arch-enemy
An old-fashioned chandelier with a light bulb hung from the ceiling, and two fluffy moths, their wings tucked in, rested quietly on the incandescent bulb. The light had been turned on after Wen Dai entered; Qian Tong knew she wanted to save on electricity.
The house where Qian Tong and his mother Qian Yan lived was smaller than the toilet in the villa where Wen Dai used to live. The only part of the house that was enclosed on all four sides was the toilet, which could also be called a bathroom.
The kitchen, forced to open, was squeezed opposite the toilet door. Qian Tong was standing in front of the stove, his hands trembling as he poured boiling water into it, risking burns—there were too many times when he couldn't back down.
He hurriedly mixed in the cold water flowing from the water purifier, then awkwardly walked over to Wen Dai, who was sitting in a chair.
"Sister Wen Dai...would you like some?"
The boy was handsome, but too thin, which made his eyes appear somewhat protruding, dark and shiny.
Wen Dai took the cup from his hand, took a couple of sips, and then put on a warm smile. "Drink up, how can you not drink the water Xiao Tong poured for me? How have you been lately? If you see anything again, I'll cast a spell for you. Where's your mother?"
The cup was placed on the narrow, long wooden table that could barely be called a coffee table, making a dull thud.
"I'm going to do laundry, I'll be right back. Sister Wen Dai... did something happen to you today? Your eyes are red." Qian Tong's birth chart being entirely Yin not only brought him relentless vengeful spirits, but also an extraordinary sensitivity. Beneath his thin eyelids were eyes filled with concern, and his hand, resting on his slightly deformed, grass-green T-shirt, was twisting the hem of the shirt.
Unconsciously touching the corner of her eye, Wen Dai chuckled softly. She looked up at Qian Tong and patted the seat next to her. "Little Tong has a good eye for observation. Come, sit down. I have a question for you."
Qian Tong dragged his feet over and sat down to Wen Dai's right. He twisted his neck to look at her, his fingers twirling the copper coins on his wrist.
Wen Dai leaned back in her chair, one arm limply draped over Qian Tong's shoulder. She lowered her eyelashes and whispered, "When we're in dire straits, should we betray our original intentions? She swallowed so much bitterness alone, stumbled along a long, winding road, never missing a single step, yet she still saw no hope. So she tentatively reached out to the wrong path, only to have fate, which had always ignored her, suddenly appear, taking away what she had gained and plunging her back into despair. All the lights she lit along the way went out in vain; her efforts were met with no reward, and her attempts to stray were swiftly punished. Xiao Tong, what do you think she should do?"
“This…” Qian Tong seemed to suddenly lose his voice. He stared blankly into Wen Dai’s eyes, which were eyes of despair.
After a long while, her lips, which had been sealed shut, finally opened again. "Sister Wen Dai, don't betray your original intentions, otherwise you won't feel good even if you achieve your goal in the end. Perhaps the punishment is a reminder to her, a reminder not to let her future self regret it; effort doesn't always guarantee a reward, but every step she takes will leave a footprint, the lamps she lit will not go out, the lamps will remember her; she just needs to keep striving forward, and maybe the next step will be to step into hope."
The withered hand grasped Wen Dai's, and the young boy's eyes revealed a steadfast light that flashed into her gaze.
She clenched her fist and withdrew her hand from Qian Tong's bony shoulder. She looked into Qian Tong's clear eyes for a moment before smiling and saying, "Oh, our little Tong has really grown up."
The half-closed iron gate creaked loudly, accompanied by the scraping sound of metal scraping against the concrete floor. A muffled thud followed, and Qian Yan entered from outside. The woman's hair was only long enough to tie up, but it was pulled back into a small bell shape with a rubber band. Her fully exposed face bore a resemblance to Qian Tong, but even more so to her grandmother—dry, earthy skin, chapped and wrinkled, a mixture of weariness and vitality; the former was a product of poverty, the latter a result of giving birth to a child.
"Sister Qian Yan, how are you today?" Wen Dai straightened up.
She held a large red plastic basin in one arm, pressing it against her waist until the fabric was soaked. After squeezing her feet in, she closed the door behind her with her heel. Seeing Wen Dai getting up from her chair and greeting her, she quickly smiled and nodded, saying, "Hey, business was pretty good this morning, lots of repeat customers. It's all thanks to your suggestion, little sister. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have thought of setting up a stall at the school gate, nor would I have imagined that my grilled cold noodles and egg burgers would be so popular with so many kids, and the grilled sausages are the best-selling."
