When the box was opened, the hat wasn’t immediately visible. It was wrapped in a layer of pink tissue paper, with a card placed on top.
The packaging was so formal that Chen Jian somewhat regretted not tying a big bow on Er Ge’s tank.
He picked up the card first.
On it was a single character, “Jian,” written in brush calligraphy. It was clearly Shan Yu’s handwriting, very beautiful, and done with shimmering ink—a blue character with fine silver specks.
“Jian,” Chen Jian read the character on the card aloud.
“Chen Jian,” Shan Yu said.
“Huh?” Chen Jian turned to look at him.
“Add the surname,” Shan Yu said. “It sounds like you’re cursing someone.”
Chen Jian smiled and put the card in the inner pocket of his jacket.
“You’re saving that?” Shan Yu said. “That card was just to spice up the plain paper packaging.”
“I even keep the tags from new clothes for a while,” Chen Jian said. “Of course, I have to keep a card like this. It has your writing on it.”
“Yeah,” Shan Yu leaned against the car door, watching him.
Chen Jian lowered his head and unfolded the tissue paper, revealing a charcoal gray woolen hat inside.
“Do you like this color?” Shan Yu asked. “I noticed your sweaters are all gray.”
“I like it. I like gray and blue,” Chen Jian said as he picked up the hat.
It was a simple beanie, mostly solid-colored, with a very small, single-line bow on the edge. It was about the size of a fingertip and red.
The yarn was very soft, and his fingertips sank into the fluff with a warm feeling. As he put it on his head, he asked, “What kind of yarn is this? It feels different from the woolen hats sold in stores, so comfortable.”
“Cashmere, what else could it be,” Shan Yu helped him arrange the hair on his forehead, then casually lifted his chin. “Damn… you look really good in a hat.”
“Do I?” Chen Jian touched the hat on his head, adjusting the small bow to the end of his eyebrow.
To be honest, he hadn’t expected Shan Yu’s craftsmanship to be so good. If he hadn’t known beforehand, he would have thought the hat was store-bought. It was also the perfect size, unlike the one he bought last winter that gave him a headache after an hour and could press his natural curls straight.
Shan Yu took out his phone and snapped several pictures of his face. “I’m changing my profile picture.”
“Again?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Yeah,” Shan Yu said. “A fresh handsome guy.”
“Let me see,” Chen Jian leaned over.
Shan Yu turned the phone screen towards him. “Pick one.”
Chen Jian looked at the photos. Indeed… he looked quite handsome. He used to wear hats purely for wind protection and never paid attention to how he looked, let alone tidying his hair like Shan Yu did.
And the hat Shan Yu had crocheted was also very nice. Although the bow on the edge was small and would probably just look like a red dot from a distance, it brightened up the otherwise somber solid gray background.
“Do you really like bows?” Chen Jian pointed at a photo. “Let’s use this one.”
“Yeah, when I was a kid, I always associated bows with gifts,” Shan Yu said as he changed his profile picture to the one Chen Jian had chosen. “Seeing a bow made me feel like something good was about to happen.”
“I’ll tie a bow for Er Ge tomorrow,” Chen Jian said.
“You should tie a bow on a mealworm and give it to Er Ge,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian imagined the scene and felt that Er Ge would probably curse him out.
“Come on, assistant,” Shan Yu patted the car. “Let’s take it for a spin.”
Chen Jian sat in the driver’s seat, fastened his seatbelt, and then sat still.
“Hmm?” Shan Yu glanced at him.
“How do I start it?” Chen Jian asked.
“There’s a button there,” Shan Yu pointed.
Chen Jian followed his finger and saw a button next to the dashboard. After pressing it, the dashboard and the central control unit lit up simultaneously—two screens, a bunch of icons and numbers.
“Holy crap,” Chen Jian couldn’t help but exclaim. “I might really not be able to drive this car.”
“Don’t worry about all those fancy functions,” Shan Yu said. “Just drive.”
Compared to the driving school car, this car was much easier to drive after understanding the basic functions. His hands and legs felt very free.
After driving back and forth on the road a couple of times, Chen Jian already had the illusion of being a ten-year veteran driver.
Except for misjudging the car’s width and length and almost scraping the curb a couple of times when pulling over, everything else was fine.
“How was it?” Chen Jian turned his head to glance at Shan Yu. “First time in my car, not bad, right?”
