The sun had already begun to set. It was winter, so its rays were not harsh; instead, they brought a touch of warmth from heaven and earth.
Two donkey carts traveled one behind the other along the dirt road. Whenever a northwestern wind blew up, it swept yellow sand into the air. They had not gone far from the commune headquarters before Wang Yan and the others were already covered in dust.
"My name is Yu Ming. What should I call you two?"
The speaker was over 1.7 meters tall, with a square face, thick brows, and large eyes. He looked like a friendly sort.
"Li Kuiyong. This is Wang Yan—just call him Brother Yan." Li Kuiyong had a natural talent for being a lackey. No one had taught him, nor had he had anywhere to learn it, yet he already knew to build up his good brother's reputation first.
Yu Ming did not dwell on that and instead asked, "I live near Chongwen Gate. Which area are you two from?"
"Brother, no need to be so polite. For all we know, the three of us might be keeping each other company here for the rest of our lives. We'll have plenty of time together." Li Kuiyong patted Yu Ming on the shoulder. "The two of us are from around Xuanwumen, South Cross Street. We aren't far apart."
"South Cross Street?" Yu Ming said in surprise. "I heard a real tough guy came out of your area—crazy badass. Do you know him?"
"What, are you one of those street toughs too?"
"Ah, what street toughs? It was just a bunch of brothers hanging around on the streets. After that tough guy showed up, we all stayed home and behaved ourselves. He was seriously fierce... Huh?"
Yu Ming caught on. "Brother,