Chapter 1.2

1 . 2

I'm Not A Good-For-Nothing

After leaving Mt Zhongnan, he cleaned himself up . He shaved and changed his clothes . By the time he made it into the city, it was already afternoon . Qin Sheng was headed to district on the outskirts of the city, where his benefactors resided . He himself lived there since primary school, and he treated the couple as his own parents . If his grandfather hadn’t forbidden it, he would have taken them as his godfather and godmother .

When Qin Sheng entered, a middle-aged woman embraced him and started shedding tears . “Sheng’er, you’ve finally returned . Where have you been these past two years? Do you know how worried we were?”

Qin Sheng didn’t know how to explain it himself . But he did know that this woman treated him like her own son, so he hugged her and let her vent .

The woman finally recovered after a while . She pulled Qin Sheng into a chair, having already prepared a full table of food for his return .

“Auntie, I already heard about the situation . Are you well? How is Uncle Lin?” Qin Sheng asked evenly .

He knew that when he’d left two years ago, the family had nearly come to ruin . Uncle Lin had been swindled and the company’s funds embezzled . They’d almost gone bankrupt and destitute .

“Sheng’er, your Uncle Lin was destined to have a hard life . ” At that, Wang Li burst into tears again .

Qin Sheng felt a bit guilty . Although they weren’t his birth parents, he’d long ago become a member of this family . He was the only other man, aside from Uncle Lin . He should have undertaken the family’s burden, but…

“Auntie, it’s OK . Let’s be thankful it was a financial loss and not something worse . Grandfather said, long ago, that Uncle Lin would meet with a calamity in his life . He must have expected it to some degree, but as long as he’s alive, there’s still hope,” Qin Sheng comforted Auntie Wang .

“Your Uncle Lin is fine . He’s ready to move on from this ordeal . ” Wang Li wiped away her tears and shook her head .

Qin Sheng continued, “Moreover, I’ve returned . I’ll definitely find a way to help Uncle Lin . ”

“Sheng’er, your Uncle Lin is fine . You won’t be able to help, so don’t trouble yourself with it . As long as you and Xin Xin are well, I’ll feel at peace . ” Auntie Wang didn’t take Qin Sheng’s words seriously . He was just an ordinary child, and Old Lin was involved in something rather big . What help could the boy be?

“Oh, Auntie, which university does Xin Xin attend?” Qin Sheng asked with concern . Xin Xin was Uncle Lin and Auntie Wang’s daughter and only child . She was a few years younger than Qin Sheng, and he’d always thought of her as his younger sister .

“You went to school in Shanghai, so she chased after you to Shanghai,” Auntie Wang replied, sad and yet somehow amused .

Qin Sheng perked up . “Shanghai? That’s great . I’m headed to Shanghai tomorrow, so I should be able to meet up with Xin Xin . ”

“You just returned, and you’re already leaving?” Auntie Wang asked, astonished .

That evening, Qin Sheng had dinner with his aunt, and it tasted just as he remembered . When he took a bite of the spicy eight treasure stir fry in steamed bread, his eyes had already turned red . He had no parents, only a grandfather . Others always called him an orphan, and it was only in this place that he felt a familial warmth .

His grandfather told him that whenever he was treated well, he didn’t need to speak up about it . He simply had to remember them in his heart and stand up when they needed help .

So, one day, Qin Sheng would return all the hurt that was being dealt to Uncle Lin and his family .

After dinner, Qin Sheng left the Lin house and headed to the barbecue plaza in Yanta District . There was a place that had amazing barbecue skewers . When he visited in the past, he’d always go there with his best friends .

Qin Sheng knew that when he called up his four old friends, they’d be caught off guard at his reappearance . Only two of them could make it, but Qin Sheng didn’t really have anything to say about that .

He knew that, as people moved on with their lives, they would grow apart . There are many things that will never again be as they once were .

“Old Qin, you fucker . We thought you disappeared . Where were you the past two years?” His two old friends arrived at the same time . Meng Zhe was the one who spoke . He was pretty good looking; they used to call him ‘pretty boy’ all the time .

“Damn . When you called, I thought it was a scammer . Motherfucker, I didn’t think it was really you,” Hao Lei cursed . He used to be a soldier and was only discharged recently . He was tall and lean .

“Let’s sit and chat . It’s all a long story . ” Qin Sheng gathered his friends and laughed .

After they sat down, Hao Lei called out, “Waiter, three cases of beer, ¥20 of meat, ¥20 of tendons, ¥20 of kidneys, three fried dough pancakes, one serving of roasted eggplant, and a vegetable plate . ”

“Tonight, we don’t leave until we’re drunk,” Meng Zhe added cheerfully .

In life, one had to drink . But only when you’re drinking with the right kind of people will you be able to enjoy yourself . If you drink with boring people, then all you’re doing is drinking . How pointless .

And so, Qin Sheng happily replied, “You’re on! No one leaves until we’re all drunk . ”

The three men clinked their drinks and started chatting .

“What have you two been up to the past couple of years?” Qin Sheng inquired .

“I was discharged recently . Haven’t found a job yet . Old Meng’s engaged . He’ll probably get married next year . You’d better not go missing then,” Hao Lei answered with a laugh .

“What about the other guys?” Qin Sheng continued asking .

Old Meng sighed . “Old Xu and Wu Yong are on their own paths now . You probably called them too . Even the two of us only see each other a few times a year . I’m sure you know what I’m getting at…”

Qin Sheng replied regretfully, “Enough about that then . Let’s drink . ”

“Come on . Let’s drink . Drink . ”

It was the start of October, so the weather was still a bit warm and stuffy . The barbecue plaza was exceptionally busy . Everyone drank and ate heartily, laughing and griping about life . It was a familiar place and a familiar feeling .

Qin Sheng felt that things were pretty good .

“Old Qin, tell us where you’ve been all this while . ”

“I’ll tell you another time . It’s not a big deal, and everything’s good now . ”

“This guy… Then what are your plans for the future?”

“The one o’clock train . After we’re done drinking, I’m headed to Shanghai . I’ll be working in Shanghai from now on,” Qin Sheng explained . There was no need to hide things from his best friends .

“Shanghai? I think Su Qin’s in Shanghai too . ”

“Old Meng, shut up,” Hao Lei quickly cut his friend off . Meng Zhe also realized his mistake .

Qin Sheng chuckled and shook his head . “It’s fine . Just say whatever you want to say . It’s all in the past . ”

“Drink . Let’s drink . Forget all this crap . ”

The three of them left without finishing their three cases of beer . Qin Sheng would be on the train awhile, but the other guys had work to do the next day .

Qin Sheng didn’t really have any luggage, so he grabbed a taxi to the train station . Sitting in the car, he looked out the window at the nightscape with hazy eyes . The mottled image told a story of time . The familiar street names had already changed, and the city felt like a person past their prime . He looked over the city like a bystander at a scene .

When the train started moving, Qin Sheng knew that he was about to start a new journey…