Part 1 The Woman Under the Overpass 1
1
One of the advantages of sleeping under a bridge is that you can see a steamed bun stall in the morning without having to walk more than a few steps. As for the disadvantage, there's one right in front of you. Zhuang Xiaodie, her hair disheveled, ignored the stunned fisherman and squatted by the water to wash her face. She wasn't the only one under the bridge, each one quietly packing their belongings. The buoy plunged into the water, but the fisherman seemed to be oblivious and said, "Are you afraid of something happening sleeping here, a woman?"
Zhuang Xiaodie scratched her hair and calculated the few dollars left in her pocket. She had to do some odd jobs today so that she could find a hourly room to take a shower and wash her clothes at the same time.
Zhuang Xiaodie squinted her eyes and wiped the water. Seeing that the fisherman was still watching, she said, "Your fish got away."
These anglers are most afraid of catching nothing - that is, no catch at all. Upon hearing this, the fisherman hurriedly grabbed the fishing rod, but the fish had already run away. Following this man's sigh, Zhuang Xiaodie packed up, put on the woven bag and went straight to the steamed bun stall.
The food stalls and restaurants nearby were even cheaper than those near the university town. For just a few yuan, you could get a meat dish and a vegetable dish. Adding a little more, you could get two meat dishes and a vegetable dish. The portions were generous and filling, and one meal could last you a whole day. Zhuang Xiaodie only ate there occasionally; she had two steamed buns a day, no more, no less.
In the mornings near the square, those who are sleeping or doing business are shrouded in a foggy shell, so even the sound becomes faint. Neither talking nor shouting can penetrate the shell. So tranquility lingers in the square, as if it is at ease in its own territory.
As usual, Zhuang Xiaodie bought two steamed buns and ran to the store nearby to get some water - her main source of drinking water on weekdays. She had a 1.5L mineral water bottle that had been with her for several months. It was yellowed, dented here and there, and quite worn, but it was useful - it had a handle. The waitress in this store was three or four years younger than her, so Zhuang Xiaodie took the initiative to call her "sister". The waitress had an oval face, a ponytail, and slender fingers. Every time she helped her get water and handed it back, she looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated. Zhuang Xiaodie was honest and found the waitress's phone. She returned it to her the same day after receiving a call. Because she was careful about her appearance and didn't look like she was sleeping on the street, she was not noticed. It was not until later when she bought steamed buns and happened to be sitting in front of this store, and it happened to be this sister who opened the store, that she was discovered.
The waitress urged her to find a job, and she always said she did. Of course, she wasn't lying, but she was being reserved. She wasn't looking for a permanent position. She wasn't the only one there, naturally; there were plenty of people looking for work. Various factories were recruiting people in the square. Those people, wearing peaked caps, with small bags strapped to their waists, one hand clutching a cell phone, the other open like a trap, were all agents. They wouldn't let go of anyone who stopped by. If someone said something to them, their trap would snap and tug, dragging them even a meter or two in panic without letting go. They made a living by collecting people.
Zhuang Xiaodie was dragged several times when she first arrived here. She was stuffed into the factory like a pig, and was kicked out because of her mental slackness and laziness. This happened repeatedly, which made these hunters avoid her. In the past, she avoided them, but now they ignored her.
Therefore, she simply smiled at the waitress's kindness, saying she'd looked for her but wasn't very happy. To avoid her gaze, she seldom visited her, and was especially careful not to eat steamed buns outside her shop. At this point, even being cared about became a nuisance.
Zhuang Xiaodie hadn't been home for three years. Her relatives back home were always gossipy, and she was the one least cared about, yet still the one being gossiped about. No matter what, she refused to go back.
As for work—lying down is one day, struggling is another. The results of struggling aren't necessarily good, and lying down will still provide enough food and clothing, so it's better to just lie down first. Once laziness strikes, it becomes a perfect blend of inertia, and she's been lying there for over three years. Before coming to City S, she was drawn to the job opportunities and the sophistication of the city. Now, she's drawn to the fact that even in late spring, the chill won't reach her bedding.
Under the waitress's gaze, Zhuang Xiaodie walked with a feigned nonchalance, turning at the first intersection she encountered. Her phone still had some battery left, so she passed a small phone case shop and saw a girl sitting on the steps, drawing in a notebook. She glanced at her curiously, but somehow, she caught her eye. The girl suddenly raised her face and glared at her aggressively. Zhuang Xiaodie took a step back, the two steamed buns hanging from her wrists jiggling. She was about to leave, but just as she started to move, she saw the girl's gaze fixed on her buns, a fierce expression on her face, her eyes gleaming with hunger.
Zhuang Xiaodie hesitated for a long time before opening the bag and holding it in front of the girl: "Hungry? Take one."
The girl said nothing, just staring at her, her stomach rumbling softly. Zhuang Xiaodie heard it all clearly. Although she slept under the bridge, she was still very careful about cleanliness and didn't touch the steamed buns with her own hands. She said, "If you want to eat, take it yourself. If you don't want to eat, forget it. This is my daily meal—"
Before she could finish her words, the girl quickly grabbed a steamed bun and started chewing it without saying a word. Zhuang Xiaodie saw that she still had her school badge pinned to her chest and said, "Aren't you going to school?"
The girl held up her notebook to block it and said, "Aren't you going to work?"
Zhuang Xiaodie laughed twice, turned around and left. After waiting for a while, she turned back and saw the girl holding a steamed bun in her mouth. She hurriedly took down her school badge and didn't throw it away. Instead, she carefully put it at her feet and dropped it into her schoolbag.
Running away from home. Zhuang Xiaodie thought her parents would probably find her by evening. She looked back again, still feeling uneasy, and decided to find a part-time job nearby to avoid being dragged into a factory screw job by unscrupulous agents.
Despite being blacklisted by the factory, odd jobs in the shop were still easy to find. There were plenty of people doing this kind of work. Zhuang Xiaodie spent the day making dumplings, occasionally glancing out from the shop entrance when she saw the girl still sitting there. At noon, seeing her sitting there motionless, she brought her dumplings and soy milk. The girl seemed less cynical, but Zhuang Xiaodie still didn't inquire about her, still assuming she would be picked up by her parents soon.
However, in the evening, Zhuang Xiaodie went out to check again and saw the girl sleeping on her lap. Several people were watching from a distance. She went over to chase those people away, squatted down, pushed the girl a few times, and waited until she looked up before asking, "Go home quickly. This is not the place for you."
The girl looked at her for a moment and said, "I have no home."
Zhuang Xiaodie said, "Did you have a fight with your parents?"
The girl lowered her eyes, stared at the drawing paper and shook her head.
The boss yelled for her to pack up, and Zhuang Xiaodie hurried back to get her day's wages, along with a complimentary basket of dumplings. She drizzled some vinegar and chili peppers on them, and carried them out. She couldn't see the girl anymore. She looked around, but there was no one there either. She thought her parents had probably taken her away, and with a sense of disappointment, she headed towards the bridge. Just as she returned to her bunk, someone behind her said, "So you live here?"
She turned around suddenly and saw the person standing against the light, his hands clamped on the straps of his schoolbag, the handle of his sketchbook hanging on his fingers, and he was looking at her with his head tilted.
It's the girl who draws!
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