Chapter 14: Robbery Hat

*Sizzle.*

Wang Daqu struck a match and lit the kerosene lamp.

A flickering, yellowish flame burst forth, accompanied by billowing black smoke.

The room, already heavy with the scent of dampness, took on the peculiar, pungent odor characteristic of kerosene.

The originally pale asbestos tiles were now stained pitch-black by the lamp's soot.

Taking advantage of the moment Wang Daqu was pouring water, Li Aiguo scanned the room carefully.

Calling this place a house would be an exaggeration; it was more like a shack.

Dilapidated wooden planks served as walls, the floor was raw earth, and in the center of the room stood a poplar tree as thick as a bowl.

The tree trunk had breached the asbestos ceiling, and the edges of the broken tiles were coated in a thick, black grease.

Perhaps due to its age, the dark grease had been trickling down the trunk, leaving a gap in the roof through which the brilliant stars of the night sky could be faintly glimpsed.

A pile of coarse burlap sacks was heaped in a corner, and a *kang* bed sat against the wall.

The room was a mess.

An earthen stove, pots, pans, a square table, and several small stools were scattered haphazardly, leaving barely any room to step.

From the moment he entered, Li Aiguo felt that Wang Daqu was different from before; the youthful innocence had faded from his face, replaced by a sense of gravity.

Taking the enamel mug, Li Aiguo found a clean spot to sit and pulled off his hat.

"Er Mao, how is it? Did you become a train driver?"

Looking at the work uniform Li Aiguo was wearing, a flicker of disappointment flashed in Wang Daqu's eyes.

"This? This is my dad's." Li Aiguo smiled, gesturing to the clothes. "The exam isn't for another half month."

"You've always been a good student; you'll definitely become a train driver. I heard a chief driver can make a hundred and twenty yuan a month."

"It's not that easy to become a chief driver. My old man worked for so many years and he's still just a regular driver."

"It's only a matter of time. Unlike me, stuck drifting through life at the Pigeon Market."

Wang Daqu was genuinely happy for Li Aiguo. He pulled out a *Datianmen* cigarette, handed it to Li Aiguo, cupped his hands to help light it, and then lit one for himself.

Recalling his own misfortunes, his expression turned as sour as if he had bitten into an unripe persimmon under the flickering light and the veil of smoke.

Li Aiguo understood what Wang Daqu was thinking.

Just like the original owner of this body, Wang Daqu's dream was to become a train driver.

However.

Before the Liberation, Wang Daqu's father had managed the ancestral hall for the Kui family in Black Sesame Alley. During the classification of social strata, he was labeled as a "Hall Manager."

"Hall Management" and "Rent Collection" were both categorized as forms of landlord exploitation, according to the original text of *How to Analyze Rural Classes*.

Although Wang Daqu was under eighteen at the time and didn't need to be classified, becoming a train driver required layers of political vetting.

As the descendant of a "Hall Manager," Wang Daqu had no hope of becoming a driver.

He had been forced to drop out of school early to help support his family and his ailing mother.

As a friend, Li Aiguo couldn't rub salt in the wound.

He changed the subject, picking up his hat to brush off the dust. "This hat of mine... why is it such a problem?"

Hearing Li Aiguo's words, Wang Daqu finally looked up and said slowly

"It wasn't originally a big deal. A few years ago, people often wore these kinds of hats at the Pigeon Market.

But last winter, a group of people appeared out of nowhere.

Seven or eight young men, all of them trained fighters.

They wore black wool beanies and carried canvas bags filled with meat cleavers and steel awls.

They used to hide on the small paths on the outskirts of the North Bridge.

If you entered the market empty-handed, they would pretend to be smoking and chatting nearby.

But if they saw someone carrying something on their shoulder or in their hand, they would swarm you in a massive group.

The regulars at the Pigeon Market are all daredevils, some even carrying revolvers.

But when seven or eight people surround you...

With a cleaver at your throat and an awl pressed into your waist...

Even if you have two revolvers, you have to behave.

Those guys weren't just show-offs; they were ruthless.

Er Wang, who set up a stall with me, got cornered by them. They only pushed him once, but they gutted him.

Er Wang's kidney was torn open right then and there.

Before he could even reach the hospital, he was gone.

Poor thing, his old mother and sister had no choice but to leave Beijing to seek refuge with his uncle in Baoding."

Perhaps realizing he had drifted too far, Wang Daqu rubbed his face. "Since then, the stall owners, ticket scalpers, and traders at the Pigeon Market have called black wool beanies 'robbery hats.'

That gang was eventually wiped out later, but no one dares wear a wool beanie anymore."

