“Brother Shan, this kind of nerd with soft skin and tender flesh without his glasses is just like a blind man. Don’t talk about him beating you, I’m afraid he won’t even dare to walk by himself.” The green haired thug stomped on the glasses that had fallen on the ground, exerting all the strength in his foot to crush it and smiled triumphantly. “If you don’t have the ability, don’t try to be a hero boasting about saving the beauty.”
Hearing the thug’s loud laughter, Ding Yang couldn’t bear it any longer and tried to beat them with his first. But as soon as he stepped forward, his arm was caught. He looked behind him and saw it was Shen Chang’an who had grabbed him.
“Chang’an…”
Shen Chang’an shook his head and very slowly rolled up his shirt sleaves, revealing his fair arms. “It’s rare to hear someone ask me to beat him. How can I not satisfy him?
“Yo ho?!” The thug called Brother Shan listened to this, and suddenly felt provoked. He turned his head to look at his younger brothers and said, “Brothers, give him some colour to look at. If you don’t beat him to meow, I’m afraid he won’t know that the hero has a price to pay for saving the beauty.”
Shen Chang’an chuckled. His eyes which clearly distinguished right from wrong looked at Brother Shan like he was a well-behaved baby who knew nothing about the world. Brother Shan tilted his head, ignoring the thin sense of guilt in his heart, and signaled his young brothers to start.
“Chang’an, be careful!” Ding Yang saw that the green haired thug had jumped up, wanting to kick Shen Chang’an. He was so anxious that before he could react, he saw Shen Chang’an stretch out his hand to grab the green hair’s calf with a relaxed look as if he were pinching the root of a carrot.
A hand chopped at the green hair’s body like a knife. The green hair let out a blood curdling screech and collapsed on the ground. Shen Chang’an glanced at the green hair rolling around on the ground in pain, and an apologetic smile appeared on his face. “I’m sorry. I haven’t fought with anyone in a long time. I misjudged my strength. You’ll have to bear with me.”
The thugs, “…”
Xu Ze and Ding Yan who were preparing to help Shen Chang’an fight, “…”
“Damn you. Don’t pretend in front of Laozi.” Brother Shan turned to his young brothers and said, “Are you all pigs? Let’s go together.”
Only then did the thug younger brothers react, coming over with a roar as they charged Shen Chang’an. Soon after, Ding Yang and Xu Ze saw at once that these fiendish thugs were like baby chicks in front of Shen Chang’an, being toyed with in his hands. He singlehandedly lifted up a person while one foot kicked over another two. Within several short minutes, the thugs were all in a state of disarray as they lay on the ground.
“Eh?” Shen Chang’an turned around with a smile on his face towards the only one still standing, Brother Shan. “Still want me to come beat you? I’m always willing to help others. You all raised a request. If I don’t satisfy you, that won’t be very good.”
“I think … sometimes its very good to go back on your words.” Brother Shan swallowed, choking on his saliva. He trembled and swayed as he watched his younger brothers rolling about on the ground. “Little brother, we were wrong. We dare not take liberties with women anymore in the future. You let us go, okay.”
“Believing the words of a man is not as good as believing to see ghosts in broad daylight.” Shen Chang’an sighed. “How about, I’ll still beat you to kowtow, ba.”
“Little Brother, no, it’s Big Brother. I still have a 70-year-old mother in my home to support. You let me off at once, ba.” Brother Shan knew to be terrified quite quickly. “If I dare freely harass women in the future, let my … let my little brother rot.”
Ding Yang couldn’t help clamping his legs together. This ruthless man could even come up with this kind of oath.
“A short while ago, you wanted to beat me into what kind of appearance?” Shen Chang’an was still smiling. “Can you say it again?”
Shan Ge’s face changed from white to green and from green to red. After a while, he hung his head. “Meow, meow, meow.”
“What did you say?”
“I’m going to learn how to mew, meow, meow, meow, meow.”
At this moment, Brother Shan felt that his Big Brother image had severed and crumbled, turning into flying ash this night, vanishing from the face of the earth.
He imitated the mewing, the sound hovering in the air. The entire night was quiet, and only his voice remained.
“Come, apologize to this lady.” Shen Chang’an pulled down his rolled-up sleeves. “Kindergarten teachers have already taught us, when something bad is done, to say I’m sorry. You didn’t forget, ba?”
