Volume 1, Chapter 19: Whispers and Rumors

Bench-boy was also losing his temper. Staring at me, he shrieked in a fit of rage, "You hick, I'm going to fucking kill you!"

I broke free from Hemp-pole’s grip and lunged toward Bench-boy in two strides. Just as I was about to strike, Hemp-pole grabbed me from behind, refusing to let me make a move. Brother Sheng also stepped in front of Bench-boy. Since I couldn't possibly hit Brother Sheng, I had no choice but to stop.

Sensing my instability, Brother Sheng told me to wait outside while he handled things. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to beat Hemp-pole to death. Brother Sheng kept trying to persuade me, while Song Xiaotang and Hemp-pole chattered away on the side. I couldn't disrespect Brother Sheng, so I had to step out.

Once outside, Song Xiaotang didn't say a word; she just stared straight at me. I had no interest in dealing with her, focusing instead on the office door. I told myself that if Hemp-pole didn't explain things clearly today, I would beat him until his own mother wouldn't recognize him—until the mere thought of me made him shiver, ensuring he would never dare to obsess over my cousin-in-law again.

Standing outside, I could hear a heated argument erupting within. Bench-boy was clearly furious that Brother Sheng was siding with me again. However, after a while, their voices softened until I could no longer hear them.

A few minutes later, the office door opened, and Brother Sheng walked out first, followed by Bench-boy. As soon as I saw him, my fists clenched.

"Gang-zai, don't get excited. I've already come to an agreement with Bench-boy. He won't go after your girl, so you can rest easy."

I was stunned by Brother Sheng's words. It was that simple? I wasn't willing to let it go so easily; I glared at Bench-boy, still wanting to give him a beating.

Bench-boy shot me a sidelong glance and said, "Hick, no need to keep staring at me. I'm only letting this slide out of respect for Brother Sheng." He paused, turned to Brother Sheng, and added, "Brother Sheng, the mountains may not change, and the rivers flow on. We'll meet again."

"Of course, come by and visit often," Brother Sheng replied with a polite, cheerful smile, escorting Bench-boy all the way out of the pool hall.

I intended to follow, but Hemp-pole blocked my path. He stood in my way and said, "Gang-zai, Brother Sheng has been good to you. You can't undermine him now. Show him some respect!" He didn't say much more, just left it at that. I wasn't in the mood to talk; my eyes were fixed on Brother Sheng and Bench-boy. I still didn't want to let this go—I still wanted to take a crack at Hemp-pole!

Half a minute later, Bench-boy was gone. Brother Sheng returned, caught my eye, and gestured for me to follow him into the office.

"Gang-zai, don't look anymore. It's all in the past." Brother Sheng urged me again, but Bench-boy was already out of sight. There was nothing I could do, so I returned to the office with him. Hemp-pole and Song Xiaotang stayed outside; it was just the two of us.

Brother Sheng closed the door and told me to sit on the sofa. Once I was seated, he told me quite bluntly that he had given Bench-boy ten thousand yuan. Firstly, it settled the bad blood between me and Bench-boy, ensuring he wouldn't bother my cousin-in-law. Secondly, from this day forward, Bench-boy would no longer be working under him.

***

After explaining this, Brother Sheng patted my shoulder and advised me again, "Gang-zai, I know you care about your family, but sometimes you can't be so impulsive. Everyone is here to do business; harmony brings wealth. There's no need for fighting and killing over minor trifles."

It wasn't that I didn't trust Brother Sheng, but because the matter concerned my cousin-in-law's safety, I asked him one more time. Brother Sheng gave me his word that Bench-boy would absolutely not do anything to her. With that assurance, I felt much more at ease and thanked him immediately.

I wasn't naive; I knew Brother Sheng was helping me because he expected me to work for him—more specifically, to help with "towing water" (smuggling). For some time, I had been tempted by the idea, as it was incredibly lucrative. Yet, smuggling was not a legitimate path; one slip-up, and it would all be over.

As I hesitated, Brother Sheng smiled and said, "Gang-zai, don't overthink it. What's past is past."

