On the Road

As dawn broke, the alarm hadn't even rung its first chime.

Jiang Xueming, as if by reflex, silenced his phone before it could make a sound. The mechanical nature of the movement made Xiao Qi tense up.

Moments later, Brother Qi watched the young man finish washing up, shave his stubble, and trim his sideburns in under ten minutes. Finally, he grabbed his large backpack and stood by the door.

"Let's go."

Without another word, he walked straight out the door.

Xiao Qi immediately grabbed her luggage and followed Xue Ming's footsteps.

She complained softly along the way, "You didn't even wait for me."

Xue Ming handed the room key back to the front desk. "You could keep up."

Xiao Qi chuckled, "Hehe, you trust me that much?"

Xue Ming pushed open the inn's door and barged into the bustling county town street, bathed in the sweltering sunlight.

"Mhm."

He turned his head, observing the surroundings, and waved down a taxi.

Xiao Qi squeezed into the back seat and heard Xue Ming haggle with the driver in the local dialect.

She only understood bits and pieces, something about not taking detours, that they were both locals, and the driver shouldn't try to trick Xue Ming or rip him off with an unlicensed car.

She then heard the driver and Xue Ming chatting about old times in their hometown.

The car set off from the street corner, heading back towards the clinic on the cement road. The place that once saved lives and healed the injured had been sold to a local wealthy merchant and was about to be converted into a nursing home.

The driver sighed all the way, lamenting how many young people left and never returned.

He saw Xue Ming maintaining a cheerful, professional expression, echoing platitudes like "people strive for higher places, water flows to lower grounds."

The rice paddies on both sides were lush green. They were unclear at night, but in the daylight, Xiao Qi saw the dense leaves and roots, and people bent over in the paddies transplanting seedlings.

On the low mountains in the distance, the sun had just peeked out, casting a warm glow on her face through the car window.

The local radio station playing in the car's audio system broadcasted songs from a long time ago. After playing "Cute Woman," the next song was "Rice Fragrance."

The irrigation sprinklers in the vegetable patch sprayed a misty water that shimmered with a hazy rainbow under the morning sun.

All of this made Xiao Qi feel as if she had stepped back into the year 2000, back to her childhood.

She had never seen rice paddies before and this was her first time in Pingyang, Hengyang. The feeling of familiarity and strangeness left her bewildered.

She unconsciously reached for Mr. Xue Ming's hand, reminiscent of when she was less than ten years old, holding her father's hand to go to school, wanting to climb onto the back of his motorcycle.

This time, Xue Ming didn't dodge—

—because the back seat of the taxi was too cramped, he couldn't dodge. And if the young lady couldn't touch his hand, she might touch something else later.

"What are those?" Xiao Qi looked out the window at the fields.

Xue Ming replied, "Rice paddies."

Xiao Qi asked, "What are they doing?"

Xue Ming said, "Transplanting rice seedlings."

Xiao Qi exclaimed, "Do they have to keep bending over and standing up? That looks so hard."

Xue Ming explained, "If it were February, March, or April, they could broadcast seedlings, which isn't as hard. Some families have bought machines, making it much easier."

Xiao Qi inquired, "How do they broadcast?"

Xue Ming elaborated, "I used to broadcast seedlings when I was little. You grab a bunch of muddy seedlings and toss them into the field. This is already late rice season, so it needs careful cultivation, otherwise it won't grow well. You have to leave some space for their lives."

Xiao Qi suddenly became happy. "I want to plant too! Should we get out of the car! Help out now? I want to go! I want to go!"

"Be good," Xue Ming said, torn between laughter and tears. "Don't make a fuss."

Xiao Qi felt disappointed, but it didn't last long. She immediately spotted more interesting things.

Three-wheeled vehicles carrying small goods from the Hengyang market traveled back and forth along the streets, heading towards the county town fair. Occasionally, she saw yellow oxen carrying goods.

She widened her eyes, trying to get a clear look at these fleeting people and events. She then urged the driver, "Slow down! Slow down, driver!"

She saw a white horse, with a peddler on it holding two large poles full of candied hawthorns, slowly walking along the dirt road towards the county town.

About ten children ran and played along the irrigation ditch towards the town, holding colorful pinwheels and sugar candies. Like Bailu, they would occasionally stop at the pipe joints and valves of the ditch, standing very high, striking poses as if fighting little monsters.

The horse grazed on dewy tender grass leaves by the roadside, leaving behind some droppings.

Xiao Qi said again, "I want to ride a horse! I want to play! I..."

The driver's face fell.

