Gao Yang smiled bitterly. She was so unabashed about asking him for money, it was like she was robbing him blind.
“Do you mean,” Gao Yang said tentatively, “That you want to borrow money from me?”
“Yes, I’m buying something,” Qing Ling said brashly.
“Buy what?”
Qing Ling extended her right hand to Gao Yang. Around her wrist was a thin finely crafted bracelet made of Black Gold, etched with abstract, profound-looking patterns.
“The Twin Bracelet?” Gao Yang recognized the item Wu Dahai had talked about before.
Twin Bracelets, also known as Double Bracelets, were items that facilitated training. It was said to shorten the time it’d take for its wearer to level up their Talents. However, it was more of a superstition than anything, effective to some but not others, making its value difficult to prove.
“Its market price is 8 jinwu,” said Gao Yang. “You pay too much.”
“It’s a bargain, young man!” said a middle-aged woman with perm hair and dressed in a floral shirt. She was clearly the one selling the bracelet.
“I swear on my personal reputation that my Talent reached level 4 in less than a month thanks to the bracelet. I bought it from someone else at 10 jinwu too. What I ask for is only the original price.”
She held onto Qing Ling’s hands in a friendly manner, looking like she was sharing with Qing Ling her truest thoughts. “Young woman, keep the bracelet on, and I promise that your Talent will level up in a month. Come to me if it doesn’t work, and I’ll let you get a refund!”
Gao Yang shut his mouth.
“I want it.” Qing Ling threw rational thinking out of the window the moment she heard the words ‘level up’, and she turned to Gao Yang with glinting eyes. “Lend me money. I’ll pay you back next month.”
“Alright.”
Gao Yang smiled with resignation. He couldn’t afford the fire-enhancing glove anyway.
Judging by Qing Ling’s attitude, if he didn’t lend her money for the bracelet, she would probably drop to the ground and throw a tantrum...no, she was more likely to draw her Tang Dao and take the bracelet by force.
Gao Yang took out the 5-jinwu coin from his pocket and threw it to Qing Ling. She caught it and gave it to the middle-aged woman along with her 5 jinwu.
“You’re a real one, girl! I promise you this is a bargain!” The middle-aged woman broke into a wide smile. She took the coins and inspected them with a small flashlight before checking it between her teeth. Only then did she tuck the coins into her waist pack.
Then she urged, “I have other treasures for you as well, young woman. Would you like to check? I’ll give you an eighty percent discount for your second purchase.”
“I’m out of money,” said Qing Ling.
The woman dragged Qing Ling away as she said, “That’s fine. Add my contact info if anything catches your eyes. Then we’ll make a deal next month!”
“Really, bro?” Wang Zikai was irked. “Did you really just give her the money?”
“I didn’t give it to her,” Gao Yang corrected him with less confidence than he’d like. “I lent it to her.”
“Look at yourself. You’re gonna be a pushover to your wife after you get married!” Wang Zikai huffed.
“Here I am! I’ve returned!”
From behind them came the sweet voice of a young girl.
Gao Yang turned to see a girl in a strange outfit rushing to her little shop. She quickly squatted down and straightened the small wooden plaque that said, ‘Open.’
She wore a pink fisherman hat and a pair of big brown sunglasses, and her body was wrapped tightly in a blue satin fabric that looked like curtains. Stranger still, she wasn’t wearing shoes. Below her delicate, fair calves were two petite feet, entirely uncovered.
Gao Yang had seen his fair share of strangely dressed awakeners, but this girl took the cake, looking like a homeless girl wearing every style on her body.
“Are you the owner?” Gao Yang asked, pointing at her wares.
“It’s mine, it’s mine.” The girl panted slightly with what could be nervousness or excitement. “Are you, are you going to buy something?”
Gao Yang did want the tactical glove, but his wallet disagreed.
“No, I’m just browsing.”
“Wait!” Wang Zikai swung his arm to stop Gao Yang. He had never looked as serious as he did now.
“What?” asked Gao Yang.
“Brother!” Wang Zikai grabbed Gao Yang’s head to whisper into Gao Yang’s ear, “My dad said that doing business is like fighting war. It is the brave one who will win when it matters. Do not back down easily!”
“Huh?”
