A Sand Sculpture in the Red Dust - Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Visiting Qin Jin’s Old House

　　Before Li Huaichen spoke, the air in the living room was silent. After a long while, Li Huaichen uttered a rare low sigh: “No need to do anything special, just keep the status quo.”

　　Li Xiangfu translated it and it means the “three no principles” of not taking the initiative, not refusing and not taking responsibility.

　　”Just wait until the day he officially confesses his love to you, and then reject him.”

　　Li Xiangfu thought it made sense, and he did not rule out the one in ten thousand possibility that the other party was simply looking for fun out of boredom.

　　”It’s getting late,” Li Huaichen reminded him, “Go to bed early.”

　　Li Xiangfu stood up and was about to take a step when he suddenly said, “Qin Jin also said this to me not long ago…”

　　He paused and fell into reverie: “Qin Jin mentioned that he had a younger brother, but there is no record of his family on the Internet. Could it be that he is looking for emotional support in me because their relationship is not good?”

　　As soon as the first half of the sentence was uttered, Li Huaichen’s eyes dimmed a little and he did not answer.

　　Finally, Li Xiangfu went upstairs to rest with doubts. After confirming that he had entered the room, Li Xichun leaned back, her body seemed to sink into the back of the chair: “Why don’t you just go with the flow and tell the truth?”

　　Li Huaichen said calmly: “You can do it if you want.”

　　Li Xichun couldn’t help but think of what the doctor said at that time:

　　”It is possible that some of the injuries were caused during fighting.”

　　”Especially the injury on the back of the head, it doesn’t look like it was caused by a fall.”

　　No matter how disappointed she was with Li Xiangfu, Li Xichun believed that she understood her brother’s true nature better.

　　…too stupid and straightforward, otherwise he would not have been instigated by his mother to use clumsy means to test the old man’s ideas on the distribution of the family property.

　　Qin Jiayu, whom she had met several times, was a very smart child. If he was in a desperate situation, he would probably think of a more cruel way to survive before Li Xiangfu.

　　Qin Jiayu has always been a thorn in Li Xichun’s heart. The sense of crisis brought to her by this missing person is even greater than that of Qin Jin. The last express delivery incident does not seem to be a simple coincidence.

　　Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but sigh. The old man was too old to stand the stimulation, and Li Huaichen had to worry about all the company’s affairs alone. She could only notify Li Anqing, hoping that the other party could find out the news.

　　Except for Mr. Li who was still unaware of the situation, no one slept well that night.

　　Li Xichun tossed and turned in bed, inputting Gao Xun’s number from time to time, wondering whether to call him to ask about Qin Jin. In the next room, Li Huaichen was talking to Li Anqing with a serious expression. At the center of this deadlock, Li Xiangfu was thinking about “How should I reject him?”

　　”Beauty is sometimes really a sin.” Until four in the morning, he was still staring at the ceiling with his eyes open.

　　When having breakfast the next day, Mr. Li almost thought there were four ghosts living in his house. When they went downstairs one after another, everyone’s footsteps were light and fluttery.

　　It wasn’t until he received a text message that Li Xiangfu finally gained some liveliness.

　　Li Shasha could best see the subtle changes in his expression and asked, “What’s the good news?”

　　Li Xiangfu : “I was selected.”

　　Mr. Li stopped eating and asked: “Selected for what?”

　　Aunt Zhang, who was wiping the vase over there, suddenly felt a lingering fear. Was he going to spin like a top again?

　　“A painting competition.”

　　”To dance again?” asked Mr. Li.

　　”Ahem…” Li Xiangfu almost choked and said seriously, “It’s a serious competition, but I guess I’ll have to go out of town for a few days.”

　　He checked the locations of the competitions over the years, and without exception they were all out of town, and once they even went abroad.

　　Mr. Li didn’t know what he was thinking about, so he stopped me and said, “I just sent you money, don’t run around.”

　　”I can’t live on $200,000. Painting is my new hobby now.”

