Chapter 7: Running Away from Home and Dropping Out of School

I had not yet arrived at the classroom when I heard the voice of the homeroom teacher, seemingly discussing matters related to class division

I said I was here to pick something up, and as I spoke, I walked towards my seat. At that moment, the classmates in the class looked at me differently, and I felt quite awkward myself. I glanced at Mo Jingjie, and she happened to look at me too; her expression was somewhat complex. After reaching my desk, I lifted the table to leave. A guy behind me quickly grabbed my chair and followed me out. During this time, the classroom was eerily quiet.

Liu Hui, who was standing nearby, was beside herself with grief. No matter how much she hit my father, it had no effect. In the end, she was at her wit's end, ran to the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and rushed over to my father, shouting loudly: "If you don't stop, I'll kill myself right in front of you!"

When hungry, I eat buns; when thirsty, I drink tap water from the pipe. At night, I have slept over piles of corn stalks in suburban dairy farms and in abandoned little earthen houses in orchards. How should I put it? Anyway, during the first couple of days, I felt particularly free and at ease, with all my worries cast aside. The only regret is that I couldn't bring myself to eat more of that bag of buns, which had already gone sour and stinky by the next evening. Had I known this would happen, I might as well have eaten a few more from the start

After working for a whole month at the food factory, my supervisor asked the boss to pay me my salary. I took the salary home and, while passing by a shoe store, spent more than half of it to buy a pair of shoes for my father

The master sighed and said: Let me tell you a true story of mine. My wife passed away early, leaving me and my son behind. To raise him, I worked tirelessly to earn a living. Perhaps due to my lack of time and attention, he got involved with the wrong crowd from a young age. He often faced my wrath, and our relationship was akin to that of enemies. I often pondered how I ended up with such a son. A few years ago, he was caught by someone after a girl passing by touched him inappropriately behind the iron factory, which brought shame upon me. When he returned, I nearly broke his legs out of anger. That day, he ran away and hasn't returned for two years. At first, I didn't miss him, but as time passed, I felt a heaviness in my heart. After all, he is my only son. What will I do when I grow old and find myself alone and desolate?

I said that home should be good, yet I still come out. My dad would rather I die outside.

The master cried for a long time, then wiped his tears, deliberately forced a smile, and said to me: "Alas, compared to your father, he is happier than I am; at least he still has a son in this world"

At that moment, both of them saw me, and they both looked at me with expressions of surprise. The woman in front of Sunglasses Jie had originally intended to speak to me, but just as she opened her mouth, she was quickly pulled away by Sunglasses Jie.

Later, one day during a meal, the master said to me: Child, go home, there is no place better than home outside

Only then did my father loosen his grip, and Liu Hui quickly helped me untie the wire around my neck. After a long while, I finally regained my composure. To be honest, there was a moment when I truly felt I was about to die. Now, suddenly released, that instinct for survival surged back within me, and I sprang to my feet, startling Liu Hui.

On the day school started on September 1, I did not go to the new school, but instead went to our original school and library. At that time, students had to purchase their own desks, and if one was not attending anymore, the desk had to be taken back. Moreover, my books and other materials were still there.

Upon hearing this, I felt a bit uneasy in my heart, so I asked the master, what happened next

I responded with an acknowledgment, saying I understood, but felt somewhat displeased inside. To be honest, I had planned to continue my studies after returning on my own this time, yet my father's words clearly indicated that my academic journey had come to an end

As it was already summer vacation, with more than a month until school started, I had no one to play with, so I spent my days at home watching television. It was probably in the days leading up to the start of school when Liu Hui gave me two hundred yuan and asked me to buy a new outfit. While shopping with the money, I unexpectedly ran into Sunglasses Jie and the girl with the doctor mother.

When I ran out of money, I found a job as a delivery worker for a food factory. The pay is not high, but I can often sneak some snacks. Although I have been caught by my supervisor multiple times, he is a person with a harsh exterior but a soft heart, and he turns a blind eye whenever he can. Sometimes I feel that, even though I don't talk to him much, he is better than my father.

The homeroom teacher saw me, paused for a moment, and then asked me why I was here, wasn't I supposed to be absent from school

This is my second time running away from home. Compared to the last time, my determination not to return home is stronger. Moreover, the temperature is generally higher this time, unlike the first time when it would still be cold after it rained

If I were still in school, walking down the street with this bag of buns, I would feel somewhat embarrassed, as if I were in a picture book. However, at this moment, looking at the buns in the bag, I suddenly find them to be somewhat endearing.

