Xicheng Wangjiang District, in a small house near the railway
On the stove stood an old kettle, its handle missing and its body cracked.
Liang Dong squatted in front of the stove. He pinched the iron sheet and pushed it inward. His fingers were rough and dark, with a little mud under his smooth nails.
That's what he got when he was pulling radishes.
The radishes are planted behind the house.
Jiaobai sat on the only chair in the hut, and could see the radish field that was about to be abandoned. He came here right after getting off the plane, driving by himself, without anyone including Qi Yilao accompanying him, and was very secretive all the way.
Because Shen Er'an lied to him.
Shen Er'an's men were not only looking for Liang Dong, but were also squatting at the airport, trying to see if they could find out Liang Dong's location through him.
"Why didn't you contact me after you came out of the drug rehabilitation center last year?" Jiaobai followed Liang Dong's gaze.
"It's inconvenient." Liang Dong placed wine and food on the small table, two plates of home-cooked dishes, and a bottle of white wine that cost more than ten yuan. Jiaobai looked around the room that stretched to the end and asked, "So you've been living here all along?"
Liang Dong shook his head: "I came here after I finished my work."
He said he met several friends in the drug rehabilitation center, and one of them lived here before he went in. The old man worked in railway maintenance, and after his death, no one took care of the house, so he had a hiding place.
Jiaobai circled the word "hide" from Liang Dong's words. He didn't ask proactively, waiting for the other party to reveal it voluntarily.
"At the end of last year, I heard that Tan Jun was in Zhishan," Liang Dong poured juice for the wild rice stems. "The day I went there was exactly the day Tan Jun was about to leave."
Jiaobai rolled his eyes, remembering that at last year's charity dinner, he had asked Shen Eran why Tan Jun didn't come. Shen Eran said that Tan Jun had gone to the Clam Mountain.
At that time, Jiaobai still thought that Tan Jun went to worship his sweetheart.
So, Tan Jun and Liang Dong had some intersection during that period of time, and that laid the fuse for the old case to see the light of day today
"Yes," Liang Dong sat on the bed opposite the table, picked up the glass and took a sip of wine, "That's when I got the evidence against Tan Jun, and used it half a year later."
The wine was spicy, and his lungs were on fire. He suddenly smiled at Jiaobai, and his smile was weird, "Do you want to know what the handle is?"
The gossip radar in Jiaobai's brain was beeping, as if it had detected a high concentration of gossip. Every pore in his body was rejecting it: "I don't want to know."
"It's better not to know. It's quite disgusting." Liang Dong nodded and said softly. It was hard to tell whether there was sarcasm or malice in his eyes. He was still smiling, and the smile became gentle. "Eat the vegetables, eat the vegetables."
Jiaobai picked up the wet bamboo chopsticks, picked up a piece of shredded radish and ate it. It tasted surprisingly good.
The surface of the table was bumpy, but it was wiped very clean. Liang Dong faced him with his back to the wall covered with newspapers. He was in better spirits than ever before.
It's like a middle-aged boy who finally crawled out of a stinking quagmire, shook off the mud on his feet, and started again.
The last time Jiaobai had a farewell meal was with the Yu brothers, a year ago.
"Jiaobai, you seem to have not changed, but also seem to have changed a lot." Liang Dong, who was sitting across the table, suddenly said.
Jiaobai didn't comment: "People will change."
"That's right." Liang Dong was moved. He didn't know who he was thinking of. His expression changed several times. He lowered his eyes to look at the white wine in the glass and drank it in one gulp. He choked and grinned. His eyes were red and veins on the back of his hands were bulging. "Now the Shen family is not an enemy of the Qi family. Shen Er'an still regards you as a friend. His friendship with you may be important to you, but he is also the chairman of Shen Corporation. He is a young and successful businessman. You have to remember this."
Before Jiaobai could say anything, Liang Dong said, "I'm not trying to sow discord between you. I'm just saying that human nature is too complicated to be pure."
