Courtesy

It was already past nine o'clock at night. Pedestrians were sparse on the old street in the rainy night. With customers unlikely to arrive, the old man took advantage of the lull to set an old radio on the small square table, switching it on and listening while he rested. The little girl had just put down her homework, asking her grandfather to switch stations to listen to pop songs while waiting for that big brother to come back. Just now, when Wu Xu set down that massive bundle of sugarcane, both grandfather and granddaughter had been distracted for a moment. Yet the broadcast continued to stream from the radio, remarkably clear on the rain-swept street that had gradually fallen silent. "*Your Stars, My Song*. Hello, everyone, I'm your host Zheng Daxian. Welcome back to FM 93.9... Up next is our song request hour." Although Wu Xu had wanted a radio of his own lately and longed to listen, what truly stopped him in his tracks at this moment were the host's next words. "Now then, our first request... comes once again from this young nurse named Plague Chicken, dedicated to the very same person... This is already the second day in a row." The host paused, his tone laced with amusement, goodwill, and helplessness. "To our friend named Xu, if you can hear this... go back. Your friends have been waiting for you all along. "Today, this young nurse left a message saying: 'Xu, come back. We've found a way. We're waiting for you. I miss you so much.'" Then came the click of a switch on the console. "Now, as for the song she requested this time, it's quite a coincidence—I'm very fond of it myself. It's the title track from the Gangcheng band Beyond's debut Mandarin album released just this October: 'The Great Land.' "Next, let's listen together. "At the same time, I sincerely hope our friend named Xu can hear this and return to your friends as soon as possible... It's been two days now, and she has kept calling our station non-stop. I imagine they must be terribly anxious and at their wits' end, probably left with no other choice. "So, please don't leave them worrying and disappointed any longer." With that, the host's voice faded. Then the music began to play: "How many times did he endure the hardships of starting anew, Weathering them just the same. Those times of anxious gains and losses Were the fate of days gone by, Yearnings rushing toward the future..." Just like that, Wu Xu froze in place, his back to the wonton stall. He had thought that leaving like this without saying goodbye would prevent them from trying to hold him back and putting them in a difficult spot. He thought it would be many years before he ever heard of them again. Even though he still had no idea where he should go right now. He had never imagined hearing news of them so soon. So this was the sickeningly mushy trick Wen Jifei had come up with and put into practice. The other day, when he passed the door of the nurses' break room and heard the song request station playing on the radio inside, he had stopped, remembering that Wu Xu had always wanted a radio. So if Wu Xu was wandering aimlessly around town, perhaps he might stop to listen, or just overhear it by chance. Of course, Plague Chicken couldn't possibly be a young nurse; he had gotten an acquaintance among the nurses to call in on his behalf, over and over again. In 1990, such a tactic was far from outdated. Moreover, the person they were dealing with was Wu Xu. When had Wu Xu ever experienced anything like this? How could he possibly withstand it?! The gap between the two of them in this arena was probably even wider than the gap in combat strength between Han Qingyu and the Great Spike War God, Miwang. "Before my eyes are not the familiar gazes, Unfamiliarity creeping in bit by bit. Yet his story is one I cherish. Looking back, a band of simple youths Strolls effortlessly away into the distance. Who knows on what day we shall meet again..." As the lyrics reached his ears, singing of that band of simple youths and wondering when they would meet again, what surfaced in his mind was Han Qingyu sitting against the wall back then, saying: *Come with me. From now on, we're brothers.* Then it was Plague Chicken leaping up and running off to buy clothes, the five pieces of meat dropped into his bowl, and the source energy blocks shared equally with him. And, of course, the merciless jokes poked at his embarrassing moments time and time again... Wen Jifei had read Wu Xu like an open book. A man who had never possessed much emotion suddenly found his composure cracking. "Big Brother? Big Brother?" Standing at his side, the little girl looked up at him and asked with concern, "Why are you crying, Big Brother?" *Did I... cry?!