Chapter 32: Being a Cactus

When Xie Kang was woken up by the ringing of his cell phone, he shuddered and his coat fell to the ground.

The sunlight was dazzling, so he turned his head to avoid it, rubbed his eyes, and slowly woke up.

Last night, Zhuang Yongyuan had chased him away. Worried about Zhuang Yongyuan getting into trouble again, he didn't dare leave immediately. He opened the door downstairs and then slammed it shut, leaving him inside. Fortunately, Zhuang Yongyuan believed him and didn't come down to check. Xie Kang found a chair, sat down, and listened to what was going on upstairs. He fell asleep before he knew it.

Xie Kang didn't answer his mother's call. When he turned off the sound, he checked the time. It was already past noon. He looked out the window, feeling dazed. The last time he slept until noon was when he was in college.

My whole body aches, and I don’t know if it’s because I slept in the chair or because I overdid it last night.

Last night's events replayed through Xie Kang's mind like a movie played at double speed: the impetuous riverside, the smell of dust in the hallway, the icy, sweet Duoduozi grass jelly, the bathroom, the bed, his sweat dripping onto Zhuang Yongyuan's face, which Zhuang Yongyuan licked away. It had clearly only been less than half a day, yet all the sounds, images, and smells had become distant.

He unconsciously touched his lips, as if looking for some relic or evidence of last night.

After a while, Xie Kang began to regret falling asleep last night. He stayed to ensure Zhuang Yongyuan's safety.

Xie Kang was anxious and looked up and called out "Zhuang Yongyuan".

There was no response, and his chest tightened. He quickly rushed up the precarious stairs and looked for Zhuang Yongyuan in every room, but there was no one there.

There was an opened box of condoms on the small table beside the bed. Xie Kang picked it up, looked at it, put it back, and went to the balcony to call Zhuang Yongyuan.

It took a long time for Zhuang Yongyuan to answer the phone. As soon as the call was connected, Xie Kang heard the sound of wind whirring from the other side.

"Where have you been?" Xie Kang asked.

“Delivering food.”

"What?"

"Delivery!" Zhuang Yongyuan shouted again, "I'm hanging up now. I'm about to time out!"

Xie Kang was stunned when he heard the busy tone. He remembered that last time at school, Zhuang Yongyuan also said that he was in a hurry to deliver takeout. At that time, he thought Zhuang Yongyuan was joking, but he didn't expect it to be true.

Xie Kang couldn't understand Zhuang Yongyuan. He certainly didn't need this little money, so what was he doing all this for? It was already bizarre that he'd gone back to No. 1 Middle School to be a substitute teacher, but now he was actually working as a delivery driver. The next time he saw him, he might be working as a waiter.

Just as Xie Kang was thinking, there was a sudden knock on the door downstairs.

The door had barely opened a crack when the person knocking on it impatiently reached out and squeezed in. As soon as he entered, he threw himself to the ground, hugged Xie Kang's legs, and cried out in a sobbing voice: "How long are you going to hide from me? If Ah Zhong hadn't told me that he saw you back, I really don't know where to find you..."

The pungent smell of perfume on her body made Xie Kang dizzy. He bent down to help the middle-aged woman up, but she shook her head vigorously, and her dry, yellow curly hair scratched the back of Xie Kang's hand.

"Just help me one more time. I swear this is the last time. You are so capable now, helping me is just a natural thing to do!"

She raised her head, her eyes red as she looked at Xie Kang. The moment their gazes met, she suddenly realized something was wrong. She quickly let go of Xie Kang, stood up unsteadily, and said in a stern voice, "Who are you? Why am I in my house?"

"Is this your home?" Xie Kang frowned and asked, "Did you go the wrong way?"

The woman pushed Xie Kang and said, "My husband and I borrowed money to buy this house in 1995. We painted the walls ourselves and did the plumbing and electrical work ourselves. I'd recognize it even if it were ash. Who are you to break into someone's house and be so confident? Go ask around. Is there anyone on this street who doesn't know me?"

