Which way to go is the road?

Xiang Fei found a job in Yandu, made friends, had a stable income, and learned various skills. In his view, his life was secure.

However, his mother, Zhang Xiu'e, didn't see it that way. She believed that he had come to Yandu alone, without relatives or friends, and if he fell ill or encountered any trouble, no one would take care of him, not even anyone to send a message home. After much effort, she contacted her cousin, who ran an auto parts business in Yandu, and insisted that Xiang Fei visit him no matter what, saying that he was family after all. Xiang Fei, however, didn't think so. As the writer Lu Yao said, "Friendship between people doesn't depend on whether they are relatives. Many relatives are snobbish; they only fawn over you when you have money and power, and they will only avoid you when you are poor and destitute." A family like Xiang Fei's, relying solely on farming for a living, had few relatives who would look down on them.

However, despite his opinion, Xiang Fei still had to listen to his mother. After all, he had run away from home to Yandu, and seeing his relatives would at least put their minds at ease.

Xiang Fei rarely takes leave. For the past 20 days, he has spent almost all his time in the internet cafe except when he goes back to the basement to sleep. So it was not difficult for him to ask Qian Luomei for leave. However, he was the only cleaner in the internet cafe, so he still came early in the morning to clean the places that needed cleaning. He said goodbye to Lao You and Dong Lu and then left the internet cafe. His destination this time was the West Suburbs Auto Parts City. Although it was a bit far, he still planned to come back early in the afternoon!

Holding the map he had bought while looking for a job, Xiang Fei took the subway for the first time, following the traffic signs marked on it. He bought a ticket for three yuan at the ticket window and entered the subway station, only to find that there were two subway lines.

He didn't realize these were two loop lines and assumed either train would get him to his destination, so he eagerly tried to board the subway the moment the doors opened. However, he was jostled by the disembarking crowd, nearly falling, and was even glanced at by a station attendant: "What's the rush? Get off first, then get on. Please be courteous!"

After finally getting on the train, Xiang Fei looked around curiously at the subway car.

The subway is crowded, and there aren't enough seats for everyone. Many people stand, holding onto handrails and grabbing onto the railings to maintain their balance, which is similar to buses. After all, they are both forms of urban public transportation! However, the blue and white color scheme looks clean and elegant, and it's not as crowded as a bus.

The thought of himself traveling underground with the subway train gave Xiang Fei a strange feeling. He closed his eyes and savored the feeling, as if he had returned to his childhood, but the season had changed to a cold and bleak winter. He was skating on the frozen river in his hometown, sitting on a small stool being pulled forward by his friends. The bare willows and poplars on the riverbank rushed past him, laughing and playing excitedly...

"The train is approaching Chongwenmen Station. Passengers disembarking, please prepare accordingly..."

A loud station announcement interrupted Xiang Fei's poetic reverie. Compared to the indifference and silence of the passengers before him, Xiang Fei would much rather see the warm smiles of his childhood playmates. He closed his eyes, but there was no going back. Xiang Fei could only cling to this underground transportation, continuing to enrich his understanding. Glancing to the upper right corner, he spotted a route map and went over to examine it closely. After looking for a while, he still couldn't find the Military Museum stop where he planned to transfer buses. What was going on?

Xiang Fei instinctively thought of the most basic survival skill in the countryside—asking for directions—and turned to a middle-aged man of about 40 years old to ask for directions.

"Uncle, does this subway line not go to the Military Museum?"

"Uncle? Am I that old? I'm only 37 this year. Please don't be so polite." Hearing the title "uncle," the middle-aged man was clearly not happy and looked Xiang Fei up and down without any politeness.

"I'm sorry, brother, I misspoke. I didn't know how to speak properly when I first graduated from school!" Xiang Fei was embarrassed and tried his best to apologize.

"Alright!" The middle-aged man nodded with feigned seriousness, then said casually, "This subway line doesn't go to the Military Museum. You'll have to change lines. Get off up ahead!"

"How do I change lines? Do I get off and take the next train, or do I exit the subway station and enter from another entrance?" Xiang Fei glanced at the middle-aged man's impatient expression and continued to explain, "This is my first time taking the subway, I don't know anything about it, thank you for your help!"

