My hometown is far away in Moscow.

Chapter 102 The Prodigal Son Returns Home

The oval-faced girl couldn't understand his words and could only look at Hu Yi with a puzzled expression.

Hu Yi shrugged slightly, shaking off the bearded man's hand. "I already said, no." He then pointed to the hatch. "Unless you get out and jump."

"Haha! You're joking!" The bearded man, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, pointed at Hu Yi. "Let's make a deal. I'll give you money, and you'll give me permission to smoke, how about it?"

"What?" Hu Yi squinted, thinking he'd misheard. He saw the bearded man reach into his pocket and pull out a wad of hundred-dollar bills, counting out three without hesitation and handing them to him: "Two hundred, yours; one hundred, hers. Just let me have one cigarette, just one! How about that? Fair enough?"

"You've drunk quite a bit, huh? So what if you're rich?" Hu Yi slapped the bearded man's hand across the back, then shoved him around: "Go back to sleep!"

"Just let me have one!" the bearded man wailed, waving banknotes as he walked. "I can't sleep without a cigarette!"

"If you can't sleep, keep drinking!" Hu Yi said, turning back to wink at the conflicted oval face. "Go about your business, I'll take care of this guy!"

The bearded man stumbled back to his seat, pushed by Hu Yi, muttering to himself. Seeing Hu Yi still standing there staring at him, he reluctantly raised his hands: "Fine! I'll go to sleep, okay?"

Hu Yi nodded coldly, sat back in his seat, pulled out a magazine, flipped through a few pages, and then closed his eyes again.

When Hu Yi woke up again, the cabin lights were off. He quietly got up to use the restroom, and when he came out, he suddenly smelled a faint, unpleasant odor again.

A thought struck him, and he turned his head to see that the bearded man's seat was empty. He quickly went to the kitchen and, sure enough, saw him looking up and blowing smoke rings. Opposite him, the oval-faced man was supporting his right elbow with his left hand and his cheek with his right hand, looking helpless.

Hu Yi's anger flared instantly: "Who told you to smoke!"

"She approved it." The bearded man pointed to the oval face, then looked at Hu Yi smugly. "You wouldn't let me smoke earlier, good for you. You saved me three hundred dollars, I have to thank you. Thank you!"

Hu Yi was furious and glared angrily at the oval-faced man: "You let him smoke?"

"There's nothing I can do, he's drunk and he's been pestering me relentlessly." The young girl said pitifully, "The flight attendant said she could just let him sneak a cigarette, but only here, and she made me keep an eye on him."

"This is outrageous!" Hu Yi muttered helplessly, his throat bobbing. "Then... can I have one too?"

"Go ahead and smoke." The oval-faced girl pouted. "But... smoking is bad for your health, so smoke less."

"Thanks!" Hu Yi said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and stared thoughtfully at the rising smoke. "Looks like rules aren't always strictly followed, huh?"

"Let's analyze each situation individually." The young girl smiled timidly. "Rules are rules, but people are flexible. Sometimes being lenient can avoid a lot of trouble, and there's nothing we can do about it."

The plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport at around 7:00 AM Beijing time. After clearing customs, Hu Yi went straight to Beijing South Railway Station and arrived home in the afternoon.

He hadn't been back for two years, and the pace of development in his hometown had far exceeded his expectations. Several main roads in the city had been widened, and many more high-rise buildings had sprung up along the way. The red Xiali taxis that used to crisscross the streets were almost nowhere to be seen, replaced by white Jettas and Santanas.

Hu Yi was deeply impressed by the new look of his hometown, and his parents were also pleasantly surprised to notice every change in him: their son was more robust than two years ago, and he no longer seemed as naive and clueless as before. His speech and manner were more composed and natural, and there was a hint of maturity and sophistication in his eyes. He could even help with cooking. In particular, his knife skills, which he had somehow developed, were surprisingly skillful and professional when he chopped vegetables.

Hu Yi's parents were unaware of his past theft, only having heard him mention on the phone that he had earned some money working with friends in Moscow. Now, seeing his growth firsthand, they felt both gratified and proud.

Hu Yi had already put the hardships of the past two years behind him. Unlike the anxious feeling he had when he returned to China in disgrace last time, Hu Yi was now truly enjoying his vacation in a leisurely manner, and these days were exceptionally pleasant.

Moreover, he is currently quite well-off, spending his days visiting relatives and friends with gifts he bought from Russia, drinking, singing, and boasting, displaying a rather spirited demeanor.

As they grow older and gain more experience, the topics of conversation among friends over drinks gradually move beyond youthful infatuation and campus trivia. They begin to focus on social phenomena, envision future developments, and then further connect these topics to their respective future career prospects.

My friends back home will be seniors starting in September, and they'll soon be facing the challenges of finding jobs and employment, so naturally, they'll be discussing these issues. Hu Yi, however, has spent the past two years in preparatory courses, putting him two years below them, and having never experienced the atmosphere of a Chinese campus, he's not interested in their topics, only thinking about how to relax and have some fun.

After spending his first weekend back in China with his family, Hu Yi met up with his friends for a game of football on Monday morning.

He kicked from dawn until the sun was high in the sky, working up a good sweat. Hu Yi found a breakfast stall and ate the long-missed jianbing guozi, baiji mo, and tofu pudding. Then, satisfied, he went home, took a shower, changed his clothes, and strolled out again.

The feeling of being in China is completely different from that in Moscow. Although Hu Yi feels that his hometown is somewhat lagging behind the development speed of big cities, the prices here are incredibly low, the public security is outrageously good, and he doesn't have to worry about carrying all kinds of documents when he goes out, nor does he have to be neurotically careful to guard against skinheads and thugs. This is what home feels like.

Enjoying the changing buildings and scenery along the way, Hu Yi arrived at the technology market before noon. He asked for directions as he walked, and after many twists and turns, he finally found a shop.

A burly, bald man sat behind the counter. Hu Yi carefully checked the number on the shop door and asked, "Excuse me, is Xiang Dong here?"

"Yes, working." The burly man was sitting in front of the TV, playing a game with the controller. Hearing this, he didn't turn around but shouted loudly in a deep voice, "Dongzi! Someone's looking for you!"

"Hey!" Xiang Dong stood up from behind the counter, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and grinned, "Brother Yi! Why are you so late? We've been waiting for ages!"

Hu Yi smiled and went up to hug him. Two years had passed, and Dongzi had gained a little weight and his skin was a bit fairer, but his clothes were still not very stylish. His thick hair was messy, his T-shirt and shorts were baggy and didn't seem to fit him well, and his black nylon socks and dull brown leather sandals also looked a bit old-fashioned.

"You're blaming me? This place is so hard to find. What's this 'East Hall South District, Row 3, 57-C'? I've asked several people and they can't give me a clear answer." Hu Yi punched him in the chest. "You might as well just tell me the name of the shop, then I could ask around."

Dongzi smiled shyly and pointed upwards: "Our shop name... isn't very elegant, I'm afraid you'll laugh at it."

(End of this chapter)