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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 21 Crabs & Rabbits
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 21 Crabs & Rabbits
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Chapter 21 ?Crabs & Rabbits
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May
You're two lovers, and your families don't agree to it, so you're running away to elope?
The comic convention in Shanghai was held in mid July. Pang Qian always remembered what Gu Mingxi said, and she didn't tell Pang Shuisheng that Sun Mingfang and Jian Zhe couldn't go. She excitedly prepared a point and shoot camera (lit. an idiot's camera) and bought two rolls of film. She also prepared a thick, hardcover book to get autographs from the authors.
Seeing how enthusiastic Pang Qian was, Pang Shuisheng suddenly realized that she was already 14 years old. This could be considered her first time traveling. It would let her and her friends widen their horizons.
Pang Shuisheng and Jin Ai'hus were just ordinary factory workers. Their salaries weren't high, and they weren't that aware of what it took to raise a child. So ever since she was younger, Pang Qian didn't have many opportunities to go out into the world.
Pang Qian has probably gone traveling twice. Once was when she was 8 years old, during summer break. Pang Shuisheng went to Nanjing and Wuxi for a business trip, and he also brought Pang Qian along to play. They took a coach bus there and back.
At the time, there weren't highways in place, so it was 10 hours each way by bus. Pang Qian got motion sickness and vomited a big mess.
When they arrived, Pang Shuisheng brought Pang Qian out to play. It just so happened that Lake Taihu had flooded that day. The water flowed out onto the shore, and it was nearly to Pang Qian's knees. It was quite an eye opening experience for her. She ate some Nanjing salted duck and Wuxi spare ribs. When they were going home, Pang Qian even asked her dad to buy two servings of the ribs to bring back as a gift to Gu Mingxi.
After that vacation, Pang Qian talked to Gu Mingxi about it for several months. Every time they did anything, she'd said, "When I went to Nanjing, blah blah blah," or "When I was in Wuxi, blah blah blah..." Gu Mingxi never cut her off, listening to her over and over again. It wasn't until about half a year later when Pang Qian decided herself that it wasn't so interesting, so she stopped.
The next time she went traveling, she was 10 years old. She went with Jin Ai'hua and her grandparents to her grandma's hometown. After Grandma moved to E City and got married, she'd never gone back to her hometown. She'd gotten homesick, and after hearing that her younger brother had passed away, she really wanted to visit. Jin Ai'hua immediately requested time off from work, and brought Pang Qian, who was on summer break at the time, along as she accompanied her elderly parents home.
It was a small and old village located in the south. They had to take a sleeper bus for one day and night to get there. Pang Qian vomited again and got very dizzy. They spent more than a week in the countryside. Pang Qian spoke a different dialect to the children there, so they couldn't talk or play together. Every day, she just sat there doing nothing. She could only play with the small dog at her relatives' place.
After that trip, Pang Qian didn't have anything to tell Gu Mingxi. Gu Mingxi asked her if it was fun, and she shook her head, "It was so boring."
In comparison, Gu Mingxi had slightly more travel experience than Pang Qian. Before his injury, Li Han had taken him to visit her parents in the northern province every two years. They had to take a long distance sleeper train. After his injury, Li Han still took advantage of her vacation time to take Gu Mingxi traveling.
Gu Mingxi had been to Jinan, climbed Mount Tai, and had also gone to Shanghai, Nanjing, Jinggangshan, Putou... He'd ridden a plane, taken a ship, been on a train and coach bus. Regarding that, Pang Qian was always angry. She'd ask her parents, "How come Gu Mingxi can go traveling with Auntie Li, but when you guys go traveling, you never take me!"
Pang Shuisheng had no way to tell Pang Qian that Gu Mingxi could go on those trips because Gu Guoxiang had given up his vacation days. He was an engineer at the factory. If he said he wasn't going to go, and instead let his wife take his son, who would dare say anything about it?
So in front of Gu Mingxi, Pang Qian was just a little bumpkin. She hadn't even ridden a train before. She went on and on about Shanghai this and Shanghai that, but she didn't even know which direction Shanghai was from E City.
Pang Shuisheng encouraged Pang Qian to buy her train ticket on her own. He felt that her knowledge pool was really too shallow. She ought to experience more of the world.
Pang Qian had no clue about how to go about buying a train ticket. She didn't even know which way to go to get to the train station. But she also didn't dare to let her dad buy the tickets either, because she only needed two tickets. Asking her dad to help would be a big mistake.
And so, Pang Qian just invited Gu Mingxi along with her to the train station.
The two of them took the public bus to their destination. It was summer break, so people were coming and going. It was very busy. Pang Qian didn't even know which way was north. In the end, it was still Gu Mingxi who followed the signs and found the ticket counter.
Even when they lined up to purchase the tickets, Pang Qian stuck closely to Gu Mingxi, and ridiculously pulled onto the tail of his shirt.
Gu Mingxi said towards the ticket counter, "Two tickets to Shanghai for the morning of August 16th."
"There are no more seats for the morning. There are seats in the afternoon, 2:30."
"What about the morning of the 17th?"
"There are also no more seats."
"Then I'll take the afternoon on the 16th. Two tickets." After a moment, he said, "Auntie, can I also buy tickets from Shanghai back to E City for the afternoon of the 18th?"
"Sure."
"Then I'll also buy two return tickets."
"Is 3 PM on the 18th okay?"
"Yes."
"That's four tickets total, 128 dollars."
Gu Mingxi turned to see the muddleheaded Pang Qian. "Pang Pang, pay for it."
Pang Qian quickly pulled out the money and handed it over, then she accepted the change and the train tickets.
