My Cousin‘s Gas Meter

Old Li felt like he was having a run of bad luck lately.

First, the newly opened bun shop at the entrance of the neighborhood started using less and less meat filling and more and more vegetable leaves, raising the price with the excuse of "fluctuating pork prices." Old Li wondered, in this day and age, do fluctuating pork prices have anything to do with vegetable leaves?

But that wasn't what bothered him the most. What bothered him the most was his gas meter, which he could never figure out.

Last month, the gas bill exploded like a bomb in Old Li's peaceful life. The number on the bill was more than his total for the past three months. Old Li rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things. But after checking again and again, the glaring number stubbornly remained, as if mocking his ignorance.

He went to the gas company to inquire. The staff were polite, calling him "Uncle" repeatedly, making Old Li feel uneasy.

"Uncle, you see, these numbers are all automatically generated by the system, they must be correct."

"But I only cooked a few meals last month, how could I have used so much gas?" Old Li pointed to the bill, his hand trembling slightly.

"Uncle, you don't understand. We now use smart gas meters, remote meter reading, precise measurement. Is there a gas leak somewhere in your house? Why don't you go back and check again?"

Old Li was speechless. He knew he couldn't reason with these "smart" things.

After returning home, Old Li turned his house upside down, but couldn't find any gas leaks. He even suspected that the gas meter was secretly "running" while he was cooking.

He remembered his distant cousin who worked at the gas company. His cousin listened to Old Li's experience on the phone, was silent for a while, and said, "Old Li, you have to accept this. It's like this now. You're not going to win against them."

Old Li was unconvinced: "Just accept it? Isn't this blatant bullying?"

"Old Li, listen to me. The gas company has replaced the meters with new ones, saying they are smarter and more accurate. But these meters, they can not only read numbers, they can also 'write' numbers."

"'Write' numbers?" Old Li was stunned.

"Yes, 'write' numbers. You understand." His cousin's voice was very low. "This matter, the water runs deep. Don't worry about it, just pay the money, and consider it buying peace of mind."

Old Li hung up the phone, feeling suffocated. He stood on the balcony, looking at the bustling crowd downstairs, and suddenly felt that he was like a speck of dust in this city, insignificant, and could be blown away by a gust of wind at any time.

The next day, Old Li went to pay the gas bill. He watched the cashier skillfully operate the computer, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

"Uncle, you used a lot of gas this month." The cashier looked up at him and said casually.

Old Li smiled bitterly and said nothing.

"By the way, Uncle, shouldn't you change your gas meter? I see yours is several years old."

Old Li was startled, and he suddenly understood something.

"No need to change it, I think it's pretty good." Old Li's voice was very soft, but very firm.

He took the payment slip and walked out of the gas company's gate. The sun shone on his face, and he squinted.

Back home, Old Li took out his toolbox and found the wrench he hadn't used in a long time. He walked to the gas meter, took a deep breath, and then smashed it hard.

The "smart" gas meter instantly turned into a pile of fragments.

Old Li looked at the fragments on the ground and smiled. He knew that he might be "smarted" again, but he didn't care. He felt like a warrior, even though he lost, at least he resisted.

The next day, the news reported: A gas explosion occurred in a residential area, injuring one person. The injured man, surnamed Li, claimed that he was testing whether the gas meter was leaking and accidentally caused the explosion.

Old Li lay on the hospital bed, watching the news on TV, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He knew that he had become the "unfortunate" person in the news, but he felt an unprecedented sense of relief. He felt that he had finally, somehow, reached a reconciliation with this absurd world.