WOOY Chapter 10

Fei Tang was genuinely afraid that Chang Dong might actually get killed by Ye Liuxi.

If that were to happen, first, it would mean that Ye Liuxi was extremely dangerous, and even if he had the guts, he wouldn’t dare to think about the animal-head agate cup again. Second, with Chang Dong dead, his dream of scavenging in the Gobi Desert would be shattered, and this trip would be a total waste.

So, he made a cup of instant coffee and forced himself to stay awake, waiting for Chang Dong’s return.

After midnight, the door creaked open. Chang Dong came in and casually tossed a plastic bag onto the coffee table.

The bag had some weight to it. Fei Tang’s eyes widened in shock, blurting out, “Holy… money!”

The bag was half-filled with money—rolled, stacked, crumpled bills of hundreds, fifties, and even fives—no wonder it was heavy. There were also plenty of coins of various sizes.

Chang Dong said, “Its from Ye Liuxi. There are many places in the Gobi desert where we might need money. This is her share. We will set off at 10 am tomorrow.”

Fei Tang used his hand to sift through the money in the plastic bag, realizing he had misjudged it: “So stingy?”

The crumpled bills took up space, creating the illusion of a full bag. After sifting through it, he found that the highest value was only ten or twenty yuan[mfn]1.5-3 dollars[/mfn].

This didn’t seem like the kind of money someone holding an animal-head agate cup would have.

Chang Dong nodded, “If you’re so idle, sort it out.”

When Ye Liuxi handed him the bag of money, she said, “I’m not one to take advantage of others. I know that going into the Gobi Desert requires money, and since we’re teaming up, I’ll contribute my share.”

Her demeanor made Chang Dong think she was giving him gold bricks. But under the car’s light, he saw coins and small bills, and felt genuinely moved: they were probably her earnings from selling melons, barbecues, and late-night rides for the ladies. It was truly hard-earned money.

For a moment, he didn’t even want to accept it: even after selling all his possessions and becoming penniless, the share of earnings Xiao He had given him over the past year was still around a hundred thousand yuan, enough for this journey. He didn’t need this small amount.

Still, he accepted it. She gave it with such pride, her face full of ‘I’m giving my share’ arrogance that he couldn’t bear to refuse.

Counting money was something Fei Tang enjoyed. Modern people liked to keep cute pets—today a cat, tomorrow a dog, the day after an electronic pet—none of them as consistently and enduringly as him. His cute pet was money, whether it was in his account or someone else’s bag, he adored it endlessly.

He stacked the coins into piles and sorted the banknotes by value, flipping through them skillfully. “Dong ge, since we’re all teaming up, do you think I should set aside a day to host a banquet and apologize to Ye Liuxi? After all, our last meeting was a bit unpleasant… Building good relationships is key to harmonious cooperation.”

Chang Dong rummaged through his luggage for clean clothes to use after showering. “You should keep your distance from her. People like her switch between human talk and ghost talk, changing faces faster than flipping a book. You shouldn’t get close to this kind of person.”

Fatty Tang didn’t even look up. “Isn’t that just like me? We con people into buying fakes, and we boast endlessly.”

Chang Dong had already gone into the bathroom but came back out again. “Fei Tang?”

“Ah?”

“Let’s do a personality test. One night, you wake up from a nightmare to find a rope around your neck. You are hanging from a tree in the desolate wilderness. You’ve lost your memory, and there’s no one around… What would your reaction be?”

Fei Tang imagined the scenario, feeling a chill down his spine, and stammered, “That’s terrifying! I’d probably be scared to death… I’d scream for help… No, call 110… Yes, call 110, I’m the victim, I deserve compensation. Hey, Dong ge, what does this say about my personality?”

Chang Dong replied, “It means with this measly amount of courage you have, you should stop thinking about the animal-head agate cup.”

Fei Tang felt something was off. It wasn’t until Chang Dong closed the door and the sound of running water came from the bathroom that he realized—

Had he ever mentioned the “animal-head agate cup” to Chang Dong? When did he let that slip? Damn, his loose tongue was bound to cause trouble sooner or later.

He continued counting the money.