"I understand better than you." Jiaobai shrugged and smiled indifferently and clearly.
Liang Dong looked at the茭白 for a while, recalling the past events. He poured the wine and took a few gulps.
Indeed, Jiaobai has experienced more than him in the past few years and has a more transparent life. When he was in No. 3 Middle School, he was still an ignorant idiot, while Jiaobai was already a smart man.
Steam was rising slowly from the kettle on the stove.
Jiaobai was eating shredded carrots, and the plate facing him was empty.
Liang Dong touched the wine glass with one hand and put the other hand in his trouser pocket, holding a small USB flash drive, which contained the existence that he hated and was also a shame for Tan Jun.
Alcohol burned Liang Dong's thoughts, and the corresponding memory fragments in his mind emerged.
That night, a bar in the town at the foot of Razor Mountain held a carnival night. When Liang Dong went in, Tan Jun was already drunk and was being approached while sitting at the bar.
The handsome old man had lost his usual shrewdness and viciousness. His eyes were unfocused and he sat swaying from side to side. Liang Dong thought he was drunk, so he took him away and dropped him off in a nearby cheap hotel.
Liang Dong cannot settle the matter privately, as it is meaningless. He wants the murderer who is at large to plead guilty, the case to be reopened, and everything to be laid out in front of the public, so that the Liang family can be cleared of the charges.
So he didn't prepare a dagger, but a surveillance camera with a microphone.
He hadn't figured out what to do specifically, so he tied up Tan Jun first and used his cell phone to send him a message saying that he would not be back for the time being.
Just when Liang Dong kicked Tan Jun twice in anger and ferocity, Tan Jun hugged his legs and rubbed against him like a bitch.
And he himself realized something was wrong at that moment.
Tan Jun didn’t drink too much, he drank something spiked. As for his reaction…
I'm afraid there's a special kind of psychedelic powder in the air in the bar that will enter the body when you breathe and ferment with the ups and downs of your emotions.
The camera recorded two days and two nights in the room. Liang Dong regained consciousness first. He looked at Tan Jun, who was incontinent and in a mess, then staggered to the bathroom to vomit, scratching himself until his skin peeled off.
When Liang Dong came out, Tan Jun on the bed called out a name.
He was stunned and couldn't believe it. After he came to his senses, he found his phone to watch the surveillance video, and he watched it while retching. During those two days and two nights, Tan Jun shouted many times.
And ammonium,
And ammonium… And ammonium…
Tan Jun was under Liang Dong, calling out his former best friend's name over and over again, sobbing and convulsing with tears, obsessed and in love, and extremely humble.
Liang Dong laughed so hard that he couldn't straighten his back. It seemed that God had finally opened his eyes.
A short part of the video was recorded by Liang Dong using Tan Jun's mobile phone, which was a gift he gave to Tan Jun.
Hell is waiting for you.
Winter turned to spring, then to summer, and then to autumn. Liang Dong hid from place to place, trying not to be found by Tan Jun, and he did not negotiate with the other party in any cautious way.
There was a knife hanging around Tan Jun's neck.
Liang Dong wanted Tan Jun to experience the same fear, pain and anxiety that he had experienced before.
As time went on, Tan Jun would instinctively comfort himself that Liang Dong must have died from a drug addiction, and that ugly scene would be buried.
Liang Dong waited and waited, until the day before yesterday, when he felt that it was almost ready and took action.
Tan Jun met his death.
Such a ruthless criminal also has weaknesses, and Tan Jun didn't dare to let Shen Er'an know his thoughts.
He is an old friend and admirer of Shen Er'an's mother. He is the uncle, teacher, guide, and even a father-like figure who watched Shen Er'an grow up.
So disgusting.
One thing surprised Liang Dong. He thought that when Tan Jun heard him say "If you don't go to the police station, the surveillance will appear in Shen Er'an's hands", Tan Jun would lose control, negotiate with him cunningly, and find an opportunity to search for his hiding place and kill him.
Tan Jun only said one sentence: You are still alive.
