Of course, in the beginning, their relationship remained a little cold. Haohao continued to try to pick up a conversation for the first few days of accompanying her, but little Li Mei always ignored his presence and treated him like air.
Finally, the layer of coldness broke down when Li Mei fell while carrying the bucket of water. At that time, Haohao looked at the wound on her arms, a little scratch, and then he suddenly started laughing.
"What the heck are you laughing at?!" Li Mei glared at the boy and rubbed the area where she was hurt.
"You can't even carry an empty bucket properly, eh?" Haohao chuckled as he clutched his fat stomach and said, "And you pretend to be all tough."
Li Mei felt hurt seeing her 'little friend' who was supposed to accompany her, laughing at her. Sure enough, everyone was the same. None of them wanted to love and care for her.
Thus, she stood up and took the bucket, ignoring the little guy once again.
"Hey, wait up!" Haohao ran after her at the fastest speed possible, still looking clumsy while rushing with his little fat body. "I'm sorry!"
Li Mei sniffed as she rushed away. Her pace increased even further as she tried her best to walk away.
"Little girl! You still haven't told me your name!"
"Because I don't want to tell you my name!" Li Mei sniffed once again. "Especially not after what happened today."
"But why do you even care, ah?" The little guy gasped because of all the running he did, but he still continued to give her a chase. "You clearly didn't want to talk to me at all, right? So you wouldn't have cared if I laughed at your face or not."
Those words made Li Mei stunned and shocked. She was too speechless to speak a single word. Sure, he was right, but she didn't want to admit that he was right.
She glared at him from the corner of her eyes and continued onward without saying another word.
"Oi! Sorry! Here, I know a temporary method to heal wounds! Let me help you, at least!"
Li Mei still ignored him.
"Meimei!"
"Fengliu!!!"
Li Mei stopped in her tracks and turned around, "Okay, heal me, but don't call me absurd names."
"Then I'll settle for Meimei because you're cute!"
Li Mei blushed a little as she coughed awkwardly, stretching her arms forward. "Go ahead."
That was the day which marked the beginning of their friendship. Ever since then, little Li Mei would have a fatty kid running after her during her morning duty of carrying the buckets of water back. At times, he would even force her to stop and play his flute while sitting beneath a tree.
Even though his tune was a little off, Li Mei still stood by and stared at him. Her heart was filled with incomparable warmth as that tune drifted to her ears, making her soul soothing.
This went on throughout the summer, but one day, as she went out, she had expected that familiar fatty boy to jump in front of her just as always.
Thus, she waited, waited, and waited for hours, but he still didn't come. That day, she even received punishment from Madam Li for arriving home too late.
Even though Li Mei felt sad, she still comforted herself that he would return soon. Thus, the next day, she would still wait at their spot behind the bushes, squatting beneath a tree.
But he still didn't come.
Why wouldn't he come?
Didn't he care about making her sad?
Sure, he would often irritate her to no end, but he would still be with her at this time of the day. In fact, his words and actions only made Li Mei chuckle and free from the anxieties of the day.
So… Why didn't he come?
It couldn't be that something happened to him, right?
That thought at once made Li Mei anxious. She wanted to rush to his side in an instant, but then she realized she didn't even know his full name. She only called him Haohao because others did so too!
For the first few days ever since Haohao didn't show up, Li Mei was anxious to the point that she even stopped eating. She would constantly glance outside at the bushes, thinking that he might be standing there, waiting for her.
But then, when she would actually run off to that place, the emptiness of the forest pierced her heart to no end.
This went on until one day, as she went over to get some water, she finally noticed a flute placed beneath a tree and a note attached to the trunk.
She instantly threw her bucket aside and snatched that letter.
"Dear Meimei, I can't come to you anymore. I'm sorry."
That's it. No other explanation for why he can't come. And, of course, Li Mei, being a slave to begin with, would definitely think worse.
Drops of cold tears rolled down her cheeks. Her hands trembled.
Sure enough.
Even Haohao left.
Everyone leaves her side.
Was she even worth living?
Li Mei felt her throat burning as she swallowed, trying her best to push that burning sensation to the depths of her stomach, but she failed. She squatted there and sobbed, hugging the letter to her chest.
When she finally came to her senses, it was already late noon. She pushed herself up on her feet and looked at the flute.
She hesitated before finally taking it in her hands, caressing the surface with a hint of reluctance in her heart.
That flute was only a memory of having a good friend, even though it was temporary. Thus, she finally stopped hesitating and put it within her clothes, hiding it firmly.
"Yo! Did you finally notice my handsomeness?!" The fatty man spoke up once again, gripping Li Mei's wrist tighter making her flinch. "Sure enough, it was better to come to the brothel and buy a slave! I really did find something worthy of my attention!"
Li Mei finally came to her senses.
Why was she thinking about that useless little Haohao again? That boy sure had the guts to approach her as a kid, but then, he vanished without a single trace, not even telling her his full name! Basically, he abandoned her without even telling her a proper reason!
What a cruel man!
Li Mei still felt sad even after all those years had passed, but her traces of sadness were covered by a layer of anger that was directed straight toward little Haohao, who ran off into the woods clumsily.
Let's think about it later. First, she had to get away from here!
Before she could even get a chance to think about escaping, the fatty man, who looked terrible with a big beard on his face and a scar right across his cheek, laughed. "I'm going to get a huge benefit tonight! My men would surely enjoy her to death!"