True or False - Chapter 2

The moment Shen Hengxi opened his eyes, he was forced to shut them again by the piercing morning light.

His mind wasn’t fully awake yet. He drifted through a haze of thoughts noting the newly installed window, realizing the sun was exceptionally bright today, and wondering why on earth he had fallen asleep on the balcony.

The long blare of a car horn from below finally jolted him into consciousness. As he sat up, the thin blanket covering him slipped to the floor.

He remembered now. He had been lying in his little balcony nook last night to watch the stars and must have drifted off. Rubbing the back of his neck, he pushed the window open and took a deep breath, pondering how to spend his day. After a life of constant hustle and bustle, this sudden return to a quiet pace felt almost unsettlingly idle.

He glanced at the living room clock: 6:30 AM.

What do people even do at this hour?

“Heading to the wet market?” Two people on bicycles pulled up on opposite sides of the street. They were smiling, shouting greetings to each other across the road.

Shen Hengxi couldn’t understand the reply, but his interest was piqued by the mention of the “wet market.”

After a quick wash, he headed downstairs, asked for directions, and began walking north. There were few cars out; only the occasional roar of a heavy truck broke the silence, leaving a trail of exhaust that added a misty quality to the morning air.

Just as he was considering asking for more specific directions, the vibrant aroma of street food and the hum of voices swept across the street toward him. He quickened his pace, turned a corner, and stepped into the heart of the commotion.

People were everywhere. The roadside was lined with vendors sitting on small stools, calling out to passersby. Shen Hengxi listened closely, guessing they were saying things like “Come and take a look.” Their vegetables were vibrant green and still dusted with fresh soil. Further down, the sharp scent of fish hit his nose. Curious, he watched several large red plastic tubs filled with fish of all sizes none of which he could name—while machines bubbled away in the water.

With his hands tucked behind his back, he wandered aimlessly. He was fascinated by the elderly locals’ chatter and puzzled by the sight of people playfully pushing and shoving one another in line. It was only when he followed the road to a large sign that he realized the street stalls were just the perimeter; the actual market was much larger.

Stepping inside, he found it even livelier than the street. Shops packed the outer rim, while long tables stretched from east to west through the center, piled high with every ingredient imaginable. The sounds of voices, chopping boards, and the snapping of fresh vegetables blended into a symphony of local life.

Shen Hengxi wandered for about half an hour until he reached the final row of stalls. By chance, his eyes met those of an elderly woman. She smiled broadly, thrusting a bunch of greens toward him while chirping in a dialect he couldn’t decipher, “Lay-ah-ba-ah?”

Having never dealt with this kind of interaction, Shen Hengxi stepped forward and said politely, “Auntie, how much is this?”

“Len-kwai-ah-jin-ah! Sin-shian-de-dong-cong-ga-li-cei-de-yo!” The woman eagerly turned over the vegetables to show him. “Ni-kun-kun, si-bu-si-ah?”

Shen Hengxi looked at the greens in his hand, completely bewildered. “No, Auntie, I don’t understand what you’re saying, and I don’t know how to cook. If I buy these, we’ll just be staring at each other in the kitchen.”

“Ai-ya! Ni-qiu-ba-ta-ca-gu-shui!” she insisted, continuing her sales pitch.

“I really don’t understand,” Shen Hengxi repeated.

“Ni &***%…”

“Still don’t get it.”

“Are you an idiot or something?”

That he understood. He looked at the woman, then at the vegetables, and started stuffing them into a plastic bag himself. “I’m not from around here, so I don’t know the language. I’ll take these; I’ll just give you 50 yuan for the lot. Consider it a bit of good luck for your morning.”

The woman looked at him as if he were the idiot, waving her hands frantically and muttering under her breath.

Ignoring the confusion, Shen Hengxi pulled out his phone to find his payment code. Just as he was about to scan hers, a pale hand reached out and blocked the camera lens.

“You only need to pay ten yuan.”

The voice came from his right. Shen Hengxi looked over. It was the kid from yesterday.

Seeing no reaction, Chu Xi’ang turned his face and repeated, “This bag of vegetables isn’t worth that much. Ten yuan is enough.”

“Alright,” Shen Hengxi replied. He scanned the code and then kept his eyes on Chu Xi’ang, who was now speaking to the woman in her dialect.

After saying their goodbyes, Chu Xi’ang explained to Shen Hengxi, “She was trying to tell you it wasn’t that expensive. She said if she took that much, people would think she was robbing you.”

Shen Hengxi hooked the bag over his finger and tucked his other hand into his pocket. “Thanks. You out for groceries?”

“Mhm.” Chu Xi’ang nodded.

