The Alley Was Always This Long – Chapter 4
by Little PandaSpending Money
Wealthy and imposing.
[Gelato isnβt as delicious as Wawatou ice cream1.
Sea cucumber isnβt as delicious as liangpi.2
This is Cheng Xiangβs greatest realization after becoming rich.]
Cheng Xiang returned to her room, wrapped her arms around herself, and spun in circles like an ostrich.
Calm down. The most pressing matter right now was to stay calm. Even if the sea cucumber she had just swallowed seemed to be making her run hotβwhy were all health tonics so heat-inducing?
The first thing she needed to figure out was whether the person known as Cheng Xiang even existed in this world anymore.
Knowing Director Maβs personality, after her accident, she definitely would have informed everyone connected to her and invited them to the funeral.
She had just checked the date: December 18. Exactly the day after her accident. No matter how cold and heartless Tao Tianran might be, she wouldnβt remain completely indifferent on the very day following her accident, right?
So did that mean she simply didnβt exist in this world?
A chill crept over Cheng Xiangβs skin. She grabbed a lightweight coat off the hanger. In the living room, Zhuwei saw her. βAre you going out?β
βYeah, I have something to take care of,β Cheng Xiang replied absentmindedly.
Zhuwei pulled a set of car keys from her handbag and handed them over. βTake my car. Drop it off for a service while youβre at it. Youβre fully grown now; itβs about time you remembered to help out around the house.β
Cheng Xiang initially wanted to decline, but feeling she had already acted suspiciously enough, she took the keys.
The moment she stepped outside, the biting winter wind blew her straight into Zhuweiβs Mercedes-Benz.
Mother of God, it was cold! Did rich people always dress so sparsely? She tugged at the excessively thin cashmere coat draped over her shoulders. It was purely for show; it didnβt block the cold in the slightest.
If she had to wear an outfit like this to take the subway, sheβd be terrified of freezing to death at the intersection.
Cheng Xiang used to have a driverβs license, but she was entirely a βlicense-in-book-only3β driver.
The only vehicle her family owned was Director Maβs old electric scooter. After the news reported several incidents of e-bike batteries spontaneously combusting, Director Ma learned a painful lesson and decided to start with herself: she scrapped the scooter, then tirelessly nagged the neighbors to prioritize safety if they used electric bikes.
This was the first time Cheng Xiang had driven in over a year since graduating from driving school.
She drove shakily, filled with extreme caution.
When an old man pedaling a tricycle with a load of roasted sweet potatoes came up behind her, she flinched in fright, wishing she could drive even slower than he was pedaling. If this were on Little Green River4, people would definitely question her: Is this a bus heading to kindergarten5?
Ahem, she was getting sidetracked.
When Cheng Xiang came to a trembling halt at a red light, she looked at the accumulated snow by the roadside.
The first snow of the winter had fallen heavily throughout the night, only finally ceasing this afternoon. Cheng Xiang remembered that when Tao Tianran had entered the house and taken off her suit jacket earlier, her shoulders were still dotted with white flakes.
It was a snow just like this, making the roads suddenly slick and treacherous, that had claimed Cheng Xiangβs life.
She drove to the entrance of the alleyway, locked the car, and walked inside. Instantly, the cold turned the tip of her nose red.
As she reached the entrance of the courtyard house, however, she abruptly stopped.
Because she saw them: Director Ma and Deputy Director Cheng. The two elders were standing by the courtyard gate, gesturing as they measured out a pair of spring couplets.
It was only Decemberβwhy were they putting up spring couplets? Moreover, the two of them looked positively radiant with holiday cheer, not at all like parents who had just lost their beloved daughter yesterday.
Did this world truly not have a Cheng Xiang? Goosebumps rose along Cheng Xiangβs forearms.
She knew her past self had a thousand flaws.
Hesitant, overcautious, untalented, unemployed, and a shut-in. Parentheses: and a picky eater.
But that was still her.
The her who had loved Tao Tianran fiercely and passionately for many years.
She hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward. βExcuse meβ¦β
So annoying! She hadnβt prepared a mental script at all. She had simply looked at the graying hair at Director Maβs temples and found herself drawn over uncontrollably.
Standing there with her mouth open, she felt a bit like a silly, bloated pufferfish. Maybe Iβll just ask Director Ma, βExcuse me, where can I buy the weird-flavored Little Raccoon crispy noodles6, please note it absolutely must be the weird flavor.β
Director Ma looked at her and suddenly burst into tears.
Cheng Xiangβs question about the crispy noodles died on her lips; her heart skipped a beat.
Beside her, Deputy Director Cheng patted his wifeβs back. βMiss, Iβm sorry.β
Cheng Xiang looked at him.
βHow old are you? About twenty-five?β
Cheng Xiang nodded.
Deputy Director Cheng offered her a sad smile. βMy daughter passed away at this time a year ago. My wife canβt bear seeing girls your age. Iβm sorry, Iβm truly sorry.β
Director Ma shoved her husbandβs arm. βWhy bring that up? Didnβt we agree not to think about it anymore?β
βRight, right, weβre not thinking about it.β
Deputy Director Cheng turned back and resumed measuring the couplets alongside Director Ma.
Cheng Xiang stood behind them, gazing at the black calligraphy brushed across the red, gold-flecked paper:
γSpring descends upon the earth, a hundred flowers bloom in vivid huesγ
γThe festival arrives in the human realm, ten thousand things are made anewγ
Pfft, so tacky.
It was as if they had mustered every ounce of their strength to live a vibrant, unregretful life, starting their New Year preparations in December.
Watching a lock of Director Maβs graying hair lift in the cold wind, Cheng Xiangβs lips parted. She called out, βMomβ¦β
Instantly, Cheng Xiang felt herself drift. It felt like a plunging elevatorβa sudden, overwhelming rush of weightlessness, as if her soul could no longer cling to this body.
Cheng Xiang realized something in that moment: she couldnβt say it.
She couldnβt say she was Cheng Xiang. That split second alone had left her stomach churning with nausea. She reached out to steady herself against the courtyard wall, a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead.
A crystal-clear thought bloomed in her mind, as if implanted by some unseen force: if she forcefully tried to speak the truth, she would pass out at best, and at worst⦠she would die.
Deputy Director Cheng reached out to support her. βMiss, whatβs wrong? Low blood sugar?β
When she had weakly breathed out that βMom,β Director Ma had looked back at her.
She stared at the white at Director Maβs temples.
Whyβ¦ wasnβt she dyeing her hair anymore? Director Ma used to hate having white hair more than anything.
Cheng Xiang opened her mouth and changed her previous βMomβ to: βDirector Ma, Deputy Director Cheng.β
The tiny spark of warmth deep in Director Maβs eyes wavered. Without a word, she turned back to adjust the spring couplets.
βIβm a friend of Cheng Xiangβs.β
βYou are not welcome here,β Director Ma said, shifting the coupletβs position.
βMiss, Iβm sorry, but you really arenβt welcome here,β Deputy Director Cheng explained gently. βWeβ¦ we donβt wish to be reminded of Xiao Xiang anymore.β
Hearing the words βXiao Xiangβ again felt like a lifetime had passed.
Cheng Xiang sniffled and nodded. βI understand. But itβs like thisβcould you give me a bank account number? I owe Cheng Xiang a sum of money from before. Iβll transfer it to you in installments.β
βHow much do you owe?β
Uh, Cheng Xiang thought about how much she could afford in her current capacity as Yu Yusheng. Eldest Miss Yu looked like a young, successful elite. If she worked hard and slaved away to make money in the futureβ¦
It just hurt her heart too much to look at her parents like this. They had finally managed to raise a daughter, only for her to be gone in an instant.
She licked her lips and offered a conservative number: βFourβ¦ four or five hundred thousand?β
Deputy Director Cheng stared blankly.
