Chapter 13
The moment mama-san saw me in the Mei Se she pulled a long face displaying how dissatisfied she was with me . She had been engaged in this profession for too long and saw far too many tragedies . Her heart has already been as hard as a washboard . Upon seeing my illness-stricken face her expression did not turn for better .
As soon as I saw her I started to cry . My tears were falling in cascades, “Mama, I came to work, I decided to not take a leave . But I would like to first take a rest for a while to adjust my mood . I’m afraid that if I saw customers, I won’t be able to smile at them………… . . Waa (crying sound), mama, I went to the hospital today . I…I was diagnosed with acute leukemia . I’m going to die waa waa . ”
I knew that mama-san was very fond of that fancy Chanel set she wore . Yet, I still went to hug her, not forgetting to grab her sleeve to wipe up my snot and tears on it . I wailed loudly, “Mama, what to do? I have leukemia . The doctor said that I have at most only three months left! Waa, mama, what am I supposed to do? I don’t want to die . The doctor said that I will lose all my hair, that I will bleed from seven apertures[1] . The man that would love me has not appeared yet . With whom will I chat about The Autumn in my Heart[2] mama?”
“Hey, are you crazy? Go away!”
Mama-san was embarrassed . She desperately wanted to shove me away as I clung on to her in a bear-like manner . To be honest, I haven’t eaten for days due to the fever . Before going out, I chewed on a few pieces of nearly expired bread . At the moment it was the energy provided by this bread that made it possible for me to persistently play the tragic female protagonist of a korean drama .
In the end, I ate too little bread as mama-san still managed to get out of my hold . With a face bathed in tears and a voice layered with heavy sobs, I spoke miserably and emotionally, “Mama, I’m going to the hospital tomorrow . The doctor said that I should get hospitalized as soon as possible since it will give me two more months to live . Mama, I don’t want to die…… . . Can you lend me some money? Help me, mama, please . In the next life, I will show you a proper filial piety! No, no . Not only in the next life . Even in the life that will follow afterward and the life after that, I will serve you as an ox and as a horse[3] . ”
I mournfully cried, “Mama! Please help me!”
In the dressing room, the misses that were enjoying the show started to gather around us . Some of them showed me a sympathy while others threw me a doubting look . Lilisha watched me with an interest with legs crossed while chewing on the melon seeds .
I made mama-san so mad that the thick powder on that old face of hers started to slide off . She smoothed the sleeve I have ravaged before, shook her red nails and opened her mouth spraying her saliva on me: “You dare to ask me for money? No way! Do you think that Mei Se is a charity? Ask the girls here, which of them does not have a broken family or grievances they have to bear with . Want to play tricks with laoniang[4]? You’re still too tender! Do you think I don’t know? Why don’t you go out and ask around about who I am, Duangfeng?”
I continued to play . I spoke in a tearful voice, lamenting, “Mama, I’m not lying to you . Don’t say such things . I truly have a terminal illness . This time I have really accepted my face . In the past, a fortuneteller told me that in the previous life I was an ink-grinding maidservant of King of Hell . In this lifetime I was destined to be a bearer of an extra ill luck . Not only will I cause the death of my parents, but also the people around me and eventually even myself . I didn’t believe it before . Even as I became an orphan, I still didn’t believe it . But ever since the dog I raised had died, the cat I raised had died, the turtle I kept had died and lastly my uncle, aunty and little cousin, who had raised me, also died, I began to accept my fate . Now… . now it’s happening again . I… . I have truly accepted my fate waa waa . I’m dying, I’m going to die . I’m the bearer of the ill luck . I even made myself die waa waa . ” I covered my face with hands and sat down on the ground, wailing .
I cried until I was deeply touched by myself . Playing a qualified shrew was not an easy feat . Playing a starving shrew who was making a scene was even harder . I have been touched by my professionality . The women around us were engaging themselves in a lively discussion while pointing out their fingers at us . Mama-san was so furious her face looked crooked . Under the sympathy of other women, my mournful lament seemed even more pitiful . I have reached the level where ‘the grass was sorrowful with the sadness of the clouds’ .
The businessmen hated people coming to their door talking about bad things . Yet every word I uttered was about life and death . I was practically violating their taboo . Even if mama-san did not believe that I was about to kick the bucket, one would still rather be safe than sorry . I guess that she must be afraid that I was truly a reincarnation of a bearer of the extreme ill luck . In the heart, she was surely scorning me . Sure enough, she waved her hand and yelled at me, “Scram! Scram as far as you can and never come back again!”
