Translator: ayszhang
Proofreaders: krabbykabbi, Luzo, Red
The Rental Shop Owner ch 5, 6 & 7
05
As a matter of fact, he was lying in my
third shop right now.
But it was now the third night of the first lunar month, 2001.
Sigh.
All bloody, too.
Why did I have to end up with this devil?
He had only been locked up for two years and two months when he was
released a bit more than half a year ago.
They said there was a fire in the prison and not only did he rescue the
government property, he also saved all the correctional officers and even a
higher-up sent to survey City N. He was behaving well to begin with and
completed a computer diploma in two years, not to mention he was young and had
a pitiful background.
Thus, he was released early.
See what kind of luck this bastard had?
That day, he came into my third shop that had recently opened and
gave me a scare.
The fellow had a nearly clean, shaved head and was wearing a loose,
white tank top and Hawaiian shorts, looking quite sharp. However, he still had
an earring, more specifically a stud, the kind that you would not notice unless
you looked closely.
Ah-Fen, the young lady who was kind of related and helped me at the
shop, had her eyes wide open. Why, was he hot or something?
Thinking back to how disgusting he used to be, I shook my head in
disappointment. This was the same girl who made a move on me, heading over to
my house every now and then to help with the housework. My mom was beyond
delighted and practically thought of this girl as the mother of my unborn babies.
Shen Bin asked me out to dinner to thank me for helping with his
mom’s funeral.
“Gimme a chance. C’mon!” He didn’t even call me ‘ge’. I would have you know that those
buddies of his had been very passionate about calling me ‘Qian-ge’ whenever they came to hang out at my
two shops.
Yet, there he was, all disrespectful–
“Hey, keep your hands to yourself!” I flicked his meathook off of my
shoulder and did not sense there being anything wrong with what he said.
He paid no heed and reached around my shoulders with an arm,
successfully dragging me out the door.
“You’re still so awkward!” He was mumbling.
I hated him with all my guts. How could he be so much taller than
me? I would not be able to lay a finger on him in a few years. Also, awkward?
How was I awkward? Fucking bullshit.
I thought I was supposed to be his enemy and even if there were no
hard feelings, it was all over—O-V-E-R—over. I just did not want to get
involved with someone like him.
Ahh, Ms. Ah-Fen was definitely going to tattle to my old lady. It
was going to be a handful again.
Maybe I felt that I owed him or maybe I did not find him so
disgusting anymore, I ended up going out to dinner with him. I even fought for
the bill afterwards. He did not look too happy about it.
Tsk, what’s there to be
unhappy about? You don’t have the money to pay for me when you just got out of
prison.
I might be skinny but I have got a big appetite. I made it my goal
to eat my fair share since I was paying anyways. Therefore, I did not bother to
talk to him and dug in.
“Yo, I’m the one fresh outta the slammer! Why you the one stuffin’
yourself?”
I looked up at him with a mouthful of cha siu. He was sitting there looking all angry with puffed-up
cheeks.
I think that was the moment when everything started to change.
I don’t know why but I had never liked anyone in all those years.
Even though I liked men, I had never taken a liking to any.
I thought it was out of sympathy and pity at that time.
But someone once said that love stemming from sympathy and pity is
actually more down-to-earth. I think it was Zheng Zhihua talking about his
wife.
Seeing his fuming face, I quickly gulped down the meat and asked,
“Any plans for the future?”
“Me? How ‘bout watching the shop for you?”
“Huh?” My old lady would freak the shit out. Although we knew what
had really happened, everyone else around here knew him as a killer. No one
would borrow stuff from my shop anymore. I mean, even as I was eating with him,
we were getting attention from several pairs of eyes.
“What? Afraid I’d tear your lil’ shop down?” He turned away.
Did I hurt his ego?
“Well, no, see, the pay is kind of, you know, low.” I was treading
carefully.
“Hah! You really thought I would wanna work in that shithole of
yours? As if!” He was snickering when he turned back around—not unhappy at all.
“I got a place to go. Don’t gotta worry ‘bout me!” Then he reached over, his
hand pausing for a second in midair before landing on my shoulder. I was about
to scold him again when he retracted it. “Heh, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
I wondered where he originally wanted to put his hand.
I finally replied after a while, “I wasn’t worried.”
He dropped his head and then raised it again. “Thank you, ge.”
He sounded very serious.
Actually, I doubt I had ever told him that it wasn’t my idea to put
him in the same room with that scumbag. It was not my idea, but it still had
something to do with me.
I wondered why he never seemed to hate me, to take revenge on me or
on the Qians.
I never did him much kindness either.
He would still be munching on prison food if he had not put out the
fire and rescued a bunch of people.
“Wh-what are you thanking me for?” I bit my lips.
My old lady says I only bite my lips when I am sad.
