92 | Teacher Xiao Gu
Gu Mingxi has nothing. Gu Mingxi is a pauper.

Teacher Xiao Gu who’d left by himself that morning actually came back with a young, pretty woman!

The young teachers of the primary school were all shocked. They were about to head to the market to buy ingredients for their dinner party that night, but after seeing Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian, they immediately started to greet the two with great enthusiasm.

Pang Qian had already helped Gu Mingxi take off the straw hat, and she gave a friendly smile to the teachers. Ji Xiu’er was holding Dou Dou’s hand as they stood on the side. The two of them both looked at Pang Qian with a complicated expression.

Teacher Chen smiled and asked Gu Mingxi, “Teacher Gu, give us an introduction. Who is this?”

Pang Qian’s eyes turned and stared at Gu Mingxi. He said, “This is an old friend, (Ms.) Pang.”

–Pang?

The young teachers suddenly started bubbling, “Teacher Gu! Is this your Miss Crab?”

Gu Mingxi laughed lightly and nodded his head. “Yeah, this is her.”

“Oh! Teacher Gu, congratulations!” Some of the teachers were excited to death. Teacher w.a.n.g and Teacher Song also gave a sympathetic glance over to Ji Xiu’er.

Gu Mingxi introduced Pang Qian to Teachers Chen, w.a.n.g, Song, Ji Xiu’er, and Dou Dou. Ji Xiu’er seemed to be forcing her smile a bit. After she said “h.e.l.lo,” her eyes immediately staggered away.

Pang Qian realized that the child named Dou Dou had been staring at her the entire time with a rather hostile expression. Pang Qian made a silly face at him, and the kid’s face immediately flushed red before he hid behind Ji Xiu’er.

The other teachers waited at the school gates as Gu Mingxi took Pang Qian and her luggage back to his dorm. Pang Qian took a quick glance around. It was small but very clean. She laughed as she walked back outside with him.

Everyone took the bus to the big market three stops away. Pang Qian kept walking right beside Gu Mingxi. Dou Dou walked ahead of them but constantly turned back to look at them. He pulled on Ji Xiu’er’s hand and asked, “Teacher Ji, can I go to Teacher Gu?”

“No,” Ji Xiu’er said. “Teacher Gu has a friend visiting now. He has to take care of her, how can he have time to deal with you right now?”

Dou Dou lowered his head dejectedly. He thought about how when Teacher Gu went to the market in the past, he was always the one who walked with him.

The teachers walked around the market in twos and threes, and they bought a lot of stuff. Pang Qian didn’t know much about cooking, but she had a lot of opinions. She told Gu Mingxi that she wanted to eat this and that. He smiled the whole time and said, “Buy whatever you want to eat. The money’s in my pocket, you can get it yourself.”

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In recent years, Pang Qian had a decent income, so she rarely felt like she was missing out when it came to food. Usually, she would just eat whatever she wanted to eat. When she went to restaurants, she didn’t really look at the prices either. As they walked around in the seafood area, a giant crab caught her eye.

If you go to Sanya, you obviously have to eat seafood. Pang Qian pulled on Gu Mingxi’s s.h.i.+rt sleeve. “Gu Mingxi, I want to eat giant crab.”

Gu Mingxi smiled and said, “Then pick one out.”

Without even asking about the price, she crouched down and picked out seven fat crabs. The boss said, “1.8 kg, 380 dollars.”

Pang Qian didn’t have any money on her, so she very naturally reached into Gu Mingxi’s pants pocket. After paying, she realized that Dou Dou was standing right next to her, watching her with a very unsatisfied look.

“Teacher Gu, giant crabs are very expensive,” Dou Dou said to Gu Mingxi. “Let’s not eat giant crab.”

The boss had already accepted the payment, so Pang Qian was a bit embarra.s.sed. Gu Mingxi bent over slightly and said, “Dou Dou, it’s Christmas today and it’s the first time my friend is visiting. Let’s celebrate a little. I’ll treat everyone to giant crab.”

“But giant crab is really expensive. We never eat it.” Dou Dou thought of his everyday life with Gu Mingxi, and he felt wronged. Gu Mingxi was very frugal. Although every meal included a meat or fish dish, he’d never bought such expensive seafood before.

Pang Qian carried the bag of crabs with a bit of helplessness. Gu Mingxi gently told her, “Don’t mind him. It’s true that Dou Dou and I don’t usually eat crab. It’s not that we can’t, but it’s not that convenient for me. Really.”

Pang Qian looked at him and blinked a few times. She knew he wasn’t telling the truth.