"You have no common sense at all. What are you doing in Yandu? Why don't you go back to the countryside and farm properly? Farmers are fine as long as they have enough to eat and drink. Why are you causing trouble in the city? Are you trying to surround the city from the countryside?" The middle-aged man seemed afraid that his image was not distinctive enough, so he took out a piece of chewing gum and stuffed it into his mouth, looking exactly like an old scoundrel in Shanghainese.

"Just asking for directions! If you know, say so; if you don't, shut up. Why are you spouting all this nonsense? Did some country bumpkin come to Yandu to eat or drink at your place?" Before Xiang Fei could retort, an old man sitting next to him stood up and chimed in, "Going back three generations, you think you're a true Yandu native? What a scoundrel!"

The middle-aged man was naturally unwilling to be scolded, and he and his companion walked towards the old man with cowardly looks, tilting their heads and pointing their fingers at the old man in a fierce manner.

But before they could speak or make a move, the old man grabbed one of the middle-aged man's fingers, making him scream in pain. At the same time, he pointed at his companion and calmly said, "Young man, I'm not trying to scare you. If you dare to touch even one of my fingers, I'll make you regret it!" After saying that, he released the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man clenched his fingers as if he had been granted a pardon. Seeing that the old man was not someone to be trifled with, he dared not say anything more and led his companion to the other side of the carriage.

Thunderous applause erupted in the carriage. The old man smiled calmly, raised his hand to greet everyone, and asked them to stop clapping. He then turned to Xiang Fei, who was standing there in a daze, and asked, "Young man, what's wrong? Were you frightened?"

"No, no, sir, you're so cool! I was even thinking of helping you beat them up, but you solved the problem in no time. You're my idol, a true hero!" Xiang Fei was so excited that he became incoherent.

"Hahaha, alright, stop praising me. At my age, you're calling me an idol and a hero? You're making this old man blush."

"I'm telling the truth! Were you a gangster boss before? You're so imposing, you can scare people away with just a few words?" Xiang Fei regretted saying it as soon as it left his mouth. How could he ask such a question, especially to an old man who had helped him? However, this topic aroused the interest of the people around him, and they all looked at the old man.

"Alright, kid, a mob boss? Don't make wild guesses, or you'll think you know what I'm thinking! I just served in the army for a few years!"

"Oh! Was that finger-cracking move you used to subdue someone? That's amazing! Next time someone bullies me, I'll use it too!..."

"The train is approaching Ciqikou Station. Passengers disembarking, please prepare accordingly..."

"Alright, young man, put away your curiosity and don't waste time. Get off and transfer to Line 1, the train on the other side. Don't take this train anymore! Also, stop thinking about fighting and getting into conflicts with others. Be kind, civilized, and courteous!"

"Okay, I've got it!"

The train slowly came to a stop. Xiang Fei stepped out of the subway car and bowed deeply to the old man at the window. The old man smiled and waved to him, so he quickly ran across to Line 1. After waiting for a while on the other side, he boarded another loop line. He only felt relieved when he saw the words "Military Museum" on the loop line. He arrived at the Military Museum Station without any problems. After exiting the station, Xiang Fei changed buses three times and finally arrived at the Xijiao Auto Parts City, located on the edge of the West Fourth Ring Road, at 12:30 pm.

Following the address his mother gave him, Xiang Fei asked around the huge auto city and finally found his cousin's shop in a corner in the northwest—Xuyang Auto Parts, a very energetic name. Xiang Fei went to a small supermarket next door, bought some oranges, and then went inside. Apart from the goods on the shelves, there was no one in the shop, but some sounds came from the back, like children making noise.

Is anyone there?

"Coming!" A young man about the same age as Xiang Fei came out, holding chopsticks in one hand and half a steamed bun in the other, chewing something in his mouth: "Hello, what would you like to order? We have all kinds of Volkswagen parts..."

"I don't need the parts, I'm looking for someone! My uncle, Wang Zhiqiang. I'm from Xiangjiatun, Sanhe County, my name is Xiang Fei, and my mom told me to come find him!"

"Uncle Wang, people from our hometown have arrived!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man in his forties walked out from the inner room. He had a buzz cut, wore a black vest, and had bright, piercing eyes that revealed the shrewdness that only a businessman possesses. This was Wang Zhiqiang, who had started out on his own in his teens and built his business from scratch.

"You must be Feifei, right? Sister E's eldest son? Your mother called me yesterday, but she didn't say when you were coming. You've grown up so much! Come on in, come on in, it's time to eat! Come on in!" Xiang Fei was affectionately patted on the shoulder by his cousin and led into the inner room.

