Lu Ze returned to his dormitory like a corpse. His three roommates were gaming by themselves, no longer playing the same game.
He walked to his bed. Pasted on the wardrobe's door was his work he'd been most pleased with. It was an A3 design of a six-hundred square meters duplex villa. However, he suddenly felt that all his previous efforts were wasted. His blood and sweat was wasted for nothing, and this design seemed ridiculous too.
He tore the design off and ripped it into pieces, throwing the pieces into the trash can and then blankly sitting on the chair.
"Old first! Uh...I heard that the dean is coming for a hygiene inspection. Can you take care of it? How about I treat you to dinner tonight? I have a redbull here. Do you want it? Running about all day under the sun, you've turned dark…"
"Tsk…"
Old fourth walked over with a grin and began pestering Lu Ze. In the entire room, he was the biggest chatterbox and also the one who disliked cleaning the most. Just as he was speaking to Lu Ze, Old second walked over and slapped his back. Clicking his tongue, he gave him a knowing glance.
Old fourth discovered that Lu Ze, who didn't like talking, was even more silent. Moreover, the heavenly design that had scared the living daylights of them was scattered in pieces into the trash can.
Old fourth immediately understood and the entire room's jovial atmosphere disappeared. No longer acting lazy, they grabbed the broom and mop, leaving some personal space for Lu Ze.
Lu Ze stared blankly outside the window with a cigarette in his mouth.
"Old first, take this ashtray. I've just cleaned, don't drop the ashes on the floor!"
Taking the ashtray, Lu Ze tapped the cigarette twice and then ferociously took a deep puff again. Suddenly, a cell phone rang.
The three roommates checked their own cell phones and then turned to Lu Ze, who finally realized that it was his cell phone. Crushing the cigarette butt on the ashtray, he glanced at the caller id: It was Li Yumei.
Walking into the balcony, he closed the door and then curled himself into the corner before connecting the call.
"Hello, mom?"
"Son, did you eat?"
"Yeah, I just ate. What did you have for dinner?"
"Your father brought back some pork ribs. It's still cooking. We'll eat in a bit. It wasn't me, it was Nannan who wanted to talk to you."
"Hello? Brother!"
Lu Ze barely forced out a laugh and then asked gently, "What is going on Nannan?"
"Hold on for a moment, brother! Just a moment!"
The sound of his mother's yelling came from the other side, and then there was a sound of doors closing. It seemed like she had run off to the yard by herself. Lu Ze was somewhat puzzled. What could Nanan secretly talk to him about?
"Alright. brother...I want to ask a favour. Can you hear me out?"
"Speak, I'm listening."
"Brother...I want a cellphone. I won't buy anything expensive. I saw the prices of cellphones in the town. The most inexpensive one only costs eight hundred. But, I don't have that much money. I was hoping to borrow three hundred yuan from you. Once I get my salary next month, I'll pay you back, alright?"
Lu Weiguo had found work for Lu Nannan as a saleswoman in the town. However, since she was not eighteen yet, the shopping mall was not willing to hire her.
The shopping mall's manager was a classmate of Lu Weiguo, and thus they barely agreed to hire her. However, the wages were quite low: only eight hundred yuan per month, without any bonuses.
Since she returned home after work, and they had a shabby electric bike, allowing her to return home in twenty minutes, his parents were not willing to buy her a cell phone. Moreover, due to several issues propping up, Lu Weiguo and Li Yumei were not able to make much money, and even a part of Li Nannan's salary went into managing their finances.
Perhaps...because Lu Ze was spending money in the capital, they had to somewhat rely on his little sister to make money.
Lu Nannan was, after all, a little kid. She envied the ladies in the town using the latest smartphones. She wanted one, but saving her allowance was not enough. Yet, she even had dreams about it. In the end, she thought of borrowing some money from her big brother. Once she got her next month's wage, she could pay her brother back.
His heart hurt as if he were dying! That knife in his chest began to move, carving out circles in his heart!
This knife reminded Lu Ze at every moment that he'd cut his little sister's future path off. He'd destroyed his little sister's life.
And at this moment, this little sister, whose life he'd ruined, was pathetically asking three hundred yuan from him. Just three hundred yuan! The people in the capital wouldn't even bat an eye for three hundred yuan!
Nobody could understand his pain. Nobody could understand how much his heart ached.
"Ok, brother will go to the bank tomorrow and transfer the money. Wait for brother to make money, wait…brother…"
Words got stuck in his throat as he choked. He pulled at his hair as if he'd gone insane as he stifled his voice with eyes full of tears. His eyes were opened wide like a fish choking to death. With a voice as steady as he could muster, he said, "Wait for your brother to make money. I'll buy the best one. Use...that one for now. Brother will soon make money. Alright, the call is too expensive. I'm hanging up. Eat well, and use the phone in secret. Don't let mom and dad see you."
"Right! I'll hang up! Brother, you're the best!"
Perhaps due to being overly excited, Lu Nanaan didn't hear the peculiarity in Lu Ze's voice. She ended the call and went back to have dinner with a brilliant smile. Meanwhile, Lu Ze hung up and curled even deeper into the corner, silently weeping. He was useless! He was spending his sister's money, what use did he have?
What was the use of his 1.8 meter body? Trash! Wimp! Worthless!
Lu Ze hated himself. The blade in his heart pulled out, and then stabbed in again…Again pulled out and stabbed in…again and again until his heart was cut into bits.
…
"Old fourth, it's your birthday today?"
"No, didn't my birthday just pass by last month?"
"Then old third, it's your birthday, right?"
"Yeah, it's my birthday. I invite you all to drink today."
Old Third was smarter than Old Fourth. Hearing old second's words, he turned off the computer and grabbed his wallet as he prepared to head downstairs.
"Hold on, I'll also come."
The three left, leaving some space for Lu Ze again. This was all they could for their old one, who was the room janitor for the entire year—always silent, poor, yet so outstanding. 'Cry, cry all you want. Tomorrow you'll live better, no?'
The birthday celebration that night was a blast, with food and alcohol. The four sat inside the dormitory, and the other three began to pester the one called 'Old First' as if it were his birthday.
Lu Ze didn't remember much of the night. He only knew that he drank a lot. How much exactly? He couldn't tell.
He was quite a drinker. Lu Weiguo himself was a man of alcohol. When Lu Ze was three and a half months old, he'd already moistened Lu Ze's mouth with beer using a beer-dipped chopstick.
When he grew up, he drank with his father. The latter would pass out, yet Lu Ze would be completely fine
One time, he'd drank a quarter of white wine and six beers and didn't pass out.
However, this time, he drank himself to death and vomited crazily. It attracted everybody in the building to come and spectate this ruthless guy who almost drank himself to death.
Next morning, Lu Ze woke up late with a splitting headache. He sat on the bed and looked around. His roommates were nowhere to be seen, but the place was completely cleaned. But, left on the center table was the cake from yesterday.
On top of it was not the old third's name, but...
'Happy Birthday Old First.'
"…"