Chapter 2: Dead End (Part 2)

Chapter 2: Dead End (Part 2)

"Just as the sky was turning light this morning, a few of the big bosses in the building were taking down the boards to open up shop, when they saw a filthy, stinking beggar sprawled in front of the door. She was half-dead, barely able to catch her breath." Xiao Duo, his face swollen, muttered, "The bosses were afraid she’d die on the doorstep, so they tossed her into the back alley. But by the afternoon, that beggar had crawled back to the door! Everyone grabbed sticks to chase her off, and when she let out a cry of pain, I heard the sound—hey, isn't that your mother?"

Even though she had been prepared for this, Zhao Zhao felt her temples throb. She quickened her pace, dragging Xiao Duo along as she asked, "What did Mother Yu say? How does she intend to deal with my mother?"

"Hard to say." Xiao Duo stumbled along, barely able to keep up with her. "Mother Yu slapped your mother a few times, cursed her for being a money-loser, and then dragged her into the hall to interrogate her."

The two hurried back. Their home was a government-sanctioned brothel; it was old and somewhat dilapidated, but bustling with life. From afar, one could hear the melodious tunes mixed with lewd lyrics, and the flirtatious laughter between the prostitutes and their patrons.

Passing through the lively front building, the two entered the back courtyard. Under the lush, dark banyan tree, a group of girls who weren't currently entertaining guests were gathered, chirping away while glancing at the hall in the corner of the yard.

Seeing Zhao Zhao arrive, someone immediately gloated, "Oh my, Zhao Zhao is back. When you see your mother in a moment, make sure you don't get scared..."

The others, eager to stir up trouble, covered their mouths and giggled, chiming in one after another: "Back then, your mother left so decisively. We sisters were all hoping she’d return in glory one day so we could bask in her success!"

"Who knew she’d try to steal a chicken only to lose the rice? Not only is her face ruined, but she’s also got a bun in the oven!"

"Now that she’s in that ghostly state, forget about selling her—no one would dare sleep with her even if she paid them!"

Xiao Duo stiffened his neck, wanting to curse back, but Zhao Zhao pulled him away. With a smile that didn't reach her eyes, she spoke up: "Is it possible that if my mother stops stealing your business, you’ll suddenly make a fortune in bed?"

"...You!" The gossiping crowd was instantly silenced. One of the older, more bitter women cursed spitefully, "You sharp-tongued little bitch, in a couple of years, you’ll get yours!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than the door to the nearby hall creaked open. A fat woman in her forties or fifties squeezed through the frame. Her short, thick fingers pointed at Zhao Zhao, her voice as raspy as a broken pipa: "You, come in."

Xiao Duo squeezed Zhao Zhao’s hand, signaling with his eyes for her to be careful. Zhao Zhao nodded and squeezed through the crowd of women to follow Mother Yu.

Entering the hall, a musty smell nearly suffocated Zhao Zhao. She covered her nose and looked around. The room was dim, with only a few rays of light filtering through broken roof tiles, casting a cold, pale glow on the beggar kneeling in the center of the room.

Zhao Zhao stood frozen, staring at the scene. She focused for a long time, yet still felt she couldn't comprehend it. She slowly shifted her gaze, and seeing there was no one else in the hall, she was forced to consider whether the beggar before her was truly the mother she hadn't seen in half a year...

How could this person be her mother?

Her mother loved to dress up; she was the most beautiful girl in the building. But this beggar kneeling there had no shoes on her feet, her clothes were in tatters, and her greasy hair was simply coiled up, with fleas jumping in and out of it. Her exposed arms were no longer fair, but covered in sores of all sizes.

How could this filthy, stinking ghost be her mother?

With her mind in turmoil, Zhao Zhao heard herself speak, her voice sounding as if it came from a thousand miles away: "...Mother?"

The beggar’s back stiffened for a moment. She didn't turn around, instead pressing her face into the ground, covering it tightly: "Zhao Zhao, don't come over..."

