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墨書 Inktalez
As soon as school was out at noon, Zhang Qiu headed straight for the Red-Light District. The sun was blazing hot, making the air shimmer with heat. Zhang Qiu rode south on an Electric Vehicle, not having to do anything but still breaking into a sweat. The sweat dripped onto the ground, evaporating instantly without a trace, as if it had never existed.
The Red-Light District was already open at noon, with people coming and going on their way to and from work. Along the roadside, vendors on Electric Tricycles sold food, and groups of women sat on benches outside various houses, unabashedly displaying their bare skin to passersby. Men who walked by would steal glances, prompting giggles from the women, while women passing by would look at them with disdain, but they remained unbothered, strutting like proud roosters.
Zhang Qiu arrived at the house of the Black Stocking Woman. Like the other women, she sat at the door. Upon seeing Zhang Qiu, she considered getting up to greet him but thought better of it. Zhang Qiu stopped by the roadside and took the initiative to say hello: "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, good afternoon." The Black Stocking Woman finally smiled and got up. "Are you heading home after school? Where's that girl? Aren't you two together?"
"She went to a bar. Recently we haven't been going home for lunch; I came here specifically to find you."
"Looking for me?" A strange glint appeared in the Black Stocking Woman's eyes as she scrutinized Zhang Qiu and slowly said, "Come inside."
"Okay." Zhang Qiu parked his Electric Vehicle by the road and followed her into the house. The Black Stocking Woman turned around to close the door, and Zhang Qiu sat down on a bench without needing any invitation.
Outside, the women gathered together, casting glances at the Black Stocking Woman's door and laughing. "Look at her; being pretty is really something. She doesn't even look twenty," one said with a tsk.
"Yeah, we usually deal with older men who lack charm and have so many issues; young people are so much better," another woman sighed wistfully, reminiscing about her own youth when she had experienced love. How wonderful those days were—now things were different.
One woman nudged her playfully and laughed, "Come on now, you're making money and still complaining?"
"Well, she's just looking for a man," another chimed in.
"Hahaha..."
Unbeknownst to them outside, inside the room, Zhang Qiu sat on the bench and looked up to see the Black Stocking Woman taking off her top. She wasn't wearing anything underneath; her slightly yellowed skin was exposed to the air, with her proud breasts standing tall—this was what she considered her greatest asset.
Zhang Qiu exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing?"
"Brother, you know that my sister Xinru likes you. I shouldn't be saying this, but you are my benefactor. If it weren't for you, Xinru would probably have been... Now that you've brought it up, I will take good care of you." The Black Stocking Woman said, her face flushing with a long-lost redness.
"What did I bring up?" Zhang Qiu looked at the Black Stocking Woman approaching him and instinctively stood up, retreating towards the wall, thinking to himself, what are you doing? This is too much.
The Black Stocking Woman seemed to realize something was off and stopped, looking at Zhang Qiu with suspicion. She tentatively asked, "You came to find me on purpose; you didn't want to...?"
Zhang Qiu was speechless. "I have a girlfriend, okay?"
"I know, but everyone who comes here has a wife at home. Since you didn't bring Jiang Xue, I thought you wanted..." The Black Stocking Woman trailed off.
Zhang Qiu slapped his forehead, regretting not explaining clearly. "Um, sister, you've misunderstood me. I came to find you for something serious."
"Oh, you're looking for me for something serious? I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's all my fault for jumping to conclusions." The Black Stocking Woman awkwardly rubbed her hands together. It was her own fault for assuming; seeing someone come to find her made her think it was for that reason, especially since Zhang Qiu hadn't brought his girlfriend. She had been conflicted about whether this was unfair to her sister, but now that she knew Zhang Qiu wasn't there for that, she felt relieved.
"Um, sister." Zhang Qiu looked at the Black Stocking Woman's impressive figure. "Could you please put on some clothes first?"
"Ah!" The Black Stocking Woman exclaimed and hurried to grab her clothes. Although it was just a thin purple tank top, the difference between wearing it and not wearing it was significant. Once she put on her clothes and tidied her hair, she walked over with an awkward smile and said, "I'm sorry about that, brother. What brings you here?"
"Here's the thing, sister. I've recently found a job but need more hands. Can you come help me out?"
"Need more hands? What kind of job is it?"
"It's at a bar called White Day Fire; I'm working as a server."
"What are you doing there?" The Black Stocking Woman looked at Zhang Qiu in surprise. "Aren't you still in high school? And isn't the college entrance exam coming up soon?"
Zhang Qiu explained, "I'm currently managing that bar, but I leave the specifics to my staff because I need to focus on my college entrance exams. So, I thought of you. When looking for help, it's important to find someone trustworthy. Sister, please help me out."
