Chapter 97: Chapter 4: The Old Classmate I Haven’t Seen in Over a Decade (Extra for the Handsome Subscribers)
The real estate prices in the small county town were not to be underestimated.
The bit of money Mom and Dad have probably isn’t enough.
After some thought, he transferred another five million to his mother. She was overjoyed and accepted the whole amount without another word. She had her own little calculations; the more of her son’s money she held onto, the more security she could provide for him in the future.
Having arranged matters at home, Sun Dasheng found himself idle. The quiet stirred an urge to go for a walk.
「On the commercial street below the building.」
He stepped into a popular tea shop, Shanghai Auntie, and ordered a cappuccino. After a few sips, he found it was quite good.
With the end of the year approaching, all the shops had hung up red lanterns. The streets were bustling with people, creating a lively atmosphere.
After strolling for a bit and finishing his drink, he prepared to head back. Just as he turned, a voice called out from behind.
"Sir, interested in swimming and fitness?"
A flyer was thrust into his hand.
Before Sun Dasheng could refuse, he turned fully. Seeing the face of the person handing out flyers, he exclaimed in surprise, "Old Qian, is that you?"
The man handing out flyers was indeed his old classmate, whom he hadn’t seen in many years. Throughout all three years of high school, they had been deskmates. Their bond had been iron-clad. Unfortunately, just before the college entrance exams, some calamity had befallen his family, and he had vanished without a trace. Not only did his family move away, but he also stopped responding on any messaging apps. After the exams, Sun Dasheng had tried every possible way to reach him but never succeeded.
He never expected that after more than a decade, they would meet again like this.
"Da Sheng! Wow! It’s been so many years, I’ve missed you to death!" Qian Zhi shouted, tossing his handful of flyers aside and pulling Sun Dasheng into a fierce hug. He excitedly patted his friend’s back a few times.
They parted, and Qian Zhi looked him over carefully. "That’s right," he said proudly. "This is exactly how I pictured you’d be. I told everyone back then you were a dragon meant for the heavens, not some fish in a pond. Today proves my judgment was spot on."
"I really wish I could drag you in front of all those classmates who laughed at me back then and let them get a good look, hehe..."
His old classmate was decked out in brand-name clothes, the very picture of success. In contrast, Qian Zhi’s entire outfit, from head to toe, probably didn’t cost a thousand yuan. To call him down-and-out might be an exaggeration, but "lost in the crowd" was a more fitting description. Yet, he didn’t show the slightest envy; instead, he was genuinely happy that his old friend was doing well.
Seeing his friend’s joyous expression, Sun Dasheng felt a pang of bitterness. Back in the day, the two of them were known as the "Twin Pillars of the Class." They were both shoo-ins for top-tier universities. If it weren’t for the family crisis that had prevented him from taking the college entrance exam, his life wouldn’t have turned out this way. Here he was, in his mid-thirties, competing with part-time college students for a job that paid terrifyingly little—handing out flyers.
"Hey! What do you think you’re doing? What’s all this?"
A man in a suit and leather shoes strode over from a short distance away. He walked right up to Qian Zhi and immediately launched into a tirade.
"Why’d you throw the flyers all over the ground? Aren’t you going to pick them up? Do you even want this job?" he berated. "I mean, you’re in your thirties. How are you still so clueless? If you don’t want this hundred-yuan-a-day job, there are plenty of people who do. If you’re not gonna work, then get lost!"
So, it was the supervisor.
"I’m sorry, I’ll get them right away..." Qian Zhi apologized reflexively, bending down to pick up the flyers.
Sun Dasheng stopped him. "He was wrong to drop the flyers, fine. You can tell him off, but do you really need to stand here running your mouth and insulting him?"
"And who the hell are you? This is none of your business. Get out of my sight."
The next second, the cowering Qian Zhi seemed to transform into a different person. He flung the remaining flyers in his hand straight at the supervisor’s face and roared, "Say what you want about me, but don’t you dare talk down to my brother!"