They walked out of the train station, and she looked down at the four train tickets in her hands. She suddenly said with realization, "So that's how you buy train tickets."
Gu Mingxi was silent as he watched Pang Qian looking around curiously. He suddenly felt that here was a typical crab, walking out sideways from its nest. Once she leaves home, her courage probably wasn't even as big as a rabbit.
On the day that they set off, Gu Mingxi's concerns became a reality. Pang Shuisheng and Li Han kept telling Pang Qian to take good care of Gu Mingxi, and she had agreed very well. But once they got to the train station, she was just like a scrooge, tagging along behind Gu Mingxi.
Entering the station, getting bags checked through security, finding the waiting area, checking tickets on the train, finding their seat... Gu Mingxi truly felt that if Pang Qian were left on her own, she probably wouldn't have been able to take care of it all.
It was Friday and the train car was packed. Pang Qian naturally sat at the window. She propped herself against the window, staring outside.
Gu Mingxi had already become the focus of all the traveler's attentions. They all watching him quietly, with probing eyes. As usual, he didn't care much. But it was a bit uncomfortable when people stared at you, so he turned to look at Pang Qian.
She was wearing a red short sleeved t-shirt, at the recommendation of Pang Shuisheng. He said that it was an eye catching color, so she'd be easier to find when she got lost. Her ponytail was tied with a wide, red hair tie. She continually stared out the window, as if watching some kind of shadow puppet show.
When the train started moving, Pang Qian's face clearly showed her surprise. Then, she quietly calmed down, leaning against Gu Mingxi's side like a good little rabbit.
It took three hours by train to get from E City to Shanghai. After awhile, that new, exciting feeling faded for Pang Qian. She pulled out a comic book from her backpack, along with a pack of Lonely Gods (potato twists). With some crinkling, she pulled open the package, eating as she read.
Of course, she didn't forget to occasionally feed Gu Mingxi some snacks. This action was too intimate. He soon felt the even more surprised gazes of the passengers around him, and his face burned up.
After the train had traveled for half an hour, the grandmother of the elderly couple sitting across from them couldn't help but ask Pang Qian, "Little Miss, where are you two going?"
Pang Qian lifted her head to look at her, her comic and snacks still in hands. She answered honestly, "Shanghai."
"Just the two of you? What are you doing in Shanghai?"
Pang Qian was about to answer when Gu Mingxi opened his mouth, "Our parents are working in Shanghai. We're going there for summer vacation."
"Oh..." The old woman seemed to realize, "You two are siblings?"
Gu Mingxi nodded, "Mm."
"How old are you two?"
"We're in high school," Gu Mingxi answered calmly. "My younger sister just looks small, but she's already gotten her resident ID card (you get this at age 16)."
The grandmother looked at Pang Qian suspiciously. Pang Qian's lips still had some crumbs on them. With her timid looking eyes and face, no matter how you looked at it, she still seemed very young.
After a moment of silence, the old grandmother asked Gu Mingxi, "Student, what happened to your two arms?"
Gu Mingxi was wearing a white and grey plaid shirt, two empty short sleeves hanging on his sides. The nothingness at his cuffs made people really want to ask about it. He smiled slightly and answered simply, "When I was younger, I accidentally got electrocuted by a transformer."
"Ah... What a shame for such a pretty boy." The old grandmother's tone was filled with sympathy and pity. Pang Qian became irritable and pouted. She stuffed her comic and not yet finished bag of snacks back into her backpack. Her actions were very big and noisy. Then she put her head down on the table and slept.
With her head resting on her arm, she heard Gu Mingxi politely say to the grandmothers, "My sister is like that, very willful."
You're the willful one! Pang Qian vented in her mind.
"Little girls are always like that," the grandmother said. "You should tell your parents not to spoil her like that. When she gets older and joins society, looks for a boyfriend or a job, she will suffer from it."
Gu Mingxi said with a laughing tone, "I know."
Then the grandmother started to talk about her daughter-in-law. About how headstrong, unreasonable, and immature she was. Gu Mingxi didn't interrupt her at all. After about 20 minutes of talking, Pang Qian, in her drowsy state, heard Gu Mingxi say, "Grandmother, actually, my sister is very obedient and pleasant. She's just a bit immature now, but when she grows up, she will definitely be a very good girl."
Pang Qian had been pretending to sleep the whole time. Her arms had already gotten a bit numb. She didn't know why, but after hearing Gu Mingxi say that, her eyes grew a little damp.
Pang Qian "woke up" for the latter part of the journey. She finished a bag of dried fish, a bottle of fruit milk, and a stick of sausage.
Gu Mingxi watched stunned as she pulled out snack after snack from her backpack, eating until she was full. Finally, Pang Qian asked Gu Mingxi if he wanted to drink some water. On such a hot day, he hadn't drunk anything for several hours already. His lips were visibly dry.
Gu Mingxi licked his lips. He really was very thirsty, there was no denying that. So he drank half a bottle of water from Pang Qian's hands.
The train arrived to the Shanghai station right on time. It was evening when Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian walked out of the station with their backpacks on.
Shanghai was a bustling metropolis. The sun was setting then, and the sky was getting dark. Then the street lights and neon lights lit up one after another. Pang Qian stood at the exit of the station, looking at the crowds of people, the rows of tall buildings, the heavy stream of traffic on the road. She finally started to feel shocked, and she was also a bit scared.
She really was still young. What she'd imagined and the reality of it all were two completely different things. Her whole person stuck right next to Gu Mingxi, as if afraid that they'd get separated. Her left hand had a death grip on his shirt hem.