"What are your plans for the future?"
When Liang Dong heard Jiao Bai's question, he restrained the emotions in his eyes and took out a photo from under the pillow: "My business is over. Next, I will find a way to help him find his parents and family."
Jiaobai took a look at the photo. It was a family portrait, a couple and a child.
The child's features looked familiar to Jiaobai. He was reminded of the boy who had threatened him with flour and eventually died of a drug overdose.
"The person is gone. What's the point of finding his family?" Jiaobai was puzzled.
"I promised him." Liang Dong whispered.
Jiaobai didn't waste any more words on this matter. He put down his chopsticks and said, "Stop sucking."
Liang Dong didn't say anything, he didn't dare to guarantee it.
Jiaobai drank a mouthful of the sweet juice and pursed his lips: "It's easy to relapse, so take care of yourself."
The silence on the table did not last long, a gurgling sound came from the stove, accompanied by a crisp sound. The lid of the kettle was pushed up, and circles of hot steam overflowed.
The water is boiling.
Liang Dong went to get some water: "I'll leave at dawn tomorrow."
Jiaobai was sending a message to Qi Yiliao. Hearing this, he looked up in surprise and asked, "You're not attending the court session?"
"No." Liang Dong said without hesitation.
Jiaobai didn't respond, and he wouldn't show up at the trial, even though he was a close relative of the deceased in the case, which was funny.
A reply from Qi Yilao came on the phone. He didn't ask any questions, just gave some advice.
-Drive back slowly.
Jiaobai sent Qi Yiliao a Maopu emoji in reply. He exited the interface and checked the news. So far, no media has reported on the Shen family's misfortune.
Tan Jun must have confessed everything that happened that year to the police.
The eldest sister of the Liang family was committing illegal detention. She had no intention of extorting money, but only wanted to restrict Qi Shuang's personal freedom for a short period of time. The mastermind behind the scenes, Tan Jun, was suspected of murder. Lao Pan and several others were accomplices, and he was the principal offender.
Shen Er'an went to Liang Dong not to try to reverse the situation, so there was only one possibility left.
For some reason, Tan Jun refused to say why he turned himself in. Shen Er'an wanted to find out the reason, so he could only start with Liang Dong.
"Shen Er'an came to you, probably to find out the whole story." Jiaobai said to Liang Dong who had filled a water bottle and sat back on the bed.
"I don't want to see him." Liang Dong's face was clearly stiff.
Jiaobai couldn't be a lobbyist, so he stood up and said, "That's it, I have to go."
"Wait a minute," Liang Dong called Jiao Bai. He took out the USB flash drive that he had heated up from his pocket and pushed it past two plates of light stir-fried dishes. "This contains Tan Jun's evidence."
"I've thought about it, and I'll give it to you." Liang Dong said before Jiao Bai opened his mouth, "If you don't want to know, you don't have to open it."
"With this, if one day in the future Shen Er'an disgusts you, you can take this out and disgust him back." Liang Dong was not tough at all. He was neither human nor ghost before entering the drug rehabilitation center. Now his cheeks have grown longer, with the word "chuan" twisted between his eyebrows. His eyes are dark and deep, and he has a kind of vicissitudes of life and handsomeness that does not match his age.
Jiaobai hesitated for a few moments and agreed: "Okay, I'll take it."
I guess I won’t be able to use it, so I took it back and threw it into Qi Yiliao’s safe.
There were few buildings around the railway, and the mountains and trees were gray, looking a bit empty and desolate. Liang Dong helped Jiaobai get on the train and closed the door for him.
Jiaobai lowered the car window, smiled and waved his hand: "Let's go."
It seems like we can make an appointment to play ball and sing karaoke tomorrow. If not tomorrow, we will definitely be able to get together the day after tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
The Land Rover sped away in a cloud of dust. Liang Dong stood there, looking at the car. He kept looking at it even after he could no longer see it.
Take care, stir-fry.
When I finish the last thing, I will come back and work like a slave for you for the rest of my life to repay you.