The voice was raspy yet familiar. Zhao Zhao didn't want to admit this beggar was her mother. Her breathing became labored, and her heart sank heavily. She dragged her feet forward, every step feeling like a weight on her heart.

She didn't dare get too close, and Yao Niang was afraid to see her, too. She shrank back, covering her face with both hands, carrying the filth and stench of her body and the hideous, unsightly scars on her face. "Go away... don't look at Mother... Mother is afraid of scaring you..."

Zhao Zhao wanted to walk away, but her feet and eyes wouldn't obey. She moved closer and saw clearly: her mother’s hands, covering her face, were so thin the bones showed. They couldn't hide the gruesome scar on her face—a long, jagged line that crossed her brow and bridge of her nose, just scabbed over, still showing raw pinks and filthy blacks.

It was early summer in the sixth month, and the breeze was warm, yet Zhao Zhao felt herself freezing inch by inch. Her knees hit the floor, and the little warmth left in her body gathered in her eyes, instantly blurring her vision: "Mother, the wound on your face..."

Yao Niang shook her head, crying and mumbling for her not to ask.

Zhao Zhao had already guessed most of it, but then she heard a scoff behind her. Mother Yu paced forward, holding her pipe: "Your mother was overestimating her own worth. She followed that man to the capital, spending money to support his imperial examinations and bribing officials to pave his way, thinking she could bet on him becoming a high-ranking official and rise to power along with him!"

"But among all the scholars in the world, how many have a conscience? Once that man passed the imperial exams, he immediately hooked up with a young lady from a prominent family. He turned around and treated your mother as a stain, spending silver to have her killed!"

Zhao Zhao closed her eyes, her fingers clutching her hem, angry at her mother for being so foolish and absurd.

The ungrateful man was certainly hateful, but in the end, it was her mother who had lost her wits to love, forgetting that she was a low-born woman of the 'base' class, hoping to gamble on the man’s affection and gratitude to change her fate.

Since it was a gamble, one had to be willing to accept the loss. If she lost everything, she couldn't blame anyone else.

Mother Yu glanced at Yao Niang, her eyes devoid of sympathy: "You escaped death and saved your life, but in my eyes, you’d be better off dead than looking like this ghost. Zhao Zhao, there’s no place for your mother in this building anymore. Do it yourself and throw her out!"

Upon hearing this, Yao Niang’s face turned ashen. She wailed and cried, "Mother, please spare me this once... It was my fault for being bewitched and eloping with that man, but I worked hard when I was serving guests in the building, and I earned you a lot of money... If I have no merit, I at least have the toil of my labor!"

"Mother Yu, you watched my mother grow up. She treated you like her own mother, and you raised her like half a daughter." Zhao Zhao crawled forward on her knees, kowtowing several times. "She broke the rules, and you can punish her however you like, but please, don't drive her out. Let her keep her life... With her current state, she really can't endure any more hardship."

Remembering the past, Mother Yu’s heart ached. "Even you, a junior, know that I raised your mother like a daughter... I originally had the highest hopes for her. I thought if she didn't want to be with those peddlers and laborers, I would go to the county office to request her release, and in a few years, when I retired, I would hand this building over to her to manage."

"Who would have thought that while I was planning for her, she looked down on staying in the building? A wild man said a few empty words, and she rushed to throw herself at him and ran off! When she left, did she ever think of you? Did she ever think of me?"

Yao Niang was truly ashamed, her crying becoming more restrained: "Mother... I was wrong. I have failed you..."

Mother Yu lowered the hand holding her pipe and tapped her lame right leg, muttering to herself: "Many years ago, it was also because someone was lost from the building that I was reprimanded by the county office for poor management. I was dragged down to the hall and beaten with a staff, my old bones nearly falling apart. You were about the same age as Zhao Zhao then, thin and frail, yet I don't know how you managed to carry me back..."

She looked up, the light in her eyes flickering and then extinguishing: "That sensible child from back then, why did she become someone who didn't care if I lived or died? You say you can't endure hardship, but how many bones do I have left in my body that can be broken?"

(End of chapter)