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Suyu’s tears had struck Qin Siyu’s heart. She wanted so badly to attend that college, but the tuition was three hundred dollars a year.
Her birthday was coming up, too. Qin Siyu wanted to save at least fifty dollars as a birthday gift, to cheer her up and show her that hope was not lost.
Fifty dollars would be one-sixth of the tuition. If he could save that much so quickly, there really was hope.
He was taking the role of an older brother, after all.
For a girl from Chinatown to attend a top college on the East Coast seemed like a dream, but they both wanted to work toward it.
Suyu had said she wanted to study law, overturn the Chinese Exclusion Act, argue cases for Chinese people, and win them justice. Lin Suyu believed that without Chinese lawyers or judges, fairness would elude their people for generations. People favored their own, especially when they did not even share the same ideas or language. How could Chinese people hope to win a case under those circumstances? If there was no justice outside, they would remain confined within Chinatown.
Qin Siyu had thirty-five dollars in his box. He needed fifteen more.
But jobs were terribly hard to find, and he was still a student whose working hours could not be fixed, making the search harder still.
Perhaps because of the gold watch he had found, or almost found, Qin Siyu began visiting the beach again every weekend.
Aston seemed to enjoy surfing. Qin Siyu saw him there one more time.
On that occasion, Qin Siyu was about to leave, and Aston had changed his clothes and was leaving too.
Neither greeted the other. Qin Siyu glanced at Aston just as Aston happened to look at him. Their gazes crossed for two seconds before both resumed behaving as usual.
The sea breeze was strong, pressing Qin Siyu’s white shirt against him and outlining his slim waist.
They happened to take the same route. Aston walked ahead on the beach with Parker beside him carrying his surfboard and other things, while Qin Siyu followed some distance behind.
Qin Siyu did not want to step in Aston’s footprints, but surely no one could have legs that long! Was this for real? Toward the end, he inexplicably lowered his gaze and tried stepping in those prints to test the length of Aston’s stride. Keeping his distance, he imagined how convenient it must be to cover so much ground with a single step.
Unseen by Qin Siyu, Aston turned his head once.
He glanced at Qin Siyu and slowed his pace just a little.
* * *
Despite all that effort, he had not earned another cent. Qin Siyu was beside himself with worry, but just when things looked hopeless, an idea suddenly came to him one evening as he lay in bed!
He could sell condoms!!!
He had happened to read an article in a newspaper recently. It said that during the economic slump nearly everything was selling badly, except for two products whose sales were actually increasing, even soaring.
The first was the electric refrigerator, invented only a few years earlier. When money was scarce, people became more eager to store food and prevent waste. A refrigerator certainly cost money, but it lasted a long time and could save a household money in the end. Besides, with a refrigerator in the home, women could go out to work.
The second was condoms! Too many people feared having children they could not afford to raise.
Recently, surging demand had spurred manufacturers into action, and production technology had made a breakthrough. Condoms had generally been made of rubber, but now a new material, latex, seemed possible; liquid latex was beginning to be used in their manufacture.
According to the newspaper, latex products were thin, comfortable, highly elastic, able to accommodate a wider range of sizes, resistant to losing their shape, snug-fitting, inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to dispose of.
Qin Siyu reasoned that most people still seemed unfamiliar with the new technology, and he himself had only discovered it by accident. Because he planned to study medicine, he regularly read medical journals at the library. Only the week before, he had seen a paper in which a public-health professor described the products at length and advocated promoting them to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
Qin Siyu thought he could buy a supply and try selling them outside speakeasies or movie theaters!
No sooner said than done.
He secretly bought a large number of Gallo-brand condoms and spent seven consecutive evenings selling them outside two gin-serving speakeasies he had tracked down near campus.
He saw countless drunk people.
Their eyes were unfocused and their steps unsteady.
He could not help becoming a little curious about alcohol himself.
Qin Siyu had never drunk alcohol.
Prohibition had begun in January 1920, when Qin Siyu was still only a small child.
His most rebellious years, from secondary school through university, had all unfolded under Prohibition.
Speakeasies existed, of course, but he had never been inside one.