___________________
Cha siu is barbeque pork, Cantonese style ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Char_siu
_______________________
06
My mind was wandering all over the place so
when I got home that night, I did not even hear my old lady calling me. Of
course, more trouble ensued.
“Son, why do you always forget things? You’re just like your old
man—a woman inside a man’s body. Ah-Fen told me everything: the murderer came
to your shop today. He’s up to no good, I tell you. You gotta draw the line
with him, okay? And if he comes again, ignore him. Don’t feel like you owe him
anything. You and your dad are like, uh, whatshisname, the one who saved the
wolf and almost fed himself to it?”
I filled in the blank for her—Master Dongguo.
“Right, Master Dongguo. Now where was I? Oh yeah. He wouldn’t dare
cause any trouble when we got people in the police station. You should’ve just
given him some money, not eat dinner together.” She heaved a sigh. “You’re a
grown man already so stop making us old bags of bones worry for you. Didn’t you
say Ah-Fen’s nice? She cares about you a lot too. She’s a sweet, little thing.
You should consider…”
My mom was a nagging harpy.
“You done, woman? Your son needs to sleep!” My dad yelled down from
upstairs.
I yawned and started climbing up.
After two steps, I turned back around and said to my mom, “No wonder
you like Ah-Fen. You’re just as naggy as her.”
“Hey! You hold it right there! What did you say to me?”
I giggled the entire time as I went upstairs. There was no point in
arguing about a lot of things with older people. They had an impermeable
mindset about certain issues. At any rate, they were the parents who had raised
me, my closest two people in the world. I learned after all my years struggling
in society to not get in a conflict with your parents or anyone for that
matter. Just do what you should do. Fighting won’t make you right.
I really did not want them to worry about me.
However, this time, I was not so certain.
Dad came in right after I lied down on the bed. My old man and I had
not had a heart-to-heart for ages, the last time being university applications
in senior year. He had not let me apply to faraway but easier schools and
instead made me apply to schools along the Shanghai-Nanjing railway. In the
end, I did not make it into the school of medicine of City N and did
agricultural parasites instead.
My old man sat tall and proper while saying some important stuff.
“They say honour is the first and foremost when navigating the jianghu. We must not go against our
morals. That fellow was released for doing good which means he is inherently a
good person. We were at fault to start with so we must help out if he is in
trouble.”
See, my old man worked in a museum for his whole life. Jianghu, I chortled in my mind.
“Your ma is just being a typical woman but she’s right about one
thing. You should settle down soon. The Qian family only has you as the only
male heir so you have to leave our name behind!”
Sigh. Marriage. Heirs.
Sigh. I don’t like women. No, I do
not.
I’ll just tell them
straight to the face tomorrow morning, that I’m impotent. No, they’ll just bury
me in medicine. Ahhhhhhhh, enough! Sleep now, think later!
I thought I saw Shen Bin’s eyes with my head under the sheets.
Those black, impenetrable eyes.
Compared with him, I was much better off. At least I had a big
family and my parents were still alive and in good health. I was the only son
and everyone adored me.
And what about him?
Honestly, I did not have much of a relationship with him. Before the
incident, he only came to my shop to get disks and after it, I only saw him
three times. Why was I constantly thinking about him then?
He said he has a place to
go but he doesn’t even have a place to stay in. Where could he possibly go?
He better not go down the
wrong path!
Startled, I sat up and my back was wet with cold sweat.
×××
I had not liked anyone aside from my
parents and relatives. I did not even have any close friends. My world was made
up of movies plus novels, entirely fictional.
I really didn’t know how to take care of another person.
Seeing Shen Bin lying on the cot in high fever, I had no idea what
to do.
I could not go to the hospital. There weren’t any drugs in the shop
and the drugstores were all closed by now because it was the holiday season.
Going back home would raise suspicion.
I thought silently to myself. Hmm,
serves you right. Told you to behave. Serves you right to get hurt. You’re far
from dead anyways.
He was so tall that he could not even lie flat on the cot. He kept
groaning under his breath and frowning. I could not tell if it was a knife or
gunshot wound.
This guy would always come running to me when he got into trouble.
This guy, he had gone down the wrong path.
And there was no turning back for him.
I had separated my fictional and real world very well.
I had only wanted to run a rental shop, watch my movies and live a
simple life.
He would change my life.
And I couldn’t let anyone do that.
The following night after the dinner, I went over to the house of his
buddy, Mini-Chicken—Lin Dongfu (and I had thought it was the actor, Lin Dongfu)—and told my
family I was going to sleep in the shop.
There was only the two of us and he could not withstand my
interrogation so he spilled.
He told me he met a boss in jail who took good care of him. Now this
boss person had been released, too, and started a security company in Shanghai.
