03 "If you lose the fight, you go to the hospital; if you win, you go to jail"
2004
The day before New Year's Eve, a truck with brake failure ran into the road outside the Ronggang Family Building. Tao Liqing and his wife Wan Shuzhi, who had just got off work from the factory and were on their way to buy groceries, were crushed under the car and died on the spot.
Six-year-old Tao Wanjia also became an orphan on this day.
After the funeral, the factory leaders started to pass the buck regarding the orphan girl's future placement. Countless people expressed their regret and pity, but no one was willing to speak out. Then Huang Zhibiao stood up in the crowd.
He ignored his wife's dissuasion, walked forward, picked up the child who was being watched by others, and spoke forcefully.
"Old Tao is gone, so this child is my daughter from now on, and we will raise her in our family!"
Rough hands wiped away the tears from her face. Huang Zhibiao's face was firm, and his words were like the steam coming out of an iron pot, floating over with the wind and covering her with warmth.
"Don't be afraid, Jiajia. Your parents are gone, but your uncle, aunt, and sister Huang Zheng will take care of you just like your parents did."
The cold wind froze her tears into ice. Tao Wanji opened her eyes and looked at the face on the tombstone that was exactly the same as the one in her memory.
Humans are creatures that seek benefits and avoid harm. They are used to forgetting pain by escaping. But in fact, some scars are bone spurs lying across the blood, which will only get worse with time.
The sky was turning pale blue. Tao Wanji tidied up the plastic bag that was scraped against the pine tree beside the tomb and prepared to leave. But just as he took a short step, he saw a vague shadow walking up from the foot of the mountain.
Perhaps it was her sixth sense, she hadn't yet identified the man from his outline as He Yu, but the panic of almost meeting him last night had made her turn around and go back quickly.
After looking around, I finally adhered to the principle of not disturbing others and quietly hid behind my parents' grave.
The evergreen pines and cypresses are lush and leafy, and Tao Wangjia, half-squatting on the ground, is completely integrated into this natural environment.
Unexpectedly, it was really He Yu. He was blurred into a black shadow by the dark sky and stood directly in front of the tomb.
The titmouse above her head flapped its long tail and cried mournfully in the deep blue morning mist. Tao Wanjia looked at the man's angular face and was brought back to that sultry summer by the voice.
Once again, the desperate girl, tortured by fate and abandoned by life, came here with the only life-saving straw she could grab before drowning.
"I'm not someone who keeps his word. You swore on my parents' tombstone that you would take me away from Rongcheng."
"I, He Yu, swear that I will take Tao Wanjia away from here smoothly. If I fail, then the sky will thunder—"
"Don't swear such a curse!"
"I mean what I say, you believe me!"
…
His thoughts returned, and Tao Wanjia watched through the gaps between the leaves as He Yu took out wet wipes from his pocket and bent down to wipe the tombstone.
After a while, she finally heard his voice, like the wind carrying gravel, grinding against his throat.
"Uncle and aunt, if you are still alive, please bless me and help me find her."
He didn't sleep all night last night, and his eyes were filled with fatigue under the bruises.
He Yu stared at the photo on the tombstone, and his thoughts went blank for a moment.
In the past, this was their secret base. While other children would go to the railway tracks or the old market, she would run up the mountain whenever something happened because her parents were buried here. He would follow behind her, letting her pull him along. The two of them would stand in the pavilion on the top of the mountain, overlooking the entire factory area.
Today, there is an endless wasteland at the foot of the mountain.
Thinking of this, He Yu squatted down again and wiped the bottom of the tombstone clean one by one.
This seemed to have become a ritual for him. Rather than a memorial service, it was more like making a wish to the golden statue in the temple. He devoutly regarded these two faces he had never seen before as his own gods.
His legs were a little numb, and Tao Wanji carefully adjusted his posture. The plastic bag in his pocket was blown out by the wind, and the rustling sound was too harsh.
He Yu heard it and stood up to explore the source of the sound. The plate of dumplings in front of the tomb had long since gone cold. He looked down, wondering if it was Huang Zheng who had been there, but at this moment, he preferred to believe in another possibility.
So he went around to the back of the tomb and walked forward on dry branches in the dim light. Tao Wanjia held his breath and stared at his gradually approaching footsteps.
Just as he was struggling in his mind about how to escape if he was discovered, a hurried voice suddenly came from outside.
"Mr. He, time is running out. We have to get to the venue early."
Secretary Xiao Zhang was panting. Seeing the motionless figure standing in the haystack, he called out again, "Mr. He?"
"knew."
He Yu looked at the pine and cypress tree and belatedly remembered what Wen Dongyang said about him being afraid of everything. Yesterday, it was a piece of clothing or a back view that made him nervous, but today, the slightest sound could make him go crazy. He really couldn't be like this.
