Reservoir Dogs chapter 7
Mixed Fried Rice
When Jiang Chengyuan returned, he carried a plastic bag with the ingredients for mixed fried rice: raw shrimp, peas, carrots, green peppers, onions, and a box of rice, along with packaged salt, oil, and other seasonings.
Clearly too lazy to shop for groceries, he had asked the restaurant for the ingredients instead.
Xiao Zhou took the bag, puzzled by the haphazardly packed boxes inside, “If it’s like this, why not just buy the ready-made one?”
Jiang Chengyuan changed his shoes, watching Xiao Zhou enter the kitchen, and leaned against the doorway with a smile, “You offered, so I couldn’t miss the chance to try your cooking.”
The ingredients were ready to use; it was just a matter of heating the pan, adding oil, and stir-frying.
Xiao Zhou had previously familiarized himself with Jiang Chengyuan’s kitchen, so he cooked skillfully and quickly, serving the fried rice in a few minutes.
Jiang Chengyuan was already sitting at the table, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, sipping soy milk through a straw. The restaurant’s soy milk came in glass bottles, usually meant to be returned. Who knew how he convinced the owner to let him keep it.
The fried rice was golden and colorful, with grains separate. Xiao Zhou served two bowls, piling Jiang Chengyuan’s high, while his own portion was smaller due to limited ingredients.
Jiang Chengyuan swapped the bowls, “I’m not that hungry, just wanted to taste it. You eat more.”
Not wanting to seem pretentious, Xiao Zhou sat down, quietly eating his meal. He ate without making a sound, quickly swallowing each bite.
Jiang Chengyuan, having little appetite, only took a few bites. The fried rice was quite oily and salty, which he didn’t particularly like. However, Xiao Zhou’s cooking was excellent, perfectly balanced in flavor, making the simple ingredients taste rich and layered.
Putting down his bowl, he watched Xiao Zhou eat.
Xiao Zhou ate with full focus, not glancing around, as if the act of eating isolated him from his surroundings. His thick eyelashes lowered, head down, eating fast and cleanly, not a grain of rice left.
“Slow down, no one’s going to take it from you,” Jiang Chengyuan laughed, pushing over an unopened soy milk.
The glass bottle slid across the table with a scraping sound.
Startled by the noise, Xiao Zhou tensed up, gripping his spoon tightly, arm raised defensively, then quickly relaxing as he realized.
Jiang Chengyuan quietly observed his reaction.
Xiao Zhou glanced up, his dark eyes catching the light, revealing flecks of amber before being hidden by his lowered eyelids again. Relaxed, he took the soy milk, quietly thanked him, took a sip, and continued eating, still in a rushed manner like a starving dog.
Jiang Chengyuan recalled what the prison guard had said, uncertain how much of it was true.
When Xiao Zhou finished, he noticed Jiang Chengyuan had barely eaten, frowning with concern, “You don’t like it?”
Jiang Chengyuan said lightly, “No, it tastes very good.”
Xiao Zhou bit his lip, stood up, and began to clear the dishes. “If you tell me what you like, I can learn to make it.”
The sound of running water echoed as he cleaned up. When he finished, he wiped his hands and returned.
Jiang Chengyuan remained seated, looking thoughtful. When Xiao Zhou returned, he raised his eyes and spoke with a slight drawl, “Go ahead, you’re trying so hard to please me, is there something you want?”
Xiao Zhou was startled, then looked embarrassed as if his plan had been exposed. “I want to go home for a bit. If you’re worried, you can come with me.”
“When?”
“Preferably today.”
Jiang Chengyuan was silent for a moment. “I have an important client this afternoon.”
Xiao Zhou felt a bit deflated and sat back down across from Jiang Chengyuan, accommodatingly, afraid he’d change his mind. “Later is fine. It’s not urgent.”
Jiang Chengyuan rubbed his chin. “You don’t need me to go with you; you can go by yourself.”
Xiao Zhou’s eyes lit up.
Jiang Chengyuan slowly said, “There’s an electronic ankle monitor in the cabinet in the living room. Put it on yourself.”
Xiao Zhou was momentarily confused, then realized what he meant. He got up and went over. Jiang Chengyuan directed him to the right spot, and he found a box. Inside was a small, shiny metal device, just the right size for an ankle bracelet.
Jiang Chengyuan walked over and squatted in front of him. “This is issued by the Clemency Court. Every guardian gets one, but whether to use it depends on the situation. I read the instructions; it’s just a tamper-proof GPS with tracking and health monitoring functions. Oh, and,” he paused, picking up the controller from the box, “it’s also like a taser. In an emergency, I have the right to control you without legal consequences.”
