C23 Liang Deshun

"Give it some more thought," Liu Feng advised the silent Zhong Yule, deciding it was best not to mention Mr. Hai's situation just yet. He didn't want to risk Yule getting carried away with borrowed authority.

"Jin Ya will surely return in the next couple of days. You'll need to figure out what to do then."

"Come on, Dali."

Liu Feng and Wang Dali left the ward, leaving Zhong Yule alone. The young man's gaze darkened as he stared at the closed door, his thoughts a mystery.

At the cusp of spring's end and summer's beginning, willow trees lined the back of the ward building. Their leaves, a furious green, danced in the wind, scattering catkins into the neighboring wards.

Lost amidst the white curtains and drifting willow fluff, the young man's gaze was elusive.

The dull roar of the motorcycle's engine seemed to protest Liu Feng and Wang Dali's departure. The second-hand 125cc bike was shouldering a burden it was never meant to bear.

Outside the town library, Liu Feng said, "Dali, just wait here for a bit. I'll be right back."

He pushed through the library doors into the usual stillness, where no sunlight reached. Zhong Yuyuan sat quietly behind the counter, looking up at the sound of the entrance to see Liu Feng.

"Liu Feng?"

"There was something I forgot to mention this morning that I need to tell you now."

"What's that?"

"Don't stress about Jin Ya. I've got it handled. If he shows up at your place again, call me right away."

Liu Feng scribbled down his phone number on a piece of paper.

"I... I don't have a cell phone..."

"Ah?" That was unexpected. In an age where cell phones were ubiquitous, it was rare to find someone without one.

"I don't really have anyone to contact, so I never bought one..." Zhong Yuyuan offered a faint explanation, her voice as soft and delicate as always.

That posed a bit of a challenge. Were they to revert to carrier pigeons or smoke signals for communication?

"...Liu Feng, you really shouldn't have been dragged into this mess..."

"Stop worrying about it. You know Hai Wei, right? The uncle who lives by the sea? He's got some connections with Jin Ya and says he'll help us smooth things over."

"Oh, Hai Wei, the one who owns the fish shop in town?"

"That's him." Even though Liu Feng had never visited Hai Wei's fish shop, he was aware of the situation.

"Got it, then I understand." Zhong Yuyuan didn't add anything more.

"Could you maybe borrow a phone from your next-door neighbor when the time comes?"

"Sure, it was my neighbor who came to tell me about it. I'll ask him."

"And, let's not bring Zhong Yule into this just yet. I'm worried he'll be even less inclined to pay back the money if he knows. Consider it a lesson for him."

"Man, Liu Feng, I've really put you in a tough spot."

"Don't mention it. I've got to go."

With that, Liu Feng turned and walked away.

"Come on, Dali, we need to find Liang Deshun."

"Deshun's place isn't far, just up the river to the north, right by the water."

They hopped on the motorcycle, and with Wang Dali leading the way, they reached Liang Deshun's home in under ten minutes.

It was a simple, small courtyard by the river, complete with a little staircase leading down to the water, handy for washing clothes and such.

Liu Feng dismounted and knocked on the courtyard door, but got no answer.

"I'll handle this, Mr. Liu," said Wang Dali, stepping up beside him.

Liu Feng stepped aside, thinking Dali was going to knock, but instead, Dali bellowed out.

"Shun, you in there?"

The roar echoed to the skies... Liu Feng had often thought that if Wang Dali ever entered the world of martial arts, he wouldn't need any other skill – a mastery of the Lion's Roar technique alone would make him unbeatable. He was truly a one-in-a-million talent.

"Wang Dali! Do you have to be so loud?"

A man's voice came from inside, and the courtyard door swung open.

"Wang Dali, must you always scream outside my door?"

The door swung open, revealing a man's silhouette—most likely Liang Deshun.

"Heh, I was just worried you wouldn't hear me knocking," Dali said, unabashedly chuckling without a hint of embarrassment.

"Hey, who's this?" Liang Deshun noticed Liu Feng.

"Hello, my name is Liu Feng."

"Dali, this is Mr. Liu. He's here to discuss some business with you."

"Ah, please, come in." Liang Deshun swung both doors wide and ushered the pair into the courtyard.

A bamboo rocking chair, draped with a magazine, sat in the yard, suggesting that Liang Deshun had recently dozed off there while soaking up the sun.

"Where's my sister-in-law?" Dali scanned the courtyard and inquired.

"She took the kid back to her parents' place."

While they chatted, Liu Feng took the chance to appraise Liang Deshun.

The man was of average height, neither overweight nor underweight, sporting a slicked-back hairdo. He appeared to be in his late thirties, with fair, delicate skin that clearly indicated he wasn't a laborer.

"Dali, why don't you make the introductions?"

"Dali, this is Mr. Liu, a graduate student from the city. He's conducting research here in our town, over at the hundred-acre farm on the west side. Mr. Liu, meet Dali. He's the one who buys up all the crops around here."

As Dali introduced them, Liu Feng maintained a polite smile, but when Dali mentioned the hundred-acre farm, Liu Feng caught a flicker of surprise in Liang Deshun's eyes.

"It's an honor to finally meet the graduate student everyone in town has been talking about."

"Nice to meet you." They reached out and exchanged a firm handshake.

"Come on in, let's sit down inside."

Once inside, Liang Deshun poured tea for his guests.

"Brother Liang," Liu Feng began, "I'm about to harvest a substantial amount of chilies in the coming days. I was wondering if you're interested in buying them."

"I've got a few years on you, so pardon my forwardness. Of course, I'm interested in buying chilies. How many pounds are you looking to sell?"

"Hmm…" Liu Feng pondered for a moment before deciding to go ahead with the sale. "Roughly 30,000 pounds, I'd say?"

"Hmm? That much? You've got quite the harvest, brother."

"Indeed, it's a hefty amount—30 acres of chilies."

"Alright, let's cut to the chase. Dali knows I always offer a fair price for goods. How about one and a half yuan per pound?"

Liu Feng was aware that chilies could fetch around two yuan per pound, but he also knew that selling them would mean a lower price. Without further ado, he accepted the offer.

"Sounds good, Brother Liang. You can head over to my place and load them up. I'll give you a call once I've taken delivery."

"Great, great. You're a man of action, brother. Let's have some tea."

Liu Feng reached for his teacup as Liang Deshun poured him some hot tea. He took a gentle sip right away, a gesture of respect to his host.