At the time, adults rarely had cellphones, let alone children having them. Gu Mingxi had a big cell phone though. Even Pang Shuisheng only had a pager. Pang Qian didn't dare think about what she would do if she were to get separated from Gu Mingxi.
Gu Mingxi could see the panic in her eyes. He looked at her and said seriously, "Pang Pang, this is Shanghai, not E City. Listen to me. If the two of us get separated by accident, just stay where you are and don't move. I'll definitely find you, okay?"
Pang Qian lifted her head to look at him, and then gave a slight nod.
Gu Mingxi smiled and said, "Let's go. Let's figure out where we're staying tonight first. Didn't your dad say that he'd ask someone to help us find a dorm to stay?"
Pang Qian nodded, then violently shook her head. "No, there's just the two of us. If the uncle finds out, then he'll definitely tell my dad. Then I'm done for!"
Gu Mingxi thought the same. But the two of them didn't have identification cards yet, so how were they to rent a place to stay?
He thought for a moment, and still thought that staying in a dorm would be the best. He told Pang Qian to call that uncle, but she wouldn't agree even if her life were on the line. "I don't want to call him. Gu Mingxi, you were the one who said we shouldn't tell my dad."
Gu Mingxi frowned. "If you don't contact him, then wouldn't your dad still find out? And he'd be more worried this way."
Pang Qian rolled her eyes. "Fine, I"ll call him and tell him that that our classmate has a relative that helped us prepare a guesthouse, so we won't need to meet with him!"
Gu Mingxi was speechless for a moment. "Then where are we going to stay tonight?"
Pang Qian scratched her head, then as if to show she were clever, she said, "As long as we have money, why can't we find a place to stay."
Gu Mingxi was defeated.
Pang Qian went to a public phone booth and called Pang Shuisheng's friend in Shanghai. She lied and said that she and her friends had already found a place to stay. After that call, she also called back home to let her parents know they were safe. Gu Mingxi also braced himself and told Li Han that he was safe and everything was going well.
After he hung up, Gu Mingxi looked over towards the train station. Actually, there were a lot of small hotels and guesthouses around.
He knew that this kind of place was very unsafe, but he also couldn't beat Pang Qian's stubbornness. Just then, a middle aged woman holding pictures of a guesthouse approached them. "Little brother and sister, need a place to stay? We have hot water, a TV, and air conditioning. 80 dollars a night. Want to take a look? If you like it, you can stay. If you don't, then I'll bring you guys back here."
She pretended she didn't see Gu Mingxi's missing arms. She just saw two distracted kids and quickly went to grab Pang Qian's hand. "Let's go, let's go. It's already dark out. There's a car to take you there. It's very close, just around the way."
Pang Qian was already following her. Gu Mingxi cried out anxiously, "Pang Pang! Stop!"
Pang Qian turned around to look at him, a bit scared. She wanted to get away from the woman's hold. The woman laughed out loud and let go of her hand. "Auntie's not a bad person, I won't harm you. From the looks of you two, you probably won't be able to find a place to stay. Do you have your identification cards yet?"
Gu Mingxi was silent. He decided that this woman was just trying to make people stay at her hotel, and she wasn't like a human trafficker or something. It was true that they didn't have identification cards, so it was a bit tempting.
At that moment, Pang Qian, who'd been silent all along, suddenly burst out in tears. She ran over to Gu Mingxi and stuck close to him, her body trembling with fear. "Gu Mingxi..."
Gu Mingxi, "..."
The middle aged woman was dumbfounded. "Aiyo, I knew it. With just one look, you can tell! You're two lovers, and your families don't agree to it, so you're running away to elope? Ah... You two are too young for that. Hurry and follow Auntie to stay somewhere for the night. Don't keep strolling around on the street. I'll take just 50 dollars for the night. Tomorrow, you should hurry back home. The grownups must surely be worried to death."
Pang Qian continued whimpering. Gu Mingxi saw the sky darkening, and felt that he would soon cry too.
-
Sitting in the van that clanked and rattled as soon as it started, Pang Qian was already so tense that she couldn't say anything. She sat in the back row with Gu Mingxi. Aside from the middle aged woman, there were three others who'd been pulled over to stay in their guesthouse.
After being on the crowded road for 10 minutes, the van turned into a small alley and finally stopped. Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi got off the van and followed the middle aged woman into a shabby looking hostel.
When they reached the counter, the middle aged woman greeted them. She checked them in brought them up to their room. When they arrived, she kindly reminded Gu Mingxi, "The room doesn't have covers (meaning condoms). If you need them, you'll have to buy them on your own."
Gu Mingxi's face turned sour. He'd already decided not to respond anymore. Pang Qian blinked and asked curiously, "What covers?"
The middle aged woman shot her a look and couldn't help but sigh. "Ah... Really a sin. Such a young, little girl, ah..."
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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 22 Facing the Wall [to Reflect]
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 22 Facing the Wall [to Reflect]
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Chapter 22 ?Facing the Wall?[to Reflect]
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May
Can you stop talking about my little bird?!
The middle aged woman took Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian to the second floor, and led them down a dark, narrow corridor. There was a musty smell in the air. Occasionally, they would hear sounds from the rooms on either side of the corridor. And very unexpectedly, a half naked man with a smoke in his mouth walked past them.
Seeing Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian, the others would glance curiously at them. The sweeping glance over Pang Qian's body made her lower her head and hide at Gu Mingxi's side.
Gu Mingxi quietly comforted her, "Pang Pang, don't be afraid."
Pang Qian had never been to this kind of place before. How could she not be afraid? She could only stick to Gu Mingxi's side and walk next to him. The middle aged woman brought them to a door at the end of the corridor. When she opened the door, a sour smell poured out. Pang Qian wasn't a super spoiled big miss, but seeing that room, she felt it really was too shabby.
