Chapter 6: This Ghostly Place is Absolutely Unlivable!
She couldn’t eat anything, but she could drink water. Jiang Xiaoyuan chugged down a whole bottle of ice-cold mineral water in one breath, wishing she could turn into a funnel and gulp down rivers and lakes.
The female driver thought that the taste a female ghost’s blood like Jiang Xiaoyuan wouldn’t have such a bland taste, so she slightly relaxed and asked with her eyes wide open, occupying half of her face, “Why are you walking alone in the middle of the night? Did you run into bad people?”
A heavy pot of water sloshed in Jiang Xiaoyuan’s stomach, pressing her departing soul back into her body. Her numb and drowsy mind gradually cleared up. She finally realized that this driver sister’s hygiene was worrying, and she had bad breath.
In the cramped driver’s cabin, every word the driver spoke seemed to hit Jiang Xiaoyuan’s face, causing her face to twitch imperceptibly. Her weakened digestive system also rebelled and started churning in a small area.
Her grievance of dying from hunger and cold was about to come back, and her eyes began to feel hot again. Unfortunately, although Jiang Xiaoyuan was delicate, she was not the type to show weakness in front of others. She quickly leaned back against the dirty car seat, tilted her head back, and held back her tears.
“My phone is dead,” she said, trying her best to maintain a steady pace, speaking softly, “I can’t find anyone, au…”
Jiang Xiaoyuan almost blurted out “Auntie” but paused. Her emotional intelligence which had been offline for over twenty years, finally came to the rescue. She reluctantly stepped in and corrected herself.
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “Sister, can I charge my phone in your car?”
The truck driver: “How can I have that thing in my car… Sigh, you’re really pitiful. Where are you planning to go? Big sister can give you a ride.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan had no clue.
The driver seemed to have a mild temperament and patiently asked, “Where are you from?”
Jiang Xiaoyuan quickly remembered the name of the township on her new ID card, subconsciously pulling out her ID card and holding it up to the driver, saying, “Look, this is my ID card.”
The driver chuckled at her, “I’m not a police officer. Why would I need to see your ID card? You’re about the same age as my niece. Is this your first time going out?”
Jiang Xiaoyuan suddenly woke up to reality. Of course, why would someone ask where she’s from and then ask for her ID? But for that moment, it seemed like her instinctive reaction. That unfamiliar ID card seemed to be the only anchor she had in this unfamiliar time and space. Without it, she couldn’t explain her origins clearly.
The driver said, “Oh, I see. I have a relative from your area. Many young people from your area have been going out in recent years to work in big cities, right? Those going to City A all take this road. Our family is over there, and it’s on the way. I’ll give you a ride… Ah, poor girl, you’re scared. Encountering such a thing on your first trip out, how pitiful.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan was called “poor” by her twice in a row. When had she ever been pitied by anyone in her life?
She was heartbroken but unwilling to give in. Tears began to well up again, so she blinked hard twice and said, “Thank you, sister. What should I call you?”
The female driver flipped her driver’s license, with the three words “Zhang Xiuqin” arranged under her house-elf-like avatar: “My surname is Zhang. Just call me Sister Zhang.”
And so, Jiang Xiaoyuan was picked up by Sister Zhang.
As the truck traveled along narrow roads at night, the driver’s focus had to be fully concentrated. Once the car started moving, Sister Zhang stopped talking to Jiang Xiaoyuan and only advised her to rest if she felt tired.
The air inside the car was filled with the smell of oil, people, and a hint of food fermentation. Breathing it in felt like it was getting stuck in her throat, refusing to go down.
Leaning against the cold window, Jiang Xiaoyuan gazed at her faint shadow on the dark window. Her mind in turmoil as she contemplated the few pieces of information.
After much deliberation, she realized that she was unwilling to believe that “Ming Guang wanted to harm her.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan couldn’t face her identity as a rural working girl, nor could she cope with this kind of life. To her, going to the glamorous City A with this identity was worse than dying. Even if Ming Guang lied to her, Jiang Xiaoyuan would rather hold onto a glimmer of hope.
“Even if the laws kills me, I won’t live in this hellish place,” she though ambitiously in the dead of night.
Moreover, perhaps Ming Guang hadn’t lied to her at all.
Jiang Xiaoyuan subconsciously curled up into a ball, thinking that if she could go back to her own time, she would definitely drive carefully in the future, eliminating all safety hazards. She would also quit her job at the dead-end company, go back to study seriously, obtain a legitimate degree, find a suitable job for herself, work for a few years, and only then return to help her family.
Jiang Xiaoyuan realized that if it weren’t for this experience, she would probably never realize how happy her life was, and how much time she had wasted.
Lost in such musings, she nestled her neck and fell asleep, being awakened several times by the bumpy ride. Jiang Xiaoyuan was dazed each time, feeling like she was trapped in a nightmare until the morning light tore through the morning mist and sprinkled onto the road. Jiang Xiaoyuan mechanically remembered, “Oh, the nightmare isn’t over yet.”
The car traveled for another three to four hours before reaching the urban area of City A.
Jiang Xiaoyuan was not unfamiliar with this city. It was her mother’s hometown, where her grandparents lived. She often came to play during holidays, knowing every good restaurant and fun spot. However, she had never traveled through it in the early morning.
With a slight shift in perspective, the entire city seemed unfamiliar.
Jiang Xiaoyuan didn’t know where to go, so she silently followed behind Sister Zhang, accompanying her to unload goods and settle accounts. After everything was done, Jiang Xiaoyuan took the initiative to say, “Thank you. How about I treat you to lunch?”
