Marlowe's Luminous Shadows Chapter 8

After I turn ten, I don’t want to celebrate another birthday.

But facing Mr. Chen who was full of joy and the mountain of gift boxes, I could only suppress the sadness that overflowed from my heart, said hello with a smile, and said "Thank you, uncle."

I am no longer overjoyed, and I am no longer the same Briella Chen who once shouted "I must do something different."

Today, I have begun to learn how to be a dignified, self-respecting, gentle and ladylike lady.

Fortunately, I learned quickly, although there were still many servants in the mansion who were suspicious of my origins and secretly discussed whether I was Mr. Chen's illegitimate daughter.

But they still admit that I have good manners and good conduct.

No one knows that I am the only daughter in the family of the former Minister of Household Affairs. Mr. Chen took the blame for me and became the heartless man who was rumored to have abandoned his wife.

This is my stolen time of comfort.

Everything seems to be back on track. The wandering half year is like a dream. Every time I think about it, I feel a huge sense of separation from the present.

I miss my parents, but they never appear in my dreams.

It seemed that he wanted me to forget, and that the suffering and hatred would be stripped out of my body along with it.

But they have taken root in my bones and blood, and they are secretive, but they will also jump out in the dead of night, grinning and spitting, angry.

But I hid it well.

Spring passed and autumn came, time passed very quickly. It had been two years since I came to Chen Mansion. Just when I thought life would go on smoothly and peacefully, God played a joke on me again.

I'm blind.

In the same year my life experience was discovered, Mr. Chen became seriously ill.

I still remember that day, May 17, the sky was clear and clear, and I went out with Elowen Chun. I can't remember the specific reason at that time. I only remember that the street was bustling with people, and I stumbled, and when I looked up, she disappeared.

"Hey, you little girl, you don't learn well! Come and steal the buns and see if I don't teach you a lesson!"

Accompanied by this sharp roar, followed by the sound of crackling sticks, my brows jumped. My panicked and frightened heart was finally soothed by curiosity, and I raised my head and looked over there.

The crowd that was still crowded just now dispersed automatically, and in the middle of the open space was a bun shop. The proprietress in an apron was waving a rolling pin on the kid's back to greet him.

The onlookers didn't seem to be surprised by this scene. Most of them cursed the child, and after a while they went to where they should go.

But I still stood there, and in front of me was the bun in the child's arms. It was dusty and had obviously rolled on the ground, but it was still tightly hugged by her.

Her deer-like eyes were full of unyielding, wet, and filled with tears, but she didn't even whimper.

These two buns were probably enough to keep her hungry for the whole day.

For a moment, I thought of myself during my wandering days, when I was beaten, scolded and trampled by others just to survive.

I felt a little sorry for her, so I wanted to pay for the two buns for her, but there was no wallet around her waist.

Before I could turn around and look for him, the landlady here had already finished venting her anger, and the kid probably got a break, so he quickly got up and ran away.

After thinking about it, I decided to catch up and have a look at her first.

She seemed badly hurt.

She ran very fast, weaving through the streets like a fish, and then turned around and got into the narrow alley.

It was difficult for me to follow, and soon my legs and feet, which had not been moved for a long time, became weak.

Just when I was about to lose my direction after twists and turns on the trail, and just when I sighed and decided to give up and go back, she suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Why are you following me?" she said.

I was startled by the sudden sound and panted to look at her. The stubborn eyes on the gray-grey face were still full of vigilance.

"I...are you in pain?" I didn't know how to speak, so I hesitated, "I just looked at you..."

She looked at me up and down suspiciously. There were still two buns in her arms, but she didn't eat them.

So I asked again: "Baozi, are two of them enough? I can buy you two more."

I saw her eyes less guarded, but she still stood two meters away from me and asked me, "Do you want to buy buns for me?"

"right."

"Then why didn't you pay for me just now?" she said, "I saw you when I was being beaten. You stood there motionless."

