Chapter 149 - 103: Wang Dayong 2
"You must be my roommate, right?"
Chen Zhuo looked at him and nodded.
The boy took a step to the side and shouted into the room.
"Dad, Mom, my roommate’s here!"
Chen Jianguo walked in, carrying the suitcase.
The dorm room was spacious.
Just inside the door was a private bathroom and sink, with a small balcony outside.
Against either wall stood two identical sets of natural-wood furniture: a loft bed with a desk underneath.
The bunk on the right was untouched, but the desk on the left was already covered with all sorts of personal items.
A burly, middle-aged man was squatting on the balcony, examining something. Hearing the noise, he stood up and wiped his hands on his pant legs.
A middle-aged woman with a short perm, a cleaning rag in her hand, walked out from behind the desk.
"Oh, come in, come in."
The woman was all smiles as she looked at Chen Jianguo and Liu Xiuying.
Chen Jianguo set down the suitcase.
"Hi there. I’m Chen Zhuo’s father, Chen Jianguo. This is my wife. We’re from Su Province."
"Wang Hai."
The burly man strode over, extended his hand, and gave Chen Jianguo a firm shake.
"From Liao Province."
The woman quickly introduced herself as well.
"I’m Dayong’s mom, Li Mei."
Li Mei’s gaze fell upon Chen Zhuo, and her expression immediately softened.
"What a fine-looking boy. How old are you this year?"
"Ten," Chen Zhuo replied.
"Ten?" Li Mei gasped. "Oh my goodness, that’s so young!"
The boy next to them came over and slapped his own chest with a loud THWACK.
"Hey, man. I’m Wang Dayong. Fourteen. From now on, we’re brothers in this room."
"It’s just the two of us in here, so don’t you worry. From now on, here at school, Brother Yong’s got your back. If anyone dares to bully you, you just tell me."
Standing in the back, Liu Xiuying heard this, and the anxiety she’d been feeling the whole trip began to ease.
Chen Zhuo looked up at Wang Dayong.
Wang Dayong’s eyes were bright and carefree.
Chen Zhuo smiled.
"Thanks, Brother Dayong."
Li Mei quickly pulled Liu Xiuying over.
"Come, sit down. It’s so hot today."
Li Mei turned, walked over to Wang Dayong’s desk, and opened a huge bag.
She grabbed two big handfuls of something and stuffed them directly into Liu Xiuying’s hands.
"Have some. We brought them from home. These are hazelnuts, and these are red pine nuts."
She then turned, picked up a thick red sausage wrapped in brown paper, and handed it to Chen Zhuo.
"You’re Xiaozhuo, right? Here, a red sausage from home."
Chen Zhuo accepted the sausage with both hands.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Chen Zhuo placed the red sausage on his own empty desk.
Liu Xiuying untied the plastic bag she was holding and took out a clear plastic container.
The moment the lid was lifted, a rich, savory aroma filled the dorm room.
"You and Dayong must try this. It’s beef shank, fresh from the pot this morning at home."
Liu Xiuying held out the container.
Wang Dayong was starving, and at the smell, his Adam’s apple bobbed.
He didn’t stand on ceremony, reaching in to grab a large piece and popping it into his mouth. After a couple of chews, his eyes lit up.
"Auntie, this is delicious! Your cooking is better than any restaurant’s."
And so the two families gathered in the middle of the room, sharing beef and pine nuts.
After just a few words, the initial awkwardness of their first meeting dissipated.
On the balcony.
Wang Hai took out a pack of Changbai Mountain cigarettes, tapped one out, and offered it to Chen Jianguo.
"Buddy, want one?"
Chen Jianguo took it, casually tucked it behind his ear, and pulled a lighter from his pocket.
CLICK.
A flame shot up.
Chen Jianguo lit Wang Hai’s cigarette first, then took his own from behind his ear, stuck it between his lips, and lit it.
He took a deep drag and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
Wang Hai leaned against the balcony’s iron railing, watching his son inside, who was happily chatting with Chen Zhuo.
"So, you heading out today, buddy?" Wang Hai asked, flicking his ash.
Chen Jianguo nodded, the cigarette between his fingers.
"Yeah. I only got two days off from the factory. We’re going to drive back through the night, while there’s less traffic. That way, I can still make the morning shift tomorrow."
Wang Hai sighed.
"It’s not easy for any of us. We’re leaving tonight, too."
Chen Jianguo seemed surprised and turned to look at him.
Wang Hai exhaled a puff of smoke.
"We flew in. For the way back, we have sleeper-car tickets for the 9:30 train from the Provincial City. It’ll be a train ride of over thirty hours to get home."
The two middle-aged men leaned on the balcony railing, neither speaking again for a moment.
They looked through the glass door at the room inside.
One fourteen, the other ten.
Two half-grown kids, not yet fully mature, who were about to face the future on their own in this very room.
"Buddy, to be honest, I’ve always thought my boy was pretty capable. Getting into Keda at fourteen... he really made us proud back home."
Wang Hai flicked his ash again.
"But seeing your Xiaozhuo today, I realized there’s always someone better. Ten years old... how does a kid get a brain like that?"
Chen Jianguo held his cigarette.
"To be honest, the boy’s never been much of a talker. He’s always had a mind of his own. When it came to his studies and getting into school, my wife and I couldn’t help much at all."
Chen Jianguo watched Chen Zhuo, who was now unpacking his suitcase.
"When a kid’s too smart, it’s a different kind of worry for a parent. You worry he won’t get along with others, that he’ll get wronged."
Chen Jianguo turned his head to look at Wang Hai.
"But seeing Dayong just now put my mind at ease. You can tell right away that Dayong is a straightforward and honest kid. With the two of them living together as brothers, I can rest easy."
Wang Hai slapped his thigh.
"Buddy, you hit the nail on the head. That boy of mine, Dayong, he doesn’t have a scheming bone in his body, but he’s fiercely protective of his own. You can set your mind at ease. With him around, Xiaozhuo won’t suffer the slightest bit."
Inside the room.
Wang Dayong walked over.
"Xiaozhuo, give me your bedding roll. I’ll pass it up for you. You can just stay down there."