I tried smiling at her: "Hello, I'm your sister's friend... Can you understand me when I speak English?"
She gave me an innocent smile, revealing her white teeth: "I can speak a little English...you..." Suddenly, a hint of joy appeared in her eyes: "Are you my sister's boyfriend?"
I felt a little awkward. I glanced at the mixed-race beauty, who also seemed somewhat helpless. So I nodded decisively: "Yes, I am your sister's boyfriend."
The mixed-race woman seemed a little worried. She stopped the little girl from continuing to talk to me and ushered her into the room. The little girl cutely stuck her tongue out at me, then continued walking awkwardly into the room.
"Your sister is very cute," I said with a smile.
The mixed-race beauty looked somewhat saddened; she pursed her lips and said nothing.
I thought for a moment and said, "May I ask... about her leg...?"
Her face paled further, and she muttered something in a low voice, but it wasn't in Chinese, so I didn't understand it. She paused, then tried to calm herself, saying, "The doctor said that if she can have surgery before she's fifteen, she can recover and look like a normal person… but that kind of surgery can't be done in Vietnam; she'll have to go abroad, to Europe or America…"
The mixed-race beauty's Chinese was a bit halting, and her sentences were sometimes disjointed when she spoke to me, but when she said those words, my heart sank... I glanced at her, seemingly touched: "So that's why you..."
She glanced at me, somewhat helplessly: "That's why I need money, lots and lots of money."
A prostitute uses the money she earns from selling her smiles to support her younger sister. To ensure her sister has a good living and growing environment, she lives in a luxury apartment at a high price... while also working hard to earn money for her sister's surgery...
Frankly, after working in the sex industry for so many years, I've often heard women fabricate stories to elicit sympathy from customers. I know that the vast majority—99%—are lies. Where in the world are there so many tragic stories? Most girls who enter this profession don't deserve sympathy. Most are in it simply because they're lazy, find it lucrative, pays more than legitimate jobs, and doesn't require as much hard work. Some, however, lack education and can't find good employment, leaving them with no other option.
But I never expected that I would encounter such a real "story" in a foreign land!
I looked at the girl with a hint of sadness in her eyes. She was beautiful, but at the same time, she was selling her beauty. I thought for a moment and then said gently, "How about we make a deal?"
"What?" She was getting a little impatient. "You can't lie to me... You promised you'd leave, and now my sister's back... So please..."
“You should know that I’m relatively wealthy.” I smiled. “How much did your sister’s surgery abroad cost, including the travel expenses, accommodation, and the high cost of the surgery? One hundred thousand US dollars? Two hundred thousand US dollars?”
Her face turned deathly pale instantly, and a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes...
Book 1, Part 1: A Man in the Martial World, Forced by His Own Will, Chapter 184: An Angel Named YOYO
Although I didn't want to discourage her, I had to say something at that moment: "You just said that her surgery has to be done before she turns fifteen. So, can you earn tens of thousands of dollars before she turns fifteen? Even if you have clients every night... you still have four years left. Can you earn enough money?"
I sighed, watching as despair slowly crept into her eyes.
Indeed, given her current job, she already earns a high income in Vietnam.
A prostitute like her earns 100 RMB per hour, but at most, she'd only make 7,000 to 8,000 RMB a month. That's a monthly income of just 1,000 USD.
A thousand dollars a month, that's twelve thousand dollars a year. So it would take ten years of hard work to earn one hundred and twenty thousand dollars!
but……
Can her sister wait ten years?
Over the past ten years, the sisters' living needs, rent, daily expenses... all required money!
Finally... even if she's beautiful and charming now, can she work as a prostitute for ten years?
In three to five years at most, when she gets a little older, many younger girls will enter the industry and compete with her for business!
I know very well that the turnover rate in the sex industry is very high! Even if a sex worker is the most popular and the most beautiful, she will be eliminated after three to five years at most.
Even more pitiful are those of average appearance who, having failed to become top-tier hostesses in their youth, find themselves unable to work in upscale nightclubs as they age and end up in low-class brothels…
To be fair, most girls in this line of work don't deserve sympathy, but objectively speaking, they are actually quite pitiful.
