[Translation] Stray Dog Bones (野狗骨头) by Xiu Tu Cheng (休屠城): Chapter 8: A Premonition of Trouble

Chen Yi didn't come to find Miao Jing until three days later.

Miao Jing was suffering from insomnia, heart palpitations, weak legs, and a pale complexion. She didn't dare hide the dagger in her dorm room; instead, she kept it tied to her body at all times, lying that she had a stomach ache—a common excuse among adolescent girls going through puberty. By sheer coincidence, her homeroom teacher instructed Miao Jing to rest well in the dorm and classroom. Her roommates helped her get food and hot water. Miao Jing barely moved, huddling like a quail for several days.

One night, on her way back to the dorm alone, Chen Yi caught up with her and signaled with his eyes. Miao Jing understood and followed at a distance. They walked one after the other to the playground, next to which was a vacant lot overgrown with weeds—an ideal hiding spot.

Chen Yi had spent the past few days standing for interrogation in the principal's office. Putting on an act of pure innocence, the school administrators couldn't find any evidence against him and released him half-convinced. He swaggered out of the office, returned to his classroom, and played the part of a well-behaved student attending class.

Miao Jing stopped behind a clump of weeds, which concealed a small open area. Chen Yi pressed his finger on her head, pushing her down into a crouch. He went out, circled around, and came back. They squatted face to face, each barely able to make out the other's features.

"Where is it?"

She had wrapped the dagger against her lower abdomen with cloth, hiding it under her loose school uniform. Trembling with fear, Miao Jing fumbled for the object and handed it to him, her slender wrist as pale as snow in the dim light. When he took it, the knife was warm, heated by her body temperature, carrying the clean scent of a young girl. Chen Yi weighed it in his hand, his dark eyes gleaming with a smile.

"Thanks."

The young girl in front of him pressed her pale lips together, saying nothing. Her brows carried a trace of haggardness, devoid of any sparkle—clearly terrified.

Chen Yi thought for a moment, then reached into his back pocket and pulled out two red bills, holding them out to her. "Buy yourself something to eat. Ask me if you need more."

Miao Jing didn't reach out. Her face remained ashen, her lips moving hesitantly. Finally, she murmured, "Are you... going to fight?"

"Why do you care so much?" He tilted his chin up with a roguish defiance, his tone wary. "Mind your own business."

She didn't want to meddle. Miao Jing propped herself on her knees and slowly stood up, turning to leave.

"You don't want the money?"

No. Shaking her head blankly, she bent over and parted the weeds, eager to escape this hidden, desolate place. Chen Yi tucked the dagger inside his clothes and stood up as well, snorting coldly, "Fine, suit yourself."

They walked one after the other. The only light came from the stadium floodlights in the distance. Unable to see the ground clearly, Miao Jing tentatively stepped forward, unsure of her footing. Chen Yi pushed aside the weeds around her, passed her, and took the lead, his head down and shoulders hunched, inadvertently shielding her with his body.

After a few steps, he trampled down the weeds in his path, curled his lip disdainfully, and muttered under his breath, "This thing's imported. I could sell it for a pretty penny... Who told you to bring money? Looking for trouble..."

Miao Jing was slightly stunned.

He walked very fast and soon disappeared from sight. Standing at the edge of the playground, Miao Jing scratched her slightly sweaty neck. Seeds from the weeds clung to her face, causing an unbearable itch. She turned and walked in the opposite direction, slowly making her way back to the dorm. Throwing herself onto the bed, she blinked, slowly exhaled, closed her eyes, curled up, and slept.

For a long time afterward, she and Chen Yi had no further interaction. But that day during the dorm inspection, when Chen Yi had loudly called her "little sister" in front of all the boys, word of their relationship gradually spread. Some asked if she was Chen Yi's cousin or god-sister. Older girls came to her, asking her to deliver love letters or put in a good word for them. Annoyed by the constant requests, Miao Jing would only shake her head and play dumb. Once, when several ninth-grade girls surrounded her with questions, Chen Yi happened to glance over. He walked over coldly, his jaw tight, his fierce gaze sweeping over the group. Then he grabbed Miao Jing by the shoulder and dragged her back to the classroom as if she were a chick. After that... Chen Yi went on to acknowledge over a dozen "god-sisters" at school, and suddenly there were girls everywhere calling him "brother."

