"It's fine..." I waved a hand, then looked at the mother and daughter again. After weighing it over, I finally tried to ask
her, "So... what will you do next..."
"What I'll do next?" The woman picked up the thread naturally. "...Actually, I have
a favor to ask."
I already knew what she meant, but I still hesitated.
"Could you... please take my daughter and me out of this hospital?" As she spoke, the woman seemed to remember something
and hurriedly added, "I... I still
have some food. Enough for at least three to five days. If you can get us out, it's all yours."
At that, the woman seemed to notice my hesitation. She gritted her teeth, pulled her daughter to her side, and said,
"If you really can't take us both, please...
just take my daughter out!"
"Take her out..." I looked at the innocent little girl. She seemed to understand what was happening. Pressing her lips together, she
said nothing and lowered her head to stare at
her toes.
"I only ask... please... no, I'm begging you. Just take her to the Armed Police Detachment! That's all."
"The Armed Police Detachment?"
"Yes! There are survivors there, and my husband's colleagues are there too. If you take her to them, at least she'll have something to eat.
It's better than starving to death here..." By then, the woman
had tears in her eyes.
After saying that, she crouched down, hugged her daughter, and began to sob.
"Juan'er, Mommy won't be able to stay with you anymore... Eat properly, all right? Remember, don't trouble those men too much, and don't
ask for too much. As long as you're safe...
even if Mommy starves to death here, it'll be worth it."
Hearing that, I felt no sympathy for the woman. If anything, I grew more wary of her.
*This woman... She's putting on a show for me. She really is trying to win her daughter a chance, but those last
few words were definitely for my
benefit!*
As that thought crossed my mind, my heart cooled, and my expression darkened.
Just then, the little girl broke free of her mother's embrace, timidly walked over to me, and tugged at my
coat sleeve.
"Big Sister..." she said, her childish voice choked with tears.
"Please... take Mommy too..."
That woman... I'd never liked bratty kids, but I did like children as well-behaved as this one.
I glanced at the woman. She was still crying, but there was an unmistakable hint of affectation in her voice. I could
understand why she was doing it, but
it still rubbed me the wrong way.
She was using her daughter and my goodwill.
And yet... looking at the little girl clutching my coat and the man's body lying there, I couldn't bring myself to say
no, no matter how much I wanted to. Maybe
that was just a common weakness among shut-in guys, even if I could no longer really call myself one.
"Pack your things."
I felt as though I'd been played. My mood, which had been fairly steady, soured, and a chill crept into my
voice. The woman, however,
seemed not to notice. She hurried to her feet, nodded, and went into the sixth floor. The little girl kept hold of my coat,
as if afraid I might run off.
I ignored the kid and began weighing what I stood to gain and lose. Clearly... I was getting the short end of the deal. Food was scarce and
precious in this world, but
I would have to drag two people through unknown dangers. No one knew what might happen along the way. If an
ordinary person could get out easily,
the woman would hardly have offered so much in exchange.
At that thought, I instinctively reached for the gun on me. She must have seen it, along with the
notched fruit knife at my waist,
still covered in black blood. That must have been why she'd made her offer.
I took out the fruit knife and examined it closely. I couldn't help thinking, *I really should find
a better close-range
weapon. This knife's nearly done for. I hope it lasts a little longer.*
The chipped edge and slightly bent blade told me it was on its last legs. That was only to be expected.
It was just a fruit knife. No matter how
sharp or sturdy it was, it could never be a cleaver, much less a fighting weapon. It was made to cut fruit.
I looked at the man and scanned him from head to toe. Then I spotted
a dagger at his waist. After some
hesitation, I stepped forward and reached for it. Just then, footsteps sounded behind me.
"Stop! What are you doing to my husband?"
The woman's shrill shout made my hand pause.
"Nothing..." I straightened up naturally and looked at her. "Since he's your husband,
I suppose the things on him
belong to you."
She looked at me with alarm and anger, waiting for me to go on.
"You must know that taking you and your daughter out of this hospital carries no small risk." To be honest, I didn't
want to drag anyone along. I only said it in the hope that she would back out.
"What... do you want?" she asked after a pause.
"If you want to make a deal, I'm adding conditions." I spoke one word at a time, watching her expression.
It didn't change. She simply
looked at me and waited for the rest.
"First, you obey my orders at all times. If you die because you don't..." I glanced
at the woman and her child,
then said coldly, "That's on you."
"All right. I'll do that." She nodded.
"Second... I want more than food. I also want..." I looked at the man on the floor.
"Every weapon he has."
The woman hesitated, then bit her lip and nodded. "All right."
"In that case, I'll take what I'm owed." I reached for the dagger, but she suddenly
spoke up. "Could..."
"Hmm?"
"Could I... could I do it?" She sounded hesitant, perhaps afraid of upsetting me. To her,
I was probably her last
hope.
Without a word, I gestured for her to do it and stepped back twice. I took out my Changbai Mountain cigarettes, shook
one free, and put it between my lips. Then I
flicked open my Zippo and struck it lightly against my trousers. A flame sprang up with the crisp metallic click
of the lighter.
Click!
I took a satisfying drag, then noticed the little girl giving me a strange look... No, not me.
She was staring at the cigarette in my hand.
"What is it?"
I asked without thinking.
Her reply nearly made me laugh.
"Mommy says... girls aren't supposed to smoke! And... and..."
She lowered her head, hesitating.
"And what?" I took another drag and asked her with a smile.
"Cigarettes are really expensive!"
"Uh!" That caught me off guard. Were kids these days all so practical?
"It's fine. Big... Big Sister can afford them." I'd almost called myself "Big Brother," but managed
to swallow the last word in time.
"They're really expensive! A pack of cigarettes can buy a whole meal!" She glared at me as though I were wasting
something precious, though she looked rather funny doing it.
"It's all right... your big sister... can afford to smoke." Her indignant face amused me, but I kept it
off my face. I didn't
want the woman thinking I was easy to deal with. In a world like this, being too friendly was no good.
Getting Ready to Leave
Just then, the woman appeared to have finished what I'd asked her to do. She came over with reddened eyes and handed me
a dagger with a belt attached.
"Can we... go now?"
"The food?"