Chapter 34

When Liu Handong returned to Iron Slag Street, it was already midnight. The ten-yuan leisure massage and hair salon run by Sister Mei was still lit with its ambiguous red light. Two sex workers were sitting inside, smoking and occasionally waving to passersby, scaring the night-shift workers who hurriedly avoided them.

A three-wheeled motorcycle passed by, and one of the sex workers stood up, pulling down her short skirt that was already pulled up to her waist, and waved, shouting, "Brother Dong, come on, come here."

Liu Handong stopped the motorcycle, got off, and walked over, "What's up?"

"Hehe, why are you back so late? Where did you go to play?" the sex worker laughed and teased.

"I'm fine, I'm leaving." Liu Handong didn't want to get entangled with them.

"Hey, wait, your sister is looking for you," the sex worker said.

Liu Handong was taken aback. He didn't have a sister. Could she be talking about Lan Huanxi?

"What's the matter?"

"Come in, come in," the two sex workers pulled and dragged Liu Handong into the salon, one of them shouting to the back, "Sister Mei, Brother Dong is here."

Sister Mei came out with Huanxi, smiling, "Oh, Brother Dong, you're quite busy, just got off work? Have you eaten? Relax a bit."

"I've eaten. If there's nothing, I'll go to sleep," Liu Handong said.

Sister Mei said, "Going to bed so early? Let the girls take care of you."

Liu Handong panicked, "No, really, I'm leaving."

Sister Mei pouted, and the two sex workers, Nana and Xiaoya, laughed and pressed Liu Handong into a chair. Huanxi brought a foot washing basin and started to help Liu Handong take off his shoes. Sister Mei stood behind him, massaging his shoulders, "Don't worry, big brother, we're a legitimate hair salon, we don't do those things."

Liu Handong said, "Is this a hair salon, a massage parlor, or a foot washing place? Give me a straight answer."

Sister Mei said, "It's all about relaxation. Let your sister take care of you, or she won't be able to sleep."

Huanxi, looking down, was washing Liu Handong's feet, a bit awkward but very diligent. Sister Mei was massaging his back and shoulders, while Nana and Xiaoya, one on each side, were rubbing his thighs, occasionally touching sensitive areas and asking, "Brother Dong, is the pressure too heavy or too light? Speak up."

Liu Handong said, "It's fine, you two can go do something else."

They didn't want to leave, but Sister Mei gave them a look, and they obediently left, returning to their seats at the door to continue luring customers.

After washing his feet, Sister Mei said, "Brother Dong, why don't you stay here tonight? We have air conditioning, and Huanxi can keep you company."

"Sleep where?" Liu Handong put on his shoes and pushed the door open to leave, then suddenly turned back and threw a ten-yuan note.

Sister Mei, Nana, and Xiaoya were stunned. How could Brother Dong turn so quickly? Huanxi lowered her head deeply, as if she had done something wrong.

"Damn, if you look down on us, don't come in. Huanxi, don't cry, tomorrow I'll take you to the city to buy clothes," Sister Mei said.

Outside, Liu Handong kicked the motorcycle to life and drove away, leaving a trail of blue smoke.

The next morning, Liu Handong went jogging and found that the Butcher's shop had been renovated. The sign was new, with a large advertisement for Huaijiang Beer, looking very impressive. Two flower baskets were placed at the entrance, with a note from Pengcheng Engineering Company, indicating that Shanpao and Huabao had completely reconciled.

His phone rang; it was Ma Ling's message, asking him to sign up at Huaijiang Taxi Company. He went back to get his motorcycle and, on the way, saw that Sister Mei's ten-yuan leisure salon was closed. He felt a surge of anger. He had given Huanxi three thousand yuan to go home, but the girl was so ungrateful, still working in the salon. It was a waste of his kindness.

By noon, the sex workers had just woken up, dressed up in high heels and miniskirts, and went shopping in the city. Huanxi didn't have nice clothes, only a pair of cheap jeans with large flowers, giving her a typical rural worker's look. Sister Mei wore a leopard print outfit, carrying a small handbag, with twelve-centimeter heels, swaying as she walked, drawing many gazes from passersby.

The three sex workers and the young girl got on the 520 bus, cracking sunflower seeds and chatting all the way to the city center's Golden Eagle Plaza, the best mall in Jinjiang City. However, it wasn't where the sex workers bought clothes; they just came to browse and soak in the aristocratic atmosphere.

After a random tour, the four found a side street, had a bowl of cold noodles each, and then took a bus to the Jinqiao Clothing Wholesale Market, their final destination.

On the way to the bus stop, they encountered two foreign backpackers with blonde hair and blue eyes, holding a map and gesturing for directions. The passersby were helpless, but Sister Mei said, "Girl, you went to high school, you go."

Huanxi really went up and spoke in English with the two foreign tourists for a while, then asked Sister Mei, "Sister, how do you get to the Yuejiang Tower? They want to walk there."

The Yuejiang Tower was an ancient building from the Kangxi era, one of Jinjiang City's scenic spots. Sister Mei, who had lived in the provincial capital for years, naturally knew it. She explained, and Huanxi translated. After some communication, the foreign tourists understood the route and gave a thumbs up before leaving.

"Girl, your English is really good," Sister Mei sincerely praised.

Huanxi's eyes were filled with pride, "Not really, my pronunciation isn't standard, I just blabbered."