He Yu stopped and turned around. Behind the leaves, Tao Wanjia's heart was in her throat. She closed her eyes tightly, unable to recall a single image in her mind. White light flickered.
Tao Wanjia opened his eyes only after hearing the footsteps fade away.
She squatted for too long and her calves felt numb. She held on to the edge of the tombstone to avoid falling.
It was already dawn when we went down the mountain, and the sun was rising in the east.
The mountain, covered with a layer of morning light, was still dilapidated in the winter. He Yu withdrew his gaze, adjusted his mood and got into the car.
In recent years, Rongcheng has experienced slow development, its economy significantly declining without heavy industry. Young people are constantly leaving, and the aging population continues to grow. To boost economic development, the government has convened a business-related investment promotion meeting.
One of the projects was the redevelopment of the wasteland beneath the cemetery. The government, hoping to ease the burden of elderly care for the people, planned to build a health and wellness center there. He Yu was very interested in the project and had been preparing to pursue it.
The meeting was over and someone stopped him as he was leaving.
"Mr. He, you treat a piece of land that was demolished after an accident as a treasure. Only you can do such a thing."
Deng Zixiong walked up to him, took away the cigarette that was about to dangle from the corner of his mouth, and said with disdain, "How did you get that face? Did you paint it on purpose to attract attention?"
This man was a semi-rival, someone who had always considered him a mortal enemy. Ever since the Rongcheng branch began undertaking a steady stream of large government projects four years ago, Deng Zixiong had been at odds with him. The Deng family had deep roots in Rongcheng, with businesses spanning every sector. He was a native prince, fawning over him wherever he went.
On normal days, He Yu would have said a few words to him just to save face, but today he was too busy to deal with him and didn't want to waste his breath on a useless person.
"If Mr. Deng is also interested in this piece of land, you are welcome to bid together."
His voice was very calm, and he didn't even look at the other person. He said this and went downstairs.
Deng Zixiong, whose cigarette butt had grown long behind him, extinguished it and stared fiercely at the arrogant figure that was gradually moving away.
After following his master for two more days, Tao Wanjia successfully passed the internship period on Monday.
Big Li handed her the keys to the tricycle with a smile, and said solemnly, "From now on, this is your own tricycle. You must take good care of it. You have to drive it back every night after delivering all the gas tanks."
After that, he asked her to take out her mobile phone and upload her number to the system, so that people in need could contact her directly by phone without her having to check the messages in the group chat one by one.
Tao Wanjia quickly picked up the skills, integrating her diverse past experience into her work. In one morning, she delivered 20 gas cans, demonstrating high efficiency and excellent service. Even for a newcomer, she was already on par with other delivery drivers.
When people are busy, they have no time to take care of other things. They eat lunch in a hurry and then go to deliver to another area.
The first order in the afternoon came from Lanhu Community, a newly built residential complex. The community environment is very good and there is no need to climb stairs, but the access control is a bit strict.
She drove her tricycle to the entrance of the apartment building, pressed the call button, and waited for the elevator to open. The elevator was very slow, and it took a long time to rise to the tenth floor.
Tao Wanjia knocked on the door gently with the gas tank in his hand. He stood there for almost a minute before the door slowly opened.
A little girl in a red dress stood at the door. She looked at her with her bright black eyes for a moment, then turned back and called out softly, "Mom, it's someone who's here to deliver the gas tank!"
Tao Wanji bent down to take out shoe covers from his pocket, and turned sideways to hear a familiar voice beside his ear.
"Baby, didn't mommy tell you not to open the door alone?"
She raised her head and saw a face she hadn't seen for many years.
"Come in."
Huang Zheng glanced over briefly, pulled the child to her side, and made way for him. "It's okay, you don't need to wear shoe covers."
Tao Wanji picked up the gas tank and walked into the house with his head down, his heart beating fast. He felt relieved when he saw his whole outfit reflected in the glass door of the kitchen.
He was still wearing the androgynous black workwear, his features completely hidden by a hat and mask, his unkempt short hair casually tucked behind his ears. Huang Zheng looked like this, and even her parents wouldn't recognize him if they jumped out of their coffins.
It was strange that she had been planning and looking forward to seeing her, but when the time came, her heart was filled with pain like needles.
Memories jumped out uncontrollably like a flood of seawater——
"So you want to run away with He Yu, right? Get as far away as you can! Just pretend I never had this sister!"
"Am I your sister? From childhood to adulthood, haven't I just been a tool for you to vent your anger on and a servant you ordered around?"
The sink tap was turned on, and the splashing water was like her chaotic thoughts. But as Huang Zheng turned on the tap, Tao Wanjia's wandering mind quickly settled. She retracted her peripheral vision and squatted down to connect the gas line with skill.