A total of 3,742 yuan and 30 cents.[mfn]around 500 dollars[/mfn]

——

 

Chang Dong turned on the showerhead, setting the water flow to the maximum. He leaned his head under it, letting the heavy stream hit the back of his head until the water covered his mouth and nose. Only then did he tilt his head back and wipe the water from his face.

Looking back, if Ye Liuxi’s words were true, the most terrifying thing wasn’t the event itself or the bizarre dream, but her reaction—

She took out a flashlight and scanned the surroundings, then looked through her bag. After that, she shouldered her bag and went to find work.

A person who loses their memory only loses their memory; they don’t lose their personality, intelligence, or habits.

Who remains calm during a robbery? Someone who has been robbed ten times.

If Ye Liuxi wasn’t panicked about the whole situation, it could only mean that in her lost memories, she had experienced even stranger things.

——

Fei Tang had arranged to pick up his rental car in Liuyuan. Until then, he had to ride in Chang Dong’s car.

The journey was not rushed. Chang Dong even took a detour, navigating the treacherous terrain. He consciously used the time before entering the Gobi to test the car: after all, he hadn’t driven for two years, and both the car and the driver could get rusty. Detecting any issues early would give them a chance to fix them.

Ye Liuxi drove most of the time trailing behind, occasionally overtaking.

Every time she overtook, Fei Tang was particularly indignant: ‘Dong ge, can her rickety van really make it into the Gobi?’

His own rental car wasn’t much better—just around thirty thousand yuan—but the four-wheel-drive badge[mfn]the car has a four-wheel drive system- it provides power to all 4 wheels simultaneously [/mfn] had inflated his confidence.”

Chang Dong didn’t dismiss the idea completely: “In theory, it can’t make it. Encountering a ‘nail-biting road’ would cripple it entirely, but nothing is absolute. They say you need an off-road vehicle to traverse the Sichuan-Tibet route[mfn]photo 1 inserted below[/mfn], yet some have made it with tractors.”

Throughout the journey, Ye Liuxi didn’t eat with them.

Chang Dong and Fei Tang would eat at restaurants for lunch, enjoying a modest but balanced meal with meat, vegetables, and soup. Ye Liuxi, on the other hand, would buy two steamed buns and a bag of pickled vegetables, get a cup of hot water from the store, and make do with that. Sometimes she ate in the car, other times she strolled along the road, taking in the scenery as she ate.

Chang Dong felt a bit guilty and considered inviting her along; after all, it was just an extra pair of chopsticks—he hesitated for a while, but decided against it.

Before setting off, he had already defined the nature of this trip to Dragon City: the partnership had to be loose, and he needed to keep his distance from Ye Liuxi. He was just a guide. Whatever Fei Tang did to seek fortune or how Ye Liuxi played her tricks, he just needed to be aware and try not to get caught up in it.

There’s an old saying that ‘friends made over food and drink’ inevitably form bonds. Inviting her to join them at the table would surely lead to camaraderie.

Once, Ye Liuxi entered a shop to get some hot water. As she passed their table on her way out, she saw Kung Pao chicken, stir-fried shredded beef, sautéed pea shoots, and three-flavor tofu soup.

 

Seeing the solid flatbread Ye Liuxi was holding, Chang Dong suddenly felt thar their order was a bit extravagant.

Fei Tang enthusiastically invited Ye Liuxi, “Sister Xi, why don’t you join us? We have meat here.”

Chang Dong felt that Fei Tang’s words were inappropriate, especially the part about ‘having meat here,’ which clearly conveyed a sense of superiority. Ye Liuxi probably wouldn’t take it well.

Sure enough.

Ye Liuxi said, “You eat so much, and even have meat, but you still aren’t prettier than me.”

After leaving, she sat by a small flower stand across the street, broke off a piece of her flatbread, and slowly chewed it with pickled vegetable shreds.

Fei Tang was so angry that he gritted his teeth. “Dong ge, I’m telling you, I’m usually compassionate towards the old and poor. But how can she be so poor, and I still find her so annoying?”

Chang Dong replied, “Because she’s poor and arrogant, perhaps.”

