Chapter 0001 I have returned
In fact, it was only a distance of one or two hundred meters. As soon as I turned the corner, I saw a three-wheeled motorcycle overturned on the ground, not much deformed. However, another car had crossed the center of the road, riding in the opposite direction on top of the motorcycle, and the engine compartment in front was surprisingly smashed to pieces, scattered all over the ground
Whether it is schadenfreude or a feeling of compassion, both have provided Buck with a rare quiet environment upon his return home
Liu Shufen, in a state of panic, wiped her tears and was about to rush out the door when Buck reached out to hold her back: "Don't panic, don't panic... Just stay at home and wait for news. If they need any documents, procedures, or money sent to the hospital, I will call you. The home phone number hasn't changed, right?" He grabbed the mobile phone and dashed out, casually pulling down a nylon rope from the door frame as he left. Buck vaguely remembered being mischievous as a child, and Ba Dacheng often used that rope to discipline him.
Buck remained silent, patted his shoulder, and swiftly slipped under the front of the car, which was tilted at an angle. Ignoring the oil stains and sharp edges that had already damaged his shoulder, he tested the angle. His squatting legs seemed to unleash boundless strength, and with a muffled grunt, the car body surprisingly moved!
Ba Zhimin has returned! The son of the Ba family who went abroad has come back!
Kaba let out a mournful cry: "Ba Zhimin! You son of a dog!"
Buck seemed oblivious to the blood flowing from his shoulder, reaching out to lift the tricycle. The man in the suit unexpectedly rushed over, jumping up and down in a frenzy, shouting: "You owe me for my car... you damaged my car!" Not yet satisfied, he reached out to grab Buck, choosing to pull at Buck's waist due to the dirt covering Buck's upper body.
Buck couldn't help but roll his eyes. Before he could say anything, the small handbag of his mother rang. An old, likely unwanted, flat imitation mobile phone was pulled out. There was no need to lean in to listen; the loud volume conveyed the message clearly: "Sister! Old Ba has been in a car accident... Hurry over! It's right by the roadside on San Village Road!"
Buck finally became somewhat angry, gripping the opponent's shoulder with his left hand and delivering a skillful uppercut with his right hand
Pointing to a specific angle for the helmeted driver: "When I lift it, just wedge the steel plate in to pry open the space, avoiding pressing on the legs." This side nodded in understanding, surprisingly recognizing Buck's appearance, and kept lamenting: "Your dad just heard you were back and urged you to hurry... that's why he couldn't dodge this car... he really came in the wrong direction..."
The same poverty, the same hardships, the small suite of just over 20 square meters is still the dormitory building I moved into during my time at Bucknell Elementary School. The walls are adorned with several movie posters of Schwarzenegger, showcasing his muscular physique while wielding firearms, which testify to my childhood yearning for such adventurous and thrilling gunfire. In retrospect, it now seems like a colossal joke!
Since Liu Shufen's son entered the house, the smile on her face has not ceased, and tears have flowed continuously. Now, she is holding Buck's arm tightly: "Ever since you went abroad for your studies, your father has been talking about you... That money, we used it to buy you a house. Nowadays, which girl doesn't want a house when starting a family... We are not eligible for a loan, so we can only pay in full once, and we have saved a little bit left over."
Buck found it truly unbelievable: "Didn’t I send money back? It was in US dollars, one hundred thousand dollars. How are you all living like this?" Even if there are fluctuations in the exchange rate, Buck repeatedly emphasized that this was merely to improve his parents' living conditions. He was concerned that giving too much might cause some trouble, yet that still amounts to several hundred thousand.
