Vol 1 Chapter 4.3 (1/2)
3. Older Repeater
The most stubborn wound in this world is a wound that doesn’t bleed. There is no medicine and there are no ways to cure it. Even if it is healed, it is like the shadow of the moon on the water, it seems to be completely calm but every time the wind blows past, cracks appear, silently in pain.
End of year exams finished, there weren’t much change in everyone’s results. As always, in our cla.s.s Chen Song Qing was first and Lin Lan was second. In Cla.s.s (2), Ge Xiao Fei was first, in Cla.s.s (5), Guan He was first and like me, Zhang Jun was around 20 something in his cla.s.s.
The long summer holidays were my favorite. I hid on the sofa in the Karaoke bar reading while eating snacks, as free as an immortal. Xiao Bo wasn’t like before, he no longer needed to wait until he won billiards before being able to invite me to drink beverages. Now, no matter when I go, the side of the sofa would be filled with snacks and drinks, free for me to eat.
I was never polite with him but occasionally when I thought about economic problems, I would be conscience stricken and ask, “Do you want me to pay? My mom increased my pocket money.”
Xiao Bo laughed, “How much can you eat? I am still able to afford these things.”
I unhesitatingly asked with a dried fruit in my mouth, “Is your mom still sewing gloves?”
He calmly replied, “Yeah, to her, having things to be busy with allows her to forget about the unhappy things in life.”
Wu Zei heard our topic and was completely unable to understand, he scolded, “But you’re able to provide for yourself now, why do you still let your mom work so hard for money? The money your mom makes from working on the sewing machine all day isn’t even enough to sing a song.”
Xiao Bo and I both looked at Wu Zei and laughed, how simple and happy this guy’s life is!
One evening in the weekend, I was huddled in a room in the karaoke bar reading. When I got tired of reading, I decided to go out and walk around. When I went out, I discovered the the lighting was blurred, it was noisy with voices and the atmosphere was foul. There were even people standing on the stairs. I was bewildered, how was the business so good tonight?
I grabbed a waitress, “Is there something on tonight?”
She nodded, “It’s someone’s birthday.”
I squeezed past the crowd, wanting to get some drinks. Suddenly, in the blur of the flas.h.i.+ng lights, I saw a girl with long black hair in a white dress sitting beside Zhang Jun. She was holding the microphone and singing, ‘Like The Fog, Like The Rain And Like The Wind’
You are never clear on the heart that I gave you
The love I gave you is always suffering
In the lonely night I helplessly search
Wanting to find an unchanging reliance
Give me another deep hug
Let me feel your most enthusiastic heart beat
I don’t care at all if you know or not
But the heart that painfully loves you will never grow old
Ah…
To me you are like the fog like the rain and also like the wind
Coming and going only leaving emptiness
To me you are like the fog like the rain and also like the wind
Allowing my heart to turn with you
Ah…
At the time, accompanied by the beautiful Lian Yan Ling, this song became popular over the north and south. It was pretty much a compulsory track for karaoke bars, I had long become insensitive from hearing it but at this very moment, it was like I had been struck by lightning.
The people around me pushed their way around and I was knocked sometimes to the front and sometimes to the back but I couldn’t feel any pain, it seemed like my soul had been removed from my body and I was numbly yet painfully looking at myself.
The people around Zhang Jun applauded loudly, whistled and shouted laughing, “Did you hear? She wants you to give her a deep hug!”
Zhang Jun drank alcohol and smiled but his body didn’t move.
Zhang Jun’s brothers started jeering, “Zhang Jun, you shouldn’t be like this, the girl has already taken the initiative!”
I don’t know if it was the girl’s sisters who took the lead and shouted, “Zhang Jun, kiss her!” Everyone clapped in rhythm while shouting, “Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her……” Their shouts and claps became louder and louder. It seemed as though the whole karaoke bar’s temperature rose whereas my soul looked at myself squeezed between people with a deathly pale face, staring at Zhang Jun blankly with both hands tightly clenched into fists.
Zhang Jun couldn’t endure everyone’s shouts. He finally put down his gla.s.s of alcohol, held the girl’s hand and on the back of her hand, he planted a kiss.
