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墨書 Inktalez
"Just do it," I thought, as I resumed my practice out of habit. There's a saying: "A blade that isn't sharpened will rust; a person who doesn't learn will fall behind." This was my means of survival, and I couldn't afford to be careless.
Moreover, after several battles with Gui Wu, I realized how far I still had to go. To stay alive, it was always wise to practice more.
As I was busy packing my things, my father approached me and handed me a bankbook. "I may not have much to offer, but this five thousand yuan is what I've saved over the years. Take it with you, and don’t be stingy while you're out there—spend it when you need to..."
I clutched the bright red bankbook in my hand, feeling a storm of emotions inside. My father had worked so hard to raise me, and now he was giving me all his savings from these past years.
I sniffled; I couldn't accept this money. My father had already given me enough. The rest, I would earn myself.
I always had a peculiar confidence in myself!
After all, this trip to the city was just to scout the area and test the waters. So, I kept my mindset relaxed. I only brought six hundred yuan—enough to rent a place to sleep.
After breakfast, I set off for H City with my luggage, under the watchful eyes of many villagers. There was an early bus from the village to the county seat, and then I would take another bus from there to the city.
Around eleven o'clock, I arrived at the bus station in H City. Stepping off the bus, I felt disoriented amidst the towering buildings and bustling traffic. Who knew which way was southeast or northwest?
After taking a moment to gather myself, I approached an old man selling shaobing at the exit. "Excuse me, sir, is there anywhere nearby where I can rent a room? The more rundown, the better..."
Perhaps it was close to noon and business was slow; the old man squatted beside his stall and lit a cigarette. "You can't be more than twenty, right? First time away from home? Here for work?"
I nodded. The old man pointed in a direction. "See that row of houses over there? The ones in the urban village are the cheapest. You can go ask around there. But the environment isn't great; most young folks can't stand living there."
I scratched my head and smiled. "It doesn't matter to me as long as there's a bed."
The old man chuckled. "Why aren't you studying? Came here to work instead?"
"I'm not cut out for school," I replied nonchalantly. "It's poor at home; it's better to come out early and make my own way."
The old man glanced at the sun and said, "There's a single room available next to where I rent; do you want to come with me and check it out?"
I felt a surge of joy inside. "Thank you so much! You're truly a benefactor!" With that, I helped him push his shaobing cart toward the urban village.
"My surname is Zhou; you can call me Zhou Shu," he said as he stubbed out his cigarette with his foot. A hint of sadness flashed in his murky old eyes.
The alley was filled with stagnant water, the cries of infants mingling with women's loud voices and the greasy smell of stir-fried dishes...
We finally stopped in front of a dilapidated two-story building after winding through the alley. There was a yard in front, cluttered with bicycles and other odds and ends. It took quite an effort to push the Shaobing Cart inside.
I followed Zhou Shu up a narrow, dim staircase to the second floor. There were five rooms up there, and it seemed like the first four were occupied. We paused at the door of the room at the far end.
Zhou Shu pulled out a key tied with a red string from his waistband and inserted it into the lock to open the door.
As soon as the door creaked open, a musty smell wafted out, accompanied by a chill in the air.
The room was roughly square, about ten square meters in size. At the back against the wall stood a bed, and to the right as you entered was a window with an old table beneath it, likely scavenged from a second-hand market.
Other than that, there was nothing else.
Zhou Shu added, "The bathroom is downstairs; there's running water at the corner of the staircase..."
"Uncle, are you the landlord here?" I asked, eyeing the key in the old man's hand.
Zhou Shu shook his head. "Ling Feng, do I look like a landlord? This place used to belong to my son; he just... doesn't come back anymore."
I thought to myself that his son had probably gone off to develop elsewhere, so he didn't return. I didn't ask further.
"Zhou Shu, how much is the rent?"
Zhou Shu lit a cigarette and after a long pause said, "One hundred a month, including water and electricity."
I quickly pulled out a hundred yuan and handed it to Zhou Shu. "Zhou Shu, I'm very satisfied with this place. Here's this month's rent."
Zhou Shu accepted the money, untied the red string from his waistband, and solemnly placed the key in my hand before turning to head downstairs.
I looked around the square room and felt as if I had returned to Immortal Cave. This would be my nest from now on. Fortunately, it wasn't too big; I quickly tidied it up.
Then I went out to buy some daily necessities. Once I had arranged everything in the room, I took Fo Zhang out of my bag. Ever since he ate that Big Red Flower, he had been in a deep sleep. If it weren't for his rising and falling belly, I would have thought something was wrong.
In the afternoon, I bought a map and took a bus ride around town to survey the market. In the end, I decided on staying near the train station; luckily, my place was not far from there—about seven or eight stops away.
By the time I returned to my rented room, it was completely dark outside. The streets were brightly lit, but once I entered the alley, all I could see were faint lights filtering through windows around me. I tiptoed carefully along the ground, afraid that one misstep would dirty my only belongings. I also had to be mindful of the cooked food and alcohol I was carrying.
Zhou Shu had helped me so much today; I had to thank him properly. So I bought some peanuts, pig's head meat, cold dishes, and four bottles of Erguotou.
As I approached the rental apartment, I happened to see Zhou Shu pushing a cart back. I quickly went over to help, saying, "Zhou Shu, I bought some marinated dishes. Come up later, and let's have a drink."
Zhou Shu chuckled and replied, "You're so thoughtful. Alright, I'll clean up and come up."
By the time Zhou Shu finished tidying up and came upstairs, I had just set the dishes out and brought in two wooden stools from the hallway.
Since we didn't have any cups prepared, we decided to drink straight from the bottle. I held up the wine bottle and said, "Thank you for your help today, Zhou Shu. I'll remember it."
Zhou Shu took a swig and said, "Ling Feng, don't blame me for being nosy. If possible, you should go back to school. You know that in this society, without money, it's hard to get by. Otherwise, you'll end up like me."
Hearing the underlying meaning in Zhou Shu's words made me hesitant to ask further. Since I arrived here, I hadn't seen Zhou Shu's wife, and he only mentioned his son in passing. So I nodded and said, "Uncle, I understand. That's why now that I'm back in the city, I need to work hard. Once I start making money, I'll bring my father to the city too."
After hearing my words, Zhou Shu just smiled and took another big gulp of wine. For a moment, it seemed like a glimmer of something murky flashed in his eyes...
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