Under Clear Skies Chapter 19: Always Rains at Night

Chapter 19: Always Rains at Night

Translated by Fefe of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Addis

Tang Heng didn’t know why he lied. It just felt a bit too coincidental. His school’s summer camp had just ended that afternoon, and then Professor An forced him to stay for more than 20 minutes to chat. By the time he, Jiang Ya and An Yun had a quick meal and hurried to Long Love, the other band was already singing.

They were late, so they could only wait until the other bands finished singing. Standing there and getting mosquito bites all over his legs gave him a deep impression of that night. They’d sang the song Summer Night’s Breeze.

Li Yuechi uttered an, “Oh,” as if he didn’t mind. “That song’s nice.”

Did he mean the singer or the song’s melody? Tang Heng couldn’t ask in detail. He could only say, “That song is by Wu Bai.”

Li Yuechi nodded. He turned and picked up the two empty bowls from the container and entered the bathroom. Tang Heng followed over to see him squatting before the faucet, washing the dishes. The faucet was only up to his waist and the sink was pitifully small. Perhaps because of his injured back, his spine was straight as a rod even though he was squatting. It made him seem solemn when washing the dishes.

Tang Heng watched him from the bathroom door and was lost in his thoughts. He still couldn’t imagine just how broke the boy was.

“You can go.” Li Yuechi finished washing the bowls and was now washing the pot, his back to Tang Heng. “You saw, there’s nowhere for you to sleep.”

Indeed, and Tang Heng didn’t want to sleep here at all.

“Then what if you get a fever at night?”

“I have fever medicine.”

“What if you have a serious fever?”

“I won’t.” He paused. “If you’re worried, give me your number. I’ll call you if I start burning.”

“You give me your number too.”

“Sure.”

Tang Heng thought for a moment and said, “I’ll order food delivery for you tomorrow. What’s your address?”

“No need.”

“The doctor said you need—”   

“I’m not at home during the day. Gotta work.”

“How do you work like this?!”

“Tutoring class. I can’t not go.”

“…Then, when do you get off work?”

“Not sure.”

“Not sure?”

“I have to pass out flyers after work.”

“Tell me when you’re home,” Tang Heng gritted out. “I’ll return the money.”

He won’t reject it now, right? He needed money so badly, there was no way he could wave his hand and say, No need to return the money, right?

“You don’t have to come personally.” His back was still to Tang Heng, his voice calm yet distant. “Give the money to An Yun and she can transfer it to me during class.”

…Fuck!

It must be the heat earlier that made him think that this person wasn’t too bad!

What was wrong with him? If he didn’t want to deal with Tang Heng, then why’d he get involved during the fight? Plus, was there anything about Tang Heng to avoid like a plague? This person seriously had problems, right?

“Fine,” Tang Heng forced out of his throat. He wrenched open the door and left without looking back.

 

As soon as he got to the stairs, he was attacked by the rancid odor of the trash pile, making Tang Heng want to puke. He sped through the alley, so fast that he lifted a breeze even in the hot and humid air. His damp t-shirt had dried and Tang Heng felt like there were all sorts of strange smells on him—the spiciness of noodles, the rot of trash, and even the antiseptics from the clinic. All the smells mixed together, making him anxious like a thorn in his back.

Tang Heng didn’t slow down until he got to the entrance of Long Love and let out a breath of relief.

Faint thunder rumbled in the distant night sky.

His phone rang. It was An Yun. Tang Heng suddenly realized that he hadn’t given Li Yuechi his number. Of course, he didn’t have Li Yuechi’s number either.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?”

“Outside Long Love.”

“I’m with Lao Jiang. Wait there, we’ll pick you up.”

An Yun hung up as soon as she finished. It was evident she wasn’t happy. Thus, Tang Heng waited outside Long Love, glancing at the shiny pink sign time from time. He wondered, Li Yuechi won’t really get a serious fever right? But since he has fever medicine, it shouldn’t be too bad… You can see Long Love’s sign from Li Yuechi’s house, then what about the singing? How clearly can you hear it?

Tang Heng was a bit irritated, but he also felt that he shouldn’t put too much effort into a weirdo—he’d done his duty. It wasn’t his fault that the other didn’t accept it.       

 

Soon, a taxi stopped at the alley entrance and Jiang Ya’s voice streamed out, “My—son—”

Dumbass, Tang Heng replied in his mind. He walked over and got into the car.

“We’re all here. Sir, to Zhuodao Spring Night Market, please.” After that, Jiang Ya glanced at Tang Heng. “You’re not going home tonight either?”

Tang Heng glanced at the passenger’s seat. An Yun didn’t make a sound. She was still pissed.

“Guess not,” Tang Heng said.

“Okay!” Jiang Ya cheered. “Let’s go play cards at my place! I bought new ones!”

 

Jiang Ya was from Inner Mongolia. His family business was quite large, so when he’d come to Wuhan for university, his dad bought him an entire house. It was right next to Quandao Spring subway station. They’d often gather at Jiang Ya’s house to watch movies when they were bored, or play games.

The night market was at its busiest moment when the taxi arrived. The already-narrow road was filled with people and the smell of fried yangyu and crawfish were everywhere. The three sat down at the barbecue stall they frequent. Under the light, Tang Heng finally discovered that An Yun’s left cheek had been dabbed with purple tonic and was a bit swollen.

“You guys went to the hospital?” Tang Heng asked.

“Hey, it’s just a small scratch. Going to the hospital is too annoying.” Jiang Ya shot a look at Tang Heng. “We, uh, went to An-ge’s house.”

