Chapter 1

Hey! The steamed bun took out two sticks, one was placed on the ear, and the other was lit, "Didn’t you say there was no cigarette"

Who would name a child "Fuyan"? That is truly too dismissive

Finally, Xi stopped in front of a row of storage rooms

"Where is your girlfriend?" the aunt said enthusiastically, "You are so busy, you must not have time for romance, right?"

I circled around a few old residential buildings twice, all I saw were broken electric scooters, which was quite dull

It seems that this place was already swept once yesterday

Xiang Xi placed all the money in Mantou's hands: "It's all yours."

It is almost 30." Cheng Boyan replied

Mantou's leg is not severely lame; he can walk quite well, albeit with a slight limp. However, he always strives to make his gait a bit more uneven.

No, Xi is focused on moving forward, "Let's go eat something."

So damn pretentious

"I can't make an appointment, and I can't know in advance that my leg is going to break," the elderly woman pointed to her leg. "Can't I see a different doctor? I'm getting older, and I can't afford to break my leg too many times. Isn't it better to have an older doctor with more experience?"

I was wrong, Cheng Boyan smiled and said, "I needed it today, so I just put it away."

Mantou is different from Xiangxi; Xiangxi has been following Ping Shu since he was picked up a few months ago, while Mantou was only brought back by Erpan when he was seven or eight years old

He turned and walked back to the mailbox, peering inside the mailbox opening and even reaching in to rummage around.

Xiang Xi raised an eyebrow, finding Mantou's words somewhat unbelievable and surprising, almost forgetting to lower his raised eyebrow back to its original position

He turned around, but the two people who had bumped into him were already nowhere to be seen

What a terrible name

Doctor Liu in the adjacent consultation room is half-shouting at a hard-of-hearing patient, having spoken all day, and now shouting again, making his voice sound as if it is about to break

"People don't have girlfriends, nor do they have any interest in the daughters of the Chen family. " Her daughter, feeling helpless, said, "Mom, please don't ask such irrelevant questions, it's quite impolite. The doctor is busy, so please don't keep interrupting."

Xiao Zhan was taken aback and did not accept the money

Is that so? Cheng Boyan smiled.

Well, buy a few bottles of oil at the supermarket by the door. Your grandmother still eats a lot of oil, saying she doesn't use it much. Just buy it for her and bring it over.

Upon hearing the names of the steamed buns and the two dishes, his expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant

After taking two steps, he stopped again, seemingly indifferent

He could only take a moment to quickly send a text message to his mother saying that he would be late

It is rare to see someone on an ID photo who can be considered handsome. Xi Zhe clicked his tongue and, upon turning the corner at the post office, threw his ID into the mailbox, followed by tossing all the cards from his wallet into the trash can

Against the backdrop of a streetlight that barely shines brighter than a candle in the distance, Xi looked at Mantou's rear, which was intermittently visible at the door of the storage room. Her movements were rather clumsy, as her backside had gone in and out several times, yet she still had not finished.

Before Xiang Xi could raise his head, a small and thin figure flew out from the second-floor platform and fell heavily in front of Xiang Xi and Mantou

Xiang Xichong whistled at the steamed bun

Hmm. Xiang Xi responded with a sound, lowering his head to glance at the cigarette butt he had been holding in his mouth, which had already been extinguished

I don't want to eat. Xiang Xina poked the rice with chopsticks a few times, picked up a piece of meat, and then put it down again

Xiang Xi leaned against the wall, staring at the cars that occasionally passed by on the road, experiencing the sensation of the north wind seeping through his collar, feeling an inexplicable sense of anxiety in his heart

"Don't just rush in like that!" The person who bumped into him shouted to another, then turned back and said to him, "I'm sorry, brother, my apologies."

This looks rather dire; Mantou once said that if the victim is caught, they might just let it go if they feel soft-hearted.

You, as a person... if you want to say it that way, then so be it," Mantou chuckled twice, "Then why didn't you come down together to hide? Why did you have to lead people away?

Wherever my mother, the former nutritionist, goes, everything is counted, and grandma's house is always a key stronghold.