They were standing in the middle of a crowded aisle. As the morning rush intensified, Chu Xi’ang gently pulled him to the side. “It’s getting crowded. Should we head out first?”

“Sure.” Shen Hengxi took a half-step back, watching the boy’s back as they walked. Today, the kid was wearing a grey hoodie and jeans clean, simple, and refreshing.

Shen Hengxi lengthened his stride to walk beside him. “Have you had breakfast?”

Chu Xi’ang paused, his gaze meeting the older man’s eyes. He blinked and asked, “Have you?”

“Me? Not yet.” The smile on Shen Hengxi’s lips widened. He pivoted the conversation. “Tell me, what’s a good breakfast around here?” Before the boy could answer, he added, “Not fish soup noodles, though. I’ve been eating those for a week.”

Chu Xi’ang swallowed the suggestion he was about to make. He looked around, and his expression softened. “It’s crowded here. Keep close.”

Shen Hengxi raised an eyebrow and followed him. The plastic bag rustled against his leg with every step.

“They fry meat crescents and radish cakes here in the morning. If you don’t mind something a bit greasy, you should try them.” Chu Xi’ang stopped in front of a bubbling vat of oil and spoke to the man behind it.

Perhaps fearing Shen Hengxi might feel awkward standing there, he continued, “I was planning to buy some to take home anyway. If you don’t mind, I can share some with you. If you like them, you can come back and buy them yourself next time.”

Shen Hengxi leaned back slightly, his eyes drifting over the boy’s face. “Sounds good.”

Chu Xi’ang nodded. He took a meat crescent from the vendor and started to hand it over, then quickly pulled it back. “Wait a second.”

He hurried into the shop next door, said something to someone inside, and rushed back. This time, he held the whole bag of meat crescents out to Shen Hengxi, along with two skewers. “Use these so you don’t get your hands dirty.”

Shen Hengxi looked at the skewers, then took one to spear a crescent.

“Careful, it’s hot,” Chu Xi’ang warned.

Shen Hengxi blew on it and took a bite. As he chewed, he noticed the boy watching him with a look of genuine focus.

“Mhm,” Shen Hengxi hummed thoughtfully. “It’s actually quite delicious.”

Chu Xi’ang seemed relieved. He poured more than half the bag into a separate container. “Then these are for you.”

When he saw that Shen Hengxi was ready to keep eating, Chu Xi’ang began leading him out of the market. “Did you walk here?”

“Mhm,” Shen Hengxi said through a bite of food.

Chu Xi’ang pulled his keys from his pocket. “I’ll take you to get some soup dumplings. It’s not far, just under the big bridge.” He glanced at Shen Hengxi’s tall frame. “Want a ride?”

Shen Hengxi put the skewer back in the bag and looked down at the boy. “Can your bike handle it?”

“If you trust my driving skills,” Chu Xi’ang said.

Shen Hengxi laughed. “Let’s go then.”

It wasn’t until the words left his mouth that Chu Xi’ang realized he might have been a bit forward. Regardless of the other man’s intentions, offering a ride to someone he’d only met twice felt a little impolite. Just as he opened his mouth to reconsider, the electric bike dipped slightly, and a clean, light fragrance wafted from behind him.

Chu Xi’ang gripped the handlebars tight to steady the bike, his head turned slightly. Shen Hengxi was already seated behind him, a bag in each hand. He tilted his chin up. “Let’s go.”

“Okay,” Chu Xi’ang answered instinctively. He tried to scoot forward to give more room, but he felt a gentle tug on his jacket from behind.

“Any further and you’ll fall off the front,” Shen Hengxi said.

Chu Xi’ang composed himself and glanced at his passenger in the rearview mirror, but said nothing. He drove with uncharacteristic caution. A trip that should have taken six minutes stretched into fifteen. After rounding a small corner, he heard the man behind him chuckle, and Chu Xi’ang straightened his back even more.

“Hey, did you see that old man?” Shen Hengxi asked.

Chu Xi’ang glanced sideways. “I saw him.”

“That old man on his bicycle is moving faster than us on an electric bike. Am I too heavy?”

Chu Xi’ang shrugged and silently picked up the pace.

By the time they reached the soup dumpling shop, Shen Hengxi had finished most of the meat crescents. He stepped inside and sat at an empty table.

“I ordered two servings of dumplings and two bowls of tofu pudding,” Chu Xi’ang said, meticulously wiping the table with a napkin. “I didn’t know how you like your tofu pudding, so you can add your own seasonings in a moment.”

Shen Hengxi rested his chin on his hand and pushed the bag of vegetables toward him. “These are for you.”

Chu Xi’ang looked up.

