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wwx is a 'trash man' as he proudly declares and adverstise on his warehouse. jc begs him to call himself anything else, even 'recycling engineer' but nhs who helps him with his social media likes the humour of it and encourages him.
what wwx actually does is consult people on how to properly care for items in their home and dispose of them when they can no longer be updated or maintained. and usually when he picks them up and sees if he can't make something out of it himself.
so he lives in his little house with his large workshop, a yard full of junk and his son a-yuan.
a-yuan's toys are gears and grease and wood and plastic and he cannot imagine a more fun childhood.
a-yuan's toys are gears and grease and wood and plastic and he cannot imagine a more fun childhood.
lz has a problem.
management was supposed to come and pick up his washing machine weeks ago. it's been sitting on his porch where the plumber left it and it's a dusty mess. what is the cleaning protocol for old appliances you are trying to toss?
management was supposed to come and pick up his washing machine weeks ago. it's been sitting on his porch where the plumber left it and it's a dusty mess. what is the cleaning protocol for old appliances you are trying to toss?
he is going to have to find a solution on his own.
after trying to call the city's municipal waste office for an hour, and several too expensive garbage removal companies he stumbles upon the instagram of The Yiling Trash Man
after trying to call the city's municipal waste office for an hour, and several too expensive garbage removal companies he stumbles upon the instagram of The Yiling Trash Man
in it the 'trash man' and a small boy who appears to be his son take an old washing machine and turn it into a water feature. the video features a lot of little vignettes of him and his son playing around while transforming the machine.
lz watches the video three times before he remembers to message him.
the trash man comes the next day in his pickup with his son sitting in the bench next to him.
the trash man comes the next day in his pickup with his son sitting in the bench next to him.
"i'm wei ying!" the man sticks out a hand to great him. lz shakes it. the palm is scarred and calloused and very warm.
"lan zhan," although he had already introduced himself in his initial inquiry.
"lan zhan," although he had already introduced himself in his initial inquiry.
he looks down at the small boy holding wy's leg.
"shouldn't he be in school?"
wy grins, "he's my apprentice for now. i'm waiting till he can disassemble and reassemble a care engine perfectly,"
the boy nods, "a-yuan can almost do it!"
"shouldn't he be in school?"
wy grins, "he's my apprentice for now. i'm waiting till he can disassemble and reassemble a care engine perfectly,"
the boy nods, "a-yuan can almost do it!"
//heads up that there is no plan for this one and it will be updated at will//
"he'll be terrorising kindergarten teachers in no time," wei ying nods.
"so where's the junk you need me and my little assistant to haul today?"
lan zhan is a bit dubious at being party to child labour
"so where's the junk you need me and my little assistant to haul today?"
lan zhan is a bit dubious at being party to child labour
"should he-" wei ying catchs his meaning and bursts out laughing
"oh no he's my eye's and ears i do all the heavy lifiting around here." wei ying slap the dolly that lan zhan has just noticed. "that's why i have this bad boy."
"oh no he's my eye's and ears i do all the heavy lifiting around here." wei ying slap the dolly that lan zhan has just noticed. "that's why i have this bad boy."
lan zhan directs them to the washing machine and wei ying has it loaded up in no time. he gives little glow sticks to a-yuan so can direct him. it's the cutest thing lan zhan has ever seen.
when they reach the door a-yuan holds out his hand "cash or cheque please."
when they reach the door a-yuan holds out his hand "cash or cheque please."
lan zhan hands the payment to a-yuan who tucks it in his little radish pouch and then shakes his little hand.
somehow he finds himself following father and son out to their truck, citing it would be easier for him to let the out of the compound then them having to deal with +
somehow he finds himself following father and son out to their truck, citing it would be easier for him to let the out of the compound then them having to deal with +
+security.
a-yuan regales him with story about their latest project where his dad is taking broken radios and making walkie talkies for him and a-yuan out of them. wwx interjects with a supportive comment or a clarifying detail and refuses to let lan zhan help him with +
a-yuan regales him with story about their latest project where his dad is taking broken radios and making walkie talkies for him and a-yuan out of them. wwx interjects with a supportive comment or a clarifying detail and refuses to let lan zhan help him with +
+ anything more difficult than opening the door.
once the washing machine is secure in wy's pickup they stan's for a moment, trying to figure out how to say goodbye.