Indeed, it is empty

Xiao Zhan lowered his head to eat the steamed bun for a while, then put down his chopsticks and looked at Xiang Xi, saying, "Just now... thank you, you are really considerate"

Uncle Ping has two self-built two-story small buildings in the central area of this region, located at No. 17 Zhaojiayao Dawa, along with some shops and rental properties, all of which are illegal constructions

An elderly woman was helped in and sat down, unable to put one leg on the ground, groaning in pain, with a rather pained expression on her face

Xiang Xi listened to the alternating light and heavy footsteps of Mantou behind him and sighed

It seems that it will snow soon. Today, it got dark particularly early; it was already like a shadow play before six o'clock, and now it is completely dark.

Xiang Xi has never attended school; he learned to read and write from the card table and the yellow literature of fake blind people. He can remember the strokes of simple characters, while for complex characters, he only remembers their shapes

"It's nothing," Xiang Xi glanced at him, estimating that he must have scraped against the ground when he was pushed down, leaving a large patch of dust on Mantou's face. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, "Let's go"

After waiting for about ten seconds, Xiang Xi could no longer bear it and prepared to go over to exchange for steamed buns.

"Where to?" Mantou spat on the ground, took out a cigarette case, glanced at it, and found it empty. He felt somewhat displeased and crumpled the empty cigarette case before tossing it aside. "Do you have any cigarettes?"

Xiao Zhan is the nickname given to Xiang Xi by Uncle Ping when he found him

Xiang Xi looked around to both sides, then raised his head to glance at the upstairs behind him. All the doors were closed, and the light spilling from the windows gave him an indescribable sense of loss.

Zhaojiayao. Xiangxi reported the address from the back seat

Cheng Boyan glanced at the clock on the wall, it was 5:30

Aren't you tired of living?" Xiangxi sat back down in the chair

The car stopped in front of this sign, and Xiang Xi opened the car door and jumped out.

"Who said we are friends?" Xiang Xi frowned and turned to look at him, "Can you stop being foolish?"

Cheng Boyan hung up the phone and reached into his outer coat pocket.

Is it really perfunctory or expansive

Xiang Xi glanced at the platform; it was not high, but if he crouched down, he could avoid being seen. He quickened his pace and continued running forward

I can't take it anymore," Mantou bit her lip, excitedly rolling up her sleeves and pulling up her pant legs, slapping her arms and legs repeatedly, "How many injuries are there? Don't say you don't know, I don't even know myself. If I stay here any longer, I might as well be dead!"

"Has your brain been rubbed by a skateboard shoe?" Xiangxi sighed, clenching his fist against his stomach. "As soon as a person turns around, both of them are gone. The next second, it's clear they must be hiding under the stage. With a mind like yours, it's a wonder that you have lasted this long in the second round."

I propped my legs up on the coffee table, watched the program "Today's Statement" on CCTV-1, and thought I would take a nap before going out to buy groceries, as there were no vegetables left at home. I needed to go shopping and prepare a meal to serve these few foodies...

"Do you smoke?" Xiangxi took out a cigarette case from his pocket and handed it to Mantou.

He also has patients over there, you need to choose a doctor when making an appointment," Cheng Boyan smiled and asked, "Did you injure your leg?

Xiang Xi found a sheltered corner against the wall, leaned against it and breathed heavily for a while; now it was no longer cold, and he was even sweating lightly. However, his throat felt dry and scratchy.

However, just as a steamed bun trembles when lifted with two plates, Xiang Xi is afraid of Uncle Ping. Uncle Ping has a round face and smiles at everyone; his ruthlessness lies beneath the surface. Xiang Xi grew up alongside him but has never fully grasped his temperament

Having just taken two steps forward, I heard hurried footsteps coming from the hallway behind me, which did not match the usual pace of someone leaving.

"Hmm, just now." Cheng Boyan turned his head again, but there was no one.

