You've Got Mail: Cautionary Tale (YGMCT)

Chapter 2 - Penpals Through the Pigeon Express

Chapter 2 – Penpals Through the Pigeon Express

Wu Xingzi came home distracted. After dinner, he carefully placed the jade hairpin in a wooden box with a lock, and pushed it under his bed.

Then, he sat on his bed and fell into a daze.

He was definitely interested. No matter what kind of secret association the Peng Society for Gentlemen was, it would be a true paradise if it was really a place where he could get to know other men who were just as interested in finding partners for life.

Wu Xingzi had been lonely for many years; he did not even have a dog to keep him company. At the end of his work days, he would come home to long, arduous nights without even a single living soul to talk to… He sighed. Bending over, he retrieved a small pot from under his bed. Inside the container was his entire “bucket stash” of ten taels. He had never intended to touch the sum at all; he still wanted to save up for a sturdy coffin made of the best yellow wood, maybe even elm, wherein he could lie comfortably and rot away.

Fifty coins… Wu Xingzi was extremely torn: such a price was the total sum of his expenditures for ten days! He could even go to the market every few days to have a bowl of beancurd jelly, and look at those bright teeth and wide smile of the beancurd lad… Too bad that the lad had already found someone else before he could even show his interest. His shoulders sagging, Wu Xingzi shrank like a shrivelled eggplant.

Time passed as he remained thus stuck in deliberation. By the time he made up his mind, five days had already passed.

Thinking about it, for a person who was going to die at forty, what need was there for him to worry about these few coins? He might even find a partner, and the hope of spending the future together would save him from the urgent need to die.

The more he thought about it, the more he found it agreeable. Wu Xingzi gritted his teeth. After counting fifty coins and placing them into his pouch, he ran off to the beancurd lad for more details.

The lad was about to head home, having packed up and closed his shop for the day. Turning around, he was shocked by the sight of Wu Xingzi, who was panting hard with a reddened face after running all the way over here.

“Brother Xingzi.”

“You, you… Can you tell me more about that Peng Society please?” Wu Xingzi spoke in a low voice, looking around them nervously. His palms were sweaty, and he seemed terrified of being discovered that he was up to no good.

After a moment of surprise, the lad smiled. “Of course. This isn’t a good place for discussing it though. Brother Xingzi, why don’t you come home with me?”

Go home with him? A furious red burst over Wu Xingzi’s face. This was not just some common invitation from a friendly neighbour; this was an invitation from a person he liked!

“C-can I?”

“My only concern is that Brother Xingzi might not want to go.” Feeling bashful, the lad rubbed the back of his head. Charmed by the sight, Wu Xingzi became light-headed with joy as his heart fluttered conspicuously.

“I do! Of course I do! You’re too polite,” Wu Xingzi responded at once, and happily followed the beancurd lad. Along the way, he even took the initiative to purchase a jug of wine and two dishes, hoping to prolong their chat.

The beancurd lad’s home was not too far away from the market, it was in Thornbush Alley on the west side of the city. There was a row of houses along the street; half of these were empty, and as the sky darkened, the unlit houses looked somewhat unnerving.

“We’re here, Brother Xingzi.” The lad stood outside a house whose warm lights were glowing through the windows. “My man’s temper is a little odd. Don’t mind him. He just… gets jealous easily.” This sudden display of affection pulled Wu Xingzi’s head back from the clouds.