As they kept walking around the market, Pang Qian took note of what Gu Mingxi was wearing. He had on a white cotton s.h.i.+rt with wide, casual army-green pants that were a bit faded.

Pang Qian suddenly realized that Gu Mingxi must not be that well off, economically speaking. Although he was a teacher and published a few books, he didn’t have any support from his family. Pang Qian knew that she’d figured something out (?). Ever since they were kids, Gu Mingxi always had more spending money than her. But now, she’d realized, he wasn’t the same youth who didn’t have to worry about food and clothing expenses.

Pang Qian started feeling a bit of regret at greedily buying such expensive crab. 380 dollars. She wondered how long that money would have lasted toward his living expenses. Pang Qian wanted to pay him back after they returned to the school, but she also felt that he wouldn’t accept it.

She didn’t ask him to buy anything else, but Gu Mingxi wouldn’t have it. He took Pang Qian to the fruit area and had her pick out some fruit.

“If you come to Sanya, you have to eat the fruit here. It’s really good.” He pointed at some mangoes with his chin. “Buy a few mangoes, they’re very sweet. And some mangosteen and dragon fruit. You like them.”

Pang Qian shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t want to eat it.”

Gu Mingxi said, “Then buy some coconut. There are fresh coconut here. They’re a bit heavy though, so after you buy them, get Teacher Chen to carry it.”

Pang Qian shook her head again. “I don’t want to eat it, really. Not at all.”

Gu Mingxi didn’t say anything. He glanced at Pang Qian and then directly spoke to the owner. “Boss, help me pick out a few mangoes, good ones.”

Pang Qian went to pull at his sleeve. “Gu Mingxi…”

“I’m eating it,” he told her lightly. “Pang Pang, help my pay for it. If it’s too heavy, just get Teacher Chen or Teacher w.a.n.g to help carry it.”

Then Pang Qian could only pay and accept the bag of mangoes.

When they were finished buying everything, everyone headed back to the bus to go back to the school. Ji Xiu’er considerately brought Dou Dou back to her dorm.

At the east-most door of the teacher’s dorms, Gu Mingxi lifted his foot to open the door. He turned back to Pang Qian and smiled, “Come in.”

Pang Qian carried the things they bought inside to the kitchen. She walked out and saw that Gu Mingxi had already closed the door and the room was quiet.

He’d headed straight to the bathroom to wash his feet, without another glance at her. Gu Mingxi sat down on a plastic chair and turned on the faucet. Cold water poured out as he rubbed his feet against each other. His sleeves hung at his side, swinging with his body. After he washed his feet, he walked back to the living room. Gu Mingxi took a look around and muttered to himself, “Seems like there’s no hot water. I’ll go boil some.”

Before he even moved, someone came up behind him and embraced him.

Gu Mingxi had to admit, he wasn’t used to it. But he felt very happy about it all the same.

“Gu Mingxi, tell me, what does it mean to be an old friend?” Pang Qian had kept thinking about the way he’d introduced her. She asked unhappily, “Why didn’t you say old cla.s.smate?”

Gu Mingxi smiled, “I was originally going to say neighbor.”

“You’re the worst!” She held onto him and suddenly started to tickle him. Gu Mingxi twisted himself but couldn’t avoid her. Unable to hold in his laughter, he laughed heartily as he called out, “Pang Pang! Stop it!”

Pang Qian said, “So, tell me, what am I to you?”

He laughed loudly and pulled away. “You’re my Pang Pang.”

“t.i.tle? Name? Position?”

Gu Mingxi tried really hard to dodge her and said in a low tone, “Okay, you’re my girlfriend. That’s good enough, right? Hurry and let go, it’s so itchy!”

“What do you mean, ‘that’s good enough’?!” Pang Qian was extremely dissatisfied. Despite wearing a dress, she sprawled across his back and hooked her legs around him. She pulled at his ear and he couldn’t help bending over from the weight of her entire body. It wasn’t easy for him, but he was also happy to suffer in that moment.

“Pang Pang, how can you still act like a kid.” His voice carried some helplessness as he stood there, bent over, not daring to move. Pang Qian clung tightly to him, her hands clenching onto his s.h.i.+rt. With her cheek against his neck, she said, “Gu Mingxi, I really missed you. Really, really missed you a lot. Let me hold you for awhile. I’m worried it’s just a dream, and when I wake up, I’ll just be holding onto a pillow.”

Actually, it was the same for him. He’d seen her countless times in his dreams. He stood in that park, a large tree looming over him. His girl stood in front of him, an arm’s length away, but he couldn’t touch her.