Jiang Xueming said gently, "When we get back to Hung Hom, I'll take you to find Ah Xing, and he'll arrange it for you."

In the distance, many houses built against the mountain had the rustling sound of threshing machines shelling grain echoing far away from their porches, a sound like fallen leaves being blown far, far away by the wind.

Xiao Qi reluctantly looked away from the scene. As she got out of the car, she realized her hand had been gripping Xue Ming's hand so tightly that it was burning hot.

It made her mind wander—perhaps while she was gazing at the colorful world outside the window, Mr. Xue Ming was also like a child, pressing his face against the window, wanting to recall all these memories, to look at them carefully like old photographs, and that's why he forgot that their hands were clasped together.

When they got out of the car, Brother Qi naturally let go of her hand. She secretly giggled, feeling like she had gotten a great bargain.

Back at the intersection of Pingyang Agricultural University, in front of the milk tea shop, she was still captivated by the alluring temptress at the cat cafe, instantly recalling what she had said earlier.

Xiao Qi clapped her hands, exclaiming with joy, "You like cats! I remember you like cats! I'm going to pick one to charm you! Heh!"

It was as if they had just arrived at this milk tea shop.

Jiang Xueming walked straight to the main entrance and greeted the drowsy girl at the front desk.

"Is Boss Ye here?"

The girl at the front desk, still holding her phone, replied without looking up, half-asleep, "He's in the warehouse, ah! Brother Xue Ming! Wait a moment!"

Jiang Xueming immediately took out the half-eaten milk candies from Brother Qi's bag and offered one.

"I have something to do, we'll catch up later."

He went to the warehouse door and, just like last time, gently knocked before barging in.

What followed was a scene packed with information.

Three men sat on the floor, all wearing skirts.

Boss Ye was in the center, clad in a black and red gothic long dress, with a bow hairpin on his head. The other two were likely good brothers who came to protect Bailu, and decided to stop by for tea during their vacation, with a small table and snacks beside them.

Speaking of the clothes on these two brothers, one was a Hanfu long dress that accentuated a shapely figure, while the other was a Japanese JK uniform exuding youthful energy.

-- The three sisters of bankruptcy were complete.

Bailu, on the other hand, hadn't changed clothes. She was squatting in front of the Ludo board, holding the big white cat, bossily directing things like a general who had won and wanted to win more, gripping the big cat's paw and making a bold stroke on the scoreboard.

The big white cat's expression was incredibly lifelike, its mouth involuntarily curling into a sinister grin, like an old woman who had just eaten a few children, utterly delighted.

The four people and one cat in the room turned their heads in unison.

They looked at Jiang Xueming.

Xue Ming, at that moment, very politely closed the door.

"Excuse me, I intruded."

Twenty minutes later, after the good brothers had finished changing, and Brother Ye had changed back into casual clothes, he pulled Xue Ming outside the shop, set up a temporary sunshade, and they sat down.

"Uh, actually..." Ye Bei said with a smile, "This world is like this, luck can't always be on your side."

Xue Ming nodded, not thinking too much about it, and suddenly let out a chuckle.

Ye Bei: "What are you laughing at?"

Xue Ming: "I thought of something happy."

Ye Bei: "Is your wife pregnant?"

Xue Ming: "No."

"Then I won't ask too much. If you can laugh, it must be a very, very long story," Ye Bei continued the conversation, reaching for the teacup on the table and filling it. "Seeing you so happy, did you finish your business?"

"Yes," Xue Ming nodded, taking out the brocade box and placing it on the table. "It's all done. I didn't use this box, nor did I open it. I thought I'd return it to you unopened."

Ye Bei was nonchalant and brought Xue Ming some snacks for breakfast, handing him two oatmeal cookies. "Take it, maybe you'll need it someday."

"Then I'll accept Brother Ye's kindness." Xue Ming didn't stand on ceremony at all and took the item back.

He remembered that the oil-paper bag Mr. Chen had asked him to carry contained paper money, and he was curious about what was inside this brocade box. "Brother Ye, can you tell me what's inside?"

Ye Bei chewed on the cookie and mumbled vaguely, "A stick for self-defense, it's quite old, considered half an antique. It's one of my many collectibles, not worth much. If you're in trouble, you can sell it for emergency cash."

Swallowing the cookie in his mouth, Ye Bei solemnly instructed, "Every few days, whether you have time or not, take it out, wipe it, and oil it. Regular sewing machine oil will do. Don't let it rust."

Xue Ming put down the brocade box. "Then I won't open it for now. It's not good for maintenance if it sees the light."

