Antidote - - - Chapter 11

Chapter 11 」

By the time Jiang Yu Duo walked out the door, Chen Qing has pressed the elevator button. Cheng Ke had not yet closed the door and stood by it watching them.

“No need to send us down.” Chen Qing said, “We can go down on our own.”

“What gives you the illusion that I want to send you guys down?” Cheng Ke said.

“You didn’t close the door.” Chen Qing said.

“… All right.” Cheng Ke sighed and closed the door.

The elevator door opened, Chen Qing helped Jiang Yu Duo into it.

“Didn’t he want to send us down?” Chen Qing said, “If he didn’t, then what was the point in waiting for us. Am I right?”

Jian Yu Duo leaned onto the elevator wall, watching the changing numbers. “He did that out of politeness, we were still in the corridor. He certainly wouldn’t close the door.”

“Is that so?” Chen Qing said, stunned, “Usually when I go out you don’t even stand at the door, I always have to close it.”

“He didn’t even know us that well!” Jiang Yu Duo roared, feeling his wound start to ache even more.

This wound gave him the feeling it would probably never get better.

Earlier that night, he took some men over to Zhang Da Qi in order to get Chen Qing. The wound tore open again before it had even begun to heal after a scuffle in some back alley some days ago. A few days later, he had walked into the corner of an opened cabinet.

“Then you’re not familiar with them…” Chen Qing continued to be confused.

Jiang Yu Duo squeezed the cut on his head and tried his best to smile at Chen Qing,

“Street people like us don’t even try to imitate being educated like their masters.

We’d only get humiliated, understood?”

Chen Qing was about to open his mouth when Jiang Yu Duo added, “Shut up even if you don’t.”

Chen Qing nodded.

Driving back, Jiang Yu Duo pulled down the mirror to look at the cut.

“Third brother,” Chen Qing frowned, “You really need to get some stitches for that wound.”

“No.” Jiang Yu Duo answered firmly, “Don’t ever try to stick a needle in my head, not even if I get stabbed.”

Chen Qing spat onto the steering wheel.

“Didn’t you just wash this car?” Jiang Yu Duo turned to look at him.

Chen Qing didn’t say anything and glared at Jiang Yu Duo. He couldn’t do anything else besides spitting again.

“Don’t say such unlucky words in the future,” Chen Qing said “ It scared the heck out of me, you won’t get to that point. Zhang Da Qi wouldn’t dare to do anything, the cops came.”

“So, what if they came,” Chen Yu Duo said, “You were the one who looking for trouble from him. Even if they want to catch anyone, they’ll have to catch you first.”

“Even so, there wouldn’t be any fighting like this!” Chen Qing said, “As a result, you’re hurt! What’ll we do if it happens again and we’re caught!

“What’s the big deal, it’s not like I haven’t been caught before,” Jiang Yu Duo said,

“In fact, it’s good to be quiet for a few days and not lose any sleep.”

“Next time you want to be quiet, I’ll give you the key to my old house. Just go back and live there,” Chen Qing said, “I’ll even give you some chicken to raise…”

Jiang Yu Duo turned his head to look at him.

“Real chickens!” Chen Qing said, “The ones that go coca-doodle-doo!”

“Fuck,” Jiang Yu Duo laughed, “I got it.”

Stopping at the entrance, Chen Qing looked at his watch, “It’s time for dinner, you didn’t ask them bring your food over?”

Jiang Yu Duo answered hummed, “I have to line up every day for meals. If anyone hadn’t noticed my disappearance, they probably think I’m fucking dead”

“Then how are you gonna eat?” Chen Qing thought for a while, “How about I go and get something for us to eat together?”

“You’re not going home.” Jiang Yu Duo opened the door.

“I’ll wait for my face to get a little better,” Chen Qing stepped out the car and circled around to help him out, “I’ve been sleeping in the store lately, I don’t have to listen to my mom’s rants.”

Jiang Yu Duo smiled.

Chen Qing’s phone rang, he took it out to look, “Gou Zi.*”

(T/N: A nickname. Like affectionately calling someone you care about stupid.) As soon as the call connected, Jiang Yu Duo could hear Gou Zi’s crying voice next to him: “Qing Ge! Qing Ge!”