Sister Zhang waved her hand, “Treat? A girl like you, alone and without any relatives, doesn’t have much money. Even if you have money, you have to hide it so no one knows. Understand? We have a canteen here. Let’s go. I’ll take you.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan hurriedly followed her footsteps, her toes sore from the poor-quality synthetic leather shoes. She glanced down mechanically, deciding to trust Ming Guang and ignore the alarming messages from the people who messaged her later.
She thought to herself, “Damn it, isn’t it only fifty days? I can endure it.”
As they walked, Sister Zhang casually asked, “What are you going to do after you arrive? Have you thought about it?”
In her heart, Jiang Xiaoyuan thought, “Once I endure this, I’ll have a bright future and be free to do whatever I want. Who cares what to do?”
But she replied nonchalantly, “Um… maybe find a job first? Can you tell me where there’s a cheap hotel around here?”
The word “hotel” amused Sister Zhang. Jiang Xiaoyuan’s foolish thoughts stirred up an indescribable sympathy in her heart. She felt that although this girl was considered grown-up, she had never seen the world. After watching a few episodes of TV dramas, she decided to “have a try.”
“You want to stay in a hotel? How many stars are you looking for?” Sister Zhang teased.
Jiang Xiaoyuan was embarrassed. She suddenly remembered that she didn’t even have a credit card with her, only five hundred yuan in cash. Even if she wanted to stay in the cheapest budget hotel, she could probably only manage for three or four days.
A kind expression spread across Sister Zhang’s face. She patted Jiang Xiaoyuan on the back and said, “Forget it, just come with me.”
Sister. Zhang lived in an old house in the old city area of City A. It was built in the 1930s and 1940s, originating from the old society.
Because this area was notorious for troublemakers, disputes have persisted for a long time, and various interests are still difficult to coordinate. It’s probably hopeless for this place to be demolished in this lifetime. The surrounding area is already filled with tall buildings, and just across a small alley is a bustling scene. But as soon as you step into the alley, it feels like you’ve traveled back several decades—inside wass cramped, narrow, cluttered with miscellaneous items and garbage, mosquitoes and flies rampant, the greasy smoke from the kitchen and the stench from the sewer intertwining…
It could be described as a piece of plaster in the bustling city.
The alley is mostly comprised of two to three-story small buildings, which must have once been a picturesque scene of small Western-style buildings. Now, one building houses five to eight households. The scenery is no longer worth mentioning, only children running around with exposed bottoms. Women’s underwear, tattered and worn, hangs on bamboo poles, fluttering in the wind amidst the chaos, like flags of all nations.
Jiang Xiaoyuan followed Sister Zhang into the alley, feeling as if the black soil under her feet contained the stench of feces, making her nauseous. She regretted deeply. If she had known, she would have gritted her teeth and stayed in a budget hotel. Even if she ran out of money, she could just stay and wash dishes at the hotel—she would at least have a job.
Jiang Xiaoyuan was feeling hesitant, and she said grandly, “I need to find a job that includes food and lodging. I can’t bother you here all the time.”
Ms. Zhang didn’t even turn her head and said, “Just stay for now. You don’t know anything, and if you go out, you’ll be cheated. I’ll take you to find some locals later. When you go out to work, you can’t do it alone. You have to find someone from your hometown to accompany you. You, you’re too reckless.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan felt apprehensive. Although “local people” might not necessarily be neighbors or relatives, in such a small place, they might still know each other. As an outsider, if she held onto this identity, would she be exposed?
While she was feeling uncertain, suddenly, an old plastic bucket fell from the sky, landing directly in front of Jiang Xiaoyuan. If she had taken just two more steps, she might have been hit on the head.
A surge of anger rose in Jiang Xiaoyuan’s heart. She looked up abruptly and saw a six or seven-year-old boy on the second floor, the terrace full of debris. The little devil was as dirty as a mud monkey, perhaps neglected by his parents. Despite being so old, he was still wearing open-crotch pants.
The little devil was leaning on the railing, picking his nose and making faces. He mumbled vaguely, “Bang-bang.”
Sister Zhang pulled Jiang Xiaoyuan over, crossed her arms around her waist, and scolded the little boy, “Go away! I’ll hit you!”
The little boy shrank back, looking around suspiciously from the terrace. Sister Zhang casually picked up a broom and swept the terrace, scattering the debris like chicken feathers and dog hair. She made as if to use the broomstick to hit the little boy on the terrace, who quickly ran away while grumbling.
Bending down to pick up the plastic bucket, Sister Zhang said to Jiang Xiaoyuan, “Idiot, it’s okay. If you’re not bold enough, just act tough next time and scare them away.”
After a pause, Sister Zhang added, “But after all, he’s just a child. Scaring him is enough. Don’t actually hit him. He’s not deliberately acting like a fool. It’s pitiful.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan cautiously asked, “Is no one looking after him?”
“At first, of course someone was taking care of him. But their family had another child last year, a normal one. They let this one fend for himself. He wanders around all day like a stray horse, begging for food. Sigh!” Sister Zhang sighed, whether out of anger or sympathy, and then turned to Jiang Xiaoyuan and said, “In the future, remember to close the door properly when you stay here to prevent him from sneaking in. Oh, and be alert when walking. This child doesn’t understand anything, and he doesn’t listen to a few words. Today, he threw down a bucket. I don’t know where he threw a brick from last time. It hit someone in the courtyard and the person had to get eight stitches.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan: “…”
This ghostly place[mfn]”Ghost place” (鬼地方): This is a common Chinese idiom used to describe a place that is desolate, unpleasant, or dangerous.[/mfn] is absolutely unlivable!
T/N: Just wanna say that for this book, even though our updates may be a little random, we will ensure that this will still be consistently updated thrice a week. Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying Derailment so far! The author’s writing style is superb! (Probably one of the best we have translated so far) We hope that we are also able to translate it well. If you spot any errors, feel free to tell us in the comment section or message us in the server’s discord. Thank u🤍
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