Chapter 10

In the dimly lit alley, street lamps were placed at intervals of a hundred meters. Fortunately, the alley was not long, and the slightly illuminated road surface made it possible to avoid tripping if one was careful.

Huang Ying pushed her bicycle along the alley, her feet feeling as if they were bound, each step slower and heavier than the last, until she finally stopped about ten meters from the door.

It had been two months and three days since Chu Qing left for the capital, and he still hadn't returned.

He had promised to be back in no more than two months. This bastard, how could he break his word...

Huang Ying had grown up without a father, and as the eldest sister, she had worked hard to support the family, never experiencing much care. But Chu Qing had made her feel warmth for the first time, a warmth that felt like a brother or a father, and she had unconsciously developed a dependency on him.

Once a woman becomes dependent on someone, it's hard to let go.

These past few days, she felt as if she had lost her soul, and each passing day felt like a cut to her heart.

But she couldn't show it. The Cheng family had been so kind to her, and if she walked around with a sad face all the time, it would be ungrateful.

Huang Ying felt a lump in her throat but couldn't cry. She stood there quietly for a while before pushing open the courtyard gate.

Distracted, she made more noise than usual when opening and closing the gate.

The main house was still brightly lit, and someone seemed to have heard the sound, running out and laughing, "Xiao Ying."

He stood there, his silhouette clearly outlined by the light.

This voice was like a big box falling from the sky, slamming shut and locking away all her worries and grievances.

"Brother Chu Qing!"

Huang Ying felt her vision blur, but she tried to see clearly.

"Come in and have dinner," Chu Qing said.

The old lady had made a hot pot, and everyone sat around the table, lively and cheerful, fitting the occasion.

Chu Qing briefly talked about filming the movie and his hometown, and everyone listened with great emotion.

"So, you're planning to stay in the capital for good?" Old Cheng asked.

"Yep," Chu Qing nodded.

"What are your plans? Just keep making movies?" Cheng Ying followed up.

Chu Qing said, "I'm not sure. I don't really love it, but it's quite appealing. I think it feels pretty good."

Old Cheng laughed proudly, "I know what you're talking about. It's petty bourgeois artistic thinking, and it's not good. You'll become corrupt over time."

The old lady was dissatisfied, "Stop showing off and speak plainly!"

Old Cheng deflated, "You don't have to worry. You're still young, with plenty of time. What do you want to do now? Still collect scrap?"

Chu Qing shook his head, "I want to rent a shop to repair shoes."

Old Cheng was surprised, "Not bad, kid. Shops aren't cheap these days. Did you get rich from making a movie? And when did you learn to repair shoes?"

Chu Qing laughed, "I learned from my master when I was young, but I never had the chance to show off my skills."

Huang Ying didn't say a word, just quietly watching him.

...

After finishing "Xiao Wu," Chu Qing suddenly felt very lost. Although he had been lost before, that was just boredom. Now, this loss was a deeper, more profound kind of thinking.

The capital city was so vast that even significant changes seemed insignificant.

After two months away, Chu Qing felt that nothing had changed much, except that the girls on the street were wearing less, showing more of their white thighs.

He squatted by the roadside, smoking, just like the day he met Jia Zhangke, except he was now wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and his messy hair had been trimmed into a neat short cut.

Chu Qing felt like Xiao Wu, watching the passing cars and people with a sense of boredom and numbness.

Subconsciously, he didn't want to return to his old life, but he didn't know what kind of life he should lead.

Movies were like an open, mysterious door, full of allure, but he didn't know if he should step through it.

Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to think about it. The most important thing now was to eat and live.

Chu Qing seriously considered his options and felt that repairing shoes was the least objectionable job.

For the past two days, he had been looking for a shop, but he hadn't found a suitable one yet.

He not only knew how to repair shoes but also how to make them. Repairing shoes was a small income, but making shoes was the main source of profit. He needed a shop, preferably one with both a front and back room, where he could do business in the front and cook and sleep in the back. If he only rented a shop for shoe repair, he would have to pay extra for housing, which would be too much pressure.

