Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

It was just dawn.

The fat man was still snoring on the sofa, muttering, "Chicken leg... my chicken leg..." Wu Xie was fast asleep in the guest room; he was exhausted from yesterday.

There was a sound coming from the yard.

It was very light. It was the sound of a broom scraping across the concrete floor, swish, swish, rhythmically.

Zhang Qiling is sweeping the yard.

He was wearing a black tracksuit he'd bought yesterday, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his well-defined forearms. He held an old bamboo broom, his movements slow but efficient, each sweep thorough and clean. Fallen leaves and dust clung to the ground in a small heap.

The first rays of dawn shone on his face, which remained expressionless.

The door creaked softly.

Zhang Qiling came out. He had also changed into black sportswear and stood on the steps, watching Zhang Qiling sweep the yard. After watching for a while, he walked to the corner of the yard, where there were several half-dead potted plants—grown by the fat man, but often forgotten to be watered.

He picked up the broken water jug ​​beside him and went to the sink to fill it with water. The jug leaked, dripping and drizzling. He filled it up, went back, squatted down, and watered the flowers. His movements were very careful; he seemed to know exactly how much to water each pot.

The two of them did their own thing and didn't speak to each other.

There were only the sounds of brooms, watering plants, and early-rising birds in the distance.

After sweeping the yard, Zhang Qiling swept the fallen leaves into a dustpan and emptied them into the trash can. Then he went to the sink to wash his hands. The water was cold, and he washed them slowly, one finger at a time.

After watering the flowers, Zhang Qiling also came over to wash his hands.

The two stood side by side in front of the sink, silently washing their hands. The water flowed gently, and the morning light cast their long shadows on the ground.

After washing, Zhang Qiling shook his hands and took out a handkerchief from his pocket—the one Wu Xie had given him yesterday, saying it was new. He dried his hands, folded the handkerchief, and put it back in his pocket.

Zhang Qiling didn't have a handkerchief, so he shook his hand, and water droplets glistened in the morning light.

Then the two went inside.

The fat man is still asleep.

Zhang Qiling walked to the sofa, reached out, and nudged the fat man's shoulder.

The fat guy didn't wake up. He rolled over and smacked his lips, "Stop messing around... chicken leg..."

Zhang Qiling gave it another push.

The fat man groggily opened his eyes and saw Zhang Qiling's expressionless face standing right in front of him. He jumped in fright: "Holy crap! What are you doing, bro! You scared me to death!"

"Breakfast," Zhang Qiling said.

"Huh?" the fat man exclaimed, bewildered. "What time is it...?"

He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 6:30.

"So early..." the fat man muttered as he got up, scratching his messy hair. "Fine, fine, make breakfast... Are you naive?"

"Not up yet," Zhang Qiling said.

"I'll go wake him." The fat man swayed as he knocked on the guest room door. "Naive! Get up! The sun's already high in the sky!"

From inside the room came Wu Xie's muffled voice: "Fatty... I'll sleep for another five minutes..."

"Five minutes my ass! Both of you get up! Hurry up!" the fat man roared.

After a rustling sound, Wu Xie opened the door with messy hair, his glasses askew on his face, and he groggily said, "So early..."

"Early my foot! The early bird catches the worm!" The fat man shoved him into the bathroom. "Wash your face and brush your teeth! I'll make breakfast!"

A clanging sound came from the kitchen.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" sat on the living room sofa, waiting. Their postures were very similar: backs straight, hands on knees, eyes fixed straight ahead. Like two door gods waiting for dinner.

After washing up, Wu Xie came out and saw this scene, unable to help but laugh: "You two young men, up so early?"

Zhang Qiling nodded.

Zhang Qiling nodded as well.

"Habit," Zhang Qiling added.

Wu Xie sat down opposite them and yawned: "I usually can't get up this early... Did you sleep well last night?"

"Mm." Zhang Qiling.

"Okay." "Zhang Qiling."

The conversation has ended.

Fortunately, the fat man quickly came out with a plate: "Here it is! Breakfast! Fried eggs, ham, bread slices, and milk!"