"Your husband..." Xie Kang realized that the person in front of him might be Zhuang Yongyuan's mother. Zhuang Yongyuan had said that he looked like his mother, and upon closer inspection, the middle-aged woman's facial features bore some resemblance to Zhuang Yongyuan's.

But Zhuang Yongyuan's mother passed away when Zhuang Yongyuan was in junior high school. At first, she would occasionally call him, but later she completely disappeared without a trace. When Zhuang Fu died, he wanted to notify her, but he couldn't contact her.

"What are you looking at? Are you feeling guilty now? Don't even think about getting away like that. Either I call the police, or we'll settle this privately for 5,000 yuan. You look like a decent person, but I didn't expect you to do this kind of thing behind the scenes. If your family and friends knew you were this kind of person..."

Xie Kang interrupted her: "Auntie, we may have a misunderstanding."

She interrupted, "Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? I haven't rented or sold this house. If you're not a thief or robber here, what are you? I'm telling you, don't think I'm easy to bully. My son is not an ordinary person!"

"I'm Zhuang Yongyuan's friend. I came to see him, so I'm here."

Hearing Zhuang Yongyuan's name, the woman's aggressive demeanor faded a little. She looked Xie Kang up and down suspiciously and asked him, "Do you know my Doudou?"

"Doudou?" The pronunciation of these two words is strange. It is not Mandarin pronunciation, nor is it the local accent of Pingnan.

The woman said somewhat angrily, "Doudou is his nickname. I gave it to him."

"Oh, I haven't heard him say that."

"What about Doudou? Is Doudou upstairs?"

"He went out for something. Auntie, please sit for a while. I'll give him a call."

Xie Kang said as he took out his cell phone. The woman just sat down and stood up again. She came close to Xie Kang and looked at the number he dialed. She murmured, "Oh, did Doudou change his number? Why can't I get through to him..."

Zhuang Yongyuan answered the phone and said impatiently, "Xie Kang, I'm in a hurry. I'll be fined if I'm late. Please don't bother me."

"It's not me looking for you, it's..." Xie Kang glanced at Zhuang Yongyuan's mother, who looked hesitant, and said, "It's your mother. Your mother is at your house now."

Zhuang Yongyuan fell silent immediately, and his mother quickly spoke up, "Doudou, it's me. I heard from Ah Zhong that you were back, and I brought you some things from home. Are you busy? Come home as soon as you're done."

"What are you doing here?" Zhuang Yongyuan's voice was unexpectedly cold. Without waiting for her to answer, he continued, "Xie Kang, wait there for a while. Help me keep an eye on her and don't let her go upstairs and touch my things. I'll be back soon."

He hung up the phone after he finished speaking. Xie Kang put away his phone and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Zhuang Yongyuan's relationship with his mother didn't sound simple.

However, after the call, the woman's attitude softened significantly, and her two dark eyebrows, which were originally raised high, now relaxed.

"There was a misunderstanding just now. I'm sorry. I was wondering how someone like you could be a thief." She said with a wry smile.

"It's okay, Auntie."

"Hey, don't call me Auntie, that's too polite. You and Doudou are so close, just call me Aying." She looked at Xie Kang affectionately and asked, "How old are you this year? Do you work for the government? Are you married?"

"Zhuang Yongyuan and I were high school classmates. We are the same age."

Xie Kang put on his glasses and said, "Auntie, have you had lunch yet? If not, there's a good restaurant nearby."

Xie Kang and Aying sat across from each other in a small private room on the second floor of Tianxia Fishing Village. The dishes on the table were well-ordered, including seafood, mountain products, staple foods, and sweet soups. Considering Aying was in her fifties, she'd likely opted for lighter dishes like braised or boiled meats. However, she eagerly ate a plate of chili stir-fries.

As she ate, she said, "You're so polite! I'll have our Doudou treat you to dinner tonight."