“Just leave it to me!” Wang Zikai let go of Gao Yang and put his hands in his pockets, sauntering over to stare down at the girl manning the shop. “Hey, how much does the glove cost?”
The girl looked down at the price tag. “12 jinwu.”
“12 jinwu?” Wang Zikai frowned dramatically. “This shitty glove?”
The girl picked up the glove and inspected it closely. “There’s no shit.”
“There doesn’t have to be shit for something to be shitty, you feel me?” Wang Zikai crouched down and grabbed the glove, his expression derisive. “Look at the lines, the cut, the style. It’s all third-rate!”
“And the metal plate. What terrible metalwork! What’s the pattern supposed to be?”
The girl took a look at it and said vehemently, “That’s, that’s fire!”
“You mean shit?” Wang Zikai spoke in a booming voice, not giving an inch. “Take a look at it yourself. Does it not look like a pile of shit?”
“It doesn’t!”
“Take another look. Be objective! Does it not look like a triangular pile of shit? Does this part not look like the tip of a poop pile?”
“Maybe...a little...”
“See?” Wang Zikai egged on. “And we’ve been waiting here for ages. Is this how you do business? What kind of service is that?”
“I was preoccupied...”
“Forget it. Let’s stop wasting time.” Wang Zikai swung his arm. “Give me an offer from the bottom of your heart, and I’ll take it for your sake and consider us friends.”
The girl blinked at him confusedly and said in a weak voice, “How much...are you willing to pay?”
“2 jinwu, no bargain!” Wang Zikai said without pause.
Gao Yang’s jaw dropped. Seriously? It’s basically robbery!
“What?!” The girl was too stunned to say anything.
“What? Do you not want to sell it?” Wang Zikai frowned and dragged Gao Yang away. “Come on. Forget about the shitty glove.”
“Hey, wait! Don’t go!” The girl shot to her feet and reached out to them. “I’ll sell the glove to you! At 2 jinwu!”
Gao Yang couldn’t believe his ears. Seriously? That worked?
Wang Zikai wiggled his eyebrows at Gao Yang proudly, a silent ‘you’re welcome’ was implied.
Gao Yang gave the girl a onceover. He was beginning to wonder if she was the kind of fraud common at train stations, who lured their victims in by offering them a low price before swapping the product with a fake.
“Are you really gonna sell the glove to me?” Gao Yang eyed her warily.
“Yes, we have a deal.” The girl nodded vehemently and handed Gao Yang the glove with one hand while extending her other hand with her fingers splayed. “Pay up!”
Gao Yang took the glove in disbelief and put it on. It was the real deal.
“A moment please. I’m borrowing money from my friend.”
Gao Yang was overjoyed at the gift that practically fell on his lap. He turned to look for Officer Huang for help.
And Officer Huang and Fat Jun happened to be coming his way while laughing and chatting.
“What goodie are you looking at there, Brother Yang?” asked Fat Jun.
“Perfect timing, Officer Huang! Lend me 2 jinwu, please,” Gao Yang said urgently. “I got something good.”
“Oh, that’s too bad!” Officer Huang patted on the specialized gun holster on his waist. “I got something good too, and it cost 5 jinwu. I spent it all!”
“You...”
Gao Yang almost fainted. It had been a ride on an emotional rollercoaster.
No matter how disappointed he was, he had no choice but to reluctantly take off the glove and return it to the girl. “Forget it. I’m not buying. It’s not meant to be mine.”
The girl took the glove, the curve of her lips made clear her disappointment.
Gao Yang turned to leave, but his lingering attachment made him stay his steps, and he turned back to ask, “Why don’t you give me your number? I’ll look for you next month to buy the glove.”
The girl shook her head. “I don’t have a cellphone, and I won’t be here next month.”
“Is that so? Then it can’t be helped.” Gao Yang sighed. Fine. It really wasn’t meant to be.
The moment he turned away, though, Fat Jun suddenly raised his right hand and slapped Wang Zikai in the face. The thunderous sound penetrated through the hubbub of the flea market, drawing many pairs of eyes at once.
Wang Zikai was stunned for a moment. He had been the devil incarnate for years, and he had always been the one hitting people rather than the other way around, let alone getting slapped in the face!
He glared at Fat Jun. “You’ve got a death wish...”
Slap!
Another hit in the face. This time, Wang Zikai’s head was thrown sideways by the sheer force of it.
