Chapter 486: Day Off

The fish soup at Grandpa's house is just as he said; it is indeed delicious and very nourishing.

It was simmered for a long time, so some of the fish meat had dissolved into the water, turning the broth a milky white with specks of green scallions floating on top; scooping a ladle of soup into my mouth, I immediately felt an extreme freshness, and the rich, smooth, and mellow fish soup slid down my throat into my stomach, leaving a lingering fragrance in my mouth and nose.

Chen Nuo did not know what Grandpa's name was, only that he shared the same surname, Chen.

From occasional conversations while going up and down the stairs, he had learned from Grandpa Chen that he was one of the oldest residents in the public housing estate, having moved in during the early 90s when the building was first completed; of that original group, some had moved away and others had passed on, so he was currently the longest-term resident in the entire building, and there wasn't a neighbor upstairs or downstairs that he didn't know.

"Come, scoop some fish meat."

"Grandpa, no need, I'll just drink some soup."

"That won't do, since you're already here, eat a bit more; I can't finish all this by myself... By the way, I say, A-Jun."

"What is it, Grandpa?"

"I feel like you look just like a celebrity, A-Jun."

"Huh?"

"I can't remember who it is all of a sudden; you usually wear a mask all day, and I thought you had a scar on your face, but you're such a handsome guy, why wear a mask? No wonder you can't find a girlfriend; if you were willing to take off that mask, there would definitely be girls willing to date you."

"Grandpa..."

"What? Work is work, and making money is making money, but you have to balance work and rest; getting a girlfriend won't stop you from working."

"It's not that, Grandpa; do you smell something?"

Grandpa twitched his nose, his expression changing: "Oh my, it seems there really is a smell!"

One minute later, the old man and the young man stood at the door of the apartment next door.

Grandpa Chen began to knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"A-Qi!"

Knock, knock.

"Are you in? A-Qi!"

Knock, knock, knock.

"A-Qi——!!!"

There was not a sound from inside the room, and that strange smell was spilling out from the door crack more and more noticeably.

The door of a neighboring apartment suddenly opened, and a man with a flat nose and wide mouth poked his head out, "Uncle Chen, are you looking for A-Qi?"

Grandpa Chen said: "That's right, A-Kun, do you smell gas? It seems to be coming from A-Qi's room?"

The man sniffed, and said: "I just saw A-Qi go back in, she should be cooking, it's nothing, don't worry, Uncle Chen."

"No, no, how could cooking have such a strong smell?" Grandpa Chen said, "My wife died of gas poisoning back in the day."

"Huh?" The man called A-Kun's face changed, "You mean..." As he spoke, he prepared to open the security gate to come out.

Unexpectedly, a sharp woman's voice suddenly came from inside the room: "You street rat! If you dare to meddle in that vixen's business, you can die at the door! Damn you! You don't go out to make money all day, you only know how to stare at women! Zhou Bingkun, you dead street rat, you family-destroying bastard, you..."

A-Kun looked at Chen Nuo and Grandpa Chen awkwardly, and gave a sheepish smile, "Uh... my wife is a bit unhappy... I... forget it."

With a bang, he closed the door.

"Alright, alright, shut up, you dead woman, I won't go, okay!"

After the iron gate closed, the woman's furious voice could still be heard from inside:

"That kind of slutty vixen, let her die, why do you care about her? Always daydreaming, wanting to be a celebrity, screaming and shouting in the house like she's possessed, it's annoying enough to make me want to die! Does she think she's Zhang Manyu? She's out of her mind! Good riddance!"

Grandpa Chen's face darkened, and he said: "A-Jun, A-Kun is afraid of his wife and doesn't dare to intervene, so now it's all up to you."

Chen Nuo blinked hard and said: "What do you mean, Grandpa?"

Grandpa Chen said: "Of course, it means to kick the door open and save her! A-Qi must be burning charcoal inside; that's how my wife died back then. Now only you can save her."

Chen Nuo froze for a moment, then twitched his body and turned to leave.

Grandpa Chen grabbed his sleeve, "What are you doing? A-Jun, aren't you going to save her?"

Chen Nuo struggled but couldn't break free, and not daring to use force, he said helplessly: "Grandpa, this is an iron door, how can I save her? Even if I shatter my shoulder, it's useless! The most important thing now is to use a phone to call the police and get the officers to come and save her!"

"The police? By the time the police come, you'll be collecting A-Qi's corpse. A-Jun, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda; this girl A-Qi is very pretty, it would be a real pity if she just died like this. Her parents went to the countryside these past two days and haven't returned; if they come back and see their daughter as a corpse, how do you think they'll feel? Parents burying their child—they won't be able to go on living."

Chen Nuo sighed.

During this time, he had been filming with Ann Hui, and although he hadn't watched much of the footage, Ann Hui was truly a master at "getting people into character." That punch he threw at Jim Chim was the best example; if he hadn't pulled his strength at the last moment, he would have almost really swollen the man's face.

Hearing Grandpa Chen's bitter words, he felt his heart soften as part of Xie Jiajun.

He looked at the iron door and said: "Alright, Grandpa, you go call the police, I'll try to ram the door."

Grandpa Chen beamed with joy upon hearing this: "A-Jun, you are such a good person, you will surely be rich and noble in the future, everything will go smoothly, and you'll be prosperous!"

Chen Nuo took two steps back, took a deep breath, sprinted forward, and leaped with his whole body—

"Yah!"

A loud bang.

The door remained unmoved.

Chen Nuo felt a bit dizzy, and his arm hurt.

"Good job, A-Jun! Two more tries, and it'll definitely open."

Chen Nuo shook his head, stepped back two paces, and let out another loud shout.

He rushed forward quickly.

Bang!

Chen Nuo clutched his shoulder and said: "It won't work, Grandpa, I can't ram it open, this door is really made of iron!"

Grandpa Chen said: "I know it's iron. But put some effort into it, A-Jun! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda! You look very strong, do it again!"

Bang! Bang!

"Grandpa, I really can't do it anymore; I don't know if A-Qi will die, but I'm definitely going to die if I keep ramming it."

"A-Jun, what are you saying? You're so tall and strong, you can definitely ram it open! Once it's open, Grandpa will treat you to more fish soup. When Grandpa was as young as you, a door like this would open with just a puff of air..."

"Enough, Grandpa, don't say any more."