At that moment, Buck's footsteps reached the side of the car, seemingly oblivious, his eyes only focused on his father's already agonized and contorted face. He had already removed the brand new sports jacket from his hands and placed it under his father's neck. The dazed Ba Dacheng, who had just opened his eyes, looked somewhat surprised at the dark face and the book, as if he did not recognize his son at first glance. Buck's eyes quickly scanned the scene, and he reached out to cover his father's eyes, saying, "NO... It's fine, close your eyes..." Almost instinctively slipping into English, the dazed Ba Dacheng looked surprised at the dark face and the book, seemingly not recognizing his son at first. Buck's eyes had already swiftly scanned the scene, and he reached out to cover his father's eyes again, saying, "NO... It's fine, close your eyes..." Almost instinctively slipping into English, he jumped up and prioritized picking up the bumper of this Japanese sedan, which had surprisingly been knocked off by a tricycle. The thin steel plate felt weightless in his hand.
Those who extend a helping hand are somewhat hesitant. In response to the tone that prioritizes one's own vehicle over the lives of others, and values face over life and death, one can only express dissatisfaction. The helmeted driver, in a pale and helpless manner, explains: "You suddenly rushed over... we were just fine..."
Others seemed to be startled awake and hurriedly rushed over to help lift it. However, just as they managed to raise it a little, the man in the suit unexpectedly jumped over and forcefully pushed away those who were helping, shouting: "My car! Are you going to pay for it?"
Originally, by employing some skills, even a single person could manage to move the vehicle. However, Buck unexpectedly lost some balance, swaying heavily and heading straight towards the tricycle. The driver, who had inserted the anti-collision steel plate, shouted: "It's going to be a disaster...!"
Several bystanders have already gathered around, anxiously unsure of what to do, as Ba Dacheng is trapped!
The fist accurately struck the diaphragm between the opponent's sternum and abdomen, accompanied by the piercing scream of that enchanting woman, causing the man to fall silently to the ground, curled up like a shrimp, his throat emitting uncontrollable hoarse sounds, yet unable to move
Just like the earth of Shenzhou that Buck saw on his way back, which has undergone tremendous changes everywhere, this corner of the railway staff quarters seems to have detached from this era, remaining completely unchanged since he left seven years ago. The only difference is that the small advertisements on the wall have shifted from Red Heart K nutritional products to broadband upgrades, yet the fraudulent projects related to the old military doctor's sexually transmitted diseases and syphilis continue, fulfilling their own historical mission.
Liu Shufen seemed to suddenly realize that her son had returned, as if the family had suddenly gained a pillar of support. She nodded vigorously, patting her chest with her left hand, standing by the door watching her son take several big strides and jump outside
The jaws were also creaking, and Buck tightened his shoulders, his sturdy legs bracing against the weight. Amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd, he managed to stand firm, then heavily stepped aside, causing the sedan to crash sideways onto the ground, with the previously undamaged door and glass on the other side shattering with a loud bang.
The man in the suit said confidently: "You don't even have a license plate! You are driving an unregistered vehicle! You shouldn't be on the road! You are fully responsible!"
The mother, wearing a light gray shirt and a brown jacket over it, held a small bag with frayed edges in her arms, which Buck had reached out to embrace. Perhaps unaccustomed to her son's European-style gestures, she, in her fifties, still felt a bit shy. Observing her mother with her disheveled gray hair, though capable, her frail figure appeared even more pronounced. The young man, who once held a gun to the heads of many with a heart as cold as iron, suddenly felt a wave of heartache.
The fractured fibula was forcibly pushed back into place! Then, immediately using a strip of fabric torn from his own clothing as a splint, he bandaged and secured it in position, binding it together with the intact leg, the movements so swift that they seemed to flash by.
The news spread almost instantaneously throughout this residential area of over ten buildings, home to hundreds of ordinary railway workers and their families
The turnable buck seemed to have pulled him to an iron stake, nearly causing him to stumble. In a fit of anger and embarrassment, he kicked at the tricycle, and had he kicked it hard enough, it might have toppled over and landed on Ba Dacheng.
