“Why did you take so long to open the door?!” Sister Lin glared at me, clearly frustrated.
I shrugged helplessly and feigned a sleepy expression. “I was sleeping. It’s not every day I get a break.”
Sister Lin shot me a disapproving look but walked into the house.
“Sister Mengxin!” Mei’er ran up to Sister Lin immediately.
Sister Lin, frowning at first, smiled and kissed Mei’er’s cheek, saying, “Mei’er, did you miss your sister?”
“Yes!” Mei’er beamed back at her. I had no idea what they had talked about before, but their relationship had clearly become very close, far beyond just my bed-wetting days as a child.
I sat on the sofa, poured a glass of cool water, and handed it to Sister Lin. “Sister Lin, what’s up?”
Sister Lin seemed to be in a better mood after seeing Mei’er and was no longer holding a grudge about me not opening the door earlier. She looked at me and said, “Tomorrow, my aunt will be back, so I’m here to collect the rent. I don’t want to leave it until the last minute.”
Last time, Sister Lin had given me a reprieve on the rent, but with Aunt Sun returning, the real landlord, there was no avoiding it—I needed to pay up quickly.
I had taken out two thousand yuan on the way home, initially planning to buy some good food to treat Mei’er and myself.
But since Sister Lin came to collect the rent, I handed her a thousand yuan, which she took without checking, putting it straight into her bag.
“Are you not worried I might give you a few bills less?” I asked with a hint of mischief.
Sister Lin smiled wickedly and said, “Do you have the nerve to try?”
Honestly, I didn’t.
Sister Lin and Mei’er were chatting away like long-lost sisters, discussing everything under the sun. Thankfully, Mei’er had picked up quite a bit of modern knowledge; otherwise, her presence might have given them away.
Suddenly, Sister Lin’s eyes widened in surprise as she pointed to the floor. “What happened here?”
“What is it?” I wondered what could have caused such a reaction. Following Sister Lin’s gaze, I was stunned—there was a hole in the floor!
Wait a minute! I remembered it was from that dagger. This wasn’t my own home. If Aunt Sun came back and found this, I’d be in big trouble.
I looked at Sister Lin with a troubled expression. “Well… it was an accident…”
“Tomorrow, when my aunt returns and sees the room in this state, she’ll be furious!” Sister Lin’s face turned anxious as she added, “You’d better move the table and block it up!”
Without needing more instruction, I knew what to do. I moved the table to cover the hole. Since it wasn’t too far from the table’s edge, the move wasn’t very noticeable.
“Fortunately, I saw it first. If my aunt had seen it, you’d be in serious trouble!” Sister Lin said, tapping my head with a touch of exasperation.
I smiled awkwardly. Though Sister Lin could be a bit insensitive, she had her good moments.
“Xia Tian… Mei’er…” Sister Lin’s expression suddenly grew somber.
Mei’er and I looked at her, puzzled.
“I’m leaving…” Sister Lin said with a pitiful look, but I couldn’t help but notice her small chest.
“Well, if you’re leaving, just go. No need to make it so dramatic. We’re so close by, you can always visit again.” I said, unsure of what was going on with her.
Sister Lin, now visibly frustrated, shouted, “I’m going back to school! I can’t stay here any longer!”
“Back… to school? Why?” I was taken aback by her outburst and asked in confusion.
Sister Lin sighed. “Once my aunt returns, she won’t need me as a substitute landlord. I have to go back to school.”
“Oh, I see…” I thought about it. Despite Sister Lin’s quirks, I had enjoyed spending time with her over these past few days. Even though some things were frustrating, it was overall pleasant.
Seeing her sad face, it was clear she had developed genuine feelings for us.
Of course, the most important thing was that Sister Lin was a beauty, so I decided to cheer her up.
“Just go if you want to! Cheer up, you’re an adult now, so stop being so melodramatic!” I said with a smile.
Sister Lin glared at me. “Mind your own business, you heartless person!”
Without saying another word, I stood up and walked towards the door.
“Where are you going?” Sister Lin asked, puzzled. Mei’er followed closely behind.
