Reservoir Dogs chapter 119
Shadow
After spending half a month in the hospital, Jiang Chengyuan was discharged. Given the short time, he definitely couldn’t stand when he was discharged; he left in a wheelchair.
Due to his injuries, he received some privileges, living in a single room and not having to follow the prison’s daily work schedule, mainly because he couldn’t stand or walk.
After all, his legs were poorly treated, and the surgery wasn’t successful, leaving them permanently damaged. His life had become significantly more difficult, and he quickly lost weight.
After receiving a warning from Lin Jianan, Luo Jing didn’t cause him any more trouble. But some others, seeing him disabled, thought it was an opportunity. Once, in the cafeteria, someone deliberately kicked over his wheelchair, but a new prison guard intervened, punished the person harshly, and scared everyone present.
After the beating, the person was put in solitary confinement. When he was handcuffed, with blood in his mouth, he still protested, saying that if there was trouble, both of them should be punished. Why was he the only one?
The guard, with a stern and expressionless face, said coldly, “If you have any injuries caused by him, I’ll punish both of you.”
The man immediately fell silent. All his injuries were caused by the guard’s baton; how could he dare to speak?
After the person was taken away, the guard returned, helped Jiang Chengyuan up, put him back in the wheelchair, and said that to avoid similar incidents in the future, he would personally deliver meals to the injured prisoners. Then, he pushed Jiang Chengyuan back.
When they reached a secluded place, Jiang Chengyuan suddenly pressed down on Xiao Zhou’s hand on the wheelchair, making it stop. He pried Xiao Zhou’s hand off and then returned to his room alone.
Xiao Zhou stared at his retreating figure for a while, clenching his now-empty hand, his face expressionless, head hanging down, and followed him from a distance.
Xiao Zhou arrived a bit later than Jiang Chengyuan because he had detoured to the cafeteria to pack some food. When he entered, he saw Jiang Chengyuan bracing himself against the table, struggling to walk. His right leg dragged on the ground, powerless, and he looked like he could collapse at any moment. Xiao Zhou was startled and quickly went over to support him.
As soon as his hand touched Jiang Chengyuan’s arm, Jiang Chengyuan looked up at him from under his sweat-drenched hair, his gaze unfamiliar. Xiao Zhou, chilled by the look, suddenly felt his eyes well up and, in frustration, said, “Don’t do this.”
Seeing Xiao Zhou like that, Jiang Chengyuan averted his eyes, using Xiao Zhou’s support to sit down in a chair. He poured himself a glass of water and drank it. “What did I do?”
“You’re angry.” Xiao Zhou stood there, his hands hanging helplessly at his sides. “And now you don’t even like looking at me.”
“Angry? What do I have to be angry about? Why would I be angry at you?” He was in a bad mood, and his words were harsh. “You saved me. Shouldn’t I be thanking you?”
Xiao Zhou hadn’t been scolded by Jiang Chengyuan in such a long time that he was a bit taken aback. After a moment, he finally said, “You’re angry at yourself, but this isn’t your fault.” Instinctively, he glanced down at Jiang Chengyuan’s injured leg.
Jiang Chengyuan, sensitive as he was, noticed the glance, and his expression darkened further. He said coldly, “Are you saying that because I’ve become a cripple, I’m now wallowing in self-pity?”
Xiao Zhou was stung by his words, and his body trembled slightly. “That’s not what I meant at all… How could you be…?” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence; the words were too harsh, too unbearable to even say out loud.
Seeing how pale Xiao Zhou’s face had become, Jiang Chengyuan’s anger slowly dissipated. He knew he was in the wrong, so he lowered his eyes and fiddled with his cup. “Alright, I’m not angry. You should go. Isn’t it almost time to get off work?”
Xiao Zhou shook his head and brought over some food. “You haven’t eaten anything. I’ll leave after you eat.”
Jiang Chengyuan glanced distastefully at the bland prison food. “I don’t have an appetite. Take it away.”
“Eat something. You’ve lost so much weight.”
“I don’t want to eat.”
“Just one bite, okay? If you take one bite, I’ll stop bothering you.”
Reluctantly, Jiang Chengyuan swallowed a bite of plain rice as Xiao Zhou held the spoon to his lips, just to get it over with.
Seeing that he couldn’t convince him otherwise, Xiao Zhou started cleaning up. Then he asked, “Is there anything you want to eat? I can bring it for you tomorrow.”
“There’s no need.”