The room was very small, only 7 or 8 sqm. The walls were mottled and the floor was covered with a plastic mat. There were two 1 meter wide beds against either wall. The white bed sheets had already turned a bit yellow. Between the beds was a bedside table, and on top of it was a lamp and two cups. Across from the beds was a TV. Strapped to the window was an old air conditioning unit. But that stuff wasn't anything. The worst thing was that there was no bathroom in their room.
Gu Mingxi furrowed his brows in displeasure. Pang Qian pulled at his sleeve and said, "Gu Mingxi, I don't want to stay here."
Gu Mingxi turned around and said to the middle aged woman, "There's no bathroom here. How can we stay here?"
The woman turned around and opened another door in the corridor. So the bathroom was right across the hall. Inside, there was a squatting toilet, a sink, and a hot water machine. She said, "This bathroom isn't communal, it's just for this room. Everything's in there, right? Your room's at the end of the corridor, so other than the bathroom cleaner, no one else will come here. It's very safe. And you're both students, so I'll only take 50 dollars."
Gu Mingxi said, "Money isn't the problem. Don't you have any standard rooms? It's okay if it costs more."
"Little bro, you don't have an identification card. I don't dare rent you a standard room." The middle aged woman continued, "You should know, if you go to another hostel, you won't get any room at all. What if the police go raid the place? Then it's trouble for everyone."
Gu Mingxi was vaguely aware that what she was saying was true. He was seriously considering it, when Pang Qian pouted and let out a puff of air. Gu Mingxi thought a moment longer, then said, "Okay, we'll take this room then. For one night."
The middle aged woman handed the keys over to Pang Qian and then left. Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian entered the room and put down their backpacks. Right after he closed the door, he lifted his leg up to open the window.
The room was very stuffy inside. After the window was open for a bit, a surge of hot air came through it. Gu Mingxi sniffled, and he felt that with just a little work, the air in the room had become a little fresher.
Pang Qian sat down on the edge of a bed, her expression crestfallen. Looking at the darkened and dirtied floor mats and the spider web in the corner of the room, she couldn't stop from complaining. "Gu Mingxi, why do we have to live here? This place is so bad."
Gu Mingxi, who was looking for the remote for the air conditioner, said, "Who's the one who wouldn't call their dad's friend? We don't have any identification cards, so any better hostels wouldn't let us stay there."
Pang Qian pouted. Then she suddenly recalled Xie Yi. Xie Yi should be in Shanghai at this time. She wasn't sure where he was staying, but he should be at the comic convention in the daytime.
Pang Qian got an idea. She happily said to Gu Mingxi, "Gu Mingxi! Can't we find Xie Yi tomorrow?! Then we can ask him to help us get a room wherever he's staying at. What do you think?"
Gu Mingxi finally found the remote, and was sitting cross-legged on the bed as he examined it. After hearing her words, he looked up at her. After a moment, he said, "Whatever."
Seeing him unhappy, Pang Qian also became gloomier. Gu Mingxi turned on the air conditioner. It made some clanking noises and then the blinds opened, and there was a whirring noise.
Gu Mingxi went under the air conditioner and looked up at it. He murmured, "Why isn't the air cold?"
He set the temperature to 20 degrees (68 F), but the air flowing out was still warm. Gu Mingxi gave up and said to Pang Qian, "The air conditioner is broken. It's one night, just tolerate it."
Pang Qian was upset and yelled at him, "It's such a hot day! Even if there's no air conditioning, there should at least be an electric fan! Otherwise, how can we sleep tonight?!"
Gu Mingxi's eyes dropped and he thought for a moment. Then he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go downstairs to ask if they have an electric fan."
He had just started heading for the door when Pang Qian jumped up and grabbed onto his sleeve. His shirt collar was pulled to the side. "Gu Mingxi, I'll go with you!"
When he looked back, Pang Qian was blinking her eyes at him. He laughed quietly and said, "Pang Pang, why don't we go out to eat dinner first. And we can take care of this stuff when we get back. It's already 7 o'clock. Soon, everywhere will be closed."
Pang Qian listened and nodded. Gu Mingxi walked over to his backpack. He sat on the bed and used his feet to pull open the zipper, then he pulled out his bamboo back scratcher, the "help yourself."
He tilted his head and held the back scratcher between his head and shoulder. He said to Pang Qian, "I need to go to the bathroom first."
Pang Qian stared at him and kept holding onto his shirt until they walked to the door. Gu Mingxi finally had to say, "Pang Pang, I'm going to the bathroom. Stop following me. Just wait in the room. No one will come."
Pang Qian asked quietly, "Do you need my help?"
"No, I can take care of it myself." Gu Mingxi smiled at her, then lightly bumped her calf with his heel, as if to placate her. "Wait a bit and I'll treat you to KFC. There's one near here, I saw it from the car on the way here."
"Aren't we each paying half for meals?" Pang Qian asked. "I brought 500 dollars with me."
"No, you can spent your money at the comic convention tomorrow. Didn't you say that there were a bunch of comic books that you wanted to buy?" Gu Mingxi smiled again after he finished. He raised his leg and opened the door, then went out.
Pang Qian didn't close the door all the way. She stared out at the door to the bathroom. Gu Mingxi was inside for a very long time. Pang Qian got really anxious and even wanted to knock on the door. Then suddenly, the door opened. His head was crooked to the side, as he walked out with the back scratcher.
He didn't look any different, except the slippers he wore were a bit wet. His trousers too. Seeing Pang Qian staring at his feet, Gu Mingxi quickly explained, "This is water! I washed my feet, it's not...something else."
