Four years later, in 1997, I was released after serving my full prison sentence.
After getting out, I found a dishwashing job at a restaurant. Cleaning myself up a bit, I used the money earned from folding paper boxes in jail to buy a pack of Wangzai Milk and a Want Want gift pack, then made my way to Li Fang's home.
When Li Fang opened the door, her face lit up with unbridled joy. Her father, who'd been watching TV in the living room, glanced over and gruffly asked, "Who is it?" The second he saw it was me, he let out a cold snort and turned back to his show. Her mother peeked out from the kitchen, curious—only to whirl right back inside the instant she recognized me.
Head bowed, shame knotting in my chest, I stood frozen. Li Fang quickly stepped in, "They're just tied up—come in first." She took the gifts from my hands, set them on the coffee table, shut the door, fetched a pair of properly - fitting slippers, and led me toward the sofa.
Her father occupied the middle of the long couch; I settled on the smaller one, with Li Fang wedged between us. I'd scarcely opened my mouth to address him when he snatched the remote, switched off the TV, and barked toward the kitchen, "Don't call me for dinner," before stomping into his room.
I'd anticipated his coolness, but not this severity. The thought of him skipping dinner because of me made me fidget uncontrollably. After a torturous moment of deliberation, I made up my mind to leave.
"I—I guess I came at a bad time. I'll visit another day."
Li Fang looked helpless. "Let me see you out—"
But before she could finish, her mother emerged from the kitchen. "If you're leaving, we won't detain you. Li Fang, come help me here."
I knew full well what that meant—she wanted Li Fang to stay. Li Fang could only nod.
In the end, I stepped outside and trudged toward my forty - square - meter rental. Back then, streetlights were few and far between; a dim glow flickered only every few dozen meters. My vision alternated between light and darkness. What of the road ahead?
It was blurred beyond recognition.