I subconsciously grabbed a handful of the cuffs that were supposed to hold my purse, but were now empty.

She immediately noticed my embarrassment and said, "You have no money?"

"Stolen."

I spread my hands and shrugged helplessly. For some reason, I felt a little relaxed after saying this honestly.

It seemed that my attitude was sincere and the money was stolen. She finally lost her guard, took two steps towards me, and tapped her toes twice on the floor.

"I should know where your wallet went."

Hearing this, I looked at her with a little surprise, and her thin body showed some embarrassment.

"You come with me," she said.

After saying that, she turned around and left, and I hurried to follow. Fortunately, she slowed down her pace this time and looked back at me from time to time.

After exiting the trail, cross a bridge, walk along the muddy field to the river, and arrive under the bridge.

"Gouya, did you succeed! How about I teach you this trick!"

As soon as I stepped in holding on to the bluestone bricks, I heard a child's laughter coming from inside.

The light shines from in front of me, carrying a bit of moisture as it passes through the moist moss, and hits my face coolly.

"I was discovered and, oh well, beaten up," she answered the boy.

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, let's practice again and see you next time!"

I stood at the entrance of the bridge, neither advancing nor retreating. I heard that they were learning how to be thieves. I wanted to argue some big principles and tell them not to do these things, but I had no position and I couldn't empathize with them.

After all, these two street kids are just trying to survive.

"Gouya, I just saw your mother looking for you. It seems like your B@st@ard father is doing it again!"

"What?"

"What!"

I exclaimed at the same time as her.

I was surprised that both of her parents were present.

She was probably surprised that her mother was beaten by her father.

"You have parents, why do you do such sneaky things?" I grabbed her as she was about to run away, "This is wrong."

I still said this, half distressed and half admonished.

"Who are you?" the boy said, "What do you care about us?"

He turned to her again and said, "Gouya, go back quickly. Your mother seems to have been beaten quite seriously."

After the words fell, there was nothing but a little echo in the bridge cave.

I don't know where the stubbornness came from, and I pulled her and wouldn't let go.

I said, don't let her steal anything.

I said it to her, and maybe to myself too.

During the six months of my wandering, I pawned my jewelry at first, until I had nothing to do with it. When I was very hungry, I started digging through buckets. Food that even dogs wouldn’t eat was a treasure that kept me alive.

Later, a lady took pity on me and gave me some cold steamed buns. I couldn't bear to eat them. I only realized it was a pity when they went rancid and ate them whole again.

Later, I learned to be smart and would stay in the open-air shop to see who had leftover food. When he left his seat, I would rush over and pick up what he left to eat. At least it was clean.

I lived a hard life and tried every means possible for my stuttering.

But I didn't steal.

And she has parents that I don’t have now, and she also has a family that I don’t have now.

Why steal?

So, I squeezed her hand together with my once brave self.

"You can't steal."

She turned back to look at me. Her swollen cheekbones were even redder, and even the roots of her ears were blushing.

"It's up to you whether I steal or not!" She glared at me, "Let go!"

After saying that, she turned around and yelled at the boy: "Did you take her purse? Give it back to her!"

The boy was stunned by her sudden roar. After being stunned for a moment, he muttered "How do you know" with a strange expression on his face, and took out a purse from his B*tt pocket.

I glanced at it, and saw the green embroidered magnolia, the tassels decorated with pink strands of white, it was really my purse.

The boy threw the purse over and it landed right at my feet. The magnolia petals were stained with mud.

"I'll pay you back!" she said, "let go!"

Her eyes were full of impatience, anger, and deep-hidden panic, and her wrist kept twitching in my palm.

At this point in the stalemate, my energy finally faded away.

I am not related to her, so I really shouldn't meddle in her own business.

Thinking this, I let go of my hand somewhat sadly.

Or maybe she finally broke free of my hand.

I can't remember clearly, it all happened so fast, in short, I took half a step back.

It is also this half step.

I can't see it anymore.