Chapter 94 - Side story: Childhood elopement (Translated and edited by Xing)
Tang Xue once "eloped" with Li Yubing when she was young.
It was an event triggered by a scolding from her father after she did something wrong. She was punished to face the wall and reflect on her wrongdoings for half a day while her mother simply stood by the side and watched.
Feeling that her parents did not love her enough, she wanted them to experience the pain of losing their kin.
It just happened that a wuxia drama was being broadcasted on television. After entering the various sects and learning martial arts, the heroes all had to trial themselves by roaming the world. Tang Xue was roused and decided to make her way in the world as well.
The first step was to escape the house.
It was impossible to leave from home. As they stayed on the twelfth floor, the only way she could make her way out without alerting an adult was by jumping out of the window. If she really did jump down, she would probably become as flat as a pancake.
Hence, she could only leave from school.
The next day, Tang Xue went to school with a vengeful heart and the ambition of roaming the world. She told Li Yubing her plan and invited him to join her.
Li Yubing did not agree. Thus, her invitation became a demand that he was unable to refuse.
When lessons were over in the afternoon, she and Li Yubing ran over to the school canteen where a tiny pickup truck was parked at the side. They climbed onto the cargo bed quietly and tucked themselves into a corner tightly. After delivering the goods, the burly delivery man got on and drove off without giving the truck a thorough check.
Tang Xue crouched in the cargo bed, her heart beating rapidly as she felt super nervous and excited.
Li Yubing planted himself against the back of the truck and cautiously stuck out his head to look at the school that was getting further and further away behind them. Oddly enough, he felt an incredible sense of excitement from this act of rebellion.
Though it was fun at first, they began to feel cold after some time. That was right. It was the twelfth lunar month and currently winter, so how could they not feel cold?
After a while, they gave up and hugged each other tightly for warmth, all the way until the truck finally stopped.
After they heard the driver got off the truck, the two children moved their stiff limbs and snuck down the cargo bed furtively.
The sky was already dark. It was a worn neighbourhood that was still and silent. Even the street lights seemed eerie. Tang Xue was about to die of fright but she was too embarra.s.sed to admit it out loud. She clutched Li Yubing"s hand tightly, holding on to him like how a drowning man would clutch at straws.
The adventure to roam the world did not seem to be kicking off to a good start. This chapter is a labour of love that should not be found outside of teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com.
Hand in hand, they circled the area and finally managed to roam out of that tiny neighbourhood. Walking on the main street, Tang Xue felt hungry. She rubbed her stomach and suddenly clapped her head. "Oh no!"
"What"s wrong?" Li Yubing asked.
"I left my bag in the truck!"
In the bag were rations and water that she had prepared painstakingly. There was also a map that she had stolen from her father.
Li Yubing felt a bit of a pity as well. He asked, "Shall we go back?"
"No." Tang Xue did not want to re-experience the fear and uneasiness brought by the stifling atmosphere earlier. As she dug through her pockets, she asked, "Li Yubing, do you still have any money?"
"No."
After emptying her pockets, Tang Xue had two yuan and fifty cents. Still holding hands, they stopped in front of a jian bing[1] store at the intersection. Tang Xue asked the auntie selling jian bing, "Auntie, how much is a jian bing?"
The auntie glanced over and sighed over how good-looking the two children looked. Then, she replied, "Three yuan each."
"Mm, if I add an extra egg, how much is it?"
"Three-fifty."
"What if I don"t want the egg? Can you just charge me two-fifty?"
"Ah?" The auntie looked puzzled. "Not a single egg? Then won"t you simply be ordering a spring onion wrap?"
"Auntie, we don"t have money." Tang Xue seemed as if she was about to cry. She opened her hand to reveal the crinkled two yuan and fifty cents lying in her palm.
When the auntie heard her say this, her heart nearly melted. "Oh dear, don"t cry. I"ll give you an egg for free."
"Really? Thank you, auntie!"
"You"re welcome. Are both of you from the same family?"
"No."
"Oh, where are your parents?"
"They"re busy. We are heading home shortly."
"Oh, I see." The auntie looked at their linked hands and teased, "Are both of you going to get married next time?"
Before Tang Xue could reply, Li Yubing shook his head. "How can I possibly marry her?"
Tang Xue felt like she was scorned. Embarra.s.sed, she huffed, "Li Yubing, you"re a little dog if you don"t marry me next time."
The auntie laughed at their conversation as she flipped the jian bing. Once it was done, she slotted it into two layers of paper bag and pa.s.sed it to them. "Careful, it"s hot. Go home after finishing it."
"Mm, mm!"
They wandered with the jian bing and found a nice spot. Then, squatting by the road, they took turns to eat it in bites like two tiny beggars. Translated by Xing for only teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com.
They were only halfway done with it when, led by the savoury aroma, a large and gaunt dog appeared in front of them.
Tang Xue froze in fright, not daring to move as she stared at the huge dog with widened eyes.
Li Yubing did not move either. Their teacher once said that they should not provoke dogs when they saw them.
After staring at each other for a few moments, the dog lowered its head, and without any reservations, s.n.a.t.c.hed away the jian bing in Tang Xue"s hands and went off.
Tang Xue, "…"
Why was her journey to make her way in the world so arduous?
The final blow was given to her by Li Yubing.
Li Yubing was not yet full. He felt his pockets and fished out two pieces of bubble-gum.
Tang Xue swallowed when she saw the bubble-gum in his hand.
Though it would not fill their bellies, the bubble-gum was still better than nothing.
A tiny flame of hope had just flickered into existence when Li Yubing unwrapped the two pieces of gum and tossed both into his mouth.
Tang Xue was both angry and aggrieved. She grilled him, "Why did you eat both without saving a piece for me?"
Li Yubing chewed on the bubble-gum and said, "I won"t marry you."
Following this, Tang Xue stared blankly into the air as she squatted by the road. Li Yubing squatted next to her and blew bubbles. By chewing two gums together, the white and round bubbles he blew were bigger than his face.
On roaming the world… Tang Xue felt that this world was not suitable for roaming at all.
She wanted to go home.
Their teacher once said that they should look for their parents if they ran into any trouble outside. If they could not find their parents, they should look for policemen.
Thus, holding hands, the two of them walked up to a traffic policeman. "Mr Policeman, we want to turn ourselves in."
This is an original work of 酒小七 (Jiu Xiaoqi) translated by Tea Fragrance. If you are not reading this at teafragrance[dot]wordpress[dot]com, this translation has been reposted without the translator"s consent. Head there for extra content or to leave feedback and comments on the novel translation.
Translator"s Notes:
[1] 煎饼 (Jiān bǐng): A popular Chinese street food. Imagine a thin crepe-like pancake topped with savoury toppings and sauce before being folded multiple times to become something like a wrap.
A side story from Jiu Xiaoqi as she wasn"t satisfied with what she originally wrote for this chapter.