“What are you crying for?!” Chen Qing said, “Did you get beat up? If you have time to cry then run instead.”

“Zhang Da Qi gave me back my money! Qing Ge! He gave me my money!” Gou Zi cried.

“Isn’t that a good thing? What are you crying for?” Chen Qing said, “Tears of joy?”

Jiang Yu Duo sighed.

“I didn’t dare tell Third Brother.” Gou Zi said, “Qing Ge, thank you! Help me tell Third Brother that I’ll do anything for him!”

After hearing him, Jiang Yu Duo looked at his phone. Luckily Gou Zi weren’t here, if he were, he would have had Chen Qing throw him outside.

“What can you do, you’re only good at crying,” Chen Qing sighed, “ Whatever, bring the money over and come to cry for a little. You should pay attention to whatever the future will bring, I can’t help you out forever.”

“Uhm! I understand Qing Ge.” Gou Zi said, still crying.

“Zhang Da Qi gave him the money?” Jiang Yu Duo asked.

“Mm.” Chen Qing put his phone back into his pocket, “Actually, we went to Zhang Da Qi just because of his money right?.”

“Don’t even say it,” Jiang Yu Duo said, “for me to be beaten up like this for only three thousand…”

“It’s not all from being beaten up though.” Chen Qing helped him enter the corridor, “Your legs got hurt when you fell over the wall.”

“Fuck!” Jiang Yu Duo slapped a hand onto his back, “ You’ve seen it all haven’t you!”

Chen Qing rub his back and sighed, “ If it weren’t for me…”

“All right,” Jiang Yu Duo pulled out the key and opened the door. He quickly glanced around then entered, “Are you not going in yet?”

“I’ll go buy some food,” Chen Qing said, “Let’s eat a bit frugally today, you’re a bit pale lately. Is it because you’re wounded? Does having fish everyday affect recovery?

“Up to you.” Jiang Yu Duo crossed his arm.

After Chen Qing closed the door, Jiang Yu Duo fell onto the sofa and leaned back, closing his eyes.

He definitely didn’t feel good, he found himself unable to fall asleep as night fell.

When he finally fell asleep, he fell slept in fear. But a night full of nightmares is still better than a night with your eyes wide open till dawn.

He hadn’t felt this way in a long time, he didn’t want to tell anyone. Even if Cheng Ke and Lu Qian were the closest, he hadn’t said a word. He didn’t want anyone to know how terrible of a condition he were in.

Today was gearing up to be better than usual. Although they had to pay Cheng Ke a visit, he and Cheng Ke weren’t on the same path anyway. This kind of refreshing feeling lightened up his mood immensely.

Cheng Ke.

The words ‘obedient’ and ‘harmony’ somehow forms that name.

Jiang Yu Duo can’t even begin to fathom how he’d interpret that.

In the past, when talking to Chen Qing, Chen Qing had asked him how to interpret his name, Jing Yu Duo.

Of course, he didn’t know how to interpret it either, but he had to at least try and give him an explanation.

“I’ll explain what Dou means,” he said seriously, “ It means big in size, understand?”*

(T/N: The character for the word Duo in the name Jian Yu Duo is a combination of the character for big and the character for the Chinese inch.)

“Understood,” One good thing about Chen Qing’s mind is that he’s extremely fast.

He nodded in admiration, “I see, it’s big.”

Jiang Yu Duo couldn’t help it but smile happily for the rest of the night.

After a moment of smiling, he realized the how meaningless the situation was.

Sighing, he opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Miao was probably hungry. It had crawled up the leg of the sofa and sat on his chest, meowing at him.

“I don’t want to get up,” Jiang Yu Duo looked at it, “ In a little, get your Qing Ge to feed you.”

Miao sat straight up, continueing to meow.

“Don’t even try me,” Jiang Yu duo said, “I’m not in a good mood. I’ll throw you away if you annoy me.”

The unmoved Miao continued to meow at him until Chen Qing suddenly entered the room.

“Hurry up and feed the cat.” Jiang Yu Duo said. “It keeps on meowing. It’s so annoying, thinking that it’s tiny and that I won’t hit it.”

