Chapter 39 Treasure Island (8) Living in a ceramics workshop. ...
She slept for a long time, and when she woke up late, she felt a little dazed when she saw the first light of dawn. A whole night had passed, and she was still lying on the other person's lap.
The other person actually sat in that position under the magnolia tree for the entire night.
He hesitated for a moment before jumping off the other person's lap, stretched on the ground, and asked, "Don't you need to sleep?"
"Need not."
"That's amazing, you don't even need to sleep," Chi Chi said sincerely.
"So, are you even human?"
1221, who had been pretending to be a quail all night, quickly interrupted the kitten in his mind: "Let's go, aren't we still going to find Ah Kun and Uncle Lin? They're going to learn how to throw pottery today, and you really want to see it, don't you?"
"Too."
It slowly perked up, wagged its tail at the person in the wheelchair as a farewell, and then jumped onto the wall it had climbed down the night before and went out into the yard.
It's very close to Longyun Street, just one street away. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to go to Akun's house first to see if he had left. If he hadn't gone out, I would set off with him.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she arrived at Longyun Street, she saw Ah Kun being called to a stop and following that person towards the billiard hall.
He followed them for a while, and soon Ah Kun came out with them and got on a black motorcycle.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” 1221 said. “It feels like something’s happened.”
“Let’s follow.” After saying this, he sped up and followed the electric motorcycle. Fortunately, 1221 guided the way the whole way, so the little cat didn’t get lost. They arrived at the pier on the west bank of Keelung Port.
"Hey! Ah Kun!"
His expression had been somewhat confused, but upon hearing the familiar voice, the boy froze, stopping in his tracks.
The man who brought him there rode away on a motorcycle, and three young men in floral shirts walked over from the dock.
The leader, a blond-haired man, was a regular at the billiard hall; everyone else called him "Ah Jie."
“These people look dangerous,” 1221 said to Chichi. “The magnetic fields around them are very chaotic.”
"They're the guys who fought at the pool hall last time. I saw them ask Ah Kun to run errands and buy cigarettes." Chi Chi hunched his back warily.
She watched as Ah Kun was led behind a pile of containers, and she quietly followed, hiding behind another container to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"So, have you thought it through?"
Ah Jie spat out the cigarette butt from his mouth and put his arm around Ah Kun's shoulder: "Just once, the reward is enough for you to live on for half a year. It's just one trip, simple and nothing big..."
Ah Kun kept his head down, grinding the pebbles on the ground with the tip of his shoe, remaining silent.
"Why are you pretending to be mute?"
The spiky-haired guy next to him shoved him hard: "Last time you said you wouldn't go to collect protection money, but this time you're being all coy about transporting some stuff. Don't you respect us?"
Ah Kun tugged at the large pockets on both sides of his pants, steeling his resolve: "I've already said, I don't want to do this."
"What are you pretending for?" Ah Jie sneered. "Didn't you say you'd do any job as long as you're paid?"
“But I don’t want to do this kind of thing, and you all know how dangerous it is,” Ah Kun said, suddenly looking up.
"Hahahaha." The three people opposite laughed loudly. "Don't think you're clean just because you've been a helper for a few days. You think you're doing dirty work? Weren't you dirty when you were stealing chickens and dogs before?"
"Anyway, I don't do that kind of thing anymore." Ah Kun pursed his lips. "I don't want to go to the police station again. Those police officers warned me."
“We’ll add more money.” A-Jie gestured another number. “Is this enough?”
Another thug chimed in, "That old guy's kiln is perfect for hiding things. You could slip something into those ceramics and nobody would know. Or you could use his beat-up truck to transport some for us..."
"no!"
The blond-haired man froze, dropping his cigarette on the ground: "What did you say?"
"I said, impossible! Don't even think about dragging others down with you!" Ah Kun raised his head, his eyes turning fierce.
"Are you looking for death?"
The spiky-haired man threw a punch, and Ah Kun stumbled and crashed into the container with a dull thud. The others immediately surrounded him, raining down punches and kicks.
"Where did your guts to steal go? What are you pretending to be a good person for now!"
"Beat him until he agrees!"
Ah Kun initially managed to fight back, but he couldn't overcome the sheer number of opponents and could only cower and protect his head, enduring the insults and punches raining down on him.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He gritted his teeth and, between each breath, repeated to those men, "I'd rather die than do it!"
"1221, what do we do?!"
Chi Chi was so anxious that she wanted to go down and help Ah Kun beat up these people. She was pacing around in circles.
"Quickly go and call Uncle Lin, run to the workshop!" 1221 said.
The kitten darted off the container like lightning, its paws stomping across the damp ground, nimbly slipping through a hole in the wire mesh, and sprinting towards the workshop.
Chichi ran back as fast as he could and leaped down from the courtyard wall like a whirlwind.
The potter's wheel emitted a steady hum. Uncle Lin was trimming a ceramic vase when he heard the urgent meowing sound and turned his head to look.
Chichi's fur flew up, and it made whimpering noises, repeatedly banging its head against the other's calf.
"Why are you alone?" The old man put down his pottery knife. "Where's Ah Kun?"
"Meow! Meow!"
