Leaving the city

" Where are we going to go now, Sister Yenay?" Xua Ying Yue asked as she turned to her sister who just walked out of the second-hand shop where they sold most of their goods. Since they were moving without an apartment or job secured, it would be foolish to bring so many things with them and in her sister's eyes, the things that were touched by the men of Lu Qin Yaozu were simply tainted and supposed to be thrown into trash never to be used.

Xua Yenay counted the bills that she got from the shop where she sold all their goods except a heater to keep their bodies warm in this cold weather. She turned to her right to look at her sister who was sitting on the small stool that was sitting outside the shop and then replied in a soft voice, " I think we should go to the M city, it is still developing but there is a very good university that you can attend. I heard from Mrs Chou who lived next to our apartment that the University of the M city offers a lot of opportunities to those who want to go into the field of literature."

There was no response from Xua Ying Yue but Xua Yenay was not discouraged, she was certain that as long as she tried to keep her sister busy, the latter will give up on her intentions of going after those kids who made her life hell and snatched her hard work.

Even though it was unfair but they could not stay in the past without moving on to the future. Her sister was intelligent enough to create a masterpiece in literature when she was this young, surely she can create another masterpiece when she grows up and the skills learned from the university will only help her polish her skills even more.

What Xua Yenay did not know was that Xua Ying Yue's life slowed down the very same day when she saw her hands getting burned in the fire of the furnace and came to a complete halt when Gong Shuang stood at the edge of the railings wanting to jump down off the building and die.

"Let's go," not knowing what was going on in the head of her sister Xua Yenay spoke to her. " I need to resign from my job at the restaurant," now that they were moving from the city, Xua Yenay could no longer work in the restaurant where she had been working for so many years.

Xua Ying Yue nodded as she jumped off the stool where she was sitting and then followed her sister who was heading towards the small restaurant that was owned by Madam Lin. The restaurant was not far from the apartment building where they lived, it was a small building that was located in the back alley, with a wooden sliding door and a couple of dirty and old wooden table chairs with a handful of customers.

Xua Ying Yue had never been inside this restaurant before, though she came to get her sister once in a while when it was raining but because the restaurant sold barbecued meat, the customers were mostly drunken men which was why she was never allowed inside the restaurant but now that it was early afternoon, there were not many customers inside the restaurant building and thus Xua Ying Yue walked right inside the small room with her sister.

" Madam Lin," Xua Yenay greeted the elder lady who was dressed in wide pants with a shirt and an apron tied around her strong waist, she was crouching under a table when she heard Xua Yenay's voice and pulled back before straightening up and looking at the two sisters.

" Yenay? What are you doing here?" The elderly woman with a stern-looking face looked down at her watch and then glanced up at Xua Yenay again before saying, "It's not the time of your shift? Did you exchange it with Mo again? I told you are too nice that girl is taking advantage of your kind attitude."

At that very moment, the sliding door was pushed open again and this time another woman walked out she looked at the elderly woman and said in a whiny sort of voice, " You are wronging me without even knowing the whole story, Boss! I did not change my shifts with sister Yenay!" As the woman spoke she turned to look at Xua Yenay and then asked, " Did I sister Yenay?"

Xua Yenay looked at the childish girl who was looking at her with a pout and smiled before raising her hand and patting Li Mo's head. " Boss, she did not exchange her shifts with me, I am here because…. Uh, I want to resign."

Her words caused Li Mo to gape at her while Madam Lin frowned, her gaze fell on Xua Ying Yue and then at her bandaged hands before she asked, " You want to resign? Are you sure?"

" Are you resigning because of me, sister Yenay?" Li Mo spoke up in a troubled sort of voice before she turned to look at Xua Yenay and then held her hands. " I will never change shifts with you again, please stay here!"

" Li Mo, stay here with the little girl," Boss Lin however ignored Li Mo's whining and then turned to Xua Yenay as she pointed to the back room. " Yenay, you come with me."

Li Mo pouted as she turned to look at Xua Ying Yue, she walked to where Xua Ying Yue was standing and then smiled at her with a sweet expression and then said, " Little girl, do you want to ice cream?"

Xua Ying Yue raised her head and looked at Li Mo with a speechless expression before she shook her head. Did she look like she was a kid? She was seventeen and soon she was going to be an adult, what was with them treating her like a little girl? She was sure that Li Mo was not any older than her!