Every evening, whenever he saw a married couple or lovers emerging after a drink, Qin Siyu would discreetly take out his products, approach them, and begin his pitch: "I’ve got condoms. Would you like a box?"
They all stared at him in astonishment.
They were surely thinking, How can you put something like this on public display?!
Even pharmacies hid them carefully away in some inconspicuous place, usually in a wooden cabinet!
Qin Siyu hooked his bag over an elbow, held his coat open with one hand to screen the view from outside, and displayed his products with the other. "These are made of latex. They’re quite different. Here, have a look…"
He slipped the tip of his index finger inside the condom and pushed out its tip. "Very thin. Very comfortable. Almost like nothing is there at all."
He lowered the fabric again, then gripped both sides of the condom. Concealing most of it in his palms and leaving just a little visible in the middle, he stretched it firmly. "It is elastic and fits different sizes. You do not have to worry about one being a little too large or too small, too loose or too tight. This one fits closely, keeps its shape, and stays snug throughout use. And it is easy to dispose of."
"They’re inexpensive," he added.
The prospective customers were embarrassed but interested.
The men looked impatient and eager to try.
Depending on the situation, Qin Siyu sometimes added, "This is the latest trend. Everyone will be switching to it. Would you two like to be among the first to try it? You’re so much in love, so romantic. Surely you ought to be among the first to try something new and enjoy being together, don’t you think?"
Then the women wanted to give it a try.
At that moment, Qin Siyu added another line: “Rubber ones aren’t very durable—they’re better for average stamina and an ordinary duration. If you’re stronger and last longer, you should get these latex ones.”
Qin Siyu had always been good with words. He found exactly the right selling point, spoke with sincerity, and remained thoughtful and attentive, making it easy for his listeners to be swept along.
At those words, the men immediately became anxious to buy.
They urged their wives or girlfriends, "Darling, why not try it? Tonight could be a lovely memory!"
Just as Qin Siyu had hoped, sales were fairly good that week.
He went whenever he had a free evening and earned ten dollars in two weeks.
The customers already belonged to the crowd that frequented speakeasies, so they were quite willing to accept the product.
* * *
That day Qin Siyu went out to sell condoms again.
Business was poor, so he stayed rather late, lingering outside the entrance until the street was almost deserted, though people still emerged from the speakeasy occasionally.
He normally did not stay out so long. Gangsters were rampant in those days, extorting local businesses. Hanging around outside a bar late at night was not especially safe.
With business slow, Qin Siyu stopped limiting his sales pitches to married couples and lovers.
When several tall, handsome young men emerged, he considered them. Good-looking men like that probably had girlfriends, he thought, so he walked toward them with his schoolbag on his back.
Seeing him approach, the students stopped. They seemed a little wary.
One at the front, with peach-blossom eyes, asked, "What do you want?"
"Well…" There was hardly anyone left on the street, so Qin Siyu simply took out a box and opened it for them. "Hey, do you want these?"
Aston caught up with his friends just in time to see this.
Because it was nearby and the liquor was good, wealthy young men from the fraternity often visited this bar.
Aston very rarely joined them, but he had not been in the best spirits lately.
That day, Qin Siyu had gotten out of the car and walked home alone.
It was an even longer walk than the journey he would have made by streetcar after the contest.
He plainly could barely move after three days of dancing, but because of what Aston had said, he had still chosen to walk all the way back.
Aston might have hurt him again.
His own attitude had been perfectly "ordinary," yet Qin Siyu showed every time that he did not want what Aston offered, even when the terms were generous: ten dollars, for example, or a ride home.
Incredibly stubborn.
For the past two weeks, Aston had deliberately chosen Fridays, when he hoped to run into Qin Siyu, to visit Professor Brown at the college. He guessed Qin Siyu had no classes that day.
He wanted to see whether Qin Siyu was all right, but they had not met again.
That afternoon he had gone over once more and found no sign of him. Later, after attending the fraternity’s routine weekly meeting, he heard the others were going out for drinks. In an extraordinarily rare moment, he raised his hand with an air of indolence and said, "I’m in."
The others stared at Aston as though they had seen a ghost. He was always so self-disciplined; when he attended their weekly meetings, he was usually the one assigning them tasks.