Qian Yan placed the plastic basin containing clothes on a corner of the wooden coffee table. She wiped her hands with a towel hanging on a hook by the door, then walked to Wen Dai's side, tightly grasped Wen Dai's hand, and trembled a few times. Her hunched back and tearful eyes matched each other. "Thank you so much, little sister. You are truly our family's benefactor. If it weren't for you, I really don't know how Tongtong and I would have survived. Eight years ago, my child's father passed away unexpectedly, and then Tongtong developed acute pneumonia, with a fever of 41 degrees Celsius, and she was delirious. At that time... I was desperate, truly desperate. The other party offered to pay 300,000 yuan, but I didn't have the mind to care about that. Tongtong couldn't handle it, and I had neither the money nor the time to go to court. I could only do whatever they said."
Clear tears streamed from her cloudy eyes, and Wen Dai took out a tissue from her pocket to wipe them away.
Qian Yan gave Wen Dai the impression of a tragic figure, like Xianglin's wife. Even though Wen Dai had heard this story many times, and Qian Yan had told it many times, she still kept talking about it, tears streaming down her face each time.
"That so-called brother of my child's father came with people from that company, and he was spouting nonsense to me: 'Hey sister-in-law, if I had known Qian Zheng liked to drink now, I wouldn't have invited him.' That's utter bullshit. Do you think I don't know whether my child's father drinks or not? But there's nothing I can do. They said Tongtong can't wait any longer. They showed me this damn 'Project Subcontracting Contract,' telling me the project was outsourced to a contractor, and there's no way to sue him because the contractor has already run away. That damn brother of mine used to come to our house for dinner, but back then he said the contractor needed more workers, and he only introduced the job because of his friendship with Qian Zheng. He said if he had known it would turn out like this, he wouldn't have invited him. Now he's caught in the middle..."
Wen Dai helped the sobbing Qian Yan to a chair, her hand resting on Qian Yan's arm. The familiar process didn't need further questioning; Qian Yan simply wanted to vent her pent-up resentment.
She gave Qian Tong a wink and whispered, "Pour me another glass of water."
Qian Tong, who often acts as a listener, is still helpless when he sees his mother crying. After receiving Wen Dai's guidance, he quickly went to pour water.
"The child's father used to take odd jobs and never gave himself any free time. He was always working himself to the bone to make money... Haha, he was too clever for his own good. He thought he could earn more by taking odd jobs, and now look what happened, he's lost his life. A human life, a child's father, 300,000 yuan." Qian Yan's neck was slightly crooked, like a puppet with a broken cervical spine, her unfocused eyes looking back on many years ago.
Wen Dai took the water glass from Qian Tong, who had rushed back, and handed it to Qian Yan. "Sister, have some water first."
“There’s nothing we can do. In the face of capital, we’re all just ants hiding behind pebbles. If we want to turn the tables, we have to become capital ourselves.” She leaned back in her chair, her hand slipping from the water glass and slowly sliding down to her thigh.
The bitter taste of water rolled over the snot that was stuck in her nose, and Qian Yan swallowed several mouthfuls. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, turned her eyes to look at Wen Dai, and asked, "Little sister, how are you now? Have you figured anything out?"
Wen Dai raised her hand and scratched her hair, the loose strands matching her melancholy expression. A sigh escaped her throat: "It's a long story. I originally met a rich woman I could use to gain some influence, but her son is a bit strange. I can't see through his destiny, I can only see about 40%. After that, I'll try my luck. There are quite a few rich people who believe in Buddhism and fortune telling. I'll hang around the temple more, and spend more time streaming online. I'm bound to run into someone who can help me. If I can connect, I will; if not... I'll force it."
-
Heaven is a stingy thing.
The lightning bolt that nearly struck Wen Dai caused a surge in foot traffic at Nanguang Temple, but for several days she couldn't find anyone to help her. Finding another Qi Ya was like searching for sand in the waves.
Why not just let the sand rush towards her?
The curtains remained tightly drawn, allowing only a sliver of white light to seep in from the gap at the top. The light from the computer screen shone on Zhang's small face, revealing features so strikingly defined that they could not have been sculpted from a mere speck of mud by Nuwa. Wen Dai rested her chin on her hand, pushing her cheeks upwards with her thumb and forefinger, making the corners of her peach blossom eyes slant upwards. Her dark pupils flickered slightly as her gaze swept over the IDs of the new viewers in the live stream before settling back on the comments.
There were only a handful of viewers, and even the comment section was filled with loneliness.
"New fans can ask a question by sending me their current address and name via private message; no birth date or photo required, the streamer is quite assertive. If needed, you can add the little globe icon in the upper left corner to consult, or you can ask me anything you'd like to discuss, and I'll answer any questions I can." Wen Dai's mouth became an automatic language machine, her pupils growing increasingly vacant, her absent-minded state clearly evident.