After this pleasantry, Xue Ming found it a bit difficult to talk about his family matters, as the mysterious oil-paper bag was given to him by Mr. Chen and had nothing to do with Brother Ye Bei.

However, Brother Ye Bei and Mr. Chen were very good friends, and there were no secrets between them.

So Xue Ming asked, "When I first returned home, I saw my parents could talk, eat, and even pick up sticks to hit me. Mr. Chen asked me to bring paper money back for them. Later, they seemed like my hallucination, as if they had passed away a long, long time ago, and they just disappeared. The house also fell into disrepair. Brother Ye Bei, do you know about this?"

"..." Ye Bei fell silent for a moment. The scar above his eye twitched with his sharp expression, as if he were signaling to Xue Ming, "Your sister is still outside, don't talk nonsense."

Xue Ming suddenly realized, "Oh, you mean it's inconvenient to ask. Then I'll ask Mr. Chen privately."

Ye Bei nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes, he did this. Go ask him. I can't comment on your family affairs. But..."

Xue Ming saw Brother Ye reach out and pat his shoulder, pick up the teacup, and stuff it into his hand.

Ye Bei said, "Have some tea, take a breather. Life is a long road! Let's move forward, don't think about those two old bastards. Courage can conquer evil!"

"Hahaha," Xue Ming sipped the tea. "Did Bailu teach you to say that, Brother Ye?"

Ye Bei raised his eyebrows, looking smug and proud. "I taught Bailu to say it."

The girls at the front desk looked eager to come over to the counter and ask Xue Ming about his recent situation, but they were afraid Boss Ye would scold them for neglecting their work.

Xue Ming quickly called out to the counter, "I'm doing well lately! Bailu is also well! Things will get better and better!"

Finally, Xue Ming turned back, preparing to meet Mr. Chen. It was time to part ways with Brother Ye.

"I have to go, Brother Ye. Actually, there's something I'm very curious about."

"What is it?"

"I worked at your shop four years ago." Xue Ming recalled carefully, "You haven't aged at all, still the same."

"We haven't grown up yet!" Ye Bei crossed his arms, casually blowing away the stray hairs on his forehead, and stood up with effortless grace. "There's still plenty of time to become a worried adult!"

Xue Ming was lost in thought for a moment, saying nothing. He picked up the menu again and calculated the cost of the tea and oat biscuits.

Under Ye Bei's disdainful gaze, Xue Ming finally gently patted his own face, as if he had done something wrong.

"I know, you don't lack money, you lack affection."

He packed his bags and organized his thoughts. He picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Where are you going?" Ye Bei asked.

"To take Bailu back to school. She wants to continue her studies, and I need to protect her." Xue Ming replied.

"Remember to call and report that you're safe. I'll go to Hung Hom for vacation when I have time off. I'll come to your place to mooch a meal, just don't charge me." Ye Bei said.

Xue Ming wanted to say more: "If I run into trouble again, I won't be so polite."

"If something happens, call the police first, then call me. I'll definitely come help you." Ye Bei said with a smile. "Your hometown will find you, no matter where you are."

Xue Ming nodded vigorously, writing down backup plans on his phone and unlocking new skills.

[Summon People]

He walked towards the alley entrance of Xiao Dong Men at Agricultural University, preparing to find Mr. Chen's paper effigy shop and bid a heartfelt farewell.

"Goodbye! Big Brother!"

Ye Bei gave a thumbs-up, raising it high.

"Safe travels! Hope you're well!"

Xiao Qi followed behind Xue Ming with Bailu. The two girls were whispering to each other privately.

Brother Qi looked around suspiciously, "Sister-in-law, don't you think..."

Bailu went with the flow, "My brother and that Uncle Ye are flirting with each other."

Brother Qi's greedy heart wouldn't give up, "He doesn't seem to have much to talk about with women."

Bailu said casually, "He's quite good at flirting with men, though."

Putting these matters aside, before Brother Qi left, he spotted the large white cat beside Boss Ye.

Her eyes suddenly lit up—because it was the most beautiful cat she had ever seen in Hengyin! Compared to the common felines in the neighboring cat café, it was like a love potion among cats, a top courtesan of the Red Chamber.

Her eyes glazed over, and she was about to go talk to Boss Ye about a price.

The large white cat, seeing the woman's gaze from afar, nimbly climbed onto the counter for the member event prizes, crawled into a travel backpack, and casually zipped it up.

It zipped up from the inside out, with a tuft of fur stuck outside, not hurting at all.

The small window for the prize display read three words.

[Not for Sale]