“Not forgotten, not forgotten.” Brother Shan nodded again and again, and his younger brothers who were rolling about on the ground also struggled to stand up, their heads hanging dispiritedly as they apologized to Chen Panpan.
Chen Panpan was originally both angry and afraid, but the appearance of these thugs cut an extremely sorry figure. Her face was strained, nearly busting into laughter.
“Remember what you said today, and if you once again harass a woman later on…,” Shen Chang’an shot a glance below the waist, “What if the oath comes true?”
Brother Shan’s face was completely green, but he didn’t dare say a word. He took his younger brothers and tried to run away.
“Wait a minute.”
Brother Shan’s shoulder trembled, and he looked back at Shen Chang’an in despair, “Big Brother, what else would you like me to do for you?”
“Medical expenses.” Shen Chang’an put a 100 yuan note in Brother Shan’s hand. “Now you can go.”
Brother Shan’s hand holding the 100 yuan note trembled, feeling as if he was holding a biological weapon. He held the note by pinching it, and ran away without looking back, afraid that if he were too slow escaping, half of his life would be left behind here.
Watching the backs of the thugs fleeing in disarray, Chen Panpan repeatedly thanked Shen Chang’an, also saying that she would accompany him to purchase a pair of glasses.
“That’s all right.” Shen Chang’an looked at the crushed glasses on the ground. “I have a spare at home.”
“Then we’ll send you back home, ba. It’s so dark at night, it’s inconvenient for you to have no glasses.” Ding Yang’s awed soul finally returned from Shen Chang’an’s force of arms. He looked at Shen Chang’an’s arms which were not at all thick and solid, and also at that simple and harmless face, and the expression in his eyes were complicated.
“That’s not a problem, my eyes…”, Shen Chang’an messily scratched his head. “My eyes actually aren’t short-sighted.”
“Then why do you wear glasses?” Dumbfounded by this answer, Ding Yang couldn’t control his facial expression.
“Putting on glasses gives off a slightly more mature impression.” Shen Chang’an raised his chin and turned his face towards Ding Yang. “All the people who go out to work appear composed, which is more fitting.”
Ding Yang, Xu Ze, Chen Panpan, “…”
Was that the preferred source of confidence? Other people wished to look younger, but Shen Chang’an actually thought he didn’t look old enough?
“Chang, Chang’an, I think you’re thinking too much,” Chen Panpan said dryly. “Real life is not like a novel. Wearing glasses will not change your appearance.”
Shen Chang’an touched the bridge of his nose and laughed twice, “Hehe, I’ll go back first. Be careful on your way.”
“Good, good.” Chen Panpan waved her hand. “See you tomorrow morning.”
As Shen Chang’an walked away into the distance, Ding Yang sighed. “I think one Shen Chang’an can beat five of me.”
“How can you see yourself like that?” Chen Panpan frowned and disagreed, “What makes you have this illusion? One Chang’an can obviously beat ten of you.”
Ding Yan, “…”
This kind of plastic co-worker relationship was probably a daily disposable type, ba.
Because of the harassment incident, Shen Chang’an and his colleagues had become comfortable with one another. In a short week or two, Shen Chang’an and several young colleagues had begun to call each other brothers and boasted together.
In the last two days, Xu Ze printed a thick stack of publicity slogans. Due to the incident of a daughter being abused in the next city over, the slogans in the flyer were all “Boys and Girls are Equals” and “Women can Hold up Half the Sky.”
The sun was a little strong outside. Shen Chang’an wore a cap and rode his bicycle to distribute the flyers to various communities. He chatted with the old people in the community along the way.
An old man saw that Shen Chang’an was flushed from the sun, so he hurried home and brought him a bottle of iced mineral water. Shen Chang’an wanted to say that he was not thirsty, but after seeing the old man’s enthusiasm, he had to accept the water.
After some chatting, he knew that the old man lived alone. He had only one daughter under his knee.1 His daughter was a soldier and could not often go home. When he mentioned his daughter, the old man was very proud and said to Shen Chang’an, “At that time, they all said that daughters must be married out, while the son must not. I did not agree. They’re all their children. What’s the difference between men and women? Now look. My family’s unmarried daughter is more promising, guarding home and defending the country.”
