Chapter 139 Nothing to See Here

"What’s with all the fuss! My mom has even taken me to the women’s bathhouse before; we’ve all seen everything there is to see! You’re wearing red today, aren't you? If you keep running your mouth, I’m going to shout it out for everyone to hear! Tuck your bottom in! Don't look back! Tuck it in! Here we go... giddy-up! Smack!" Hong Tao didn't care one bit whether she felt awkward or not. He reached straight into her down jacket, wrapped his arms around her waist—where she wore only a sweater—and maneuvered her into an awkward posture. As they finally took off, he gave Tang Weidong’s bottom a firm pat, taking full advantage of the situation.

"Slow down... slow down... oh! Your hands, stop reaching inside, get them out!" Tang Weidong hadn't been used to the feeling of being held and moved by someone else at first. Furthermore, since her top wasn't tucked into her pants, Hong Tao’s hands had made direct contact with her bare skin.

"Don't move! Just focus on following my legs; when I step, you step, and don't worry about anything else. Stop complaining! If I didn't put my hands inside, should I keep them outside? You're not stupid, it's freezing out here! Just make do!" Hong Tao righteously dismissed Tang Weidong’s protest. Besides, they were already gliding, and it was too late to back out now.

With opportunities to take liberties, Hong Tao was full of energy. After skating with Han Yan, he moved on to Tang Weidong, and finally wanted to grab Han Xue, but she chased him off with her skates. By noon, everyone was exhausted and began heading toward the exit to change their shoes. His uncle and his "stinky elder sister" (his girlfriend) also emerged from somewhere, gliding behind them toward the shore.

"Hey! Look over there, looks like a showdown, right?" Before they reached the shore, his uncle tapped Hong Tao on the back and pointed toward a group of people on the other side of the rink.

"Looks like it... Han Xue, you’re the expert, take a look. Are they about to fight over there?" Hong Tao glanced back. Sure enough, by the straw mats at the end of the rink, over twenty people were gathered. If you looked closely, they were split into three groups; two groups were roughly equal in size, while three individuals stood apart.

"Don't know them. They’ve been huddled there for a while. Probably, but what’s there to see?" Han Xue just gave a casual glance.

"Hehehe... look... they're calling for backup. That group is definitely in on it too; they've got bricks in their backpacks!" His uncle was an amateur enthusiast. A group that had just finished putting on their skates was moving in a straight line toward the scene, mostly wearing blue jackets, blue pants, and dark blue overcoats.

"Another group is coming! They're running over!" Just as that group had barely moved onto the ice, a crowd of young men came running from the north bank. This bunch mostly wore military green, with many in thick military overcoats. The "stinky elder sister" hid behind the uncle, but her eyes were darting everywhere; she was the first to spot them.

"Shall we go over and take a look?" His uncle truly loved what he did; he wouldn't miss a chance to observe and "learn," eager to go watch the action.

"Watching is a waste of time. If there were ten people on each side, a fight might actually break out. But there are over thirty people now; what’s the point? You think the police are just sitting around eating for free? Let's go. They have the energy to stand around flapping their jaws in this cold, but I’m hungry!" Ever since he saw that group in military green running over, Hong Tao knew there wouldn't be a fight today.

This wasn't a guess; it was experience. In his previous life, during middle school, he was obsessed with fighting. He didn't just fight at school; he would go to other school gates to show off, gaining a bit of a reputation. This gave him chances to associate with real street thugs, and he had been in a few brawls, witnessing large-scale clashes of dozens against dozens.

Whenever a confrontation started with waiting for people rather than fighting, it never actually happened—or at least, Hong Tao had never seen one. When he was in middle school, if he heard about a scheduled fight, he would always show up, even if it meant just following behind to carry bricks in his backpack for the thugs. Most of the time, the fight would be over before he even knew who was fighting whom or why. If they lost, he’d run away; if they won, he’d bum a cigarette, chat with the "heroic" thugs he admired, and then go home happily, waiting to be scolded for skipping class. He never tired of it.

In these situations where they started by stalling, the result was always that more people kept getting called in. Zhang San would ask Li Si, Li Si would ask Wang Wu, and after a full circle, the reinforcements would arrive and realize they knew everyone on the other side... and then what was there to fight about? Everyone would just trade a few insults, go through the motions, and disperse.

"No way, I see plenty of them carrying weapons!" his uncle insisted, unwilling to give up.

"I... tell you what, let's make a bet. Whoever loses pays for lunch at the Dian'anmen Snack Shop. You dare?" Hong Tao almost said he’d seen it all before, but bit his tongue, hoping to swindle his uncle.

"Don't bet with him. There won't be a fight, let's go!" Just as his uncle was about to take the bait, Han Xue ruined Hong Tao’s scheme.