I wiped my snot and tears and timidly said, “Mama, don’t chase me away! Let me earn some coffin money before I die! Waa things are so expensive nowadays, I can’t afford to die…”
Mama-san was so infuriated she had to clutch her heart . I felt that she will keel over at any time . Someone by her side started to fan her, advising, “How did such person enter our Mei Se? Mama, don’t be angry . It’s not good for your body . Just chase her out . You’ll feel better afterward . ”
“Consider laoniang having a lousy luck . ” Mama-san weakly nodded . While I was crying, she waved her hands at everyone and shouted, “Quickly, come and throw her out of Mei Se! So enraging!”
The women in the room did not move . They looked at each other, afraid to get their hands stained by my bad luck .
I pitifully looked up, “Mama, the money… . ”
As soon as I mentioned money, mama-san’s face immediately turned sinister . “You want money?”
Mama-san probably realized that I was ‘about to die’ as her expression softened in the next moment . She waved her hand at me and told me in a very tired voice, “Take your salary and quickly scram from this place . Don’t let me see you ever again . ”
I staggered while standing up, weeping even more loudly . At this time Lilisha gracefully got up and smiled at mama-san saying, “Mama, take a rest . I’ll send this unlucky child off so she won’t bother you anymore . ”
Mama-san nodded, glared at me and turned her head to viciously say to everyone, “What? Are you having a fun watching the show here? Get back to work!”
Everybody has scattered away while I, in utter ‘desolation’, walked out of Mei Se . Under the shadow of the flickering lights, one corner of my lip curled into a cunning smile .
Lilisha was standing with me along on the road that was 300-400 meters away from Mei Se, hailing a taxi . The stars on sky smiled and winked at me . Lilisha also sent me a wink . She was so naughty she didn’t resemble a worldly lady of the night .
I and Lilisha hit it off well right from the beginning . We were drawn to each other like magnets . Even though we didn’t share much time together, I still could see a pure corner in her heart, that was reserved solely for her, from those pair of bright eyes and mischievous expression .
Growing out of the mud unsullied, carting to this rotten world yet keeping the most precious things to herself… . . that was my evaluation of Lilisha .
In my opinion, a smart young woman exposing her childish side once in a while was more persuasive than any words .
Lilisha saw through me .
After she bent to laugh for a while, she poked at my hot temple and joked, “You have guts, turning fever into leukemia . And what was that ink-grinding maidservant of King of Hell? It’s too stretched ha ha ha . Woman, you’re indeed marvelous . One cannot help but admire you . ”
The previous crying almost sucked all of the energy out of me . I leaned on her and threw her a knowing smile, “If I didn’t stretch do you think that old hag would let me go? It wasn’t an easy feat at all . Laoniang hasn’t eaten for a day . I cried until my liver and guts were shaking with pain . ”
Lilisha slyly smiled at me, exaggerating, “You already performed this well without eating . If you were to eat you would be offered to play in Qiung Yao drama[5] . ”
I went through my messy hair feeling dizzy for a while, “Of course . I have talent and look, I am a pearl lost in the vast sea . To tell you truth, granny Qiung Yao was inspired by me when she wrote My Fair Princess . ”
Lilisha again burst into the laugh while I followed her suit . Sometime later, Lilisha’s expression turned rather melancholy, “You’re the first one in so many years to get out of that hole so quickly . It’s so difficult to get out . Listen to this big sister’s advice . Don’t ever return back to this place . Don’t be like big sister, unable to wash her body clean of the smell of this place no matter how hard she tries . ”
I could hear the sadness in her words . It was faint, yet it went straight into the heart of the listener .
I tightened my hold on her hand and came up with a decision .
I smiled and rose to stand properly, extending my hand toward Lilisha, “Come on, beautiful lady . Let’s re-introduce each other . ”
Lilisha stared at me in a daze with her bright and beautiful eyes .
“Fang Liangliang . ”
“Ni Sha . ”
I embraced Lilisha and said in her ear sincerely, “Let’s be friends . ”
“Already planned to . ” She happily replied, “Your big sis is quite lonely . ”
Before I went home, I used last bit of my strength to buy some antipyretic medicine in the drugstore . In the street shop, I bought a white porridge and also some biscuits as I was afraid I would starve myself to death . While passing by the mirror that was displayed outside the optical shop, I stopped for a while . I saw the mirror reflecting my dull eyes and pale and haggard complexion . The crying before made my eyes red and swollen .
This content belongs to thehlifestyle . com, if you see this translation elsewhere, it’s been stolen! If possible, please support the original translators by reading the translations from the original source . Thanks
A smiling couple holding hands walked past me . I shot them a glance and then turned to touch my face . Weiyi was probably cuddled in Fu Chen’s arms and acting like a spoiled child right now . I silently looked at the pitiful creature in the mirror once more before leaving . Just burn, just burn . It would be for the best if this pitiful creature burned to death .