　　The conversation reached a stalemate.

　　Li Xiangfu pursed his lips, not quite understanding why his family had let him go abroad without any hesitation, but now they had concerns after just a few days.

　　”It’s different.” As if knowing what he was thinking, Mr. Li frowned.

　　At that time, several famous high schools were unwilling to accept this restless student. Later, Li Xiangfu was instigated to do a lot of foolish things. Everyone’s patience was exhausted, but the real reason was the invisible confrontation and compromise.

　　In the eyes of outsiders, his useless son was exiled as a kind of explanation to Qin Jin. Now that he has returned, the old grudges buried in the past have been dug up again. If he goes to other cities at this critical moment, if something happens, it will be too late to deal with it.

　　Li Xichun changed her usual idle demeanor and actually spoke up for Li Xiangfu: “I saw his paintings, they are very spiritual, there is no need to waste his talent.”

　　Li Xiangfu: “I found a teacher abroad. She said if I had started painting since I was young, I might have been famous in the painting world by now…”

　　Li Xichun was amused by his serious tone.

　　With one more person to help lobby, Mr. Li skipped the topic and said coldly: “Eat!”

　　•=•=•

　　The gallery is closed today, so Li Xichun only needed to deal with some things at home. Li Huaichen, the rigorous workaholic, went to the company to work overtime as usual.

　　Li Xiangfu accompanied Li Shasha to build a model on the carpet. When Li Shasha got tired of playing, he watched TV instead. When he skipped the financial channel, the name “Qin Jin” happened to be mentioned in the news.

　　Li Xiangfu suddenly developed a little wild cat curiosity, using his claws to search for various keywords on the Internet. In the end, he came to the conclusion that the company probably hired someone to delete a wave of posts from time to time. A well-known person has no romantic affairs, no family disputes, and even no scandals.

　　The message prompt sounded suddenly, and he clicked on it and saw:

　　[What are you doing?]

　　Li Xiangfu shuddered, as if a camera was installed on him, but he still replied truthfully:

　　[Looking up your history of success.]

　　It first showed that the other party was typing, but soon there was no sound, which was equivalent to a moment of silence. Perhaps the frankness prevented him from saying anything further.

　　Two minutes later, just when Li Xiangfu thought the other party would not reply, a message popped up:

　　[The answer is hidden in my old house, you can come and visit.]

　　After staring at the screen for a few seconds, Li Xiangfu found Li Xichun who was drawing the line draft and paused for a moment before speaking: “Sister.”

　　”Huh?” Li Xichun was busy and didn’t look up at him.

　　”Mr. Qin has already started pursuing me vigorously.”

　　Sizzle——

　　The sharp pen tip pierced the white paper, and the drawing was completely scrapped.

　　The corner of Li Xichun’s mouth twitched. Just as she was about to speak, Li Xiangfu showed her the chat history first.

　　The speechless expression gradually disappeared, and Li Xichun stared and said: “Uh…”

　　At this moment, she felt that she couldn’t blame her younger brother for thinking too much. After a while, she said, “They are just polite words. If you really reply with ‘ok’, it would be a bit ungrateful.”

　　Li Xiangfu thought this was the truth, and quickly typed on the keyboard. Before he could say thank you or politely decline, someone else spoke first.

　　”I happen to have time today. Let’s meet under the bridge in Xinning District at 2 o’clock.”

　　The voice coming through was a little more distorted than usual, and less unapproachable. Then there was another voice message:

　　”The scenery of the old house is very beautiful. I suggest you bring a camera.”

　　As soon as he heard that there was good scenery, his desire to refuse immediately wavered. Li Xiangfu had not painted a landscape for a long time, so he could take this opportunity to take a few photos and then come back to draw one as a rehearsal for the field trip.

　　In the end, he made the decision on his own and decided to go and take a look.

