Chapter 56: Xiao Qiu
In the pitch black, Su Ning couldn’t clearly see what was hiding in the dark place at all. She casually drew out the door bolt behind the courtyard gate, gripped it in her hand, and cautiously moved forward two small steps.
“Who’s there?”
“Woof woof woof woof~”
The hand gripping the door bolt tightened. Listening to Little Round Circle barking vigorously but powerless, she could only choose to ignore it: one bark is good, two is refusal, three means someone is coming, four… four still needs to reach consensus next time.
Getting a bit closer, she then discovered it was a child huddled in the corner of the wall?
“Come back, Little Round Circle!”
“Woof~”
Seeing the owner come out, Little Round Circle obediently ran in front of her, but its throat still occasionally growled toward the corner of the wall.
Tonight the cloud layer was thick and the moon completely blocked, the child’s face was blurry, only faintly able to see that pair of eyes staring straight at her.
This scene without exception made one’s scalp tingle, an inexplicable chill surging from the bottom of the heart.
She was an atheist, but… that didn’t stop her from being afraid, woo.
So for why such a young child wasn’t going home but squatting here, Su Ning didn’t feel the slightest curiosity, the only idea was to leave quickly!
“Little Round Circle, let’s go, home!”
“Woof~” It seemed to sense something off with the owner, this time Little Round Circle didn’t object.
Just like that, the person and dog immediately turned around without the slightest hesitation or pause.
Pitifully waiting for her to ask, secretly brewing emotions and finally filling up with tears, the squatting child was completely dumbfounded: this… seems like something’s not right?
Usually the people encountered either ignored or scolded and drove her away, finally some couldn’t bear to ask and thus showed kindness.
Never seen this kind of reaction before.
Seeing her about to close the courtyard gate, the child didn’t have time to figure it out and hurriedly stood up to walk out of the corner, “Sis… Sister…”
“Bang!”
The response was the sound of her forcefully slamming the door shut.
It was completely a conditioned reflex subconscious reaction, only after closing the door did she belatedly realize she seemed to have misunderstood something.
Not woo, a real child?
Taking out a flashlight from the space, Su Ning opened the courtyard gate again, the flashlight beam shining on the child who seemed stunned in place.
Sparse hair tied into two crooked little tufts, wearing a short-sleeved short-pants made by splicing an adult’s jacket, the exposed face, neck, and little hands all black and dirty.
“Sister…”
“Why not go home at night but squat in someone else’s corner of the wall? This will scare people, you know?”
“Ah, ha?”
At first stunned by the words, a flash of inspiration came to the child, suddenly realizing: so those who scolded and yelled at her were all scared by her?
No wonder occasionally during the day when coming out at most ignored and not paid attention to, but at night mostly scolded and even sometimes beaten right after she started crying miserably, so that’s how it is!
But… even knowing it’s like this, she could only come out when Mom was asleep.
The thin pointed little face had quite rich expressions, Su Ning smiled wryly, “Say it, what matter do you have stopping me for?”
“Sister… I’m hungry…”
Meeting that pair of eyes, for some reason the practiced lines she was so familiar with couldn’t come out at all, fiddling with her fingernail, Xiao Qiu chose to say the simplest and most direct words.
Last night luck was bad, the fat uncle encountered was very fierce and she didn’t get anything, counting up it’s been exactly two full days hungry.
“Sister, can you give me a little bit…”
“Come in.”
Entering the yard, Xiao Qiu was still a bit dazed and couldn’t come back to her senses.
Don’t know why, the person who left without hesitation and closed the door looking unapproachable and hard to talk to, suddenly opened the door again and let her into the yard?
Until a full big bowl of meal was placed in front of her, her nose soured and tears streamed down uncontrollably.
“You saw it, right? Sister Ning Ning’s home just had guests, only these leftovers, eat.”
“I, I saw…” And smelled it.
It was because of smelling this meat fragrance that she was so tempted she couldn’t walk anymore, selecting this corner to squat in tonight.
Xiao Qiu sniffed, her little face blooming with a brilliant smile, “Having these is very good already, thank you Sister! Just…”
“Hm?”
“Just, can I take it home to eat?”
Xiao Qiu fiddled with her fingernail, looking at the fragrant meal on the table, even with a few big pieces of meat, swallowing hard.
