Landlord in the Arctic

Seeing Ms. Hua and Brother Hu living in such a big, beautiful apartment, even Black Egg, who had spent eight years in prison, found it a little unbelievable.

Among the friends from the orphanage, besides Brother Shan and Ms. Hong who had opened a small restaurant, none of the others had done well for themselves.

And even the ones who weren’t doing well would still come to Brother Shan’s restaurant from time to time to freeload.

Ms. Hua, Brother Hu, Brother Pi, and he himself at least knew to help out Brother Shan and Ms. Hong, lending a hand with the work.

The others would just eat, pat their butts, and leave.

As a result, even though the little restaurant’s business was booming, Brother Shan and Ms. Hong never made much money.

It was all spent subsidizing their younger brothers and sisters.

But now, after he’d been inside for a few years, Ms. Hua and Brother Hu could actually afford such a huge apartment.

"What are you spacing out for? Come on in!" Xiaohua, with her pregnant belly, moved to the side of the sofa. A fruit platter and snacks were already laid out on the coffee table.

Black Egg stared at the spots of light reflecting off the fruit platter.

An image surfaced in his mind of them sharing frozen tangerines as kids. Back then, the peels were still covered in white frost, and some of the tangerines were rotten. His older brothers and sisters would leave the good ones for him while they ate the rotten ones.

"Come on, you can look later. Let’s go grocery shopping!" Hu Zi and Black Hide grabbed Black Egg by his left and right arms and led him out the door.

The din of the wet market rushed over them like a tidal wave.

The four men weaved their way past one stall after another.

Brother Shan was in charge of picking the vegetables, Brother Hu was in charge of haggling with the vendors, spitting with fervor as he argued, while Brother Pi egged them on from the side. It suddenly gave Black Egg the illusion that he had gone back in time.

The afternoon sun gilded the buildings with a dazzling golden edge as the four of them returned to the apartment, laden with groceries.

Just as Hu Zi was taking out his keys to open the door, Black Hide tugged on Black Egg’s sleeve, jerking his chin toward the opposite door. "Little Egg, my place is right across from Hua’Er’s. You can stay with me tonight. I’ve already gotten a room ready for you!"

The dark red paint of the security door reflected Black Egg’s stunned expression.

’Even Brother Pi bought an apartment!’

Eight years of prison life... The world outside the iron bars felt like a different lifetime.

"Alright, stop chatting. Same as always, you guys wash the vegetables, I’ll do the cooking," Feng Shan said, carrying two large bags of ingredients as he walked straight to the kitchen.

Clutching a handful of fresh green vegetables, Black Egg nervously sidled up to Black Hide. He lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping over the genuine leather sofa in the living room and the exquisite tea set on the coffee table. In his memory, objects like these only existed in department store display windows.

"Hei, are you and Brother Hu running some big business?"

"What big business? Hu Zi and I just opened a supermarket," Black Hide said, shaking his head with a smile.

Black Egg’s baby face showed a hint of confusion. "Opening a supermarket is that profitable now? You even bought apartments."

Hearing this, Hu Zi and Black Hide froze for a moment, then looked at each other and burst into loud laughter.

"Oh, Little Egg," Black Hide finally managed to stop laughing and patted Black Egg’s shoulder. "How could the two of us afford these places? Brother Shan bought both of these apartments for us. Even the money to open the supermarket came from Brother Shan!"

’Brother Shan bought them.’

Black Egg was even more baffled.

’Brother Shan was sentenced to eight years and got out six months early. I was sentenced to ten and got out two years early.’

’He’s only been out six months longer than I have.’

’What did Brother Shan do to get so rich?’

"Don’t overthink it. We’ll tell you during the meal. Brother Shan is a big shot now," Hu Zi said with a comforting smile when he saw Black Egg’s perplexed expression.

At two in the afternoon, they finally sat down for a late lunch.

A huge spread of dishes covered the dining table.

The braised pork ribs glistened with an amber sheen, the seafood hot pot bubbled and steamed, and Feng Shan had even specially stewed some pork trotters, Black Egg’s favorite.

When Feng Shan walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron, he saw his younger brothers and sisters standing by the table. He quickly wiped his face with his hand and said with a smile, "What are you all standing around for? Sit down. Black Egg, sit with me."

The five of them sat down around the table.

Feng Shan picked up the liquor, filled a glass to the brim—GLUG GLUG—and placed it in front of Black Egg. Then he filled glasses for Hu Zi and Black Hide. He looked at his younger siblings, his expression a mixture of faint melancholy and relief.

"Come on, the first toast is to congratulate Black Egg on getting out. We’re all reunited now. Drink!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Shan tilted his head back and poured the two-ounce glass of baijiu down his throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed violently, and the glass hit the table with a heavy thud.

