With her girlfriend not by her side, time seemed to slow to a crawl, making every moment feel unbearably long.
Leng Bingqin crouched in the yard, keeping Fugu company as they basked in the sun. She tried hard to recall the memories she shared with Ji Nanchan, but her efforts were in vain, nothing came to mind.
Absentmindedly, she tapped a small stone against the flagstone path, scratching at it intermittently.
When she finally snapped out of her reverie, she noticed the characters for “Nanchan” scrawled crookedly across the stone. It seemed she had been thinking about her girlfriend.
“Let’s go, Fugu. We’re going out to look for plastic bottles.” Tossing the stone aside, the young nanny called out softly and fastened the dog’s leash.
The pair walked purposefully out through the large iron gate, though she had the nagging feeling she’d forgotten something, she just couldn’t recall what it was.
Shaking her head, she decided to take a stroll through the alleyways first.
.
The winding alleys branched out in all directions, and it didn’t take long for Leng Bingqin to get completely lost.
Fortunately, Fugu was clever. While burying his head in search of plastic bottles, he also managed to lead the way.
The young nanny followed behind, curiously glancing at the residential houses on either side. The alley was slippery and covered in moss, with elderly folks sitting at their gates, chatting idly.
Fugu was somewhat of a local celebrity. Occasionally, passersby would stop to pat his large head.
Everyone was friendly, exuding the simple warmth of everyday life, this was the essence of human connection.
When they passed a small grocery store, Fugu found his first plastic bottle of the day in a corner. The nanny helped him tuck it into the pouch on his back.
Outside the store, a group of rowdy kids were gathered around an arcade machine, playing noisily.
The young nanny’s attention was drawn to the colorful array of snacks inside the shop. Biting her lip, she longed to go in and look around, but she was afraid she’d be chased out for bringing Fugu along.
After a brief internal struggle, she crouched down in front of Fugu and whispered, “Big dog, wait for me outside, okay? I’ll be right back.”
Fugu, understanding her words, slowly lay down on the ground, panting quietly without moving a muscle.
“Good boy!” Ruffling Fugu’s head, Leng Bingqin stepped into the grocery store.
The shop wasn’t particularly well-stocked, and its decor, much like the surrounding neighborhood, bore the marks of time.
The shopkeeper was an elderly man, reading a newspaper through a pair of reading glasses. He barely glanced up when she entered.
Leng Bingqin wandered around the store, her eyes lingering on the spicy strips behind the counter. She swallowed hard, craving a taste, but her empty pockets left her with nothing but longing.
Soon, her gaze shifted to a large jar on the wall shelf. Inside the transparent container were fluffy marshmallows shaped like little lambs, somewhat reminiscent of the tattoo on her lower back.
Tilting her head, she stared at the jar for a long time before finally gathering the courage to ask the shopkeeper, “Boss, how much for that jar of marshmallows?”
The old man peered at her over his glasses, sizing her up before naming an exorbitant price: “120. That’s imported goods.”
Good heavens! For the young nanny, this wasn’t just expensive, it was an outright fortune. She didn’t even have 12 cents to her name, let alone 120.
Disheartened, she tugged at the hem of her pants, her eyes filled with unfulfilled longing. She made up her mind to come back every day just to gaze at the marshmallows she so desperately wanted.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!” Suddenly, Fugu’s barks erupted from outside.
Rushing out, she found the large wolf dog barking fiercely at the group of rowdy kids.
As she grabbed the leash and pulled Fugu behind her, a stray stone struck her squarely on the forehead.
“Stupid dog with a stupid owner, oh oh oh!” The chubby kid who threw the stone didn’t apologize and continued to jeer along with the other children.
A sharp pain shot through her forehead, but the young nanny turned to check on Fugui first. Fortunately, he was wearing a harness and hadn’t been harmed by the stone.
Anger surged through Leng Bingqin’s mind. She planted her hands on her hips and scolded loudly, “Whose children are you? Throwing stones is dangerous!Her soft, feeble reprimand held no deterrent effect and only fueled the mischievous children’s arrogance.
“Na na na, we’ll throw stones if we want to, and you can’t stop us,” the bratty children retorted, making faces and acting unruly.
Fuming, Leng Bingqin stepped forward to grab the ringleader, but the children scattered in all directions, leaving her grasping at air.
Brat A: “And who are you, country girl? Dressed like you’re off to steal chickens so ugly!”
Brat B: “Yeah, yeah, your clothes are all messy. So rustic and unfashionable.”
Brat C: “We have smartwatches. Do you have one?”
Are kids these days always so troublesome? The nanny was livid.
“Fugui, attack!” Leng Bingqin trembled with rage, letting go of the dog leash as she gave the command.
But Fugui just sat obediently at her feet, wagging his tongue with a friendly grin, as if he’d forgotten his military dog origins.
“Hahaha, so stupid! The human and the dog are equally dumb, hahaha!”
After being thoroughly mocked by the bratty kids, the nanny slunk away, a large bump swelling on her forehead.
.
After the unpleasant walk, it wasn’t until they reached the iron gate that Leng Bingqin realized she had forgotten the keys on the coffee table.
Hugging her knees and squatting by the door, she looked like a homeless child.
‘Gurgle!’ Her stomach growled with hunger again, and a sense of helplessness washed over her, leaving her penniless and vulnerable.
Auntie Zhang, their neighbor, approached from a distance. Spotting Fugui and the unfamiliar girl squatting by the door, she greeted them cheerfully, “Fugui!”