Carefully raising her head to look at her, “Sister, I want to take it home to eat with Mom, can I?”
Hm?
Since there’s still an adult at home, how let such a young girl come out begging at night, not afraid she’d be dragged away and sold by bad people?
Sitting beside her, under the light of the eaves, now could see clearly, the little girl not only black and thin, the exposed body also had new and old crisscrossing injury marks.
Su Ning’s face showed no difference, but the words spoken were a few degrees gentler.
“Only Mom? Then where’s your Mom?”
“Mm.”
Nodding forcefully, Xiao Qiu had never seen Dad, nor grandparents, Grandpa, or Granny.
But Mom said, once her illness is better she’ll take her back to find Grandpa and Granny.
But… when exactly will Mom’s illness get better?
Thinking of this, a bright longing light rose in her eyes, just lit up then gradually dimmed, “Mom is sick.”
“Where’s your home?”
“At Nanxi Mountain Back Street.”
Nanxi Mountain Back Street?
This place she really heard someone mention, saying that whole area belongs to ruined area, houses are all dangerous buildings, city Z doesn’t know when it will demolish and rebuild.
Fingertip tapped the table, Su Ning stood up and went to the kitchen, taking out an oiled paper bag from the cabinet.
Covering the entire bowl with the oiled paper bag and picking it up, then lowering her head to look at her, “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”
“Thank you! Thank you Sister!”
Knowing this meant agreement, Xiao Qiu happily thanked repeatedly, wanting to hold her hand but after glancing at their extremely contrasting black and white colors, silently turned her back and unconsciously rubbed on her clothes.
Locking the courtyard gate securely, one hand holding the bowl one hand shining the flashlight, Su Ning followed behind the two little ones along the river channel alley to Back Street.
……
Facing Lishui with Green Mountain at its back, embracing the entire South Gate Street, that mountain is Nanxi Mountain.
The highest hilltop of Nanxi is the highest peak in altitude of Gu City, the summit often unseen hidden in clouds and mist, and the cloud mist tea listed as special supply is produced here.
Back Street is very close to the foot of Nanxi Mountain, the houses on the street mostly ‘missing arms and legs’, without roofs wrapped in layers of transparent or red-blue checkered plastic sheds all indicating someone still lives inside.
Passing several of them, more like nests than houses, Xiao Qiu simply told her who she knew lived inside.
Until reaching a place with a courtyard gate but the rear half collapsed house, she pointed with full eyes of smile and said, “Sister Ning Ning, here, this is my home!”
“Xiao Qiu?”
“It’s me, Gu Zi Ge!”
The low nest opposite the room heard the sound and out came a half-grown boy, seeing the little girl from the neighbor’s house unexpectedly bring back a strange face, a trace of vigilance and wariness rose in his eyes, “You come over.”
“Sister Ning Ning wait for me, I’ll be quick!”
Seeing her nod in agreement, Xiao Qiu then walked briskly toward Gu Zi with relief.
The two whispered and muttered for a bit, then under the boy’s gaze returned to Su Ning’s side bringing the person to open the courtyard gate and go home.
Home had nothing much, only a four-corner table and two small stools, the only table missing a leg propped up with a piece of wood.
The room dim and cramped, the bed pieced together with wooden boards covered thickly with grass mats and straw, the woman lying on it coughing violently every once in a while.
That cough heart-wrenching, as if unable to endure any longer.
Xiao Qiu groped extremely familiarly, somehow from a corner taking out a cup that had lost all its white porcelain, carefully walking to her front, “Mom drink water.”
“Cough cough, cough cough cough~ Qiuqiu is back?”
“Back, Mom drink quickly, after drinking we can eat oh.”
Seriously ill Zhang Qin forcing that breath opened her eyes, seeing the person shining flashlight at the door, forcefully patted her chest to ease the discomfort before hoarsely asking, “Cough cough, who are you?”
“Mom she’s Sister Ning Ning, the kind-hearted sister who brought us dinner!”
Xiao Qiu happily preempted answered, “Mom, Sister Ning Ning gave some with meat, big meat!”
“Cough, th… thank you cough~”
Carefully placing the bowl in hand on the stool, Su Ning softly replied it’s nothing, touched the surface of the oiled paper bag seeing the meal still warm and breathed a sigh of relief.