Miao Jing, this mysteriously appearing sister, quickly fell out of favor.

With only a few months left until the high school entrance exam, Old Li kept Chen Yi confined to the school, not allowing him to skip class. Evening study sessions were also mandatory. Occasionally, when they ran into each other on campus, he would pass by with his group, expressionless and trying to look cool—broad-shouldered, long-legged, stirring up a breeze as he walked. Miao Jing would step slightly aside, lowering her head meekly. Still, some people would glance at her twice.

"This younger schoolmate looks familiar. Have I seen her before?"

"That's Brother Yi's sister. What are you thinking?"

Chen Yi kicked out. "Watch where you're going. You looking at things you shouldn't? You want to keep your eyes or not?"

"B-Brother Yi... which sister is this one? How many good sisters do you have anyway?"

"None of your damn business." -

The high school entrance exam took place in June. When Chen Yi's results came out, although his score wasn't high enough for the best city-key school, it passed the cutoff for the district-key school. Old Li, visibly relieved, repeatedly urged Chen Yi to study hard, walk the straight path, and not go astray. Life was long, and his future hadn't even begun yet.

Chen Yi made a rare visit home that summer. He and Chen Libin hadn't seen each other for several months. This time, there was no punching or kicking. Chen Yi had grown rapidly in recent years, his height nearly catching up to Chen Libin's. Father and son sat at the dining table, eating in silence as usual, each in their own world.

When the topic turned to the exam and high school choices, Chen Libin poured himself a glass of wine, thought for a moment, took a sip, and spoke unhurriedly.

"What high school? How much will three years of tuition and fees cost? You've caused enough trouble and harm since you were little. Everyone who knows you says you're a black sheep. You want to go to a school full of decent students? You'll fight, lead good kids astray, corrupt school discipline. If something happens, how many people will suffer? A father pays for his son's debts. Can I afford that?"

Chen Libin gripped his glass and downed it in one go, a strange flush rising on his refined face. "Go to a vocational high school. I've already found someone to enroll you and transferred your student records. The school has an electrical engineering program. Study for a few years, and I'll arrange a job for you as an electrician at the power supply station. You have to remember—fear what you fear, and you won't cause trouble."

Chen Yi was afraid of electricity.

His body froze on the chair. The line of his jaw was like a bowstring about to snap. He sat like a cold stone statue, radiating menace. Miao Jing and Wei Mingzhen, sitting at the other end of the table, froze with their chopsticks in mid-air, not daring to breathe. Miao Jing looked up in fear and met Chen Yi's gaze. His deep, dark eyes collided with hers, suddenly flaring with a piercing, icy light. Then, he violently overturned the table—bowls, chopsticks, plates, and cups clattered to the floor. Chen Yi swung a chair at Chen Libin. Chen Libin, his face ashen, dragged his chair aside to dodge, crashing into Wei Mingzhen's shoulder. Both mother and daughter screamed, watching helplessly as father and son grappled.

"Why don't you just die? Wasn't driving my mother to death enough? You scumbag, you madman..." Chen Yi's eyes burned red as his fists flew. "All these years... one day I'll kill you..."

"Little beast... mongrel, bastard. I gave you life, I raised you... I'm your father... You, you carry my surname, Chen. Don't even think about escaping that... I'd rather raise dogs, cats, any animal than you..."

The fight ended with neighbors gathering to watch and well-meaning people knocking on the door to mediate. Father and son had become mortal enemies, providing gossip for the neighbors for a long time.

