A bowl of noodles and two phone calls
It felt as though someone had yanked out a fistful of his hair; Li An’s scalp tingled with numbness. Truly, it was a matter of coming in a hurry and leaving just as quickly.
Li An wondered if Wang Xiaohu, that child, had some kind of psychological issue. According to his grandmother, the boy’s mother was rarely at home. By rights, hearing that his mother was coming back should make him happy.
Sigh.
That evening, Li An returned home after work and boiled some noodles. He turned on the fan and his computer, preparing to relax with an episode of “The Voice.”
He hadn’t even managed to get a mouthful of noodles when his phone rang beside him.
A glance at the caller ID made his heart sink.
It was the landlord. He kept track of the days carefully; there were ten days left before the rent was due.
The situation was that he didn’t plan to live here much longer—the two-hour commute to and from work every day was simply too inconvenient. Especially at night, after returning from Blue Whale, he had to walk nearly a kilometer and a half after getting off the bus.
But he couldn’t move out just yet. First, he had no money. Second, he hadn’t figured out how to resolve his current predicament.
He put down his chopsticks, picked up the phone, and pondered how best to phrase his words.
Looking back, he regretted mentioning his plan to move in a previous message. He shouldn’t have brought it up.
After a moment, he answered the call with a polite greeting, “Hello, Sister Wu, please go ahead.”
“Li, have you thought it over yet? Are you renewing the lease or not?” The landlord’s tone was cordial.
“Sister Wu, I work in Yudong District now. The commute is really inconvenient, so I probably can’t stay here any longer. But I haven’t found a place over there yet.”
“How about this: I’ll tidy up the place in the next couple of days, and when the rent’s up, I’ll pay you week by week. Let me stay here for now, and as soon as I find a new place, I’ll hand over the keys. Would that work for you?”
Li An was embarrassed even as he said it, but there was nothing he could do—he was broke.
Sister Wu replied, “That won’t do, Li. We signed an agreement, remember? Rent is paid quarterly.”
“I understand, Sister Wu. I’ve stayed here for over a year and never delayed the rent. Things are just a bit tough lately. Could you make an exception this time?”
She said, “Li, everyone’s struggling. You know about my second child—needs formula, and the mortgage is heavy. You can’t imagine how much pressure that is every month.”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
Li An paused. “Then, could you give me another week? I’ll give you a definite answer about whether I’m staying. Would that be alright?”
“One week, then. I’ll wait for your call,” came the reply.
He hung up and sighed deeply. He understood—everyone has their own pressures, their own burdens.
Eight Thousand wandered over and nudged his foot with its head.
Li An felt a warmth in his heart. He squatted and stroked Eight Thousand’s head, who promptly collapsed, exposing its belly.
After playing with Eight Thousand for a while, he said, “Go eat, your cat food arrives the day after tomorrow. It won’t be as good as what you’re eating now, but you’ll have to make do.”
He returned to his computer, broke the prepared sausage in half.
Half for him, half for the cat.
He picked up his bowl of noodles and ate hungrily. He really was starving, but he hadn’t the mood to watch “Comedy Stars” anymore.
As he ate, the phone rang again.
He put down his chopsticks and picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Where are you, son? Have you eaten?” This time, it was a gentle female voice.
Li An smiled inwardly, thinking that all parents across the universe sounded the same when they called.
“I’ve eaten, just got home. Have you two eaten?”
He leaned back out of habit and reached into his pocket for a cigarette, only to find it empty.
His mother said, “We just finished. Your dad made pumpkin porridge, fried potato shreds, and baked pancakes. What did you have for dinner?”
Li An replied, “Had fast food with colleagues downstairs at work. Is it hot at home these days? Did you two go out for a walk after dinner?”
His mother replied, “No, we’re watching TV. Don’t always eat fast food, have something more nutritious. Your dad wants to know if you’ve finished the beef sauce he sent last time.”
Li An felt a pang. The day after he arrived, he found that jar of beef sauce; by the time he found it, it had already spoiled in the corner of the kitchen, barely touched.
“Not finished yet. I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
She reminded him, “If it sits too long, it won’t taste good. Don’t hesitate to eat it, and when it’s gone, I’ll fry some more and send it over. It’s easy these days.”
Li An replied, “Alright, don’t worry, I know. You two should eat well and drink well, don’t just make potato shreds all the time. Pork’s cheaper now, isn’t it?”
His mother said, “We’re eating well, don’t worry about us. Is work busy lately?”
Li An replied, “Busy. There’s a new manager, so the whole campus is pretty busy.”
His mother said, “Busy is good, but take care of yourself, don’t overdo it.”
Just then, a deep male voice sounded faintly in the background, “Go ahead and ask him.”
His mother continued, “Isn’t it time to pay your rent again? Do you have enough money? If not, let us know.”
Li An licked his lips.
“It’s all paid. Just take care of yourselves, don’t worry about me. If I need anything, I’ll let you know. Try to go out for walks at night, and cut down on TV.”
His mother said, “Alright, I won’t keep you anymore. Just take care of yourself,” her voice faded slightly, “Do you want to talk to your dad? No? Then let him get on with his own things. Go to bed early, don’t stay up late.”
The five-minute call was neither long nor short—too brief for a round of gaming, too short for an episode of a drama.
Li An hung up and resumed eating his noodles in big gulps.
After dinner, he went downstairs for a walk. When he returned, it was nearly ten.
He showered and moved the fan back to his bedside.
He turned off the lights and got into bed, lying on his side and gazing out the window, listening to the ceaseless chirping of cicadas, his mind turning over where he might find another part-time job.
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings were still open, just like tonight—he could easily go out and pick up some work.
This month, on the sixteenth, he needed to repay a 2,600 yuan credit bill. He planned to use the part-time earnings from Blue Whale in his WeChat wallet to cover it. By the sixteenth, it would just be enough, with two hundred left over.
Three days after payday, he had to repay a 2,500 yuan loan, which would leave him with one thousand.
That one thousand two hundred, plus the four hundred left in his bank account after buying the fan, made for a total of sixteen hundred—the entirety of his available funds, including next month’s living expenses.
Blue Whale brought in eight hundred weekly, but that money couldn’t be touched—for the next half year, it would only go towards credit payments.
Rent, debts, debts, rent...
Difficult, worrisome.
Unawares, Li An drifted off to sleep with a troubled expression.
That night, his phone by the bedside suddenly lit up.
In the office small group chat, Xu Hongxin mentioned Saturday's dinner gathering. Apart from the elders, the other two responded eagerly.
One message after another, the phone screen flickered non-stop.
Soon, Eight Thousand jumped onto the bed, sniffed the phone, waited for the screen to go dark, then curled up beside Li An and fell asleep too.