He really wanted to let her hold onto him, but it was raining heavily and the sound of the rained drowned out his own voice. Pang Qian smiled at him and turned around, her figure turning to bubbles and floating away with the wind and the rain.

Right now, Gu Mingxi was willing to keep standing like that, with his girl on his back. Just like in his ill.u.s.trations, a small ostrich carrying a little crab on his back. No matter how long the distance, how tough or tiring, he wouldn’t put her down.

But how could Pang Qian bear to tire him out. After acting like an octopus for a bit, she decided to get off of him. She looked around his small place curiously and asked, “Gu Mingxi, have you been living here for the past three years?”

Gu Mingxi straightened up and nodded. “Yeah, ever since the Spring Festival in 2008, I’ve been teaching here.”

His place was very small with two rooms. In the outside room, there was a dining table and chairs, a refrigerator, cabinet, and a large desk. The desk was low to the ground, with papers, paints, brushes, a palette, and professional books piled on top. It was very clearly Gu Mingxi’s ill.u.s.tration and work area.

The inner room had two single beds, a large dresser, and a TV hanging on the wall. There was also a normal sized desk, and a laptop on one of the beds.

The room was a bit cramped, but things were tidy and neat inside. Pang Qian look a look around and her eyes landed on a children’s bike.

“Is that Dou Dou’s?” Pang Qian pointed at the bike as she asked Gu Mingxi.

Gu Mingxi turned to look and nodded, “Mm.”

Pang Qian had already heard that Dou Dou was a child who lived with him, but she didn’t understand why. She asked, “Why does Dou Dou live with you?”

“Because he has nowhere else to go. Whether there’s one person eating here or two, they still have to eat. So I brought him here.” Gu Mingxi walked over to the refrigerator and opened it with his chin and shoulder. He asked Pang Qian, “There’s no water here, but there are cold drinks. Do you want to drink something?”

Pang Qian walked over to look. Orange juice, cola, lemon tea… She couldn’t believe it. “Gu Mingxi, didn’t you used to dislike these things?”

Gu Mingxi laughed. “I don’t drink them, they’re Dou Dou’s. He likes to drink them but I don’t let him drink too much. I only let him have one bottle a week.”

Pang Qian pulled out a bottle of cola and went to sit down at the dining table with Gu Mingxi. Sitting next to him, she asked, “What happened? Where are Dou Dou’s parents?”

Gu Mingxi gave her a smile before saying, “Dou Dou’s parents got divorced. His mom was from Guangdong, so she went back there. His dad… He has some mental issues and he likes to drink (alcohol) a lot. When he drinks, he abuses Dou Dou.” He spoke slowly. “Two years ago, when I started teaching, I realized there was always a dirty child listening in from just outside the cla.s.sroom. Every time I walked out the door, he would run away. Then one day, after cla.s.s, I found that he didn’t run away. He stood outside the cla.s.sroom, peering in at the girls who were eating snacks inside. He was practically drooling, and then I knew, he was hungry.”

Pang Qian smiled as she said, “You must have given him something tasty to eat.”

“Mm, I brought him back to the dorms and gave him some fruit. Then I found that he had wounds all over his body.” Gu Mingxi took a deep breath. “On his legs and his back, there were large bruises and even burn scars. Dou Dou’s middle finger on his left hand was broken by his dad, and since he didn’t go to the doctor, he can’t straighten it out anymore. At the time, I reported it to the police, but they told me that whether it was a father beating his son or someone with a mental illness, they couldn’t do anything about it.”

Pang Qian asked, “And then what? Just like that, you took him in?”

“No,” Gu Mingxi shook his head. “I brought him back because he was nearly beaten to death by his dad.” He lifted his foot and pointed at the cola bottle in Pang Qian’s hand. “His dad hit him with a gla.s.s beer bottle. The wound on his head was really big, and he was covered in blood. It was their neighbor who found Dou Dou and sent him to the hospital. I only found out when they reported it on the news. When I went to the hospital to see Dou Dou, they said his father had already been sent to a psychiatric hospital. Dou Dou’s (maternal) grandmother kept crying there. She was old and her sight was bad. She wasn’t really able to take care of Dou Dou. No one else in their family was willing to take him in either. The poor kid just laid there in the hospital bed. So I told his grandmother that he could live with me after he was discharged.”

Pang Qian was surprised. “You’ve been living with him for the past two years?”