"You told me not to spend money a couple of days ago, and now you're eager for me to treat? You're being hypocritical! Han Yan, let me tell you, your sister went to the Friendship Store with me the other day and secretly bought a jar of imported face cream. It smells so good; she didn't tell you, did she?" Seeing he couldn't get his uncle's money, Hong Tao decided to make Han Xue uncomfortable.

"I don't believe it, you're just making things up!" Han Yan replied predictably.

"Believe it or not... why don't you smell her?" Hong Tao pulled Han Yan to catch up with Han Xue and pushed her head toward Han Xue’s down jacket.

"Sister, you really do smell like perfume!" Han Yan looked bewildered. Her beloved sister had actually kept a purchase from her, which made her quite upset.

"You're such a simpleton! You believe whatever he says! He’s been taking advantage of you all morning, make sure you eat plenty later! And don't you laugh—you too! A grown girl letting him hold you like that, aren't you ashamed? And you! Are you his uncle or is he yours? If I had a nephew like that, I’d beat him until he shivered every time he saw me!" Han Xue grabbed Han Yan’s ear, then went down the line—Han Yan, Tang Weidong, and finally the uncle—scolding them all.

"Heh, you'd better take him to your house right now. Just ask Yumei and you'll find out who’s tormenting whom. Better do it soon; in two years he'll be taller than you, and you might not be able to beat him. Actually, you can't even handle him now. That thing he learned is quite something; it was tough for me to deal with him, he nearly snapped my finger the other day. Do you think drinking milk makes you grow tall? Should I go back and try drinking some?" His uncle was thick-skinned. Nothing you said fazed him; he’d spent years listening to teachers in school, and you couldn't have a long conversation with him because he’d always go off on a tangent.

"With that brain of yours, even if you drank dragon milk, you wouldn't grow any taller!" Han Xue was so frustrated by Hong Tao and then stifled by his uncle that she simply gave up. She pulled Han Yan along to chase after Hong Tao, who was already far ahead, strolling toward Dian'anmen.

The Dian'anmen Snack Shop was a Halal establishment. While not a "time-honored brand" in the formal sense, it was much older than Hong Tao. Their Beijing snacks were authentic—things like fried dough twists, honey-glazed cakes, pea flour cakes, Halal sweet dumplings, 'open-mouth' pastries, and crispy rings. They had dozens of varieties, including bean juice, flour tea, lamb offal soup, almond tofu, and lotus seed congee. Though none were grand feasts, it was always a delicious meal.

Hong Tao ordered a bowl of bean juice, two crispy rings, and a side of spicy pickled vegetables—that was plenty for him. Even though he was taller than his peers and had a bigger appetite, he had some fat on his bones now and didn't eat as voraciously as he had a couple of years ago. The others, however, ate like starving ghosts. Since they weren't paying, they ordered whatever they saw. Each had a pile of food in front of them. The most irritating was his uncle, who even started packing food to go, wrapping several pieces of pea flour cake in oil paper and slipping them into his girlfriend's pocket.

"Sigh, my grandmother had such bad luck to end up with a son like this. He’s not even married yet and he’s already favoring outsiders. Once he brings a wife home, she’ll just be a servant fetching foot-washing water for him!" Hong Tao pretended not to see, eating his food while silently berating his uncle. As for where his uncle’s wife from his previous life had gone, he had no way of knowing, and even if he found her, she wouldn't pay him any mind.

After a wild morning, once the excitement wore off after lunch, Han Yan, Tang Weidong, and Wang Mei showed their true colors. Their ankles and thighs began to cramp uncontrollably, and they were afraid to bend their legs while walking. They had played too hard in the morning and were completely worn out.

Han Xue hadn't wanted Hong Tao to take advantage of her sister, but since she couldn't care for all three by herself, she had to watch helplessly as her sister fell back into Hong Tao’s clutches. After his uncle finished his free meal, he didn't even wait for them to finish before patting his butt and leaving with his girlfriend—no doubt off to cozy up in some movie theater.

Back at the shop, the three "wounded soldiers" couldn't stand anymore. They groaned about pains here and there. Finally, Liu Baishi, taking pity on them, called them into the dormitory one by one. She lit some white spirit and gave them a massage. And let it be said, it really worked—they walked in leaning on the walls, but came out walking on their own. If you didn't look closely, you'd think nothing had happened at all.

"Second Master, what is Auntie Liu’s background? She can make clothes and give massages, and her demeanor doesn't look like someone from an ordinary household." Hong Tao’s curiosity was piqued again. He had been observing Liu Baishi for a long time. It wasn't that he was worried she had ill intentions toward him; he just couldn't figure out her origins. The more mysterious she seemed, the more curious he became.