Chi Lu rushed down the stairs and dashed out of the house, not looking back, not knowing that someone saw her leaving without the child.
Julia, who was able to pack all her stuff before the fire spread towards her house, called a few men to help her load it into a run-down tractor her husband owned a few years ago while leaving the trusted baker neighbor to watch over her stuff.
Wanting to go and pick up some stuff at her friend's place as the fire hasn't reached there,
She saw Chi Lu running away with some boxes but couldn't find the little girl with her; she had a bad feeling about this.
So she rushed towards Chi Lu and pulled her harshly towards herself.
Seeing who pulled her, Chi Lu freed herself from Julia harshly and asked what was wrong with her, as she didn't expect anyone to stop her.
Where's Ji Ah? Where did you leave that girl in this chaos? What did you do to her? Asked Julia angrily.
Hearing the commotion amidst the chaos, the neighbors looked on to see what was wrong.
Seeing the attention Julia drew towards her, Chi Lu angrily answered, What concerns you with what I do to my daughter? I can do anything I want to do with my daughter, and you can't do anything about it.
Before Chi Lu could finish her words, Julia slapped her harshly and pulled her hair also.
How could you leave your daughter alone? Where did you leave her? Asked Julia as she pulled her hair more harshly.
Hearing the question Julia asked Chi Lu, the neighbors began to wonder where Chi Lu left her, as no one knew the little, cute, but slightly malnourished girl; they all loved her and would give her little food to eat from time to time. A few women came out to help Julia hit Chi Lu if she didn't talk.
Knowing the situation was about to get out of hand, Chi Lu hurriedly confessed, as she saw that the whole building was completely on fire, knowing no one could save the girl again. Hearing what she just said, the neighbors looked at her in disbelief and began to wonder how could a woman treat her child like that, how could a woman abandon her child in a burning building.
Not knowing what to do about this devilish woman, Julia hurriedly asked her for the key and begged some men in their neighborhood to please help her save the girl.
The whole neighborhood began to help, the women going to fetch some water and the men picking some bed sheets from their stuff.
They soaked the bed sheets in the water the women brought and used it to cover themselves, with Julia taking one and using it to cover herself too.
Seeing as the whole neighborhood was busy trying to save the little bitchy girl, Chi Lu used that opportunity to run away.
The women poured the water on the house to cool it down a bit while the men and Julia rushed into the building straight towards Chi Lu's apartment.
Julia hurriedly opened the door and stepped inside with the men. They all looked at the whole house, which was surrounded in fire. Julia entered, not stopping at all, as she searched around looking for the young girl.
Ji-ah, Ji-ah, where are you? Said Julia and the other men as they continued their search for her.
They looked around but couldn't find her. Not being able to find her and seeing as the fire was spreading fast, the men decided to give up and go out, thinking Chi Lu must have taken the girl out and abandoned her in a place, or the girl must have found a way to escape.
They each took turns moving out of the house, with Julia being at the end of the lane.
They each walked out of the door one by one, as the door was quite small.
The men moved out until it was Julia's turn; before Julia could step out, she heard whimpers. Stopping in her tracks, she called back the men and told them what she heard. They all didn't believe her, but what if she was right, and the girl was still inside? Wouldn't that count as doing a good deed? And besides, the girl was still quite young; her life shouldn't end like that.
They all thought to themselves before going back to check once more.