And that was how Aston joined them for drinks.
He even became a little tipsy.
When he saw Qin Siyu, he froze slightly.
Qin Siyu asked Cliff quite naturally, "Hey, want these?"
"…………" Making money again, Aston thought.
Hunting for valuables, earning wages, chasing prize money, running a business.
Aston walked over to stand beside Cliff, while Qin Siyu continued the sales pitch. With his eyes lowered, he pressed the tip of his index finger against the inside of the condom, poking it repeatedly until the thin layer stretched taut: “This box is latex—it feels completely different from rubber. The elasticity is excellent; it adapts to any size, so it won’t end up too loose or too tight once it’s on. You can just focus on enjoying everything… And it won’t deform at all—it stays tightly wrapped the whole time, no matter how long the friction lasts. Perfect for strong stamina and long sessions.”
He spoke while stretching it.
He had delivered the same sales pitch so many times that he went on persuading them without missing a beat. "And it is extremely thin. So comfortable it almost feels as if you are not wearing anything! It keeps you protected without compromising comfort."
Aston had drunk a little too much, and his voice was low and resonant. "It looks rather thin."
"No, no, no." This was the important question. Qin Siyu shook his hair slightly. "It may be thin, but it is sturdy! Sturdier than rubber ones. Its elasticity actually makes it less likely to tear, whereas thicker rubber is more prone to splitting. And since the material is soft, it will not hurt your partner or cause pain, so you can certainly—"
At this point he looked up and met Aston’s eyes.
Their gazes locked. In the dim light, Aston’s pupils looked slightly larger, his gaze more profound.
His tie had been loosened and hung around his neck, falling down his chest. His hair was somewhat disheveled, unlike anything Qin Siyu had seen before.
Recognizing someone he knew, Qin Siyu abruptly lost his composure. He managed only to finish his familiar sales line: “…even with considerable force.”
“Really?” Aston had drunk rather more than usual and, in this unexpected encounter, pressed Qin Siyu for an answer. “How much force?”
Qin Siyu did not know the answer. For an instant he remembered the evening Aston had taught him to dance.
He remembered Aston’s hand supporting his waist during the dance lesson. The hold had been firm, powerful, and steady, the hand of someone young and strong. Aston really might be capable of exerting considerable strength.
“Well,” Qin Siyu said, looking at Aston and repeating what the pharmacist had taught him, “even repeated pressure, like driving in a nail, should be fine.”
Aston gave a quiet laugh.
"…" Qin Siyu turned back toward Cliff. "So would you like to buy a box?"
"No need," Cliff said, narrowing his peach-blossom eyes in a smile. "None of us has a girlfriend."
"I’m sorry to bother you, then." Qin Siyu adjusted the schoolbag on his back, preparing to go.
"Wait," Aston said lazily. "Who said I wasn’t going to buy any?"
"???" Qin Siyu stared.
"Huh?" Cliff said, too.
Perhaps because he still felt guilty, Aston wanted to help him a little.
Qin Siyu realized that as well.
He looked at Aston and, after a pause, asked, "What size did you use in the older rubber kind? I need to convert it to the new sizing."
"I don’t know," Aston replied with the same faint smile. "I’ve never bought any."
“…” Qin Siyu’s gaze fell on a particular part of Aston, and he made a quick estimate.
It seemed—
He took a few more careful looks.
Cliff confirmed his suspicion. “The one you’re holding probably won’t do.”
Aston shot him a glance. Cliff explained, “We have to shower after playing ball. I happened to notice twice.”
At the time, products were sold in Average, Small, and Large sizes. Qin Siyu had the Average size in his hand, so he turned around, set down his bag, and rummaged inside it with his back to them.
He was rather pleased.
He had bought far too many Large-size boxes and barely sold any in two weeks.
At last he had a potential customer. Selling even one box would be something.
He moved into the light and bent over to search his bag.
There were two large worn, pale patches on the back of his khaki trousers.
Those two mounds of flesh were perfectly rounded; his position made the pants stretch tightly over them, round and springy.
The two worn patches of fabric were remarkably neat.
Aston thought: What a pitiful pair of ass cheeks.
