Mud beads

The butcher chopped the beef ribs into cubes and asked Yu Zhu across the cutting board if she wanted to take two more bone marrows.

"No need, the two of us can't finish it."

Yu Zhu scanned the code to pay and took the knotted plastic bag. The fresh beef, even through two layers of bags, was still radiating cold air, weighing heavily on her fingers. The vegetable stall next to her was closing up, so she picked out a few more fresh lettuce stalks. The stall owner stuffed a bunch of scallions into her bag without taking any money.

On the first day of winter break, Yu Zhu dragged her luggage from the old neighborhood to Liang Dong's new apartment. The building was new, the heating was good, and it was close to the training institution, so she could sleep in for an extra half hour every morning. She taught classes during the day and proofread the research group's manuscript at night. The stack of proofs on the corner of her desk was getting thinner and thinner. The day she had arranged to meet Liang Dong had arrived.

On the day Liang Dong was to return, Yu Zhu asked Lao Xiao for leave in advance and didn't go to teach her class. After lunch, she went to the market to buy groceries. Liang Dong said he would cook for her that evening and told her not to touch anything, so he could see if his cooking skills had deteriorated after being away for so long.

As Yu Zhu left the market, carrying a plastic bag in one hand and protecting her collar with the other, she quickly walked to the roadside to hail a taxi.

The north gate of the new apartment building faces away from the main street, where there are few people. After parking the car, Yu Zhu got out carrying several plastic bags. Just as she walked past the temporary parking area, she heard someone calling from behind.

"Pandi".

She paused for a moment, her steps faltering, but she didn't turn around immediately.

Yu Dahai and Liu Guizhen stood by the roadside. Seeing that she didn't turn around, they called out again in a trembling voice, "Yu Pandi."

The two men were much older than she remembered.

Yu Dahai wore a shiny black cotton-padded coat, his shoulders hunched, carrying two bundles tied tightly with nylon rope. Liu Guizhen wore a yellow knitted hat, her hair was cut short, her skin was no longer as full as in her youth, and her eyes were sunken. Seeing Yu Zhu, she seemed to want to come forward, taking half a step, then stopping. She nervously rubbed her hands in front of her coat, avoiding Yu Zhu's face, her lips trembling slightly before she slowly spoke.

"Pandi..."

Upon hearing the shout, Yu Zhu shivered involuntarily in the north wind, the plastic bag in her hand clinging to her trousers and rustling softly in the wind.

Yu Zhaozu followed behind the two, his hair shaved into a buzz cut, a layer of stubble on his chin, his jacket thickly wrapped around him, and his hands always in his pockets. In the few years since they last met, he had grown into a man half a head taller than Yu Dahai. But when he looked over, Yu Zhu still saw that familiar look in his eyes from their childhood.

If there's a piece of meat missing from the table, he'll stare at her like this.

Yu Zhu's mind went blank. She tightened her grip on the bag, instinctively turned around, and quickly walked towards the gate of the residential area.

"Yu Pandi, where are you going!"

Yu Zhaozu's voice came from behind, deep, hoarse, and a little agitated.

Yu Zhu's elbow was suddenly grabbed by him.

She instinctively pulled her hand away, and the plastic bag in her hand shook, causing a scallion to fall from the bag to the ground.

"Release yourself!" she snapped.

Yu Zhaozu paused, his hand still gripping her clothes. Seeing Liu Guizhen and Yu Dahai following, he released her, saying, "Why are you leaving? Don't you recognize your parents?"

Liu Guizhen quickly moved closer to them, grabbing Yu Zhu's sleeves with both hands: "Pandi, it's Mom! Don't you recognize your mother?"

Yu Zhu stared at the rough hand on her arm, and in a daze, she felt several slaps land on her face, her mind buzzing.

"Why wouldn't she admit it?" Yu Zhaozu said irritably. "She's hiding precisely because she knows her!"

"Shut up!" Liu Guizhen glared at him, pulled Yu Dahai from behind her to the front, looked at Yu Zhu, and her voice softened again, "Your parents heard from your sister that you live here, so they wanted to come and see you. It's been so many years since they've seen you, so it's a bit sudden. The main reason is—"

"Excuse me." Yu Zhu brushed her hand away and took a step back warily. "I have nothing to do with you."

Yu Dahai glanced up at Yu Zhu, looking somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I said—"

"Mom knows you're upset, and things weren't entirely as you think back then." Liu Guizhen patted her husband beside her, forcing a smile. "Your mom packed some cured meat and walnuts for you. Why don't we go upstairs and sit down, and talk it over slowly..."

Yu Zhu's face immediately turned cold: "I've made it very clear to Yu Laidi, please stop harassing me."

"How dare you talk to your mother like that!" Yu Zhaozu's face suddenly turned bright red, and his voice abruptly rose. "What do you mean by harassment? Can't you speak properly?!"

Yu Zhu stared at the man's face, both strange and familiar, her breathing quickening, her teeth chattering softly.

She was furious, but getting entangled with it would only make things more complicated. Yu Laidi knew exactly where her rented old neighborhood was, but somehow she managed to get Liang Dong's apartment address and had Yu Dahai and his family come there to wait for her.

She was calculating her plans meticulously.

Yu Zhu glared at Yu Zhaozu, said nothing, and turned to walk into the residential area.

"Son, something's happened to your brother!"

When Liu Guizhen saw Yu Zhu about to leave, she chased after her, grabbed her, and knelt down on the ground.

"You can't just ignore this!"

She shouted this at the top of her lungs. When Yu Zhu saw her kneeling down, her heart sank. She hurriedly tried to pull her hand away, but she was tightly held by her sleeve.