The kitchen door was not closed, and the babyish voices outside could be clearly heard.
"Mom, mom, who will be celebrating my birthday with me tonight? Can I finish the cake quickly so we can go out and play?"
"Anyone you want can come," Huang Zheng wiped her hands with a tissue, looked at the figure squatting on the ground, and asked, "Is it still one hundred and thirty pairs?"
Tao Wanjia didn't say anything. He tightened the valve and nodded.
"Then I'll scan WeChat. Please give me the QR code."
Huang Zheng walked forward, phone in hand. Tao Wanjia feigned composure, flipping over the QR code on the back of his work ID and handing it over. But before the ding sound could be heard, the person next to him suddenly ran out.
"Wang Hao!"
"Put the child down!"
Huang Zheng cursed loudly and ran out, but the elevator door was already closed. She anxiously slammed the elevator twice. Seeing this, Tao Wanji hurriedly pushed open the door of the escalator on the side.
She didn't know how Huang Zheng had been doing these past few years, nor did she know when she had a family and children. She hoped that she was doing well, but the urgency and panic in Huang Zheng's eyes intensified Tao Wanjia's reaction. She ran down from the tenth floor at full speed, chasing the man holding the child and stopping him at the gate of the community.
The child was crying non-stop, and Huang Zheng was also very emotional when she ran over.
"You bastard, give my daughter back to me!"
The child cried anxiously. Huang Zheng grabbed the child and held him tightly in her arms, comforting him.
The man was so exhausted that he was out of breath, his words were intermittent, and he tried to argue: "Can't I even take care of my own daughter? You didn't answer the phone and didn't let me see the child. I'm her biological father, and it's not illegal for me to celebrate her birthday!"
The two have been divorced for almost five years. Wang Hao cheated on Huang Zheng during her pregnancy and was discovered by her, which almost caused her to have a difficult delivery. He was crying outside the operating room at the time, thinking that Huang Zheng would compromise and live with him after giving birth to the child. That's what the old people said. As a result, before he even left the hospital, the lawyer took the evidence and the agreement and asked him to sign it.
They were a young couple and had feelings for each other, but after a long time, Wang Hao began to regret it. Seeing that Huang Zheng was living a better life after leaving him, he felt a little resentful, so he found excuses to come and see the child every few days.
Huang Zheng moved to a new house after being harassed several times. He had been quiet for a long time, but he didn't expect an accident to happen today.
"How dare you mention birthdays?" Huang Zheng glared at him. "Don't you know why we're getting divorced?"
At three o'clock in the afternoon, although it was a weekday, there were still quite a few old men and women taking a walk in the community. The triple volume of one man, one woman and a child inevitably attracted the attention of passers-by.
Gossip is human nature, and family arguments often provide these washed-out elders with inspiration for ideological work. Before they could even grasp the issue, they were already clamoring, and for a moment, Tao Wanjia felt like he was in a noisy duck pen.
Wang Hao was unhappy about being watched by others. Seeing Huang Zheng looking at him like trash, he felt a little embarrassed. To save face, he acted ruthlessly, "Shut up! Don't force me to do anything."
"Come on, who's afraid of who in a fight?"
Huang Zheng didn't care. She was the last person to be embarrassed. The advice she'd received as a child about not being a shrew was all nonsense. No matter what, one should have the courage to be fearless. So, she covered her daughter's ears and yelled, "Hurry up! If you lose, you'll go to the hospital. If you win, you'll go to jail. I'll just sue you for trespassing!"
Seeing this, Wang Hao really stretched out his hand. Just as Tao Wanjia was about to step forward, someone suddenly came up behind her and accidentally bumped into her shoulder.
When he looked up, Wen Dongyang and another colleague in police uniform were in the middle of the crowd.
"Everyone, go away. What are you doing?"
Wen Dongyang stopped the man's timid hand from rising into the air and suppressed it with his aura: "If you have something to say, just say it."
After saying that, he turned around and looked at Huang Zheng, "Are you okay?"
Huang Zheng shook her head and regained her composure.
The chaotic farce ended briefly, reason prevailed over emotion, and Tao Wanji followed the retreating crowd to the side in order not to attract attention.
He returned to the tricycle, took off his hat and mask, and took out a tissue from his pocket to wipe the sweat from his forehead one by one.
When the cool wind brought down the heat on her face, she looked up and found He Yu less than ten meters away from her.
He was dressed more casually than he had been at the cemetery that day, a camel coat with beige pants, and holding a box of playfully colored toys, which made him particularly eye-catching on the dull and gray winter day.
Tao Wanjia also did just that, freezing the figure for a second among the sparse crowd that dispersed in twos and threes.
She paused for a moment, and He Yu over there recognized her.
His mouth reacted before his body did. He rushed over and shouted in the direction where she was standing - "Tao Wanjia!"
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