The papers fluttered wildly, slapping against the man’s face and leaving him with an utterly humiliated expression.
"You little good-for-nothing!"
"Who is the good-for-nothing talking to?" Qian Zhi retorted scornfully.
"The good-for-nothing is talking to you!" the supervisor snapped back in anger, not realizing the linguistic trap he’d just walked into.
His response triggered a roar of laughter from the onlookers. Only when he saw people pointing at his own head did he realize his blunder.
"You’re all talk, Qian! That’s it, your pay for today is gone. Furthermore, you’re blacklisted from our company. You’ll never work for us again!"
"What company is this? So high and mighty?" Sun Dasheng asked.
"A small ad firm on the brink of bankruptcy," Qian Zhi explained. "They can’t land any real advertising deals, so they’ve been reduced to taking flyer jobs from local shops just to survive."
"Oh? To hear him talk, I thought it was some Fortune 500 company, blacklisting people left and right. I’m so scared!" Sun Dasheng said sarcastically.
"You know, for a second there, he almost scared me to death," Qian Zhi played along, feigning shock.
The two were in perfect sync, their back-and-forth like a comedy routine. The crowd of onlookers couldn’t help but laugh even harder. Utterly defeated, the supervisor covered his face and fled.
As the crowd dispersed, Sun Dasheng spotted a street cleaner nearby. He walked over, handed her two hundred yuan, and asked her to clean up the papers on the ground. Then, he left with his old classmate.
「At a barbecue restaurant.」
Since it wasn’t a peak mealtime, the place was mostly empty. A full spread of barbecue was quickly laid out on their table.
Qian Zhi raised his beer mug. "To old classmates, reunited after more than a decade! I’m downing this!"
Sun Dasheng drank one with him.
Before he’d had more than a few bites, Qian Zhi raised his mug again. "To my old classmate’s great success and bright future! I’m downing this!"
Sun Dasheng drank another with him.
When he raised his mug for a third time, Sun Dasheng placed a hand on it. "It’s just the two of us here. No need to drink so fast. Let’s eat something first and line our stomachs."
Qian Zhi readily agreed, and the two began to tear into the skewers. As time passed and they drank more, a flush crept onto their faces. It was then that he finally opened up.
It turned out that just before the college entrance exam, his parents had been in a car accident and both had passed away. They had left behind significant business debts, and once the creditors heard the news, they started showing up at his door demanding repayment. With his parents gone and his grandparents having passed away long before, he was all alone with no one to rely on. In that situation, how could he possibly have the peace of mind to take the exam? Even if he passed, he wouldn’t have had the money for tuition.
So, he chose to drop out of school and find work. He got a new phone, new QQ account, and new WeChat. That was why, no matter how hard Sun Dasheng tried, he could never find him.
Looking at his old classmate, who was the same age but looked as if he were in his forties, Sun Dasheng was overcome with a flood of emotions.
He suddenly thought of a song lyric: *Oh, fate!* Fate truly is a fickle thing. Misfortune can strike so unexpectedly, without any warning to let you prepare for its arrival. Wasn’t his own joblessness and divorce the same? If it weren’t for the system, he couldn’t even imagine where he’d be right now.
The two men, kindred spirits in their suffering, drank a few more glasses.
A phone rang.
Both of them reached for their pockets, then looked at each other and smiled. It turned out they both used the same ringtone: a quirky pop song titled, "The Girl in Purple’s Got Style."
"It’s my phone," Qian Zhi said, holding it up with a smile. "The wife’s calling to check in on me."
From his relaxed tone, it was clear the two of them had a harmonious relationship.
"How long have you two been married? I’ve never even met your wife. Is she free right now? You could ask her to come over for a bite. We can all get to know each other," Sun Dasheng suggested.
Qian Zhi smiled and nodded. He said a few words into the phone, then hung up. "We’ve been married for over ten years. She happens to be out shopping with a friend nearby, so I told her to come on over."