“Yeah.” Shan Yu also turned his head to look at him. “First time I’ve sat in my own passenger seat while you drive. The several times I had to correct your steering for you weren’t bad either, right?”
Chen Jian couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey! That’s just because I don’t have a feel for the shape of this car yet!”
“It was pretty good,” Shan Yu said. “When Liu Wu first got his license, all he had was courage and nothing else.”
“How was he courageous?” Chen Jian asked.
“He kept driving into the oncoming lane, and I couldn’t pull him back,” Shan Yu said.
“I haven’t officially driven on the road yet,” Chen Jian said. “Maybe I’ll be about the same.”
“That’s impossible.” Shan Yu reached out and hooked a finger on his cheek. “When I was practicing with him, he wasn’t as relaxed as you are.”
“Hey!” Chen Jian shouted. “I’m driving, don’t harass the driver!”
“Whoa,” Shan Yu was startled by his shout and quickly raised his hand. “The way you yelled, anyone who didn’t know better would think I was touching you down there.”
Chen Jian fell silent, then started laughing after a few seconds. “I can’t even respond to what you just said.”
“And yet you’ve responded to every single one,” Shan Yu said.
They drove back and forth on this road for over half an hour before Shan Yu took over to drive back. If it weren’t for needing to get back for lunch, Chen Jian would have been reluctant to leave.
The feeling of driving a good car was different.
“Are President He and his group coming back to Dayin tomorrow?” Chen Jian asked while studying the various buttons in the car.
“Yeah,” Shan Yu replied. “They were originally going straight back to the city, but I asked them to stay.”
“Why?” Chen Jian asked. “Haven’t we finished the route in our area?”
“We need to find out what’s available in other places too,” Shan Yu said. “Red Leaf Town is the starting point, but there are several other segments of the trip after that.”
“Are you… planning to invest in something else?” Chen Jian asked.
“I don’t have the money right now,” Shan Yu said. “Just trying to understand. When a tourist route is planned, there will always be a few key points. I want to see if there are any towns, and if so, there will definitely be some policies…”
“What if there aren’t?” Chen Jian asked.
“See if there’s a way to make it one,” Shan Yu said.
“What way?” Chen Jian continued to ask.
His question made Shan Yu laugh. “I haven’t figured it out yet.”
Chen Jian smiled and said nothing.
People are strange sometimes. When the boss doesn’t care about the business, you feel insecure. When the boss is very invested in the business and seems to be planning a big venture, you also feel insecure.
Back at Dayin, as soon as Chen Jian stepped inside, he was grabbed by Hu Pan.
“Where did this handsome guy come from! I have to take a look!” Hu Pan reached out to touch his hat. “Where did this hat come from? You didn’t have it when you left. Weren’t you guys going to practice driving? Did you go shopping?”
Before Chen Jian could figure out how to explain the hat’s origin, Shan Yu walked in from outside. “I crocheted the hat.”
“What?” Sun Nana, who was standing at the front desk, immediately jogged over. “No way! I find that hard to believe.”
“Holy crap,” Sanbing also came over, looking from Shan Yu to the hat, then back to Shan Yu and the hat again. “Did you pay someone to custom-make it? Was it that handmade sweater shop at the end of the road?”
“That shop isn’t handmade,” Hu Pan said. “It’s machine-knitted. They just offer custom colors and styles.”
“Don’t get off-topic,” Sun Nana looked at them with some exasperation.
“What’s the topic?” Sanbing asked, grabbing Chen Jian’s arm when he tried to leave.
“Did you really crochet it?” Sun Nana looked at Shan Yu.
“Yeah,” Shan Yu smiled.
“I want one too,” Sun Nana said immediately.
“Huh?” Shan Yu was taken aback.
“Me too,” Hu Pan reacted quickly. “I want one too!”
“Then I want one too,” Sanbing followed up. “Brother Erhu wants one too. If we both get one… Lao Si and Lao Wu will definitely have to have one…”
“We want one too—” Auntie Zhao’s smiling voice came from the kitchen.
Chen Jian looked at Shan Yu.
Go on, show off.
Show off a little more.
You crocheted the hat.
Now you can slowly crochet hats for the entire inn.
Talking about key points of a tourist route… the key point now is that you have to crochet eight hats.
“…Actually, I bought it,” Shan Yu changed his story.
No, don’t! How could it be bought? You crocheted it.
“The boss is playing favorites,” Hu Pan said.
“Well, it’s normal to play favorites,” Sanbing said.
