After the gathering dispersed, Qi Shuai drove Xiaoxiao home. With a press of the accelerator, they arrived in less than five minutes.
Xiaoxiao was very particular; she rarely deigned to ride an e-bike. She claimed the wind messed up her hair, coarsened her skin, and made her lose face.
In the car that day, the two started bickering again. Xiaoxiao mentioned that the Qixi Festival was approaching and said she wanted a small LV crossbody bag.
Qi Shuai said, "Don't you know how much the two of us earn? Every month, after paying the mortgage, everything else is spent on you. I haven't even given my grandmother her living expenses for several months. If you want more money, I’ll have to sell a kidney."
Xiaoxiao pouted in anger. "You make it sound so good, but after the mortgage and interest, there isn't much left anyway. How much of your money have I actually spent? My friends are all receiving either bags or watches; am I uglier than them or something? I won't stand for it. Even Four-Eyes said he’d give me a huge gift for Valentine's Day."
Hearing this, Qi Shuai’s temper flared. Usually, he would patiently coax her, but today he stopped. He pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Ignoring each other, they entered the house one after the other.
Qi Shuai’s grandmother was elderly and went to sleep every night around eight. The house was pitch black.
While Xiaoxiao was showering, Qi Shuai took her phone to check it.
In the WeChat chat log with the contact labeled "Four-Eyes," he scrolled and scrolled but couldn't reach the top. They basically checked in on each other every day, exchanging playful banter peppered with a few "dears."
Qi Shuai exploded.
Since childhood, he had been a man of few words who didn't know how to express himself. He usually just kept his head down, but if pushed too far, he was capable of anything.
When Xiaoxiao walked into the room drying her hair, Qi Shuai glared at her with bloodshot eyes. Before she could ask what was wrong, he slammed her phone onto the floor, shattering it.
That set things off.
Usually, Xiaoxiao was the one who bullied him; Qi Shuai never treated her like this.
She hurled her towel to the floor and pointed at him, screaming, "Qi Shuai, if you're done and want to break up, just say it! If I hesitate for a single second, I’ll change my last name! I’m leaving right now!"
She turned to go, but Qi Shuai grabbed her by both arms.
From the doorway came the cautious voice of Qi Shuai’s grandmother. "Shuaishuai, talk things through properly. Don't bully Xiaoxiao."
Qi Shuai gripped Xiaoxiao’s arms tightly and called out toward the door, "It’s nothing, Grandma. Go back to sleep. We’re just discussing something. You know how we are; it’s fine."
The old lady’s hesitant footsteps faded away.
Xiaoxiao’s brows were arched, her eyes spitting fire. "Qi Shuai, don't think I have to stay with you. I’m only twenty-two and I’m pretty. What kind of man couldn't I find? If I find a man, he either has to have money or treat me well—I have to get something out of it, right? What do you have that gives you the right to lose your temper with me?!"
Qi Shuai’s handsome face was clouded with ferocity. "Zhang Xiao, do you have a conscience? Do I not treat you well? For all these years, the only thing I haven't done is let you lie down and drink my blood."
Xiaoxiao countered with a sneer. "Have I not sacrificed over these years? I’ve been with you since I was eighteen and never let another man near me. So what if you're a little nice to me? Look at what your family can give me. If I picked any random man, who wouldn't treat me well? Even Four-Eyes treats me incredibly well. Who do you think you are!"
Qi Shuai couldn't win the argument. His face turned beet red, and he tugged at his hair in frustration. He felt stifled and aggrieved, yet he also felt she had a point. As he thought about it, this man nearing thirty felt his eyes grow hot and began to sob.
He collapsed onto the bed, curled into a ball, his shoulders shaking as he cried.
Seeing him cry, Xiaoxiao felt she had won. She was very satisfied with her ability to manipulate men.
She knew when to quit while she was ahead.
She walked over, cradled Qi Shuai’s head, and coaxed him, "Alright, I’ll forgive you this time, but you’re not allowed to lose your temper with me again. You have to treat me twice as well to make up for it."
Qi Shuai didn't respond.
She pulled his sharp-featured face toward her and offered her soft lips.
Qi Shuai struggled for three seconds before grabbing her hair and taking control.
Qi Shuai’s grandmother sat on her thirty-year-old white pine bed, listening to the rhythmic creaking and groaning. She smiled so widely the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes bloomed like flowers.
A young couple’s quarrel really did start at the head of the bed and end at the foot of it.
***
Langge’s project in Ancheng was a massive shopping mall. The schedule was tight and the workload heavy; Qi Lian had been given only a dozen or so days to complete his portion.
Qi Lian had brought over ten experienced workers from Jinning and hired a few local laborers to help out.
Xiao Bo carried two bundles of electrical wire on his shoulders, scurrying in and out like a monkey. Despite being thin and short, he could carry two heavy coils at once and still move with a light step—the benefit of youth.