“Wanting to keep the cat’s on you,” Chen Qing poured cat food into a bowl. “

Wanting to hit it is also on you. If you knew what was going to happen, then why did you keep it.”

“Don’t speak when you don’t know anything .” Jiang Yu Duo sat up.

Even though Chen Qing said he’d be frugal, this was too frugal. All the food that he’d bought were vegetarian. Besides the bowl of small, palm sized, meat pies, were vegetable side dishes. Not a scrap of meat to be seen.

“I’ll give you a bit of incense later.” He sat down, looking at the food in front of him.

“For what?” Chen Qing said, placing a bowl of porridge in front of Jiang Yu Duo.

“Poke a few dots on your head,” he said, “Then go find a temple and find an abbot to give you a religious name.

“Huh?” Cheng Qing looked at him.

“How about Master Wu Rou*?” Jiang Yu Duo said, “ It should in fact be Master Zhi Que**.”

(T/N: *Wu Rou means no meat.

**Zhi Que means a lack of wisdom.)

“Fuck.” Chen Qing sat down, “Is it that bad that you need to make such a fuss when eating for just a single meal.”

“It is,” Jiang Yu Duo pointed at the little meat pies, “Those aren’t even enough for me.”

“This is mine,” Chen Qing took a meat pie, “I’ll take two.”

“Fuck, did I hear you wrong?” Jian Yu Duo shouted in shock.

“I asked around, apparently too much albumin is bad for your wounds,” Chen Qing said, “ I don’t want to irritate you so I bought small meat pies instead of the big ones.”

“Did people ask you if Third Brother had paid rent recently? The meat pies don’t have to be this small!” Jiang Yu Duo struggled to suppress his raging anger because of the lack of meat to eat.

“… I’ll give you my half then.” Chen Qing picked up half a meat pie and put it in his bowl.

“Do I need to bow down to thank you?” Jian Yu Duo asked, without waiting for Chen Qing to answer, he pointed at the other half in Chen Qing’s bowl, “Fuck, you better eat that right now!”

“Huh?” Chen Qing froze.

“Hurry up!” Jian Yu Duo roared.

Chen Qing quickly picked up the meat pie and shoved it into his mouth.

Jiang Yu Duo nodded in satisfaction. “Good, now you don’t have any meat to eat. I do, so watch me eating it slowly is enough.”

Chen Qing looked at him, laughing after what felt like a whole day. “Aren’t you being a bit too childish?”

“It’s none of your business, eat your veggies.” Jian Yu Duo said.

After eating, Chen Qing cleaned up all the boxes and threw them away. He remembered something insignificant when he had come back. “Ey, Third brother, the Ji must know that trash has to be thrown in the trashcan downstairs right?

“He’s bad with housework,” Jiang Yu Duo lit a cigarette and held it in his mouth,

“not intellectually handicapped.”

“Oh.” Chen Qing nodded, “You’ve seen what’s in his house right? He really has everything, that thing on the floor must be a machine for sweeping. I’d thought that it was some weird weight-scale, I almost even stepped on it. If he has a robot that does the sweeping, then what’s the broom for. That massage chair too, I really want to go up there and lay on it for a bit.

“Forget it,” Jian Yu Duo said, “It’s not easy to make money, even cemetery fees are expensive now.”

“Massage chair,” Chen Qing said, “Let’s go in one day for a massage when he isn’t home.

Jiang Yu Duo glanced at him.

“Nah,” Chen Qing sighed, “The mall has one. Twenty yuan a go. I’d rather go to the mall.”

“Just go back to your store,” Jian Yu Duo said, “I’m afraid that in a little, I may not be able to hold back and hit you. My wound hasn’t healed yet and I don’t want to exert any energy.”

“Fine,” Chen Qing took out his phone and looked at the time, “ Call me if you want to go anywhere tomorrow, I’ll find a car to pick you up.”

“Mm” Jiang Yu Duo layed down on the sofa.

After had Chen Qing left, he turned off the light and stood near the window to look through a slit in the curtain.

The sky was completely dark and the wind blew hard.

