Chapter 174: Strange Streets

Dog Egg clutched his reddened cheek, tears welling up in his eyes. Wang Xifeng, arms crossed, mercilessly scolded him, “Such bad manners, breaking things and not admitting it.”

“He’s just a kid,” Pingzi said.

“Kid? At seven or eight? My friend’s kid is the same age, and he’s so well-mannered. Look at him! Just looking at him is annoying!”

Granny Liu couldn’t smile anymore. She awkwardly asked, “Should we go buy a replacement for you?”

“Buy? You think you can just find these things everywhere?”

“Niece, I’m really sorry…”

“I mean, why come to the city in the first place? Relatives are still relatives, whether you visit or not. We have our own things to do. Suddenly dropping by like this is very disruptive. Next time, can you give us a heads up?”

Granny Liu lowered her head, her ears burning.

Wang Xifeng, looking victorious, glanced at Dog Egg. He glared back at her like a kicked puppy. Wang Xifeng sneered, “A child this age should be disciplined. If he breaks things and lies now, who knows what kind of trouble he’ll cause when he grows up. Bringing such a poorly-behaved kid into someone’s home is just asking for trouble.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Granny Liu nodded, relieved that Wang Xifeng didn’t seem to be pursuing the antique issue. As long as that wasn’t brought up, she could swallow any harsh words.

Dog Egg couldn’t take it anymore and yelled, “I didn’t do it!”

“Dog Egg!”

Granny Liu tried to grab his clothes but missed. Dog Egg ran up to Wang Xifeng, teeth clenched, eyes blazing, fists tightly clenched, knuckles white, nails digging into his palms.

Wang Xifeng, frightened, stepped back and raised her voice, “What do you want, you little bastard? Going to kill someone? You’re really something!”

“Don’t ever talk about me like that again!”

Dog Egg swiped everything off a small table, smashing a bone china tea set on the floor, and then stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

“Dog Egg! Dog Egg!” Granny Liu panicked and tried to chase after him.

“What’s this all about?” Wang Xifeng glared, “Rebelling?”

She grabbed Granny Liu’s collar, “Old woman, pay up! This tea set was imported from Russia, worth thousands!”

“Niece… I…” Granny Liu, eyes filled with tears, desperately tried to break free to find her grandson.

“Forget it, she can’t afford it anyway,” Pingzi intervened.

“You’re always playing the good guy!” Wang Xifeng took her anger out on Pingzi, shoving her away. She then turned to Granny Liu, “Stay in the countryside where you belong! You think city people are just here to help you? Dream on! We worked hard for years to get this place! I’m telling you, if you don’t pay for this tea set today, I’m calling the police!”

“For my sister’s sake…” Granny Liu pleaded, hands clasped.

“Don’t mention her! Just thinking about her makes me angry. She abandoned me after giving birth, and when she got old and had no one, she came to me for help. Did I owe her anything? You Liu family members are all no good… Enough talk, pay up!”

Granny Liu, desperate, pulled out a handkerchief and threw all the money in it on the floor, “I’ll pay! I’ll pay!”

As Wang Xifeng bent down to look at the money, Granny Liu broke free and ran out, calling after Dog Egg. Pingzi picked up the money, counted it, and handed it to Wang Xifeng, “Less than 200 yuan.”

“Paupers, coming to the city to cause trouble!” Wang Xifeng snatched the money. “Don’t ever come back! I hope you get hit by a car!”

“That’s a bit harsh,” Pingzi remarked.

Wang Xifeng, still furious, slapped Pingzi across the face. “Bitch, stop acting like a saint. Save it for the men you seduce. As if I don’t know what kind of person you are? Your heart is as dirty as your mouth!”

Pingzi, holding her cheek, stayed silent and bent down to clean up the shards.

Dog Egg, crouched by a trash bin downstairs, sobbed. Granny Liu found him and hugged him, crying too. As she cried, she lightly smacked his bottom, “Can’t you give Grandma a break? Where can Grandma’s face go now?”

“I didn’t break it, they’re lying!” Dog Egg protested.

“Enough, enough.”

“Grandma, I want to go home.”

“We’ll leave early tomorrow morning, okay?”

Dog Egg nodded, stopping his tears.

Granny Liu held Dog Egg’s hand as they walked down the bustling, unfamiliar street. Finally, they found a hotel. Granny Liu pulled out a hundred yuan note from her sock and asked for a room.

The clerk, shelling sunflower seeds, said, “200 yuan deposit.”

“I only have a hundred. Can’t you make an exception?”

“No way. Who would pay for damages?”

“Is there a cheaper place nearby?”

“Don’t know.”

As evening approached, Dog Egg saw a store and said, “Grandma, I want a Coke.”

“No, what if we don’t have enough money to get home?”

“Coke isn’t expensive.”

Granny Liu looked at the store, “Okay, let’s get one, and get some change.”

The clerk said, “Cash? I don’t have fifty yuan bills. How about nine ten-yuan notes?”

“Fine, fine. Change is easier.”

The clerk counted out nine ten-yuan notes in front of Granny Liu, “Here you go.”

“Is there a cheaper place to stay nearby?”

“Go straight, turn left, walk 100 meters. There are several in that alley.”

“Thank you!”

They walked there and finally found a guesthouse that didn’t require a deposit, just twenty yuan a night. After paying for the bus fare, they still had enough for a meal.

But when Granny Liu paid, she realized something was wrong. She counted her money three times, and it was only 58 yuan. She checked her pockets, growing more anxious. The front desk clerk urged, “Hurry up!”

“We won’t stay. Sorry.”

“What a waste of time!”

As they left, Dog Egg asked, “Grandma, why aren’t we staying?”

Granny Liu didn’t respond, still heartbroken over the lost money. Had she been pickpocketed? It seemed unlikely; the money was in her inner pocket. Besides, a thief wouldn’t leave a few notes behind.

She couldn’t figure it out and eventually blamed herself for losing it. She felt a wave of regret.

After eating a bowl of beef noodle soup, Granny Liu and Dog Egg continued to wander, looking for a place to stay. As they walked, Granny Liu noticed something familiar. She looked up and saw the sign for “Hongfu Garden.” The security guard was saluting a car leaving the complex. The car honked a few times, and Granny Liu quickly pulled Dog Egg away.

It looked like Pingzi was in the car, laughing with a man, not noticing the old lady and child passing by.

“Grandma, I hate this place!” Dog Egg said.

“Don’t say that. It’s all because of you,” Granny Liu sighed, feeling the trip to the city wasn’t worth it.