Chapter 396 - 344: Fire in the Shopping Mall
Chapter 396: Chapter 344: Fire in the Shopping Mall
Regardless of what the Gu family thought, Xiao Man found her grandmother amusing and fun. She couldn’t resist whispering to her, "Aren’t you afraid Granny Gu will call you a show-off? Getting all smug and gloating just because you have a new in-law? Granny Gu has three daughters-in-law, you know."
Grandma Tang gave her granddaughter a light tap and chuckled. "So what if I am? If she has the guts, let’s see her try to gloat in front of me. I have two daughters-in-law, and one of them is a disappointment. As for her three, besides Zhou Hui Lan who is barely passable, what are the other two even like? She can’t compete when it comes to in-laws, either. At least I get along wonderfully with Wenli’s mother; we hit it off right away. Your Granny Gu has three daughters-in-law, and she doesn’t get along with a single one of their mothers!"
Xiao Man: "..."
’My grandma really is unshakeably confident,’ Xiao Man thought. ’There’s just no discouraging her.’
’Still, I don’t think Grandma is being petty,’ Xiao Man mused. ’On the contrary, her reaction is perfectly understandable. After all, that last incident was infuriating. It wasn’t Granny Gu’s fault, and the old woman certainly hadn’t wanted it to happen, but her initial reaction was to clearly side with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter. If Grandma Tang hadn’t been there, or if she hadn’t been so formidable, Granny Gu would have probably given me a lecture. I would have been blamed for losing my temper and making a scene in front of guests, ruining their visit—and they weren’t just any ordinary family. On top of that, Granny Gu’s own pampered, delicate granddaughter was severely punished over the whole affair. How could her heart not ache? And how could she not secretly resent me?’
It just goes to show, when you let your imagination run wild, anything seems possible.
Granny Gu had never been a match for Grandma Tang, but she wasn’t one to be discouraged. She followed Grandpa Gu over to the Tang family’s home every day, and Mr. and Mrs. Gu also visited frequently. With Grandpa Tang also on their side, Grandma Tang finally relented. The day before Xiao Man’s school term began, the entire Tang family went to the Gu Mansion. The two families spent the whole day together, and Grandpa Gu, Mr. Gu, and Mrs. Gu finally breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Xiao Man and her younger brother playing hide-and-seek in the courtyard with Shaoyu and Gu Shaoying, their giggles and shouts filling the air as they had the time of their lives.
「The new semester began.」 Xiao Man fell back into her routine, focusing on her studies. She went back to the Tang Mansion every weekend and visited the Gu Mansion every week or two. In the past, she always went by herself, but now Grandpa Gu would occasionally send his personal aide to pick her up from school. Xiao Man no longer refused; whenever the car arrived, she simply got in.
’Sometimes, with certain people, keeping a low profile and just enduring things is counterproductive,’ she thought. ’It’s better to be open about your own importance. That way, anyone thinking of causing trouble will have to stop and consider if they have what it takes.’
In the blink of an eye, it was May. With brilliant sunshine, lush greenery, and vibrant blossoms, it was said to be the most beautiful season in Beijing. Street vendors were already wandering the lanes and alleys, carrying poles laden with apricots and peaches and calling out their wares. The fruit looked fresh and plump, but it wasn’t fully ripe; one bite left a sour, astringent taste in the mouth. Xiao Man couldn’t help but reminisce about a certain coastal city in the South where she had lived in her previous life. By this time of year, the market stalls there would have been piled high with all sorts of seasonal fruits, both cheap and delicious. Even though Xiao Man had tasted the incomparably delicious Spirit Fruits from the Treasure Pearl Space, the unique flavors from her memory were still incredibly tempting.
When Xiao Man left school to head home on Saturday afternoon, one of her dorm mates asked her to run an errand on the way: to buy some yarn. ’Might as well,’ Xiao Man thought. ’It’s a good excuse to walk around and see the sights.’
The bus from her school to the street of the Tang Mansion passed a newly opened shopping center, the Hongyun Department Store. It was one of the new, privately-owned malls that had sprung up in the early 1980s, occupying the first four floors of a high-rise of more than ten stories. The inside was lined with stalls selling everything from clothes and daily necessities to snacks. Compared to the state-owned department stores, the goods here came in a wider, more colorful variety, the prices were lower, and you could even haggle. Each stall was a small business run on its owner’s own capital. There were no fixed salaries; whatever they earned was theirs to keep. To them, retaining a customer and making a sale was a victory, so the shopkeepers were all incredibly friendly. After visiting once, Xiao Man’s dorm mates came back raving about how much better it was than the state-owned department stores in every respect. From then on, they stopped going to the old department store and shopped exclusively at Hongyun Mall. Eventually, they became too lazy to even make the trip themselves. Whenever they needed some small item, they would just press the money into Xiao Man’s hands and have her pick it up on her way home!
And just like that, Xiao Man became her dorm’s unofficial shopper—providing free labor and legwork, no less. Fortunately, she was happy to help.
The bus stop was right in front of the mall. Xiao Man got off and headed straight inside. Her plan was to buy the yarn first and put it in her satchel, then walk the remaining distance of two bus stops home. That would get her back just in time to prepare dinner.
As someone from the 21st century, Xiao Man had seen her share of modern marvels and wasn’t a fan of this type of mall, with its stalls packed tightly together. ’It’s too crowded, the air circulation is terrible, and it’s a safety hazard,’ she thought. ’Better not to linger.’ She quickly found a stall selling yarn, pulled out the sample strand her dorm mate had given her, and matched the color. After paying for two skeins, she turned to leave.
She had only walked about twenty meters when a sudden BANG echoed from behind her. A woman shrieked, "The pot fell over! The ker—the kerosene stove is on fire! Oh my god! Run!"
Xiao Man whipped around. Not far from the yarn stall, a clothing shop was billowing thick, black smoke. Tongues of fire were clearly visible within the haze. The once-crowded aisle instantly descended into chaos, but the ensuing panic only made it harder for anyone to escape. People began to scream, cry, and shove one another. Someone yelled with all their might, "There’s a child! Someone’s been knocked down! Help! Help!"
The aisle was long, only about two meters wide, and dimly lit. It was a Saturday, so it was packed with shoppers. The stalls on both sides sold flammable goods like clothing and yarn. ’If no one puts out that fire immediately,’ Xiao Man thought, ’the consequences will be unimaginable. The slightest spark could turn this entire place into an inferno!’
But in that moment, all Xiao Man could see was a young woman kneeling on the ground, shielding a small, fallen child with her back. The shoving crowd surged around them like an unstoppable wave. Someone’s hands pressed down on the woman, forcing her lower, while others trampled right across her back. The child on the ground was wailing "Mommy, Mommy!" their voice hoarse and utterly wretched...
Without a second thought, Xiao Man dove back into the crowd. She pushed and squeezed with all her might, forcing a path through. Ignoring the feet and knees she stepped on, she quickly reached the woman and child. She shoved several people aside and scooped up the child. To her surprise, the woman had considerable strength as well. Relieved that her child was safe, she struggled to her feet. Together, they shielded the child and forced their way through the mob toward the exit, finally escaping the danger.
Assuming the woman and child were related, Xiao Man thrust the little one into her arms and turned to see what was happening with the fire. She saw that the flames were already out, but thick smoke was still billowing from the stall, and the crowd remained in a state of panic.