Simple, but warm.

The four sat down to eat breakfast. The fat man ate while muttering, "What are the plans for today? How about we go out for a stroll? I heard a new antique market opened in the east of the city; maybe we can find some bargains..."

Wu Xie, munching on bread, said, "Fatty, nine out of ten times you 'find a bargain' you end up with a bad experience."

"But there was one time it was genuine!" the fat man protested. "That copper coin last time..."

"It's fake." Wu Xie bluntly exposed it. "The experts said it's a modern replica."

The fat man choked, his eyes widening: "Well... well, it's all because I, Fatty, have a discerning eye!"

Zhang Qiling quietly ate his fried egg and drank his milk. "Zhang Qiling" also ate quietly, their movements almost synchronized.

After finishing their meal, Wu Xie cleared the table. Fatty, sprawled on the sofa picking his teeth, asked, "Hey guys, what hobbies do you have? Like... practicing martial arts? Meditation? Or...?"

Zhang Qiling glanced at him.

Eye contact translation: You're very free?

The fat man awkwardly shut his mouth.

Wu Xie finished washing the dishes and came out, wiping his hands. "The weather's nice today, why don't we just stay home and rest? The two young men aren't fully recovered yet, they should get some rest."

Zhang Qiling did not object.

Zhang Qiling had no objections.

And so the day was decided: rest.

The fat man, unable to stay still, pulled out a bunch of tools, saying he wanted to fix the creaking, broken door in the yard. Wu Xie took a book and sat in the yard, basking in the sun to read.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" returned to the house.

The two didn't sit on the sofa, but instead sat cross-legged facing each other in the open space of the living room, their eyes closed. It was as if they were regulating their breathing, or perhaps meditating.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting two quiet shadows on the floor.

The fat man was sweating profusely as he repaired the door, the hammer pounding away loudly. Wu Xie, unable to concentrate on his book due to the noise, put the book down in exasperation: "Fatty, could you be a little quieter?"

"It won't be any lighter! This damn door, the tenons are all loose!" the fat man cursed.

Inside the room, Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" opened their eyes at the same time.

The two exchanged a glance.

Zhang Qiling got up and walked into the courtyard. He looked at the door, then at the tools in the fat man's hand.

"I'll do it," he said.

The fat man was taken aback: "Huh? Bro, you can fix doors?"

Zhang Qiling didn't answer. He took the hammer and nails, and squatted down. He examined the connection between the door frame and the door panel, then began to work. His movements were slow, but each strike was precise. The hammer struck the nails with a crisp sound, unlike the fat man's random hammering.

Zhang Qiling also came out and stood to the side watching. After watching for a while, he walked to the other side of the yard, where there was a broken chair. He picked it up and looked at it, then went back into the house to find tools and began to repair it.

The fat man stared in disbelief: "Holy crap... you two guys have this skill too?"

Wu Xie was also surprised, but after thinking about it, he felt it made sense. These two were highly skilled, and their control over the force they used must be precise. Repairing a door or a chair would be a piece of cake for them.

Sure enough, in less than half an hour, the door was fixed, opening and closing smoothly and silently. The chair was also fixed, sturdy and stable.

The fat man gave a thumbs up: "Awesome! I'm impressed!"

Zhang Qiling returned the tools to him and went to wash his hands.

Zhang Qiling also went to wash his hands.

At noon, Fatty wanted to cook, but Wu Xie stopped him: "You cooked yesterday, I'll cook today. You rest."

Wu Xie's cooking skills aren't as good as Fatty's, but they're still decent. He stir-fried some greens, stewed some beef and potatoes, and cooked a pot of rice. Simple, but enough to eat.

At the dinner table, the fat man asked again, "What are we doing this afternoon? We can't just sit here all the time, can we?"

Wu Xie thought for a moment: "How about... watching a movie? I brought a projector."

The fat guy got excited: "Sure! What do you want to watch? Action? Horror?"

Wu Xie looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling": "What would you two like to see?"

Zhang Qiling remained silent.

Zhang Qiling also remained silent.

