Chapter 6: The Midnight Dancer

  The big clock struck twelve, and midnight arrived. Super-speed first release Mobile login: The entrance of the "Flower World" hall was bustling again. Taxis came one after another, soliciting business from those who had finished eating, drinking, and playing and wanted to go home. The drivers looked at the crowd about to pour out of the hall, imagining the enjoyment of officials and wealthy people, and a complex emotion of resentment and envy surged up in their hearts.

  The gate opened. The people dancing in the first-floor ballroom began to pour out in a crowded manner.

  He pushed his bicycle, hiding behind the iron railing, watching as the shadows of those swollen faces gradually dispersed, laughing and rushing out of the taxi. As the automatic door opened and closed, a line of swaying lights illuminated the chubby red faces of men and the helpless expressions of women after they smiled. Suddenly, Iron Feather saw a familiar face. Now, this face was shamelessly smiling, fawning over a woman with shoulder-length hair who had walked out with him. This woman was his wife, Hua Mei Yu. He saw that his wife and the man did not follow the crowd outside, but instead moved towards a secluded area. In the vast night light, the two drew closer, their shadows gradually merging into a blurry outline.

  Oh, this... Tieyu's heart suddenly tightened. Then he felt a sour and painful sensation.

  In the light of the taxi, he saw that man enticingly pulled out something from his pocket to show his wife. His wife hesitated, only rubbing a corner of her scarf with her finger. When the man stretched out his elbow to hug his wife's waist, she suddenly patted him on the shoulder and quickly dodged away.

  Tie Yu's heart finally fell. It was as if he had been swaying on the edge of a dark abyss for half a day and had finally returned to the safe zone of his soul.

  He saw the man hail a taxi. The car drove up to him, honked its horn and then headed in the direction of the deserted Station Front Street.

  "What's wrong with you, what are you looking at?"

  His wife came over with a hint of pride.

  "Huh? Didn't see anything... That guy..."

  "Hum, he wants to eat swan meat!"

  His wife said, plopping herself down on the crossbar of the bicycle in front of him.

  "Get in." Tiewu reminded his wife, and with a gentle push forward, he swung his right leg over the car.

  "It's cold." His wife rubbed her palms together with a chattering sound and then pulled her scarf tighter around her neck.

  "Mei Yu, it's not me saying this. From now on, after dancing, quickly leave and don't sneak into the shadows with those men, or they'll bother you."

  "What, did I bother them? You fart!" The wife shouted in front of him with grievance, "Do you know what I went to do? I was asking him for the taxi fare. He promised me when we were dancing."

  Oh! Tiewu knew he was in the wrong and didn't dare to make another sound. However, the hidden heartache that had been suppressed suddenly surged up again.

  "Alas, I missed a chance to make a lot of money tonight."

  "What chance did you get, and which big shot are you going to pester again?"

  "What's the big deal? It's a new mayor, and they're hosting a welcome banquet. They said there would be dancing at the banquet, and each of us who accompany them can earn 100 yuan. But it turns out, this mayor doesn't dance."

  "Acting serious."

  "But this person, at first glance, has a very upright and honest appearance."

  "A dignified face? Bullshit! If these officials were capable, they would first rescue our factory. Let me, a real man, go to work and support my wife and children! What kind of life is this, where people are neither human nor ghost?"

  Alas! My wife and child no longer speak to me. A deep sigh revealed the depth of my pain.

  The car drove out of the city center, turning and winding its way into a small road lined with tall pine trees. The night was quiet. They drove forward in silence, listening to the crunching sound of frozen snow under the wheels. Ahead of them was their abandoned mine machinery factory, which had been closed for several years. The buildings were dilapidated and looked grayish-white and desolate under the starlight. After passing through this industrial area, they entered a densely packed neighborhood of small houses. This was the slum area of modern cities - the shantytown. The home of the two people who relied on each other for survival was located here. This was not where they had wanted to live for long. For many years, they had dreamed of moving out of this place and into a high-rise building in the city center one day. But now, it seemed that even such days were slipping away from them.

  The car entered a small alley. The broken bell rang once, and the light in the small house suddenly turned on.

  "Mom!" The child heard the noise and shouted happily.

  "Ah!" Mother responded with a pained voice, and before the car had even come to a complete stop, she hastily rushed into the courtyard and opened the door.

  "Mom, you, don't work night shifts anymore. Dad goes to pick you up every day, I'm alone at home... I'm scared!" The child begged unknowingly.

  Tie Yu heard this, and slammed the car into the wall corner, then looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh. Tears of grief and indignation flowed out.