Bloody Romance: I, the big troublemaker, Zhong Yuemin!

Zhong Yuemin sized him up. His hair was a mess, like a bird's nest; his beard was unkempt; his eyes were sunken; and he exuded a listlessness, as if drained by the heavy burdens of life, devoid of any energy or spirit.

"Zheng Tong told me you returned to Beijing last year?"

Zhong Yuemin spoke, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing.

"What's wrong? You've made it big now, so you look down on us old buddies and don't even think about coming to catch up with us?"

Upon hearing that Zhong Yuemin had gotten the news from Zheng Tong, Cao Gang immediately guessed that Yuemin must also know about his embarrassing "insurance fraud" incident.

Her face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment, and she wished she could shrink her head back.

"Yuemin, I..."

"What, aren't you going to invite your old friend in for a chat?" Zhong Yuemin interrupted his stammering.

"Go in, go in!"

Cao Gang hurriedly invited the person into the house. The room was small and cramped, dimly lit, with barely any room to stand.

“My family is just… just these are the conditions, Yuemin, please don’t look down on us.” His voice was dry and tinged with embarrassment.

This space of about ten square meters was almost filled with two simple bunk beds, one on the left and one on the right against the wall, leaving only a narrow passage in the middle. There was a long table with some bowls, chopsticks and pots piled on it. It seemed that this was both a "living room" and a dining table. There was no place to put chairs, so people could only sit on the edge of the lower bunk.

Cao Gang quickly gathered the few old clothes scattered on the lower bunk, stuffed them into the corner, and patted the sheets hard with his palm.

"Yuemin, sit here."

Zhong Yuemin placed the net bag he was holding on the greasy long table. Cao Gang's two children, and another child who was probably his older brother's, huddled together by the door frame, their eyes fixed on the colorful packaging inside the net bag.

Before coming, Zhong Yuemin bought some canned fruit, canned meat, milk candy, and biscuits at the store. He reached in and grabbed a handful of White Rabbit milk candy pies, then went over and distributed them to the children one by one.

The children received the rare snacks they never dared to dream of before, and ran off happily, their joyful laughter soon filling the yard.

Zhong Yuemin then sat back down on the hard bed.

"Yuemin, you're already here, why did you buy all this..." Cao Gang rubbed his hands together, looking uneasy.

"They've all been ruined for us..."

Zhong Yuemin didn't respond to that question, but asked directly,

"It's been over a year since you came back. Have you found a job yet?"

Cao Gang shook his head, sat down on the lower bunk opposite him, his eyes dim.

"Where can we find them? There are so many educated youth returning to the city now, and many of them are like me, just wasting their time at home. We can't count on the neighborhood committees for help."

Sigh, if I had known this would happen, I would have preferred to stay in northern Shaanxi for the rest of my life. Look at my family's situation..."

Looking around the room and at the cramped "pirate tower" outside, he gave a wry smile.

"It's in such a mess."

"Where are Qian Zhimin and Zhang Guangzhi? Have they returned as well?"

"Returned,"

Cao Gang nodded.

"Zhao Dayong, Guo Jie, and the others have also been coming back one after another. It's about time, within the next year or two."

Do you keep in touch regularly?

"Yes, there are some, but not many."

Cao Gang sighed.

"They all have families to support, and they're all approaching forty. They're all struggling financially, so they don't have the leisure or time to get together and reminisce. Besides, even if they did get together, what would they talk about?"

Unlike when we were young, when we only had one person to feed and no one else to worry about, living in dilapidated cave dwellings, lying on the kang (heated brick bed) at night, chatting all night long about everything under the sun—we were truly carefree back then.

Now it's not working anymore. All I can think about is how to get my wife and kids a decent meal and get through this miserable life..."

Zhong Yuemin listened silently, saying little, only asking,

Do you know where Qian Zhimin and Zhao Dayong are living now?

"Yes, I know. I remember the address."

"OK,"

Zhong Yuemin stood up and didn't stay long.

"Then let's go, take me to see them."

Cao Gang also stood up, looking completely bewildered.

"Yuemin, what's wrong with you...?"

"Let's talk after we get there."

Zhong Yuemin reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s been years since we last met. Let’s get everyone together, find a place, sit down, and have a long chat.”

The two left the courtyard one after the other, winding their way through the alley to the street outside. He had driven there, walking straight to a black sedan, opening the door, and getting into the driver's seat. Cao Gang stood outside the passenger door, staring dumbfounded at the gleaming car.

"Yue... Yuemin, this... this car is yours?"

"Come up."

Zhong Yuemin nodded, his words concise and to the point.

Cao Gang then carefully opened the passenger door, sat down with half his buttocks resting on the edge of the seat, and closed the door very gently, as if afraid of breaking it.

With legs together, hands neatly placed on knees, back straight, and the whole person tense and reserved.

They first went to Qian Zhimin's house, where the situation was not much better than Cao Gang's; he was also unemployed at home. Then they found Zhao Dayong, who had found a job hauling goods on a tricycle, which was also physical labor. Guo Jie was delivering milk to a kindergarten... Each of them was struggling with life, their edges worn down by life, their faces filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

Four people were squeezed into the back seat of the car. Luckily, the car was spacious enough, otherwise it would have been impossible for them to fit. Zhong Yuemin drove to a nearby upscale restaurant that looked quite impressive. He booked a private room, ordered a table full of hearty dishes, and a few bottles of good wine.

The food and drinks were served, steaming hot and fragrant, but Cao Gang, Qian Zhimin, Zhao Dayong, Guo Jie, and the others sitting around the table did not touch their chopsticks.

The private room was quiet and somewhat awkward. The disparity in their status and circumstances was like an invisible wall between them and Zhong Yuemin. They didn't know where to put their hands and feet, their eyes darting around, and they seemed trembling with fear. They had completely lost the unrestrained and boastful spirit they had back then on the loess slopes of northern Shaanxi.

Zhong Yuemin picked up his chopsticks and tapped them on the porcelain plate in front of him, producing a crisp sound.

"Hey guys,"

Looking around, the voices weren't loud.

"There are no outsiders here, just a few of us old buddies. Relax, loosen up. What's wrong with you? You're acting like a shy young lady getting into a sedan chair. Back in the cave dwellings of northern Shaanxi, when we squeezed together on one kang (heated brick bed) and shared a bowl of rice porridge, we weren't like this at all."

"Fill all the glasses to the brim," the wine glasses were filled.

"Come on, let's have a drink together first!"

They clinked glasses, drank them down in one gulp, and didn't talk about business, just chatted about everyday things. After a few drinks, their faces flushed, and they relaxed a bit, which led to more conversation.

Qian Zhimin said, "Yuemin, do you know what I regret most right now?"

"what?"

Qian Zhimin first downed the half-glass of baijiu in his hand in one gulp, then put it on the table.

Then he said:

"I regret not listening to your advice and studying hard to prepare for the college entrance exam."