Cheng Xiang felt she had aimed too low and quickly corrected herself: βEightβ¦ eight or nine hundred thousand? Sigh, Iβll work hard to round it up, a million might be possible.β
Deputy Director Cheng pulled her aside and lowered his voice. βTell me the truth. Did Xiao Xiang get involved in a pig-butchering scam7?β
βWhat pig-butchering scam!β Director Maβs loud voice rang out. βYou still donβt trust your own daughter? With her flat figure, sheβd never make the cut to be a sexy live-dealer dealing cards online!β
Heh, spoken like a true mother.
Cheng Xiang couldnβt help but laugh out of sheer exasperation. βAnyway, just give me a bank account number.β
βGive it to her,β Director Ma said.
Cheng Xiang looked over.
Director Ma folded up the couplet and sniffled. βYou just came to ask for a bank account number, didnβt you? Once I give it to you, donβt ever come back here again.β
Cheng Xiang walked back toward the mouth of the alley step by step.
Mother of God, the weather was brutally cold. The tip of her nose ached. She looked at the ash-gray remnants of snow piled beneath a telephone pole and remembered how she used to light fireworks here as a child, stuffing rapid-fire firecrackers inside. The small, sharp cracks never echoed past the low walls of the hutong.
Sigh, her past life had truly been a failure. She earned so little and had never sent her parents any money, to the point where she didnβt even have their bank account number memorized.
Cheng Xiang returned to the Mercedes and blew hot breath over her frozen fingers again and again.
Basking in the heater, she opened her phone. First, she checked the time, realizing that earlier she had only glanced at the date without noticing the traditional sexagenary cycle8. A full year had already passed since her death.
Then she logged into her mobile banking app with facial recognition and glanced at her account balance.
Instantly, her eyes went as wide as saucers: How many zeros is that?!
She rubbed her eyes and counted again.
She had been way too conservative! Cheng Xiang slammed a hand against the steering wheel. She felt like a poor mountain villager who fantasized about striking it rich just so she could chop firewood with a golden axe. If she had known she was so capable of earning money in this life, she would have offered her parents a much higher number!
She drove straight to the CBD mall.
In the past, she and Qin Ziqiao never dared to casually wander in here. If they did, they had to βdress upβ in their most expensive clothes, carefully open the orange app9 to buy a group-discount ice cream voucher, and split a two-scoop serving of Gelato that cost nearly a hundred yuan.
Then they would quietly ask each other, βDo you think this is as good as Wawatou?β
βI donβt think so.β
But now, clutching her designer handbag, she marched into the mall with an exaggerated, triumphant stride.
Yu Yushengβs low-heeled boots were perfect for marching. The people passing by cast sidelong glances at herβsurely because she was such a stunning beauty. Yes, absolutely!
Cheng Xiang marched her way right up to the premium health tonics counter. βI want a box of sea cucumbers. The best quality you have.β
βCertainly, maβam. We can only take WeChat Pay, Alipay isnβt working at the moment. Is that alright?β
βWhatever,β Cheng Xiang said, exuding the bold arrogance of the ultra-rich.
Carrying the gift bag tied with a beautiful ribbon, Cheng Xiang felt that just leaving like this wasnβt satisfying enough.
She stood under the mall corridor and called Qin Ziqiao. βCome here, Iβll tell you a secret about Cheng Xiang.β
Cheng Xiang knew Qin Ziqiaoβs phone number by heart.
She still remembered the massive argument they had in junior high because she had eaten lunch with some other girls in their class and Qin Ziqiao had gotten jealous. She had thought Qin Ziqiao was being petty, and in a fit of rage, they deleted each otherβs numbers. After two days and nine hours of a severed friendshipβduring which she had typed out Qin Ziqiaoβs number countless times but held back from callingβQin Ziqiao finally called her, and the two made up, crying together over the phone.
Thinking back on it now⦠they were completely neurotic.