 

……

 

She didn’t stay with them, which wasn’t surprising since her car had a bed. But it was strange when one night, Fei Tang went out to buy a late-night snack and came back saying Ye Liuxi wasn’t in her car.

Chang Dong took note of this. On the night they arrived in Liuyuan, he accompanied Fei Tang to check the car. On their way back to the hotel, they happened to see Ye Liuxi coming out from a small door.

Chang Dong found an excuse to get out of the car, letting Fei Tang go back first while he followed from a distance.

It was clear that she wasn’t familiar with the area, stopping several times to check the street signs before finally finding her way and turning into a lit alley.

The alley was littered with sewage, with oily smoke billowing from the high ventilation pipes. Garbage bins stood side by side. As Chang Dong walked past, he saw a middle-aged woman helping Ye Liuxi put on a disposable plastic apron, chattering non-stop, “This bowl of meat, plus the vegetables, mix them together and chop the filling. You need to add soy sauce, salt, scallions, and ginger. The total is eighty yuan, chop it finely, no coarse pieces.”

Ye Liuxi said, “I know.”

After the woman left, Ye Liuxi rolled up her sleeves, bent down to pick up a large piece of meat from the basin, and threw it onto the waist-high tree stump chopping block. She picked up two cleavers, grinding their edges against each other, and then started chopping.

For a while, the sound of chopping echoed continuously.

The cleavers used for chopping meat were mostly iron blades, heavy and difficult for even men to handle, let alone wielding two knives simultaneously. Yet, she was quite adept at it. After chopping for a while, she swung her arm, flipped the blade, and pulled over a pile of cabbage leaves to continue.

Chang Dong walked over and leaned against the door, watching for a while. He said, “You’re working at night?”

Ye Liuxi was startled, and the chopping sound stopped abruptly. She turned around, frowned, and said, “Why are you here?”

“I was having dinner on this street, passed by, and happened to see you.”

Ye Liuxi added oil and salt to the filling. “Yes, after giving you the money, I’m a bit tight on funds. One cannot be without money; it makes me anxious, so I have to earn some.”

“I just asked around, taking whatever work I could find.”

Chang Dong thought about her chopping movements. “Do you have martial arts training?”

Ye Liuxi nodded, pointing to herself with an empty hand. “I have so many good qualities, that even I like myself.”

Chang Dong was at a loss for words. After a pause, he asked, “Doesn’t working at night affect your driving during the day?”

Ye Liuxi glanced at him. “Does it? When have I ever driven slowly?”

“Then I’ll let you be, I’m heading back.”

Ye Liuxi leisurely remarked, “Off to carve leather again?”

Chang Dong was already at the door, but turned back upon hearing her tone, “What’s wrong with carving leather?”

She wiped the minced meat off the blade, “Nothing really, I just think at your age, it’s prime time for enjoying life, yet you spend all day carving cowhide. Is it really that interesting?”

“It’s interesting, I just want to win a Golden Knife Award.”

“Oh, then go ahead, don’t let me hold you back from your award.”

Chang Dong took a few steps, then remembered something and turned back to ask her, “Do you want to come over to my place to take a shower tonight?”

Ye Liuxi was taken aback, “What?”

Chang Dong gestured towards her and the chopping board area, “You’re covered in… this smell…”

Ye Liuxi lowered her head and sniffed herself. What kind of smell was it? A mix of raw meat, cabbage, scallions, ginger, and oil.

She replied, “I don’t smell it.”

Chang Dong said, “If you don’t notice it, then suit yourself.”

……

After finishing the task, it was already past eleven. On her way back, Ye Liuxi walked past a storefront, thought for a moment, and turned back.

Public bathhouse.

She spent eight yuan for a shower and three yuan on a small packet of body wash and shampoo. She sat on the stool in the small shower stall, lathering her entire body with foam. With her vigorous movements, some bubbles flew up, reflecting the yellow light from the small bulb above, showing various colors.

This scent… only you smell good./ This smell…it’s all yours. [mfn]I am not sure which translation is more accurate so I wanted to show you both. They are funny in their own way [/mfn]

 

photo 1- Sichuan-Tibet route….damn