The Growth Story of Chenxi Boy

Deng Feng's building is the darkest one in the old alley of Zhangcheng.

Two stories high, gray and drab, nestled in the crowded residential building, like an old bone forgotten by the world.

The first floor rarely sees any sunlight throughout the year. The walls are blackened by the years, covered with layers of grease, dust, and cooking grime, making them sticky to the touch and heavy to look at. Upon entering, you are immediately faced with an old wooden table with a chipped corner. Leftovers, half a bowl of cold soup, and several greasy bowls are always on the table. Flies occasionally land on it and then lazily fly away.

Deng Feng's grandfather always sat in the old chair next to the table.

They sit there for the entire day.

He barely spoke or moved, his eyes fixed on the doorway, as if waiting for Deng Feng to return, or perhaps thinking of nothing at all. He simply sat there, becoming a motionless shadow. The old man was advanced in years, his mind no longer clear, often confused, unable even to take care of himself, occasionally soiling his clothes. Most bystanders would avoid him, but Deng Feng never showed any disgust.

He comes back every day to light a fire, cook, bring water, and bathe his grandfather.

He silently took the dirty pants to wash, wrung them out, and hung them to dry in the damp corridor.

There were no complaints, no frustrations; it was as if they were doing something perfectly natural.

This is the least crazy side of the madman Deng Feng.

Few people know that the second floor of his house is a completely different world.

In stark contrast to the dim and cluttered first floor, the second floor was surprisingly clean and tidy.

Things were arranged in an orderly manner, the floor was swept clean, and although the bedding was old, things were not as messy as on the first floor, and there was no pungent musty smell.

It's as if Deng Feng quietly reserved all his patience and orderliness for this little corner of the world.

That day, A Dong, Lai Youyu, and Deng Feng were on the second floor.

Lai Youyu and Deng Feng sat on the bed, while A Dong huddled on the mat beside the bed, chatting idly.

As they were talking, Ah Dong suddenly fell silent.

He was staring intently at his phone, head down, completely absorbed. He was curled up on the mat, barely breathing, as if afraid of being seen. His hand was moving stealthily underneath.

His eyes were fixed on something that shouldn't be there at his age—a mixture of obsession and panic.

Lai Youyu and Deng Feng exchanged a glance.

The two didn't speak, but suppressed their laughter, their shoulders shaking slightly.

Lai Youyu slowly pulled out his old cell phone, pretending to lean over and talk to Deng Feng. His mouth moved, but his voice was muffled, as if he were joking and teasing him.

But when no one was looking, he secretly pointed the camera at Ah Dong on the mattress by the bed, saying, "Play, go ahead and play."

He didn't turn on the flash; he simply pressed the shutter button quietly.

After a while, the two of them couldn't hold back any longer and burst into low laughter.

That one laugh pierced the deathly silence in the room.

A-Dong suddenly looked up and turned around.

In that instant, he froze completely, his eyes widened, and his face turned deathly pale, as if he had been nailed to the spot. Lai Youyu would never forget that panicked, dumbfounded, shocked, and embarrassed look.

What happened next is known to many people in Zhangcheng.

The video wasn't shared outside the circle, but it circulated by word of mouth within a small group, spreading wider and wider, becoming increasingly ridiculous.

Ah Dong's fame doubled overnight.

It wasn't because of a fight, nor because of showing off, but because of this absurd and shameful little thing.

Some people laughed at him, some teased him, and some made a fuss about it.

Ah Dong was angry, ashamed, and chased after Lai Youyu to beat him, but in the end, he couldn't stop that story, which became the most famous joke of his childhood.

Lai Youyu was given a nickname because of this "undetected" shot.

From that day on, he truly became the director in A-Dong's life, hiding behind the camera and smiling as he recorded all the absurdities and embarrassments.

Laughing, patting, watching the boy stumble and fall in the wind of Zhangcheng, growing up all the way.