Having said it, one should not say it again; with Xi's temperament, he could easily come up and turn him from a flat surface into a flip cover in the next second

Cheng Boyan

Uncle Ping is the boss, and Erpan often listens to him. However, this person is ruthless and has a dark side. Mantou's leg was kicked and broken by Erpan, nearly incapacitating him. Mantou is afraid of Erpan

As I was about ten meters away from No. 17, a short, sharp scream came from the second-floor platform beside me, followed by a man's roar: "Go to hell!"

Oh, that's not small at all. It doesn't look like it; it seems to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, " said the aunt.

Hmm. Cheng Boyan hung up the phone and zipped up his jacket

Xiang Xi flicked his hand, and the cigarette butt flew far away from the bun's mouth

No, Cheng Boyan let those two people pass and continued to move forward. Someone bumped into me, I will call you later, Mom.

to achieve great ambitions

The wallet, when squeezed, is made of high-quality leather, and it is also very new, having been kept in good condition

The steamed bun did not speak, but went over to check a few doors, standing in front of one of them. He took a pair of pliers out of his pocket and, with just a couple of moves, managed to unlock the padlock on the storage room door.

Xiang Xi seemed to have been poked by something, jumping up from the chair, grabbing his coat, and turning to walk out.

The north wind blew fiercely, as if it were hastening the souls to be reborn, sweeping past one's body and stinging the face painfully

Almost every time I take a taxi back, the driver always adds this sentence, "Just to the intersection"

Hey. As soon as Mantou opened the door, he cheerfully called out in a low voice.

"I know," Xiang Xi said somewhat impatiently

What are you doing? The steamed bun looked at him in confusion from the side

I bought it at the supermarket at the street corner," Cheng Boyan said to his mother while holding his phone, "I will be there in a moment...

However, today I must take some risks, as the residential areas here are quite old, many of which lack property management, and some do not even have walls, making entry and exit convenient

This was not a chance encounter; the person had been watching from upstairs and came down with something in hand to pursue.

"You talk too much, take a smoke and give your tongue a rest," Xiang Xi said, "I've recently adopted a more profound demeanor, can you cooperate with that?"

The weather forecast indicates that there will be snow tomorrow. It seems likely that it will start tonight.

"Doctor," the elderly woman sat in the treatment room looking at Cheng Boyan, "I hope I haven't delayed your off-duty time."

Although fighting and being beaten are not Xiang Xi's strengths, running is. The pursuers behind him persistently chased him all the way to the street outside, but finally gave up.

Due to the income received, the two took a taxi back

Is it still Cheng Boyan

"In a moment," Xiang Xi said, turning his head to take a glance; both of those two were holding weapons.

Inside his small quilt, there was a piece of paper that presumably contained his date of birth and surname. Uncle Pan named him Xiang Xi based on this surname.

Before the film was released, Cheng Boyan had finished seeing the last few patients. The time had already reached the end of the workday. He glanced at the clock; they had agreed to go to his grandmother's house for dinner today, and it was likely that the meal was almost ready by now

"Damn, I caught a big fish." Mantou sniffed from the side

What happened? " came the voice of my mother from the phone

You just told me, "Xiang Xi is staring at his face, 'I will go back and tell Erpan.'"

Had a joyful night

"You put your ID card back in your wallet again, didn't you?" Mom sighed, "How many times have I told you not to put your ID card in your wallet"

There is a brand new vehicle inside, but it is securely locked, and the only option is to remove the battery

"You run too slowly, I will have to drag you, there is no way to escape." Xiang Xi took a sip of hot tea, feeling as if someone was scraping his stomach with a dull knife.

After walking for a while with his neck retracted, a person walked out of the supermarket ahead. Xiangxi glanced at him, quickly turned his head back, and Mantou was limping a few meters behind him.

After standing in place for a few seconds, Cheng Boyan continued to walk forward while carrying his belongings. He made several phone calls to report his bank cards as lost. His mother's call came in again: "What happened?"

Cheng Boyan understood what was going on, explained it to the elderly lady's daughter who was standing by, and then issued an order for an X-ray to be taken first

When Erpan went to the south on a "business trip," he encountered a situation where, upon arriving, Xiangxi could not understand what Mantou was saying.

