Xiao Qian's home was located in an urban village. About a ten-minute walk would take her downtown. Hungry but penniless Xiao Qian, her gaze moved beyond the messy roadside stalls.
The stall owners, all knew her and were willing to let her buy on credit, but she refused to degrade herself.
She hadn't stooped low in her past life. She wouldn't in this life either.
Passing the stalls, she fixated her sight on a decent looking restaurant in the near distance.
Although it couldn't compare to the high-end hotels she frequented in her past life, it was acceptable. Ignoring the fact that she was penniless, Xiao Qian casually strolled in.
The attendant noticed the pretty girl dressed in simple clothes and repeatedly asked if she was alone. With a single look from Xiao Qian, pushing her glasses up her nose, the attendant was unconsciously intimidated by her aura and obediently led her to a table by the window.
The large window provided a nice view of the outside landscape, speckled stars in the sky and a large willow tree swaying in the wind. The neon lights of the hotel illuminated the tree, accompanied by the sound of cicadas.
Xiao Qian picked up the menu and casually browsed through it, "Two plates of boiled shrimps, stir-fried sea cucumber with green onion, steamed turbot fish, scallops with vermicelli, one plate of river crabs, dry-fried green beans, shredded potato with green pepper and a bowl of rice."
The attendant hesitated, "Lady, our portions are quite large."
Xiao Qian smiled gently, "I'll take them in a takeaway box if I can't finish."
The attendant didn't dare to be negligent, but still gave Xiao Qian an additional glance. The things the girl ordered were all high-priced items on the menu.
Before long, the dishes were served. Xiao Qian ate leisurely. With no one she despised in sight, she felt her appetite return a bit. The attendant stood nearby observing this peculiar girl.
She had ordered a lot of seafood, yet she didn't touch any of it with her chopsticks, only eating the vegetarian dishes with her rice.
This was the first time they'd seen such a customer. When Xiao Qian finished eating, she called the attendant over.
"Add two more items for me to take away, but I have specific requirements for their preparation and packaging."
"Alright, you may tell."
Xiao Qian finished outlining her requirements, the attendant was shocked, "Are you...sure?"
Could that thing really be eaten?
"Do as I say, I'll pay double for the dish."
She ordered another pot of chrysanthemum tea for cooling and reducing heat, watching the blossoms whirl in the glass as Xiao Qian blew on them again and again.
"This taste, it's much inferior to that of the golden chrysanthemum."
In her mind, a tender child-like voice seemed to resonate.
"Mom, why are you always drinking chrysanthemum tea?"
"Chrysanthemum tea can clear the liver heat from staying up late, and mom often stays up."
"Then Xiao Wei will sleep with mom, so mom won't have to work so late."
Her eyes grew a bit warm. Outside, a few middle school students riding their bikes home after night study sessions passed by. Their large, unattractive school sports uniforms couldn't conceal young, youthful faces.
If it hadn't been for those bitches, her Xiao Wei would also be in high school by now, carrying a large schoolbag and sharing the troubles of her growth with her.
But after the little angel left, she was constantly suffering from insomnia. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see her daughter covered in blood, crying for her mother. That kind of unspeakable pain, no one could understand.
My daughter, mommy misses you.
"Miss, the total is 480 yuan, would you like to pay with card or cash?" The attendant's voice broke Xiao Qian's train of thought, drawing her gaze back from outside.
"May I borrow your telephone?"
"Please come this way."
No one could understand the feelings of a mother who'd lost her only child, and even if she avenged her by killing the enemy with her own hands, it would still be hard to quench the hatred in her heart.
What could quench the fire within her, unless her little angel could return to her and call her "mom" again.
But Xiao Qian, who had been a psychologist all her life, knew all too well that in psychology, death was termed as the ultimate loss. This void left by the loss could never be filled.
So, she took immediate action to retaliate against those who made her lose her daughter. If she couldn't fill the hole in her heart, then she'd stab a few holes in these scum bags' hearts, so they could feel the pain with her.
After borrowing the telephone, Xiao Qian dialed Ni Jianren.
"I'm at the Binhai Hotel. Come and pay."
Ni Jianren was also a tightwad. Compared with Chen Lin, he was just as miserly, if not more. On hearing Xiao Qian say "pay," his scalp went numb.
"What are you doing at that place?!" It was one of the most expensive restaurants in the city!
"Just come and pay, why all the fuss?"
"I have something else to do, I can't make it there. You figure it out!" He said as he intended to hang up.
Xiao Qian pushed her glasses up with a smile, "The table next to me, there seems to be your boss sitting, called Li Zhen, do I ask him to pay?"
"Xiao Qian! Don't look for him! I'll be there immediately!" Ni Jianren panicked.
After hanging up the phone, Xiao Qian looked at the food on the table and felt that she could pack a few more items.
There was no such person as Li Zhen, she had made that up.
The reason why the scumbag was so nervous was that Li Zhen was the scumbag's boyfriend, and he was afraid she would reveal his secret sexuality.
"Miss, your dishes, all packed up, here is your specially customized order - can you really eat it?" The attendant handed over the food box, and she could smell the strange odour even through the box.
"Young girl, let me ask you, where do you think a wound would hurt less?" Xiao Qian asked.
"Uh... on the nails?" The attendant was confused, such a strange customer.
"Wrong, a wound on somebody else's body wouldn't hurt you, so, do you understand?" Xiao Qian pushed up her glasses, leaving the attendant puzzled and finding things complex.
It was really rude of her to only think about herself. She should also treat the scumbag, this was the meal she had prepared for him.
Halfway after drinking a pot of chrysanthemum tea, Ni Jianren rushed over, panting. He scanned the room as he walked in, but didn't see Li Zhen, only Xiao Qian sitting there calmly.
"Where's Li Zhen?"
"Might have been a case of mistaken identity. He just looked a bit alike."
Ni Jianren took the bill, saw the figure 400 on it and almost fainted.
"Why is it so much?!" He worked in a government-funded institution, his salary was decent, but this was half his monthly wage!
"I don't have so much money on me!" Ni Jianren was heartbroken.
Half a month's salary!
"In that case, I'll call my dad over, but you know how stingy he is, if he gets mad, it might put next week's engagement in jeopardy, he might even make a scene at your workplace?"
"I'll go withdraw money!" Ni Jianren squeezed a few words out between his teeth.
"Leave your phone behind." Xiao Qian took his old-style Nokia from his hand. In this era, this was a luxury item. With this as a collateral, she wasn't worried about the scumbag running off.
Watching Ni Jianren's furious departure, Xiao Qian felt relieved, picked up the cup of tea on the table and took a sip.
She indeed was a wicked woman, enjoying the helpless look on the scumbag's anger-filled face.