Chapter 1
“Make way!”
“Make way, make way!”
The bustling market was a cacophony of voices. Irregular stalls lined both sides of the road, and a tide of people jostled shoulder-to-shoulder in the street between them. It was already difficult to move, but a sudden, urgent shout sent people scrambling to dodge, nearly losing their footing.
A middle-aged woman, brandishing a broom, was furiously chasing a figure who was weaving and dodging through the crowd. If not for the fear of hitting an innocent bystander, she would have already hurled the broom.
“You little brat! Stealing chickens from your own auntie! And it was a laying hen, too!”
The person fleeing headlong up ahead heard this, turned back, and shouted indignantly, “What do you mean, steal? I was just taking back what’s mine!”
“Besides, I didn’t even get it!”
The woman had returned too quickly; she hadn’t even managed to grab the chicken.
Looks like I need to practice my chicken-catching skills, she thought.
The people living nearby were more or less used to this kind of scene. They simply protected their own belongings and found a safe spot to stand, lest they get caught in the crossfire.
For the residents of the South Ferry district, a scene like this played out every few days. The person giving chase often changed, but the one being chased was always the same.
Lin Zhao. She was, one might say, the most famous idle loafer in all of Yong’an Town. After all, it was rare to find a girl along the entire Linjiang Road who was as unconventional and shameless as her, without a single trace of ladylike demeanor.
The entire Lin Clan must have had some terrible luck to have produced such a scoundrel.
The woman was so enraged by her words she felt like she could spit blood. In a fit of anger, the broom left her hand, flying straight toward Lin Zhao.
Seeing the broom tumbling through the air, about to hit her head-on, Lin Zhao dodged with an agile sidestep and even had the gall to turn back and make a face at the woman.
“You just wait! I’ll eat that chicken sooner or later!”
With that, she patted the shoulder of a man who had been accidentally struck by the broom and was now looking rather displeased. He happened to be a member of the Lin Clan. She gave him a brilliant, crescent-eyed smile, completely devoid of guilt, and ran off.
“Wretch! You absolute wretch!”
The woman howled at the sky, slapping her thighs with both hands, wishing she could go back to Lin Zhao’s childhood and strangle her.
A few onlookers couldn’t bear to watch anymore and tried to console her. “Second Auntie Lin, don’t lower yourself to her level. She grew up without a mother or father, with no one to teach her.”
The woman called Second Auntie Lin shot a hateful glare at the speaker. “She didn’t steal from your house, did she? Easy for you to talk.”
“Wait until she steals from you, then you can say that!”
The person was left speechless, their expression souring. They felt their kindness had been thrown back in their face and decided not to bother with her anymore.
The woman picked up her broom and stomped back home, fuming. She had already decided to go to the clan head and have him properly discipline that little scoundrel.
**
However, Lin Zhao, who had already run far away, had no idea what the other woman was planning. Even if she did, she wouldn’t be afraid in the slightest. At worst, she’d just stay away for a few days and come back after everyone’s patience had worn out.
She arrived at an old banyan tree on the riverbank, dusted off her bottom, and sat down on a nearby rock, finally able to catch her breath and calm her racing heart.
She hadn’t been sitting for long when a hand clapped her on the shoulder. She glanced over casually, half-expecting the visitor. “Did your mom let you out?” she asked lazily.
The newcomer was Mao Xiaoyun, one of the partners in crime she usually idled around with. However, among their group, she was one of the more obedient ones, as she still had an old mother at home who could keep her in line.
“Hehe, I snuck out. I heard you went to steal your Second Aunt’s chicken. How’d it go? Did you get it?” Mao Xiaoyun, dressed in a relatively clean set of clothes, crouched down beside Lin Zhao and peered at her, her expression full of anticipation.
Compared to Mao Xiaoyun’s clothes, which had only a couple of patches, Lin Zhao’s attire—covered in numerous patches with rough stitching—looked much shabbier. But it was clean, which was the only thing that kept her from being mistaken for a beggar on the street.
“I was taking back my own stuff, not stealing!” Lin Zhao frowned, reiterating her point.
“Alright, alright, taking back your own stuff.” Mao Xiaoyun didn’t argue, her eyes scanning Lin Zhao from top to bottom. Finally, she said with some regret, “Looks like you didn’t get it.”
If she had, a chicken that big would have been too much for one person to eat, and she would have gotten a piece of the meat.
Lin Zhao shot her a sidelong glance and snorted, then smugly pulled two eggs from her tunic and dangled them in front of Mao Xiaoyun’s eyes. “I didn’t get the chicken, but I managed to collect some interest.”
She gently stroked the eggshells, thankful that her earlier antics hadn’t crushed them.
Seeing the two eggs, Mao Xiaoyun’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, we can have roasted eggs! One for you, one for me!”