She paced anxiously for a long time, then rushed out the door and looked back at him, her honey-colored eyes filled with worry, gesturing for him to come out with her.
Seeing that the other person was still frowning, she pointed to the broom that Ah Kun often used, opened her mouth and bit Lin Bo's trouser leg hard, pulling him out of the yard.
"Did something happen to that loser?" Uncle Lin asked the kitten, his brows furrowed as he was pulled and he stumbled.
Chichi quickly nodded and meowed, "If we don't go now, he'll be beaten to death!"
When Uncle Lin arrived late, Ah Kun was sliding down the container wall and sitting on the ground.
He was beaten black and blue and couldn't even stand up, but he still refused to give in.
Upon seeing the arrival of the people and the faint siren of a police car, the man in the floral shirt's expression changed drastically. He made a death wish gesture at Ah Kun: "You'll regret this."
Hearing the police sirens approaching, the group cursed and fled.
"Ah Kun!"
Uncle Lin rushed over and helped Ah Kun up: "Can you still walk?"
The moment he touched Ah Kun's arm, the boy gasped. His arm, which had been kicked earlier, swelled up quickly, and the exposed wound looked horrifying.
“…It’s alright.” Ah Kun tried to break free, but the old man held on even tighter.
Why did they hit you?
"It's none of your business." Ah Kun turned his face away, unwilling to tell the other person the truth.
“He didn’t want Uncle Lin to get involved, that’s why he didn’t tell him,” 1221 said to Chichi.
“But if we don’t tell Uncle Lin, who can help him?” Chi Chi said. “I think we should let Uncle Lin know.”
"When the police arrive, you still need to tell them that I can ask the police and they'll find out too. Tell them quickly!"
Uncle Lin looked serious and pressed down on Ah Kun's arm.
The boy squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "They wanted me to use you to do... bad things. I said I wouldn't, and then a fight broke out."
After saying that, Ah Kun added, "You don't need to worry about this. I can handle it myself."
"If I don't care, who will?" Uncle Lin's tone turned serious, his voice unusually clear in the sea breeze.
"Foolish! Why didn't you agree first and then find a chance to run away later? You had to get beaten up."
Ah Kun spat out a mouthful of bloody foam to the side: "No, they'll be watching me, and then they'll find your place, which will be even more troublesome!"
These words silenced Uncle Lin.
He glared at Ah Kun, wanting to scold him for not protecting himself properly, but seeing Ah Kun's swollen lips and stubborn eyes, he swallowed the words back.
The police car stopped next to the container. Uncle Lin helped Ah Kun stand up and made a statement at the scene. Ah Kun endured the pain and tried his best to explain clearly: "It was Li Kaijie. They wanted me to help them deliver some things..." The police listened, and their expressions became more and more serious. If it was just a regular street fight, it would be fine, but this involved a more serious premeditated activity.
"We will investigate as soon as possible." Officer Chen softened his tone and said to Ah Kun, "Be careful lately, and contact us immediately if anything happens."
After the on-site record was completed, the police went to search for the group of people. Uncle Lin grabbed Ah Kun's arm and said, "Come on, let's go to the hospital to check the injuries."
"Need not."
Ah Kun broke free from the other person and insisted on not going: "It's just a superficial injury, I'll buy some medicine and apply it for a few days and it will be fine."
Chichi saw that the other person's right leg, which had just recovered from an injury, had been kicked several times again and was unsteady on its feet. So Chichi stood next to the other person's leg and used its body to help support it.
The kitten's body was obviously powerless, but the warm touch and the little bit of strength coming from its right leg made Ah Kun twitch the corner of his mouth.
"Get out of the way, you can't carry me."
Uncle Lin stepped forward and, without saying a word, put his arm around the boy's neck: "Let's go back first and talk about it later."
This time, Ah Kun didn't break free. With Lin Bo's help, he limped back.
Back at the workshop, Uncle Lin took out the wound medicine he had just bought, first cleaning and disinfecting the wound, then applying some medicine to help it heal, and bandaging it with gauze.
After treating the wound, he boiled a few eggs and used them to apply to Ah Kun's swollen cheekbones.
Watching the man hiss in pain as the egg rolled around him, it took Uncle Lin a long time to finally speak: "I didn't expect you to have a conscience after all."
Ah Kun held the warm eggs without looking up, and said in a muffled voice, "This is my own business, I can't involve others."
Uncle Lin coughed and didn't continue the topic. He glanced at the dried-up mud on the workbench.
"Stay here for the next few days and don't go home by yourself. I'm afraid they'll be waiting for you."
"I don't--"
Chichi pressed his paw against the wound on the other's arm through the gauze, and the boy swallowed the rest of his sentence in pain, glaring angrily at the kitten.
"Just listen to what Lao Lin says."
The kitten, seemingly trying to comfort Ah Kun, licked his hand and said, "It's safer here than your home, and closer to the police station. Your life is more important."
“If I can still move tomorrow,” Uncle Lin said with his back to Ah Kun, “I’ll polish those blanks; there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Ah Kun raised his head, looking at the other person's not-so-tall but very composed back, his lips moved, and finally he responded in a low voice.
"good."
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