Jiang Chengyuan asked politely, as if negotiating, “Think it over. If you go out, you have to wear this, or you stay here.”
Xiao Zhou didn’t hesitate much and nodded, “Okay.”
Jiang Chengyuan took the bracelet, powered it on, and unlocked it with his fingerprint. Xiao Zhou sat on the floor, legs together, and pulled up his pajama pants to reveal his ankle. His foot was very slender, with a bony ankle, pale from lack of sun, tendons standing out, and a string of numbers tattooed on the back of his ankle.
The black ink was prominent.
Jiang Chengyuan touched it, making Xiao Zhou’s toes curl sensitively. “What’s this?”
Xiao Zhou answered, “Prison number. If it ends in zero, it means death row; mine means a fixed term.”
Jiang Chengyuan grabbed his ankle, lifting it slightly, causing Xiao Zhou to lose balance and support himself with his hands.
His thumb pressed hard over the numbers, leaving a red imprint that took a while to fade. The tendon connecting his calf muscle was taut and strong under Jiang Chengyuan’s hand.
Jiang Chengyuan lowered his eyes, slipped the bracelet on, and clicked it shut. He adjusted it so it fit snugly over the numbers.
With the metal bracelet on, Jiang Chengyuan felt a strange sense of control over this person.
It was cold. He released his grip, and Xiao Zhou pulled his foot back and let down his pants. The ankle monitor was thin and relatively light, barely noticeable under his pants. Xiao Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. “Is that all?”
Jiang Chengyuan also stood up. “I’ll go record your fingerprint for the door lock.”
He thought for a moment, then went to his coat, took out his wallet, and handed Xiao Zhou a stack of cash. “Is this enough?”
Xiao Zhou shook his head. “I have money.”
Jiang Chengyuan was surprised. “From where?”
“Working inside. We get paid.”
“How much can that be?” Jiang Chengyuan snorted. “Aren’t you buying anything for home? You could replace that flip phone; it’s too outdated, lacking many functions.”
Xiao Zhou said, “I’ve saved a few thousand. It’s enough.”
Seeing Xiao Zhou’s insistence, Jiang Chengyuan didn’t push it further and took the money back.
As he turned, his eyes deepened. He felt that Xiao Zhou’s innocence and stubbornness were at odds with his young age and prison experience.
Before meeting him, Jiang Chengyuan had envisioned two possibilities: a sly and sinister person, outwardly compliant but secretly scheming, or a brutal and ferocious one, only restrained by fear and force.
He was adept at dealing with evil, using both carrot and stick to tame people, making them obedient and afraid to harbor other thoughts.
But Xiao Zhou was strange, a mix of both traits, yet not fitting either completely.
Xiao Zhou’s home was an apartment allocated by his father’s workplace, on the top floor of a six-story building, with an added loft converted into a study and bedroom. The area was large and comfortable for a family of four. The neighborhood had excellent transportation, with a bus stop at the gate and a subway station not far away, once a highly enviable place to live.
After Jiang Chengyuan went back to work, Xiao Zhou memorized the address, packed a backpack, and left.
When he first came here, he had noticed the luxurious details of the neighborhood. After leaving the elevator and entering the complex, he quickly got lost in the maze of residential buildings, plants, artificial hills, and ponds. He ended up being watched by a patrolling security guard like a thief, who eventually came over to ask what he was doing.
Xiao Zhou tried to explain for a long time but couldn’t make himself clear. When he mentioned Jiang Chengyuan’s name, he couldn’t even give the room number.
The security guard’s eyes grew more suspicious. “Are you a friend of Mr. Jiang?” He looked Xiao Zhou up and down, noting his plain T-shirt and jeans. Xiao Zhou hadn’t worn the clothes Jiang Chengyuan had prepared for him; instead, he wore his own.
The security guard’s disdain increased. “ID card? Come with me to register.”
Xiao Zhou couldn’t retrieve his ID; it was still at the court. He needed to wait until the markings were finalized to reclaim it.
He had no choice but to say, “I forgot to bring it.”
The security guard’s suspicion turned into hostility. He grabbed Xiao Zhou’s arm, not allowing him to move. “Then come with me.”
Xiao Zhou panicked, afraid the guard would call the police. In his current situation, any punishment, even for a minor traffic violation, could result in his parole being revoked and being sent back to prison.
Thinking quickly, he remembered that Jiang Chengyuan had called him before. He hurriedly took out his phone and showed it to the security guard, then called Jiang Chengyuan. Each ring deepened his anxiety.
Finally, the call connected, and as soon as Jiang Chengyuan’s voice came through, the security guard’s expression changed immediately.