They locked the door and went out to eat KFC. When they left the noisy environment of the train station, the small streets carried a different, foreign style. Night was falling, but the alleys were still full of people enjoying the cool evening air. That kind of scene was a bit reminiscent of E City. Pang Qian's restless heart gradually calmed.
She looked around curiously, thinking about how she was actually a three hour train ride away from home, here in Shanghai. She'd be spending the night here with Gu Mingxi. She suddenly felt a bit proud, and said to Gu Mingxi, "This is my first time spending the night away from home, on my own."
Gu Mingxi smiled and said, "Actually, it is for me too."
"You're not scared?" Pang Qian asked. "I really was scared to death earlier. I didn't want to get into that van at all."
Gu Mingxi just smiled and didn't say anything. Actually, he had been a bit scared as well. After all, he was just a 15 year old kid. Leaving home to go to a strange, foreign city would definitely make him a bit uneasy.
After seeing how scared Pang Qian got, Gu Mingxi had to suppress his uneasiness. He figured that the things he had to face were more or less just everyday activities, like going to the bathroom, eating, buying train tickets, etc. If he needed to, he could just ask Pang Qian to help him. There wasn't anything that was life halting.
But for Pang Qian, it was more of a psychological fear. He could very clearly feel how much she was relying on him. And curiously, that made him feel kind of happy. And then, he felt that he wasn't so scared anymore.
Pang Qian packed up their KFC dinner and carried it in her hand, as she walked back to the guesthouse with Gu Mingxi. Gu Mingxi asked the front desk if they had an electric fan, and the person working there answered impatiently that they didn't. Pang Qian shivered a bit from fear and tugged at his shirt hem. The two of them had no choice but to just return to their room.
They had dinner in their room. Pang Qian opened their hamburger box and spread the food out on the table. Gu Mingxi just stood next to the table and bent down to eat. Occasionally he would take a few sips of cola.
He didn't really like to eat Western-styled fast food, because there weren't any utensils, which made eating rather inconvenient for him. But Pang Qian liked to eat it, so he just went along.
After eating, Gu Mingxi told Pang Qian to go to the bathroom to wash up and sleep early. Pang Qian listened and took a change of clothes and a towel with her. The bathroom was very cramped and there wasn't any hot water. Pang Qian couldn't be bothered to fuss about it though. She just clenched her teeth and shivered as she washed her hair and showered. When she finished, she went back to their room.
Gu Mingxi was watching TV when Pang Qian rushed in, wearing her pajamas with her hair dripping wet. He asked, "Was there hot water?"
She said angrily, "No, it was freezing cold."
Gu Mingxi thought for a moment, then said, "Looks like we'll have to stay somewhere else tomorrow night."
"Mm."
"Then, I'm going to shower." He stood up and started gathering his things. Recalling the layout of that small bathroom, Gu Mingxi turned to Pang Qian and said, "There's nowhere to sit in there. I'm going to have to take my clothes off in here first."
Pang Qian was drying her hair with a towel as she watched TV. She answered casually, "Mm."
"..." Seeing her without reaction, he said, "Turn around."
"What for." Pang Qian stared at him."This place is so small. You want me to stare at the wall? It's fine, just do what you need to. When we were younger, I even played with your little bird..."
Gu Mingxi was going to go crazy. He gnashed his teeth and said, "Can you stop talking about my little bird?!"
Pang Qian gave an affirmative sound and turned her head in a huff. Staring at the white wall, she said, "Hurry up!"
Gu Mingxi quickly took off his clothes. Taking them off was very easy. He didn't have to unbutton it because the neckline was pretty loose. He shrugged a bit and bent over, then tugged at the shirt with his right foot, and the shirt came right off.
His pants were easy too. They had an elastic waistband, so he just pulled a bit with each foot and they fell down.
Gu Mingxi carried his clean clothes from his mouth. His towel was draped over his shoulders, and his back scratcher was held up between his cheek and shoulder. He mumbled over to Pang Qian, "I'm opening the door. Hurry and close your eyes!"
Pang Qian cried out loudly, "You're so annoying!"
Gu Mingxi quickly ran out, but he forgot to bring his keys.
Half an hour later, Pang Qian was lying on the bed watching TV when a knocking came at the door. She quickly became alert, got off the bed and walked to the door. "Who is it?"
"Pang Pang, it's me. Open the door!"
Hearing Gu Mingxi's voice, Pang Qian immediately opened the door. At the same time, she complained, "You're the one who said to make sure you take the keys when you go to the bathroom, but you didn't bring them..."
Then she stared blankly.
Gu Mingxi stood in front of her, a faint glow coming from the wall lamp in the hall. Pang Qian realized that hos body was bare, and he was only wearing a pair of underpants.
It had been many years since Pang Qian had seen Gu Mingxi's crippled body. The last time was probably when she was about 9 years old. She went over to Gu Mingxi's house to play. The 10 year old Gu Mingxi was wearing a white tank top that a lot of boys wore at the time. His round shoulders were prominently visible, along with the winding surgical scars.
What did Pang Qian say at that time? She vaguely recalled that she'd said his scars were terrifying.
From then on, Gu Mingxi never exposed his crippled shoulders in front of her.
Pang Qian had nearly forgotten about that matter, but after seeing Gu Mingxi's body then, she remembered it. Gu Mingxi was a bit embarrassed, so Pang Qian leaned to the side to let him in. He still had a towel draped over his shoulder, and he'd changed his underpants. In a quiet voice, he said, "Sorry I forgot to bring my keys."
Pang Qian, "..."
"Stop looking at me. Turn around and let me put my clothes back on."