Whenever he ran, his mid-length trousers of an indeterminate color would slip down to his crotch, revealing bright red underwear. Everyone could see the words "ZHEN NAN REN" printed on the waistband.
The older masters didn't understand what it meant at first, until a younger boy who shared a room with him discovered it. After that, whenever anyone saw him, they would joke, "Here comes the Real Man."
Jiang Yuan and Qi Shuai were squatting on the ground, organizing wires.
Qi Lian was nearby, drawing lines on the floor to mark where the subsequent masters should cut the grooves.
He was still wearing his thirty-yuan-for-two T-shirts—a black one today—along with khaki cargo pants and a pair of sneakers with scuffed, fuzzy toes.
As he crouched, the T-shirt outlined his broad back and narrow waist. Occasionally, as he knelt on one knee, the black edge of his underwear would peek out from his waistband before being covered again.
For several hours straight, he rarely even lifted his head unless someone called for him.
Qi Shuai and Jiang Yuan were chatting idly nearby.
Qi Shuai asked them, "The day after tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Have you guys bought gifts yet?"
"What Valentine's Day? I thought Valentine's Day was February 14th. Did I remember it wrong?" Jiang Yuan asked, a large coil of wire wrapped around his hand.
"F*ck, don't even bring it up. There’s no end to these holidays. If you don't handle one right, there’s going to be a scene. Why do women love buying things so much? Is there nothing else in their brains? This bag, that bag, long clothes this year, short clothes the next—they get played like monkeys. Buying things is love; not buying is not love. F*ck my life."
Jiang Yuan tied off a bundle of wire and tossed it aside, mocking him. "If women are such a hassle, aren't you the one rushing to be her servant? You don't complain when you're having fun; you only complain about the trouble after you're done."
Qi Shuai picked up Qi Lian’s marker from the ground and threw it at him, cursing, "You must have taken the wrong medicine today. Which vixen bought you over to make you turn traitor? Aren't you the grandson who usually complains about women being a hassle?"
Qi Lian looked up, squinting at Qi Shuai. "Pick that up for me."
Qi Shuai reluctantly hopped up, retrieved the marker, and tossed it back to Qi Lian.
Qi Lian tucked it behind his ear.
Qi Shuai continued his complaining. "My girl wants me to buy her a little bag, only about the size of a palm. Guess how much? Six thousand five hundred. Damn it, even if it were made of human skin, it wouldn't be worth that much. If I don't buy it, she’ll keep making a scene. You guys tell me, should I buy it or not?"
"Buy it!" Jiang Yuan shouted, his voice as resonant as a bell.
Qi Lian glanced up at him.
Jiang Yuan continued, "I’ve figured it out. Women just need to be coaxed; there’s no logic to be found."
Qi Shuai turned to Qi Lian, waiting for his opinion.
Qi Lian said, "There are two ways to look at this. If it’s a normal woman, it’s only natural for a man to buy things for his woman. If he’s unwilling to spend, he’s a coward. If it’s an abnormal woman, well, that’s a different story."
Qi Shuai took offense. "Your woman is the one who’s abnormal."
Qi Lian didn't bother arguing with them. "I’m not like you two. All my money is with her. She can buy whatever she wants; I won't say a single word. If the money isn't enough, it just means I’m incompetent, and I’ll find a way to earn more."
Before Qi Shuai could speak, Jiang Yuan sensed something was off. "Old Qi, you put all your money with her? You two haven't been together that long. Take it easy; you should always have a bit of guard against others."
Qi Lian nodded, acknowledging the sentiment. "I know what I’m doing. Even if that money disappears, I won't starve. To tell you the truth, Jiang Yuan, I have nothing else to keep her with. I can only offer my sincere heart and then gamble. In a gamble, there’s always a chance of winning or losing. I accept that."
He spoke calmly, measuring the floor with a steel ruler as he talked.
The other two looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
Qi Lian looked up at Jiang Yuan and asked, "You’ve been acting strange lately. Did you strike it rich?"
Qi Shuai added mischievously from the side, "He’s been as giddy as a fart in a mitten every day."
Jiang Yuan made a move to kick in his direction, a wide grin spreading from ear to ear. "When you keep your woman happy, the days of having a wife to warm the bed are very pleasant. I don't mind telling you guys—I’m about to be a father again."
Qi Shuai blurted out, "Holy sh*t."
Qi Lian also stopped his pen, looking at him with an unreadable expression.
Jiang Yuan grew even more boastful. "You two losers, you’ve done plenty of sowing, but you’re all seed and no fruit."
Just then, a lean man ran over and shouted from a few paces away, "Boss Qi, two trucks of goods have arrived outside. They need you to inspect and sign for them!"
Qi Lian tossed his pen aside, slapped the dust off his hands, and strode toward the entrance.
***