Qin Siyu crouched lower and continued looking for a larger size.
The bar lights fell across the back of his neck, making his skin look like silk.
After a while, he found one box and shifted from a half-crouch into a squat.
This size was hard to sell, and he wanted to sell two boxes if he could. Since searching with only one hand was awkward, he set the first on his knee and continued looking through the bag.
As he moved, the box would not stay on his knee. It slid along the contour of his thigh to the top of his leg, almost slipping off. He had been crouching naturally, but afraid the condoms would fall, he hurriedly squeezed his legs together to catch the box between them.
Qin Siyu paid it no mind and continued searching.
From the side, Aston saw Qin Siyu suddenly press his legs together around something, the muscles of his thighs tightening. Guessing what had happened, he gave him a silent glance.
At last he found another box. He picked up the first from between his legs, stood, and asked Aston, “How many would you like? Two?”
Aston appeared to understand the little scheme. Lowering his eyes, he said, "I’ll take both, then."
"All right." Qin Siyu handed him the two boxes. "One dollar altogether."
Holding them between his fingers, Aston told Cliff, "Pay him."
"Huh?" Cliff said.
"The money."
"All right." Cliff took out his wallet, pulled out a bill, and handed it to Qin Siyu.
"Thank you," Qin Siyu said.
"Wait," Cliff said suddenly, remembering something. "I’ve seen you here before, a few days ago. Sometimes after customers buy something, you take them into the alley. What do you do there?"
"…" Qin Siyu grew embarrassed and glanced involuntarily at Aston, but he answered, "These work differently from the older products. I show them the instructions. If they already know how to use them, I don’t need to."
"Really?" Cliff loved a spectacle and was immediately intrigued. "Kingsley doesn’t know how! Why don’t you show us, too?"
Aston glanced at him.
"Well, Master?" Cliff asked again.
He had heard Aston’s household staff address his father as "Mr. Aston" and Aston himself as "Master." Ordinarily, servants called young gentlemen "Master" followed by a given name, but Aston was an only child, so the given name was omitted. Cliff often teased his friend by calling him "Master" as well.
Aston said nothing, apparently allowing it.
Qin Siyu nodded, picked up his schoolbag, slung it over his back, and led them into the alley.
Cliff followed enthusiastically. Aston walked in silence.
There was a battered table in the alley.
Qin Siyu rummaged in his schoolbag and brought out a massage wand, which he set on the table. He took out a large-size condom, tossed his schoolbag aside, and began explaining to them: “This is how you use it. Pinch this part flat so there isn’t any air left inside.”
He tore open the wrapper and took out the condom. Carefully pinching out the air with one hand, he used the other to put it on the demonstration model. His expression was earnest. “Like this.”
Aston watched him in silence.
Qin Siyu opened the latex with both hands, steadying the demonstration model between his thumbs and forefingers. He pinched the material and slid it down the rigid model. “Make sure no air is trapped inside—”
Light caught in Qin Siyu’s eyes. His gaze was intent, his movements careful. He bent forward until his eyes were level with the massage wand in his hands. Given the table’s height, the creases in Aston’s trousers were directly opposite him.
Aston stood opposite him with both hands in his pockets.
A minute later, Qin Siyu straightened and said, "That’s it. That’s everything."
When he finished, he removed the product from the model, wiped the model thoroughly, moving the cloth up and down, and packed it back into his canvas schoolbag.
"All right." Holding the two boxes between his fingers, Aston spoke again, a little tipsy. "Understood."
"Goodbye, then."
"Mm."
Aston held Qin Siyu’s gaze one last time. Only after several seconds did he turn and leave the alley.
When he got into a taxi, Aston leaned back against the seat.
The lights outside the car brightened and dimmed. Aston raised one of the boxes he had bought and studied it.
It appeared to be the first box Qin Siyu had taken out of his schoolbag.
For some reason, he recalled Qin Siyu’s demonstration earlier.
He remembered Qin Siyu standing opposite him, his gaze and movements equally intent. Holding his breath, Qin Siyu had stretched the latex open with both hands and drawn it down over the model.
After a long while, he lowered the box and turned to look out the window.
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