“Yeah, we’re together everyday. He hasn’t gone back home since.” Gu Mingxi smiled and continued, “Dou Dou really understands things well, and he helps me with a lot of stuff. Instead of saying that I’m taking care of him, you might as well say that we take care of each other.”

Pang Qian said, “Gu Mingxi, why are you so grand and generous?! Then… Then what happens in the future? If you leave, what happens to Dou Dou?”

“I’m not grand, and I haven’t thought about the future. Pang Pang, everyone has their desperate moments, when they’re at the end of their road.” He turned to look at her in the eyes. “When my mom pa.s.sed away, I’d also hit a dead end, but there was a teacher who took me in. He didn’t have any blood relations to me, but he let me stay in his house. Not only did he teach me to draw, he helped me find a job. It was only after staying with him for a year and a half and bettering my situation, that I ended up coming to Hainan. Dou Dou’s the same. He was five years old at the time, and he turned back from death’s door. If I hadn’t taken him back with me, I don’t even want to imagine what things would have been like after his dad was released. Really, his dad might have really beaten him to death.”

Pang Qian rested her head on his shoulder. “Why didn’t you come to find me back then? You could have stayed at my house. It’s not like feeding one more mouth would have been difficult for us.”

Gu Mingxi curled his lips and then smiled. “Let’s not talk about the things that have already pa.s.sed. Right now, I’m doing well. Really.”

“Okay, we won’t talk about it. Then let’s talk about the future instead.” Pang Qian wrapped both arms around his waist and turned to look at him. “Gu Mingxi, it will be New Year’s soon. Come home with me for New Year’s this year.”

Gu Mingxi tilted his head and looked at her s.h.i.+ning hair and long eyelashes. He asked, “Go home with you? As what?”

“My boyfriend,” Pang Pang said. “Gu Mingxi is Pang Qian’s boyfriend.”

“Pang Pang…” he hesitated. “You don’t think… that between us… that it would be better if we learned more about each other before we decided anything?”

Pang Qian lifted her chin from his shoulder and looked at him strangely. “Learn about each other? Me and you? Do we still need to learn about each other?”

He nodded. Thinking back to the marketplace, he smiled and asked her, “Did you end up going to graduate school?”

Pang Qian shook her head. “No. Ever since I graduated, I’ve been working.”

“What kind of work do you do?”

She answered honestly, “Investment banking. At first, I was in Shanghai. But after three years, I went back to E City. I’m working at a joint venture investment banking company now.”

“You must be doing really well then, with a lot of s.p.a.ce for developments,” Gu Mingxi said. “But Pang Pang, I don’t have anything.”

Startled, Pang Qian said, “What are you supposed to have? A house? A car? Money? An honorable job?”

“That’s right.” His eyes looked very forgiving, and his tone was very even. “Gu Mingxi has nothing. Gu Mingxi is a pauper. Not only doesn’t he have a house, a car, money, or a good job, he also doesn’t have a diploma, or arms, or… a family. Can this Gu Mingxi really be Pang Qian’s boyfriend?”

Pang Qian’s eyes glistened. “Does Gu Mingxi like Pang Qian?”

He smiled, “He does.”

“As long as Gu Mingxi likes Pang Qian, then he can be her boyfriend.” Pang Qian stared at him, her hand reaching out to stroke his cheek. She said seriously, “Just because you don’t have something now doesn’t mean that you’ll never have it. We’re both still young. We’ll just work hard.”

There was a faint smile hidden in his expression. “Pang Pang, your mom has never really liked me much.”

“Your position in the family is determined by your economic contribution. Right now, I’m the boss in my family!” Pang Qian proudly raised her chin. “Also, my dad supports me. When he found out that I’d found you, he was so happy. He kept telling me to bring you back home for New Year’s.”

When she finished, she embraced him again, her ear held against his heart. She said quietly, “Every New Year’s, we always wonder where Gu Mingxi is having New Year’s dinner. Is he alone or is there someone beside him? I want to spend every New Year’s with you from now on. Gu Mingxi, promise me that you’ll come home with me this New Year’s.”

That faraway city was his hometown. Gu Mingxi was silent for a long time, before he finally answered, “Okay.”

That evening, the young teachers held a Christmas party together. Gu Mingxi and Teacher Song were the main chefs, cooking in the community kitchen. Pang Qian walked to the kitchen and saw Teacher Song at the stove. Gu Mingxi was sitting on a chair with a short table in front of him. His feet were up on the table, cutting up a pile of vegetables. He held down the vegetables with his left foot and used his right to cut.

Pang Qian was simply shocked and alarmed. She said, “Gu Mingxi, let me help you. You might cut yourself.”

