Childhood Affection - Chapter 10 - A Monkey Riding on a Tree

In the following days, Nie Weishan seemed to be in a daze. When he was called upon to answer a question in history class, he remained silent, lost in thought. He stood in the corridor, letting the wind blow past him even after the bell rang for class. He was caught sending a text message and had to stand at the back of the classroom for two evening self-study sessions as punishment.

Yin Qianyang sat at his desk, visibly worried. He would write a few words and then glance over at Nie Weishan. Finally, when the class ended, he quickly packed his bag and waited by the door. When Nie Weishan emerged moments later, Yin Qianyang followed him but didn’t say a word.

After retrieving their e-bikes and leaving the school gate, the streets were bustling with people hurrying along. Nie Weishan exhaled deeply, trying to clear his mind, and turned to see Yin Qianyang still trailing behind him with a downcast expression. He patted the bike seat and said, “Hop on. It’s the weekend, why do you look so glum?”

Yin Qianyang sat down and said, “I want you to be happy every day, but these past few days, it’s like you’ve lost your soul.”

As the e-bike weaved through the crowded streets, Nie Weishan tilted his head slightly and said, “I can’t calm down. I keep worrying that when I get home, my dad will already be gone, and I won’t know when I’ll see him again.”

Yin Qianyang didn’t know how to comfort him, so he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Nie Weishan’s waist. Nie Weishan nearly lost control of the bike and pulled Yin Qianyang’s wrist away, saying, “It’s too hot, let go.”

Yin Qianyang released him and then sheepishly punched Nie Weishan’s arm.

By the time they got home, it was already past dinner time. Nie Weishan entered the courtyard but didn’t hear any voices. When he went inside, he didn’t see Nie Feng either. He turned around to leave, but his third uncle quickly called out, “Your dad’s over at Xiangdong’s place. Don’t worry.”

Nie Weishan breathed a sigh of relief, then changed his clothes and took a shower. After cleaning up, he sat down with his third uncle to watch TV and asked, “Third Uncle, did my dad mention when he’s leaving? I’m afraid he won’t tell me and just suddenly leave.”

His third uncle replied, “He didn’t say, but today he mentioned wanting to visit the old man.”

Nie Feng had probably been spending these days trying to make up his mind, so it seemed that after visiting the old man, he wouldn’t stay much longer. Nie Weishan drank two glasses of water, feeling utterly helpless.

The alley next door was relatively lively. Yin Xiangdong and Nie Feng were sitting in the courtyard drinking tea, with Yin Qianyang keeping watch nearby. When Yin Qianyang had returned home and found Nie Feng there, he had assumed Nie Weishan would come over soon. But after waiting for a long time, there was still no sign of him.

“Uncle Nie, tomorrow’s Saturday. How about Weishan and I take you out for a stroll?” Yin Qianyang said, scooping ice cream with a spoon. The ice cream they had bought in the summer was down to this last one. “Or you and Weishan can go. He’s always been really worried about you.”

Nie Feng replied, “No, I’m planning to visit the shop tomorrow.” As he spoke, he glanced at the tree in the courtyard and seemed to remember something. “It’s already September. The pomegranate tree is ready for picking. We used to have a jujube tree at home, and when it bore fruit, it was covered with dates. Qianyang would kick it hard, and Weishan would end up scolding him.”

Yin Qianyang couldn’t help but look at the courtyard wall. “He wouldn’t let me kick it, so I climbed up and shook the branches instead. But then I couldn’t get down. At noon, he tossed me a couple of buns.”

Yin Qianyang looked at Nie Feng and said, “Uncle Nie, can’t you stay?”

Nie Feng didn’t respond. He finished his tea and went back inside.

The next morning, Nie Weishan got up early. After buying breakfast, he returned home to see Nie Feng washing his face in the courtyard. He said, “Dad, I went to Dongping Street to get you some firm tofu. Eat it while it’s hot after you finish washing up.”

Nie Feng looked apologetic. “You didn’t have to go so far. It’s been almost two years since I’ve had it. Let’s eat together.”

“After we eat, I’ll help you pack, and then we’ll go see Grandpa,” Nie Weishan said before heading inside. Nie Feng was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t told Nie Weishan about his plans to leave, but Nie Weishan had already figured it out.

After the father and son finished their meal, Nie Weishan went to wash the dishes. When he looked up, he saw Nie Yingyu standing shirtless at the kitchen door. He said, “You’re awake? I bought you some tofu jelly¹. Go brush your teeth.”

Nie Yingyu walked in. “Bro, is Uncle leaving today? Let’s get Dad to talk to him and convince him to stay.”

