0600 am
Li Heng woke to the loud bashing sound on his cell door, he stiffen and continue laying down on the bed. However, the bashing sound grew more louder and more impatient as time drags on. Eventually, it was Aunty Zhou who entered and placed a tray of medicine next to Li Heng's bed and shook the half-sleeped Li Heng
Aunty Zhou: "When you wake up, be sure to take your medicine. I've already written the schedule on it." She said as she began to walk to the door
Li Heng: "Wasn't it 7o'clock?"
Aunty Zhou: "Don't you need preparation time?!" She shouted as the door shut loudly
Aurielle: "Li Heng, perhaps you need to more interactive with the people here"
...…
*A pause filled the room as the sudden voice of Aurielle spoke after a very long time. Like a ghost who haunts their past loved ones
Li Heng: "Aurielle?" He asked with no response
Li Heng: "…I thought you left…Or dead" He said with a relieved and uncertain tone
Aurielle: "I have been busy with some matters"
Li Heng: "That is?" He asked again with no response after waiting for 5 minutes
…
Li Heng: "Gone after weeks and immediately disappearing once again. Why am I doing this?"
…
0740am
Li Heng walked out of his cell, with a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, slightly eye bags on both eyes with an unease expression on his face as he walked to the cafeteria accompanied by two other nurses
When they arrived, the queue had already expanded to a very long line. Li Heng hastily join the queue however didn't realized that a elderly behind him was cutting queue and was about to cut Li Heng'a queue before being stopped by a short and crippled fearless elderly holding a small timid girl beside him
Fearless Elderly: "Don't cut in line, does nobody told you that?" He said with a furious tone
Arrogant Elderly: "What?! I had always been standing here! Were you blind?!" She shouted which attracted attentions from the crowd
The arrogant elderly began to simulating the punches to the two as she began threatening them with her unproffessional punches. Her punches even nearly reached Li Heng who was standing in queue, looking infront.
Aurielle: "Duck!" She shouted, as Li Heng barely dodges
Before the arrogant elderly could punch the two, Li Heng instinctively stepped forward and caught the elderly woman's arm before her fist landed when several nurses arrived and took her away
Li Heng looked at his hand before the two approached him
Fearless Elderly: "Thank you, Li Heng. That's was quick skillful of you"
Li Heng: "Ah, no. I did it instinctively…"
Fearless Elderly: "Nevertheless, I owe you. My name's Mr Goh and she's my granddaughter- Xiao An…She's a bit shy though"
Li Heng: "Yeah--I'm…Li Heng"
Li Heng looked at him, although old and short however unmistakably the fighter and energy in his eyes are more tougher than some teenagers nowadays. As for Xiao An, Li Heng noticed she constantly hids behind Mr Goh and grabbing on to his shirt with a timid expression
Later, as they sat at a table near the walls, Li Heng shifted uncomfortably as they awkwardly ate together before Mr Goh speaks first
Mr Goh: " So, where do you come from?" He asked
Li Heng: "Chongqing…"
Mr Goh: "Chongqing…Nice place, went there for a business trip before. Beautiful scenery"
Li Heng: "Where do you come from? Mr Goh"
Mr Goh: " Guangzhou. One chaotic place from my time since the 1990s"
Li Heng: "Were you a salesperson?"
Mr Goh: "Once…I was a salesperson working for the Ma family (One of China's four infamous families) 30 years ago alongside my wife and worked our way up to the management levels. It was hard but we saved enough until we started our small restaurant business-"
Mr Goh: "However…Things happened. Car accidents on my...… son and sister-in law 8 years ago-"
Mr Goh: "-My wife's cancer 7 years ago...and the repeated economic crisis impacted our restaurant until several government officials took us here 6 years ago"
Mr Goh: "…I could survive the hunger, the cold, the sun and the stares but Xiao An? She's the only person left to prove that our family existed…"
…
An awkward pause took over the table, none spoke for about 15 minutes before Li Heng asked
Li Heng: "Why me? Why talk about your life…To me? We just met…"
He glanced around the cafeteria, before leaning to Li Heng
Mr Goh: "I have met many people during my salesperson life and I see that you made a mistake or something worse that sent you here.Your eyes, your expression. It's all over your face"
...…
Another awkward pause filled the air as Li Heng finishes his meal
Li Heng: "…So, what do you expect from me? I'm just a normal student"
Mr Goh: "Boy, mistakes are temporary...Solution is key. We can only live to the fullest"
Mr Goh stood up and pointed to another table where a group of elderly are playing mahjong. Li Heng looked at them confused but waited for him to speak
Mr Goh: "Come with me, maybe some activities could help to clear your mind"
*After that, Li Heng followed the two as they arrived the table, where mostly elderly people and several bored or cheerful children looking at the board
Mahjong Player 1: "Goh! Who's this?!"
Mahjong Player 2: "Is it your son?! But your son died, didn't it?!"
Mr Goh: " Don't be so impatient, this is Li Heng. He just help us with something so I decided to return the favour"
Mr Goh said to the surrounding elderly while Xiao An began shyly interacting with other children to the play area
Li Heng then leaned towards Mr Goh who was counting his money
Li Heng: "Hey, I don't know how to play mahjong-"
Mr Goh: "Don't worry, go for it! I'm betting 100 YUAN for Li Heng!"
Mahjong Player 3: " Good, Goh! I'm betting 150 YUAN just for you!"
Mahjong Player 1: "150?! 200!!!" He shouted while slamming the pile of money onto the table, some crowd whistles while some shouting excitedly
Over time as it went on, Li Heng slowly devolves into slight panic and confusion of the game mechanics when Mr Goh standing beside him, teaching him
At the endgame, Li Heng looked at his unorganized tiles before Mr Goh whispers
Mr Goh: "What's wrong?" He asked
Li Heng: "I don't know what to do next. Is my tiles correct?"
...…
Mr Goh: "...You...Had already won, now said 'Wu' (Mahjong Win in Chinese) and reveal your tiles."
Li Heng hesitated and repeatedly checked for the tiles before Mr Goh places his hand on his shoulders
Li Heng: " WU!" He shouted and revealed his tiles- BIG FOUR WINDS
Then the crowd...Screams in confusion, congrats and in disbelief
Elderly Bystander 1: "It's BIG FOUR WINDS!!!" He shouted in disbelief
Elderly Bystander 2: "GOH! You earn it!!!"
Mahjong Player 1: "Good! You're one lucky man, Boy!!! HAHAHA"
Li Heng sat there in disbelief while Mr Goh pat his back
However just then, a nurse suddenly walked through the crowd and stood in front of Li Heng.
Nurse: "Li Heng, is it?"
He nodes and the nurse reply
Nurse: "You have a visitor"
…
He paused and stood up abruptly while knocking over the chair
He followed the nurse to the visiting section where it was extremely quiet and less people that roam these halls
('Is it my parents? Or my friends?) He thought to himself before the nurse leads him to one of the private visitor rooms
He stopped and placed his hands on the handle
Li Heng: "…Hey, how are you. Long time no see...I miss you..." He muttered to himself before opening the door and sees someone he wasn't expecting-
...…
Yu Ting