Gao Yang smiled bitterly. She was so unabashed about asking him for money, it was like she was robbing him blind.
“Do you mean,” Gao Yang said tentatively, “That you want to borrow money from me?”
“Yes, I’m buying something,” Qing Ling said brashly.
“Buy what?”
Qing Ling extended her right hand to Gao Yang. Around her wrist was a thin finely crafted bracelet made of Black Gold, etched with abstract, profound-looking patterns.
“The Twin Bracelet?” Gao Yang recognized the item Wu Dahai had talked about before.
Twin Bracelets, also known as Double Bracelets, were items that facilitated training. It was said to shorten the time it’d take for its wearer to level up their Talents. However, it was more of a superstition than anything, effective to some but not others, making its value difficult to prove.
“Its market price is 8 jinwu,” said Gao Yang. “You pay too much.”
“It’s a bargain, young man!” said a middle-aged woman with perm hair and dressed in a floral shirt. She was clearly the one selling the bracelet.
“I swear on my personal reputation that my Talent reached level 4 in less than a month thanks to the bracelet. I bought it from someone else at 10 jinwu too. What I ask for is only the original price.”
She held onto Qing Ling’s hands in a friendly manner, looking like she was sharing with Qing Ling her truest thoughts. “Young woman, keep the bracelet on, and I promise that your Talent will level up in a month. Come to me if it doesn’t work, and I’ll let you get a refund!”
Gao Yang shut his mouth.
“I want it.” Qing Ling threw rational thinking out of the window the moment she heard the words ‘level up’, and she turned to Gao Yang with glinting eyes. “Lend me money. I’ll pay you back next month.”
“Alright.”
Gao Yang smiled with resignation. He couldn’t afford the fire-enhancing glove anyway.
Judging by Qing Ling’s attitude, if he didn’t lend her money for the bracelet, she would probably drop to the ground and throw a tantrum...no, she was more likely to draw her Tang Dao and take the bracelet by force.
Gao Yang took out the 5-jinwu coin from his pocket and threw it to Qing Ling. She caught it and gave it to the middle-aged woman along with her 5 jinwu.
“You’re a real one, girl! I promise you this is a bargain!” The middle-aged woman broke into a wide smile. She took the coins and inspected them with a small flashlight before checking it between her teeth. Only then did she tuck the coins into her waist pack.
Then she urged, “I have other treasures for you as well, young woman. Would you like to check? I’ll give you an eighty percent discount for your second purchase.”
“I’m out of money,” said Qing Ling.
The woman dragged Qing Ling away as she said, “That’s fine. Add my contact info if anything catches your eyes. Then we’ll make a deal next month!”
“Really, bro?” Wang Zikai was irked. “Did you really just give her the money?”
“I didn’t give it to her,” Gao Yang corrected him with less confidence than he’d like. “I lent it to her.”
“Look at yourself. You’re gonna be a pushover to your wife after you get married!” Wang Zikai huffed.
“Here I am! I’ve returned!”
From behind them came the sweet voice of a young girl.
Gao Yang turned to see a girl in a strange outfit rushing to her little shop. She quickly squatted down and straightened the small wooden plaque that said, ‘Open.’
She wore a pink fisherman hat and a pair of big brown sunglasses, and her body was wrapped tightly in a blue satin fabric that looked like curtains. Stranger still, she wasn’t wearing shoes. Below her delicate, fair calves were two petite feet, entirely uncovered.
Gao Yang had seen his fair share of strangely dressed awakeners, but this girl took the cake, looking like a homeless girl wearing every style on her body.
“Are you the owner?” Gao Yang asked, pointing at her wares.
“It’s mine, it’s mine.” The girl panted slightly with what could be nervousness or excitement. “Are you, are you going to buy something?”
Gao Yang did want the tactical glove, but his wallet disagreed.
“No, I’m just browsing.”
“Wait!” Wang Zikai swung his arm to stop Gao Yang. He had never looked as serious as he did now.
“What?” asked Gao Yang.
“Brother!” Wang Zikai grabbed Gao Yang’s head to whisper into Gao Yang’s ear, “My dad said that doing business is like fighting war. It is the brave one who will win when it matters. Do not back down easily!”
“Huh?”