“Your guitar is at my house,” An Yun said with a long face.

Tang Heng: “Oh, you fought again?”

Jiang Ya sighed. “Auntie saw us both hurt and got worried, you know?”

“She’s worried?” An Yun slammed her hand on the table. “Jiang Ya, look me in the eye and tell me she’s worried? She looks down on us, that’s what she is!”

“She’s going through menopause. It’s normal,” Jiang Ya coaxed. “Don’t take it too heart.”

“‘Hanging out with the wrong crowed every day,’ ‘students don’t act like you,’ ‘who’d believe that you’re the daughter of a university professor?’—fuck, I’ve had enough!” An Yun exclaimed. “Did I commit some heinous crime? Did I kill someone or sell drugs? University professor’s daughter? She thinks I want to be that?”

“It’s okay, An-ge, it’s okay. Auntie just says mean stuff, but look, she even gave us tonic…”

“And that guy, that Li something, she keeps comparing me to him. Jiang Ya, you heard, right?” An Yun was so pissed that her Wuhan accent was coming out. “Said he’s working for the teacher before school even started! Hardworking! High EQ! I’m just fucking wasting my time all day! Why is she comparing me to him? I don’t get it, I’m not poor like him!”

“Yes, yes, yes, there’s no need. Everyone has different situations, so we should look at the specific conditions—”

“Who?” Tang Heng suddenly spoke up. “Li Yuechi?”

An Yun grunted angrily in reply.

He’s ‘hardworking’ and has a ‘high EQ’? Tang Heng asked inside. He was indeed hardworking, but the EQ—he couldn’t tell. The boy clearly had a resting bitch face.

“Didn’t you hear Teacher Tang say?” An Yun said. “That guy’s super enthusiastic. The grad students haven’t even started school and he’s already working on a program with Teacher Tang.”

“What program?”

“Some research about the demographics of people in poverty in Wuhan. He and Tian Xiaoqin are doing. I didn’t get involved.”

“Why not?” Jiang Ya cut in. “Aren’t you three the only students that Teacher Tang accepted this year?”

“I don’t want to!” An Yun slammed her hand on the table again. “School hasn’t even started, why should I go?! Plus, I wanted to have more time for our band!”

“He’s really poor?” Tang Heng continued to ask.

“Yeah, his family’s from a village. I heard his college entrance exam score was so high that he could choose any major in Hanyang Uni.”

“Then why—”

“Because Wuhan Normal has a free major.” An Yun pulled a cigarette out of her pocket and lit it. “Free tuition and 600-kuai allowance per month.”

Jiang Ya was stunned. “Just for that? The minimum scores for Hanyang Uni and Wuhan Normal have, like, a 20-to-30-point difference.”

“Maybe he’s just that poor.” An Yun shrugged. “I heard that when he violated the contract in his junior year, he had to repay the tuition and allowance. If you think of that, just imagine how many jobs he has to take. But after violating the contract, he can go to grad school now. I think that he could’ve gotten to the math department while being exempt from the exam, but he was unlucky and the spots got filled by the school’s original students.”

“So, that’s why he got passed on to the sociology department?”

“Yeah, Teacher Tang is so happy with him and praised him before me and Xiaoqin—he’s a math major! Knows how to process data! Unlike me who can’t even figure out SPSS.”

“That bro’s not bad.” Jiang Ya grew thoughtful. “He’s not a bad guy either. Thank god for him tonight.”

“Oh, right.” An Yun glanced at Tang Heng. “How badly hurt is he?”

Tang Heng’s first reaction was, Bad, but before he could say it, he thought of Li Yuechi’s cold expression and changed it to, “He’s fine.” He didn’t know why he changed his words.

“Those motherfuckers,” An Yun cursed. “Don’t let me run into them again.”

“Honestly, those motherfuckers ruined such an amazing night.” Jiang Ya giggled. “But it works out. You can use this chance to comfort that meimei. She must’ve been scared.”

An Yun lifted her leg and Jiang Ya hurriedly corrected him, “I mean, xuejie! Xuejie!“

“I already texted her.” An Yun’s expression finally softened. “Night after tomorrow, my treat.”

“Invite Li Yuechi too.”

“Huh?” An Yun and Jiang Ya looked over simultaneously.

“…To thank him for today.”

“No way! He’d never come.”

“Why not?”

“Didn’t you hear him? Told us not to tell anyone about him helping us.” An Yun flicked her cigarette ashes. Her voice grew pointed as she continued, “You’ll get punished if the school knows you fought outside the campus! He still needs his scholarship. No way he’ll want to get involved in our shit!”

Oh.

No wonder.

After a pause, Tang Heng asked, “How much is the master’s scholarship?”

“Eight thousand?” An Yun said. “I think it’s 8000.”

Eight thousand-kuai was only enough for a pair of shoes that Fu-jie would buy him. He had at least ten pairs of shoes in his closet that cost this much.   

Then he thought of Li Yuechi’s ramen, iron cot, his room without aircon. Eight thousand must be a fortune for him, right?

 

There was a crack of lightning and then thunder sounded not too far away. It was about to rain. In Wuhan, it always rained at night—slight drizzles that never ended. Tang Heng didn’t like rain, but for some reason, he suddenly felt that rain wasn’t too bad. Maybe those rooms without air conditioning would cool down a bit because of the rain.

“Tang Heng! My son!” Jiang Ya yelled. “Is that your phone ringing?”

Tang Heng snapped out of his thoughts. Pulling his phone out, he saw the word Fu-jie on the screen.

He frowned and pressed the answer button. “Mom, what’s wrong?”