“You’re worrying too much. If he didn’t have to hide, no one would want to keep running like this. He’s been forced into this situation; there’s no other way,” Nie Weishan said as he put the bowls in the cupboard. “We’re going to see Grandpa later. You’ll have to figure out lunch on your own.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Nie Yingyu said, scratching his shoulder. “There’s a competition at school today, so I’ll be heading there soon. If you’re feeling down after seeing Uncle off, let’s go for barbecue and have a drink tonight.”

Nie Feng didn’t have much luggage, just one large bag. After packing, they left the house. As they reached the intersection, Nie Weishan glanced back, feeling as if someone was watching them. When they arrived at the antique market and got out of the car, they stopped in front of Erji without going in. Nie Feng said, “Weishan, go in first and ask if your grandpa has taken his blood pressure medication. I don’t want him to collapse when he sees me.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a loud thud from inside, followed by an enamel mug rolling out. The two immediately lifted the curtain and entered, only to see Elder Nie sitting behind the counter, trembling with anger.

“Grandpa, did you hear us talking?” Nie Weishan quickly went to his side to calm him down. Nie Feng stood there, choking on his words, unable to say anything.

Elder Nie spoke first: “A couple of days ago, I messed up cutting a piece of material on the machine. The last time I made a mistake like that was the year you got into trouble.”

Even though they hadn’t seen each other or heard from one another, the bond of blood and family seemed to have a special power. Nie Feng called out, “Dad,” and knelt before Elder Nie. Nie Weishan stepped outside, closed the door, and hung up a “Closed” sign, then stood guard outside.

He glanced at the calligraphy and painting shop across the way, feeling as if someone had been watching him earlier.

Nie Feng didn’t stay long, and Elder Nie didn’t get up to see him off. They left the antique market the same way they came. Under the sun, Nie Feng said, “Go back now. No need to see me off any further.”

Nie Weishan replied, “Dad, my grades are terrible. Say something to me about it.”

“I’m in no position to lecture you,” Nie Feng said, his eyes reddening even though he hadn’t been drinking. “Weishan, don’t worry about me. Eat well, drink well, and take good care of your grandpa and your third uncle and third aunt. It’s okay if you don’t like studying. As long as you have a skill, you’ll never go hungry. Just stay on the right path, don’t gamble, and live a peaceful life-that’s what matters most.”

“Got it. I’ll remember all of that,” Nie Weishan said, grabbing Nie Feng’s bag. “I’ll take you to the train station. Once you’re in the waiting hall, I’ll leave right away.”

Half an hour later, Nie Feng was in line to enter the waiting hall. Nie Weishan stood a few meters away, hands in his pockets. There was only one person left in front of Nie Feng when Nie Weishan shouted, “Dad! Take good care of yourself!”

Nie Feng didn’t turn around, just waved his hand.

Near the train station, there was a McDonald’s. Nie Weishan walked up to the entrance and glanced inside, then pulled out his phone to make a call. When the call connected, he said, “Come out. Let’s go home.”

A moment later, Yin Qianyang emerged, wearing a hat and sunglasses as if he were on a trip to Beidaihe². He asked sheepishly, “When did you notice me?”

“I noticed you as soon as we left the alley,” Nie Weishan said, taking off Yin Qianyang’s sunglasses. “You turned into a little stalker. Were you worried I’d leave with my dad?”

Yin Qianyang replied, “I figured Uncle Nie would leave today, and I was afraid you’d be heartbroken, so I followed you. If things looked bad, I was going to show up and comfort you.”

Nie Weishan tapped the brim of Yin Qianyang’s hat. “Things turned out okay, but thanks for the comfort.”

Most of Saturday had passed by the time Municipal No. 1 High School students finished their competition at six in the afternoon. The day-long event had drained their energy and mental stamina. Nie Yingyu didn’t even have the strength to discuss the answers.

As he left the school, he spotted a familiar figure but couldn’t remember the guy’s name. “Hey, buddy, whose school ID card did you pick up this time?”

Since parting ways with Yin Qianyang that day, Qin Zhan had been thinking about him quite a bit. However, he realized that apart from his name, he knew nothing about him. He approached and said, “I’ve been looking for you specifically. I wanted to ask which school Yin Qianyang goes to. Or you could just give me his phone number.”

Nie Yingyu, who had a good impression of Qin Zhan after the school ID card incident, replied, “If I just told you outright, I’d definitely get beaten up. Plus, who knows if the two of you are on good terms or not? What exactly do you want from him?”

“What could I possibly want? I wanted to ask if he’d be interested in joining the track and field team.”

“Joining the track and field team?” Nie Yingyu had already pulled out his phone but wasn’t ready to make the call yet. “I’m taking tutoring classes outside of school. If I refer a classmate, they’ll give me extra tutoring hours.”

In other words, are you getting some kind of reward for recruiting people into the track and field team?

Qin Zhan didn’t spell it out: “Why don’t you call him out? We’ll go for barbecue tonight, my treat.” Nie Yingyu remembered what he’d discussed with Nie Weishan. “Then I’ll have to call my brother too.”