"There are thirty thousand pieces in the second room, I... I know where they are," said Mantou

Mantou glanced ahead and immediately understood, limping over while shouting: "Hey, you fool, wait for me! Why are you walking so fast!"

After the two turned around the side of the building, Xiang Xi suddenly slowed down, pushed the steamed bun down towards the platform, and said in a hushed voice: "You can leave later."

How much longer until the New Year?" Mantou stood up, shrinking his neck, "Where shall we go for a stroll?"

As soon as one turns into the narrow street, there is a sense that the terrain descends further with each step, pulling one downwards, making it difficult to catch one's breath

"Screw it," Xiangxi circled the mailbox twice, kicked it, and said, "Forget it, let's go."

Another year has passed

Xiang Xi squinted his eyes and remained silent. Everyone had their share of injuries, and Mantou had never mentioned leaving all these years, so it was unlikely that he would leave now for this reason

I am leaving," Mantou gritted his teeth and spoke the words, then let go of his hand and leaned back against the chair. "Go and talk to Erpan."

"Separate?" asked Mantou as he rushed forward.

When the sign was erected, he did not know, but this sign seems to serve no other purpose than to convey to the public that this place is very dangerous

I know you don't believe me, and if I were in your position, I wouldn't believe it either. I dare not run away; if I were found in the second round, I would be dead, and besides, I have no money to escape..." Mantou's voice was very low, and when he said this, he looked up at Xiangxi, his eyes sparkling. "But now I have money.

Indeed, the elderly woman furrowed her brows and said, "Isn't it strange? I was just watching television, and I ended up injuring my leg! What kind of situation is this?"

The mood is not very bright

"Aunt," Cheng Boyan had to interrupt her, "Sleep for a while, and then what?"

Xiao Zhan, the steamed bun, silently finished the meal in front of him with a sullen face, "I need to tell you something."

"Catch the thief!" A man's voice rang out from behind, filled with vigor as he shouted, "Catch the thief!"

It is truly a miracle that a cripple can run so fast

"Forget it, just come over first," my mother said without elaborating further, "Your grandmother is already waiting anxiously."

Without a bag, the pants are fitted, making it apparent that there is nothing in the pockets. The wallet is in the inner pocket of the coat, and because I just came out of a supermarket that was warm and heated, the coat's zipper is not fastened.

These buildings are situated at a relatively high elevation, with a large platform beneath the first floor, requiring several steps down to reach ground level

"Auntie," Cheng Boyan stood up from his chair and squatted down in front of her, "Is it your calf that hurts?"

The elderly woman glanced at Cheng Boyan, probably feeling uncomfortable due to the pain, and did not say much more: "That young man, you make sure to take good care of him."

"It's nothing, I'll finish up here and then leave work," Cheng Boyan glanced at her, "I need to give you..."

He was also given a nickname, which signifies great ambitions.

Do not tell me, "Xiang Xi stood up, took his coat, and turned to leave," I do not want to hear it

There are hardly any people left on the street, and Xiang Xi plans to go ahead and take the subway

Xiang Xi has stayed in this "home" for about ten years

Oh... the aunt looked a bit disappointed as she turned to glance at her daughter, "That girl from the old Chen family next door is out of the question; this doctor is quite handsome."

Cheng Boyan was afraid that if he continued speaking, the aunt would enthusiastically take charge of his marriage matters, so he replied: "I have a girlfriend."

"The New Year is approaching, isn't it?" Mantou, who had been crouching by his leg to avoid the wind, asked intuitively.

At the intersection stands a white road sign, displaying the street name, with a small blue sign below it that reads 'Strict Management Street'

Understood. Cheng Boyan tugged at his collar, as the wind was quite strong

It was quite a relief to see the elderly lady off. Cheng Boyan let out a sigh of relief, changed his clothes, locked the door, and quickly walked out of the hospital.

After she sat down, she stared at Cheng Boyan for a while. Before Cheng Boyan could ask her anything, she hurriedly said, "Is the older doctor next door available? Can I have him take a look?"

Xiang Xi put the money into his pocket and turned to walk forward: "Don't mention that matter to me again, do as you please, just don't tell me, I know nothing."

