Chapter 21: A Perilous Scene in the Cabin

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That day, Hei Fei went wandering around Lü Town again. Not wandering made him feel uneasy. Lü Town basked in sunshine, where people could freely fall in love or do nothing at all, simply sitting under the sun humming little tunes while passing the time.

At that moment, Hei Fei saw a young girl standing in front of a tavern. She wore white clothes and was casually shelling sunflower seeds. Seeing her, Hei Fei felt rooted to the spot. He bought a bouquet of flowers from a street vendor and approached the girl. Unsure of what to say, he simply handed her the flowers and then pulled out a handful of money from his pocket.

The girl glanced at him, but upon noticing the scar on his face, spat on the ground and then walked away along the street. Hei Fei followed her and again offered the bouquet, still unsure what words to speak. Passersby saw his behavior and also spat, calling him shameless.

But Hei Fei, faced with such a beautiful girl—one he liked—didn’t care about anything else.

He put the money in front of her, hoping she would take it so they could talk. Yet the girl rejected him outright, knocking the money to the ground, scattering it. Many people scrambled to grab the bills.

Seeing this, Hei Fei had no choice but to watch her leave, sighing to himself.

Still, Hei Fei would not give up. Such a lovely girl, like Snow White herself, how could he not pursue her?

That day was another fine one. Shao Qiu naturally went to Lü Town to sell sweet potatoes. Hei Fei went too—not to sell, but to see if there was any way to make money. More importantly, he hoped to find that girl in white.

But luck was not on his side. He didn’t see the girl in white. Instead, in front of the same tavern, he spotted a girl dressed in black—someone he knew. He approached her, hoping to do some business in Lü Town.

“Hello, working as a waitress here?” Hei Fei asked the girl, a smile on his face. She ignored him completely and spat on the ground.

“Honestly, even dressed in black, still hung up on someone,” the girl thought to herself but didn’t say aloud.

Hei Fei took her silence as agreement and planned to meet her by the river that day. The thought brought a smile to his face.

“I’m busy right now and can’t keep you company. Please understand. If you need anything, come find me after work,” she said, shelling sunflower seeds lazily as she walked away. She dared not offend Hei Fei, fearing his retaliation.

When her shift ended, she appeared early at the tavern door. Seeing Hei Fei, she was more annoyed than she could say and walked away in black clothes.

Hei Fei, holding a bouquet that was decidedly unfashionable, approached to give it to her. Suddenly, a man dressed in white stepped forward and swept his leg, striking Hei Fei’s face, which immediately swelled.

Hei Fei lay on the ground, unsure what to do next. The girl had already gotten into a white car and left calmly. Hei Fei could only watch her go, touching his face and sighing.

Frustrated and burning with anger, Hei Fei suddenly noticed Shao Qiu selling sweet potatoes under a bridge. He approached without a word and slapped Shao Qiu twice across the face.

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“Why did you hit me?” Shao Qiu asked, wanting to fight back but knowing it would be fatal.

“Why? Don’t you know?” Hei Fei roared.

“I don’t! I didn’t provoke you. What’s your problem?” Shao Qiu was angry but dared not lash out.

“You’re selling sweet potatoes here, embarrassing me. Don’t you see? People might laugh at me because of you,” Hei Fei said.

“What does that have to do with me?” Shao Qiu asked. “I mind my own business. You’re just bullying me.”

“You’re blocking my way, aren’t you?” Hei Fei shouted, then smashed all of Shao Qiu’s sweet potatoes before storming off.

“Isn’t this too much?” Shao Qiu muttered but dared not speak louder, fearing Hei Fei’s wrath.

Helpless, Shao Qiu gathered the remaining sweet potatoes and arranged them to sell again, tears streaming from his eyes. People paid him no mind; some even wondered if he truly was blocking anyone’s path.

When the market closed, the leftovers couldn’t be sold. Shao Qiu gave up, shouldered his basket, glanced at the sunset over Lü Town, and returned to the big boat, preparing to leave.

On the boat, no one paid attention to him—probably thinking he was difficult. He sat silently, gazing outside. Hei Fei approached again, probably thinking Shao Qiu had made money, and held out his hand.

“What do you want?” Shao Qiu asked, sweating nervously, clearly afraid.

“Nothing much. Give me ten yuan. I haven’t bought meat yet. If I go back empty-handed, people will laugh at me,” Hei Fei said.

“You don’t have money yourself? Why ask me? I’m not your relative,” Shao Qiu almost cried.

“Just give it to him. It’s only ten yuan,” someone scolded Shao Qiu.

“You’re so stingy. If you weren’t, you’d be rich by now,” another added.

“I don’t have money,” Shao Qiu defended. “What’s ten yuan to me?”

“You sold sweet potatoes all day and don’t even have ten yuan?” Hei Fei shouted. Laughter erupted on the boat, likely mocking Shao Qiu.

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“I have to spend money too,” Shao Qiu continued, uncomfortable with the demand.

“If you don’t give him money, beat him! You can win, so what’s there to fear?” a young woman supported Hei Fei, as if he wouldn’t respect her otherwise.

A punch came, swelling Shao Qiu’s face. Laughter broke out on the boat; only Shao Qiu wasn’t laughing.

“Alright... here,” Shao Qiu handed over ten yuan. Silence returned—no laughter, no curses.

After the beating, Shao Qiu took out a book and read by the daylight. People resumed their loud chatter, disturbing him so much he had to close the book and look outside.

Under a large tree, hidden in the tall grass, a couple was engaged in intimate acts. Shao Qiu glanced once, sensing ill omen, then looked away. The boat’s passengers quieted, perhaps drained by their own talk, and dozed against the railing.

Helpless, Shao Qiu watched the beautiful sunset outside—the fiery clouds like peach blossoms, like the face of a lovely maiden. Yet he had no heart to enjoy it, sitting on the boat coughing repeatedly.

“Why are you coughing here?” a young woman snapped, approaching sharply, her pants nearly falling off. If not for her underwear, it would have been embarrassing.

Shao Qiu dared not answer, closing his eyes, hoping to escape the ordeal. Suddenly, something was pulled over his head, making him choke.

“I’d rather be humiliated than catch your disease!” the woman shouted.

She had taken off her pants and covered Shao Qiu’s head with them, nearly suffocating him. He quickly pulled them off, only to see her still standing there, baring a tooth in a grin that frightened him.

“Don’t take off these pants. Your disease is contagious and incurable!” she said.

Helpless, Shao Qiu coughed, wearing the pants on his head, staying quietly in the cabin, feeling extremely unlucky. Eventually, he removed the pants and wrapped a towel around his head. People no longer commented, letting him cough while their laughter swelled again like a tide.

Shao Qiu returned to his dilapidated home.