Xiao Zhou paused for a moment, then finished tidying up. He walked over to Jiang Chengyuan, squatted down, and hugged his leg. “I know you’re anxious, but you have to give yourself time. Don’t push yourself too hard; it won’t get better that quickly.”
Jiang Chengyuan remained silent, his face tense. His hand gripped the cup so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged. His other hand pressed down hard on his right knee, as if he couldn’t feel anything. A wave of panic surged in his heart. Lying in a hospital bed, the sense of being disabled hadn’t been so stark. He was a patient, cared for by others, and once he recovered, everything would return to normal. But now, out of the hospital and still in this half-alive, half-dead state, the feeling was different. The inconveniences and anxieties about his future recovery tormented him day and night.
Seeing Jiang Chengyuan lost in thought, Xiao Zhou guessed what he might be thinking but felt helpless. He wasn’t used to seeing Jiang Chengyuan like this, so he acted with extra caution, fearing he might do something wrong. Yet this very caution might have made Jiang Chengyuan even more uncomfortable.
They sat together in silence for a while, neither of them speaking. Xiao Zhou quietly stayed with him, hoping that this silent companionship might provide some invisible comfort.
Finally, as lingering any longer might arouse suspicion, Xiao Zhou reluctantly stood up to leave.
“Don’t try to be strong and move around recklessly. Take care of your injury. I won’t be here tomorrow, but if you need anything, you can call Xiao Jia. I’ve already talked to him.” Before leaving, Xiao Zhou reminded him, but Jiang Chengyuan still kept his head down, not responding, his expression hidden in the shadows.
In the small prison cell, there was only one small window at the top, barred with iron rods. Sunlight streamed in through the bars, casting thin vertical lines on the seven-square-meter room. Most of the time, people were huddled in the shadowy corners where the sun couldn’t reach.
After changing his clothes, Xiao Zhou walked out of the prison gates. As he left, he instinctively turned back for one last look.
Under the leaden sky, the low buildings exuded a gloomy, eerie feeling. The monotonous gray and white, the decay and dilapidation from years of neglect—all of it had a suffocating, terrifying power. He had once sworn never to return to this place, yet he hadn’t expected to come back in this way.
And the circumstances of his return were so wretched, making the place even more terrifying.
——
“What do you feel when you see him in that state?” Ji Yang sat in Jiang Chengyuan’s former office, playing with his tea set. As the hot water poured in, steam and the aroma of tea leaves rose up. Ji Yang swirled the cup, then poured the water out.
Xiao Zhou sat across from him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…,” Ji Yang paused, then swallowed his words and changed the subject. “I’ve seen a lot of despicable people lately, gloating over others’ misfortunes.” He seemed to recall something, and a sneer appeared on his face. “What I find most ridiculous is that they think just because someone is down, anyone can spit on them. Who do they think they are? Back in the day, they weren’t even fit to carry his shoes.”
Lin Shen was at least decent enough to keep Jiang Chengyuan’s office intact at the law firm. Everything inside was left untouched. But others who had dealt with Jiang Chengyuan, those who used to be on good terms with him, couldn’t wait to distance themselves. A wise man doesn’t stand under a dangerous wall, and Jiang Chengyuan was that fallen wall. Naturally, they wanted to get as far away as possible. As for those who had grudges against Jiang Chengyuan, they couldn’t wait to set off fireworks in celebration, condemning his domineering ways and mocking his usual arrogance, saying that he brought it all on himself, that he was never as great as people made him out to be.
Such is the coldness of the world and the swiftness with which people change with the winds.
Ji Yang didn’t need to spell it out; Xiao Zhou understood his meaning. Over the past few days, Xiao Zhou had been running around everywhere for Jiang Chengyuan’s sake, enduring many cold stares and rejections. Jiang Chengyuan’s name used to be a golden signboard, but now, after being dragged through the mud, no one wanted it. It was something to be avoided like the plague.
“I think you should leave him,” Ji Yang said. “It’s perfect timing now. He can’t control you anymore, and you don’t need to rely on him. Just end things cleanly, with no debts between you, and keep it neat.”
Xiao Zhou looked up at him. “That sounds strange.”
“Does it?” Ji Yang smiled. “I’m doing this for your own good. He has become a burden. What do you need him for?”
“He helped me before, so naturally, I should help him too,” Xiao Zhou said. “I don’t care about his status; to me, he’s the same.”
Ji Yang’s face darkened. He picked up his cup and drank the tea in one gulp, cursing, “Fool.”