「Late August, 2017.」
「Hai City First Prison.」
A large, west-facing iron gate opened slowly. A middle-aged police officer walked out from within, his expression serious as he looked back at the gate.
"Feng Shan, be more level-headed from now on. Don't be impulsive. Think about the consequences."
"Instructor Zhang, I will."
As the voice faded, Feng Shan walked out. He had a fresh buzz cut, wore an outdated denim outfit, and carried a bulging, woven fertilizer bag. He was finally stepping through the gate that had been his companion for seven years of prison life.
The piercing September sun poured down without reservation, but Feng Shan squinted in the bright light, seemingly unable to adjust to this long-lost freedom.
Standing in the world outside the prison, Feng Shan's face was a mask of bewilderment.
Seven years behind bars had left him standing at a bus stop, completely at a loss as he faced the unfamiliar signs, routes, and station names.
"Brother Shan."
A somewhat familiar voice called out from behind him. Feng Shan spun around. Facing the sun, his vision blurred, but he could vaguely make out a taxi driving toward him.
The taxi pulled over to the side of the road. Two men and a woman got out, smiling as they looked at him.
Their faces were both familiar and strange to Feng Shan. He hesitated for a moment.
But the three of them had already opened their arms and were rushing toward him.
"Brother Shan, you're finally out!"
"We missed you like crazy!"
"Why wouldn't you let us visit for the past seven years?"
Before Feng Shan could react, the two men and the woman had wrapped him in a tight embrace, their cries choked with emotion. Recognizing their voices, Feng Shan opened his arms and hugged them back.
"Black Hide, Xiaohua, Hu Zi!"
"How did you know I was getting out early?"
"We were counting the days. Xiaohua called the prison."
The baby-faced man called Hu Zi broke away from the hug, rushed back to the taxi, and pulled out an iron basin. He placed it on the ground and lit the paper money inside.
"You have to step over a fire basin when you get out! It burns away all the bad luck from inside!"
WHOOSH!
A fire erupted in the basin.
Black Hide, a stout young man with a dark complexion, pulled out a handful of leaves and began sweeping them all over Feng Shan's body, chanting under his breath.
"Sweep, sweep, sweep! Sweep away disaster, sweep away hardship."
Xiaohua, a pretty woman, smiled and took Feng Shan's arm. She led him across the fire basin and then handed him a sweatsuit.
After changing, Feng Shan was instantly transformed into a cool, handsome man.
"Brother Shan is as handsome as ever!" Xiaohua's face bloomed into a smile. She picked up his old clothes, ready to toss them into the fire basin.
"Don't burn them. Ms. Hong bought those for me." Feng Shan took the clothes, folded them carefully, and tucked them inside his new jacket.
The moment the name "Ms. Hong" was mentioned...
The joyful atmosphere instantly cooled. The three young faces turned somber.
"Where is Ms. Hong buried?" Feng Shan took out a cigarette, about to light it. He hesitated for a moment, then pushed it back into the pack and asked in a low voice.
Hu Zi's lips moved a few times. "Brother, why don't we go see Ms. Hong after we get something to eat?"
"No need." Feng Shan shook his head and got into the taxi.
The three exchanged a look and climbed into the car, resigned.
「Hai City South District Cemetery.」
Feng Shan stood before a grave, holding a bouquet of carnations. On the headstone was a color photograph, a picture of him with a woman.
In the photo, the woman's smile was as warm and bright as the carnations in his hand. Her cheek was pressed against Feng Shan's, while he wore a look of annoyance and disdain.
"Ms. Hong, Shanzi is here to see you."
Feng Shan gently caressed the woman's face in the photograph, his eyes red-rimmed.
"Brother, the dead can't be brought back. You have to let go," Xiaohua comforted him, her voice choked with a sob.
"Let's go. The wind's picking up."
Feng Shan raised a hand to wipe his eyes. In that instant, the other three caught the unexpected, barely perceptible glint of a tear in the corner of Brother Shan's eye.
Back at the home he hadn't seen in seven years.
It was a tool shed, illegally built on the building's rooftop by the property management company. Feng Shan had spent all his savings to buy it back then, all because Ms. Hong loved to nestle beside him and watch the sunset over the sea.
Time seemed to have stood still here for seven years.
The room was spotless, without a speck of dust. Even the furnishings were exactly as he had left them.
The old television, the scratched-up stereo, and the wall covered in sweet, happy photos.
Feng Shan quietly walked through every corner of the room, memories of past laughter and sweet happiness flashing before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
Now, the home remained, but the person was gone.
"Xiaohua comes to clean every few days. She won't let us help, says she's afraid Brother Shan would forget what home looks like," Hu Zi said softly.
Black Hide forced a smile, trying to dispel the sorrowful atmosphere. "Brother Shan is out today, so let's be happy! I'll go buy groceries. We'll have a good, long drink."
MEOW!
A chubby tabby cat emerged from a corner of the room. Feng Shan cried out in surprise, "Coca-Cola!!"
The fat tabby's eyes went wide. It stared blankly at the stranger who had called its name, then hid fearfully behind Xiaohua, peeking its head out.
"Brother, Coca-Cola fell from the roof three years ago chasing a pigeon. This is her only kitten, Little Coca-Cola!" Xiaohua bent down and scooped up the tabby, gently scratching under its chin. The cat closed its eyes and let out a comfortable purr.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the stars twinkled.
A cool breeze from the sea extinguished the lingering heat of the day. On the rooftop platform sat a small square table, set with a few plates of cooked dishes and cold appetizers. Empty beer bottles lay scattered on the ground.
Feng Shan looked up, gazing at the distant sea. The lighthouse still stood there, its blinking light cutting through the dark night sky, exceptionally bright.