They exchanged pleasantries and ate their lunch leisurely, adding the alcohol cubes used to keep the shark fin soup warm several times. It was almost two o'clock when Zhuang Yongyuan opened the door to the private room and came in. He glanced first at Ah Ying, then at Xie Kang, then at the dishes on the table. He stood at the table for a long time before pulling out a chair next to Xie Kang and sitting down.

Xie Kang smelled a strong smell of smoke on him. He turned around and looked at him, and found that he looked very pale and tense all over.

Ah Ying, who had been so talkative not long ago, fell silent. She chuckled a few times, placed the bowl of bird's nest in front of her on the turntable and turned it in front of Zhuang Yongyuan, saying, "Doudou, eat some bird's nest. It's good for your throat."

"Don't call me Doudou!"

The tone of his voice scared Xie Kang. Xie Kang had never heard Zhuang Yongyuan speak so angrily.

He thought Zhuang Yongyuan probably didn't want him to be there, so he took out his phone and sent him a WeChat message: "I'm leaving first?"

Zhuang Yongyuan glanced at WeChat, stared at the phone for a while, and said directly: "You stay here, don't leave."

Zhuang Yongyuan leaned very close when he spoke, and his words penetrated into Xie Kang's ears like a stream of warm air, causing the side of his body close to Zhuang Yongyuan to feel numb.

Xie Kang nodded and said, "I'm staying here. I won't leave."

Zhuang Yongyuan picked up the lighter on the table and lit a cigarette. Ah Ying said again, "Don't smoke so much. It's bad for your throat."

Zhuang Yongyuan sneered and said, "You always say voice, what does it have to do with you whether my voice is good or bad? Are you worried that I won't be able to make money if my voice is damaged?"

He smoked, puffed out smoke, and said, "I made it clear when I transferred money to you last time, didn't I? There won't be a next time. Why are you looking for me again?"

Ah Ying looked at Xie Kang and said hesitantly, "Who said I came to you just for money?"

"Oh, there are outsiders here. You have to save face, so you're embarrassed to say it." Zhuang Yongyuan put his hands on the table, leaning forward, and said, "Those loan sharks you borrowed call me every day. If it's not money, why would you come to me?"

Xie Kang gently held Zhuang Yongyuan's hand under the table. Zhuang Yongyuan didn't pull away; his hand was cold. Xie Kang now understood why Zhuang Yongyuan's phone kept ringing, and why he always ignored it.

Ah Ying blushed and gave Xie Kang an awkward smile before saying to Zhuang Yongyuan, "I was also deceived. Someone introduced me to a business and said I could make 50,000 yuan if I invested 10,000 yuan, so I went for it. In the end, I'm stuck with the goods and can't sell them..."

"So you're going to try the Mark Six lottery again?"

Ah Ying lowered her head and stammered, "I just didn't want to trouble you, so I went to try my luck. My fortune-teller told me that my luck would improve this year, and I was destined to have unexpected wealth. I even got the first incense burner at Nanshan Temple on the first day of the new year. I didn't have good fortune before, but this time there's hope."

Zhuang Yongyuan looked at her with disgust: "What does your fortune have to do with me?"

"I, I'll write you an IOU, Doudou. This is really the last time. Lend me some money first, and I'll pay back the urgent debt first."

"What are you going to use to pay me back? Buy another lottery ticket?"

"I'm learning how to do beauty and manicure from someone. After I learn for a while, I'll open my own shop. Then I'll have money."

"Doudou, please help me one last time. Mom only came to you when she had no other choice. Can you please help me one last time, considering that I gave birth to you and raised you?"

Zhuang Yongyuan remained silent, and Ah Ying continued to speak to herself, "Doudou, you weren't like this before. When you graduated from university, you had no money. Mom only had 5,000 yuan, and she transferred 4,000 yuan to you. When you were little, you always said you loved your mom the most and hated your dad..."

With a loud bang, the glass ashtray smashed to pieces on the ground. Zhuang Yongyuan was so angry that he almost screamed, "Stop talking!"