In the Zhaojiayao area, there are almost no streetlights, and the various tangled electric wires seem to be mere decorations, almost capable of slicing the full moon into fragments. The illumination relies solely on the light emanating from the seemingly endless illegal constructions on both sides, making it difficult to discern the shadowy figures lurking in the corners of the streets. Occasionally, one can hear shouts of abuse coming from an unknown source and sudden cries that unexpectedly rise an octave.

Silently continuing to walk forward, Xiang Xi cleared out the remaining items in his wallet: a few bank cards, which were of no use, and an ID card. Xiang Xi took it out to take a look, feeling indifferent.

Xiang Xi had never attended school, and he did not understand the meaning of the phrase "to develop grand ambitions." It was only after he grew up that a fake blind man from next door, who used fortune-telling as a pretext to deceive and exploit women, explained the meaning of this phrase to him, and he finally understood.

Xiang Xi curled the corner of his mouth and smiled: "Don't get too invested; I am not doing this for you"

What a damn misfortune

"I know, I know, just wait for me to take it off," the aunt immediately waved her hand, and her daughter came over to help her take off one pant leg. "If I knew that watching TV could lead to a fracture, I definitely wouldn't wear these skinny pants."

Fortunately, there are not many people filming at this time. The urgent film for the aunt has been completed. Cheng Boyan watched the film, and the fracture situation is not too serious; an external fixation will suffice.

"Doctor, what do you think is wrong with me? I exercise every day and even bump into trees, making a loud noise! How can I break a leg just by lifting it? Have you ever seen anyone like me? This must be one of a kind, right?" The elderly woman was quite perplexed about her condition.

I want to return to the south," Mantou poured a cup of tea and took two sips, "I want to go home.

"Damn, I didn't even take anything and they are chasing me so fiercely!" Mantou ran into him at the street corner, "Are you okay?"

"You idiot, your father..." Xiang Xi said, quickly walking over to that man.

Cheng Boyan expressed some helplessness: "Let me show you first, shall I? Please do not delay your condition any further"

The person coming out of the supermarket is holding two bags in one hand and is talking on the phone with the other hand

"Don't run away!" Mantou came running over, stumbling and throwing himself onto him, "Let's go drink!"

It is mealtime now, and the north wind is howling mournfully as if it has lost a loved one. Generally speaking, no one would venture out, but Xiang Xi does not want to take any risks. He has not eaten and is freezing, constantly feeling that if someone were to chase him, he would crumble into pieces while running.

Without looking back, Xiang Xi knew just by the sound that this person was definitely solid. With someone like him, even if ten people pounced on him, it would not be enough for him to swing an arm.

He didn't know. Xiang Xi was not very inclined to speak; first, because he would just be blowing hot air, and second, because he hadn't entered the tent for two days. If he didn't manage to get the money tonight, he would have to wander outside for another night, and when he returned, Uncle Ping would turn him into cured meat.

The elderly lady spoke a lot, and while Cheng Boyan silently fixed her, she kept asking questions: "Doctor, how old are you?"

Xiang Xi stumbled forward, colliding into the man with that momentum

However, Xiang Xi did not move, still staring at him, and after a few seconds finally squeezed out a sentence through his teeth: "I f*** your mother"

"It's nothing, just eat your food." Xiang Xi leaned against the wall, it's not a magical elixir that can restore health with just one meal.

Cheng Boyan quickly took a throat lozenge and popped it into his mouth, then called in the next patient

What kind of exhibition can a person like him present, let alone something grand

In one month, the New Year will arrive

"Stolen?" Mother was somewhat surprised

In this atmosphere, not to mention stepping inside, just taking a glance at the entrance can frighten quite a few people

"It just went in, and it was just... stolen." Cheng Boyan sighed

Xiang Xi opened his wallet, took out the money, and counted it; it was over 4,000.

Xiang Xi did not speak

I don't know. Xiang Xi pulled at his collar and turned to walk along the street in the direction away from the wind

He looked out the window, through two layers of glass and the condensation on top. The already dim street scene outside resembled a horror film, reduced to only blurred spots of light and shadows.