“Just make sure your brother doesn’t start throwing punches,” Qin Zhan said, feeling a bit nervous.

Around seven o’clock, they gathered at a street food stall by the riverside of Liuxin River. Nie Weishan and Yin Qianyang sat side by side, while Nie Yingyu and Qin Zhan sat together. The lamb skewers and chicken wings were still on the grill, and for now, they only had a plate of edamame and stir-fried clams. Yin Qianyang took a sip of his draft beer and asked, “So, what did you want to see me for?”

Qin Zhan replied, “I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in joining the track and field team.”

“Just hearing the word ‘track and field’ makes my legs tremble,” Yin Qianyang said as he started shelling edamame. “But what’s in it for me? Do they provide meals?”

Qin Zhan answered, “They don’t provide meals, but you can use the track anytime, and swimming is free. Plus, you’ll have more brothers to back you up in fights.”

Nie Weishan chimed in, “Well, that last point is a killer argument.”

Yin Qianyang chuckled. “Then I’ll think about it. I’ll ask my mom when I get home.” The lamb skewers arrived, and he grabbed two while they were still sizzling, handing one to Nie Weishan. After devouring seven or eight skewers, he noticed Nie Weishan was still on his first one, but the large glass of draft beer was already empty.

“Boss, add four grilled steamed buns,” Yin Qianyang said, worried that Nie Weishan might feel sick from drinking on an empty stomach.

The breeze by the river was cool, and soon the street food stalls would close for the season. Nie Weishan had already downed several glasses of beer, listening to Yin Qianyang and Nie Yingyu bicker and Qin Zhan talk about the rivalry between the basketball and track and field teams. He turned his gaze to the distance, wondering if Nie Feng had gotten off the train yet.

After feasting for two hours, Qin Zhan winced as he paid the bill. Yin Qianyang hailed a taxi on the roadside and said to Nie Yingyu, “Why don’t you ride your bike back? I’ll take the car with your brother.”

“No way, I can’t drink and drive,” Nie Yingyu replied, clinging to Nie Weishan’s arm. Once in the car, he leaned on Nie Weishan’s shoulder and said, “Bro, I know you’re feeling down. How about we go sing karaoke? It’ll help you let it all out.”

Nie Weishan closed his eyes. “I’m not being that dramatic. I’ll just take a nap. Wake me up when we get home.”

The car stopped at the intersection instead of going all the way in. Yin Qianyang nudged Nie Weishan but got no response. Nie Yingyu said, “The alcohol’s kicking in. Yang-Ge, go get my bike from the trunk. I’ll carry my brother on my back.”

The three of them returned to Nie Yingyu’s home together. Yin Qianyang explained the situation to Nie Yingyu’s third uncle and third aunt, saying, “Third Uncle, Third Aunt, don’t worry about it. Yingyu and I will take care of him. You two can go rest.”

Nie Yingyu had already laid Nie Weishan on the bed. Yin Qianyang filled a basin with hot water and wiped Nie Weishan’s face and body, sweating from the effort. “That should do it,” Nie Yingyu said, unfolding the blanket. As he leaned over to cover Nie Weishan, he felt Nie Weishan move and suddenly found himself being hugged.

“Bro? Bro?” Nie Yingyu was in an awkward position. “Does hugging me make you feel better?”

Yin Qianyang clenched the towel. “He’s hugging the wrong person!”

Nie Yingyu asked, “How do you know he’s hugging the wrong person? Oh, I get it. He wants to hug my uncle.”

“He wants to hug your uncle?!” Yin Qianyang picked up the basin and left the room. When he returned, he brought a cup of honey water and set it on the bedside table, saying, “Make sure your brother drinks this later. I’m heading home.”

After Yin Qianyang left, Nie Yingyu freed himself from Nie Weishan’s grip, helped him drink the honey water, and then covered him with the blanket. The room fell quiet as the lights went out, and Nie Weishan turned over, slipping into a dream.

In his dream, he was under the jujube tree. Yin Qianyang was perched on a branch, and Nie Feng, who hadn’t yet started gambling, was in the courtyard cracking walnuts with a dumbbell. His mom was busy in the kitchen, steaming a pot of meat buns.

It was such a good time.

Meanwhile, in the alley next door, Yin Qianyang stood in the courtyard, gazing at the high wall, perhaps reminiscing about the same memories.

Footnote:

1. Tofu Jelly(豆腐脑):Tofu jelly, also known as douhua (豆花) or doufuhua, is a popular Chinese dish made from very soft tofu. It is often served with a sweet or savory sauce, and its texture is similar to a custard or pudding.
2. Beidaihe(北戴河):A popular seaside resort district in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, China, known for its beaches and as a summer retreat.