I always felt like I had become a low-level geisha forced to work and maintain customers, like standing on the second floor waving a handkerchief and shouting, "My lord, I can do anything!"
[Coca-Cola is the best-tasting: I've joined their fan page, and I want to ask if they like me?]
Although she knew that 50% of fortune-telling slips were about love and romance, Wen Dai still felt a lump in her throat, always feeling that finding a rich woman was a distant dream. She gripped the mouse and brought up her private messages, a single glance sparking an idea: "The guy you asked about, he's average height, around 1.75 meters, right? His skin is a bit dark, he works out, and his family is just average... He likes you, he does, but he likes more than just you. He's more amorous than any ancient emperor or scholar, falling in love with every woman he sees, always wanting more than he has. And he already has a girlfriend. Your family is well-off, and you're a good person, so why do you like him? Do you want to help the poor?"
[Coca-Cola is the best: Wow, teacher, you're amazing! Your information is so accurate! [crying] I know it's not good, but I just can't help liking it.]
[Win one of three Coca-Cola's best-tasting drinks!]
Her droopy eyelids perked up, and Wen Dai removed her hand from her chin, immediately sitting up straight and staring intently at the gift animations displayed on the live stream screen. Airships were the second most expensive gift on LingShi, costing a thousand each, and this Coca-Cola enthusiast, whom she had just labeled as love-struck, had actually gifted her three in one go.
Feeling like you don't have enough money is one thing, but suddenly receiving an unexpected gift is another. Wen Dai was strangely flattered, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the mouse, and she hesitated for a moment before typing out her thanks: "Uh... thank you 'Coca-Cola is the best' for the airship. You can add the little globe in the upper left corner, and you can contact me directly if you have any questions in the future."
[Coca-Cola tastes the best: Teacher, you are truly talented, I will always support you! One more thing, teacher, you are so beautiful!]
[Sleeping during the day and getting up at night: I also think the teacher is so beautiful!! I've joined the fan group to ask if I have a chance in this provincial exam.]
[Wan'an: I've joined their fan page, and I want to know when I'll be able to find a job.]
[...]
With the airship that Coca-Cola strongly recommended to Wen Dai, the popularity of the live broadcast room increased significantly. The number of viewers, which was initially less than ten, suddenly increased to over a hundred. In addition to fans who asked questions, there were also many people who were simply following because of her face.
"No rush, let's take it one at a time..."
However, high popularity will inevitably lead to doubts and a sharp increase in the probability of being reported.
Having prior experience in live streaming, Wen Dai had long since become a seasoned pro. She had a precise grasp of the vocabulary, and she completely ignored the comments that labeled her a superstitious charlatan.
"You'll pass the provincial exam, don't slack off, you're destined for officialdom. As for job hunting, you need to get moving. How can you find a job if you stay home? Do you expect jobs to come to you by force? Go out proactively, and you'll find a job within seven days..." Just as she was getting hoarse, her peripheral vision suddenly caught a sentence appearing on the scrolling screen—
[User 1385: You couldn't scam anyone at the temple, so you're now scamming online? I thought you'd reformed, but it turns out you're still up to no good. I've reported you.]
Wen Dai instantly understood his identity; there could only be Chen Sizhe.
This guy is truly her nemesis.
He initially intended to ignore it and continue interpreting the divination, but some viewers were drawn to his words; the barrage of questions accumulated, and the doubts and criticisms formed a wave powerful enough to overwhelm a city.
But the culprit is still stirring up the surging waves.
[User 1385: We barely know each other. She scammed my mom offline at the temple gate. I just got back the 7,000 yuan she swindled from me a while ago.]
The shackles of reason crumbled from her shoulders. Watching him relentlessly smear her in the comments section, Wen Dai finally snapped, "You lawyer, are you embezzling funds and then slandering me? How many times do I have to tell you? If I hadn't given you the correct information, would your mother have paid me? I've already returned the seven thousand yuan; consider the ritual a waste of my time. And now you're haunting me, disrupting my business—what do you mean by that? If I wasn't accurate, why would anyone pay me? Can you please take your narrow-mindedness and prejudice and get the hell out of here, you bastard!"
Unfortunately, no sooner had she finished her rant than the live stream went black, and the platform's moderators added a "friendly" warning to her message:
Your live stream has been forcibly interrupted due to the use of abusive language and the dissemination of false information. Your live stream will be banned for 24 hours.
"Damn it!" Wen Dai was so angry that she threw the mouse away, her back slamming against the back of the chair. She bumped her cheek.
Since he was so determined to cut off her path, she had no choice but to retaliate in kind.
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