Covered in bruises, his face cold and rigid, Chen Yi kicked the door open and left. He never returned to that home again. -

That summer, Miao Jing moved up to eighth grade. She studied well, had few friends, and was introverted. She spent most of her day at home reading but always felt a lingering fear—fear of Chen Libin. Such a refined, gentle man, who spoke logically and seemed so easygoing and mild-mannered, could behave in completely opposite ways. He had also started drinking heavily while playing on the computer. The more he drank, the whiter his face became, and the more refined he seemed.

She didn't dare stay home alone with him, always feeling uneasy. Wei Mingzhen, knowing how timid she was, sometimes brought Miao Jing to the tea house where she worked. The tea house was located near the pedestrian street, a two-story establishment with quiet rooms for tea and conversation as well as chess and card rooms. Miao Jing helped cut fruit and arrange platters, earning some pocket money for herself.

But Miao Jing quickly discovered Wei Mingzhen's secret through small clues. A middle-aged man came to the tea house every few days to see Wei Mingzhen. The two would leave separately and return together. When Miao Jing caught them, Wei Mingzhen wasn't too flustered. She straightforwardly called him her lover and told Miao Jing to keep it a secret.

It had been going on for a while. After Wei Mingzhen started fighting frequently with Chen Libin, adopting a "you do your thing, I'll do mine" attitude, she met another man while playing mahjong. They exchanged flirtatious glances, and Wei Mingzhen used her job outside the home as cover to carry on a clandestine affair.

Miao Jing had always been a bit numb and mature for her age, as taciturn as a sealed jar, keeping a distance from everyone. She had never developed a close mother-daughter bond with Wei Mingzhen. Hearing this secret, she remained calm and composed.

"What if you get caught?"

"You won't tell. Who's going to find out? And even if they do, I'm not scared."

Speaking of her current situation, Wei Mingzhen was clearly dissatisfied. She was thirty-five or thirty-six, still attractive, but certainly not as young as she used to be. She didn't get along with Chen Libin, and her heart felt empty, with no sense of security.

"You're about to start eighth grade. That's just five more years of school. Then you'll take the college entrance exam and can go anywhere you want. I'll be free then too."

"I've never had much money. I don't want to live like this anymore. If I break up with Chen Libin and we move out of the Chen house, what do you think? Would that work?"

"We'd rent a place?" Miao Jing nodded. "Okay."

"That's just me thinking out loud. You need to study. I can't support the two of us on my own. The money I make at this tea house is barely enough for my own casual spending." Wei Mingzhen sighed. "This friend of mine... he's a nice guy, but his job is average. He couldn't support two extra people either..."

It still came down to money.

Miao Jing didn't spend much, but her food, daily necessities, and school fees were all paid for by Chen Libin.

Chen Libin didn't meddle in other people's affairs. As long as Wei Mingzhen didn't get caught, maintaining the current situation didn't seem so bad. -

School started in September. Miao Jing returned to campus. She heard that Chen Yi had gone to the vocational high school, where not only he but also their group of friends from middle school were. But Bo Zai said Chen Yi had only registered and never actually attended classes, instead hanging out on the streets.

After learning Wei Mingzhen's secret, Miao Jing felt that this household wouldn't last much longer. She also had a premonition that something bad would happen. People have an instinct to seek benefit and avoid harm. She liked the Chen family less and less, reducing her visits from once a week in seventh grade to once a month.

After coming home from night shifts, Chen Libin would drink. Following someone's advice—Wei Mingzhen was very eager to buy him alcohol. She would place a small cup next his computer and pour him glass after glass, hoping to get him dead drunk, then ask Chen Libin for some money. There was no hope left with Chen Yi. If she could endure, she would get a share of Chen Libin's substantial savings. If she couldn't endure, she would take whatever she could get.

Chen Yi never came back. The single bed and miscellaneous items in the living room had all been thrown out. Miao Jing hadn't seen Chen Yi for a whole year. She could barely remember what he looked like and rarely thought of him. She herself was slowly growing up—taller, wearing a small undershirt, graceful and slender, quiet and delicate. She became the secret crush of many boys in her class.

The way some things happen is always mysterious, like a wish being granted, or like an invisible spider's thread pulling you forward. Before you know it, you walk face-first into a transparent web, and then fate pounces, flinging you toward an unknown encounter.