“You treated me to the meat crescents; consider this my treat to you.” Shen Hengxi speared one last crescent, his expression lazy and relaxed. “Take them. I don’t cook; they’d only go to waste with me.”

Chu Xi’ang accepted them, his gaze lingering on the man across from him. He had noticed him earlier in the market. Despite the crowd, the man stood out completely out of place. Even in a simple grey cardigan and jeans, he looked like someone of high status.

Some people, no matter how hard they try to blend in, are impossible to miss. Sitting in this tiny, cramped restaurant, he possessed a casual, refined aura that Chu Xi’ang had never encountered in his seventeen years.

“How old are you? you look quite young,” Shen Hengxi suddenly asked.

Chu Xi’ang pulled out a napkin, placed it to the man’s right, and laid a pair of chopsticks on top. “Seventeen.”

Shen Hengxi watched the gesture, a smile playing on his lips. “Not even an adult yet?”

“Almost. I’ll be an adult by the end of the year,” Chu Xi’ang replied.

The shop owner brought the dumplings to the table. Seeing Chu Xi’ang, she smiled. “Xiao Ang! Tell me ahead of time next time you’re coming so I can save a table for you.”

“Will do, thanks Auntie,” Chu Xi’ang replied, placing a steamer of dumplings in front of Shen Hengxi. “Try these.”

The owner noticed the stranger sitting across from him and began enthusiastically whispering questions to Chu Xi’ang. Though Shen Hengxi couldn’t understand the words, he knew they were talking about him.

“Talking about me?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Chu Xi’ang said. “She said you’re a fresh face. She asked if you were my friend.”

“And what did you say?” Shen Hengxi asked, amused.

“I said yes. You should come here often; she’ll remember you now,” Chu Xi’ang said.

The boy kept his head down, his bangs obscuring his eyes. Shen Hengxi watched as the boy carefully poured vinegar into a small dish and added a generous spoonful of chili oil. Even without seeing his full expression, Shen Hengxi could tell he did everything with extreme earnestness.

“Xiao Ang?”

Chu Xi’ang’s hand paused. He looked up sharply.

“That’s what the owner called you, right?” Shen Hengxi tilted his head slightly.

Placing the spoon back in the jar, Chu Xi’ang hummed an affirmation. “I thought you didn’t understand the local dialect.”

“I don’t.” Shen Hengxi took the vinegar and began pouring it slowly, a playful glint in his eyes. “But I can understand ‘Xiao Ang’ well enough.”

Chu Xi’ang pressed his lips together and didn’t say another word.

Shen Hengxi finished his meal first and reached for his phone to head to the counter, but Chu Xi’ang, still mid-bite, reached out to stop him. “I…”

“Take your time,” Shen Hengxi said, pulling his leg back.

Swallowing his food, Chu Xi’ang said, “I already paid. Consider it a welcome to our town.”

Shen Hengxi looked at him, putting his phone back on the table. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “Xiao Ang… you really are hard to say no to.”

Chu Xi’ang offered a shallow smile, his eyes crinkling. “Then it’s settled. How are you getting back?”

“I think I’ll wander around a bit,” Shen Hengxi replied.

Chu Xi’ang nodded. They didn’t push the conversation further. He finished quickly and ordered a separate serving of dumplings to go. “I have to head out then; someone’s waiting for me at home. You can walk along the river the sun is out, but the breeze is quite cool today.”

“Thanks,” Shen Hengxi said.

“Don’t mention it. See you around.”

Shen Hengxi stayed where he was, watching the boy hop on his electric bike, make a sharp U-turn, and zip away. The wind caught the boy’s hoodie, outlining his lean frame.

Recalling the “turtle-paced” ride they had shared earlier, Shen Hengxi stood up with a grin. His own stride felt a little lighter as he walked out.

When Chu Xi’ang arrived home, Lin Fang was sitting by the door waiting. Seeing him, she rushed over. “What took you so long?”

“I had breakfast. I brought some back for you.” He handed her the dumplings.

“You went alone?” she asked, taking the bag.

“No. I ran into that man Mom mentioned yesterday.” Chu Xi’ang paused for a split second as he parked the bike.

“Oh? How do you know him?” Lin Fang followed him inside.

“Met him at the market. Look…” He held up the bag of vegetables. “He gave me these. I didn’t want to take his things for free, so I bought him breakfast.”

“That’s right, we don’t take advantage of people,” Lin Fang said, leaning in. “So, is he a good person?”

Chu Xi’ang thought back to the man sitting in the cramped restaurant with that effortless, indifferent grace. He looked at his grandmother, dazed for a moment, before snapping back. “He gave me his groceries. How could he not be a good person?”

“True enough.”