He'd already walked back to his bed to pull out a clean t-shirt from his bag. Pang Qian didn't listen to him, and quietly turned around to look at him. Gu Mingxi was standing on one leg, his body shaking slightly. His right foot was ruffling through his bag.
Pang Qian looked at his back and suddenly realized that he'd grown a lot compared to the thin Gu Mingxi in her mind. He'd gotten taller and his shoulders were wider. He wasn't as skinny and bony as before either, as if the meat had finally grown out. His legs were long and straight, giving the image of very smooth lines, looking like they'd be very strong.
She saw his shoulders again. Gu Mingxi's amputation surgery seemed to have destroyed his underarm hair follicles, so his armpit area was very clean and you didn't see any hair at a glance. The scars there had changed with time and got lighter, but the shape was still the same.
Pang Qian stared at his shoulders, wondering how she'd ever thought they were terrifying. Looking at them today, she didn't feel that at all. She'd often patted his shoulders, and when she touched them, she never felt that it was strange.
Gu Mingxi hadn't noticed that Pang Qian had been secretly watching him. Just then, he turned to the side slightly, about to put on his clothes. Pang Qian saw the spot where his little bird was. The little, soft thing from her memories had now become a big lump under his underpants!
Pang Qian's face started to redden, and Gu Mingxi seemed to feel something. He suddenly turned around and their eyes met.
Pang Qian opened, but then closed her mouth. Under his burning eyes, she slowly turned around and faced the wall [to reflect one's misdeeds]. Behind her, it was quiet for awhile. Then the rustling of his actions sounded again.
After a few minutes, Gu Mingxi said quietly, "I'm done, you can turn around now."
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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 23 Night in Shanghai
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 23 Night in Shanghai
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Chapter 23 ?Night in Shanghai
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May
I wonder if we'll be able to see Xie Yi tomorrow.
The room was lit by a fluorescent lamp. Pang Qian pulled the curtains closed. She and Gu Mingxi each lied on their own beds, watching TV.
Shanghai had a few TV channels that E City didn't have. Pang Qian thought it was really interesting, so she kept changing from one channel to another. Gu Mingxi couldn't stop from asking, "Can you stop changing the channel? Just pick one and watch it. Then you'll sleep in awhile."
"You're really annoying, Gu Mingxi." That's what Pang Qian said, but then she didn't change the channel anymore. A Shanghai channel was currently airing local news. After a few stories, the new anchor started talking about the comic convention that had started that day.
Pang Qian bounced up and crawled over to the end of the bed to see the screen. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony to start the opening of the convention. They had even arranged for a group of primary school students to perform. Then the camera pulled out to show the exhibition hall and the bustling crowd attending the convention. Then there was a group of comic authors from all across the country holding an autograph session.
Pang Qian was completely engrossed in the story. A few shots of the convention passed by on the screen. It looked like the place was split up with different areas for different comics groups. There was even a cosplay performance on the stage.
"Ah!" Pang Qian called out excitedly. "Xie Yi will definitely be there!"
Gu Mingxi, "..."
After the news report was over, Pang Qian left her bed. She emptied her backpack onto the table. Gu Mingxi asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
Pang Qian pulled out a bag of potato chips, "I'm hungry."
Gu Mingxi really didn't know what to say. Pang Qian sat down cross legged on the bed, holding her bag of chips. As she crunched away on her potato chips, she flipped open her copy of Cartoon King to the page about the convention. She said to Gu Mingxi, "The convention center's address is printed here. I wonder if we'll be able to find it tomorrow."
Gu Mingxi answered lazily, "We'll find it."
"Really? You know how to take public transport there?" Pang Qian thought seriously, and asked again, "My dad said that if we can't find it, we should just take a taxi."
Gu Mingxi turned over on his bed, his back facing Pang Qian now. He said, "I know how to get there. Sleep early, I'm sleepy."
Pang Qian still asked, "How do you know?"
Gu Mingxi replied snappishly, "I looked at a map of Shanghai before coming here."
Pang Qian was silent. She curled her lips, then after awhile, she said quietly, "I wonder if we'll be able to see Xie Yi tomorrow."
The youth on the other bed was quiet, his back facing her. His body moved up and down slightly, as if he had already fallen asleep.
Pang Qian had a few more chips. The crunching sound of potato chips was made even louder in the quiet room. Pang Qian looked at Gu Mingxi's sleeping figure, then put down her half-eaten bag of chips. She picked up her toothbrush and went to the bathroom across the hall.
When she returned, she lightly put down her cup. She walked over to Gu Mingxi's bed and looked at him. He was wearing a white t-shirt and beach shorts, lying on his side, closed eyes facing the wall. His sleeves were flat on his body, his breathing was long and even. Pang Qian unfolded the thin quilt and placed it over him. She said quietly, "Gu Mingxi, I'm going to sleep."
After she said that, she turned off the TV and the lights. Then she climbed into bed, wrapped herself around her blanket, and close her eyes.
The room was dark and quiet. There were only distant sounds of traffic that came through the window and the occasional car horn.
Gu Mingxi opened his eyes in the darkness. He laid in bed for a long time without making a move, his body was a bit numb. And because Pang Qian had covered him with a blanket, his body had become covered in sweat. With small motions, he turned over to look at Pang Qian on the other bed. In the dark room, he could only make out the outline of her body. She was probably also very hot. She'd already kicked her blanket off to the side and her limbs were spread across the bed.
Gu Mingxi left his bed and walked to the door. As expected, when Pang Qian returned from brushing her teeth, she hadn't locked the door. He locked it and then walked back to his bed with light steps, and gently laid down on the bed.