Miao Jing was called out of English class by her homeroom teacher. Her family had called the school, saying something had happened. Miao Jing's heart skipped a beat. She took the phone. It was Wei Mingzhen's voice, with a hint of lightness beneath her tears. She said Chen Libin was in the ICU and told Miao Jing to come to the hospital.

Rushing to the hospital, Miao Jing saw that Wei Mingzhen was completely unharmed. She looked haggard, her face streaked with tears, but her eyes—with their fine wrinkles—were oddly bright, as if suppressing something. Then Miao Jing saw Chen Libin lying on the hospital bed, on a ventilator, tubes running in and out of his body.

He had fallen while walking, tumbling down a flight of stairs. A bizarrely unfortunate coincidence, though some said it was just bad luck—Chen Libin had always been unlucky. That night, Wei Mingzhen hadn't come home yet. After finishing the half-bottle of liquor in the house, Chen Libin had put on whatever shoes were handy and gone out. He bought a bottle from the supermarket and, on his way up the stairs, wasn't watching his feet. He lost his balance, fell backward, and hit the back of his head. A neighbor found him unconscious and called an ambulance. The diagnosis: spinal cord injury, respiratory failure, and cerebral hemorrhage. He was admitted directly to the ICU.

The Chen family had no close relatives. Chen Libin had a younger brother in another city, but they were rarely in contact. For now, only Wei Mingzhen, some old neighbors, his work colleagues and leaders, and a few distant relatives could show concern for his condition.

And Chen Yi, of course.

Chen Yi walked into the hospital, approaching from the far end of the long corridor. Miao Jing, sitting outside the ICU, felt that he seemed even taller. He blocked all the light behind him. His buzz cut had grown out a bit and was dyed smoke-gray. He wore a printed shirt over a black T-shirt, with a silver necklace jangling around his neck—a completely youthful, hip-hop style. He was chewing gum. Perhaps from staying up late, his eyes were narrowed, irritable and long. The strong smell of tobacco hit her as he approached.

Miao Jing didn't recognize him. He seemed... like a completely different person.

Seeing her staring blankly, Chen Yi bent slightly, lowering his head to look at her. His gloomy, cold eyes settled on her face. Miao Jing turned her head away, looking at the ICU door.

He asked lazily, "What's up?"

Wei Mingzhen rushed up to him, tears streaming, explaining what had happened that day and telling him to go in and see Chen Libin. It was the third day, and he still hadn't woken up.

Chen Yi went in. The tall, refined man lay deathly pale on the bed, his eyes sunken, completely at others' mercy. Chen Yi stood there for a few minutes, expressionless. When he came back, he slumped heavily into a chair, his face dark, chewing gum in silence.

This was his father—everyone else, Wei Mingzhen and Miao Jing included, was secondary. Someone had to stay outside the ICU every day. Naturally, that responsibility fell to Chen Yi. As for subsequent treatment, whether the man would wake up, the ICU cost of 3,000 yuan per day—those were also Chen Yi's problems.

Wei Mingzhen cried and lamented these things. Chen Yi's dark gaze swept over her face. He let out a cold snort. "Now you think highly of me."

He was a minor, only sixteen years old.

"We're family. We'll find a way through this together." Wei Mingzhen pushed Miao Jing forward. "He's the head of the family. We need to pray, find a way, make him wake up."

Chen Yi stayed at the ICU. Miao Jing had her final exams over the next two days, after which she also came to keep vigil. The two sat at opposite ends of the long bench. Chen Yi took out a new model phone and played games. Miao Jing held an English vocabulary book. They were as distinct as oil and water, each minding their own business.

Wei Mingzhen ran around dealing with health insurance, requesting leave from work, and using Chen Libin's bank card and ID to withdraw money from the bank to pay the bills.

Chen Libin spent seven days in the ICU with no signs of recovery. The family signed a waiver of further treatment—both Wei Mingzhen and Chen Yi signed—and he was transferred to a regular ward.

Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.