C

--I

Kathy came out of her stupor and couldn't help but say.

-- Wasn't that what I wanted? A manly, virile, handsome man in my poor apartment? To kiss me in passing?.... And...and...and... He'll leave me standing like an idiot... TILL 3 AM!!!. What the hell. I didn't know I was so needy---she said looking at the clock on top of her fridge---I barely have time to shower and start walking. This is going to be a terrible day.

She saw the leather bag and opened it....

A quantity of Yuan Bao he saw inside the bag and pulled one out....

-- You wretched idiot. Nice way to say thank you for a favor," she said disappointedly as she saw the popular feng! shui prosperity ornaments.

She left the others in the bag.

-- It's not plastic," she said and resolutely contemplated it and then took her bath.

At 4:15 a.m. he resolutely went out to the street. It would be about 4 hours of walking. The 16 kilometers walk to get to the University.

--I'll remember all this when I'm working," he said to no one, moving through the brightly lit streets and forgetting the incident.

--I'll remember all this when I'm working," he said to no one, moving through the brightly lit streets and forgetting about the incident....

Ii

At 7:00 p.m.; after living one of the most dreadful, terrible, dreadful and eternal days of her 24 years; Kathy was walking back; telling herself

-- Kathy, you can do it, you are going to make it, don't give up -- while her subconscious wondered how long her pinkies and her stomach would last from so much acidity.

-- Kathy, you can do it, you're going to make it, don't give up -- as her subconscious wondered how long her pinkies and her stomach would last from all the heartburn.

She stopped in front of Mr. Fong's little store. He sold costume jewelry, occasionally lent money. She had always paid him back. She was really at the end of her rope... She would exchange the feng shui ornament for a ticket. If not, she would ask for a loan. He had to solve.

He entered the small, crowded shop.

-- What a beautiful thing has arrived in my store today," exclaimed the old man by way of greeting.

She placed the yuan bao in the middle of the knick-knacks and pots.

-- It is not made of plastic or glass," she asked.

The old man took it and bit it.

-- I don't know. Who gave it to him?

--It's a crazy story.

-- Well, I don't know. Let me try something.

The old man bit it, then rubbed it against an unglazed ceramic and saw the marks, took it from a bottle and with an eyedropper dropped two drops.

-- It is nitric acid," he said, placing the small piece on a steel plate.

She saw and told him.

--Nothing happened.

-- That's right," said the old man.

-- Then... It is glass?

The old man, without answering her, placed the piece on a scale, filled a small container with water and announced...

-- This my precious girl is 24 karat gold. It weighs 37 grams and is worth 16,000 Hong Kong dollars.

-What the...?

-- What you hear. I don't have that kind of money. I'll give you 5000 Hong Kong dollars. Come tomorrow and I will give you the rest of the money.

Kathy was stunned. Dizzy. Almost immediately she remembered the leather bag. There were about 100 bars... maybe more...

III

25 minutes later she was choking on a giant hamburger and a family coke, while waiting for a take-out pizza. Then she ended up arriving in a cab that dropped her off near her house and stormed into her small apartment.

A while later he took a very hot shower, using the heater at full blast... And slept peacefully for the first time in a long time...