The street lights illuminated only a small corner. A small dim yellow corner. Its edges mixing into darkness. If you were to look for a long time, it seems like something were moving.

The idea makes people panic.

There’s always a shadow that comes from darkness. The dim light submerged itself into darkness again. Jian Yu Duo left the window, briefly washing his face before laying down on his bed.

Tonight is no longer plagued by sleeplessness but instead it would be full of dreams.

Jiang Yu Duo knows that whenever he dreams, it doesn’t matter how realistic the dream is; He won’t stop telling himself that it’s not real.

It’s not real.

This line had become his primary weapon for fighting against his fear. He can’t recall when but it must have been a very long time ago when Chen Qing and Lu Qian weren’t there.

It’s not real.It sounds useless and helpless.

Jian Yu Duo sighed softly. He dreamed of Cheng Ke, it wasn’t unexpected. Jian Yu Duo’s dreams have always been like a notepad. Keeping track of everything that happened every day. Somedays would keep on repeating even though it had long been passed.

Cheng Ke said, my name is Cheng Ke, Ke which means obedient and not to be a passenger*

(T/N: Ke has two possible characters. One meaning obedient, one meaning passenger.)

Cheng Ke said, are you crazy?

Cheng Ke said, when are you going to return my watch to me?

Cheng Ke said, I don’t have any problems. My purpose for coming here is simple.

I want you to never ever have a peaceful day in your life.

Cheng Ke flew over, holding a rusty nail in his hand, and stabbed it fiercely into Jian Yu Duo’s eye.

The moment before Cheng Ke stabbed him, it had turned into a knife.

When the knife slashed his face, he could feel the pain and see a color as red as blood.

It’s not real.

Jian Yu Duo quickly pulled himself back into reality. He could still hear himself whispering “it’s not real” when he woke up. His eyes widened and lingered for a while, looking into darkness before he scolded himself again, “Fuck.”

He could feel that his body was drenched in sweat, clothes soaked. It almost seemed like he could wring water from his blanket as he lifted it away from his body. Annoyed, he took off his clothes. Tossing even his underwear aside.

Much better.

Cheng Ke took out his phone, the screen displayed Jian Yu Duo’s phone number, but he could feel himself hesitating to call. The gas stove can’t be turned on again, but he still hesitates to call. After Jian Yu Duo’s lesson on how to use this gas stove, he learned how to operate it proficiently. Open the valve, press the knob, turn to light the fire, and cook instant noodles, and so on forth.

But today, when he wants to boil two eggs, this broken thing wouldn’t turn on. This new gas stove is probably broken this time. Even though he’s confident that his conclusion is correct, the thought of an angry Jian Yu Duo makes him doubt himself.

After questioning himself for another four times, he decided to stick with his conclusion and call for the landlord and ask him to find a person to come fix it for him.

He pressed the call button.

The phone rang for a while before connecting. “Huh?” Jian Yu Duo’s voice came from the other side. His hoarse and weak voice made Cheng Ke hesitat a little. “…

Jian Yu Duo?”,“Who is it.” Jian Yu Duo asked. Although the voice sounded the same, Cheng Ke confirmed this voice is indeed Jian Yu Duo.

“Sorry to disturb you.” Cheng Ke guessed that he was sleeping, “Can you talk right now?”

“Should I hang up if I can’t?” Jian Yu Duo asked. His voice was so hoarse that he could hardly hear anything.

“If not then I’ll call you later.” Cheng Ke felt that this wasn’t the voice of someone that had just woken up but rather the voice of someone with a sore throat.

“Just say it, what’s wrong.” Jian Yu Duo said.

“The … gas stove,” Cheng Ke said, “It wont on, I used it before without any problem but it suddenly won’t turn on today.”

“Smash it.” Jian Yu Duo said.

Cheng Ke feels as though he’s getting used to this sort of reaction from Jian Yu Duo, maybe he can even be like Chen Qing in the future; Lying without batting an eye.

“Jian Yu Duo temper is still quite good today.”

“Is the gas card out of money?” Jian Yu Duo’s said quietly, limiting the use of his voice. “Go take a look at the gas meter.”

