Chapter 10: Wu Yu 02 (1)
——Wu Yu——
The wind caused the city to rattle. At night, the skies here would be clear and starry, and the smell of the sea would blow in. My mind would quiet down with the symphony of the night—the sounds of the wind, the sight of the stars, and the smell of the sea.
It was around the time when the evening lights were lit. I rolled out from underneath a car, covered in sweat because of the stuffiness, with oily stains on my palms. I would have never imagined myself doing this in the past. But now, I think it is good. After a day of work, I could enjoy venting through the ache and heat from my muscles.
I got up and grabbed a bottle of water to drink. Xiaohua gave my arm muscles a few bumps with his fist and said, “Brother Yu, you’re a man among men, a fighter jet among men! I’m really curious about what you did before this? You’re so smart, able to fix any machine or car after giving the manual a read. You’re just like a computer!”
I chuckled and answered, “That’s because they all have the same principles.”
Xiaohua and several other repairmen showed helpless smiles. One of them asked, “Brother Yu, let me guess, were you a policeman or a soldier? Is that why you’re so manly and capable?”
“No, I think he’s a professional race car driver,” Xiaohua said with the desire to stir up trouble. “How else can he be so good with cars? These cars are like brother Yu’s women, allowing him to bend them over freely.”
All the men let out wicked smiles, mocking the fact that I had no woman to call my own. I laughed out too and pulled out a cigarette from my T-shirt. Xiaohua helped me light it up.
When there was no work, I would sit in the shop and smoke. When the nicotine infiltrated my lungs from my nose, it brought me excitement with a hint of dryness. It allowed me to be a little self-indulgent and sober.