After he finished speaking, he slammed the door of the box and ran out, leaving behind a pile of broken glass that sparkled in the afternoon sun.

Xie Kang quickly stood up and ran after him. He walked to the door and then returned to say to A Ying, "I'll transfer 50,000 yuan to you first. Do you think it's enough to cover the cost?"

Ah Ying's face lit up immediately, but she was still trying to refuse: "We are not even related, so why would I accept your money?"

"What's your bank account number?" Zhuang Yongyuan was still wandering outside, and Xie Kang didn't have time to argue with her.

While transferring the money, Xie Kang caught a glimpse of the wallpaper on Aying's cracked phone: a magazine photo of Zhang Zhuang Yongyuan. As he entered Aying's bank card number, he asked, "You just said that Zhuang Yongyuan asked you for money around the time he graduated from college?"

Ah Ying hesitated for a moment and said, "He was in a difficult situation at that time. As a mother, I couldn't take care of him before, so I helped as much as I could."

"Did he contact you first?"

Ah Ying seemed reluctant to speak. After all, Zhuang Yongyuan was now successful in his career, and she didn't want to tell anyone about his past. But Xie Kang stared at her intently, and thinking about the favor she had just accepted from this man, she felt compelled to speak.

"I heard that Zhuang Yongyuan's father had finally passed away, so I went back to Pingnan to see what was going on. Ah Zhong, the owner of the tobacco and liquor store across the street, told me that Doudou had gone to Shanghai to study at university and hadn't been back for several years. I was also working in Shanghai at the time, so I asked Ah Zhong for Doudou's phone number because I wanted to go see him."

Xie Kang pressed on, "When did you go? How was Zhuang Yongyuan then?"

The expression on his face was a bit scary, his previous polite demeanor completely gone. Ah Ying, feeling apprehensive, said, "Let me think... It was around November of Doudou's graduation year. I thought he was mad at me and wouldn't see me, but he actually told me to go to his place and find him."

"I was shocked when I saw Doudou. He was so thin he looked unrecognizable. He smoked and drank constantly and wouldn't listen..." Ah Ying choked up as she spoke. "I was worried he'd die at home one day and no one would know. You don't know, Doudou weighed seven pounds when he was born. He looked so big in my arms. The nurse who delivered him said he was an easy baby. How could he have ended up like that?"

"I cooked him a meal, but he only ate a few bites before going back to his room, either playing the piano or clicking around on his computer, sometimes crying or laughing. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was making songs. I didn't understand either."

In November, Xie Kang counted the days. It had only been five months since he'd last seen Zhuang Yongyuan before returning to Pingnan. Five months earlier, Zhuang Yongyuan was doing well. Aside from worrying about his graduation thesis and struggling to write a song, he loved eating, playing, and shopping for clothes. He went to bed early and rose early, and rarely smoked or drank.

He doesn't like the smell of cigarettes, so Xie Kang has to go to the balcony to smoke. He's not worried about not being able to write a song, as he believes he'll be able to write one sooner or later.

And why would Zhuang Yongyuan be so strapped for cash as to ask his mother, a person he hadn't spoken to in years, for money? Before Xie Kang left, he'd paid two years' rent for him and put all his money into his bank account. Even if Zhuang Yongyuan didn't do anything, that sum would have been enough for him to spend for a year or two.

Unless he didn't want to spend his own money. Unless he felt that his mother, who had abandoned him, was more lovable than Xie Kang, who had left him. Unless he had to have someone to rely on, even if that person had abandoned him before.

What did he go through to go from that state to later becoming a normal person, forming a band, performing, and even appearing on variety shows, and not being shy in front of the camera?

After hastily transferring the money to Aying, Xie Kang went downstairs and called Zhuang Yongyuan. When Zhuang Yongyuan didn't answer, he kept calling. When Zhuang Yongyuan finally answered the phone on the tenth call, he asked Xie Kang listlessly, "What's up?"

Xie Kang thought for a moment and asked him, "I'm going to help our class leader's band rehearse this afternoon. Do you want to come with me?"