Unfortunately, small shops in the city center were easy to find, about ten square meters, barely qualifying as a shop, with acceptable rent. But the kind of shop Chu Qing wanted, with its string of zeros, was as expensive as new developments in his hometown, which scared him.

Come on, it's 1997!

The capital, do you have to be so high-end? You'll easily lose friends like this!

The suburbs were cheaper, like the area where a dozen emperors were buried, where rent was half that of the city center. But it hadn't developed much yet, was quite rundown, and couldn't guarantee a steady flow of customers, so it wasn't worth it.

If Chu Qing really planned to settle in the capital, he could consider buying a house in the outskirts, especially in Miyun, where the environment was nice.

The city center was out of the question, especially because of the smog, which was even more unbearable than the high housing prices.

Chu Qing didn't want to live in a place where the average price per square meter was 30,000 yuan, breathing air that was even more toxic than the housing prices.

Since he couldn't open a shop, he couldn't just sit around doing nothing.

He found a decent rental place not far from Old Cheng's house, bought two sets of second-hand tools, one for shoe repair and one for shoe polishing, and packed them in a large wooden box with a small stool.

He carried them around, looking for a place with a lot of people, set up his stall, and sat there all day.

His skills were excellent, and he could repair and polish shoes quickly and well, earning about a hundred yuan a day, slightly more than when he collected scrap. In this era, although the urban management was gradually becoming more active, they weren't as crazy as in the new century, so Chu Qing's business was quite peaceful.

...

Ertao Zhenwu Temple.

Many place names in the capital seemed strange to Chu Qing. There might have been a temple here before, but now it was just a residential area and various restaurants.

He found a good spot, not blocking anyone but visible to everyone. The road was twenty meters in front, and the noise didn't reach him. Best of all, there was a big tree behind him, providing shade.

Chu Qing sat on the stool, leaning against the tree, squinting his eyes, feeling a refreshing coolness around him.

This place was so comfortable that even if he didn't earn any money, staying here for a day would be nice.

"Hey, young man, young man!" an aunt called out.

"Auntie, need shoe repair?" Chu Qing asked.

"Can you fix my shoes?" The aunt took out a pair of cloth shoes from her bag.

Chu Qing examined them and saw no major issues, just some loose stitching. "I can fix them."

"How much?" the aunt asked.

"Five yuan, and I'll also patch up the worn part," Chu Qing said.

"Okay, I'll go buy some things and come back later."

Chu Qing set up the sewing machine and quickly fixed the shoes.

The aunt returned, looked at the shoes, and praised, "Young man, you're so young, but your skills are great. The stitching looks like it was done by hand."

She happily gave him five yuan. Clearly impressed, she started asking about his family and offered to introduce him to a match.

Chu Qing didn't want to be rude, so he hummed and hawed, looking around distractedly.

The street in front was Zhenwu Temple Road, with not many people, shops on both sides, and a clear stretch of road in the middle.

His eyes suddenly lit up when he saw a woman in a green T-shirt and white dress walking down the road. She had long hair, her face was unclear, but her posture was elegant, with a mature beauty.

Halfway down, the woman suddenly twisted her foot and fell, unable to get up.

"Auntie, can you watch my stall for a moment? I'll be right back!"

Chu Qing quickly got up and ran over.

He Suiqiong felt incredibly unlucky today!

The actor she had chosen had agreed on the price, but today they said they had taken another movie and had to postpone this one.

Are you kidding me?

Although you're the lead actress, delaying the entire production because of one person is a waste of money!

He Suiqiong tried to negotiate but failed and had to return to the hotel.

She was thinking about calling her teacher for advice when she stumbled and fell, her right ankle throbbing in pain, and the heel of her shoe had come off.

He Suiqiong held her foot, trying to get up, but the pain was too much. She looked around, but there was no one to help.

Just as she was panicking, a young man ran over, squatted down, and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I think I twisted my ankle, it hurts a lot," He Suiqiong said.

