Novel Full “Your little kid has gone?” Seeing him come back, Zhao Rui snorted, with a cigar in his mouth.
He had a severe craving for cigarettes. The cigars were almost never off his fingers, unless Wang Ruirui was around.
Yu Qinghuan couldn’t help but persuade him, “Smoke less.”
“It’s fine. Everybody dies.” Zhao Rui then threw the butt into the trash can unconcernedly, still looking gloomy, “Hurry up! We are too slow these days.”
Yu Qinghuan sighed and then followed him to work.
Last time when Zhao Rui was digging his wallet, he dropped a picture out of it. Yu Qinghuan picked it up for him and saw a little girl in it.
About 7 or 8 years old, round face, round eyes, smiling like a little sun, very cute. He immediately guessed it should be Zhao Rui’s late little sister.
The little girl looked somewhat like Wang Ruirui, which was why Zhao Ruirui treated Wang Ruirui specially.
He saw that Zhao Rui wore a rather stiff smile at Wang Ruirui and felt sore in his heart.
In the next few days, Zhao Rui felt like he was possessed by Zhou Bapi (a landlord in Chinese fable who tries to drain his laborers. In ancient China, when the cock crows, it means it’s dawn, so the laborers have to get up to work. So Zhou Bapi would pretend to crow like a cock even earlier than the cock, so his laborers have to wake up to work ever earlier.) He wished that he could shoot 24/7. As young and energetic as Yu Qinghuan, he nearly couldn’t hold it.
In the film crew, everyone had got dark circles under their eyes caused by lack of sleep and complained a lot. However, this kind of complaint reached to its peak when hearing the sound of firecrackers set off by the villagers nearby.
They were on the outskirts of the city, next to a small village.
In villages there was no firecracker control. Only after 23th of the twelfth lunar month, be it adults or kids, people all began to set off fireworks to celebrate.
The deafening sound of firecrackers brought a strong atmosphere of the Spring Festival and the whole crew already had no heart to work. But after some people who tried to ask for a leave got told off by Zhao Rui, no one dare ask a leave then.
In the morning on lunar December 30th, they shot a scene taking advantage of the morning sun. When everyone cleared up the props and was preparing for the next scene, ZhaoRui suddenly said, “Today and tomorrow, two days off. You can go.”
Some froze there, jaws dropped, some dropped the props accidentally, and some even thought they got phonism.
On seeing that, Zhao Rui snorted, “Anyone who doesn’t want to go home could stay and keep working.”
Hardly had his voice faded away, all the crew fled helter-skelter, even fast than the rabbits, like the director would go back on his words the next second.
Zhao Rui lowered his eyes, took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, then picked up his phone and made a call, voice cold and rough, “We have two days off for the Spring Festival. When are you coming to pick Wang Ruirui home?”
No one knew what the person on the other side of the phone said, Zhao Rui’s face suddenly grew livid. When he was about to say something more, the other side already hung up.
He took a deep breath and dialed another number, but only got busy tone.
“Fuck! Son of a bitch!” Zhao Rui cursed, even his hands trembling. After quite a while, he lit the cigarette in his mouth.
“Ruirui’s parents won’t come pick her home?” Yu Qinghuan was standing beside. So he could tell what was happening through his performance.
“Hm.” Zhao Rui responded, and then said, “They asked Ruirui to stay in the crew. If everyone was gone, she got to stay with me!” He then swore angrily, “These two assholes!”
They just entrusted their daughter to a stranger they only met for once. They never considered whether this person had special hobbies, whether this person would abuse their daughter, whether this person would be good to their daughter. How could such irresponsible parents ever exist in this world?
Otherwise his little sister wouldn’t have died at such an early age!
ZhaoRui held the phone tightly, eyes as
“Brother Qinghuan,” Not far away, Wang Ruirui put down the book and called him with a very sweet voice, on her head was still wearing the headband he bought for her.
Yu Qinghuan felt sour in his heart. He couldn’t help but said to Zhao Rui, “Brother Rui, if you got things to do, I can spend the festival with Ruirui.”
Zhao Rui looked up at him, “Won’t you go home?”
Yu Qinghuan said lightly, “I am all alone. So it’s all the same where to spend it.”
Zhao Rui lowered his eyes and didn’t say a word, so Yu Qinghuan had no idea whether he agreed or not.
When it was noon, almost everyone was gone. Even the delivery man came to tell them no service on the Lunar New Year’s Eve and Day. So now only the three of them were left.
Wang Ruirui seemed to sense something. The little girl lowered her head, eyes reddened, afraid that she would be left alone. Instead of acting afraid of Zhao Rui as before, she followed him closely and even dare not make sound of her steps.
It made Yu Qinghuan’s heart ache. Ignoring whether Zhao Rui agreed or not, he held up the little girl and walked to his own shack, “Ruirui, let’s spend the Spring Festival together, OK? I feel so lonely myself.”
The little girl immediately widened her eyes, with tears in them, “Brother Qinghuan, are you also alone?”
“Hm.” Yu Qinghuan gently stroke her curling hair, “So I need your company. Will you agree?”
“Yes, yes, of course!” The little girl nodded hard and then held Yu Qinghuan around his neck and turned tears into smiles.
Yu Qinghuan went to the store in the village and bought some meat and vegetables, wanting to prepare a hearty New Year’s Eve dinner for Wang Ruirui.
There was no gas in his shack, but only an induction cooker which he could make do with.
From afternoon till evening, Yu Qinghuan finally prepared eight delicate and tasteful dishes.
“Brother Qinghuan, you are awesome!” looking at a full desk of dishes, Wang Ruirui’s eyes were full of admiration.
“This is your reward for accompanying me.” Yu Qinghuan smiled, put the little girl on the stool beside the table, and handed her a pair of chopsticks, saying gently, “Have a try. See if you like them.”
“You eat first, brother Qinghuan,” Wang Ruirui shook her head, smiling shyly, and muttered, “I like any dish you make.”
The child is really too sensible, which nearly melted Yu Qinghuan’s heart. He only thought that if he himself could have such a little daughter, he would pick up a star even at the cost of his life only if she wants it!
When he sat beside Wang Ruirui and was about to eat, the door was pushed open, a chill mixed up with snowflakes poured in. Yu Qinghuan raised his head and saw it was Zhao Rui.
He had two bottle of Red Star Erguotou (a brand of Chinese wine). He put them on the desk and sat on the opposite side of Yu Qinghuan.
Of course Yu Qinghuan prepared his share when he cooked. So since he came, he didn’t say a word, only passed him a pair of chopsticks.
Zhao Rui opened his mouth, like he wanted to say thank you, but he felt like his throat got stuck and he couldn’t make a sound. Finally, he just shut his mouth, wiped the cup he brought with him with his clothes and poured a cup of wine for Yu Qinghuan.
On New Year’s eve, three people crowded in small shack, circling around a short desk to have their reunion dinner. Under the warm yellow light, two tall men hunched down, picked dishes for the little girl now and then, receiving the little girl’s sweet sweet smile as their bonus.
No fancy restaurant, no exquisite dishes.
But Yu Qinghuan thought this was the best Spring Festival he had spent in the past over ten years.
Finally, he is not alone!