“Just leave it to me!” Wang Zikai let go of Gao Yang and put his hands in his pockets, sauntering over to stare down at the girl manning the shop. “Hey, how much does the glove cost?”
The girl looked down at the price tag. “12 jinwu.”
“12 jinwu?” Wang Zikai frowned dramatically. “This shitty glove?”
The girl picked up the glove and inspected it closely. “There’s no shit.”
“There doesn’t have to be shit for something to be shitty, you feel me?” Wang Zikai crouched down and grabbed the glove, his expression derisive. “Look at the lines, the cut, the style. It’s all third-rate!”
“And the metal plate. What terrible metalwork! What’s the pattern supposed to be?”
The girl took a look at it and said vehemently, “That’s, that’s fire!”
“You mean shit?” Wang Zikai spoke in a booming voice, not giving an inch. “Take a look at it yourself. Does it not look like a pile of shit?”
“It doesn’t!”
“Take another look. Be objective! Does it not look like a triangular pile of shit? Does this part not look like the tip of a poop pile?”
“Maybe...a little...”
“See?” Wang Zikai egged on. “And we’ve been waiting here for ages. Is this how you do business? What kind of service is that?”
“I was preoccupied...”
“Forget it. Let’s stop wasting time.” Wang Zikai swung his arm. “Give me an offer from the bottom of your heart, and I’ll take it for your sake and consider us friends.”
The girl blinked at him confusedly and said in a weak voice, “How much...are you willing to pay?”
“2 jinwu, no bargain!” Wang Zikai said without pause.
Gao Yang’s jaw dropped. Seriously? It’s basically robbery!
“What?!” The girl was too stunned to say anything.
“What? Do you not want to sell it?” Wang Zikai frowned and dragged Gao Yang away. “Come on. Forget about the shitty glove.”
“Hey, wait! Don’t go!” The girl shot to her feet and reached out to them. “I’ll sell the glove to you! At 2 jinwu!”
Gao Yang couldn’t believe his ears. Seriously? That worked?
Wang Zikai wiggled his eyebrows at Gao Yang proudly, a silent ‘you’re welcome’ was implied.
Gao Yang gave the girl a onceover. He was beginning to wonder if she was the kind of fraud common at train stations, who lured their victims in by offering them a low price before swapping the product with a fake.
“Are you really gonna sell the glove to me?” Gao Yang eyed her warily.
“Yes, we have a deal.” The girl nodded vehemently and handed Gao Yang the glove with one hand while extending her other hand with her fingers splayed. “Pay up!”
Gao Yang took the glove in disbelief and put it on. It was the real deal.
“A moment please. I’m borrowing money from my friend.”
Gao Yang was overjoyed at the gift that practically fell on his lap. He turned to look for Officer Huang for help.
And Officer Huang and Fat Jun happened to be coming his way while laughing and chatting.
“What goodie are you looking at there, Brother Yang?” asked Fat Jun.
“Perfect timing, Officer Huang! Lend me 2 jinwu, please,” Gao Yang said urgently. “I got something good.”
“Oh, that’s too bad!” Officer Huang patted on the specialized gun holster on his waist. “I got something good too, and it cost 5 jinwu. I spent it all!”
“You...”
Gao Yang almost fainted. It had been a ride on an emotional rollercoaster.
No matter how disappointed he was, he had no choice but to reluctantly take off the glove and return it to the girl. “Forget it. I’m not buying. It’s not meant to be mine.”
The girl took the glove, the curve of her lips made clear her disappointment.
Gao Yang turned to leave, but his lingering attachment made him stay his steps, and he turned back to ask, “Why don’t you give me your number? I’ll look for you next month to buy the glove.”
The girl shook her head. “I don’t have a cellphone, and I won’t be here next month.”
“Is that so? Then it can’t be helped.” Gao Yang sighed. Fine. It really wasn’t meant to be.
The moment he turned away, though, Fat Jun suddenly raised his right hand and slapped Wang Zikai in the face. The thunderous sound penetrated through the hubbub of the flea market, drawing many pairs of eyes at once.
Wang Zikai was stunned for a moment. He had been the devil incarnate for years, and he had always been the one hitting people rather than the other way around, let alone getting slapped in the face!
He glared at Fat Jun. “You’ve got a death wish...”
Slap!
Another hit in the face. This time, Wang Zikai’s head was thrown sideways by the sheer force of it.