Without turning back, I said with a smile, “I’m just taking my most beautiful, most gentle, and most endearing Sister Lin out for a farewell dinner! Since you’re leaving, I’m treating you to a meal, no matter the cost!”
We went to a local barbecue stall, not the fanciest place, but it would have to do. It was still early, but the stalls were already bustling with people.
This wasn’t a place I frequented. With limited funds and no idea which stall was best, I just chose a vacant spot. I might be able to tell which instant noodle flavor is best, but I had no clue about the best barbecue here.
“Sister Lin, don’t mind the limited budget!” I said with a grin. I didn’t even know why I said that; my bank account had five hundred thousand yuan! Though not much compared to a rich playboy, it was enough to seem like a pseudo-rich guy here.
“It’s fine!” Sister Lin seemed happy and didn’t care about the cost, and Mei’er didn’t say anything either.
“What would you like to eat?” A waiter came over shortly after we sat down. I wanted to show off by calling “waiter,” but the opportunity passed.
The waiter handed me a menu, which I passed to Sister Lin since I was treating her.
“What do you have here?” I asked the waiter.
“We have lamb kidneys, lamb tendons, lamb spleen, grilled fish, and lamb skewers!” the waiter listed off.
“How much are they?” I asked.
“Lamb is fifty yuan per jin, two yuan per skewer! The lamb is hanging outside, so we’ll cut the meat you want! Grilled fish…” The waiter continued fluently.
“Let’s have a jin of lamb, fifty skewers, and one grilled fish…” Since I was treating Sister Lin, I ordered a bit more. Besides, how much could a woman eat? Honestly, it was more for myself.
Sister Lin also ordered a few more dishes and a soup.
The waiter then asked, “What would you like to drink?” It was obvious that since I was the one paying, I had to make the decision.
Before I could answer, Mei’er quickly said, “I want cola!”
“Sorry, we don’t have cola,” the waiter said apologetically.
“Then bring three glasses of draft beer!” Although I rarely ate at barbecue stalls, I had done it before and ordered three glasses of beer. The waiter left after taking the order.
Once the food arrived, we started eating. Mei’er stared at the meat with wide eyes, practically drooling. She was really craving it.
“Cheers!” Sister Lin raised her glass of beer and toasted us. I raised mine and smiled, “Cheers!”
Mei’er looked momentarily confused but quickly raised her glass and said, “Cheers!”
It had been a long time since I lived like this—eating and drinking with friends. I’d done it a few times with Zhang Yu and Fatty, but back then, we barely had money, and spending over a hundred yuan was considered extravagant.
As we enjoyed our meal, a middle-aged man suddenly dropped his pants and urinated against a nearby lamppost.
Sister Lin frowned and muttered, “Such a lack of manners.”
To our surprise, the man heard her comment.
He turned around with a fierce look and said, “Little girl, mind your language!” Then he walked over, but upon seeing the two women with me, his expression turned greedy. He leered and said, “Hey, little girl, you’re not bad looking. Come have a drink with me.” He reached out towards Sister Lin.
Damn! Does he think my girls are up for grabs? I picked up a lamb skewer that I hadn’t finished and jabbed it into his outstretched hand, glaring at him and shouting, “Get lost!”
HELP:
During the recent unrest in the country I am from, our family hardware store was broken into and looted by thugs. I don’t know why they did it, since my family has always been minding our own business, without bothering anyone else. I’m guessing some people are taking advantage of the current lawless and chaotic state of the country.
Anyways, the incident now leaves me as the only earning member of my family. Long time readers know that I was already dealing with a mountain of trouble (that I inherited from my father), and was already struggling. I had created a plan of action, and was steadily moving forward. But this incident destroyed whatever plans I had, again. I don’t know why bad things keep happening to me again and again. I might as well be cursed or something.
So here I am, after much hesitation, once again asking for your support. If you are reading this, please help if you are able to, I repeat, help only if you are able to. I am not asking something for free, you can become a Patron at Patreon to gain access to more chapters, or sponsor as many chapters you can from any of the novels you enjoy on Goblinslate here at BuymeaCoffee. Or if you just want to help, you can donate any amount at the Wishlist at BuymeaCoffee.
Thank you.