Xiao Zhou sighed in relief and handed the phone to the security guard. The guard waved it off, but Xiao Zhou insisted. Reluctantly, the security guard took the phone and explained the situation. After listening, he smiled and said, “No, no, okay, okay, you’re too kind, Mr. Jiang.”
Returning the phone to Xiao Zhou, the security guard let go of his arm and wiped the sweat from his palm on his clothes, his sunburnt face showing an awkward smile. “I’m sorry, I was just doing my job. I saw you wandering around for a while, and if my captain saw, he’d definitely blame me.”
Xiao Zhou took the phone without much expression.
The security guard continued, “Mr. Jiang said it’s your first time here, and you might not know the way. Do you want me to show you out?”
Xiao Zhou nodded, agreeing.
On the way, the security guard, perhaps to ease the awkwardness, kept talking. “Sir, are you Mr. Jiang’s nephew?”
Xiao Zhou didn’t know what Jiang Chengyuan had told him, so he played along. “Yes, it’s my first time here.”
“That’s great, having a relative like that must be a real honor. Mr. Jiang is so kind to strangers, he must be even better to his own family.”
Xiao Zhou turned his head slightly, sensing something in the guard’s words. “Do you know him?”
The security guard, a bit embarrassed, said, “Not very well. I don’t have such good luck. When I first started working here, I had a conflict with a resident, and Mr. Jiang helped me out.”
Xiao Zhou was surprised. Did Jiang Chengyuan have such a kind heart to meddle in other people’s affairs?
“It was my first day on the job. Someone had stored some items in the security room, and in the evening, a resident came to pick them up. I gave them to him, but half an hour later, he came back saying the count was wrong and accusing me of taking his stuff. I had no idea; I hadn’t even looked at the items. But he wouldn’t let it go, demanding compensation. Our captain came too. I made some mistakes when I was younger and have a record. That person somehow knew and started yelling about it. We ended up outside, blocking the garage entrance. The commotion attracted Mr. Jiang, who asked about the situation and stood up for me. He told them to call the police and talked about charges for false accusations and slander, mentioning long prison terms. He was so calm and authoritative, nothing like our yelling and cursing. It didn’t take long for him to scare the guy, who could only stammer. Eventually, it turned out the resident’s friend had missed some items. Though the guy never apologized, the matter was dropped, and I kept my job and cleared my name. Our captain felt bad and gave me a fifty-yuan red envelope to calm my nerves.”
The security guard chuckled and added, “So if he trusts someone like me, you as his relative definitely won’t be shortchanged.”
Xiao Zhou tugged at his backpack straps, feeling a bit cold. “Or maybe he just saw you blocking the garage and was annoyed, so he got involved.”
The guard was taken aback and awkwardly replied, “Hey, why are you like that? Can’t you see the good in people?”
Xiao Zhou didn’t respond, just walked silently. As they neared the gate, the security guard said, “Don’t blame me for making a big deal out of this. After that incident, I became more cautious. You don’t know, but Mr. Jiang was once targeted for revenge by a young guy dressed like you, carrying a knife. He loitered around the complex for days, watching and waiting. He followed Mr. Jiang to a spot outside the camera’s range and attacked. It caused a huge scene; ambulances and police were involved.”
Xiao Zhou was surprised. He could believe a group of people attacking Jiang Chengyuan, but one person taking him down seemed unlikely, even with a knife. “Did Jiang Chengyuan get hurt?”
The security guard chuckled, sounding proud like a parent boasting about their child’s achievements. “The one taken away by the ambulance was the young guy. Mr. Jiang was taken in for questioning but came back that same day like nothing happened.”
“I heard he didn’t even have to pay for medical expenses and even countersued for emotional distress and won.”
Xiao Zhou was stunned. Even though the blame lay with that person, causing such harm and still demanding compensation amounted to going too far. “Do you know why that person approached him?”
The security guard shook his head. “I have no idea about these things. Lawyers, you know, probably for the case.”
Finally, they reached the gate.
The guard opened the pedestrian card access door for him. “You go ahead. I’m on duty all day today. When you come back later, just call me to open the door for you.”
Xiao Zhou thanked him and walked out.
He walked a short distance, stood at the street corner waiting for the traffic lights. Looking up, he saw skyscrapers, massive billboards, dazzling lights, elevated roads and highways twisting and extending, the bustling center of the city filled with the roar of cars, the honking of horns, and the lively chatter of people. The air was thick with a mix of freedom and bustling chaos, hitting him all at once.
Apart from the cold touch of the electronic ankle monitor on his ankle, Xiao Zhou’s eyes burned. It felt surreal, as if the three years in prison were just a nightmare.