His heart was bursting with some strange feeling. In a foreign city, in a strange and unfamiliar building and room, lying on an unfamiliar bed covered with old, yellowed sheets... So he was spending the night together with Pang Qian like that. The window was located at the foot of his bed. It was still open, letting in a light breeze through the curtains. From where he lied, he could see outside.
This area didn't have many big, tall buildings. Outside the window, there was an alley of single-story buildings. The curtain over the window fluttered up and down. Gu Mingxi could even see the black-grey Shanghai sky. It was hazy, no stars and no moon.
Gu Mingxi was drenched in sweat. He was also thirsty and hungry. He only had a single hamburger and a cup of cola for dinner. For a boy at the peak of his growth and development, how could that be enough to make him full? But he also didn't want to get up to get a drink or look for food, because he would need to turn the light on for that and he'd make a lot of noise. That would easily wake up Pang Qian.
Pang Qian always got angry when she was woken up. When they were younger and someone woke her up, she would cry and make a fuss. When they were older, they would often be late for school because she didn't want to get out of bed in the mornings. In the end, they always had to sprint to school.
Gu Mingxi knew that Pang Qian had been both nervous and excited all day. It must have been mentally draining, so she needed a good rest. As for him, he really didn't feel like sleeping at all.
After some time, Gu Mingxi finally started to drift off to sleep, when the fluorescent lamp in the room was suddenly turned on. He immediately opened his eyes and sat up. He saw Pang Qian sitting up on her bed, hair disheveled, eyes squinting. She scratched at her left arm and legs, crying out, "There are bugs! I'm covered in bug bites!"
Gu Mingxi looked around. He didn't have much care towards bugs one way or the other. Pang Qian crawled off her own bed to sit down on the edge of his. She showed his her arm and legs, "Look! They've already bitten me a bunch of times! One, two, three, four, five... Five bites! It's so itchy! Gu Mingxi, what now?!"
Her arm and legs were in fact covered in several bug bites. There were red bumps all over, and it was a bit nauseating to look at. Gu Mingxi knew she must be itching a lot. He got up to close the window and thought for a moment. "I'll go downstairs to see if they have any mosquito incense."
Pang Qian pouted and looked at him, "Hurry back."
"Mm." He stuffed some money in his pockets and left. Twenty minutes later, he returned, biting onto a plastic bag.
When he entered the room, Gu Mingxi saw that Pang Qian had shrunken into a corner, as if she'd seen a ghost. It surprised him. He put down the plastic bag and asked, "What's wrong?"
Pang Qian was carrying a pillow in her arms. Eyes wide, she looked at Gu Mingxi. "Gu Mingxi, there are cockroaches..."
"Cockroaches?"
"I don't know, it was really big!"
"..." He thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Just light the mosquito incense. Cockroaches are afraid of it too."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Pang Qian got off the bed and walked over to Gu Mingxi. With a slight complaining tone, she said, "Why were you gone for so long?!"
Gu Mingxi sat on the bed and pulled out the mosquito incense and lighter from the plastic bag. "They didn't have it at the front desk. I went out to a 24 hour convenient store to buy some."
The mosquito incense was still unopened. He bent over and used his feet to carefully, but clumsily, pull it out. Pang Qian couldn't watch any longer, so she helped him pull out the mosquito incense and place it into the metal container. As for the lighter, she said, "I don't know how to use it."
Gu Mingxi stared at her. He picked up the lighter in her hands with his left foot. He gripped onto it firmly with his left foot and then pressed down with his right. Flames shot out. He carefully moved the lighter towards the mosquito incense and lit it.
"You still can't use a lighter? How do you light the alcohol burner when we do experiments?" He said.
Pang Qian responded, not thinking anything of it, "Hu Tianli lights it."
"Then how are you going to cook in the future?" Gu Mingxi wanted to laugh a little.
"I'm not going to learn to cook!" Pang Qian boasted without shame. "My mom doesn't cook a lot. My dad's the one that always cooks things. In the future, I'll just marry a husband like my dad, then I won't need to cook."
Gu Mingxi just blinked at her, without a word.
After the mosquito incense were lit, the two of them returned to their respective beds to sleep. After they turned the lights off, Gu Mingxi was still unable to sleep. Pang Qian's voice floated over in the darkness, "Gu Mingxi, are you asleep yet?"
Gu Mingxi pretended for awhile, but then let out an "Oh" sound. He answered, "Not yet, you?"
"Gu Mingxi, will the cockroaches crawl onto me?"
"..." He stopped himself from laughing. "No. I told you, cockroaches are afraid of the mosquito incense."
"If the cockroach comes back, will you hit it?" Pang Qian said, "My dad can hit them. He smacks them with a shoe."
Gu Mingxi answered, "I will. I'll step on it and kill it."
After a moment of silence, Pang Qian let out a sigh.
Gu Mingxi asked, "What is it now?"
"If I had known earlier, I would have bought return tickets for tomorrow afternoon," Pang Qian said sullenly. "Tomorrow, we'd play for the day, then go home in the afternoon. We wouldn't have to stay another night."
"Why? Then we'd be really rushed and it wouldn't be as fun," Gu Mingxi said. "We came so far away to Shanghai. Don't you want to enjoy your time at the convention?"
Pang Qian was quiet for awhile. "I miss home a little."
Gu Mingxi turned his head and looked at her in the dark. He saw a vague shape huddled on the bed. He thought for a moment and then said, "Pang Pang, during the day tomorrow, we'll go to the comic convention. At night, I'll take you to Nanjing Road and then the Bund (waterfront area), okay? The Bund is really beautiful at night. And you can even see the Oriental Pearl Tower."