Everyone was dissatisfied and booed him. The boo sounds became louder and louder. The girl suddenly put her arm around Zhang Jun’s neck. She cast him a sidelong glance then planted a kiss on his face. It was like a demonstration but it helped Zhang Jun get out of the situation.
Everyone whistled and laughed while trying to push closer to the front. My height wasn’t tall enough and I was also involuntarily pushed forward by the people around me. I was b.u.mped by someone’s arm and the pus.h.i.+ng made my gla.s.ses fall. I quickly rushed to check, shouting, “Don’t step on my gla.s.ses.”
But there were much too many people and the crowd was involuntarily being pushed forwards. Not only was I not able to pick up my gla.s.ses, I was nearly injured by the crowd. My gla.s.ses was kicked over to a person’s foot. I was just about to go and get it but it was stepped on by a high heel and the lenses shattered. The person wearing the high heels shouted in surprise, “Ah, what is this?” Everyone nearby looked down and saw me lying in an awkward position on the floor.
It turns out that unknowingly, I had chased my gla.s.ses to the sofa that Zhang Jun was sitting on. I had only stared at Zhang Jun for the whole time and didn’t realize Xiao Bo was also sitting on the sofa. He pulled me up and resisted the urge to shout, “Do you know how dangerous that was? There are so many people and the music is loud, even if you get stepped on, no one will pay you any attention.”
I said grieved, “I wanted to pick up my gla.s.ses.”
Zhang Jun’s girlfriend apologetically said, “I’m sorry, little sister, I didn’t see it. Later, I’ll buy you a new pair.”
Little Six shouted, “Xiao Bo, your chick?” Due to the influence of Hong Kong gangster films, it was popular to call a girlfriend chick but I despised this nickname.
Xiao Bo quickly said, “No, normal friends.”
“Let her come over here, everyone can drink a few cups and become friends.”
Xiao Bo laughed apologetically, “She’s still small and doesn’t know how to drink.”
Little Six smiled but didn’t say anything. There was naturally someone beside him who spoke for him, “Now that Xiao Bo is a boss, his temper is much bigger than before, he doesn’t even listen to Little Six.”
Fearing that Xiao Bo would be awkward, I pulled his sleeve, indicating to him that it’s fine then I voluntarily sat next to Xiao Bo’s side.
Little Six handed me a small gla.s.s of red wine, “Which school?”
“No. 1”
“Good school, it’s the same school as the one my little brother Zhang Jun goes to, right? Zhang Jun?”
Zhang Jun coldly nodded.
I was just about to drink when Xiao Bo took the gla.s.s from my hands, “Little Six, she really can’t drink. I’ll drink the wine but the courtesy is hers.”
Little Six stopped smiling and stared at Xiao Bo. Xiao Bo didn’t cower and met his gaze. The people around us all stopped breathing, after a long while, Little Six smiled and nodded, “Okay! Since you’ve said it like this, I also can’t force it. If you want to drink for her then just drink for her!”
Xiao Bo immediately drained the gla.s.s in one gulp, “Thanks Little Six.”
The man beside Little Six placed an unopened bottle of white wine in front of Xiao Bo, “Not that gla.s.s, it’s this bottle.”
My body trembled from anger but I knew that this was the rule in this circle, if you want to subst.i.tute someone, then you’ll have to accept the other person’s rules.
Xiao Bo took the wine bottle and without even using the bottle opener, he used his teeth to open the bottle. He spat out the cap and started gulping in the wine straight from the bottle.
In the “Gulp” “Gulp” sounds, he finished the half kilogram of white wine completely. Xiao Bo placed the empty bottle on the table and smiled, “Thanks Little Six.”
Little Six ignored Xiao Bo and asked the others smiling, “Well, why aren’t you all singing? Sing!”
The girl beside him immediately opened the song book to choose songs. She chose ‘Ping Ju’ and Little Six sang with her while cuddling her.
Xiao Bo asked to leave from Little Six, like waving off a fly, Little Six impatiently waved his hands. I quickly accompanied Xiao Bo to the bathroom. He put his finger in his throat and forced himself to start vomiting. I was very apologetic and feeling very guilty but I didn’t know what I should do and could only lightly pat his back.