I was packing up my things for a hasty departure in the store when, unexpectedly, a customer came in to buy something at three in the morning.
Since there was money to be made, I naturally wouldn't turn the customer away. After a warm introduction, the thin old lady placed a damaged AGV helmet on my counter.
Seeing me frowning in silence, the old lady thought I disliked the shabby helmet. She looked even more embarrassed, like a child who had made a mistake. She murmured, "If it doesn't work, wait until dawn when Mingyu comes to work. Let her pay you then!"
"Mingyu? Wu Mingyu?"
I was a bit surprised. Wu Mingyu was the white - collar girl in our compound who worked in a high - end office building. She would buy gossip magazines in her spare time to daydream about the luxurious lives of the wealthy.
"Are you Wu Mingyu's grandma?"
I finally remembered this somewhat familiar old lady. She seemed to have come from northern Henan to join her granddaughter Wu Mingyu. She had only been here for a few days, and I had been spending most of my time in the hospital these days, so I had only seen her a few times.
"Yes, yes!"
Grandma Wu nodded hurriedly. "I've put all my money with Mingyu. Let her settle the bill for me tomorrow."
"No problem, no problem."
Since she was an acquaintance, there was no need for me to hesitate. I immediately prepared the incense, candles, and offerings as Grandma Wu requested.
"Grandma Wu, although I haven't been in the store much these days, I haven't seen you chatting with the neighbors in the compound either."
As I was getting the goods ready, I chatted with Grandma Wu.
In our compound, human kindness was highly valued. Whenever someone had something delicious or interesting, they would share it with the other residents. Especially after dinner every day, everyone would move their stools to the yard to enjoy the cool.
I seemed to have never seen Grandma Wu chatting with the others.
"Sigh..."
Grandma Wu looked even more nervous. She twisted the corner of her clothes and said, "Mingyu... didn't want me to come to Beijing... After all, we're from the countryside and have limited knowledge. Mingyu was afraid that others would laugh at me, so she didn't let me go out."
I was speechless. I had long thought that Wu Mingyu was a vain girl, but I didn't expect her to dislike her own grandma, forcing the old lady to only go out at night.
Grandma Wu seemed to sense my thoughts. She waved her hand quickly and said, "Don't blame Mingyu. It's already very difficult for her to live in the city on her own, and I've become a burden to her... Sigh..."
The old lady sighed. In the dim light, the wrinkles on her face were filled with deep sorrow. "I take advantage of the fact that there are fewer people at night to pick up some waste to save up some money to support her..."
"Oh."
I glanced at the helmet with an exaggerated paint job on the counter and asked, "Grandma Wu, did you pick this up outside too?"
"Yeah."
Grandma Wu sighed again. "I really don't understand the young people in the city. They drive recklessly fast at night. After a car accident, they even abandon their helmets! I thought it wasn't too damaged, so I picked it up. If you think it's inauspicious, just throw it away!"
Saying that, Grandma Wu turned around and was about to go out. I quickly picked up the bag with the incense, candles, and yellow paper and handed it to her. "Here you are. Call me if you need anything else!"
"Thank you, girl. You're really a kind - hearted person."
Grandma Wu took the bag, nodded at me, and then stepped out of the store.
"Wait, I don't want this!"
I grabbed the helmet on the counter and chased after her.
This must be the thing of those three unlucky guys. As I expected, they had a car accident. Looking at the terrible scratches on the helmet, I'm afraid that arrogant guy surnamed Wei was already dead!
Although this helmet seemed quite expensive, it was an inauspicious thing. What if it was an important piece of evidence that the traffic police were looking for? Then it would be even more difficult to explain!
It would be better to let Grandma Wu throw it back where she picked it up. At least it would save me some trouble.
When I chased out of the store, I saw that the sky was already showing a faint white light. There was no sign of Grandma Wu on the small street outside.
I turned my head and saw that the gate of the compound was closed tightly, and even the stray dog Xiaohu in the compound didn't come out barking.
"Forget it!"
I casually threw the helmet into the trash can on the street and turned back into the store.
I didn't plan to wait for Wu Mingyu to come home.
Since I had stumbled upon the sordid secrets of the rich, running away a bit slower would be irresponsible to my own life!
If I were as hesitant as the heroines in those TV dramas, even if I had a hundred lives, they would all be wasted!
I wasn't the fated heroine in the drama. I was afraid I wouldn't have the life to play the game of "I run, you chase" with that guy surnamed Si!
Now mobile payment was very convenient. I had added Wu Mingyu's WeChat account. I could just send her the price and quantity of the things Grandma Wu bought today. Even if I ran to the ends of the earth, it wouldn't stop her from transferring the money to me.
After packing up all my things, I dragged a small suitcase and left my family's store.
It was just after five o'clock. The street lamps were still on, and there were only a few street cleaners on the road, working hard while the weather was cool.
I found an ATM and inserted the bank card that the little devil Si Tong had given me.
"Beep beep beep..."
"Your bank card has been restricted. Please contact the bank teller."
"Beep beep beep..."
"Your bank card has been restricted..."
No way!!! How could this be?!!!
I stared at the flashing warning on the ATM screen, stunned.
Did that little devil lie to me?!!!
We had tried it together at the ATM. There were clearly 300,000 yuan in available cash, and I had personally changed the password!!!
The current state of the bank card clearly indicated that it had been frozen.
This was simply outrageous!!!
I pounded the hard steel shell of the ATM heavily and cursed in a low voice, "A heartless rich bastard!"
Even if I hadn't really helped that dog - like man surnamed Si, I still deserved some credit, right...
He had made me break my ancestral compass, torn my clothes, and... and taken my first kiss!
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but wipe my mouth angrily. Although the bleeding had stopped, the pain was still there...
This dog - like man!!!
The most urgent thing now was to pay my grandfather's hospital fees. My family didn't have much savings to begin with, and my grandfather's serious illness had made our already poor family even worse off.
I already owed the hospital more than 60,000 yuan. Thanks to the head nurse, who took pity on our plight as a grandfather - granddaughter pair living on our own, she had specially approved that I didn't need to pay the full amount at once.
But if I couldn't pay the fees soon, Du Wenzhong's medicine might be stopped. Those nerve - nourishing medicines cost more than a thousand yuan per bottle. If I didn't give them to my grandfather, I was really afraid that he would become senile.
Staring at the flashing ATM screen, my mind was racing. I had to think of a way to pay the hospital fees as soon as possible.
"Buzz!"
My WeChat on my phone vibrated with a notification.
When I opened it, the avatar of a girl named "Jessica" showed a new message.
"What do you mean?"
After the long list of goods and the total price I had sent, Jessica replied with just four words.