Pang Qian was a bit amazed and asked foolishly, "Do you know the way there?"
"Yeah. I looked at the map. And I've been there before. I know how to take the train there."
"Okay." Pang Qian smiled and then said, "I wonder if Xie Yi will have time tomorrow. If he does, he can come play with us."
Gu Mingxi felt a bit stuffy inside. His tone was also a bit harsh when he said, "Xie Yi came with his friends. They probably already have plans."
Pang Qian thought a moment and then said, "That's true. I wonder what they're going to do. Actually, we can join them too."
Gu Mingxi nearly spit out blood.
After awhile, the room had become quiet and still again. The scent of the mosquito incense spread gradually. It was a strong smell, but it was also rather calming.
Since the window was closed, the room had become swelteringly hot. Gu Mingxi had gone from soaking with sweat to drying off, and back. He couldn't stand it anymore, so he got up and pulled off his t-shirt, sleeping with his upper body bare.
Very soon, his back was bitten twice by bugs. Gu Mingxi had no way to scratch, so he just had to endure the itchiness. He was dripping with sweat as he closed his eyes. He thought to himself, if the bugs stopped biting Pang Qian and bit him a few times instead, there was no harm in that.
-
The next morning, probably because the room was hot and stuffy, and there was an unpleasant smell in the air, even the lazy Pang Qian woke up very early. Her whole body was sticky from sweat, and she felt it was very uncomfortable. She looked over at Gu Mingxi... He was shirtless! He was just laying there on his bed. He didn't even cover up with a blanket!
The morning sunlight streamed into the room. Pang Qian could see very clearly. She threw a pillow over at Gu Mingxi. "Gu Mingxi! You should be ashamed!"
Gu Mingxi hadn't slept for most of the night. He'd finally drifted off to sleep at dawn, when suddenly a pillow landed on him. He rolled over, surprised. He sat up in confusion, with two wide open eyes, his hair a mess, his body covered in sweat, and a haggard expression on his face. They stared at each other for awhile, and then he finally burst out in laughter.
"Good morning, Pang Pang." Gu Mingxi's lips lifted up in a smile, revealing his canine teeth.
Pang Qian smiled and said, "Gu Mingxi, you have eye boogers!"
"Hey!"
Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi took turns washing up. After they changed their clothes and packed up their things, they checked out of the hostel.
In the future, they might live in a luxurious 5 star hotel. Or they might stay at a small villa on an island in the sea. Or they might go to a small vineyard, the aroma of grapes floating throughout the air. Maybe they would live in a university dorm, or they'd stay in a small hotel in some remote land. Maybe they could go camping and pitch a tent, or they could travel the world and live in hostels with strangers. But no matter where they stayed or what kind of bed they slept on, they would never forget this night in Shanghai.
This small hostel, hidden away in an alley... They didn't even know its address or name, but they would never forget it. Never ever.
Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi had breakfast at a small shop at the entryway to the alley.
Gu Mingxi was starving. After eating a bowl of wonton, he had a tray of xiaolongbao (soup dumpling), and then he also bought two youtiao (Chinese cruller).
The tables at that shop were very low. There couldn't have been anything more suitable for him. Gu Mingxi crouched and sat on the small stool, his right foot resting on the table. He picked up one dumpling after another and delivered it to his mouth.
Pang Qian also ate quite a bit. After they finished eating, she plucked up a napkin and wiped Gu Mingxi's mouth. They paid and then they headed to the convention center.
Gu Mingxi had already asked for directions and knew there was a train station nearby. That was great, because the train stopped right at the convention center. Gu Mingxi felt like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. He and Pang Qian found the train station and stood inside, examining the rail map.
The moment that Pang Qian discovered she'd be riding the train, she grew very excited. She'd already forgotten the homesickness she felt the evening before, and kept chattering on endlessly.
The ticket stations were automated. Standing in front of the ticket machine, Gu Mingxi directed Pang Qian. She was very nervous, and especially serious when she was inserting the coins into the machine. When the ticket came out, she finally let out a sigh of relief, and became joyous, "How interesting!"
She kept saying over and over, "So interesting! Gu Mingxi, when we go back, let me buy the tickets!"
"Okay." Seeing her upturned face and shining eyes, Gu Mingxi also smiled a bit.
He led Pang Qian to the platform. After a short while, the train came roaring in. Pang Qian couldn't contain her excitement as she stared at the train gradually come to a stop.
They got onto the train. It was Saturday, so the train car wasn't filled with commuters heading to work, but there were still no seats. Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi found a corner to stand in. Gu Mingxi leaned against a column and stood sideways, with Pang Qian in front of him.
Pang Qian was a curious kid, her head turning this way and that way, looking around. Then she saw how everyone was looking at Gu Mingxi.
Pang Qian really hated those looks, so she angrily returned their gazes. She stood quietly in front of Gu Mingxi, her right arm wrapping around his waist.
"Hey, it's itchy." Gu Mingxi twisted his body as he spoke quietly.
"I'm scared of the brakes."
"The train doesn't have brakes."
"Ah..."
Twenty minutes later, Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian got off the train and exited the station. After asking a police officer, they finally found their way to the convention center.
After seeing the convention's banner that she'd seen on the news, Pang Qian cheered, "We found it!"
The two of them bought an all day pass. The convention center was packed with people. Most of them looked to be junior and high school students like them. There were also some 20 something year olds and kids that were led by their parents.
Pang Qian's eyes glowed. Then she pulled at Gu Mingxi's sleeve and said, "Gu Mingxi, let's go find Xie Yi first!"
Gu Mingxi's eyes darkened slightly, but still nodded his head.
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