Yu Zhaozu's face darkened, and he reached out to pull her up, saying, "Mom, get up and talk!"

His hands, which had been hidden in his pocket, were finally revealed. The ring and little fingers of his gray wool gloves were missing two sections, lying limply.

"Your brother is disabled now!" Tears streamed down Liu Guizhen's flushed face, quickly drying in the cold wind. "The cutting machine cut off two of his fingers, he can't work anymore, and his wife is leaving him. You, as his sister, can't just watch him die!"

Why are you telling her this?!

"How would your mother know about the family's difficulties if she didn't tell you?" Yu Dahai finally spoke up. "If you can't earn money in the future and don't have a house, how will you marry Lulu! You should beg your sister—"

"Why would I beg her!"

A north wind swept between the two buildings, making the woven bags rustle. Yu Zhu had a terrible headache; the veins under her temples throbbed. She struggled again, glancing to the side, trying her best to remain calm: "Let go, or I'll call the police."

"You live in a place like this, and with the Yue family taking care of you, you're definitely not short of money. We're not letting you take it for nothing—" Liu Guizhen crawled two steps closer to her, "We can have Zhao Zu give you an IOU!"

Yu Zhu stopped talking, threw down the bag in her other hand, and took out her phone from her pocket: "Okay, I'm calling the police."

The color in Yu Zhaozu's face suddenly rushed to his ears.

"Give me one!"

His right hand swept out suddenly.

With his right hand, missing two fingers, he slammed it hard against the phone, striking Yu Zhu's temple through the casing. The phone flew past her ear, and the force sent her staggering backward, her lower back hitting a low stone platform before she fell sideways.

The plastic bag that had fallen to my feet was scattered, fresh scallions and lettuce were strewn all over the ground, and the bag that had contained beef had a corner torn, from which a trickle of pale red blood seeped out.

A muffled thud came from not far away.

A black suitcase lay overturned in the middle of the road.

A dark figure flashed past Yu Zhu and punched Yu Zhaozu on the bridge of his nose.

Yu Zhu was stunned for two seconds. When she came to her senses, Liang Dong was already straddling Yu Zhaozu, raising and lowering his elbows with a muffled thud each time.

Yu Dahai reacted first, dropping the snakeskin bag in his hand, taking two steps forward, grabbing Liang Dong's neck from behind, and dragging him off Yu Zhaozu.

"Let him go!" Yu Zhu staggered to her feet and took a step forward, but was grabbed tightly by Liu Guizhen.

"My son—" Liu Guizhen cried out in anguish, her grip on Yu Zhu's hand remaining firm, "This is outrageous!"

Yu Zhaozu staggered to his feet, wiped the blood from his nose, and lunged at Liang Dong again.

"Your mother's."

He punched Liang Dong in the side of the face.

Liang Dong's mask ear loops popped open, his black-rimmed glasses were askew, and his navy blue baseball cap flew off his head. His permed black hair, long enough to reach his brow bone, was tossed messily across his face. That face, which had just been magnified on the silver screen and remembered by countless people, was now exposed without any concealment in the dim winter light.

His face was turned to one side by the slap, then turned back the next second. Blood quickly trickled down his lips; Liang Dong licked it and spat it aside.

"Liang Dong!"

Yu Zhu suddenly struggled to her feet, all the blood rushing to her head in an instant. Liu Guizhen held her from behind, her ten fingers digging into her flesh through her cotton-padded clothes.

"You let him hit your brother? You heartless bastard!"

Those hands had pulled her hair when she was little, and had also made her sit by the stove and be beaten. Years have passed, her face has aged, but the strength in her hands is still the same.

Yu Zhu lowered her head and bit Liu Guizhen's hand.

Liu Guizhen didn't react at first when her teeth sank into the loose, rough flesh. Only when the pain shot through her did she scream and let go.

A salty, metallic taste filled Yu Zhu's mouth. Without turning back, she ran towards Liang Dong.

She had only taken two steps when Yu Dahai came from the side and blocked her way again. Yu Zhu stumbled into his dirty cotton coat, her arm reaching over his shoulder in vain towards the man a few steps away.

"Liang Dong—"

Liang Dong did not turn around.

He and Yu Zhaozu were fighting with bloodshot eyes. The two rolled and tore at each other on the concrete floor, and whoever was on top would punch the one below in the face. Both of their faces were covered in blood, and blood from their noses was being smeared by their fists.

Yu Dahai held Yu Zhu tightly, refusing to let go no matter how much she kicked or grabbed him.

Over there, Yu Zhaozu flipped over and straddled Liang Dong, his fist coming down, which Liang Dong dodged by tilting his head. His knuckles grazed Liang Dong's nose, and his black-rimmed glasses were knocked off, bouncing twice on the ground.

The lens made a very faint cracking sound, and the right temple broke off from the hinge.

Yu Zhaozu pounced on him again.

Liang Dong was knocked to the ground by his hand, his palm pressing against the broken temple of his glasses. He instinctively clenched his fingers, grabbed something on the ground, and used his other hand to support himself as he stood up.

Yu Zhaozu's fist was already flying towards him.

Liang Dong raised his hand to meet him.

"ah--"

A scream that sounded inhuman escaped from Yu Zhaozu's throat.

Yu Zhu watched as he covered his left eye and suddenly bent over. Bright red blood gushed from between his fingers, falling onto the cold cement floor and quickly turning brown.

Liang Dong's fist was still suspended in mid-air.

A half-broken black temple of glasses was stuck between his fingers.

The tip was covered in blood.