Chapter 87 p2: Changes
The food stalls near the construction site, with their neon signs flashing at the entrance, and the smell of sizzling meat wafting through the cold wind into the deep, dark night. The dim yellow incandescent lights hung overhead, and the sounds of shouting and drinking broke the silence of the night.
“Cheers!”
Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together. The orange and cloudy beer in the glasses swayed and frothed. They drank it all in one gulp, and the empty beer bottles fell to the ground. The younger ones were not good at drinking, and they had drunk too much too quickly. Their faces turned red, and they started to push and shove each other, talking nonsense.
Su Yu took small sips of the bitter and sour wine in his glass. He hadn’t had these things in a long time, and he couldn’t get used to it for a while. His head was heavy and a little dizzy.
“Hey, Su Yu, this… I’ll toast you. I know you’re not one of us, but… Old San considers you a friend.”
Old San was reeking of alcohol. He squinted his already small eyes and pulled Su Yu, insisting on toasting him.
Su Yu couldn’t refuse. He smiled and also drank a glass. “Yeah, it’s been a little tiring these past few days, but it’s all good. You should finish the project quickly, make a lot of money, and go back to marry your beautiful wife.”
“For that, I’ll toast you again!”
The two of them had a few more drinks, and the atmosphere at the table gradually became lively, dispelling the desolate and cold late autumn night. The alcohol also warmed their hands and feet. Su Yu held his head, which was buzzing with pain. He looked around in a daze, and the other people around him seemed to have slowed down in his vision. He was the only one who was sober.
Su Yu got up and went to the bathroom. When he came back, he found that Brother Yong was gone. There was an empty plastic chair at his seat, with only a few skewers of meat on it. It was a little strange compared to the mess on the table. He scanned the surroundings and saw the strong and thick back under the big poplar tree in front of the food stall.
The man was wearing a black coat, and the coat was open, and it was flying high in the cold wind. A faint spark was flickering, and a puff of smoke was rising. He was curled up in the shadow of the tree, and he seemed to have aged a dozen years in an instant.
“I’ll pack up my things and leave tomorrow. Thank you for taking me in.”
Su Yu sat down next to Brother Yong and brought some food over.
“It’s good to leave early. Live a good life in the future. Don’t come to the construction site and compete with us rough people for food. Everything will be fine.”
The man was holding a cigarette in his hand, and he tapped it lightly. The scattered sparks were scattered in the darkness and fell to the ground, turning into ashes. His voice was a little hoarse, and it was hard to hear clearly in the wind.
Su Yu saw a pile of cigarette butts and two half-burnt empty cigarette boxes on the concrete. “Yeah, it’s rare to come out and celebrate today. Isn’t it a happy day? You’re always coughing… you’ve been smoking too much. Are you in a bad mood?”
“Haha, not at all. I miss my daughter.” The man smiled and shook his head. He stubbed out the cigarette butt on the ground. When he mentioned his daughter, the big man, who was usually quiet and hardworking, suddenly became talkative. He excitedly took out a photo from his phone and showed it to Su Yu.
“She’s six years old, almost old enough to go to elementary school. The first time I saw the little guy, I felt that this little girl was sent by God to punish me. Who was to blame for me not doing anything good in the first half of my life? Now it’s good. I have to be honest for the rest of my life, just for her…”
“She’s very pretty. Your eyes are like they were carved from the same mold.”
The man looked at the smiling girl in the photo, his eyes full of doting. “Alright, they’ll probably be making a fuss for a while. You can go back first. I’ll stay and clean up.”
“Then… alright.” Su Yu shrugged and stood up, patting the dust off his shoulder. “I’ll come back tomorrow to pack my luggage and say goodbye to Old San and the others. I really couldn’t find the time to say these things at the table just now.”
“Go back early. Your family is waiting for you.”
“Okay, I…”, Su Yu curled his lips noncommittally, and his smile was a little bitter in the cold of the night. “I’ll find time to go back. Everything will be fine.”
He turned and left. The food stall at one or two o’clock in the morning was still lively and noisy. The smell of alcohol and smoke was lingering in the dim light. He turned and looked at the lively crowd behind him. He was gradually moving away from them and was disappearing into the silent and lonely night.
…
Su Yu rushed to the construction site early in the morning, when the sky was just dawning. He was still wearing the clothes he had not changed from yesterday. His messy and fluffy hair was scattered and curled, and it was drooping on his forehead. He had to lower his neck to barely cover the dark circles under his eyelids.
He hadn’t slept well last night either, but at least it wasn’t as sleepless as before. And he wouldn’t be so tormented by the long and cold night that his reason would collapse.
He took all of this as a sign of improvement. Some things were gradually becoming clear, and everything should be moving in a better direction. A life like his should have died a bleak death. What was the thing that was holding on to him and keeping him alive? It was like a dying person who saw the flame of life flickering. Then his life should not be gray. At least he could still see hope now.
The construction site was buried in a thick fog. A layer of cold water vapor was on his body. But his steps were gradually quickening in fear. He didn’t see a single person, nor did he hear a single shout. The huge construction site was terrifyingly quiet. He was as if he were the only survivor after a world catastrophe. He was running around, but he could only hear his own rustling footsteps.
Su Yu plunged into the dormitory area. Before he could call out, he saw a figure gradually walking out of the fog. He was overjoyed for a moment and rushed over to grab that person. The water mist between them gradually dissipated. He saw the person’s face clearly, and his whole person was stunned.
“Old San? You… why are you the only one?”
There was no response. The waterproof cloth on the ground was lifted by the morning wind, and a rustling sound was made in his ear. Old San, who was usually talkative, was not speaking. He was staring at him, his eyes a blood-red patch.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” Su Yu asked persistently, grabbing Old San’s shoulder and shaking it frantically. A strong sense of unease enveloped him.
“Yesterday at the food stall… we…”, Old San’s voice was a little choked, and tears were flowing down his rough and dark cheeks. “A group of strangers, like hooligans. They had knives. The boss rushed to the front to protect everyone… he was seriously injured and was hospitalized.”
“How could this be…”, as if he had been hit in the head with a knife, a chill suddenly rushed from the soles of his feet to his head. Su Yu’s pupils were dilated, and his face was full of disbelief.
“It’s those bastards from above. They didn’t want to pay for the project, so they called people to make trouble. There were rumors before. I didn’t believe it at that time. The salary was actually paid by the boss in advance, hiding it from us. These things that are worse than animals…”
Old San gritted his teeth, and his gums were bleeding from the force. “I’m going to make those bastards pay with their blood. Everyone has already gone over there to make trouble. I have to go too.”
He patted Su Yu’s shoulder. “This has nothing to do with you. Don’t get involved. I’ve packed your things in the dorm. Take them and go quickly. Go home quickly…”
Su Yu stared at Old San, who was rushing into the thick fog behind him, with a numb expression. He couldn’t muster the strength to move, and his throat was as if it had been blocked by something, and he couldn’t say a single word.
They all told him to go back. But where was home?