Sister Mei said, "If they can understand you, it's not blabbering. Look at them, they can't even blabber."

Nana said, "Pfft, Sister Mei, I know English too, come on baby, fuck me."

Sister Mei laughed, and Huanxi lowered her head.

Xiaoya said, "The Jinqiao market isn't far, let's walk there."

The four walked forward, passing a lush area with tennis courts and basketball courts, green trees, and flower beds. There were several ancient-style buildings, with no walls, only a large granite stone inscribed with powerful calligraphy.

"Jiangdong University," signed by Chen Zikun, March of the Bingzi year.

Huanxi stopped, staring at the four large characters for a long time without speaking.

Sister Mei and the others gathered around, chattering, "This is Jiang University? Why is there no wall? There are so many students, and they dress so fashionably."

Suddenly, Sister Mei noticed tears in Huanxi's eyes. The girl often cried, but this time it seemed different. She saw deep resentment and deep despair in Huanxi's eyes.

As a fellow townsman, Sister Mei knew that Huanxi had always been a top student, always ranking at the top of her class. But fate was cruel, and she failed the college entrance exam, not even getting into a junior college. Her family was poor, her mother had been bedridden for over a decade, her father was now sick, and she had a younger brother who was still in school. According to rural traditions, boys carried on the family name and should be educated, while girls who didn't pass the exam were left behind. If Huanxi had passed, she would have definitely gone to college the next year.

This girl, who should have been studying in this beautiful, garden-like university, was instead massaging and washing feet in a salon.

A silent sigh, Nana and Xiaoya also fell silent.

Sister Mei put her arm around Huanxi's shoulder and whispered, "Girl, don't look anymore, let's go."

Huanxi bit her lip tightly and followed Sister Mei.

At the Jinqiao Clothing Wholesale Market, Sister Mei bought Huanxi many new clothes, from head to toe, even including two sets of new lacy underwear.

...

Today, Ma Ling was off duty and took Liu Handong to Huaijiang Taxi Company. This was the largest taxi company in the city, with over a thousand taxis, including Santana, Jetta, and Elantra models. The drivers were the best in the city, required to wear white shirts and ties.

Huaijiang Taxi Company was always recruiting drivers. Some people were already queuing up. To become a taxi driver wasn't easy. First, you needed a driver's license, then you had to pass a professional exam from the transportation management office, complete the company's training, and pay a deposit before you could drive a taxi. Liu Handong was still at the first step.

He was stopped at the first step. A chubby middle-level manager held a piece of paper and shouted, "Who is Liu Handong?"

"I am," Liu Handong stood up.

"Your driver's license doesn't meet the requirements," the manager threw the application form at him. He wore a work badge, indicating he was a department manager.

Ma Ling said, "Manager Bian, his license is a military one, but it can be easily converted to a civilian one."

Manager Bian said, "Then go and get it converted quickly, don't waste time."

Liu Handong turned and left, with Ma Ling following, "Bad luck, I thought a connection could help, but it didn't work."

"No problem, I'll go and get it converted," Liu Handong said, driving the three-wheeler with Ma Ling to the Jinjiang City Traffic Management Office. The hall was crowded with people, processing driver's licenses, vehicle registration, and other documents, with a long queue for number calling and payment.

Several touts approached, saying they could handle it for a hundred yuan, but Liu Handong ignored them. A hundred yuan was too much; the official fee for converting a license was only ten yuan.

"If you don't know me, just wait in line. You'll wait until you die," a tout mocked and went to find others.

Liu Handong took a number and waited with Ma Ling. There were still 180 people ahead of them, and it might take until the next day.

Suddenly, a familiar figure passed by, it was traffic police officer Tan Jiaxing. Liu Handong quickly called out, "Officer Tan."

Tan Jiaxing stopped, "Oh, it's you, Liu Handong. What brings you here?"

"I'm here to convert my license. I have a military one, and I can't drive a civilian car."

"Give me your documents," Tan Jiaxing took the red-covered People's Liberation Army vehicle driver's license from Liu Handong. The license showed Liu Handong in a neat 07-style uniform, with the rank of sergeant, and the authorized vehicle types were A2 and D.

"Discharge certificate," Tan Jiaxing extended his hand, "The traffic management office has a green channel for military personnel to convert to civilian licenses. Didn't you know?"

"I didn't know," Liu Handong shook his head.

"I'll help you. Go take a photo."

"Thank you."

It wasn't that simple. Because Liu Handong's household registration was in Jiangbei, not Jinjiang, and he didn't have a local temporary residence permit, he couldn't get a Jinjiang driver's license. However, the provincial department had a rule that provincial licenses could be processed in different cities, but the temporary staff were lazy and didn't want to handle it. Tan Jiaxing found a friend, and the process went smoothly, and he got the new license in ten minutes.

"Thank you, Officer Tan," Liu Handong shook his hand, genuinely grateful. The police officer was kind and always helped him enthusiastically.

"By the way, I still owe you fifty yuan," Liu Handong took out a fifty-yuan note and handed it over.

"Don't give it here, people might think you're bribing me," Tan Jiaxing joked but still took the money. He looked at Ma Ling, "Your girlfriend is quite pretty, and she looks familiar."

Ma Ling said, "I find you familiar too. I drive the 520 bus."

Tan Jiaxing said, "Oh, you're the 520 bus driver, the female Schumacher of the bus company."

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.