Chapter Twenty-Four: The Vasectomy Scandal (Part Two)

Lu Kun turned his back, facing stacks of firewood, gasping for breath.

“At last, they’re gone.” He steadied his breathing, seeking some comfort.

“Creak!”

The sound of the wooden door being pushed open startled him, making his heart leap. He held his breath and hid himself as tightly as possible.

“Could the family planning task force have doubled back? Or maybe they tried the covert route after failing openly?”

His mind raced, thoughts tangled, worrying whether someone had seen him climbing over the wall into Stone’s yard and reported him to the task force.

Footsteps grew clearer, drawing nearer to the second-floor hayloft. Lu Kun’s heart was in his throat, and the urge to burst out and fight flashed through his mind.

Thud.

The visitor circled the hayloft, then lowered his voice, saying, “Come out, they’re all gone.”

“It’s Stone!” Relief flooded Lu Kun, and his eyes brightened.

“Stone, I’m over here!” Lu Kun replied in a hushed tone. His legs were numb, and he sank onto a pile of firewood, breathing deeply.

“I knew it was you hiding in here!” Stone was delighted, reaching out to pull Lu Kun out.

Lu Kun was drenched in sweat. The weather was already hot, and the tension had been suffocating. No matter how much he wiped, the sweat wouldn't dry.

His clothes were caked with dirt—one pat sent clouds of dust billowing, making him cough. His hair was tangled in cobwebs, looking like a refugee on the run.

“How did you know I was here?” Lu Kun swallowed, struggling to speak.

“Ha! The lock on the downstairs door still had the key in it. I guessed it was you—no one else has ever been given a key to my house,” Stone boasted.

Lu Kun suddenly understood. No wonder Stone had kept giving the task force such a hard time; he must have known all along that Lu Kun was hiding here.

Stone had changed clothes. He wore a white, yellowed vest and a pair of shorts.

He took a box of cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to Lu Kun, lit it for him, and then lit one for himself. The two sat side by side, smoking.

Stone put his arm around Lu Kun’s shoulder, giving it a pat. “Take a bath later, don’t go out too soon. I’ll keep watch for you, see if those bastards have really left.”

Lu Kun glanced at his refugee attire and agreed—it was best to hide at Stone’s house a bit longer. He nodded lightly.

After resting for some time, they slowly descended from the hayloft and headed toward Stone’s main house.

Stone’s main room was small, barely able to fit a square table.

It was meant for entertaining guests; Stone himself always ate in his own room when alone.

A portrait of the great leader hung in the center of the tiny hall, beneath which was a statue of Lord Guan. In front of the statue was a small incense burner, filled with the remains of burnt incense sticks.

Stone brought Lu Kun a bowl of potatoes and a bowl of water, then went off to boil bathwater.

Though the heat was sweltering, Lu Kun was drenched in sweat from fear. A cold bath would be unwise—it could lead to illness.

He hadn’t eaten all day; hunger gnawed at him, so he grabbed the potatoes and devoured them.

When Stone carried two large buckets of water back to his bedroom, Lu Kun paused in surprise, then understood.

Stone was even less reliable than Lu Kun.

Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom—all in one room.

This man’s laziness was incurable. He wasn’t short on space, so why do everything in his bedroom?

Lu Kun followed him in, took a look around, and his face darkened.

At least Lu Kun’s bathroom had a half-wall; Stone’s was almost laughable.

A layer of cement had been smeared over the floor, and a small hole dug at the base of the wall, with a plastic pipe to drain the water—that was it.

Lu Kun swore it was the most primitive bathroom he’d ever seen, in either of his lifetimes.

He swallowed, glancing at Stone, speechless.

“Why are you staring? Hurry and wash!” Stone sat at the edge of the bed, watching Lu Kun stand there dumbly.

Lu Kun: “…”

How am I supposed to wash with you here? How am I supposed to wash, damn it?!

If he wasn’t worried about making too much noise, he would have shouted at him.

“What’s the big deal? It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. What’s there to be shy about?” Stone scoffed, unconcerned, but still left the room to check the situation outside.

Lu Kun: “Damn!”

What does embarrassment have to do with it? Who can calmly bathe with someone staring at them?!

…

Lu Kun peeled off his sour-smelling clothes and began to wash in Stone’s crude bathroom.

He soaked a towel in hot water and scrubbed