* Wu Xu raised a hand in a daze and wiped his cheek. Even he couldn't believe that a day would come in his life when he shed tears. Tears were something far too foreign, far too strange. The singing continued from the radio: "Looking back, a band of simple youths Strolls effortlessly away into the distance. Who knows on what day we shall meet again..." "I'm fine," Wu Xu said, and then smiled unconsciously—yes, a smile, something almost as foreign to him as shedding tears. "But your clothes are soaked through," the little girl said, still looking worried. "It's fine, really... but I have to go now. Something came up." Wu Xu turned slightly, looked down at the little girl, and asked, "By the way, what's your name?" "My name is Wang Ruobing," the little girl chirped, blinking her eyes. "All right, I'll remember. I'll come back to visit you and your grandpa in the future." Wu Xu waved, saying goodbye to the little girl named Wang Ruobing before him, and goodbye to the old man behind the cart. Then he turned around and slung the Binggu spear back onto his back. In the night, through the rain. He walked toward the direction he remembered. Going back. …… It was past six in the morning, not quite seven yet. Han Qingyu and the others were crowded behind a window, pulling the curtains aside slightly to peer through the slit at the figure standing by the entrance of the medical station. "Well? Tell me first: am I brilliant or what?!" Wen Jifei chuckled smugly. In high spirits, Han Qingyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, a heavy weight lifted off his chest. While grateful, he had to give credit where it was due. "Brilliant. That was truly amazing." Wen Jifei really was unmatched when it came to this sort of thing; Han Qingyu knew he couldn't compete. The others felt the same way, showering Wen Jifei with praise first. But after a quick discussion among themselves, they decided not to bring up the part about 'Plague Chicken the young nurse'—because it really was bizarrely sickening. "So, do we go down and curse him out, or laugh at him?" He Tangtang asked with a grin. "Don't do that," Shen Yixiu kindly suggested on the spot. "Let's just act natural and pretend nothing happened, okay? Even if Wu Xu won't show it, he's definitely feeling terribly awkward right now." As they spoke, Liu Shiheng poked his head forward and said, "Hey, what's that beside him? That bundle." The group leaned in closer to look. "Looks like sugarcane. Yeah, definitely sugarcane. This... Xu'er has quite the imagination." The group joked and bantered around that bundle of sugarcane for a bit longer. Han Qingyu spoke up, "Alright, let's head down." Wu Xu saw them. He saw them walking toward him... Fortunately, the medical station wasn't very bustling yet. Truth be told, if he hadn't gotten lost along the way for a stretch, with the speed of activating his apparatus he would never have taken until now to arrive. Right now, he felt utterly embarrassed. "You're back?" As they approached and their eyes met, Han Qingyu offered a casual greeting first. Wu Xu was just about to nod in response. "Oh my, is this sugarcane?!" He Tangtang feigned surprise, circling the bundle of sugarcane and eyeing it from all angles. "Tsk, tsk. Such a huge bundle. Wu Xu, you aren't planning to pretend that you just went out to chop some sugarcane for us these past few days, are you?" Wu Xu: "..." "What the hell do you know?" Wen Jifei chimed in mock defense, draping an arm over Wu Xu's shoulder before piling on the tease. "Look how well-mannered our Wu Xu is! Going out for a trip and remembering to bring back gifts when he returns!" At that, none of them could hold back their laughter. Amidst the laughter, Wu Xu held his ground and said deadpan, "It's very sweet." "Huh? Hahaha..." Wu Xu said, "Really. Will you eat some? I'll peel it." "Eat what? Hurry up and change your clothes, and let's get some breakfast... Time's tight, we have to set off right away," Wen Jifei said helplessly. "We've just been waiting on you." Without pressing further, Wu Xu simply murmured, "Oh. What about the sugarcane?" "That..." "Bring it along," Han Qingyu said after a moment's thought. "As it happens, we're asking a friend for help this time. When we go over, we mustn't forget our manners."