While on this topic, the old man took a look at Shen Chang’an. “It’s a pity that you are nearsighted, otherwise you can become a soldier.”
Shen Chang’an nudged the glasses on the bridge of his nose and said yes with a smile.
When he left, he looked back. The old man was sitting alone in the chair under the tree in the community. The shade of the tree fell on him, which made him look lonely.
He placed the water bottle into the bicycle’s vegetable basket. The bicycle belonged to Aunt Juan. Seeing that he wanted to go out to distribute flyers, she specially lent it to him so that it would make things more convenient.
Passing by a supermarket, he saw a man sitting in a wheelchair at the entrance of the supermarket, and the passage reserved for the disabled was blocked by an electric car, making it impassible. He took off his cap, fanned his face, locked his bicycle by the side of the road, and walked towards the man.
“Sir, excuse me, may I ask if you need any help?” He approached the man who was wearing a white shirt and black trousers. He didn’t know for how long he had sat under the sun. His face was pale and translucent, but there was no sweat on his face.
The man slowly raised his head, his eyes meeting Shen Chang’an’s. His hand left the armrest as he slowly raised a finger, pointing towards the supermarket inside.
Did that mean to go inside?
It was a pity that such a good-looking man not only had bad sense but was also unable to speak. Fortunately, he could still hear what he said. Putting the cap back on his head, Shen Chang’an reached out to pull the electric car aside, before pushing the man into the supermarket.
The air conditioning in the supermarket made him let out a sigh of relief. He lowered his head and asked the man, “What do you need to buy?
The man didn’t look up, but instead held up two fingers and pointed to the fruits and vegetables section.
Finally, Shen Chang’an pushed the wheelchair with his left hand, while his right hand held a basket full of items and headed towards the cashier to line up. In front of them was a young lady. After seeing the appearance of Shen Chang’an and the man in the wheelchair, she stepped aside and told them to pay first.
“No need, no need…,” Shen Chang’an was embarrassed about having the young lady do this.
“Yes, yes, disabled people have the right of way.” The young lady couldn’t help but glance at the man in the wheelchair. Never in her life had she seen such a facial appearance, as pretty as a pretty, on a man. It was a pity that heaven envied those with outstanding abilities and thus made him disabled.
The man raised his head and looked at her. His eyes were as calm as water. Then he quickly lowered his eyelids as if he could fall asleep at any time.
When Shen Chang’an went to pay the bill, the man opened his eyes again and took out his cell phone to pay.
“Where do you live, sir? I’ll take you back.” Shen Chang’an hung his shopping bag on the armrest behind the wheelchair. Seeing the bright sunshine, he pushed the wheelchair to a shaded spot.
The man stared at him for two seconds, took out a caller card, and put it in Shen Chang’an’s hand.
The card was black and gold with a name and address printed on it.
Dao Nian.
“Dao Nian…Sir?” Shen Chang’an caught sight of the man inaudibly nodding in place and took out his cell phone to search for the address.
As a non-local person, only by relying on navigation could he barely recognize the route and preserve his ego.
Accompanied by the emotionless voice giving directions, Shen Chang’an sent the man named Dao Nian to the community. As soon as he entered the gate of the community, he saw two men rushing to his side in a hurry.
“Dao…Dao…”
“We want to thank you,” a man quickly said, “Sir, thank you for bringing this gentleman back. You’ll certainly have good luck.” With that, he went to Shen Chang’an and took his place in pushing the wheelchair.
Shen Chang’an, “…”
That was a really unique way of expressing gratitude.
“You’re welcome. Serve the people.” 2 Seeing that the two individuals seemed very nervous about the man’s appearance, he took a few steps back. “Then I will go first, goodbye.”
From the beginning, Dao Nian who had been listless with no spirit, raised his head and quickly looked at him when he heard that he was going to leave.
Noticing his meaningful glance, Shen Chang’an waved at him with a smile. Dao Nian continued to look at him in silence, and unhurriedly shook the forefinger on his right hand, and then immediately at lightning speed closed his eyes, as if shaking his finger a few times was more or less his maximum hospitality.
The Author has Something to Say:
Those who sit in wheelchairs without speaking are not all disabled, but they might be …
Footnotes:
1. Under the knee: Children often lean on the knee of their parents, which also indicates that they are close with their parents.
2. Serve the people: Political slogan in China
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