　　Li Xichun’s expression remained unchanged, but her mind was in a mess. She decided not to mention the matter of the cactus flower and went upstairs to talk to the old man about Li Xiangfu’s emotional misunderstanding.

　　It drizzled before he went out, but it cleared up soon after the rain. After many days of scorching heat, it was finally a cool day.

　　Li Xiangfu and Li Shasha said a few words, and the latter, holding a book, nodded without looking up: “You go.”

　　There were many pedestrians on the road. Before getting out of the taxi, Li Xiangfu saw through the car’s window a young man wearing a mask, standing under the overpass with his hands in his pockets not far away.

　　Qin Jin is a well-known person. If he suddenly appears in a place, it will easily cause heated discussions, so he has to do some basic covering when he goes out.

　　Li Xiangfu got out of the car and trotted over.

　　Looking at the figure running towards him, Qin Jin’s mask moved, as if he was smiling. He raised his chin slightly towards a certain direction and said, “Cross the road first.”

　　There were black cars coming and going, and many small vendors on the roadside were doing business while vigilantly observing whether there were urban management officers. Li Xiangfu blinked… Where was the beautiful scenery?

　　They took shortcuts through several alleys. The old house was on the edge of the area. Qin Jin did not go directly into the unit door, but took him around to the back of the building first.

　　The view was instantly widened. From here forward, there was nothing but open plains. The vibrant seasonal plants had turned yellow due to lack of water, and it looked like a wasteland at first glance. Further ahead, there were vaguely visible telephone poles, and a mountain whose outline could only be seen, with a snowy peak.

　　The originally ordinary landscape is connected together to form a rough picture.

　　Li Xiangfu couldn’t help but take two steps forward: “This place has not been developed yet.”

　　The city’s pristine beauty is rarely seen anymore.

　　”The developer has been arguing about the contract,” Qin Jin said calmly. “The value of the old industrial area has been squeezed out a few years ago, and it can’t be developed, so the house construction has been shelved.”

　　Li Xiangfu brought a camera, but he was not satisfied with the results. He found that the angle should be higher.

　　Qin Jin: “Let’s go upstairs. I live on the fourth floor.”

　　The door to the unit is an old wooden door, and the walls in the corridor are peeling and mottled, covered with graffiti. Although this location may be demolished in the future, for Qin Jin, the demolition fee for a house is negligible. Li Xiangfu guessed that the other party has not sold it yet because there are precious memories hidden in it.

　　This speculation was dispelled the moment the door was opened.

　　A dusty family portrait hung on the living room wall.

　　The photo shows a family of four. Qin Jin was at most 17 or 18 years old at that time, with a little bit of the immaturity that only teenagers have. As a teenager, he looked more like his mother, with a noble and cold temperament.

　　The slightly shorter person next to him should be Qin Jin’s younger brother Qin Jiayu. The two brothers don’t look alike. Qin Jiayu has a dimple at the corner of his arm, and his smile is particularly warm.

　　Li Xiangfu had no intention of asking about other people’s family affairs. The family portrait was placed in the old house, and there was no information about his family on the Internet. There might be a lot of gossip behind it.

　　After Qin Jin entered the room, he didn’t even look at the family photo. He went straight to the balcony. There was no guardrail outside and the wall was built quite high. It was just right for him to lean his elbows on it and look at the scenery.

　　Li Xiangfu walked over and raised his camera, and this time the picture was perfect.

　　After taking five or six landscape photos with different focuses, he asked about the topic they had discussed on WeChat: “Regarding the reason for your success…”

　　Qin Jin turned around, closed his eyes briefly, and looked at the family portrait on the wall: “It’s hanging there.”

　　The photograph itself only has sentimental value. Li Xiangfu thought for a moment: “Is it because of family?”

　　Qin Jin said with a hint of self-mockery: “The capital I used to start my business came from the compensation I received after my parents’ plane crash.”

　　Li Xiangfu turned his eyes away from the family photograph and turned his face away in disbelief.