He asked Shen Bin to work for him.
Security company? Bodyguards? Why did it sound like something from a
movie?
Security service was a borderline legal career to begin with and the
company was run by ex-convicts…
But it was none of my business.
Really, he should just come and work in my shop. Things might have been
a bit hard at first but at least it was a proper job.
I did not say anything.
“You not happy?” He blinked at me.
His eyes were really pretty.
My face was a bit warm. “Who? Me? It’s nothing to do with me!”
“Why’s your face red?”
“What?” I lied saying it was hot and got up to leave.
“’Kay, I’ll go with you. Let’s go watch some stuff at your shop. I really
like Happy Together,” he said as he
got up too.
“That’s a ‘fag film.’ Why do you like watching them so much?” The
rascal had some taste after all.
“I can like them too.” He didn’t look at me but stared at the ground
and crushed a beetle crawling on Lin Dongfu’s floor. He spoke very softly. But
I was entranced by it.
“I run a rental shop. It’s a job requirement for me, not a matter of
preference.”
“Job requirement, huh?” He was still very quiet. He stopped and
swung an arm over.
“What are you doing?” He rested his arm on my shoulder. He would
always do this just because he had the height advantage.
“Let’s go already. Lin Dongfu’s rents gonna be back soon from
mah-jong.”
See, this guy kicked Mini-Chicken out of his own house. I felt kind
of bad for the little guy.
We headed for my shop.
No conversation the whole way.
He just kept trailing behind me. I did not want him to have his arm
around me but I never said he couldn’t walk beside me.
“Hey!” I stopped. Having someone dogging you at night time felt really
weird. “Get up here.”
“No.”
“Hey!”
“I said no!”
“Screw you!”
He just stood there without retorting.
Was he mad?
I sometimes wondered whether he saw me as his mom or older brother.
He was only twenty years old.
And orphaned.
Anyhow, it felt quite nice having someone who needed my comforting
and reassurance.
07
I really like Happy
Together, especially the small things.
“I feel horrible.”
Tony
Leung was sick in bed with a fever from going on a morning jog with the
self-willed Leslie Cheung, but the culprit in question begged and pleaded,
forcing the sick man to cook for him.
“I’m starving though!”
“What’s wrong with you? How could you make a
sick person cook for you?!”
Yet,
despite the chef’s complaining, he still added an egg in after a few second’s
hesitation.
It’s
because of these little things.
It
was really late when we finished watching the film. He did a stretch as if he
was in his own home.
“Know
what I like about this movie?”
I
looked at him.
“Lai
Yiu-fai is so fortunate to be able to write to his dad and even have the chance
to ask for forgiveness and start again,” he said this with a squinty smile.
You don’t have family, so you can’t start
again—is
that it?
I
could not help but feel bad.
“Tsk.
Look at your frown. Did you believe me? It was a lie, you dummy. I ain’t got no
dad or mom.” He was giggling, looking all delighted.
Then
he pursed his lips and continued seriously, “I just like Tony Leung. He’s such
a caring person. If I were Ho Po-wing, I’d follow him ‘til the end of the
world.”
If you were Ho Po-wing?
You–
“Ge, I like men,” he said under his
breath.
I
looked at him while he looked at the floor. He had really long lashes.
My
mouth was dry.
Really? Me, too.
“Ge, I like you.” He looked up and gazed
at me. His words were still very faint but each syllable knocked into my heart.
My
face was burning and I cast my eyes elsewhere to evade those pretty, opaque,
black eyes of his.
I
gulped nervously.
Me… Me, too.
He
reached over and latched onto my collar.
“What
about you?”
I
didn’t reply to him.
“I
thought you were a good person. And I was right.”
Still
no reply.
“Come spoil me with your love, won’t you?”
I
was still silent.
I
wanted to cry. I really wanted to cry.
He
started wiping at the tears that had already rolled down my face and was a bit caught
off guard.
“I–. Hey, don’t cry! I…”
I
held him tight, a child who was younger but stronger than me. His shoulders
were even wider than mine.
He
was shaking all over as he held me back even tighter. We parted only when I
could not breathe properly.
We
looked into each other’s eyes, two black and the other two pink from crying,
and I felt a little awkward.
“You
have bunny eyes.” It sounded like he was teasing me.
I
bit my lips, not because I was sad this time but because I was angry. I hadn’t
cried for, what, twenty years?
We were
fighting in this room just before. He used to be… Who would have known this day
would come?
He
stared at me like a vulture staring at a dead body.
I
got even angrier. I was older than him, all right?
He
lunged towards me and hugged me again.
I
really had zero experience. Experience with intimacy, I mean. But I found out
then that it was very cozy.
His
scent was one of a boy’s, the scent of youth.
With
his head on my shoulder, he murmured, “I really like you. I have for a long
time.”