Hearing his name, Fugui wagged his tail happily and trotted over to her.
Auntie Zhang studied Leng Bingqin. Though she didn’t recognize the girl, seeing her with Fugui, she automatically assumed she was part of Ji Nan’s household.
Noticing the bump on Leng Bingqin’s forehead, she asked with concern, “Young lady, why are you squatting here? What happened to your head?”
Leng Bingqin, being shy around strangers, shrank back and didn’t respond to the auntie’s warm inquiry.
Auntie Zhang smiled kindly and helped her up. “I’m your next-door neighbor, not a bad person. How did your forehead get so swollen? Come with me quickly.”
Fugui followed Auntie Zhang toward the neighboring yard. Leng Bingqin, letting her guard down, quietly trailed behind.
Once in the yard, Auntie Zhang tossed Fugui a corn cob to play with and fetched a small stool for Leng Bingqin. “Sit here and wait for me. I’ll go get some lard.”
Soon, the auntie returned with an enamel basin. Seeing Leng Bingqin sitting obediently on the small stool, she thought to herself that the girl was quite pretty, just a bit quiet.
Pulling up a stool to sit beside her, Auntie Zhang scooped a small spoonful of lard and rubbed it between her fingers. “If you bump your head and get a swelling, applying some lard will help it heal in a day or two. It’s an old remedy.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” Leng Bingqin’s eyes welled up with moisture, looking like a child who had been wronged outside and now had her mother to back her up.
As she applied the lard, the auntie kindly asked, “Did you leave your keys at home?”
Leng Bingqin nodded vigorously, and her stomach growled again, perfectly timed.
Auntie Zhang had lost her husband half a year ago, and with both her sons working in other cities, Ji Nanchang had been the one keeping her company during holidays.
She didn’t mind the sudden appearance of a stranger and warmly invited her to stay for a meal. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes!”
“It’s about time for dinner. Stay and have a simple meal with me while we wait for Nanchang. That kid never takes care of herself when she’s busy. Let me get you some biscuits to tide you over.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Leng Bingqin’s repeated use of “Auntie” made Auntie Zhang’s heart swell with joy. “With all these wrinkles on my face, you should really call me ‘Granny’! Hahaha!”
Ji Nanchang had spent most of the day organizing documents in the office. Thinking that she wouldn’t have to make another trip to the company after going home, she decided to save on gas.
From outside the door, she overheard Lu Zhiming talking to a client. Curious, she walked over to take a look.
“Don’t worry, Miss Xiao. We absolutely won’t disclose this matter,” Lu Zhiming said, shaking hands with the client as she prepared to see her off.
Xiao Leyao politely declined. “No need to see me out, President Lu. I’ll wait for your good news, the sooner, the better.”
“Understood. I’ll arrange for someone to find it as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you for your trouble. We won’t be vague about the payment.”
“Pleasure doing business with you.” Lu Zhiming watched Xiao Leyao leave, then turned and noticed half a head peeking out from the doorway. “Why are you still here?”
“I was just studying the task you assigned me. Who was that?” Ji Nanchang redirected the conversation to the client.
Lu Zhiming glanced back and explained casually, “A client.”
“What for? Why didn’t you assign the task to me?” Ji Nanchang grumbled, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
“From now on, until the Numa Society case is resolved, you won’t have any other money-making jobs.” Well, that settled it Lu Zhiming had just cut off all her other work opportunities.
“Lu Zhiming! Are you really cutting off my income like this?” Ji Nanchang, ever the money-grubber, was deeply unhappy with this arrangement. But then she quickly switched to playing nice. “How about giving me that client’s task? Otherwise, I’ll feel stifled.”
“If I let you take all the jobs, what will the others downstairs live on? Besides, it’s not a big project. Assigning you to it would be a waste of your talent.”
“So, what did that person want? A bodyguard or something?”
“They’re looking for someone.” Lu Zhiming’s brief reply offered no further details.
Seeing that she wouldn’t get the task, Ji Nanchang checked the time, worried about leaving Leng Bingqin alone at home for too long. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out first. Call me if anything comes up.”
She sped all the way back to the city.
“The boss’s wife ran off with her sister! Everything must go! Ten yuan each! You won’t lose out, you won’t be fooled! Everything for ten yuan!”
Passing by a wholesale store, Ji Nanchang heard the loudspeaker blaring and dashed inside.
To be honest, she was notoriously frugal, but when it came to Leng Bingqin, she always kept her in mind.
With the weather turning cold, she needed to buy a pair of warm slippers for her little caretaker. The bath towels couldn’t be too cheap, and she should also get a new set of toiletries. Ji Nanchang shopped with lightning speed.
When she passed by the bargain cart and saw the mountain of floral-patterned underwear, she thought, “They might be a bit tacky, but at ten yuan for three, the price is more beautiful than peonies!”
But after a moment’s hesitation, she didn’t let the cheap price sway her. After all, that rare and exquisite flower of a person deserved only the finest lingerie.
Before checking out, Ji Nanchan deliberately picked out a little lamb plushie from the doll section. Her excuse for buying it was if Leng Bingqin had a doll to hug, she wouldn’t be so quick to cling to her instead.
After leaving the supermarket, Ji Nanchan wandered the streets with bags full of shopping until she finally found a boutique store and bought a rather pricey set of lingerie. She stocked up on three sets in one go.
She kept saying it was fine, but her heart was bleeding and her flesh aching. (Clutching chest, spitting blood.jpg)