Although I didn't say these words aloud, I believe she understood what I meant.
So suddenly her eyes reddened, and tears slowly streamed down her face.
Indeed, renting a place in an upscale area like her is already very expensive, and I doubt she can save much money.
I looked at her and said softly, "So, let's make a deal..." I said slowly, "I'm injured right now, so I need your help. I need to stay with you for a few days, it won't be long... I also need you to do some things for me, they're all very simple. There won't be any danger, it's just that I can't go out right now... In return..."
She seemed to have guessed something too. She looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"I'll cover all your sister's surgery costs. I'll give you enough money, and I can even help you contact a hospital in North America and send your sister there for treatment. What do you say?"
"Ah..." she exclaimed, her face lighting up with surprise, but then a hint of doubt crept in. She seemed somewhat incredulous...
Indeed, for her, tens of thousands of dollars is probably an astronomical figure.
"You...you mean...really...really?" The immense shock made her stammer, and suddenly she grabbed my hands tightly, urgently asking, "Really? Really?? Is it true??"
I smiled and pulled her hand away: "Of course it's true. But I have to stay with you for a few days, and it has to be kept a secret... You know, I'm in some trouble right now. I've already said that people are looking for me everywhere, and if they find me..."
"Yes! Yes! Anything is fine!" The mixed-race beauty was already in tears, nodding repeatedly. "Whatever you want, I'll give you! Really, whatever you want, I'll give you! As long as you can really save my sister..."
"Don't worry, I keep my word." I smiled.
I couldn't help but feel a little despicable, actually exploiting her weakness and using such a young girl to achieve my own goals. But at that moment, I had no other choice. Besides, I could only console myself: at least, I was helping her.
The mixed-race beauty truly placed all her hopes on me. Her attitude towards me completely changed immediately. She had previously seemed quite fearful of me, but now she was full of hope for me, even somewhat timid, as if afraid of displeasing me. She even proactively asked me if I was hungry and if I needed anything to eat.
I sighed, pulled her to my side, and said softly, "You don't need to do this. This is just about us helping each other. The fact that you let me stay here is already a huge help. And... I have something I need you to do."
"kindness."
"Can you not go to work tonight?"
She nodded, indicating that she had called the nightclub to ask for leave before going to see me during the day, because she assumed she would be spending the night with me.
I thought about it, and actually, I hope she doesn't go to work at the nightclub right now. On one hand, I need her to help me with some things, and on the other hand, nightclubs are places with lots of people and gossip, and I'm worried that something "accident" might happen.
Sure enough, when I made that request, she hesitated for a moment. After all, it was her job, and if she didn't go to work for a few days, she might worry about losing some of her customers.
However, she gritted her teeth and agreed because I promised to pay for her sister's surgery abroad.
"My sister is my only hope and support in this life, I hope you're not lying to me!" To my surprise, when she said this, the fragility on her face disappeared, and her eyes shone with a firm light.
Human willpower can be truly astonishing at times. Once she grasped a glimmer of hope, the mixed-race beauty suddenly radiated confidence.
I knew that she had placed great hopes on me at this moment, and that she would never do anything to harm me. Reassured, I entrusted her with a few tasks and asked her to do them for me.
First, I gave her a phone number—it was Xiluo's—and told her to go outside, find a place where she could make international calls, and call Xiluo to tell her about my situation. I didn't let the mixed-race beauty know too much; I just asked her to tell Xiluo that I had missed my flight for some special reasons and was now stranded in Hanoi, encountering some trouble.
The mixed-race beauty has her own cell phone, so I told her to go out immediately to activate international calling service and then leave the phone number with Xiluo! This would make it easier for me and Xiluo to contact each other.
Finally, I made a list and asked her to buy the items on the list for me.
I gave all ten thousand dollars to the mixed-race beauty, because almost all the things I asked her to do cost money.
Although leaving me and her sister alone at home was a big worry for the mixed-race beauty, she hesitated for a moment but still agreed.
To be blunt... although I don't want to think about it this way, but... if I stay at home with her little sister, at least I can make sure the mixed-race beauty won't dare to call the police or betray me.
Sometimes, people can be really despicable, can't they?
