Chapter 38: The Prettier the Woman, the More She Lies
The man kicked Cai Su several times. When he found the scrawny woman clinging to him like glue, he slapped her swollen face.
"Get lost! That little bloodsucker is half-dead anyway. Wasting nutrient liquid on him is pointless. It’d be better off as my gambling money! If you don’t let go, you damn bitch, don’t blame me if I kill you!"
The slap split the corner of Cai Su’s mouth, drawing blood. Her expression was stubborn, showing every intention of fighting her husband to the bitter end.
Her stare infuriated the man, and he raised his hand again.
"That’s enough!" Granny Jin walked over holding an umbrella and scolded him. "Wang Hu, are you sure you want to beat her to death? If she dies, you’ll get one less share of relief supplies."
If Granny Jin had said anything else, Wang Hu would have just scoffed.
But one less person meant one less share of relief supplies, which meant less gambling money for him. For a lazy gambling addict with no source of income, this was a fatal blow.
Wang Hu resentfully lowered his hand. While Granny Jin was helping his wife up, he shook her hand off and walked away without looking back.
Cai Su was soaked to the bone, her face ashen. Her eyes were filled with hollow despair and hatred.
"Grandma Jin, you should have just let him beat me to death," Cai Su said, her voice dry and hoarse. "I waited so long for the relief supplies. It looked like Xiao Lang was finally going to be saved, but then..."
"It’s hard to raise a child in this world," Granny Jin said, helping her under the cover of the corridor. "If Xiao Lang doesn’t make it, that’s his fate. But you still have your own fate to live out."
"If Xiao Lang dies, what’s the point of me living?"
"Well, by that logic, this old woman should have died a long time ago."
"That’s not what I meant..."
"All right, I’ll lend you half a vial of nutrient liquid," Granny Jin said, lowering her voice. "Don’t tell anyone. Take it back and have Xiao Lang drink it right away."
"Grandma Jin, I..." Cai Su’s lips trembled. She wanted to refuse but couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
Granny Jin called it a loan, but Cai Su knew she could never repay it.
Wang Hu had already taken and gambled away everything of value in the house. With Xiao Lang’s poor health, it was impossible for her to find any paying work.
Granny Jin shoved the half-vial of nutrient liquid into Cai Su’s hand and gave her a push.
Cai Su pressed her lips together and went upstairs, tears welling in her eyes as she headed home.
Granny Jin sighed. Just as she was about to leave, the door behind her opened.
Shen Lu poked her head out and called to Granny Jin.
"Granny Jin, it’s me."
"Oh, it’s Xiao Shen."
Belatedly, Granny Jin realized she had been standing right in front of Shen Lu’s door talking with Cai Su.
"Granny, you really are a kind person."
It wasn’t that Shen Lu wanted to eavesdrop, but the building’s soundproofing was so poor that she was forced to hear everything.
"We’re all just suffering souls." Granny Jin shook her head and sighed. "That child, Xiao Lang, is a good kid."
Shen Lu didn’t know Cai Su and had never met Xiao Lang. She just thought that Granny Jin truly had a cold exterior but a warm heart. After a few sentences of small talk, she changed the subject.
"When will this water recede?"
’I really don’t want the apartment to be soaking in water forever. It’s damp and incredibly smelly.’
"As long as the rain doesn’t get heavier, it should recede by evening." Granny Jin paused. "If you have the money, you should buy an air purifier. After a heavy rain comes the strong sun, and the intense heat will make the smell even stronger."
Shen Lu was horrified.
’If Granny Jin hadn’t mentioned it, I would have had no idea!’
’The smell is bad enough already. Add intense sun to that, and it’ll be absolutely unbearable.’
After giving Shen Lu the advice, Granny Jin returned to her own room. Shen Lu didn’t dare to waste a second. She put on her raincoat, pocketed her money, and went out to buy an air purifier.
The general store didn’t sell air purifiers; she would have to go to a more proper electronics store.
The Lower City District wasn’t entirely a slum. It was where all the common people, aside from the rich and powerful, lived.
In other words, besides those who lived on relief supplies, there was also a segment of the population that was self-sufficient. Correspondingly, there were also shops that catered to them.
However, these places were located closer to the Upper City District, in the streets with lower numbers.
The Lower City District was much larger than Shen Lu had thought, a fact she’d realized a couple of days ago when she took Bai Wanwan’s car to buy medicine.
There were usually rickshaws at the entrance to Gold Street, but with the heavy rain today, there wasn’t a single one in sight.
Shen Lu had no choice but to walk.
The rain wasn’t as heavy as it had been in the morning, but it was still a steady downpour. The only fortunate thing was that there was no wind, or the journey would have been even more difficult.
Her mask was quickly soaked. Shen Lu pulled down the brim of her hood, trying to shield her face as much as possible.
After walking for nearly two hours, Shen Lu arrived at Zero Nine District. She had asked another shopkeeper, who told her there was an electronics store in Zero Nine District that sold the air purifier she wanted.
Shen Lu arrived at the electronics store looking completely disheveled and let out a long breath at the entrance.
’That walk to buy an air purifier nearly killed me.’
She took off her raincoat and was about to go inside when an arm stretched out from the side, blocking her.
"Wait, you can’t come in dripping water all over the place."
"I’ll put my raincoat on the rack by the door." The other person’s tone was not just unpleasant, it was downright hostile, but Shen Lu could understand.
’Electronics are sensitive to water. Getting them wet could ruin them.’
’But as long as I take off the raincoat, there shouldn’t be a problem.’
"That’s still not good enough!" The salesclerk was a young man in his twenties with narrow, mean-looking eyes.
Shen Lu was already exhausted from walking and didn’t want to look for another store. The young man kept blocking her, and you didn’t have to be a fool to see what he was implying.
"Get your boss," Shen Lu said, her expression darkening. "I don’t want to talk to you."
"Shoo, shoo. Who do you think you are, asking to see my boss whenever you want?" The young man looked at Shen Lu’s ordinary clothes, an entire outfit that probably didn’t even cost 100 Star Coins. How could someone like that afford any of the appliances in the store, which averaged over 2,000 Star Coins?
"I insist on seeing him. What are you going to do about it?" Shen Lu started to walk past him, and the man reached out to shove her.
Shen Lu’s brow furrowed. "You touch me, and you’ll see what happens!"
The salesclerk laughed. He really didn’t take Shen Lu seriously at all.
Even with the mask, he could tell she was a young girl, and he guessed from her eyes that she was probably quite attractive.
’Trying to act all high and mighty just because she has a pretty face?’
’He had a particular dislike for pretty young girls like her. Seeing one always reminded him of the time he’d been cheated.’
’The prettier the woman, the bigger the liar!’
A vicious glint flashed in the man’s eyes. He shoved with both hands, intending to throw Shen Lu out of the store, preferably making her fall to the ground, land right in the water, and end up looking like a drowned rat.
But Shen Lu was ready. The moment the man moved, so did she.
A faint ZAP flashed through the air. One second the man was standing, the next he was on the ground, twitching.
Shen Lu put away her stun gun. Without a second glance at the man on the floor, she walked straight into the store.
’People here really judge a book by its cover,’ Shen Lu reflected. ’The law and order is a joke, too. On the other hand, that makes it easier for me to strike without any inhibitions.’
’I have to admit, it feels pretty damn good to just fight when words fail—and win.’
Shen Lu reflected on herself: ’I might not have learned much else, but my violent tendencies are definitely getting worse.’