บท 9: GOING BACK TO CHINA (PART 9)

Two days had passed and Xue Lin still hadn't eaten anything. At night when everyone was asleep, she tried to open the door but the door was locked. They would call her three times throughout the day to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner and unlock her door. But she had no interest in seeing their faces let alone eat with them. She had only drank two bottles of water.

'I can't take this anymore.' Xue Lin thought. She was at her limit. Her stomach was crying non-stop and she was losing her strength.

It was already midnight. Xue Lin walked over to the balcony and her eyes traveled around carefully. When she peered down, she saw window shades. In between the window shades and her balcony, there was a pipe.

Xue Lin smirked. 'It will be easier than I thought.' She stayed up all night and endured her stomach's crying and pleading.

The next morning, she changed her clothes, covered her bruises with a concealer, and went to the balcony. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her from the neighborhood. When she concluded that no one was around, she took off and used the pipe to climb down. If she would ever slip, she could use the window shade to balance herself. It was a good thing that she brought her sneakers with her from Italy. It helped her out this time.

Her palms had gotten scratched but she didn't flinch. She endured the pain by gritting her teeth and continuing downwards. After reaching the ground, she didn't bother to look around and slipped out of the area.

It was seven in the morning. Many people were out for a morning walk. There were some old men with their dogs. Middle-aged women were watering their garden. Three high school girls were in uniform talking to themselves. They were talking about something excitedly and were giggling softly. One high school boy was riding on a bicycle. The sky was clear and white clouds floated. Birds were chirping as they welcomed a new day.

If it was another time, Xue Lin would have enjoyed the serenity of her old neighborhood. But she had to look for the closest restaurant or convenience store.

Growl!

Her stomach cried out again.

A middle-aged man was reading the newspaper whilst sitting on the bench. He looked up from his paper to search for the source of the sound. Seeing her rubbing her stomach, he gave her a friendly smile. "Young lady, good morning. Have you not eaten yet? Would you like a warm breakfast? Kids your age should eat properly to be strong!"

'He probably thinks I'm a middle school student.' She thought. By her appearance, anyone would think the same. Her height was short. She was wearing a pink Pikachu t-shirt, white shorts, and white sneakers. Her hair was tied with two braids. There was a pink backpack on her back and round glasses on her face. She looked nerdy that any middle-aged person would admire.

Seeing that she didn't answer him, he said, "I've a small restaurant at the end of the lane. Would you join me before you go to school? Studying with an empty stomach isn't good. If you don't have enough money it's alright."

Xue Lin nodded. She didn't feel like talking to a stranger and she had an empty stomach that made her even more unwilling to open her mouth.

The middle-aged man took her nod as a positive answer. He folded the newspaper and stood up. He walked slowly. Xue Lin followed him. After going a few meters, the man paused and looked behind him. "Oh, you are still here. I couldn't hear our footsteps. So, I thought you already left."

Xue Lin didn't reply. She was being cautious. This man approached her even though she was being unfriendly. She doubted that he had an ulterior motive. If he tried to do anything, she would run away.

Just as he said, his shop was at the end of the lane. It was a small street shop. He opened it, wore an apron, and started chopping the vegetables. "It won't take much time."

And he was also correct this time. Fifteen minutes later, Xue Lin got herself a bowl of noodles with vegetables and two halves of an egg. Steam was lifting from the noodles and disturbed her nostrils. The smell of the food almost made her drool.

Xue Lin took the chopsticks, blew the noodles and took it in her mouth. "Mm!" Her eyes sparkled with a thousand stars. It was delicious.

"Do you like it? Haha! I'm glad." The middle-aged man smiled.

Xue Lin was thinking about how noodles could be so delicious. She was carefully looking at the way he was cooking. She wanted to make sure he wasn't adding anything suspicious. But he used usual ingredients. She couldn't think anymore. She tasted the wonderful broth with closed eyes.