“Mhm.”
“You
knew?” He pushed us apart and pouted.
“Huh?”
I didn’t. I had no idea how things came to be the way they were. Had he liked
me before? That little thug with the sticky, yellow hair who caused a ruckus in
my shop every other day or so? Somehow I was not too surprised.
Without
much thought, I patted his head. It was just a head of short, fuzzy hair but it
looked cleaner this way.
He
blushed a little and hid back into my arms.
“I
just knew you were the same as me. But I wouldn’t have had to go through all
that if only I knew you’d be this easy. I should’ve just went for it back
then.”
Went for it? Back then? Hah, I’d like to see
you try to go for it when I karate chop you to death.
“Yo,
I know even if you don’t say it. You looked down on me back then. Would act like
you saw a ghost or somethin’.”
He
tightened his grip and my waist started hurting from his constraint. I wiggled
around but he wouldn’t let go.
“Ouch!”
I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder: the bastard bit me. “Are you a dog or
something?!”
“Oh,
now you talk?”
His
scorching gaze, his black eyes seemed to glow faintly but I could not see the
bottom of them.
“Qian
Jiying, let’s do it.”
________________
ayszhang: COCKBLOCKED >:D mwahahahahahahahahaha
Ahem! I have finished ch 37 of CS btw ;)
Ahem! I have finished ch 37 of CS btw ;)
The Rental Shop Owner - English Translation by ayszhang is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
first
ReplyDeletewooooow ayszhang......to think there wont be any updates while u re away.....am sad.......ur stories always a nice refreshment after a harsh day at work.....but i wish u a great adventure nonetheless....good luck
ReplyDelete:D heyyyy
ReplyDeleteOh I will be translating but the posting will have to be done by Dairytea I think ^^ or maybe I'll find a way to crack the firewall. But I definitely won't be checking comments that much because I will be travelling :(
ReplyDeleteXDDD But Qian Jr is just a socially awkward one. His world is movies+novels >_<
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question ;)))
otaku? haha. They should just do reversible roles sine they're both pretty adorable. And Shen Bin..... I find biting during intimate moments (not hardcore biting) quite endearing >=P
ReplyDeleteYeaah it's cute >_< biting and nibbling <3
ReplyDeleteUwaaaaahhhhhhh
ReplyDeleteThis is nice story, i'm liking it, omg~
I fangirled (internally) a lot after reading this chapter XD The feels were too much, but it was the good kinda feels v.v
thank you~
(>u<)b I'm glad you like it~
ReplyDeleteGood feels=good :D
Aaahhhh.... So cute, they are really good for each other. Story progressing real fast, Kind of didn't expected but happy for us hungry readers. And thank you always.
ReplyDeleteXD Well it IS a short story right! Gotta progress fast to end the story in time ;D
ReplyDeletehwaaa.. I like this story very much,..
ReplyDeletebut, no update for "love late"????
I miss Ke luo and Lee very much...
Hello :) thank you for your love!
ReplyDeleteI'm not the one translating Love Late but Dairytea is working on the next chapter as we speak >_<
Hi! I'm wondering if you have any specifications with the cover art for this story?
ReplyDeleteI guess something that represents the story well? Anything is fine as long as it's prettttyy <333
ReplyDeleteOmg. Ur evilll. I was like scrolling down. >_> and there was no more.
ReplyDeleteOk hahaha you're so hilarious!!! Those two faces are sooooo ugly they're funny!!!
And yeah Jiying is totally the uke (OR IS HE??? DUNDUNDUN)
YESSS FINALLY SOMEONE ACKNOWLEDGES MY ULTIMATE POWAHHHHHHHH
Kyaa kyaaa!!!! i sincerely love the last chapter! ufufufu~
ReplyDeleteBut throughout the chapters, I really enjoyed the interaction between the two! too cute!!! uwaaa!!!
>u< i know these two are adorable~~~
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and commenting
"Qian Jiying, let's do it." O////A////O *i dropped my chin*
ReplyDeleteWahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! count time begin till the next chapter *tic toc tic toc....
(///o\\\) so cute right??
ReplyDeleteHehe I'll see you on Sunday~
QJ feelings for SB are like: 1st, inferior, then annoyed and then hungry & see something yummy & free offering in front of his eyes for the taken. QJ really playing hard to get with SB but I can see that he really want push SB down has his way because he was drooling.
ReplyDeleteAZ, thank-you for these chapters. I love these chapters. I was LOL all through the end. After reading CS's guts wrenching chapter 35, I glad for these light-hearted one. Funny & adorable scenes between them.
XDD I knooow. Very light-hearted hehehe. Translating this also alleviates the heavy emotions from translating CS
ReplyDelete.
Qian is so ... I can't even put it very well. Awkward and dorky?