Everyone else at the table also raised their glasses. Xiaohua, holding her fruit juice, reluctantly took a big gulp.

Before anyone could put their glasses down, Feng Shan picked up the bottle again and refilled each empty glass.

Gripping his own glass, he stared straight at Black Egg across from him.

The light fell on his dark, baby face, a youthful profile that was nonetheless etched with a weariness that belied his age.

His eye sockets were sunken and bruised, a faint scar remained at the corner of his lips, and his eyes were murky and empty, as if they held all the loneliness and suffering of eight years in prison.

"Little Egg, it was my fault. If I had stopped you that day, you wouldn’t have spent eight years in the slammer."

Feng Shan’s voice was like it had been scraped by sandpaper, hoarse and trembling.

Before he even finished speaking, he slammed the two-ounce glass to his lips and drained it in one go. Liquor trickled from the corner of his mouth, spreading a dark stain on his shirt collar.

"Brother, why are you saying that!"

Black Egg shot up from his chair, the metal legs scraping harshly against the floor.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the glass. The harsh liquor burned his throat, making his eyes redden, but he stubbornly tilted his head back and drank every last drop.

"My only regret is that the knife was too dull, and two of those bastards got away!"

The bond between men is often hidden in unspoken understanding. Some things don’t need to be said; a single glance is enough.

Feng Shan looked at Black Egg, his eyes full of compassion. He clapped him heavily on the shoulder twice, then pulled a key from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"This is the third apartment on this floor. I bought it. From now on, it’s for you. In a couple of days, I’ll have Black Hide take you to handle the transfer of ownership."

Staring at the key on the table, Black Egg froze completely. A moment later, he frantically grabbed the key and tried to stuff it back into Feng Shan’s hand.

"Brother, I don’t want it! I’m fine staying with Brother Pi!"

"I bought places for your Ms. Hua, Brother Hu, and Brother Pi. You’re the only one left. When Black Hide finds a wife in the future, are you going to live with them too?" Feng Shan didn’t reach for the key. Instead, he cast a look at Hu Zi and Black Hide.

Taking the hint, Hu Zi and Black Hide, in perfect sync, stood up at the same time and pushed Black Egg back into his seat from either side.

Hu Zi took the opportunity to grab Black Egg’s hand, which was still clutching the key. "Brother Shan bought this for you. If you don’t accept it, what are we supposed to do?"

"From now on, we’ll all live on the same floor. We’ll be able to see each other just by opening our doors. We’ll always be brothers, with a bond that can never be broken!"

Black Hide took the key and pressed it back into Black Egg’s palm, tapping the back of his gaunt hand with a fingertip. "Exactly! You just got out, you’re not used to things yet. It’ll be better for us to look after you if we’re living together."

Then he deliberately added with a teasing tone, "And when I bring a wife home someday, I can’t have you on the sidelines cheering me on while we’re... doing our thing, can I!"

"Little Egg, just accept it. It’s a gift from Brother Shan’s heart!" Xiaohua said, swirling the juice in her cup. "All these years you were inside, Brother Shan was always talking about bringing you home."

The fingers clutching the key trembled slightly. The metal edges dug painfully into his palm, but the pain made Black Egg realize with stark clarity that this wasn’t a dream.

He had thought that just being able to reunite with his brothers and sisters after leaving prison was already a blessing from heaven.

He never imagined that Brother Shan had already prepared a place for him to call home.

A hot, stinging sensation welled up in his eyes. Black Egg quickly looked down and blinked, trying to keep the tears from falling.

"Alright, stop crying like a damn woman!" Feng Shan picked up the liquor bottle and refilled his own glass again. "You’re my brother. You think I’d let you be wronged? We’ve all had enough bitterness to make us sick. Now it’s time to enjoy life."

"Drink!"

As he spoke, he once again tilted his head back and downed the full glass of baijiu. His gaze swept over his three younger brothers, his eyes surging with a fiery affection.

"Drink! Someone’s getting drunk tonight!" Hu Zi grinned, revealing a set of white teeth as he was the first to raise his glass.

Black Hide’s eyes glistened with tears, but his smile was brighter than anyone’s. The liquor in his glass sloshed slightly from his trembling hand.

Black Egg sniffled, swallowing the lump in his throat. His reddened eyes now held a smile as he finally raised his glass high.

"To better days ahead!" Xiaohua raised her juice glass as well.

Five glasses clinked together heavily, the crisp sound mingling with the rising and falling waves of laughter and commotion.

All the regrets and bitterness of the past were drowned in that toast to their reunion.

....