"Well, not bad for someone your age to be managing a bar," the Black Stocking Woman replied with a smile. "But I'm not going."
"Not going? Why?" Zhang Qiu couldn't understand why the Black Stocking Woman refused. He thought he had considered her feelings enough; after all, she was just being asked to help out. Besides, wouldn't being a waitress there be much better than what she was doing now?
The Black Stocking Woman crossed one leg and lit a cigarette, saying slowly, "I know you're looking out for me. Your bar doesn't lack for staff, and I appreciate your good intentions, but I won't go."
"Why not?"
"Because of the money," the Black Stocking Woman stated plainly. "How much can you earn working as a waitress in your bar for a month? Here, I can earn much more. It's obvious, isn't it?"
"That's true, but Liu Xinru is making money too; she doesn't want you to keep doing this."
The Black Stocking Woman gave a bitter laugh and countered, "Do you think there's anything noble about this line of work? There isn't. Yes, I came out to support my sister's education; she got into a really good school, and I'm proud of that. But I don't plan to stop here. Once you're in this business, it's hard to get out."
"You could always switch jobs; you're still young. You could find a normal relationship—no one would know what you do," Zhang Qiu argued, unable to comprehend her perspective. He believed that anyone could change their circumstances if they wanted to. So what if she was a prostitute? Aren't they still human?
The Black Stocking Woman burst into laughter and eventually looked up to say, "Love? I don't even remember what love is anymore. Think about it—someone who has lost their dignity on the ground wouldn't care about such things. Right now, all I want is to earn more money so that when I'm old and past my prime, I won't starve."
Zhang Qiu stood there stunned; he realized he had been thinking too simplistically. The Black Stocking Woman's words gave him a glimpse into the lives of people like her. She continued, "Did you see those women outside? They're in their thirties now; some might work for another seven or eight years while others might leave after the New Year. They earn enough to buy a house somewhere else and go to the hospital for a hymen repair surgery before marrying an honest but inexperienced man with no romantic history. They'd live their lives like that. But I won't do that; it would be unfair to them."
"If you worked at the bar, even though you'd earn less, at least it would be a legitimate job. I can tell you're different from them."
"Yes, I'm definitely not legitimate; which decent person would choose this line of work?"
"I'm not saying that, sister..."
"I know, I know." The Black Stocking Woman interrupted Zhang Qiu, "You mean well, I understand. From the moment you saved us sisters, I knew you were a good person. I don't need you to rescue me anymore; I just hope that if my sister is having a hard time, you can help her. Actually, she really likes you."
"Don't worry, I'll treat her like my own sister," Zhang Qiu said. It felt off; Liu Xinru was already in college, and since he started school early, she must be older than him. However, at least he expressed his intentions clearly.
"Regardless, thank you anyway," the Black Stocking Woman said with her usual bright smile, completely shedding the bittersweetness from their earlier conversation. She added, "Why don't you have lunch here with me before you go? Don't mind the mess; I'm quite a clean person."
"Okay," Zhang Qiu initially wanted to refuse since Jiang Xue was waiting for him to buy food to take back. But thinking it over, it would be a bit hurtful to decline, so he agreed and decided to buy food for Jiang Xue after they finished eating.
The Black Stocking Woman cheerfully got up; the pots and pans for cooking were placed outside, and there was a weathered wooden table by the window neatly arranged with jars and bottles. Zhang Qiu helped her set the square table and laid out the cutting board. The Black Stocking Woman smiled and said, "You don't need to help; without an exhaust fan, it gets quite smoky outside. Go rest in the back room; I'll call you when it's ready."
Zhang Qiu stood still outside; it felt inappropriate to enter a woman's private space. However, as soon as the chili hit the pan, a pungent and eye-watering spiciness forced him to step inside. The Black Stocking Woman also found it overwhelming and opened the door to the room since no one would come by during lunchtime anyway.
This was Zhang Qiu's first time entering the inner room. A light-colored curtain separated the inner room from the outer room. To his surprise, he discovered that the inner space was also divided into two sections. A clay bed was separated by a floral curtain; on the left side was about one-third of the space while two-thirds were on the right side. On the left side, there was a mattress covered with a pink sheet, and next to it were several boxes of light blue condoms.
On the other side were neatly stacked blankets and quilts; on top of the clay bed was a thick sponge mat covered with a light green mat. Against one wall stood a table adorned with makeup items, and in a jar on the far left was a bouquet of wildflowers. In the middle of the wall hung a mirror where Zhang Qiu saw his reflection; indeed, the room was quite clean.
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