Gu Mingxi lifted his head to look at her. He shook his head and smiled. “That’s okay, I can take care of it. I think I’d worry more if you were cutting.”

Teacher Song turned back to look at Pang Qian. “Miss Crab, you don’t have to worry about Teacher Gu. He’s the best cook among us. He can take care of it all. Buying, cleaning, cutting, cooking. And his food tastes so good. You’re lucky that you’ll be able to eat it in the future.”

Pang Qian’s face turned red. She asked Gu Mingxi quietly, “When did you learn to cook?”

Gu Mingxi’s head was down as he concentrated on cutting. He said, “When my mom was sick. If I didn’t learn, then I was going to starve. I thought it was kind of hard at first, but after awhile, it’s become very familiar to me.”

After he finished cutting the vegetables, Gu Mingxi used the knife and his left foot to sweep the vegetables into a basket. Then he stood up, bent over to grab the basket under his chin, and brought it over to the counter by the stove.

He told Teacher Song, “I’ll stir fry this.”

As he was cooking, Pang Qian kept watching him from the side. She remembered the time she went over to his house in high school, and Gu Mingxi cooked the winter melon. Back then, he’d needed Pang Qian’s help to add the seasoning, but now, he didn’t need any help at all. From adding the oil to the pan, he cooked the food all on his own with his two feet.

After the oil heated up, Gu Mingxi put the vegetables into the pan. He turned and told Pang Qian to stand back a bit, and she obediently moved back. She popped her head out from behind him and watched as he picked up the vegetables and dropped them into the pan.

The sizzling oil sounded and jumped up. Pang Qian watched Gu Mingxi quickly pick up the spatula and start stir frying. He looked like he’d done it many times before. Standing behind him, she asked, “The oil splattered onto your feet. Isn’t it hot?”

Gu Mingxi smiled and said, “My skin’s thick and I’m used to it, so it’s okay.”

After tossing the vegetables a bit, he put down the spatula, and used a spoon to sprinkle some salt. He stir fried a bit more and then added some MSG. Finally, he turned off the fire and told Pang Qian, “Pang Pang, help me plate this and bring it out.”

From start to end, he stood very stably in front of the stove on one foot. The fire had glowed onto his dark face and Pang Qian could see the sweat all over his head. There were traces of sweat on the back of his s.h.i.+rt too.

She pulled out a napkin and helped him wipe it away. Gu Mingxi lowered his head and looked at her. She smiled and said, “I’ll leave the cooking to you in the future.”

Gu Mingxi bent over slightly and said, “So you’ll eat whatever I cook?”

“Of course, I’m not a picky eater.”

Gu Mingxi b.u.mped her cheek with his own. “It’s agreed then. Whatever I cook in the future, you’ll have to eat it all. Pang Pang, you’re too thin. I’m going to fatten you up.”

“Hateful! You’re covered in sweat.” She said that, but she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m losing weight. All the female employees at work are thinner than me.”

“I like when you’re plump.”

“Hm. And I liked when you were paler. When you get pale again, you can come bargain with me!”

As she spoke, she deftly plated the food and slipped out of the kitchen, leaving behind a blank Gu Mingxi.

He lowered his head and looked at his feet. He knew that his skin had gotten a lot darker. Gu Mingxi suddenly recalled the male characters Pang Qian used to have him copy from her girly comics and the celebrities that she’d liked growing up. They all seemed to have been refined, good looking, Adonis types.

And of course, he couldn’t help thinking of Xie Yi.

Gu Mingxi felt a bit gloomy inside.

At the dining table, Ji Xiu’er and Dou Dou had been sitting together. When they looked at Pang Qian, neither of their expressions was at all friendly. Dou Dou quietly spoke to Ji Xiu’er, “Teacher Ji, I think that you’re prettier than that lady.”

Ji Xiu’er looked over to him, “Thanks.”

Pang Qian sat down next to Dou Dou and wanted to chat with him. Dou Dou pursed his lips, glanced at her, and ran off to the kitchen.

He pulled on Gu Mingxi’s s.h.i.+rt hem. “Teacher Gu, Teacher Gu.”

Gu Mingxi had just finished cooking something. He put down the spatula in his right foot and turned off the fire. He lowered his head to look at Dou Dou, “What is it?”

“How are we going to sleep tonight?” Dou Dou was looking at Pang Qian’s luggage, and then he looked innocently at Gu Mingxi, “Will Auntie Crab sleep in my bed? Where will I sleep then?”

Gu Mingxi thought about it, and then lifted his foot to nudge his leg. He said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”