I was panting when I arrived home . I rested on the couch for a while . Afterward, I stood up to have some porridge, only to take half of it . I didn’t force myself the remaining half since I didn’t have any appetite . Instead, I took two tablets to reduce my fever and sent a text message to Dongzi, telling him that I had already withdrawn from the operation so he should act smarter and endure few more days . After that, we senior sister-junior brother can finally say bye-bye to that hole .
Subsequently, I selected Kang Zixian’s number and deleted it, inwardly fiercely ridiculing him . I turned off my phone, pulled out the SIM card and candidly tossed it somewhere behind me not caring where did it land . I immediately felt delighted . I staggered while standing up to go to my bed and lay down, going into a deep sleep .
I was probably exposed too long to a cold breeze when I went out as my fever turned for worse . I felt sore and weak all over with my head spinning dizzily . Even though my skin was scalding hot, yet inside I felt cold to the bones . It was very agonizing .
Every minute felt unbearable .
Fortunately, I managed to fall asleep . When I finally opened my eyes, my soul was still intact but my body was not listening to me at all . It was so heavy that every movement felt exhausting .
I climbed out of bed . I haven’t eaten for almost a day and a night, hence I had no strength at all . I had to hold the wall to walk into the bathroom .
I hastily brushed the teeth and washed my face but my spirit was still low . On my way back I once again needed to support myself with the wall . I intended to eat some biscuits to replenish my energy . The wrapping paper I could usually open effortlessly now seemed to be an abnormally difficult task . The more I struggled with it the more irritated I got . In the end, I grew so impatient that I threw the biscuits onto the wall with one swoop .
I sat on the couch, sulking while rampaging through my hair . I glanced at the only eatable food in this room . I scratched my nose to indicate I have surrendered . I stood up and rummaged through the drawers searching for the scissors . At last, I found them under the piles of newspapers .
This action almost cost my life . My damned energy was all gone .
I downed cold water with some soda biscuits and took some antipyretics . As I have a hard time sitting there and doing nothing, I went back to sleep .
Perhaps I had already had a lot of sleep, I tossed and turned around unable to fall asleep . Hence, I went to survey the cold and lonely surrounding . There was a wall here, there was a wall there, on the left was a wall, on the right was a wall . There were only cockroaches inside the wall, no relatives were walking around . Nobody tenderly touched my forehead and gave me a calming smile to let me know that I was not alone .
Indeed, I was alone right now . The good man Fu Chen was driven away by me . I blamed him for not understanding my work . I resented his nagging, resented him for not giving me freedom, thus I had said light-heartedly “Since you don’t understand me, let’s part our ways . The sooner the better . ”
I recalled the events from half a year ago . At that time, the two of us were arguing practically on a daily basis . The reason behind was that he got irrationally jealous and had almost endangered my job . I was in cold war with him, he was also in cold war with me and eventually, we reached to an irreparable point .
If someone put a regret medicine in front of me right now, I would certainly swallow it without any hesitation so that I could return to the good old times .
When the loneliness drilled into my heart, I have finally realized how stubborn, childish and double-faced I was and how much I have longed for the past . But I could not go back as he gave his shoulder to someone else .
I felt like crying but my tears were not coming out as crying required energy and I had to spare it for later use .
I have unconsciously dozed off and fallen into another slumber . I did not know how long I have slept but I was awakened by a burst of a noisy doorbell . It was very tenacious, making me distraught .
My mind was still chaotic . I covered a blanket over my head and mumbled to myself, “Damn it! Who is ringing the doorbell?! So noisy . ”
The doorbell paused for a moment and then started another round of ringing . I was finally sober . This was my doorbell, right? Who was the person that wanted to send me a charcoal in a snowy weather?[6] Did my mom fly back to give me a surprise? Or did Feige return back to the country after her match finished?
I rolled and crawled out of bed feeling a little excited . Except for few faces, most people’s appearance could make me feel grateful for a lifetime .
After I happily opened the door and looked up, I felt like a cold bucket of water was splashed over me . I cursed inwardly . The person currently before me held the first place in my blacklist of people I refused to have any connection with . I hated him so much that my teeth itched .
The one standing outside was clearly Kang Zixian .
[1] Seven apertures of the human head means two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth
#this content belongs to thehlifestyle . com, if you see this translation elsewhere, it’s been stolen!!!!! May ill omen (like stepping every day on dog poo, losing a wallet every time one goes out, choking by mere water and forever staying as a lonely dog) befall those content stealing jerks . Amen and Peace!
#if possible, please support the original translators by reading the translations from the original source . Thanks
[2] The Autumn in my Heart is a Korean drama
[3] Serve someone as an ox and as a horse means working very hard for somebody
[4] Laoniang I, your mom (referring to oneself as superior)
[5] Chiung Yao is a Taiwanese writer and producer and often regarded as the most popular romance novelist in the Chinese-speaking world
[6] Send a charcoal in a snowy weather is an idiom meaning to provide help in sb’s hour of need
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login