What the hell! Chen Jian glared at Sanbing.
“After all, he’s the manager,” Sanbing sighed, his voice dropping. “The work he does is different from ours.”
“Are you for real or are you acting?” Chen Jian couldn’t help but ask.
“Do I have that kind of acting skill!” Sanbing questioned him.
Sun Nana burst out laughing.
“Hats are really too difficult,” Shan Yu finally spoke again. “How about scarves?”
“Really!” Hu Pan’s voice shot up.
“Yeah, New Year’s gifts,” Shan Yu nodded.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Hu Pan said in a string.
“If everyone gets one, can it be considered Dayin’s uniform?” Sanbing asked. “People are always coming in and out of the first floor, the heat keeps escaping. A scarf would be warmer.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Sun Nana turned to look at Shan Yu, who was quickly walking towards the elevator. “Can we pick the colors, boss?”
“…No!” Shan Yu said.
Just as Chen Jian was about to follow him and escape, his phone rang.
He quickly took it out and answered without looking at the caller ID, afraid that once Shan Yu left, this group would immediately surround him and ask about the hat.
“Hello? Is this Chen Jian?” an old woman’s voice came from the other end.
It took Chen Jian a couple of seconds to recognize it was Xiao Dou’er’s grandmother. She rarely called him, so he almost didn’t recognize her voice.
“It’s me, Grandma,” Chen Jian said.
“Grandma has something to ask you for,” Grandma said.
“It’s no trouble,” Chen Jian moved to the side. “What is it, Grandma?”
“Do you have time to take Xiao Dou’er to the city today?” Grandma said. “Chen Bin has asked a friend to pick her up at the shuttle bus stop…”
“To the city?” Chen Jian was taken aback. “To have fun?”
“To spend the New Year in the city,” Grandma said.
“What about you two?” Chen Jian immediately asked.
“We’re not going,” Grandma said with a smile. “The apartment they’re renting in the city is too small for all of us.”
“They’re not coming back for the New Year?” Chen Jian frowned.
“Chen Bin picked up a job over the New Year, he can’t come back,” Grandma said. “He said he can earn a lot…”
Chen Jian felt an inexplicable anger. Logically, Xiao Dou’er’s family matters were none of his business—her parents, her child… But having lived at her grandparents’ house for so many years, having lived together for so long, he felt they were almost like his own grandparents.
“I can’t believe it,” Chen Jian said, sitting in the car, his brow furrowed. “Grandma and Grandpa have been looking forward to it all year, they’ve prepared all the New Year’s goods. I can’t imagine how upset they must be right now.”
Shan Yu was driving with him to the village to pick up Xiao Dou’er. On the way, he grabbed some of the New Year’s goods Shan Yu had brought back, planning to give them to his dad to share with the uncle he lived with, as a thank you for his previous care.
“We can bring Grandpa and Grandma to the inn then,” Shan Yu said.
“They definitely won’t want to,” Chen Jian sighed. “They’re happy to join in the fun on other days, but this is the New Year. Their own home is empty, and they have to go to someone else’s place to celebrate…”
Shan Yu also sighed and said no more.
Xiao Dou’er usually had no interest in the city. Being separated from her grandparents during the New Year made her even more reluctant. She pouted and refused to speak.
Only after the car had left the town did she lower her head and start to cry softly.
Chen Jian was sitting in the back with her. He pulled her into his arms, patting her gently, but didn’t offer any words of comfort. There were no words that could comfort Xiao Dou’er right now.
“I don’t want to go,” Xiao Dou’er said between sobs.
“Don’t you miss your mom and dad?” Chen Jian asked her.
“No,” Xiao Dou’er wiped her tears. “I don’t know them.”
Chen Jian looked down at her. “How can you not know them?”
“I don’t remember,” Xiao Dou’er sobbed. “I want Grandpa and Grandma…”
The car suddenly slowed down. Chen Jian looked at Shan Yu.
Shan Yu pulled over to the side of the road and turned to look at Xiao Dou’er. “If you don’t want to go, then tell them you’re not going. I’ll call them for you.”
Xiao Dou’er froze, looking up at Shan Yu.
Chen Jian also froze. After a few seconds, he seemed to understand why Shan Yu would say such a thing.
Xiao Dou’er had been raised by her grandparents, and their emotional bond was much closer and tighter than with her parents…
And now, Xiao Dou’er, being sent to her parents whom she only saw a few days a year, was perhaps like the young Shan Yu being sent to his great-aunt’s house.