Wu Xie understood: "Then I'll just put it anywhere."

After dinner, Wu Xie set up the projector in the living room and drew the curtains. Fatty brought over a bunch of snacks and drinks.

The movie was an old action film with lots of fight scenes. The fat guy watched with great interest, munching on potato chips while commenting, "These moves are no good...this marksmanship is too fake...if it were the young man in that situation, he'd take them down in a minute..."

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" sat on either side of the sofa, quietly watching the screen. Their faces were expressionless, but their eyes were focused.

Halfway through the movie, a character jumps off a tall building, grabs a rope, and swings to the building opposite.

The fat man clicked his tongue: "That's nothing. This guy flew straight through a 25-meter crevice."

Wu Xie kicked him: "Just watch the movie."

Zhang Qiling's gaze remained fixed on the screen; he said nothing.

Zhang Qiling also looked on, his eyes calm.

As the movie ended, the fat man, still wanting more, asked, "Is there another one? Want to see another one?"

Wu Xie glanced at the time: "It's almost four o'clock. Xie Yuchen and Xiuxiu said they'd come over for dinner tonight."

"I'll go buy groceries!" the fat man stood up. "We're having hot pot tonight! It'll be lively!"

Wu Xie nodded: "Okay, I'll go with you. Are you two resting at home?"

Zhang Qiling shook his head: "Together."

Zhang Qiling also shook his head.

So the four of them went to the supermarket again. They bought hot pot ingredients: meat, vegetables, meatballs, and seasonings. Fatty pushed the cart, Wu Xie picked out the vegetables, and Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" followed behind, still silent, but helping to carry things.

When they returned, Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu had already arrived. Xie Yuchen brought a box of fine tea, and Huo Xiuxiu brought homemade pastries.

Black Bear also arrived, carrying a bag of drinks: "I bought these on the way, they're chilled."

We had hot pot for dinner. Seven people sat around a table, the air steaming. Fatty prepared three kinds of dipping sauces and asked Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" which ones they wanted.

Zhang Qiling pointed to the minced garlic and sesame oil.

"Zhang Qiling" refers to sesame paste.

The fat man chuckled: "These two young men have different tastes."

The hot pot meal was lively. Fatty told jokes, Hei Xiazi and Xie Yuchen occasionally made sarcastic remarks, and Huo Xiuxiu smiled as she served everyone food. Wu Xie took care of two silent guests, scooping meat and vegetables for them.

Zhang Qiling ate very slowly, but he ate quite a lot. "Zhang Qiling" was the same; he ate both spicy and clear soup, and he wasn't picky.

Halfway through the meal, Xie Yuchen mentioned, "I'm going to the south in a few days to take care of some family matters. Xiuxiu will come with me."

Wu Xie asked, "How long will it take?"

"It could take a week, or even half a month," Xie Yuchen said. "And you? What are your plans?"

The fat man quickly answered, "Rest! Let's plan our next move after the two young men have recovered!"

Black Bear laughed: "Fatty, you're the kind of person who can't rest."

"You still need to rest!" the fat man said matter-of-factly. "Don't you understand the importance of work-life balance?"

Zhang Qiling listened quietly without saying a word.

Zhang Qiling listened quietly as well.

After dinner, they drank tea and chatted. Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu left around 9 PM, and Hei Xiazi stayed a while longer before leaving as well.

After tidying up, Fatty sprawled on the sofa playing on his phone. Wu Xie went outside for some fresh air.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stood under the eaves, looking at the night sky.

There are stars tonight.

"They're nice people," Zhang Qiling suddenly said.

"Hmm," Zhang Qiling replied.

silence.

"Stay?" Zhang Qiling asked.

"Yes," Zhang Qiling replied.

Then silence.

The sound of the fat guy playing video games came from inside the room: "Go for it! What are you chickening out for! I, Fatty, will carry!"

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" turned their heads at the same time to look into the room, their faces showing the same extremely subtle expression of disgust.

Then they each went back to their rooms.

A night breeze swept through the courtyard, carrying the coolness of early autumn.

It was just an ordinary day.

But something seems to be slowly taking root.