"May I come out?" As I was sitting on the sofa smoking, the door to the room suddenly opened a crack, and a somewhat timid voice came from inside.
Those big, round, dark eyes looked at me with a hint of curiosity in them.
I smiled, casually stubbed out my cigarette, and said gently, "This is your home, why are you afraid to come out?"
The girl spoke fluent English: "Because my sister will be angry."
Having said that, she pushed open the door and boldly walked to my side. She had changed into loose-fitting home clothes; her small face, large eyes, and oversized coat made her look exceptionally cute. But this cuteness, reflected in her square legs and the cold metal braces supporting her legs… all of this made her cuteness seem tinged with a touch of cruelty…
My eyes involuntarily drifted to her right leg. She clearly noticed, but there was no displeasure in the little girl's eyes. Instead, she remained as cheerful as ever: "What's wrong?"
I felt a little awkward: "What's your name?"
"YOYO" seemed very proud: "This is my English name." Then, in a soft voice, she asked me, "Do you think it sounds nice?"
"It sounds beautiful." I looked at the lovely girl. She was petite, but her skin was delicate. More importantly, her eyes were incredibly bright, so clear and pure, without a trace of impurity... I even sensed that there was no melancholy in this girl's heart...
"You don't need to worry about my leg." Just as I was stunned, she chuckled, a genuine smile that seemed entirely real. She smiled happily and then said very seriously, "It's okay."
Then the little girl walked confidently to my side and sat down gently on the sofa next to me: "I was born this way, it's God's arrangement, it's nothing."
I didn't know what to say. Faced with such a little girl, I, who am usually quite eloquent, was suddenly speechless. After hesitating for a moment, I smiled and said, "Your English is really good."
"Yes!" The girl's eyes shone with pride. "My English is the best in the whole school... I want to study abroad! When I get there, I can get my leg healed, and then I'll work hard to earn money so my sister can live with me overseas!" I sighed, looking at this innocent little girl, and couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. I gently pinched her nose and said slowly, "It will come true, your dream will definitely come true."
She was so cheerful, and I couldn't find a trace of inferiority in her... This was what surprised me the most. At least I know that most people with physical disabilities have some degree of inferiority complex, but I couldn't see any of that in this girl.
"You're looking at my legs again." The girl suddenly sighed softly, tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Are my legs bothering you?"
No. Of course not!
"Well... actually, when I first started school, they always stared at my legs." YOYO smiled generously, "but I never cared."
"Why?" I asked, somewhat curious. Could a girl so young already be so mentally resilient?
“Because it’s not my fault.” The girl looked at me with innocent, wide eyes. She casually kicked her left leg lightly and laughed, “Why should I be sad? I was born this way… If I do something wrong, like making a mistake at school and being punished by the teacher, I feel guilty and upset. But my legs were like this from birth; it’s not my fault, it’s God’s arrangement. Since it’s God’s arrangement, then so be it. So why should I feel inferior or guilty?”
Her thinking was so simple. But the stubbornness in her tone surprised me.
Looking into those dark eyes, I was truly moved.
God gave her a defective leg, but He did not give her the mentality of being "defective"!
Faced with her explanation, I suddenly felt that anything I said would be superfluous... I even felt that secretly glancing at her legs just now was an offense to her.
"Are you really my sister's boyfriend?" she asked me with a smile.
"Yeah, I guess so." I gave a wry smile.
"So..." YOYO still had that innocent and naive look in her eyes: "Will you marry my sister in the future?"
How should I answer?
I could only manage a vague "hmm" with a laugh.
YOYO immediately cheered. She opened her arms and hugged my arm tightly, laughing, "Great! Now someone will take care of my sister..." She looked at me and said very seriously, "You have to be good to my sister!"
I:"……"
Her eyes held a childlike cunning, and she earnestly "warned" me, saying, "Let me tell you, my sister is very beautiful! She must have many suitors! So you must treat her well, otherwise..."
I looked at the child with a sense of helplessness...
Next, her gaze fell on my arm. She noticed the strips of cloth wrapped around it: "Are you injured?"
"kindness……"
She gently stroked around my wound with her little hand, then looked up at me and asked, "Does it hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt."