He regretted it.
He shouldn’t have sat in the back.
Shan Yu sat in the second-to-last row, bouncing along with the rear of the bus on the dilapidated road.
The front was indeed messy and quite dirty, not just with a cage of chickens, but later with several baskets of mountain goods. But the back wasn’t much better.
An old woman next to him was holding a little girl, and the little girl was holding a small mutt.
The mutt kept biting the pocket flap on Shan Yu’s sleeve, the little girl kept crying, and the old woman kept scolding her.
“It’s just a dog, if we sell it, we sell it. You’re at school, you don’t take care of it anyway…”
“I raised it, I feed it every day when I come back,” the little girl said.
It was really noisy. Shan Yu pulled his sleeve out of the dog’s mouth, turned his head to look out the window, and because he was too close, he bumped his head against the glass twice.
“Don’t bite people!” the old woman slapped the dog on the head.
The puppy yelped, whimpering and whining even more loudly.
Shan Yu turned back to look at the old woman.
The old woman looked back at him.
“Going to the old town or the city?” Shan Yu asked.
“The town,” the old woman said.
“Going to sell the dog?” Shan Yu asked again.
“We’re not selling it,” the little girl said.
“Yeah, she had a litter, this is the only one left,” the old woman said, kicking a basket at her feet. “And these mushrooms…”
“How much can you sell them for?” Shan Yu asked.
“Not much, didn’t pick many today, maybe forty yuan or so,” the old woman slapped the dog again. “With the dog, maybe a hundred in total.”
Hearing this, the little girl hugged the dog and started crying again.
“We’ll sell it and buy you new clothes,” the old woman said. “Stop crying, it’ll have more puppies.”
“And you’ll sell them again,” the little girl said, wiping her tears. “I don’t want new clothes.”
“A dog this small is probably only worth thirty,” Shan Yu said.
“We’ve been feeding it for a while, how can it only be thirty,” the old woman said. “It’s already five pounds!”
“We’re not selling it,” the little girl repeated emphatically.
Shan Yu took out his wallet, pulled out a hundred-yuan bill, and handed it to the old woman. “I’ll buy the dog and the mushrooms.”
The old woman was stunned for a moment, then took the money.
“Stop scolding her,” Shan Yu said. “It’s too noisy.”
“You stop crying too,” Shan Yu said, looking at the little girl. “Do you know Hongye Small Town?”
“Yeah,” the little girl nodded. “Where we just were.”
“When you get off the bus, walk to the end of the street, Dayin Guesthouse,” Shan Yu said, taking the dog from her hands and stuffing it into his jacket. The dog’s head poked out, he pushed it back down, and zipped the jacket up to the top. “Your dog will be there. You can go see it whenever you want.”
“You won’t eat it?” the little girl asked.
“I don’t like to eat it,” Shan Yu said.
“Really?” the little girl asked again.
“Really,” Shan Yu nodded.
When the bus reached the old town, the little girl was pulled off the bus by her grandmother. She turned back and shouted, “Really! If I go look for you to see the dog! Really—”
“Really,” Shan Yu said. “If you ever run away from home and have nowhere to go, you can go there too.”
The bus would stop for a while in the old town for passengers to get on and off. Shan Yu asked the driver, found a return bus, put the dog in a bag, and had the driver take it and the mushrooms back to the small town’s intersection.
When he got back on the bus, his seat was already taken, but it didn’t matter. The various chickens, ducks, and mountain goods that had been piled in the front had mostly gotten off in the old town. He sat in a seat that had previously held mountain goods, and he could still feel dirt crumbs under him.
No wonder Chen Jian and Chen Erhu were willing to ride motorcycles.
He took out his phone and sent the license plate number of the return bus to Chen Jian.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Have someone pick up the dog and mushrooms at the intersection
Chen Jian replied after two minutes.
[Chen Yuluoyan]: ?
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Just bought them
[Chen Yuluoyan]: What dog, what mushrooms?
Shan Yu replied with a voice message: “A five-pound mutt, a basket of freshly picked mushrooms. Keep the dog, eat the mushrooms.”
[Chen Yuluoyan]: ……………………………………………………….
Shan Yu smiled and opened his phone’s photo album.
The last three photos were all of Chen Jian: one of him getting his hair permed, one of him inspecting the shop, and the newest one was taken while waiting for the bus.
Chen Jian was leaning on his motorcycle, his leg propping it up, looking in the direction the bus was coming from.
Hu Pan’s skills were pretty good. The new perm was at least better than what Chen Jian did himself. It wasn’t as messy as before; it just tamed his chaotic natural curls and created a wavy texture that looked natural and casual.
But this hairstyle needed to be maintained. Shan Yu put his phone back in his pocket, rested his head on a bag that a man behind him had thrown onto his seatback, and closed his eyes. He could tell that Chen Jian had styled it when he woke up. His perming skills were average, but his styling skills were excellent.
Chen Jian was straddling his motorcycle, watching the bus approach in the distance. He recognized the license plate as the one Shan Yu had used to send the dog and mushrooms.
“For Dayin, right?” the driver opened the bus door and brought down a basket and a urea bag, placing them at his feet.
“Yes,” Chen Jian glanced at them. The basket held mushrooms, the ordinary kind that sold for five yuan a pound at the old village stalls. The bag contained a small, moving bundle.
After the bus left, he untied the rope on the bag.
Inside was indeed a dog, a small mutt, the most common kind with yellow fur and a black mouth, the kind you could get for free if someone’s dog in the village had puppies.
“Unbelievable,” Chen Jian was a little speechless, not knowing what Shan Yu had been up to on the bus.
He secured the basket on the back seat, then took the dog out and stuffed it into his jacket. The dog was small, probably only five pounds, and well-behaved. It whimpered all the way back to Dayin but didn’t struggle.
“Oh my god,” Hu Pan ran out of the house and took the dog Chen Jian pulled from his jacket. “Is this the dog he asked you to get? Isn’t this a mutt?”
“Yeah, and mushrooms… they’re still fresh,” Chen Jian said. “Let Sister Zhao cook them.”
“Bought them on the bus?” Lao Wu also walked over from the garden. “What’s the meaning of buying these?”
“I don’t know,” Chen Jian couldn’t imagine a reasonable scenario. “It wouldn’t be strange if he sent back two cabbages. It’s probably just for fun.”
“Where should we keep this dog?” Hu Pan quite liked the little mutt and was letting it run around on the ground. “Does it have a name?”
“Let’s call it Mushroom,” Chen Jian said.
“Mushroom, Mushroom, come here. Your name is Mushroom now, you know?” Hu Pan teased the dog.
“We still have the old wooden boards from the dismantled fence in the warehouse,” Chen Jian looked at Lao Wu. “Do you know carpentry?”
“No,” Lao Wu answered honestly.
“Do you know how to hand tools to a carpenter?” Chen Jian asked again.
“Yes,” Lao Wu nodded.
“Come on then,” Chen Jian said, carrying the mushroom basket into the house.
“Who’s the carpenter?” Lao Wu followed behind.
“Me, of course,” Chen Jian said.
Yue Lang’s timing was perfect. The phone rang just as Shan Yu got off the bus and was still walking on the platform.
“North exit,” Yue Lang said. “They were doing road work over there, so all the cars are parked here now.”
“Okay,” Shan Yu replied.
“We’ll go straight to the restaurant later,” Yue Lang said. “I didn’t invite anyone else, just Xiao Lu and Da Kang waiting in the private room.”
“Alright,” Shan Yu followed the crowd forward. People with luggage kept passing him, all in a hurry.
Only he walked at a leisurely pace.
By the time he reached the exit, everyone from the bus had already left. Only Yue Lang was leaning against a pillar of the exit hall, looking this way.
When he walked out, Yue Lang saw him at a glance, hurried over, and pointed at him. “Why didn’t you just crawl out?”
Shan Yu smiled without saying anything.
Yue Lang didn’t say anything more either. He came over, gave him a tight hug, then stepped back to look at his leg. “Is your leg better?”
“It’s okay, just can’t crawl fast,” Shan Yu said.
“You old bastard,” Yue Lang said.
“Let’s go,” Shan Yu tilted his head.
“Wait,” Yue Lang looked at him. “Let me take a look first.”
Shan Yu stood still, also looking at Yue Lang.
He hadn’t seen any of his friends since he got out. It had been almost four years since he had seen Yue Lang. Now, suddenly, he felt a bit emotional.
“Not much change,” Yue Lang said. “I was thinking you’d have gained some weight.”
“You’ve gotten old,” Shan Yu said.
“It’s been four years, of course I’d get a year or two older,” Yue Lang said, then glared at him. “You can’t talk like that!”
Shan Yu smiled, went over, hugged Yue Lang, and patted him on the back several times.
“Damn,” Yue Lang wiped his eyes. “I really missed you.”
“I can tell,” Shan Yu said. “Let’s go, hold it in for now. You can cry for me later tonight.”
“You son of a…” Yue Lang instantly held back his tears.
It seemed like nothing had changed: the familiar atmosphere, the familiar streets, the familiar friend beside him. Even Yue Lang’s car was the same one.
But everything had also changed so much.
Shan Yu looked at the road ahead, took out his phone, and saw a message that had come in when he got off the bus, which he hadn’t had a chance to read.
It was a photo from Chen Jian.
A small wooden doghouse, and inside, the little mutt was already asleep.
[Chen Yuluoyan]: Settled in
Shan Yu replied.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Does it have a name?
[Chen Yuluoyan]: Mushroom
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Eat it then
[Chen Yuluoyan]: Its name!
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Would your finger wear down if you typed one more word?
[Chen Yuluoyan]: The dog is now called Mushroom
Shan Yu clicked his tongue and put his phone back in his pocket.
“Is the hermit life okay?” Yue Lang glanced at him.
“It’s okay,” Shan Yu said. “The small town is quiet, just three streets.”
“A bit too small, not even enough for you to cause trouble,” Yue Lang said.
“I’m well-behaved now,” Shan Yu said. “Reformed.”
“Damn,” Yue Lang frowned. “I get angry just thinking about it.”
“Has he been at the old house all this time?” Shan Yu asked.
“He has nowhere else to go. Didn’t he sell his previous house?” Yue Lang said. “It’s easy to find him. If he hadn’t gone to your house, I wouldn’t have even bothered with him.”
“He’s not convinced,” Shan Yu said. “He’s holding a grudge.”
“What right does he have to hold a grudge,” Yue Lang raised his voice. “If he has a grudge, he should hold it in. If he can’t, he can just go and self-immolate!”
Shan Yu laughed and leaned back against the seat. “Brother Lang has a good voice.”
“When are you planning to go find him?” Yue Lang asked. “I’ve rented the house across the street for a month.”
“Tomorrow,” Shan Yu cracked his knuckles.
“And then?” Yue Lang glanced at him.
“Get the rent refunded quickly since we haven’t stayed there for long,” Shan Yu said.
“Get lost, who’s going to refund you,” Yue Lang said.
The restaurant Yue Lang had booked wasn’t the one they used to go to. They were too familiar with that one; everyone from the owner to the waiters knew them. After not seeing Shan Yu for several years, they would definitely come over to chat.
Shan Yu didn’t care about people gossiping behind his back, but he hated small talk to his face.
This one was newly opened. No one knew anyone, which was very comfortable.
“Those two will definitely cry when they see you,” Yue Lang said as he pushed open the door.
Xiao Lu and Da Kang, who were sitting in the room, immediately looked over when the door opened.
Their gazes passed over Yue Lang, and when they saw Shan Yu, they both shot up from their seats.
“Brother Shan Yu!”
Shan Yu entered the private room, closed the door behind him, and looked at the two men standing ramrod straight. He smiled, “This posture, looks like you’ve been locked up longer than I have.”
Xiao Lu kicked his chair away, strode over, and hugged Shan Yu. “Damn, I thought I’d never see you again.”
“Don’t worry,” Shan Yu patted his arm. “Even if I die, I’ll let you guys see me in the coffin before I’m cremated.”
“After you’re cremated, all that’s left is your mouth,” Yue Lang opened the door and said to the waiter outside, “Serve the food.”
“Brother Shan Yu,” Da Kang was a little more composed. He waited for Xiao Lu to step aside before coming over and hugging Shan Yu too. “Brother Shan Yu… Brother Shan Yu…”
“An echo wall,” Shan Yu said.
Da Kang laughed. “You haven’t changed much.”
“Mr. Zhou said he wants to extend for another month,” Hu Pan said while eating and tapping on her phone. “He also booked dinner every day and asked if he could eat with us staff. I agreed.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded.