"Thank you, Brother Sheng."

"It's a small matter." Brother Sheng was courteous, then added half-jokingly, "With Bench-boy gone, we're one person short for the smuggling runs."

I understood his meaning immediately. Brother Sheng had helped me several times recently, and today he had smoothed things over with Bench-boy. When he brought this up now, I had no way to refuse. To decline would be ungrateful. I told him to just let me know what needed to be done.

Hearing this, Brother Sheng was clearly pleased, laughing and saying he knew he hadn't misjudged me. However, he didn't ask me to start smuggling immediately; he told me to head back to the factory and wait for instructions that night.

After exchanging a few more polite words, I left with Song Xiaotang. On the way back, she kept pestering me about what Brother Sheng and I had discussed.

"Hey, do you have to be so cold? I helped you find Hemp-pole, didn't I? I got him to help you deal with Bench-boy!"

I thought to myself, if you hadn't acted on your own, I would have already laid Hemp-pole out, and none of this would have happened. But regardless, the issue with Bench-boy was resolved, so I didn't bother arguing with her and just said thanks.

"You're welcome." Song Xiaotang, who had been pouting, immediately beamed when I thanked her. She suggested that since it was still early, I should take her shopping. I wasn't in the mood, so I told her to go by herself while I headed back to the factory. She was reluctant but had no choice but to return with me.

Back at the factory, I kept mulling over Brother Sheng, Bench-boy, and my cousin-in-law, my mind in a state of chaos. Thinking about the prospect of smuggling made me feel particularly anxious and uneasy.

...

I waited at the factory until my shift ended, then headed home with my cousin and his wife. As I was about to turn back toward the pool hall after dropping them off, my cousin-in-law called out to me. While my cousin was in the bathroom, she handed me a one-yuan note, telling me to buy something to eat on the way so I wouldn't go hungry.

I didn't want to take it, but with a single sentence, she saw through the lie I had told that morning. She knew that if I had actually had money on me, I would have used it to pay back the one yuan and thirty cents in rent I owed my cousin.

"Alright, go on now. Don't be late, and don't work too hard."

Seeing her gentle expression, I was truly moved. She was so good to me!

...

At seven o'clock, I arrived at the pool hall. As soon as Zhen, the girl who managed the braids, saw me, she told me that Brother Sheng wanted to see me in his office. I thought to myself, what must come cannot be avoided. The smuggling business was likely starting today.

I stood outside Brother Sheng's door for a moment, steadying my nerves, then knocked and went in. Brother Sheng was on the phone and signaled for me to wait on the sofa. After he finished, he asked with a smile how my injuries were healing.

I told him the truth: the head wound had healed, but my left arm was still aching. He didn't say anything more, just told me to carry on as usual—play when there's time, rest when needed—and didn't mention the smuggling at all. This left me feeling unsure. I wondered if he was waiting for me to bring it up myself.

Before I could figure it out, his pager went off, and he was busy again. I sat for a while, and seeing he was tied up, I stepped outside.

After seven, the pool hall grew noticeably busier. I also noticed that the atmosphere was different than before. Many people were whispering and pointing at me, and even Zhen and Lian, who managed the tables, were looking at me strangely.

I found a chance to ask Zhen and finally understood. Someone had let slip what happened between me and Bench-boy. These gossipers were completely irresponsible. The story had morphed into me kicking Bench-boy out of Brother Sheng's operation. Some versions were even more wild, claiming Brother Sheng thought I was better than Bench-boy and was grooming me to take over—that in a few days, I would be the manager of the pool hall.

Not only were the customers buying it, but even the staff believed it, which was why they weren't joking around with me as they used to. I had to tell them it was all nonsense and to stop believing it. Once I did that, the atmosphere finally returned to normal.

The night passed without incident, and I headed home at seven in the morning. Just as I reached the door, I heard my cousin shouting at the top of his lungs: "I gave you two yuan for groceries yesterday, and now there’s only fifty cents left? Where did the money go? You better give me a straight answer!"