White Moonlight 07

When Ren returned home, his uncle had already been waiting for him in the living room for a long time.

His uncle scolded him with great fury, then pointed at the plastic bag in Ren’s hand and demanded, "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, Uncle, I haven't been doing anything. I just got back from outside; I still haven't found a job yet." Ren felt flustered, scratching the back of his head incessantly, feeling quite at a loss.

"I didn't ask what you were doing outside. I asked what you were doing with those things in your hand!"

His uncle was clearly becoming irritated. It was the first time Ren had ever seen his uncle so angry with him, and he lowered his head in shame.

"Fine, Ren. Too afraid to watch them at home, so you sneak them outside to watch, is that it? Getting quite bold, aren't you?"

"No, I... I didn't watch them, really, Uncle!"

"Hmph! I know you didn't watch them. Those discs are encrypted. Do you even have the skill to unlock them? You don't even know how to use a computer, do you!"

Ren, a fairly burly young man, began to squirm like a child under his uncle’s reprimand. His affected behavior left his uncle unsure whether to laugh or explode with rage.

"I wonder how you dared to do such a thing. Did you pick up bad habits from them? What are Ah Yi and Ah Biao anyway? They are nothing but the town's notorious black sheep. You can’t get into anything decent by hanging around with them..."

Then, his uncle began to expose and criticize the past deeds of Ah Biao and Ah Yi. Ren listened, but his mind was puzzled: how did his uncle know he was associating with them?

Just as he was wondering, a name suddenly escaped his uncle's lips—Xiao Wen! Ren’s attention snapped back to his uncle's lecture.

"I know you have a thing for Xiao Wen at the convenience store downstairs. She’s a country girl who came to the city to work when she was young, and she’s been at that store for nearly ten years. The owner treats her like his own daughter and cares for her deeply.

"But this girl hasn't dated anyone yet. Now that she’s in her early thirties, the boss has been keeping this matter in mind for her."

Once you went to buy cigarettes, and the shopkeeper noticed you staring at her. That boss and I are on good terms; once he found out you were my nephew, he told me. They are interested in playing matchmaker. This is a good thing, and I’ve already told them you’re interested. But the girl has a condition: you must own a house in the city to get married.

"Look at that, what a simple-hearted girl. I’m happy for you, nephew! But as for the house, you’ll have to find a way yourself. I can only help you this much.

"That’s all for now. Put the things in the bag back where they belong, and think hard about what you’re going to do!"

With that, his uncle returned to the living room to continue watching television.

That night, ever since hearing about Xiao Wen, Ren’s heart had been in a state of agitation. Excitement, nervousness, and helplessness churned within him. As he lay in bed, the image of marrying Xiao Wen had barely faded before the crushing pressure of buying a house took its place.

How easy is it to buy a house in the city? Where could he possibly get such a massive sum of money?

Ren lay at home for several days, racking his brain until it hurt, but he couldn't come up with a solution. Just as he was burning with anxiety, a text message ignited a spark of hope. It was from Ah Yi, saying he had something important to discuss and suggesting the same tea house as before, at the usual time.

The moment Ren received the message, he couldn't stay in the room any longer. Rather than lying in bed letting his mind wander, he decided it was better to go out for some fresh air. He ate a hurried lunch and left early, following the navigation on his phone to the tea house.

The decor of this tea house was truly unique, featuring a quiet, pastoral style. Whether it was the ornaments or the design of the tables and chairs, everything was very refined and adhered strictly to the theme. The only thing it had in common with the previous place was that—aside from the owner, there wasn't a single waiter or patron in sight! With such desolation, it would likely be out of business soon.

Ren ordered a pot of white tea and began to sip it slowly. He hadn't expected that after spending time with Ah Yi and Ah Biao, his own taste had suddenly become more sophisticated. Aside from lacking a city residency permit, he was practically a "city person" now; drinking tea in a tea house was a mark of a true "city person." As for his uncle's warning, Ren had long since cast it to the back of his mind. As long as he could make money and buy a house, he would be a real city person and could marry Xiao Wen. Why worry about anything else?

After finishing the first pot, Ren ordered another of aged white tea. Just as he was enjoying himself, Ah Yi arrived.

Ah Yi was panting slightly. As soon as he sat down, he grabbed Ren’s cup and gulped down a full cup of tea.

"What’s the rush, Brother Yi?" Ren asked, watching the sweat on Ah Yi’s face.

"Just finished repairing and modifying that old car at the garage."

"Didn't you say you were done with 'scrapping'? What do you need a car for?" Ren asked, confused.

"This is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you today." Ah Yi looked toward the front desk, and the owner brought over a fresh tea set and a pot of boiling water. Ah Yi didn't mind the heat, immediately pouring himself another full cup.

"Brother Ren, I won't beat around the bush. Nowadays, fewer and fewer people are using taxis. I want to modify that car, and then you and I can pick up passengers together. Whether it’s a short trip or a long haul, we’ll take them all. Taxis are only allowed to operate within the city; they aren't allowed to carry passengers once they leave the city limits—that’s the rule. If you get caught by the traffic police in another district, the vehicle gets impounded and you get fined. But we’re different. We aren't a taxi service, yet we do the job! We take it all!"

Ah Yi grew more excited as he spoke, his saliva nearly spraying onto Ren’s face. But Ren fell into deep thought.

"If we do that, wouldn't we just be running an illegal cab? That’s against the law!" Ren suddenly felt a bit nervous.

"What do you know! We’re picking up passengers to make money; it’s a fair trade. We aren't stealing or robbing anyone—what kind of crime is that? What are you afraid of!" Ah Yi wiped the spit from the corner of his mouth and continued, "Do you have any other way to make money?"

Upon hearing the words "make money," Ren suddenly thought of the condition for marrying Xiao Wen. Without money, how could he buy a house or get a city residency permit? Ren gritted his teeth.

"Fine, Brother Yi. I’ll listen to you. I’m in!"

"That’s the spirit, Brother Ren! The bolder you are, the more you reap. Who cares if it's a black cat or a white cat—as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat!" Ah Yi said, wiping his slightly upturned mouth.

Ren suddenly felt that these words were very familiar.