Fake Slackers

Chapter 2: No one taught you manners? I'll teach you

Those flyers covered nearly all walks of employment, from circumcision to microfinancing— everything one could want. There were even ads for locksmiths, miracle Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, private detectives, professional exam-takers....

Xie Yu pulled them straight out and tossed them in the garbage bin. When he reached the last flyer, he saw written on top: Mystery Game, inflaming your passion! Big brother, ah~ come~

The tildes were so flirtatious they could break through the heavens. Xie Yu was just about to toss it out when he heard someone loudly call out from behind him, "Damn brat." Xie Yu's hand jerked and his train of thought was broken. Reflexively he stuffed the flyer into the pocket of his pants.

Xu Yanmei rubbed her hands together: "You found the time to come see me?"

The first thing Xie Yu did upon seeing her was to pass her the black plastic bag, then swiftly retreat several steps. But he hadn't escaped in time: "What is that smell on you? Toilet air freshener? What are you doing spraying that for no reason??"

"Like hell it's toilet air freshener. Damn it, this is a woman's scent." She'd put on about half a bottle of perfume.

She opened the plastic bag. She froze for a couple of seconds when she saw the contents: "I was just saying, and you really got me a big megaphone. How does this work? Is this the on switch?"

A vein in Xie Yu's temple jumped with a pop. "Don't press that. It'll make noise."

Too late. Xu Yanmei had already pressed down on the red button like a child who had just received a new toy. The song that hadn't finished playing in the convenience store now blared out from the speakers, forceful and enduring.

Xu Yanmei was a little stunned. "Damn, it's this loud?"

"Quick, turn it off," Xie Yu said. "And that voice of yours. You really don't notice? The smoking... just smoke, then."

Xu Yanmei: "It's not like that... With this strong constitution of mine, I'll still fight on for the next three hundred years at least."

Xie Yu was silent as he observed her. He noticed at once that her right hand was supporting the side of her waist, as if unconsciously. Due to long years of hard labor, Xu Yanmei's back wasn't doing well. Every day she had to stick on a medicinal patch or she else might be in so much pain that she wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

"Strong. You really dare say that."

Xu Yanmei noticed Xie Yu's gaze and immediately lowered her hand. Who knew how much truth was in what she said as she smoothly ran outside: "My back is fine. Speaking of which, last time you asked me to go to the hospital for a checkup. I went. It went fine. The doctor said it wasn't serious."

Xie Yu walked toward the Guang Mao Expo as he listened. He wore an ordinary, even somewhat cheap, black T-shirt—Xu Yanmei had bought it for him. She often sent him clothes: if she saw something suitable, she'd buy it, and after accumulating enough, she would send them over in a big cardboard box about half the height of a person.

He stuck both hands in his pockets. His sleeves were folded up several times and revealed his slender wrists. His hair was medium length and it looked soft to the touch, curling naturally due to how fine it was, and giving him a cold, fierce look.

He asked: "How many truckloads of merchandise are shipping today?"

Xu Yanmei was forty-plus years old, and usually she was busy with receiving and sending shipments of goods. All day she had to keep her eye on this and that; the riff-raff who messed up the store and caused trouble were all hers to deal with, so she didn't have much time to take care of herself. Her hair was still in the same perm she had gotten last New Year's. Without maintenance, it now looked like messy instant noodles, dry and yellowing.