The thought of the fragrant taste of roasted eggs already had Mao Xiaoyun swallowing her saliva.
Lin Zhao was alarmed and immediately stuffed the eggs back into her tunic, looking at Mao Xiaoyun warily. “Don’t even think about it. Two isn’t even enough for me. If you want some, go ask your mom.”
Lin Zhao had never met anyone with thicker skin than Mao Xiaoyun. Among their circle of loafers, Mao Xiaoyun’s family was the best off. While they might not have had lavish meals every day, they at least had something to eat. Unlike her, who often didn’t know where her next meal was coming from. And yet, she still had the nerve to ask for a share.
Hearing her words, Mao Xiaoyun’s face fell. She squatted on the ground, head bowed, and poked at the grass with her finger, sulking. “I just have a craving.”
Lin Zhao rolled her eyes.
“You have a craving. I’m hungry.”
Were those two things even on the same level?
“Oh, right.” Mao Xiaoyun nodded. “Do you have food for tomorrow? My mom said she’s making big meat buns. I can sneak a couple out for you.”
Lin Zhao’s stomach rumbled. She shifted uncomfortably, hoping Mao Xiaoyun hadn’t heard.
“No need. I’ll just go collect some more interest tomorrow,” Lin Zhao said.
In truth, she still had a little money, but her purse was thin, and she had to make it last. If she was frugal, it could last her a while.
Mao Xiaoyun looked at her with a somewhat complicated expression. “Are you really not afraid they’ll kick you out of the Lin family?”
Lin Zhao caressed the eggs in her tunic, her mind already on where to roast them. “I don’t care,” she said. “It’s not like I live with them. Being kicked out or not makes no difference to me.”
Lin Zhao didn’t think a name on the clan registry was all that important.
It couldn’t be eaten, after all.
“How can it make no difference?” Mao Xiaoyun pouted. “If they do, they can report you to the authorities.”
In these times, people survived by sticking together with their clans. If something happened, the clan would try to resolve it internally. It was rare for matters to be brought before the officials unless it was something truly serious.
Lin Zhao: “…”
Looked at that way, it really could be eaten.
“So, you should probably tone it down a bit,” Mao Xiaoyun said with a sigh, her hands cupping her cheeks.
Lin Zhao fell silent at her words, her jaw tightening slightly.
Why? Why should she be the one to tone it down? Why couldn’t those people have toned it down back then? Why couldn’t they have shown a little bit of clan kinship?
Lin Zhao ignored her and stood up, heading toward the space under the nearby bridge, planning to roast the two eggs there.
“Hey—”
“Wait for me.”
Seeing her go, Mao Xiaoyun quickly followed. This was a secret base they often used. Sometimes, when Lin Zhao was cornered by someone and couldn’t go home, she would spend the night at Mao Xiaoyun’s place or here.
Mao Xiaoyun sighed as she watched Lin Zhao skillfully build a fire. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, “You’re seventeen this year, right?”
“Yeah, what’s up?” Lin Zhao carefully placed the eggs in the fire. She was craving roasted eggs, but she also regretted not choosing the faster method of boiling them.
Actually, frying them would be fastest, but she didn’t have a suitable pan or oil right now.
“Has your family arranged a marriage for you?”
Truth be told, for people these days, seventeen was already a bit late to be discussing marriage. Many had their marriages arranged early on, just waiting until they were of a suitable age to wed.
Lin Zhao choked, looking at her speechlessly. “What family do I have?”
Her parents were long dead. Could those other people even be considered family?
Mao Xiaoyun ignored her and nodded to herself. “Well, it’s not surprising they haven’t arranged anything for you. You like women. Where would they even go to find you a match?”
Lin Zhao: “…”
Speaking of which, Mao Xiaoyun was amazed. “I never thought you’d actually like women. And you dare to say it so openly.”
Lin Zhao: “…”
If it weren’t for people constantly pestering her about what kind of men she liked, did she have nothing better to do than to randomly announce she liked women?
“By the way, how did you figure out you like women?” Mao Xiaoyun was genuinely curious about this.
Lin Zhao poked the fire. “Why all the sudden questions? Is your mom starting to arrange a marriage for you?”
“You’re changing the subject!” Mao Xiaoyun said with certainty.
Lin Zhao: “…”
“Come on, tell me, tell me. How did you find out?” Mao Xiaoyun picked up a small twig and poked Lin Zhao’s arm.
Lin Zhao ignored her, putting on an incredibly cool and aloof expression.
Seeing this, Mao Xiaoyun knew she wasn’t going to get an answer and pouted. “I wonder what kind of person will marry you in the future.”
“Pah.”
Lin Zhao let out another scoff.
“What kind of good person would be willing to marry me?”
***
Author’s Note:
Zhao-zhao kneels, pinching her ear, and looks up pitifully at a certain someone: You’re good, you’re the best~ [Please][Please]