　　He thought of many reasons, such as wanting his family to live a better life, or following in his father’s footsteps, or being angry with his parents, etc. He never imagined that there was such a tragic story.

　　”Then your brother…”

　　The sunlight outside the house appeared unexpectedly, and the last traces of rain on the balcony evaporated quickly, and it seemed that some strong emotions in Qin Jin’s eyes evaporated with it. After a long time, he slowly uttered a sentence: “He ran away from home.”

　　Li Xiangfu was silent for a while, then he comforted her softly, “You are successful now, and you will be able to find your family one day.”

　　Qin Jin did not respond to this sentence.

　　The two stood quietly for a while. The angle of refraction of the afternoon sun changed, and Li Xiangfu couldn’t help but take a few more photographs with different feelings.

　　During this period, Qin Jin remained silent and only left after making sure that he had finished filming.

　　The moment the door closed, the family portrait turned into a miniature, until they were completely trapped in an isolated space.

　　Li family.

　　Li Shasha was called upstairs to read a book, while Mr. Li and others were discussing things downstairs.

　　”We all agreed that it’s okay to let him misunderstand for the time being. We just happened to be doing some folk activities, so it’s okay to go out for a walk.”

　　Mr. Li’s brows were furrowed all day.

　　Li Huaichen came back from the company early and closed his eyes and said, “Besides, his brain was seriously injured at the time, and the doctor repeatedly advised against excessive stimulation.”

　　Telling him everything now would only bring fear and anxiety.

　　When Li Xiangfu returned home, the serious atmosphere in the living room almost overflowed.

　　Seeing him, several people automatically stopped communicating.

　　Li Xiangfu’s eyes flickered a few times, and he stood still. After two seconds of silence, he asked, “Dad, do you know this too?”

　　Upon hearing this, Mr. Li was stunned at first, then shook his head helplessly. This son is always smart when he shouldn’t be smart.

　　He pressed his eyebrows, confusing the concepts: “Don’t worry about Qin Jin’s affairs. Family marriages are no longer popular in this era.”

　　The person with the most say in the family spoke, but Li Xiangfu suddenly became unusually quiet.

　　”Dad.” After a long time, he called out with mixed emotions.

　　Mr. Li stood up and patted him on the shoulder: “Don’t worry, I won’t let you make any unnecessary sacrifices.”

　　Li Xiangfu’s expression became more and more strange: “There’s something wrong with you.”

　　Mr. Li was so angry that he laughed: “Does it mean that I have to pack you up and send you to his door?”

　　Li Xiangfu took a step back and looked at the three people: “There is something wrong with all of you.”

　　”Do you have a fever?” Li Xichun’s face flashed with worry, and she seemed to reach out and touch his forehead.

　　Li Xiangfu avoided the serious expression and said, “My pursuer is a man, but you are not surprised at all.”

　　According to the old man’s stubbornness, he would definitely scold Qin Jin for being dirty and wanting to play with his own son by relying on his power. In order to persuade Li Xichun to break up, he made an appointment with a famous psychologist, but when facing himself, he immediately brought up the marriage.

　　If similar things happened in other families or wealthy families, some of the older generation would even be so angry that they would bring up accusations that were disrespectful to the family.

　　Now that he thought about it, Li Xichun and Li Huaichen were equally strange. They actually told him to ignore it, not refuse, and not take responsibility.

　　This is definitely not their normal reaction.

　　Li Xiangfu stared at the three people in front of him and narrowed his eyes.

　　Li Xichun swallowed her saliva and explained, “As an artist, I have seen a lot of homosexual relationships…” As she spoke, he turned his head to look at Li Huaichen: “What about you?”

　　Li Huaichen avoided her gaze: “I’ve heard a lot of similar things.” He then looked sideways at Mr. Li: “So why aren’t you surprised, Dad?”

　　“…”

　　The author has something to say:

　　Li Xiangfu: There is a problem, a big problem. It is obvious that this is a family ethics script.

　　Mr. Li: …