Gan Lan found a shady spot, set down the temperature-controlled box along with her folding table and chairs, and plopped herself straight onto the ground. She fanned herself with her hand, then popped open the temperature-controlled box, pulled out an ice-cold beer, and took a long, deep swig.
Ice-cold, soul-refreshing — the chill spread through her from head to toe, and she finally felt human again. She set the beer down and kneaded her stiff calf muscles. She hadn’t walked this much in ages; her feet were absolutely killing her.
She didn’t actually like beer, but right now her options were plain water or beer, and the water wasn’t cold while the beer was. So when she felt like she was about to combust from the heat, the choice was obvious — cold wins, even if it tastes a little bitter. It was ice-cold, and that was all that mattered.
Once she’d recovered a bit, her stomach decided to chime in with its own complaints. Gan Lan got up, unfolded the table and set up the chairs, then glanced up at the Flying Cars zipping overhead one after another. She scanned the area around her — and finally, there was a living, breathing human being.
She looked around again. Just the one. Gan Lan was at a loss for words. What kind of irresponsible parents just left a little girl out here alone?
She jogged over and crouched down in front of the girl, who was happily playing in the sand.
"Hey, little one — why are you all by yourself out here? Where’s your family?" she asked, keeping her voice soft and gentle.
"They’re at home. I just snuck out to play for a bit. I’ll go back soon." The little girl wasn’t the least bit shy, her voice small and sweet like sticky rice cake.
"Who are you, big sis? I’ve never seen you before." The little girl looked up at Gan Lan with wide, curious eyes, pressing her lips together in the most adorable way.
Gan Lan’s heart nearly melted on the spot. She automatically broke into the world’s most doting auntie smile and very nearly reached out to pinch those chubby little cheeks — but somehow managed to restrain herself.
"I just got here yesterday. Have you seen many people around? Because right now you’re literally the only person I can see, besides myself. And how are your family okay with leaving you out here alone?" Gan Lan wiggled her tingling foot and patiently worked on fishing for information.
The little girl shook her head and pointed in a direction just above where Gan Lan was standing. "They can see me from there."
Gan Lan followed the direction the girl was pointing and spotted several surveillance drones zipping back and forth nearby. She’d been so focused on the little girl that she hadn’t even noticed them before.
On a sudden whim, she flashed a big, bright smile at the drone above her and gave it an enthusiastic wave — then immediately scooped up the little girl and broke into a full sprint.
Mid-run, Gan Lan glanced down at the little girl in her arms and got a bad feeling.
Wasn’t she supposed to be wailing and struggling like crazy right about now? Why was she so calm? Her little lips were even curling up at the corners!
And the surveillance drones weren’t reacting either — they just followed along with Gan Lan’s footsteps, not a single warning sound to be heard. Gan Lan felt a little defeated. This made no sense. Wouldn’t any normal parent see their kid getting snatched up and sprinted off with and immediately panic, call the police, come running after them?
Gan Lan slowed to a walk, strolled back over to her little setup, set the girl down on one of the folding chairs, then unfolded another one for herself and collapsed into it, shaking out her arms and legs.
The distance she’d walked today was probably more than everything she’d walked combined during her entire time at school. This body was seriously out of shape.
The little girl was light, sure, but carrying her for that long — and then sprinting with her — had left Gan Lan’s arms genuinely aching.
She’d assumed the family would come rushing over, but several minutes had passed without a single person showing up. At this point she’d even take a cop stopping by for a chat — at least she could’ve slipped in a plug for her spicy Ugly Shrimp.
She poured a cup of water for the little girl, then took a sip of her ice-cold beer and clinked the bottle against the girl’s cup. Might as well call it a toast — to her very first failed attempt at doing business.
After all, she’d pulled that stunt at the risk of getting hauled off to jail, and all she got in return was mocked by a bunch of emotionless surveillance drones.
Gan Lan was feeling pretty deflated — and hungry. Better eat first, then figure out the whole business plan thing.
She opened the temperature-controlled box and pulled out a big basin of spicy Ugly Shrimp, then scooped herself a bowl of rice. One whiff of that aroma and she instantly perked up, all her woes momentarily forgotten.
"Big sis, isn’t that the ugly-ugly shrimp? Why are you eating that?" The little girl gave Gan Lan a pitying sidelong glance, her tiny nose twitching.
Adorable as ever — except for those eyes. That look was infuriating. Was eating Ugly Shrimp supposed to be something to feel sorry about?!
"Only really, really poor people around here catch those to eat. Big sis, are you really poor?" The little girl watched Gan Lan’s chopstick hand freeze in midair, then took a dainty little sip of her water.
So cute to look at, with that soft little voice — but the words that came out of her mouth were absolutely ruthless.
Gan Lan smiled through the pain. "Yep, big sis is super duper incredibly poor. The only thing I can afford is the ugly-ugly shrimp, because it’s free. Want to give it a try?"
Gan Lan peeled a shrimp with her bare hands, dipped it in the sauce, and took a massive bite. The second it hit her tongue her whole body shuddered — the numbing, fiery, toe-curling heat was something else entirely. Her expression shifted instantly into pure bliss. It was a touch too spicy and numbing for a child, but for her? Absolutely perfect.
She chewed, swallowed, shoveled in a big mouthful of rice, then went back for another hefty piece of Ugly Shrimp, washing it all down with a sip of ice-cold beer. Who knew spicy Ugly Shrimp and rice were such a killer combo? And oh — chasing it with that cold, frosty beer? Absolutely unreal.
She was so deep in food paradise that she completely missed the little girl quietly getting up and creeping over to her side. A small hand tugged at her sleeve. "Big sis," she said, her expression all wounded and pitiful, "I want some too."
"It’s too spicy for kids," Gan Lan replied, not even looking up, still peeling shrimp.
Then she heard the little girl sniffle, and her heart did a small, alarmed lurch. Oh no. Was she about to cry?
She spun around — and sure enough, the waterworks were incoming. The little girl’s eyes were already going red, her mouth starting to open, winding up for what was about to be a full-on—
"Okay okay okay! Big sis is already peeling some for you right now, don’t cry, almost done, almost done!" Gan Lan babbled quickly, fingers working double time on the shrimp.
The little girl heard her, and the half-open mouth snapped shut. She burst into a grin instead, tears already forgotten. "Thank you, big sis!" Then she toddled back to her seat and sat there quietly, waiting like a perfect little angel.
Gan Lan: "..." A child’s face is like the weather in June — it changes in the blink of an eye. The old saying really did nail it.
She hadn’t expected her very first customer to be a little kid. And not just any little kid — one she had to wait on hand and foot, for free...
Gan Lan poured a cup of water and rinsed the shrimp meat in it. It would still have some heat, but nowhere near as much — though it would dull the flavor a little.
She got out a small bowl especially for the little girl. "Here, eat up. Feed yourself, okay? If it’s too spicy, drink water." She pushed the clean cup of water closer to her.
The little girl thanked her sweetly, then mimicked Gan Lan and grabbed a big piece of Ugly Shrimp meat with her bare hand and popped it straight into her mouth.
Gan Lan watched in real-time horror as the girl grabbed the shrimp from the dirty end — the rest of that piece was now contaminated. What a waste.
The moment it hit the little girl’s tongue, her whole body gave a violent shudder. The look on her face — desperately wanting to spit it out but refusing to — was absolutely priceless.