But it wasn’t exactly the same.
After a moment’s pause, Xiao Dou’er said softly, “I think I’ll go.”
“Why?” Shan Yu asked.
“I’m afraid they’ll be unhappy,” Xiao Dou’er said. “They’ll be angry with Grandpa and Grandma.”
Shan Yu looked at her without speaking. After a while, he turned back and started driving again.
“Did you bring your watch?” Chen Jian asked Xiao Dou’er.
“I did,” Xiao Dou’er nodded.
“Call me if you’re unhappy,” Chen Jian said.
“Okay,” Xiao Dou’er leaned into his arms and, after a while, started crying again.
When they handed Xiao Dou’er over to her parents at the shuttle bus station, Chen Jian wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing. He just watched them carry Xiao Dou’er onto an electric scooter and drive away before turning back to the car.
“Are you okay?” Chen Jian looked at Shan Yu.
“I’m fine,” Shan Yu smiled. “Just suddenly a bit annoyed.”
“A lot of kids in the village… are like this,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu didn’t say anything, but reached out and gently squeezed the back of Chen Jian’s neck a few times. “Call your dad. Let’s go find him now.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian replied.
Logically, his dad should still be at the same delivery station, but when Chen Jian called, he hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally giving an address—a small motel.
“He’s definitely hiding something from me again,” Chen Jian furrowed his brow.
“Did he change jobs?” Shan Yu asked.
“It won’t be as simple as changing jobs,” Chen Jian said.
“We’ll ask slowly later,” Shan Yu said. “No matter how big the issue, at least he can still answer your call.”
Chen Jian bit his lip. The words were a bit… but it was true.
When he saw his dad at the motel entrance, with all his arms and legs intact, Chen Jian breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t injured, not sick…
Except for the chapped cracks on his face and a look of even greater exhaustion.
“Didn’t you tell me to come back during the New Year?” his dad said. “Why did you come now?”
Chen Jian glanced back at the car and Shan Yu inside. “I was dropping off Xiao Dou’er and brought some New Year’s goods over. That uncle was very good to you when you were injured… are you still working together?”
“He’s staying here too,” his dad hesitated, then sighed. “We couldn’t pay the rent over there. This place is thirty a day…”
“You’re not doing deliveries anymore?” Chen Jian asked.
“Our station got a new boss. The pay per order was cut again, and the penalty for late deliveries is higher than before,” his dad said. “They haven’t paid this month’s wages either. Over thirty people at the station are waiting for their pay. No one’s working anymore. Once we get our wages, we’re all leaving…”
His dad wasn’t angry when he said this; his tone was quite calm. He had encountered such things many times over the years and was no longer fazed.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Your wages haven’t even been paid, why are you still depositing money into my card?” Chen Jian said.
“After the New Year, we were thinking of not doing dedicated delivery anymore, and switching to crowdsourced…” his dad didn’t answer his question.
“Dad,” Chen Jian interrupted him.
“You don’t need to worry about me,” his dad glanced at him. “It’s not easy for you either. This job isn’t easy to do. As long as you’re stable…”
“I’m doing really well. The inn can’t function without me now,” Chen Jian became anxious. He didn’t know how to say it so that his dad would truly be at ease, truly believe that he wouldn’t be a burden. “I’m earning a lot now. I can pay off all the money this year. You really don’t have to worry about me.”
“I know you’re doing well,” his dad said. “Your boss thinks highly of you too… Go on, don’t keep your boss waiting, it’s not good. Don’t bring the New Year’s goods either…”
“Dad,” Chen Jian looked at him.
His dad looked back at him.
“…Wait for me,” Chen Jian said and turned to walk back to the car.
When Shan Yu saw him walking over quickly with an expression that was an unreadable mix of anger, anxiety, and something else, he quickly rolled down the car window and leaned out.
“What’s wrong?” Shan Yu asked.
“I’m going to say it,” Chen Jian said, gripping the car window and looking at him.
“Say what?” Shan Yu was stunned.
“I’m going to say it,” Chen Jian repeated.
By the time Shan Yu suddenly realized what he was going to say, Chen Jian had already turned and was walking back towards his dad.
“Chen Jian!” Shan Yu shouted in a hushed voice.
Chen Jian didn’t turn back.
“Fuck,” Shan Yu opened the car door and got out.