“Who’s Mr. Zhou?” Chen Erhu asked.
“The one in 102, named Zhou Lecheng,” Hu Pan said in a low voice. “He seems pretty normal these past few days.”
“Why doesn’t he just rent a place in town,” Lao Wu said. “Wouldn’t that be cheaper than staying here?”
“Does a rental house get cleaned for you? Does someone cook for you every day?” Hu Pan rolled her eyes at him. “Are you trying to push away our business?”
The door to 102 opened, and Zhou Lecheng walked out, glancing towards the dining room.
“Eating?” Chen Jian asked.
“Yeah,” Zhou Lecheng smiled and came over, took a set of bowl and chopsticks, and sat down.
“If you have any dietary preferences, you can let Sister Zhao know,” Chen Jian said.
“I’m fine with anything,” Zhou Lecheng said. “Manager Chen, after dinner, I have something I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded and exchanged a look with Hu Pan.
He didn’t know why they exchanged looks; it didn’t mean much, basically just—
Here it comes, here it comes, wow, wow, wow, we’ve finally been waiting for him to say something…
After dinner, Chen Jian went for a walk with Zhou Lecheng out of the guesthouse. Originally, Chen Jian wanted to walk around the garden, but Zhou Lecheng went straight out the gate and down the path.
Chen Jian could only follow.
“I originally wanted to talk directly to your boss,” Zhou Lecheng said. “But he doesn’t seem to be around?”
“He’s on a business trip, he’ll be back in a few days,” Chen Jian said.
Thank goodness he’s on a business trip. If he were here, with the boss’s style, the conversation would be too unpredictable.
But if there’s really something important, he really needs to be here.
I don’t know how many days he’ll be back, I didn’t ask when he left.
Should I ask?
When should I ask?
He should have arrived by now, probably having dinner…
“Then I thought, it might be more appropriate to talk to you,” Zhou Lecheng said. “Your boss doesn’t seem to manage things much?”
“He does,” Chen Jian pulled back his thoughts.
But not much.
“It’s like this, I wrote something,” Zhou Lecheng said, tapping on his phone and then handing it to Chen Jian. “Take a look first.”
“Oh,” Chen Jian took the phone and quickly scanned it. It looked like a forum, and a post was open.
When he saw the title, Chen Jian raised his eyebrows in surprise and couldn’t help but look up at Zhou Lecheng.
“A Journey in a Countdown.”
“Is this…” Chen Jian was a little nervous. He could barely see the words on the phone.
“I’m sick, and there’s no point in treatment anymore,” Zhou Lecheng said. “So I wanted to record my last days, travel around and have some fun.”
“Weren’t you going to commit suicide?” Chen Jian wanted to pinch himself after asking.
That was no better than what your boss would say.
“I thought about it,” Zhou Lecheng smiled. “But I don’t have that plan for now. I’ll stay for another month, then go home and spend time with my grandmother.”
Not with your parents?
Chen Jian wanted to ask, but didn’t.
“This is the place I’ve stayed the longest,” Zhou Lecheng said. “At first, I just wanted to stay for a few days and leave, but that day… after playing cards… I wanted to stay a little longer.”
Chen Jian didn’t say anything, leaning against a nearby tree and starting to read the post.
“You two go back first,” Shan Yu said, sitting on the sofa, facing the window. The curtains were drawn, and he could see the living room of Fang Xu’s old house across the street.
Xiao Lu and Da Kang didn’t move.
Fang Xu hadn’t come back yet. Knowing Shan Yu’s personality, they weren’t sure if he would go looking for Fang Xu as soon as he returned.
“I’ll stay here tonight,” Yue Lang said. “If anything happens, you guys can come over.”
Shan Yu glanced at him, clicked his tongue, and said nothing.
“We’ll come over tomorrow morning,” Xiao Lu said.
“Bring breakfast,” Shan Yu said.
“Okay,” Xiao Lu smiled.
After they left, Shan Yu picked up his phone and saw that Chen Yuluoyan hadn’t sent any messages.
“Are you waiting for something?” Yue Lang asked, lying on the sofa next to him.
“Hmm?” Shan Yu glanced at him. “My manager hasn’t reported to me all night.”
Yue Lang paused. “What kind of evil capitalist are you now? You have to keep an eye on him even when you’re not at the shop for half a day?”