"Er Dong, go to the cooked meat shop next door and buy a roast chicken, some pig liver, and see what other cold dishes they have. Also, grab two cases of beer, take the keys, and drive off!" Wang Zhiqiang instructed the young man who had just come out.

Xiang Fei secretly glanced at Wang Zhiqiang, recalling and deepening his impression of his cousin. He wasn't familiar with this cousin before, only having seen him a few times during Chinese New Year when he was a child, and he was always attracted by the snacks Wang Zhiqiang brought, so he didn't care what his cousin looked like! Before coming here, he tried hard to recall but only had a blurry face, and he couldn't make out the features clearly. Now he truly knew his cousin, who was said to be very capable and good at making money among the relatives.

The inner room was a storeroom, with various car parts that Xiang Fei couldn't name displayed on iron shelves. The air was filled with the unique smell of steel and oil. Xiang Fei followed his uncle through the storeroom to the backyard, where a large rectangular table was set up next to a pomegranate tree. Five or six people were eating at the table, and they all turned to look at Xiang Fei at the same time.

Wang Zhiqiang enthusiastically introduced Xiang Fei to everyone: "This is my second aunt's son, Xiang Fei. He's also here in Yandu!" He paused for a moment, then patted Xiang Fei on the shoulder: "Feifei, once you know the place, come often. Come whenever you want, we're family!"

"Okay, Uncle!" Whenever Xiang Fei encounters a strange relative he should know but has little interaction with, he becomes tongue-tied, unsure of what to say. He's always afraid of saying something inappropriate and leaving a bad impression, so he simply speaks less.

The woman sitting inside came over, pulled Xiang Fei to sit down next to the two children, and said, "Come on, Fei Fei, right? Don't be shy, make yourself at home. Here are your chopsticks, let's eat!"

Even though Xiang Fei was clumsy with words, he should speak up now: "Auntie, right? It's your first time here, and you didn't bring anything nice. There were oranges for sale over there, so I bought some for your younger siblings!"

Before the adults could speak, the two children jumped up excitedly, took the bag from Xiang Fei's hand, and each of them took out two tangerines from the bag, holding them up with their chubby little hands as they were about to walk out of the courtyard.

"Eat your food first, then you can go out for oranges. If you don't listen, I'll teach you a lesson!" Wang Zhiqiang blocked the two little brats' way out of the aisle.

"Mom, I'm full!" The older boy, Dongdong, saw his father blocking the way, ignored him, and looked at his mother, saying.

"I'm full too," the younger girl chimed in.

"Alright, now that you're full, go outside. Don't go too far; just play near the door, understand? And you can only have one orange. If anyone eats the other one too, I'll lock them in the dark room!" the aunt said seriously. The two children, having received their mother's permission, ran out. The uncle, Wang Zhiqiang, said helplessly, "You just spoil them. If you spoil them when they're young, you can't control them when they grow up!"

"Alright, I know how old the child is!"

Wang Zhiqiang ignored his wife's comment and sat down with Xiang Fei to drink beer. He started asking Xiang Fei about his life and work in Yandu. After learning that Xiang Fei had established himself in Yandu, he changed the subject. Relatives or fellow villagers always have common topics when they get together. He went through the family matters of each relative and talked about all aspects of their hometown, so there was never a dull moment.

Xiang Fei had originally planned to stay a while and leave, just to put his mother at ease, but he hadn't expected his cousin to be so enthusiastic. He couldn't bring himself to leave, so he simply started drinking with them. While chatting together, Xiang Fei discovered that Wang Zhiqiang's three employees were not only from the same hometown, but also related. So what started as a drinking session between two people turned into a toast between five.

Xiang Fei, being a newcomer, received preferential treatment and drank more than others. When Xiang Fei, in high spirits and with slurred speech, raised his glass and repeatedly offered toasts to everyone, Wang Zhiqiang knew that Xiang Fei had drunk too much. He then instructed two of his employees to go out and watch the shop, while he himself got up and helped Xiang Fei out of the courtyard and into the black sedan outside.

After getting into the car, Xiang Fei fell asleep in the back seat. In his drowsy state, he remembered that they drove to a nearby urban village, entered a two-story courtyard, and after being helped into a room, he fell asleep on the bed without saying hello.