right?”
“Brother, can you check what time it is? I’m going to class.”
“Brother, what time is it now? My classmates asked me to go shopping at two.”
…
Shiqing covered her mouth with the back of her hand and suddenly burst into laughter through her tears.
She bent over, laughing so hard that she couldn’t straighten up, her shoulders trembling.
She was always asking him what time it was.
Xie Yucheng must have thought she wanted a watch.
He really is the biggest idiot in the world!
But the more she laughed, the harder her tears flowed.
One by one, they fell onto her pillow.
She hugged the pillow and began sobbing again.
She couldn’t remember exactly when it had happened.
She had gone to Wang Changlin’s factory to look for Xie Yucheng and accidentally overheard a conversation between the two men.
“I’m asking you, do you really have no other feelings for your sister?”
“What kind of feelings?”
“You know… the kind of feelings a man has for a woman.”
“What the hell are you talking about? She’s my sister!”
“You two aren’t related by blood. Your parents never even registered their marriage. Technically, you aren’t even relatives.”
“She’s still my sister. I could have feelings for anyone else, but there’s no way I’d have feelings for that little brat.”
Fortunately, Wen Shiqing had heard those words.
Fortunately.
Because at the time, she had somehow found the courage to secretly plan to confess her feelings to Xie Yucheng.
That tiny flame of love she had been preparing to reveal was extinguished right then and there.
In a way, it had saved her from an awkward and humiliating confession.
Her tears soaked the pillow, and her beautiful eyes were filled with sorrow.
Xie Yucheng really was wonderful.
There was only one problem.
He didn’t love her.
The next morning was foggy and overcast.
When Xie Yucheng got up and opened the door, he caught sight of the offerings that had been carefully prepared, just like every previous year.
He paused.
His gaze shifted toward the tightly closed door of the room next door, and his eyebrows lifted slightly.
Then he washed his face, picked up the offerings, climbed onto his motorcycle, and headed toward his mother’s grave.
A solitary low mound stood on a hillside at the edge of the city.
The gravestone was brand-new, bearing the name of his mother, Yuan Ningwan.
Xie Yucheng had earned some money after starting work and had paid to have the new gravestone made.
The wind swept fallen leaves across the freshly grown weeds in front of the grave.
He stood there like a statue, his short hair blown about by the wind, his jacket fluttering loudly.
The morning light fell across his high nose and sharp jawline. His eyes, usually carrying a hint of amusement, were now dark and solemn.
He bent down and carefully wiped the dust from the gravestone.
He arranged the pastries, lit the joss paper, then knelt before the grave and bowed three times.
He poured a cup of white liquor and slowly spilled it onto the ground.
His Adam’s apple moved faintly.
His voice was hoarse when he spoke.
“Mom, Shiqing bought all these things for you.”
His eyes remained fixed on his mother’s name carved into the gravestone.
He said nothing more.
He simply stood there for a long time, the moisture in his eyes blending into the damp morning mist.
It rained lightly for two days afterward, and Xie Yucheng never returned home.
Five brand-new heavy trucks stood in the open yard of the factory.
Manager Wang Changlin took Xie Yucheng around to look at them.
“What do you think? Buying one this time?”
Xie Yucheng had come to look at trucks many times.
For a man who made his living driving long-distance routes, owning a heavy truck of his own was the ultimate goal.
He carefully ran his large hand over one of the gleaming doors.
These were all heavy-duty trucks. The cheaper ones cost eighty or ninety thousand yuan, while the more expensive ones cost over a hundred thousand.
He said calmly,
“I can’t afford one.”
Wang Changlin didn’t believe him.
“Bullshit. You’ve been driving trucks for years. You don’t have any money? You must’ve saved something by now. Even if you scrape together whatever you have, you should be able to come up with tens of thousands. Have your old man chip in a little more, and we can get you a cheaper one.”
Xie Yucheng said nothing.
After thinking for a long while, he asked,
“Do you have any secondhand ones that have been modified?”
Wang Changlin thought about it.
“There is one, actually. It’s a little smaller. Interested?”
He knew Xie Yucheng had always wanted a large truck, something like the Great Wall JN162, which could carry ten tons. The more cargo it could haul, the more money he could make.
A smaller truck might not appeal to him.
“What model?”
“Jiefang 141. It belongs to a friend of mine. It was in a minor accident once, but all the damaged parts have been replaced. The cab has also been modified, and there’s a sleeping berth in the back. It can unload automatically, carries five tons officially, and performs exceptionally well.”
With a standard rated capacity of five tons, it could actually haul as much as eight tons of cargo.
Xie Yucheng’s interest was piqued.
“Gasoline model?”
“Yeah.”
“How much?”
“He hasn’t named a price yet. I can ask him for you.”
Xie Yucheng pulled out a cigarette and handed it to him.
“Sure. Thanks.”
Wang Changlin broke into a grin and gave him a shove on the shoulder.
“We’ve known each other this long. What are you thanking me for?”
The two had been classmates since childhood and had grown up in the same neighborhood.
Xie Yucheng was quick-witted, hardworking, and loyal. Wang Changlin genuinely wanted to give him a hand.
He had always felt that Xie Yucheng was destined for something great.
As they were leaving, Wang Changlin suddenly asked,
“Hey, your sister’s at home, right?”
Xie Yucheng slowly raised his eyes.
“She is. Why?”
“I ran into her last time. Damn, she really blew me away. You know what they say—girls change completely at eighteen. She seems prettier and more innocent every time I see her.”
He gave Xie Yucheng a meaningful look before cautiously testing the waters.
“Hey, next time we go out to have some fun, bring your sister along.”
Xie Yucheng’s brows immediately knitted together.
He slapped Wang Changlin heavily on the shoulder and coldly spat out five words:
“In your fucking dreams.”