Chapter 124

Although it was rare for the brothers to gather, they didn’t stay too late that night. Yang Lei had taken the time to return to the city. He had to rush back to the army early the next morning. Er Hei was already married and had a family. He was concerned about Xiao Qin and his son at home. As for Lao Liang, Yang-zi, and the others, some had gotten married, and those who hadn’t gotten married also had no end of intimate phone calls hastening their return. Lao Liang’s sweetheart was dead set on Lao Liang. Worried that Lao Liang drank too much and would not be able to get back home, she directly came to pick up Lao Liang. Lao Liang hugged his pretty sweetheart, perfectly content. He had had so many women. This one right now was the most caring. Even an old player like him, who always loved playing around without plans for marriage, had the idea of marrying a wife. Right now, he hugged his sweetheart and flaunted their love before his brothers. Even Lao Liang, who used to always have fun by staying up all night, was going back home.

“Fuck, this is so boring. What’s the rush? Xiao Liu, Ma Pi, let’s have fun!”

Hua Mao was very disappointed.

“Hua Mao, I’m sorry. The one at home… will make a fuss if I’m not home by two o’clock. There’s nothing I can do about her!” The remaining few brothers also left.

Hua Mao walked alone in the streets at midnight, swaying.

The brothers who had messed around wildly together in the past had gotten married, become fathers, or had partners. They all had their own families, and they had all found their own homes. Only he was still all alone, wandering like a lonely spirit in this cold and windy night.

Hua Mao walked along the river. The scattered light shone on the reflection in the river, and the person in the reflection was already no longer young. The comely middle schooler sitting in the classroom seemed like a previous lifetime.

Hua Mao was in a very bad mood.

He was not Ding Wen, not a youth of knowledge and literature. He didn’t have as much vocabulary and phrases to express this evening, such as loneliness, desolation, solitude, loss, or “Standing all alone, the body and shadow comfort each other” as in Chinese textbooks. He only moved like a gangster, kicking up a bunch of stones by the river, kicking them into the river and watching them sink.

“They’ve all fucking left. I’m the only one left!”

Hua Mao shouted loudly at the deserted riverside at two in the morning. His voice was sharp and shrill, unutterably unpleasant.

He didn’t go back. Even if he went back, no one was waiting for him. Wherever he was, he was alone, and it was all the same.

So Hua Mao went into another night food stall and continued drinking. A clamor started beside him. Several men at the next table threw a drunken fuss and flipped the table because the proprietress was slow in serving dishes. When they kicked the proprietress away, Hua Mao pushed aside the table and brought a porcelain bowl down on the head of the one who had beaten her the most viciously. He pressed his bloody face onto the ground that was flowing with vegetable oil as he convulsed.

In the early morning, there were screams and panic in the big food stall. Everyone ran out. Inside, it wasn’t known whether Hua Mao was beating people or throwing a drunken fuss.

He vented his anger joyfully, being fierce and cruel. The bruised and bloody men were stunned from the beating. They ran out covering their heads, and Hua Mao chased them out, which scared away the onlookers outside. At that time, people who witnessed the scene said that the man who was chasing and beating the people had a skinny frame. All of the ones being beaten were taller and stronger than him, but he pressed them on the ground and beat them almost to death. The proprietress was frightened and shouted, “Stop fighting! They’re going to die!”

Hua Mao didn’t stop even when the siren sounded. When the person who jumped out of the police car grabbed his hand and forcefully pulled him away, Hua Mao still didn’t stop.

“Damn it! Let go!” Hua Mao only felt dissatisfaction and discontent! The alcohol had gotten to his head. When the policeman grasped his hand and pinned it behind his back, his feet were still ruthlessly kicking the bastard who already could not get up from the ground.

“Chen Zhiqiang!”

A stern voice reproached him, and something ice-cold handcuffed his hand. Hua Mao saw who had caught him, but he didn’t care at all. He only stared and the strong smell of alcohol reached the policeman who was holding him.

In the police station, Hua Mao sat expressionlessly.

“Name.”

Gu Fei spread out his notebook and looked up at Hua Mao.

Hua Mao didn’t respond.

“Name!” Gu Fei raised his voice seriously.

“Didn’t you just shout it? You’ve forgotten the words so quickly.” Hua Mao sneered. These policemen were all fucking criminals of pretentiousness.

“Sex.” Gu Fei continued the interrogation procedure.

Hua Mao looked at the wall opposite him.

“Up to you.”