"You said that gang was wiped out? By whom?"

Wang Daqu replied, "The comrades from the police station, of course.

A few of the leaders at the market tried to take them on a few times.

They didn't get the upper hand; instead, they lost several men.

So they plotted a trap.

Those guys in beanies were foolish enough to keep charging forward.

They were all arrested right then. By now, the grass on their graves must be two meters high."

Li Aiguo: "..."

As expected, in the face of the greater tide, no matter how tough you are, you have to bow down.

Wang Daqu continued, "Of course, the way it was handled wasn't exactly honorable. People at the market rarely talk about it, but ever since, the rule was established: no one wears wool beanies."

Talking about the "underworld" made Wang Daqu feel somewhat uneasy. After a few more words of small talk, he steered the conversation back to Li Aiguo.

"What are you looking to buy at the Pigeon Market today?"

Li Aiguo didn't hide it. "Grain coupons, meat coupons, egg coupons, vegetable coupons... oh, and a few fruit coupons too."

"Just that? You don't need to make the trip to the market; I can get them for you," Wang Daqu said, patting his chest.

Seeing that Wang Daqu was willing to help, Li Aiguo naturally didn't refuse. He pulled twenty yuan from his pocket.

Before he could hand it over, Wang Daqu pushed it back. "You saved my life once. If I took money for something this small, would I have any face left to walk the streets, Daqu?"

Li Aiguo truly had saved Wang Daqu's life.

It happened back when they used to skip class and sneak onto the railway tracks to play.

Wang Daqu's foot had gotten stuck between the rails.

Just as a train was approaching, Li Aiguo had risked everything to pry his foot loose.

Li Aiguo didn't consider himself a savior; he just thought Wang Daqu's feet smelled terrible.

Li Aiguo knew Wang Daqu's temperament.

The man was proud and valued loyalty.

If he left the money now, it would be like slapping him in the face.

"Alright then. Once you get the things I need, we'll settle up."

Li Aiguo glanced at the roof; the sky was beginning to turn pale.

Standing up, he said, "It's almost dawn. I need to review my lessons, so I'll head back first."

Wang Daqu stood up to see him out. "The things you want aren't much, but they're scattered. It'll probably take me the whole day. Come here tonight to pick them up. How does that sound?"

"Deal."

Li Aiguo turned to look at the small room next door. Seeing no movement inside, he smiled. "Please give my regards to your mother."

When Li Aiguo was in school, he had met Wang Daqu's mother.

She was a very capable old woman. After her husband died of illness, she had raised her son by sewing clothes for others.

However, back then, Wang Daqu's family lived in a large courtyard complex near the *siheyuan*, not in this dilapidated alley.

Stepping out of the Wang residence, the sky was bright. Li Aiguo could clearly see his surroundings.

The alley was filled with makeshift dwellings. Sewage flowed across the ground, and a faint, nauseating stench hung in the air—likely someone had emptied their chamber pot directly into the street.

Why had Wang Daqu's family moved to such a wretched place?

Carrying his doubts, Li Aiguo returned to the courtyard.

Tightening his collar, he stepped over the threshold and collided head-on with Yan Bugui, who was rushing forward with his head down.

The collision sent Yan Bugui stumbling. His tin bucket and net bag fell to the ground.

Li Aiguo reacted quickly, reaching out to steady his arm so he wouldn't fall.

Ignoring the pain in his ribs from the impact, Yan Bugui picked up the net and the bucket. Seeing they weren't dented, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked up and offered his thanks. "Thank you, sir!"

"Oh! It's Aiguo. You're up early!"

Recognizing Li Aiguo, Yan Bugui's small eyes blinked behind his tortoiseshell glasses.

"Third Uncle, you're in such a hurry. Where are you off to?" Li Aiguo greeted him.

A hand net and a white tin bucket—this gear certainly wasn't for anything legitimate.

Yan Bugui gave a sheepish laugh. "I just got word that the ditch at Qianmen Street is being flushed. There must be fish in there! I can't talk to you now; if I'm late, the good spots will be taken."

The Qianmen ditch connected to Shichahai and was usually filled with stagnant sewage.

Every so often, the district would open the sluice gates to flush the sewage with lake water, and the large and small fish hiding at the bottom of the lake would swim out through the ditch.

Most people avoided it because the water was filthy and wouldn't bother fishing.

But could Yan Bugui—a man who would lean in to sniff the scent as a manure cart passed by—be considered an ordinary person?

"I won't chat any longer, I've got to go!"

Yan Bugui took a few steps, then as if remembering something, turned back. "Aiguo, how about I introduce you to a potential match?"