Chen Yi made a rare trip home during the summer vacation. It had been several months since he last saw Chen Libin. This time, there were no punches or kicks exchanged. Over the years, Chen Yi had grown rapidly, his height nearly catching up to Chen Libin’s. The father and son sat at the dining table, eating in silence as usual, each entrenched in their own world.
When the topic of this year’s high school entrance exams and high schools came up, Chen Libin poured himself a glass of liquor. After a moment of thought, he took a sip and spoke slowly.
“What high school? How much would three years of tuition and miscellaneous fees cost? Haven’t you caused enough trouble and harm since you were little? Everyone who knows you says you’re a black sheep. If you go to school again, where all the students are decent, you’ll just get into fights, corrupt the good students, ruin the school spirit and discipline, and cause trouble. How many people would you end up hurting? If the son’s debts fall on the father, can I afford to pay?”
Chen Libin downed the liquor in one gulp, his refined face flushing with an eerie redness. “Go to a vocational high school. I’ve already arranged for your enrollment and transferred your student records. The school has an electromechanical program. After a few years, I’ll arrange for you to work as an electrician at the power supply station. You need to remember what you’re afraid of to avoid causing trouble.”
Chen Yi was afraid of electricity.
His body froze in the chair, his jawline taut like a bowstring about to snap. He resembled a cold, rigid statue, radiating hostility. Miao Jing and Wei Mingzhen sat at the other end of the table, their chopsticks paused mid-air, not daring to breathe loudly. Miao Jing was afraid to look up and meet Chen Yi’s gaze. His dark, intense eyes locked with hers, suddenly flashing with a piercing, icy light. Then, he abruptly leaped up and overturned the table—plates, bowls, and utensils clattered to the floor. Chen Yi swung a chair at Chen Libin, who dodged aside with a grim expression, colliding with Wei Mingzhen’s shoulder. Both mother and daughter screamed as they watched the father and son grapple violently.
“Why don’t you just die? Wasn’t it enough that you drove my mom to her death? You scum, you lunatic…” Chen Yi’s eyes burned crimson as he threw punch after punch. “Since I was little… I’ll kill you one day, damn it…”
“You little beast… bastard, you bastard. I gave you life and raised you… I’m your father, damn it… You, you bear the Chen name, don’t you ever think… I’d rather raise dogs, cats, or any animal than raise you…”
The brawl ended with neighbors gathering outside and busybodies knocking on the door to mediate. The father and son became sworn enemies, and their feud became gossip for the neighbors to chew over during their leisure time for a long while.
Chen Yi, covered in bruises, stormed out cold-faced, kicking the door shut behind him. After that, he never returned to that house again.
—
Miao Jing entered the second year of middle school that summer. She was a good student with few friends and an introverted personality, spending most of her days at home reading. Yet, she always felt a sense of fear—fear of Chen Libin. He seemed so refined and gentle, speaking logically and appearing easygoing, yet his actions could be completely contradictory. Moreover, he had started drinking heavily while using the computer, his face growing paler and his demeanor more unnervingly polite the more he drank.
She was afraid to be alone with him at home, always feeling uneasy. Wei Mingzhen, aware of her timid nature, sometimes took Miao Jing to the teahouse where she worked. The teahouse was located near the pedestrian street, with two floors that included quiet rooms for tea and conversation as well as a mahjong and card room. Miao Jing helped out by cutting fruit and arranging platters, earning some pocket money for herself.However, Miao Jing soon discovered Wei Mingzhen's secret through subtle clues. A middle-aged man would frequently visit the shop to see Wei Mingzhen, and the two would leave separately before returning together. When Miao Jing noticed, Wei Mingzhen didn't panic much, straightforwardly admitting he was her lover and asking Miao Jing to keep it a secret.
It had been going on for a while. Ever since Wei Mingzhen started frequently arguing with Chen Libin, adopting a "live and let live" attitude, she met another man while playing mahjong. They flirted, and Wei Mingzhen took advantage of working outside to secretly carry on with him.
Miao Jing had always been somewhat emotionally detached and mature for her age, quiet like a sealed jar, keeping everyone at a distance. She never developed a close mother-daughter bond with Wei Mingzhen, so upon hearing this secret, she remained calm and composed.
"What if you get caught?"
"If you don't tell, who would find out? Even if they do, I'm not afraid."
Speaking of her current situation, Wei Mingzhen was very dissatisfied. Though still attractive at thirty-five or thirty-six, she was no match for her younger self. Her relationship with Chen Libin was poor, leaving her feeling empty and unfulfilled.
"You'll be starting eighth grade soon, just five more years of school. After that, you can go wherever you want for college? I'll be relieved then."
"I've never had much money, and I don't want to live like this anymore. If I break up with Chen Libin and we move out of the Chen household, what do you think?"
"Rent a place?" Miao Jing nodded. "That's fine."
"I'm just thinking out loud. You need to study, and I can't support both of us on my own. The tea shop barely covers my casual spending." Wei Mingzhen sighed. "This friend of mine... he's a good person, but his job is ordinary. He can't support two extra people either..."
It always came back to money.
Miao Jing didn't spend much, but daily expenses, food, and school fees were all covered by Chen Libin.
Chen Libin didn't meddle in affairs as long as Wei Mingzhen wasn't caught. Maintaining the status quo seemed acceptable for now.
—
When school started in September, Miao Jing returned to register. She heard Chen Yi had enrolled in a vocational high school, where not only he but also his middle school friends were. However, Bo Zai said Chen Yi had only registered and never actually attended classes, spending his time loafing around outside.
After learning Wei Mingzhen's secret, Miao Jing felt it was only a matter of time before this household became untenable. She sensed something bad was bound to happen. Driven by the instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm, she grew increasingly averse to the Chen family. Her visits home dwindled from weekly in seventh grade to monthly.
Chen Libin would drink after his night shifts. Someone must have advised Wei Mingzhen, as she loved buying him alcohol, placing a small cup by his computer and refilling it repeatedly, hoping he'd drink himself into a stupor. Then she'd ask Chen Libin for money—Chen Yi was already a lost cause. If she could endure, she might get a share of Chen Libin's substantial savings. If not, she'd take whatever she could.
Chen Yi never returned. The single bed and clutter in the living room were thrown out. Miao Jing didn't see Chen Yi for a whole year, barely remembering what he looked like and seldom thinking of him. She was growing up herself—taller, wearing camisoles, graceful and delicate, becoming the secret crush of many boys in her class.
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