Qin Ziqiao arrived shortly after, looking at her with a face full of suspicion. Her normally cool, single-creased eyelids were swollen. It was obvious she had been crying yesterday, on the anniversary of Cheng Xiangβs death.
Her tone wasnβt particularly friendly. βWho are you?β
βYu Yusheng.β Cheng Xiang had checked her handbag earlier and found no business cards for Yu Yusheng, so she pulled up her WeChat QR code and held it out to Qin Ziqiao. βAdd me. Scroll through my moments and youβll see Iβm not a scammer.β
Still deeply suspicious, Qin Ziqiao added her.
She asked, βWhat do you know about Xiao Xiang?β
Cheng Xiang repeated the same excuse. βI owed her some money.β
βHow much?β
Cheng Xiang grabbed Qin Ziqiaoβs wrist. βCome with me.β
She dragged Qin Ziqiao to a luxury boutiqueβ¦ or rather, right next to one, pointing at an outdoor backpack in a display case. βWrap this up.β
βRight away.β
Cheng Xiang swiped her card to pay, then shoved the packaged paper bag into Qin Ziqiaoβs arms. βA gift for you.β
βDonβt.β Qin Ziqiao jumped back three feet. βWhy are you giving me a bag? Itβs expensive, and I donβt even know you.β
βDidnβt I tell you? Itβs the money I owe Cheng Xiang.β Internally, Cheng Xiang thought, Just wait until I make my own money later on. We wonβt even detour around the luxury boutiquesβIβll march right in and buy you the most expensive thing they have.
Qin Ziqiao asked the exact same question Deputy Director Cheng had. βDid she get involved in a pig-butchering scam? She couldnβt have, right? After all, sheβ¦β
Cheng Xiangβs brow twitched. She raised a hand and rubbed away the tension gathering between her eyes.
She could perfectly guess what her best friend had swallowed back and left unsaid.
What else could she say? Say that an excellent girl like her only had an A-cup!
Cheng Xiang told Qin Ziqiao, βTake the bag. Donβt you really need an outdoor backpack like this for your work at the zoo?β
Qin Ziqiao stared hard at Cheng Xiang. βDid you really know Xiao Xiang? She told you about me?β
βYeah.β Cheng Xiang started walking out of the store. Her chest felt terribly tight. She was so sad she wanted to be endlessly kind to everyone who mourned for Cheng Xiang. Iβm sorry, Eldest Miss Yu, even though I donβt know where the real you went, I didnβt intend to touch your savings. I promise Iβll work hard to pay you back in the future.
βWhat did she say about me?β
Cheng Xiang stopped at the Gelato counter, turning her head back to Qin Ziqiao. βWhat flavor do you want? Mint?β
She remembered Qin Ziqiao saying she wanted to try the mint flavor. But mint wasnβt included in the group discounts, so they had never gotten to try it.
βSo what did Xiao Xiang actually say about me?β Qin Ziqiao absently lowered her eyes to the ice cream Cheng Xiang handed over, then jumped in shock. βWhoa, itβs huge! How many scoops is this?β
βEat!β Cheng Xiang licked a bit of stray ice cream off her finger.
βIn the dead of winterβ¦β
βIf you get a stomachache, Iβll buy you medicine!β
Qin Ziqiao: β¦
Qin Ziqiao put a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. The two sat in silence at a round glass table beside the counter. Suddenly, Qin Ziqiao bit down on her spoon and smiled. βItβs been a long time since anyone brought up Xiao Xiang to me. Did you know? Xiao Xiang used to be pretty popular. Everyone called her Xiangzi this, Xiangzi that. It seemed like she was incredibly close with them all.β
βBut,β Qin Ziqiaoβs lips curled into a bitter smile, βas soon as she was gone, no one ever mentioned her again. I know why those people hung around her. They thought she was stupid. They treated her like an easy mark.β
Cheng Xiang stared blankly.
Right now, wearing Yu Yushengβs faceβlanguid, charming, and stunningly beautifulβshe wasnβt really suited to making an expression like a dumbfounded fancy rat.