"would gege like to come to our house and see baba's plans for you machine."
once the washing machine is secure in wy's pickup they stan's for a moment, trying to figure out how to say goodbye.
"would gege like to come to our house and see baba's plans for you machine."
"little radish that's nice but i'm sure the nice man has plans."
"no," lan zhan says, "i have nothing planned. i would happy to come see."
"ah! you don't need to just because a-yuan asked. he's a sweet kid and he likes to talk about the work we do."
"no," lan zhan says, "i have nothing planned. i would happy to come see."
"ah! you don't need to just because a-yuan asked. he's a sweet kid and he likes to talk about the work we do."
"it's no hardship. i became very interested in your work when i first found your instagram. i would love to see more of your work up close"
which is how lan zhan ended up inside of wei ying's pick up.
which is how lan zhan ended up inside of wei ying's pick up.
there is only one bench seat inside the pick up. lan zhan and wei ying sit on other side with a-yuan in the middle. lan zhan would be worried about safety but wei ying had put in extra seatbelts to anticipate the movements of a 5 year old.
all buckled up they head to wy's house. a-yuan gets to shift the gears as they drive. he has to use both hands to change it but he's very good at it. both he and wy compliment a-yuan on it.
unfortunately wy doesn't glance over at him during the drive. lz knows bc he's looking
unfortunately wy doesn't glance over at him during the drive. lz knows bc he's looking
when they get to the house a-yuan launches himself over lz's lap out the door. lz hurriedly goes to make sure he's okay but by the time's he's out a-yuan has already bounced off the driveway and pulled out his glow baton to help guide wy into his workshop
wy smiles at the look of shock on lz's face.
"scared me the first time too. that kid bounces like a rubber ball."
they get the washing machine in the workshop and lwj marvels at the space.
wy workshop is bigger than the main house. he'd probably converted some rooms+
"scared me the first time too. that kid bounces like a rubber ball."
they get the washing machine in the workshop and lwj marvels at the space.
wy workshop is bigger than the main house. he'd probably converted some rooms+
+from the main house to add them to the workshop. there's a lot of ventilation in case of accidents. lz can see the sign of some of them in the walls and tables. there is remains of the different projects in progress are all over the room. it exudes organised chaos.
wy places the washing machine in what appears it's pre designated spot.
"your machine didn't seem to have much going wrong with it from your description," wy says, "so we'll try to fix it up and either sell it or donate it."
"your machine didn't seem to have much going wrong with it from your description," wy says, "so we'll try to fix it up and either sell it or donate it."
"redistribute the wealth!" a-yuan chirps from nearby. he's amusing himself with a collection of oily springs nearby.
"yeah little radish," wy turns to lz, "he's a little confused but he's got the spirit. gettem young you know"
"yeah little radish," wy turns to lz, "he's a little confused but he's got the spirit. gettem young you know"
"mn." lz feels even more enamored with wy and a more embarrassed he just bought another new machine being too frustrated with management's repairperson.
"baba let's show him the rest of the space."
wy smiles at lz, "would you like to?"
"baba let's show him the rest of the space."
wy smiles at lz, "would you like to?"
"very much," lz carefully measures how eager he sounds.
"let's goo!" a-yuan runs out the door with the adults following.
"let's goo!" a-yuan runs out the door with the adults following.
lz is even more impressed by the backyard. there are a bunch of finished and half finished sculptures and inventions around the yard that a-yuan zooms around jabbering explanations and identifications.
"some of these are for sale, on a sliding scale of course" wy explains, "some are donations, commissions, some we'll see and some are just for us."
"and you pick up anything mechanical?"
"well anything i can figure and most stuff i don't know if i can."
