Chapter 91

The next day, after Xier had gotten up and finished washing up, she was preparing to go collect the clothes from the drying rack when she discovered that the clothes she had washed and hung up last night had vanished.

"Mom, did you see the clothes I washed last night?"

She searched in the courtyard but didn't find them. She could only go back inside to ask her mother, but this question had already lost its necessity the moment she walked into the room. She saw her younger brother sitting by the rice bowl wearing the very clothes she had washed last night.

There's wind in summer; the clothes dried in one night.

"Those clothes, your younger brother wanted them, so I let him wear them."

The woman's reply carried a hint of helplessness. Her son, who usually slept in late, had gotten up early today, afraid that if he woke up late, the clothes would be taken away by his older sister.

And after getting up, he clamored for her to collect the clothes. Even though the clothes on the drying rack were still slightly damp, he directly put them on.

"But those are the customer's clothes."

Hill said with some difficulty.

"No, these are mine."

The boy, beside his mother, declared his sovereignty over the clothes on his body.

"Those aren't yours. Don't get them dirty. Take them off quickly."

Hill wanted her younger brother to take off the clothes on his body, but the boy was unwilling and hid behind his mother.

"It's just a piece of clothing. Don't make things difficult for your younger brother either?"

The two circled a few times, and then the woman spoke.

"But I brought the clothes back yet couldn't return them. How am I supposed to explain to the customer?"

Hill asked her mother. She didn't want to make things difficult for her younger brother either.

"You've been going out to work for some time now, yet I've never seen you buy your younger brother any decent gift. How about this: this second-hand piece of clothing that someone else has worn, just treat it as a gift you're giving to your younger brother.

As for the customer's side, later you just tell the customer that you accidentally lost this piece of clothing, then take some money to compensate them."

Hill still wanted to say something, but was shoved out the door by her own mother.

"I didn't make your breakfast this morning. Go eat at the cafeteria at the inn where you work. Your younger brother is still small. As the older sister, you have to yield to him more."

The woman said a few more words, then didn't give her any room to say anything else, and directly shut the courtyard gate.

"Bang!"

Looking at the courtyard gate that had closed before her eyes, Hill fell into distress.

With no other choice, she could only go to Guihua Fang first.

"What? Your younger brother seized the clothes you brought back to wash?"

Hua Ling, who was drinking thin porridge and gnawing on steamed buns in the shop, couldn't help but stare blankly for a moment after hearing the mishap that had befallen her good friend.

"Didn't you tell your family that those weren't your clothes, but the shop customer's clothes?"

"I said it, but it was useless. My younger brother simply doesn't listen to me."

"Your parents don't care?"

"My father doesn't care about this matter. As for my mother..."

Xier shook her head, repeated to her good friend her mother's attitude at home and the words she had said, then continued: "Actually, before this, I did give my younger brother gifts. It's just that he felt the gifts carried the foolish air of me, this idiot older sister, so he threw away the gifts I gave him."

"Your mother is truly biased enough."

"It's also my fault for being too stupid, that's why I'm not liked."

"What do you plan to do?"

"I can only apologize and compensate."

"That clothing's texture is very good. It doesn't look cheap at all. However, that little customer yesterday seemed to quite like you, so he probably won't make things too difficult for you."

Hua Ling said a sentence. Seeing her good friend still wearing a worried, gloomy expression, she couldn't help but ask: "What's wrong?"

"I don't know if my money is enough to compensate." Xier spoke the truth.

"I remember you don't really have any places to spend money, right?"

Hua Ling found it somewhat strange.

"Besides buying books, there really aren't any places to spend money. But I keep making mistakes and getting my wages deducted. Three-quarters of the salary I receive each month has to be given to the family. Right now, there's less than four hundred yuan in my wallet."

"Ah, this..."

A Guihua Fang waitress's monthly salary is six thousand. Her good friend has worked here for nearly two months as well. Although she was fined quite a lot of money for making mistakes, the fact that she can't even come up with four hundred yuan is truly a bit miserable.

"Lingling, what do you think about me going to Flower Street to work another job at night? I heard that over there, you only need to let customers touch your hands a bit, and you can earn quite a lot of money."

Miss Hill consulted her close female friend.

"You mustn't. Flower Street is a quagmire for women. It's not a place for the likes of us to go."

Hua Ling was startled and hurriedly stopped her good friend's dangerous idea of going to work at Flower Street.

"Sigh. If you really don't have enough money to compensate, I can lend you some."

She sighed and took out her small wallet.

"Is that okay?"

Xier's eyes widened as she looked over.

"Of course. Who told us to be friends?"

Hua Ling smiled.

"This street, reportedly, after the First Emperor founded the Empire, the indigenous tribes within the Empire's borders sent over indigenous people representing submission to the First Emperor's authority. They settled here generation after generation, reproducing, and that's how this street was formed..."

At noon, Leone was recounting the street's birth history of unknown veracity, and following Broly and the others, arrived at the entrance of Guihua Fang.

Early in the morning, before the sky was even bright, she went to wait at the inn entrance for the customer who had designated her as a guide, and led a group of little customers touring the Imperial Capital's scenery all morning.

"Then, customers, it's time for you to eat lunch. I won't disturb you further. After you finish eating lunch and come out, if you still want to continue touring the Imperial Capital, then we'll continue touring."

Sweat was beading on Leone's forehead, yet a smile hung on her face. Last night, just showing the way earned her quite a few tips. Today she worked this hard as a guide. These generous customers surely had to give even more tips.

With such anticipation, she crouched in the shadows by the roadside, took out the steamed buns she had brought this morning from her bosom, along with the leftover roast chicken from last night wrapped in yellow oil paper, and prepared to make do with these for today's lunch.

"Eating this won't fill you up; come eat with us inside."

But before she could start eating, she was stopped by the generous boy from yesterday, and invited to enter Guihua Fang to dine together.

"We're treating, you don't need to worry about money, just order whatever dishes you want to eat."

"This isn't right, I'm a guide, sitting at the same table with customers."

"Nothing wrong with it, it's just a matter of one more person eating."

Pulled by Broly, the tomboyish Leone half-pushed half-yielded, and entered Guihua Fang.

It was her first time coming to such a big restaurant; after entering inside, she became somewhat restrained.

Leone, who had not yet haggled and found a belt-type Teigu in the Black Market, still lived relatively cautiously as an orphan of the Slums.

"Boss, we're here to patronize your business again; does that 10% discount you mentioned yesterday still count?"

"Of course, what would the little customers like to order?"

"First bring a menu, make two portions of the signature dishes."

"Right away, there are private rooms upstairs, please take a seat!"

(Chapter End)