Chapter 35 - 33 [My Brother Lei, a Man of Benevolence and Righteousness]
Chapter Thirty-Three: The Righteousness of Brother Lei
Chen Nuo unlocked the door and returned home.
He turned on the living room light and changed into slippers. The room still felt dim, so he turned on the lights in the living room, kitchen, and balcony as well. Only then did it feel bright enough.
After sitting on the sofa and smoking a cigarette, Chen Nuo stood up and went into the kitchen to boil water on the stove. He then rinsed rice and cooked it in the rice cooker. Next, he set up a steamer on the stove and put the leftovers from the previous day inside.
Standing in the kitchen, spacing out for a while, he gazed out the window at the myriad of lights twinkling in the building across the way.
A sudden sense of loneliness washed over him.
He moved to the living room, turned on the TV, and randomly picked a channel. He found a domestic drama and turned up the volume.
The steamer in the kitchen began to hiss, releasing steam, and the characters on the TV spoke their lines about everyday family matters. The room was bathed in bright light.
The touch of loneliness in his heart slowly began to dissipate.
Just as Chen Nuo was lighting his second cigarette, the phone rang.
When he answered, he heard Sun Keke’s sobbing voice on the other end. He knew all too well what was happening. He listened silently as the girl cried. After she had cried for a while, she said softly, "Chen Nuo, my parents are fighting again."
"Where are you?"