"and you pick up anything mechanical?"
"well anything i can figure and most stuff i don't know if i can."
wy winks at lz, "some companies don't like that i'm helping and teaching people how to preserve their products but that's a them problem."
"labour is entitled to all it creates" a-yuan pipes up.
"indeed," lz agrees.
"labour is entitled to all it creates" a-yuan pipes up.
"indeed," lz agrees.
wy laughs. "he's a little confused," lz says, "but he's got the spirit."
there's a sparkle in wy's eyes as he asks, "would you like to stay for dinner?"
lz agrees immediately.
there's a sparkle in wy's eyes as he asks, "would you like to stay for dinner?"
lz agrees immediately.
//that's all for now i don't know when or if i'll update this but i hope you've enjoyed ^_^//
// update! linking to the top of the thread bc i forsee future installments always going under this thread.
Prev part: The Trash Man Cometh https://twitter.com/p3achbae/status/1320462060627628038?s=20
Prev part: The Trash Man Cometh https://twitter.com/p3achbae/status/1320462060627628038?s=20
The Ugly Sweet Potato
lan zhan ponders the sweet potato. the organic grocery store provided them already washed and stacked carefully so that the whole pile would not collapse. the sweet potato lan zhan holds in his hands looks like it had been festering in the bottom of that pile for years, +
+ pulsing and growing and waiting for an unsuspecting shopper to reach a hand in and then-
-crunch!
a-yuan giggles as lan zhan grabs him and wriggles away. lan zhan is pleased. he's been studying wei ying's story telling methods for the past few weeks and he feels proud+
-crunch!
a-yuan giggles as lan zhan grabs him and wriggles away. lan zhan is pleased. he's been studying wei ying's story telling methods for the past few weeks and he feels proud+
+of his application.
lan zhan places the sweet potato on the counter and pokes it so it rolls around. a-yuan shrieks with joy and pokes it back towards lan zhan. wei ying finds them playing football with their food, rolling it across the table.
lan zhan places the sweet potato on the counter and pokes it so it rolls around. a-yuan shrieks with joy and pokes it back towards lan zhan. wei ying finds them playing football with their food, rolling it across the table.
a-yuan: 3
lan zhan: 1
he's down but he thinks he can still recover. wei ying snatches up the sweet potato and doesn't respond to a-yuan's pout or lan zhan's definitely not pout at all.
lan zhan: 1
he's down but he thinks he can still recover. wei ying snatches up the sweet potato and doesn't respond to a-yuan's pout or lan zhan's definitely not pout at all.
"sorry if you want sweet potato wedges with your dinner then i need we need to call the match."
"i win!" a-yuan cheers
"home points don't count as much as away points." lan zhan replies.
"i win!" a-yuan cheers
"home points don't count as much as away points." lan zhan replies.
wei ying elbows him "if you want dinner wash the lettuce"
organic grocery store lettuce didn't potentially have earwigs in it lan zhan contemplates as he rinses it off.
organic grocery store lettuce didn't potentially have earwigs in it lan zhan contemplates as he rinses it off.
he remembers picking the ingredients with wei ying side by side, their shoulders brushing as wei ying showed him how to use the trowel to loosen the earth around the sweet potato before taking it from the earth.
lan zhan had claimed he was waiting to get off the allotment list at the local community garden and wanted to spend some time getting gardening tips from wy. lz has been on the allotment list for 3 years with no end in sight but that was neither here nor there.
wy hmmed then smiled and put a floppy hat on lz's head to protect him from the sun. wy was very close as he tightened the string under lz's chin. lz would swear he could feel the heat of wy's hands through the thick gardening gloves.
"the organic grocery store doesn't have this" lan han thinks as he silently laughs at wei ying and a-yuan blowing raspberries at each other across the table. the borrowed chopsticks he pressed to his lips count as an indirect kiss in lan zhan's opinion.
//hope you all enjoy this little update. the ugly sweet potato from the top: https://twitter.com/p3achbae/status/1331087548836425728?s=20