“Where’s the gas meter?” Cheng Ke went to the kitchen and asked, “Are you sick?”

“Not sick,” Jian Yu Duo said, “Just about to die. The gas meter is next to the stove, take your time and look for it. Later, when I die, no one will care for you.”

“Found it,” Cheng Ke looked at the meter, “ What should it look like?

“There is a card, insert it, and look at what’s on the screen.” Jian Yu Duo said.

“Oki,” Cheng Ke followed the instructions and inserted the card into the meter. To be honest, it’s surprised him that Jian Yu Duo hasn’t even once roared at him. It’s even made him feel a bit guilty. Jian Yu Duo is sick and he still teach him how to do housework patiently, “There’s a number.”

“What’s the number.” Jian Yu Duo said.

“0.” Cheng Ke suddenly understood, this definitely means it’s out of gas, “I…”

“It can’t turn on because it’s out of gas, stupid.” Jian Yu Duo said without skipping a beat, “ Go put in it some money.”

The guilt in Cheng Ke’s heart disappeared in an instant, but he couldn’t help but challenge Jian Yu Duo, “Where?”

“The bank.” Jian Yu Duo asked, “ Go to the one you visited last time.”

“Thank you.” Cheng Ke grit his teeth. He was very reluctant to say these two words to Jian Yu Duo, but he said it out of respect. Jian Yu Duo on the other side hadn’t said anything nor hung up.Cheng Ke waited for a few seconds, the other side is still quiet, then hesitantly hung up.

On the way to the bank near Jian Yu Duo’s house, Cheng Ke had a terrible impression of the area. After all, at this intersection, he was stabbed for no reason.

Even though the wound was fine now. If you look closely, it’s still noticeable. Maybe he has to give it some time for it to completely heal.

Recharging the gas card was actually easy. Inserting the card into a phone at the bank is all that needs to be done. Let’s think of it as learning something new. Cheng Ke has never thought that there will be a “How to recharge your gas card” program in his life.

After the recharge, he left the bank and unconsciously walked over to the intersection to take a look. When he was about to turn around to leave, he stopped.

He was not a kind-hearted person. Liu Tiancehng was hospitalized for appendicitis and he was too lazy to pay a visit, but all of a sudden, he wanted to go check on Jian Yu Duo.

Comparing this appendicitis, this is nothing severe, but hearing Jian Yu Duo’s hoarse voice made him worry ten-fold. He couldn’t help but image Jian Yu Duo teaching him how to recharge a gas card and dying before he could even hang up his phone.

He shook his head at such unlucky words.

Sorry, Buddha.

He walked towards the intersection. Since he’s already this close, then let’s pay Jian Yu Duo a visit. Cheng Ke is better at memorizing and recognizing roads than doing

housework. Even though he had only crossed it once, he could still recognize it easily.

In fact, on the way there, he had been hoping to meet Chen Qing’s or Jian Yu Duo’s followers that patrolled the street in order ask them check on Jian Yu Duo. It would be better that way than to have him come over. It wouldn’t be too awkward.

He stood in front of Jian Yu Duo house. He first thought of how he should react if Jian Yu Duo were actually not okay, then he knocked.

There weren’t any sounds coming from inside. He knocked two more times but couldn’t hear any sound from inside. “Jian Yu Duo?” He called, continue to knock:

“Are you home?”

It remained silent inside.

He suddenly felt uneasy and knocked harder, faster than before, thumping out loud,

“ Jian Yu Duo!”

“Who is it.” Jian Yu Duo voice finally came from inside.

“It’s me, Cheng Ke.” Cheng Ke sighed with relief.

The door opened and Jian Yu Duo stepped inside.

“You are-” Cheng Ke began speaking when the rest suddenly got stuck in his throat.

Jian Yu Duo was actually naked. From top to bottom, there wasn’t a single piece of fabric. He stood there, naked in the doorway, and looked at him. Cheng Ke was terrified, he had never ever in his life seen a person calmly run out of the shower naked his whole life.

Jian Yu Duo stared at him for a few seconds, he suddenly exclaimed “Fuck.”

And then closed the door.

解药

(Antidote)

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