Todeschronik - Kapitel 5
"Don't come, I'm used to taking the bus by myself." Xian Jing was very grateful that Ye You said that. That's how women are; even if you don't do anything, it's better to say something than not to say it. They are female animals who love based on their ears and feelings, while men prefer to use their eyes to see—to see every radiant smile, every smooth back, every obedient smile. That's why most of them like to make love with the lights on, because that way they can see.
"Bus? It's so crowded, be careful not to squeeze your milk out." Ye You got off the bus and opened the door for Xian Jing, her teeth white and even when she smiled.
Xianjing smiled too. Being able to laugh is more important than anything else. A person who can make themselves laugh can still find a glimmer of hope even when thinking about a hopeless tomorrow before going to sleep.
Anzhu showed Xianjing her back.
A thin scab has formed, and the bleeding has stopped, replaced by a pale yellow, transparent liquid.
"What should I do? What should I do? I was so scared that I peed myself while taking a shower." Anzhu described the scene in detail.
"First, find that newspaper. We'll go to the library together on Sunday." Xianjing was very rational. She had acted impulsively in the car, but of course, she was rational after the impulse subsided.
"Okay, whatever you say." Anzhu took a can of beer from the refrigerator. "I'm not afraid of drinking."
"It's a good thing you didn't turn around," Xianjing recalled. "I'll never forget that face, and her hands."
"Oh, stop talking." Anzhu hugged me. "I was still talking to her, look how she scratched my back like this."
"It won't be poisonous, don't worry," Xianjing reassured her.
"It's not that I'm worried about it being poisonous, it's my backless dress! I can't wear it now, *&$%@!**%!&^..." Anzhu cursed a string of curses. She was originally going to attend Shi Lei's company party this weekend to show off her beautiful back that she had been taking care of for so long, but now it was all ruined.
The atmosphere was somber. In the middle of the night, Anzhu and Xianjing met in the living room, both clutching pillows. After a scream, they breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing the other wasn't a ghost but their close friend.
"I've come to sleep with you."
"Me too."
Anzhu and Xianjing snuggled together, feeling much safer that way. In the early hours of the morning, both were nearly fainting from holding it in, but neither dared to suggest going to the restroom.
Finally, Xianjing whispered, "My bladder is about to burst. Let's go together."
"What's so great about it? I've already peed a little bit. Go yourself if you want, I'm scared." An Zhu could only sleep lying on her stomach, the injury on her back hadn't healed.
Be patient, be patient, it will be better when it gets light. In their minds, ghosts, like rats, don't like to come out during the day.
Every second felt like an hour. The hardest part was the darkness before dawn; I don't remember which prophet said that.
In the darkness, the cleaners were already up, and there were sounds of sweeping, sneezing, and then whistling, cheerful, rhythmic whistling.
Anzhu jumped up, "Who's whistling after they've eaten their fill? I can't stand it anymore!" Then she rushed into the bathroom.
Xianjing paced back and forth at the door, saying, "Hurry up."
After a morning of fussing, the sun finally came out. Anzhu and Xianjing, brushing their teeth, marveled at how beautiful the sunrise was, realizing how difficult it was to be alive. They thought, "It's better to be unlucky than lucky."
Going to work, squeezing onto the bus, eating breakfast—greasy bread—you're lucky if you can snag a seat, otherwise you can fall asleep standing up. It's still early. The vegetable vendors are taking neat bunches of vegetables from the farmers—purple eggplants, bright red peppers, white radishes...
Whenever Xianjing passed by this market, she always felt a sense of abundance. The people trading, the fresh vegetables, the endless chicken, duck, fish and meat—the city ended here—and then came the suburbs.
The bus stop in front of Yunhai Building is always bustling. Familiar people greet each other, discussing the weather, the economy, and how nice your shoes are.
Xianjing and Anzhu have always been inseparable.
Yang Zizi arrived very late, and since the general manager was not there, no one checked the manager's attendance.
"Come in for a moment," Yang Zizi said to Xian Jing.
An ominous premonition. Xianjing bit her tongue while eating bread that morning. A child next to her vomited some leftover noodles from the previous day while carsick, and a beggar on the roadside glanced at Xianjing in the car before he died...
"Go to the finance department to settle your salary," Yang Zizi said coldly.
"Manager... I..." Xian Jing felt a little dizzy.
"You know the company is in a tough spot right now; I'm almost laid off myself," Yang Zizi said, taking a sip of her coffee. "That's all."
Xianjing wasn't good at begging, so she nodded. She asked, "Why me?"
Yang Zizi sneered, "Your boyfriend drives a BMW, do you still need 1,500 yuan a month to support yourself? Leave the opportunity for someone else."
Xian Jing burst out of the door.
Anzhu comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay, you can find another job."
"I'm going back now." Xianjing held an envelope containing a few thin banknotes. "I'll wait for you to come back for dinner. We'll buy some groceries to celebrate our freedom today."
When Ye You finished get off work, he only received An Zhu and asked, "Why did she resign?"
"Because of you," An Zhu complained. "Why did you drive a silver BMW to pick her up? Our manager has disliked her for a long time, and you still interfered. That's called jealousy."
Ye You shook her head, "It's my business if I pick her up, what does it have to do with work?"
An Zhu said, "Oh dear, you don't understand women's matters. You're only twenty-five, just a child."
"Yes, Aunt An, please fasten your seatbelt." Ye You smiled helplessly.
What is life like everywhere? It is like a wild goose leaving its footprints on the snow.
