The Rings of a Pair of Hands
His hands lie open above the water basin: the fingertips are white and swollen from years of soaking, and a few fine cuts from trimming brushes mark the hollow between thumb and forefinger.
How many hairs do these hands comb in a year? He says he has never counted. The factory pays by the piece — the more brushes you finish, the more you earn — but even at the monthly cap it barely tops three thousand yuan.
The day the inheritor list was announced, he was combing hair in the workshop. His phone buzzed once in his pocket. He didn't look.