Later, when my father returned and saw me, he was momentarily taken aback. Then, without saying a word, he went into his room. Afterward, I heard Liu Hui quietly discussing with him about the shoes I bought for him. During dinner that evening, my father spoke to me in a tone that was not very severe, saying: "Your school knows about the incident where you tied up a female classmate. You have been expelled. If you really do not want to continue your studies, then don't go back. I won't force you; it would be fine to find a job instead." My father spoke to me in a tone that was not very severe, saying: "Your school knows about the incident where you tied up a female classmate. You have been expelled. If you really do not want to continue your studies, then don't go back. I won't force you; it would be fine to find a job instead."

The master gave a wry smile and said: Later, I sought him out, but coincidentally, during those two years, there was a severe crackdown. He and a few others committed a crime, robbing someone and getting into a fight. This was not a big deal in itself, but due to the crackdown, he was directly sentenced for being a gangster, taken to the eastern suburbs execution ground, and shot. Before he died, he saw me once, bowed to me three times, and said something I would never forget in my lifetime

At this moment, the master's tears had already fallen into the rice bowl. He scooped a mouthful of rice into his mouth, swallowed it, wiped his face with his sleeve, and said: My son said, Dad, before I die, I have no regrets, except for one thing: I have never done anything as a son to fulfill my filial duty. These three bows are what I offer you! After saying this, he bowed three times, and the sound of his head hitting the ground made my heart ache as if it were being cut by a knife.

I reached the door of the classroom and called out "Report"

What surprised me was that a classmate whom I used to bully often, after learning that I had run away from home, took a plastic bag of buns from his house and said I could eat them if I was hungry. Although they weren't worth much, it touched me deeply. At that moment, I simply couldn't understand why, after I had bullied him, he would still help me. It was only later, as I grew up, that I realized this power is called tolerance. It touched me deeply, and I still couldn't understand why, after I had bullied him, he would still help me. It was only later, as I grew up, that I realized this power is called tolerance.

The master's words amused me, and I thought that the missing person notice must have been posted by Liu Hui, as my father would never go looking for me

The next morning when I stepped out, I did not feel the same urge to escape as I did the first time I ran away from home. This time, I decided to stay in our city. As for school, I had no intention of going back, as there was nothing there that I felt attached to. Moreover, Jing reported to the police, which made me feel quite resentful towards her; I did not want to see her again.

The master spoke up to this point and began to sob, which made me feel distressed as well. I thought of my father; although he has been hitting me all these years, he is, after all, the one who raised me. Have I ever done anything for him?

I did not respond to her, but instead placed the shoes on the table beside me and said: This is for my dad.

After listening to the master's words, I pondered for a long time in the room. To be honest, these words have indeed had some impact on me. Ever since my father divorced my mother, he has become less talkative and there is almost no emotional communication between us. I do not know what he thinks, nor have I ever wanted to know. However, the master's words compelled me to consider things from my father's perspective. Emotional communication between men is not as direct as it is among women; it is not always overt. Perhaps my father does care about me.

Later, while wandering aimlessly on the street, I unexpectedly ran into my elementary school classmate Mantou. He earned this nickname because his family sells steamed buns. In our class back then, he was rather introverted and timid; I even bullied him once. There was a time when it snowed, and I kicked him into a snow pile, which scared him so much that he didn't come to school for two days

When I returned home, only Liu Hui was there. She seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight after not seeing each other for more than a month. The moment she saw me, she started crying and asked where I had been during this time, which had made her very anxious.

However, Liu Hui beside me said: "It's fine, I have a relative who is the principal at Gaocun Township Middle School. I will talk to him, you can go study there." I didn't say anything, just glanced at my dad, who also remained silent, focusing on his meal, seemingly giving his tacit approval

Liu Hui was taken aback upon hearing this, clearly somewhat incredulous. She went over to take a look at the shoes and then joyfully asked me: How is it that you bought shoes for your dad out of the blue? It's truly unexpected.

It was precisely class time when I went there, and the campus was empty. Looking at this familiar campus, my feelings were somewhat complicated.

At that moment, I did not think much and ran straight outside. I had made up my mind; this time I would run away and would never return.

Because I had money in my pocket, that night I went to the arcade to play King of Fighters. As a worker in the late 1990s, I had never seen an internet café; the place I loved to go the most back then was the arcade

I was a bit surprised and asked him how he knew I had run out. The master smiled and said: There are quite a few missing person notices posted on the utility poles outside. You should go take a look and see if anyone up there looks like you