Bào Bó lit another cigarette and sighed.

He was leaving China the next day, and the weight of his decision was heavy on his shoulders. He had failed both the IELTS and TOEFL exams twelve times in the past decade and had been certain he’d never be allowed to leave the country.

 However, most fortuitously, a small polytechnic in Worthing, West Sussex had unexpectedly accepted his substandard language proficiency exam results and had even thrown in a full scholarship.

Starting Saturday, he was on his way to becoming a qualified plumber in the UK! His mother was terribly proud of him. But still, he had his doubts about his choices. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to be a plumber.

He was certain that he had a great novel inside him. Plumbers never get to write great novels.

He tossed the cigarette in an old, half empty tea mug and lit another.

England it would be, then.

This mop is dedicated to 鲍 博. May his journey be benevolent and smooth and may he return at Christmas for cheap wine at Feidan.