(eight)
An Zhu got off the bus to buy groceries, specifically fish. An Zhu likes to eat fish, believing it makes one smarter. Ye You asked Xian Jing about her family situation on the bus.
“My father is retired, and my mother is a primary school teacher. I’ve been to her house once.” Anzhu put the groceries in the trunk of the car.
"What about her ex-boyfriend?" Ye You asked tentatively.
“I dumped her and found someone else.” Anzhu sighed. “Don’t mention this again, and don’t say I told you, or we’re no longer friends.”
"Why did you dump her? She's so great."
"Stop asking so many questions. You're not going to marry her anyway." An Zhu rolled her eyes at Ye You. "It's obvious you're just playing around. It's rare that Xian Jing is interested in playing with you."
Ye You wanted to say something more, but they had already arrived home.
Xianjing's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying.
Ye You felt a pang of pain in her heart. "What's wrong?"
"It's all your fault, really." An Zhu interrupted, kicking one high heel behind the door and the other to the bathroom door, as if only in this way could she vent her dissatisfaction.
"I've lost my job." Xianjing lowered her head and wept.
"I'll take care of you!" Ye You hugged her.
An Zhu, barefoot and with her hands on her hips, said, "Do you think you're Stephen Chow from 'King of Comedy'? What makes you think you can support her when she doesn't even have a proper job?"
Xian Jing pushed Ye You away, "Are you hungry? I'll cook for you."
When the fish is braised, the fragrance of celery masks the fishy smell. No matter how bad your mood is, it can't affect your appetite; Xianjing and Anzhu had long ago established this rule.
"Is it delicious?" Xian Jing asked Ye You with concern.
"It's delicious, really delicious." Ye You felt an indescribable warmth in her chest, that familiar gaze.
"I'm afraid it won't suit your taste," Xianjing said with a smile. "Don't just eat rice all the time, eat more vegetables."
"I really hope to eat your cooking for the rest of my life," Ye You exclaimed.
Anzhu held her breath for a long time, then finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Pretend I don't exist!"
The two looked at each other in surprise, then picked up some food and coaxed An Zhu, "Eat more."
"I can look for a job later. Can you keep something for me?" Ye You handed her wallet to Xian Jing. "What's mine is yours, and what's yours is still yours."
Anzhu fanned the flames, saying, "What a good man, what a good man."
Xianjing declined, saying, "I still have savings, so there's no need to trouble you."
"Anzhu, please keep it for me." Ye You winked at her.
"Okay, okay." Anzhu took the wallet and blinked.
Xian Jing said, "I'd better keep it safe."
Kind people are adorable when they're adorable, and adorable people are kind when they're kind. They were originally sisters and neighbors.
After the meal, Xianjing washed the dishes in the kitchen, while Anzhu peeled an orange to serve Ye You.
"Where do you want to go tomorrow?" Ye You called out to the kitchen.
"library."
Anzhu nodded. "Yes, the library."
"My Xianjing is so ambitious." Ye You ran to the kitchen and kissed Xianjing's left cheek. "I didn't know that borrowing books from the school library was free until I graduated from university."
"Hehehehe." Xianjing laughed loudly. Anzhu asked from the living room, "What are you laughing at?"
Xian Jing laughed so hard she bent over, "Ye You said he only found out about the school library when he graduated from university..."
In an instant, Xianjing's lips were sealed. Ye You's tongue was like nimble fingers, and Xianjing's fingers were like a gentle tongue. This sudden, passionate kiss was the best gift Cupid could bestow upon lovers. Closing her eyes, she could recall that moment of infatuation, panic, and breathlessness at any time. The fragrance of celery lingered between their teeth. One of the benefits of kissing is that you can talk about what you had for dinner.
An Zhu pretended not to see. When she first got together with Shi Lei, they were always so affectionate, seizing every opportunity to kiss, as if the law would forbid kissing tomorrow.
As Ye You left, she asked An Zhu, "No? Really no?"
An Zhu pretended to shoo her away, "Of course not, you don't know how bad the soundproofing is in this house. I'm a lonely woman, and this is too much for me."
"How about the three of us sleep together?" Ye You made a face.
Xianjing pushed his back, "Get out of here, you're so annoying."
"I'll pick you up tomorrow." Ye You closed the door and left.
Anzhu asked Xianjing, "You've fallen in love with him?"
"No, it's just for fun." Xian Jing glanced at An Zhu. "I'm going to the library tomorrow. You can go to work."
Anzhu persisted, "Did you and him... you didn't?"
"Yes," Xianjing answered honestly.
Anzhu looked admiringly at her, "I didn't realize she was so skilled, the heartthrob Xian Jing."
Xian Jing smiled. She liked Ye You; his clear eyes and mischievous smile, his stubbornness when serious, and his childlike nature when stubborn. Both men and women are adorable when they have a touch of childlike innocence, and can be loved.
"That's good, so you won't keep thinking about that bastard surnamed Bai." An Zhu had always been resentful that Bai Mingqing had abandoned Xian Jing.
Xianjing's face changed color immediately. "Please don't mention him."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I'm going to take a shower." Anzhu stuck out her tongue. Even with her best friend, it's best not to say too much.
Since agreeing to help the female ghost collect bone fragments, Anzhu felt much more at ease. She sang songs while taking a bath, while the red eyes outside the window remained red.
"What are you looking at? Are you trying to die? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman taking a bath before? You pervert, you idiot, you unlucky devil, you moron..." An Zhu shouted, pointing at the window while naked.
The red color in the red eyes faded and gradually disappeared.