I can hardly breathe, " Mantou grabbed his hand tightly, " I just want to talk to someone.

On his way to the parking lot, he called his mother and said, "I am on my way now"

Are you eating? Aren't you going to get another one? Are we going back today?" Mantou patted the dust off his pants, "If we go back like this, we probably won't have good days ahead. When I came out today, I saw Ping Shu's face looking so grim... Hey, I said, Xiao Zhan, why have you been so unmotivated lately? You weren't like this before. You haven't opened for two days, which is unlike your style... There are no words left."... Hey, I said, Xiao Zhan, why have you been so unmotivated lately? You weren't like this before. You haven't opened for two days, which is unlike your style... There are no words left.

Zhaojiayao is an urban village, covering a large area, with an exceptional capacity for harboring filth and disorder. It is the most chaotic place in the city, where various thugs diligently perform the act of "Watch me beat you to death" every day.

"Chase! Don't let him get away!" another voice shouted, "We didn't catch him yesterday, and he dares to come again today!"

The driver turned back to look at the two of them several times, and then added, "Just to the intersection."

"Why aren't you eating?" Mantou glanced at Xiangxi while eating his rice bowl.

No. Cheng Boyan secured the splint for her

Before he could finish speaking, he felt someone collide with him from the front. Before he could clearly see who it was, he was solidly bumped into the chest. He frowned and said, "Oh!"

Mantu had never seen this expression before; he knew that Mantu must have something significant to say, but he did not want to know. Mantu's big matter could only be related to Uncle Ping from Erpan. If he were to find out, it would only bring him trouble.

The sky outside has turned dark, and through the window, one can see the bare branches of the trees swaying as if they are trying to borrow another five hundred years from the heavens, buffeted by the old north wind

Er Pan is Ping Shu's sworn brother, and Mantou can be considered one of his own

The steamed bun was pushed down by him as if it were a sack.

The steamed bun remained silent as I picked up my chopsticks and continued to eat

"I don't know? Are you unsure about when the New Year is, or are you not sure where to go?" The steamed bun limped along behind him.

That should also be called a grand exhibition

Mantou gave the fare, patted his pocket, and seemed to want to discuss the division of the more than 4,000 in his pocket with Xiangxi. Xiangxi ignored him, tossing back a remark, "Don't touch the money from the second plate," before turning and walking inside

The surname is Xiang, found in the west

I did not make a mistake in befriending you. " The voice of Mantou suddenly carried a hint of choking.

"Are you married yet?" the aunt asked again, staring at his face.

Damn! Xi stumbled for a moment, and there were actually two!

How does it look? Cheng Boyan was taken aback; it is indeed quite impressive. He reached out, intending to gently push up the auntie's pant leg to take a look, but the auntie was dressed heavily, and he was unsuccessful.

"Did you just inflate it and now have a stomachache?" Mantou frowned, "How about we switch to some congee? Drinking congee is good for the stomach."

The technology for removing batteries by Mantou is not as good as that of Xiangxi, but today Xiangxi has an injury on his hand, and because of his injury, he has to take on this task.

Moreover, it is not just this street; it should be renamed as the Strict Management Zone

After walking along the street for a while, Xiang turned a corner. He is not very familiar with this area, having come here infrequently. Further ahead, it is no longer Uncle Ping's territory, and venturing into this area could easily lead to trouble

It is not human trafficking; Mantou firmly insists that he ran away from home and has previously stated resolutely that he never wants to return home

Go! Xiangxi did not have time to think much, he rushed in and grabbed the collar of the steamed bun, pulling it and running towards the street.

"As one ages, osteoporosis is not uncommon," Cheng Boyan said with a smile, quickly filling out the form. "This morning, an older lady turned over in bed and fractured her thigh. However, you need to be careful; that tree... it can be quite a bump. Just avoid hitting it. Let's get this done for an X-ray, and I will expedite it for you."

Then? There is nothing after that. As I lifted my leg, the aunt exclaimed while slapping the table, "Crack! My leg is broken! I can't touch the ground! Just wait for my daughter to come home and take me over. Oh, it hurts so much, doctor, please fix it for me quickly."