Chapter 2 (2/2)

When the rascal was brought out, I was astounded. He was healthy as a buck, as if nothing had happened. And there I was, prepared for the worst case scenario—say insanity or disability, or at least depression or despair—but he looked to be in even better shape than he had before. Better looking, too. I think steam was coming out of my ears.

Afterwards I realised, no matter how bad prison food was, it was better than the pig sty trash; no matter how uncomfortable prison was, it was better than the pig sty. It was no wonder that he gained some weight and livelihood. Also, his hair was shaved short, his clothes were cleaner and sharper and he had a more proper expression, too. He actually looked like a human being for once.

Surprisingly, he became a man only after being locked up. I wondered what his ma, Ding Hongmei, had to say about that.

I spotted her sitting in the gallery with her shoulders curved inwards, sobbing, and I started feeling bad again. Yet that d.a.m.n jerk did not look one bit remorseful. He totally deserves the punishment, I thought.

But I was still shocked when the judge found him guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to ten years in prison.

Shouldn’t it be justifiable homicide out of self-defense?

The big fellow was…

It should be justifiable homicide!

Ding Hongmei bawled her eyes out, crying for mercy to the judge, and lunged forth to hug her son. Then, I finally saw him do something. He tilted his head back, closed his eyes and then he was brought out by the police.

He did not look at me once from beginning to end.

As if I wasn’t the one who did this to him.

The second brother actually came over afterwards to explain this to my old man. He said that the security bureau, the control yuan and the court were all managed by the Party and they were just, but the fellow had acted up and insisted that the two of them were fighting and it had only gotten out of hand. There was no way for the judge to say it was self-defense!

My heart skipped a beat for some strange reason.

Shen Bin’s lackeys came once after that. They didn’t wreck my shop or steal anything and only said, “Shen Bin’s the real deal. Busted Ol’ Wu up with three punches. His name’s big on the streets now!”

f.u.c.k. Who did they think he was? Flowery Monk, Lu Zhishen? On the streets, my a.s.s. Obviously someone had been watching too much Young and Dangerous.

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