Qin Ziqiao tapped her fingertip against the glass table. βSo what did she say about me?β
βShe saidβ¦β Cheng Xiang parted lips as soft as flower petals.
Saying βshe said you were her best friendβ felt far too melodramatic. Cheng Xiang couldnβt bring herself to voice it. Instead, she curled her lips into a smile and said, βShe saidβ¦ she really missed you.β
Qin Ziqiao stared blankly at Cheng Xiang for two seconds, and then large, heavy tears began to fall.
It startled Cheng Xiang. She quickly waved at the store employees who were peeking over. βItβs fine, itβs fine! Your ice cream is just too delicious, she was moved to tears by it!β
βDonβt cry.β Cheng Xiang didnβt know how else to comfort Qin Ziqiao. βHow aboutβ¦ I buy you another bag?β
Qin Ziqiao looked at her through tear-blurred eyes. βTell me the truth, was Xiao Xiang really involved in a pig-butchering scam?!β
Leaving the mall, Cheng Xiang asked Qin Ziqiao, βCould you do me a favor?β
βWhat?β Qin Ziqiaoβs voice was still thick with emotion, her single-creased eyelids even puffier now.
Cheng Xiang drove Qin Ziqiao to the neighborhood near her old vegetable market. βCould you go buy a bowl of liangpi for me?β
Qin Ziqiao looked at her with an expression that clearly said: You rich people have perfectly good foie gras to eat, why are your tastes so bizarre?
The evening sun was sinking in the west. When Deputy Director Cheng came out to take out the trash, he saw a delicate, exquisite paper bag leaning against the chipped red paint of the wooden gateβa sight utterly incongruous with the surroundings.
He opened it and jumped in surprise. βWhatβs this? Sea cucumber? Oh my, Iβve never had this before.β
Director Ma followed him out, picking up the plastic container of liangpi tucked beside the bag. βThereβs this too. Didnβt you keep complaining that you wanted to eat liangpi ever since the northern heating turned on and made everything so dry?β
βWas this dropped off by that girl from earlier?β Deputy Director Cheng clicked his tongue. βWe didnβt even ask her what her name was.β
Snowflakes began to drift down once more. This yearβs first snow had arrived at the exact same time as last yearβs, masking the half-broken sun on the horizon.
Footnotes
- WΓ‘watΓ³u (literally 'doll head') is a classic, inexpensive Chinese ice cream shaped like a smiling face, heavily nostalgic for children who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s.
- LiΓ‘ngpΓ (cold skin noodles) is a popular, inexpensive street food made from cold, chewy wheat or rice noodles tossed with chili oil, vinegar, and julienned cucumber.
- A 'bΔnbΔnzΓΊ' (literally 'book-only tribe') is Chinese slang for someone who has a driver's license but lacks actual driving experience, meaning their license is just a useless booklet.
- A playful nickname for Jinjiang Literature City, a major Chinese webnovel platform. Readers there are known for their strict and vocal critiques.
- Internet slang. Usually, 'a car not bound for kindergarten' refers to a conversation steering toward explicit or adult topics. Here, Cheng Xiang was making a self-deprecating joke about her overly cautious, childishly slow driving speed.
- A nostalgic brand of dry snack noodles extremely popular among Chinese schoolchildren. They were meant to be crushed in the bag, shaken with seasoning powder, and eaten dry.
- A 'pig-butchering scam' (shΔzhΕ«pΓ‘n) is a type of long-term online fraud where the scammer builds a romantic or friendly relationship with the victim (fattening the 'pig') before convincing them to invest in fraudulent schemes (the 'slaughter').
- The traditional Chinese sexagenary cycle (gΔnzhΔ«), a method of reckoning time that uses a sixty-year cycle of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Cheng Xiang had only looked at the month and day, completely misreading the traditional year marker.
- A reference to major Chinese e-commerce and lifestyle apps (like Taobao or Dianping), which famously use orange in their logos.
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