He remembered Ms. Hong saying that the white light wasn't pretty. If she ever had the chance, she would go to the lighthouse and change that damn light to pink.
"How have you all been?"
Hu Zi, his eyes hazy with drink, put an arm around Xiaohua. His face showed a weariness that belied his age. "I'm a security guard, and Hua'Er is a cashier at a supermarket. We're getting by. Hua'Er and I got married the year before last. Next year, you're going to be a godfather, Brother."
"Congratulations. You and Hua'Er were a pair since you were kids. It's good you finally made it official." Feng Shan raised his glass.
Black Hide had a bitter look on his face, his brow furrowed with a mix of envy and self-pity. "I'm the pathetic one here, still single. Who would want a guy who drives a beat-up taxi?"
"Your time just hasn't come yet. Don't rush it." Feng Shan's own life was a mess; he was in no position to give advice. He quickly changed the subject. "What about the others?"
The three of them exchanged a sigh. Hu Zi slammed his glass down, splashing beer all over the ground. Little Coca-Cola, who had been secretly eating under the table, jumped into Xiaohua's arms in fright.
"After the incident, after you went in, the group fell apart. It all went to shit. So-called brothers… they're all shit, a bunch of ungrateful bastards. After how much you looked after them, Brother! And Fucai and Fu Yun… you scrimped and saved to put them through school, and when Black Hide and I went to them to ask for help, to pull some strings, they actually said they didn't know any Brother Shan. Motherfuckers."
Seven years in prison had long since sanded off Feng Shan's rough edges. He calmly picked up the beer bottle, filled his empty glass, and held it out to Hu Zi.
"Everyone has their own path. You can't blame them."
The three men raised their glasses, clinked them gently, and bid farewell to the past.
"Brother Shan, what are you going to do now that you're out? Why don't we reopen Hongxia Restaurant? Back then, you took on five guys—one dead, four injured. If you hadn't chased them out, you never would've been sentenced. If you reopen the restaurant, I'll go back to being your chopper."
Remembering their past glory days and seeing their current sorry state, Black Hide couldn't accept it. His eyes were full of hope, and his body trembled slightly with excitement.
Hu Zi's eyes also lit up with a special glint, but Xiaohua frowned, gently stroking her slightly swelling belly.
Feng Shan picked up a peanut and flicked it, hitting Black Hide squarely on the forehead. "What restaurant? All the money went to compensating the victim's family, and I still owe a huge debt. I even made you lose your marriage funds. Just find a steady job and pay off the debts."
Black Hide wasn't angry at being hit. He rubbed his forehead and chuckled sheepishly. "Brother, your headshots are still as accurate as ever."
'Money makes you a king; without it, you're less than nothing.'
When Brother Shan had his accident, the three of them borrowed from every person they could. They were still paying off those debts today.
After that, no one mentioned the matter again.
The drinks were finished, the bonds renewed, under the hazy moon.
Seeing that they'd had enough to drink, Feng Shan stood up and stretched. "Alright, that's enough. Everyone head out. Xiaohua's pregnant, and Black Hide has to drive his taxi tomorrow morning."
"I'll leave after I clean up the table," Xiaohua said with a smile.
"Just leave it. Ms. Hong will get…."
...
Missing seven years of his youth had filled Feng Shan with a sense of alienation from the world.
Walking down the street, amidst the coming and going of cars and pedestrians, his eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.
Once-familiar streets had become strange. The roadside shops had new signs, and the goods displayed in their windows were styles he had never seen before.
The complex functions of smartphones were baffling. He'd overhear people talking, using all sorts of strange words that left him completely bewildered.
Feng Shan tried hard to keep up with the pace of society, but he hit a wall with every attempt.
Walking out of a company office, résumé in hand, Feng Shan overheard two women at the reception desk whispering around the corner.
"The manager just came out and said that guy was in prison. We're a respectable company. How can we hire someone like that?"
"He's actually not bad-looking, though. I forgot to ask for his WeChat."
"You're boy-crazy. He's an ex-con! Aren't you afraid he'll… you know… do that to us?"
"Even if he did, it'd be better than your boyfriend…"
Feng Shan was already used to the cold remarks. In the past few days of interviews, the companies that found out he'd been in prison were being polite by not chasing him out with a broom.
'Ms. Hong used to say, life is nine-tenths disappointment. But flowers open towards the sun, and people must move forward.'
He lifted his head and walked on with long strides.
...
After a full day of pasting small advertisements through streets and alleys, Feng Shan dragged his exhausted body home.
A stranger was standing on the rooftop platform. Although the shed was technically Feng Shan's, property management would often come up to inspect the rooftop pipes and drainage.
Assuming it was a maintenance worker, Feng Shan paid him no mind.
He took out his key and was about to open the door when an awkward, stiff voice asked from behind him.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Feng Shan?"
Feng Shan turned around to see a blond foreigner in a suit and leather shoes walking towards him. It was hard to tell his age.
"I am. You're looking for me?"
"God Fack, I finally found you." The blond foreigner looked like he was about to cry with excitement. He spoke in clumsy, stiff Chinese as he hurried forward.
"My friend, I am Frank Jonathan, from Alaska Fairbanks. I am a Public Lawyer with the AK Government Ministry of Justice. I have been entrusted by Mr. Feng Kailu to transfer an inheritance to you."
'An inheritance?'
Feng Shan was confused.
His parents had died in a car accident when he was just an infant. He was the sole survivor, left with only a birth certificate. The police couldn't find any of his parents' relatives, so they ended up placing him in an orphanage.
And now, out of nowhere, a relative had appeared.
'Feng Kailu?'
'Feng Shan... kailu?'
...