Buck was also a bit anxious, suddenly placing his arm in the gap that had just been raised between the vehicle and the tricycle to cushion the impact. His shoulder was heavily struck by the underside of the vehicle, causing his legs to tremble
So, with great strides, he jumped down more than ten steps to reach the ground, spread his feet, and began to run. Without the burden of firearms, his steps were remarkably light. However, Buck felt a heavy weight in his heart, unable to articulate why.
Buck knows how much he can squat and press in the gym on the battlefield
Therefore, at this time, visiting to observe the commotion or to offer congratulations seems somewhat inappropriate, even in a relatively harmonious and friendly family neighborhood. It is better to wait and see how the situation unfolds.
Ba Dacheng just managed to reveal a faint smile through his pain, releasing his left hand from the straw hat, which surprisingly contained a bag of braised pig's head meat: "You... your favorite to eat..."
However, not many people gathered to watch the excitement, as the accompanying message of this somewhat trivial gossip was that the young man from the Ba family seemed to be doing quite poorly, having returned empty-handed. Who returns from abroad without a large or small bag in hand?
Although the sportswear on him is brand new, it is clearly just a cheap, hastily purchased item from the domestic market, lacking any semblance of someone who has made money abroad
By the time Liu Shufen called her husband to share the good news, Ba Dacheng had already taken leave from the workshop and was hurriedly riding on a three-wheeled motorcycle on the road
A stern shout rang out: "Do not move the scene! I have already called the traffic police and the insurance... If you damage the scene, you will have to pay!" A man in a suit, with no injuries on his head, jumped and waved his hands to stop others. Beside him was a delicate young woman, her figure voluptuous and alluring, holding her phone high and continuously taking selfies with the accident scene. She spoke loudly into the phone: "What bad luck! I crashed into a motorcycle with Mr. Wang, come pick us up..."
Every bone in his body seemed to be cracking! If he had not endured trials even more arduous than this, Buck would have almost collapsed to his knees
Looking again at his very dark and weathered skin, he still appears to be a young man in his twenties. Coupled with his lean and strong physique, he undoubtedly engages in manual labor, which is in stark contrast to the usual impression of someone who frequently travels abroad
The overturned motorcycle was pinned under Ba Dacheng's leg. Ba Dacheng, bloodied and with a head injury, was drenched in sweat, his face etched with deep wrinkles of pain. He clutched a straw hat that was on the verge of wearing out, refusing to let it go. Nearby, a person in a helmet, holding a phone, was at a loss: "Old Ba... what should we do? Are you in pain...?" They futilely attempted to push the heavy car, which was partially resting on the motorcycle, realizing that in order to pull Ba Dacheng out, they would need to lift the car.
Finally free from this nagging man, the crowd had already lifted the tricycle. Buck knelt down, reached out and merely touched it, then first pulled down the nylon rope around his neck, skillfully tying a knot on Ba Dacheng's thigh to stop the bleeding from the wound. He then removed the two wiper blades from the rickshaw and placed them beside Ba Dacheng's already deformed calf. He smiled at his father's eyes, which were trying to open as much as possible: "Dad, I am back... From now on, you won't have to suffer anymore"
Who are you scolding
However, someone still called Ba Dacheng, Ba Ke's father, this honest man who had spent his entire life working on the railway, to share the good news
Indeed, Ba Zhiming is the original name of Ba Ke. Although the surname Ba is quite rare, there is indeed such a surname in Yucheng that has been passed down from the Ba people since the Warring States period. As for Ba Ke, it was merely a name chosen by Ba Zhiming for convenience after going abroad
Even if a car weighing nearly one ton has one side on the ground, it still exerts a weight of several hundred kilograms
It really hasn't changed
Buck felt a jolt in his heart, but seizing the moment when his father was distracted, he suddenly yanked and pulled on the already broken and misaligned tibia, aligning the bone perfectly!
Kneeling down, the heavy blow that followed essentially severed the father's thigh completely
Returning home, it feels just like the dormitory area I saw when I first stepped onto the steps, as if I have returned to over a decade ago