Stationmaster Xia at the recycling station was the same as ever, his head lowered as he worked his abacus, eyeing people sidelong.
Song Xiaozhu smiled sweetly. "Stationmaster Xia."
Xia Fengshou did not look up. "Has Master Bai come back?"
Song Xiaozhu's heart tightened, and her voice dropped a little. "Not yet."
Since Xia Fengshou had asked, he clearly knew. Lying now would only annoy him.
Xia Fengshou's hand paused over the abacus, and he glanced sidelong at the scrap Song Xiaozhu had brought: forty-six plastic bottles, a large piece of old glass, and five or six thin sheets of rusty iron.
The plastic bottles had all been crushed to the size of a fist and neatly arranged in stacks of ten.
The old glass had been wiped sparkling clean, without so much as a water mark on it.
The thin sheets of rusty iron had also been carefully cleaned, the flakes of rust shaken off until only the thin iron remained.
Xia Fengshou remarked blandly, "You're quite capable."
Song Xiaozhu's back abruptly stiffened.
That was all Xia Fengshou said. Without waiting for Song Xiaozhu to speak again, he took a rubber-banded bundle of small bills from the box under his desk, counted out a full eight, and handed them to her.
Song Xiaozhu's brow twitched, and she immediately said, "It can't be worth that much..."
As she spoke, she took only fifty cents, just as she always did, and pushed the extra three bills back.
Xia Fengshou did not look at
the thirty cents. He merely said slowly, "Something happened over in Liu Family Village. I heard half the villagers were injured. Master Bai is kindhearted, so he's bound to stay there to help. It'll be at least five or six days before he comes back."
His voice was quiet, as though he were merely talking to himself.
Occasionally, an especially loud clack of the abacus even drowned out his voice.
Song Xiaozhu was close enough to hear every word clearly.
She said sincerely, "Thank you, Stationmaster Xia."
Xia Fengshou never looked her squarely in the eye, nor did he acknowledge her thanks. He merely waved a hand. "Are you buying anything else? There are people waiting behind you."
Song Xiaozhu hurriedly stepped aside. Keeping her head down and avoiding everyone's eyes, she quickly left the recycling station.
Xia Fengshou was giving her a warning.
This stationmaster of the northern district, who shortchanged her on some of her scrap every time, had given her important information.
After all, Song Xiaozhu had not been born and raised in troubled times. Careful as she was, her lack of experience still left gaps.
Xia Fengshou's remark, "You're quite capable," had been a reminder to hide her abilities.
Given her circumstances, she would normally have done well to collect twenty or thirty cents' worth of scrap. Yesterday, she had collected nearly sixty cents' worth, and today was even more outrageous-a full eighty cents...
Bai Jing would not return to the community for at least another five or six days.
If she kept being this "capable," she could save several dollars in six days.
That was a fortune in the scavenger community.
Most refugees could not even afford wild vegetable powder after paying their daily rent.
She was alone and weak, in particular, and someone was bound to get wicked ideas.
Fortunately, Song Xiaozhu had kept a low profile, avoiding people even when exchanging scrap for money at the recycling station. These past two days had also been the scavenging rush, so this was not enough to attract trouble.
This isn't a long-term solution, either...
She was still planning to save up her first pot of gold.
Song Xiaozhu rarely went onto the community's main road. Today, she deliberately took a detour and walked along it for a short stretch.
Shang Bao's home was very close to the northern district's recycling station, only three or four houses away. It took just a few steps to get there.
As soon as Song Xiaozhu reached his door, she heard an argument inside. Shang Dayuan was notorious for his explosive temper. When he raised his booming voice, he could be heard clearly from dozens of meters away.
He made no attempt to keep others from hearing, speaking at full volume. "Even during the scavenging rush, he spends all day screwing around. I scolded him once, and he had the nerve to stay out all night."
"If he's got the guts, he can fucking stay away forever!"
A woman's voice sobbed, "What kind of father are you? All you ever do is hit him and yell at him..."
"And what kind of mother are you? You've spoiled him rotten! He's a grown man, and he still loafs around all day. I'd sooner spend my money feeding dogs than buy him a Fairness Card!"
"Waah..."
"Crying, crying, crying! That's all you know how to do. How did I end up marrying a useless woman like you?"
Song Xiaozhu did not linger. Keeping her previous pace, she walked briskly away.
She had already heard what she wanted to know.
Shang Bao had not come home all night, and sure enough, his family had not noticed anything amiss yet.
That was normal. Shang Dayuan had some standing in the community and believed no one would dare bully his only son. Besides, Shang Bao was an unruly lout. Never mind staying out for one night-when he was out running wild, he would stay away for three to five days.
All Shang Dayuan knew about raising a child was beating and scolding. Shang Bao's mother was weak-willed. After having five daughters, she had finally had a son, and she treasured Shang Bao like the apple of her eye.
His mother spoiled him to death.
His father beat him to death.
Shang Bao had grown into what he was now.
Especially with the scavenging rush underway, the little workshops along the main road were so busy they wished they could work day and night without rest. Shang Dayuan really had no energy to spare for this good-for-nothing son.
Song Xiaozhu mulled it over.
Three days...
Three days at most...
Once the scavenging rush died down, if Shang Bao still had not returned home, his family would certainly start getting anxious.
Song Xiaozhu remembered how Shang Bao had reeked of alcohol.
Before going to Bai Jing's shack, he must have been at the tavern. Someone there probably knew where he had gone...
It could not be kept hidden forever.
The Shang family would definitely find their way to Bai Jing's shack.
Even without any evidence, they would not let her off.
Song Xiaozhu had originally thought Bai Jing would return soon. With him there, if she and Qiu Shuyu kept their mouths firmly shut, they might be able to weather this.
Now Xia Fengshou had given her word...
Five or six days at the earliest...
Maybe seven or eight...
Should I run to Liu Family Village?
No.
Song Xiaozhu's instincts told her that place was even more dangerous.
Song Xiaozhu took a deep breath and steadied her emotions.