Chu Qing blinked. When she spoke, he recognized her accent as Taiwanese.

Why?

Because he thought that in such a situation, mainlanders would say, "Damn, it hurts so much!" while Taiwanese people would say, "It hurts so much, I'm so sad!"

He had to help; he couldn't let Taiwanese people keep saying that mainlanders were uncivilized, not even closing the bathroom door.

"Can I help you sit over there? Oh, I'm a shoe repairman, and I can fix your shoe. That's my stall over there."

Chu Qing pointed to the tree.

He Suiqiong looked and believed him. Since she couldn't find anyone else to help, she said, "Thank you."

"Wait a moment, I'll get you a slipper."

Chu Qing ran back, grabbed a slipper, and helped her put it on, then supported her as she stood up.

He Suiqiong tried to walk, still in pain but able to manage.

The aunt was still in shock, thinking this young man was quite capable, bringing back a young woman. She was a bit older but had a great aura, like a celebrity.

He Suiqiong sat on the stool, holding her skirt, watching Chu Qing skillfully glue the heel back on.

"Wait for the glue to dry before you wear it. Don't move for now," Chu Qing smiled.

He Suiqiong was worried about how to get back.

She looked at him and had an idea, saying, "Thank you so much. Can you help me with one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"I can't walk well. Can you take me back to my hotel? Oh, I'll pay you for your time."

"No problem, where do you live?"

The hotel was on this street, about two blocks away.

Chu Qing packed up his stall. Seeing her struggle to walk, he decided to call a taxi.

"Hey! Sister Qiong, what happened?"

As soon as they entered, a young girl ran over, shouting.

"Be quiet!" He Suiqiong scolded her, "It's nothing, my shoe broke, and I twisted my ankle. This gentleman helped me get back."

"Thank you so much! Sister Qiong is our lifeline. If anything happened to her, we wouldn't know what to do! I'm Xiao Tong, her assistant. What's your name?"

The girl was very lively, chattering away.

"My name is Chu Qing."

He and Xiao Tong helped He Suiqiong into the elevator and up to the third floor.

The long corridor was carpeted, with about ten rooms on each side, some doors open, and people coming and going.

"Spray some white medicine on your foot if you have it, or use hot water. Don't move around much for the next few days."

Chu Qing advised.

"Thank you so much for your help and for spending your time. I'll pay you for your trouble." He Suiqiong took out a hundred-yuan note, "You must take this."

Chu Qing waved his hand, smiling, "It's no big deal. I don't need the money, or I'd be damaging the image of mainlanders."

He Suiqiong was surprised, "You know where we're from?"

"I'm good at recognizing accents," Chu Qing said, mimicking their tone.

He Suiqiong covered her mouth and laughed, finding this young man quite nice. She then introduced herself, "I'm He Suiqiong, nice to meet you. Let's keep in touch if there's a chance."

She put the money away and handed him a business card.

Chu Qing took it, looked at it, and saw: General Manager, Taiwan Qiongyao Film Company, He Suiqiong.

Qiongyao?

Chu Qing was very familiar with this name. He had enjoyed watching "Plum Blossom Seal" and "Grass by the River" and had even fantasized about having a daughter like Jin Ming, pinching her chubby cheeks all day.

As for He Suiqiong... he had never heard of her, but to be the general manager of Qiongyao's company, she must be someone important.

But that didn't matter to him. He put the card in his pocket and said, "Give me the slipper."

He Suiqiong looked at her foot and blushed.

Chu Qing put the slipper in the wooden box and smiled, "I'll be going now, bye!"

He Suiqiong watched him walk away, his posture different from ordinary people, with a rhythm that came from years of martial arts practice.

He wasn't particularly handsome, but his eyes were clear and peaceful, giving him a certain aura.

The more she looked, the more she liked him. An idea flashed in her mind. There was a role that hadn't been finalized, and this young man's vibe matched the character. She could give him a try...

"Chu Qing."

He Suiqiong hobbled over, just like Jia Zhangke, and asked, "Do you want to act in a TV drama?"