Chapter 23: Looking for Trouble
Gu Ze lived with his grandfather in a leaky steel-roofed shed in an old residential complex. This place was originally the complex’s underground garage. But the landlord’s family, seeing their pitiful situation, had reduced the rent a little and let them stay there for the time being.
Little Gu Ze would go out with his grandfather every day to collect bottles and waste boxes, but the money they earned was only enough to cover the most basic food and drink, and they were almost unable to pay the rent.
Just as he was worrying about when they would be kicked out to live under a bridge, the landlord came over and said that there would be an open day in the south of the city in two days.
“That event is going to be huge. I heard they even invited a big star to perform, someone called Fei Jing. There will definitely be a lot of people there. Old brother, why don’t you take Little Ze there to sell something? You might be able to earn a lot.”
Gu Ze’s grandfather was quite handy. He used to tend to flowers and plants. Later, when his family fell on hard times, he would weave some bamboo baskets and other things for their own use. But in modern society, people could buy beautiful and durable plastic baskets online, and Gu Ze’s grandfather’s grass-weaving skills were completely left behind by the times. What’s more, his weaving wasn’t particularly exquisite, just usable.
But no matter what, Grandpa Gu still wanted to give it a try. It would be good if he could earn some money for his grandson’s school fees.
So, they worked for two days, weaving some small trinkets, and took them to the square in the south of the city.
Unfortunately, they arrived late, and all the good spots were already taken. Gu Ze and his grandfather could only set up their stall behind the stage. To make matters worse, the stalls on either side of them were selling wholesale toys and small accessories, which looked dazzlingly cute and made the woven-grass animals on Gu Ze’s stall look even more shabby.
Gu Ze looked at the people who occasionally stopped at the stall next to them, his lips pursed, a hint of envy in his eyes.
“It’s alright. We won’t lose much even if we don’t sell anything. After the event is over, we can still pick up a lot of bottles to take back.”
Grandpa stretched out his rough, thin hand, wanting to pat Gu Ze’s head as a form of comfort. But Gu Ze’s eyes flickered, and he avoided it.
Grandpa Gu didn’t mind. He still had a kind smile on his face as he sat there, waiting for customers.
The sun rose from the eastern coastline and slowly climbed to an angle, the golden light so bright it was a little dazzling.
No one came to buy anything. Just as Gu Ze was thinking about whether he should go to the front to pick up bottles first, he looked up and saw a child with a soft, fluffy smile.
The little boy’s eyes were dark and round, like the big, round black grapes Gu Ze had once seen in the supermarket, watery and very likable. Gu Ze had only eaten grapes once, but the sweet taste had lingered in his heart and he had never forgotten it.
So someone’s eyes can be as sweet as grapes, Gu Ze couldn’t help but think.
Seeing the child waving his little claws at him, Gu Ze’s little hands unconsciously clenched the seams of his pants.
He seems to be greeting me, Gu Ze thought. Should I respond?
I should respond. Grandpa taught me that you have to be polite.
With this thought, Gu Ze also showed a small smile in response.
Nuonuo was held in the manager sister’s arms. He was dazed for a moment, then held up his cotton candy and listened to 006 in his mind. “Nuonuo, you get down first. We’re going to walk over very arrogantly later, and then kick over the little vase on the male lead’s stall!”
On Gu Ze’s stall, besides the woven-grass animals, to make it look nicer, he had also brought a pretty vase he had picked up before, with a bouquet of wildflowers he had picked from the roadside, and placed it in the upper left corner. This glass crystal vase was probably the most valuable thing on Gu Ze’s stall.
If we’re going to do it, we have to do the most ruthless thing, 006 thought and continued, “The male lead will definitely be heartbroken when that vase breaks. He’ll definitely cry, and then we’ll be victorious!”
Nuonuo let out a happy “wow.” “We’re victorious? Then should we go back and find brother?”
006 almost fainted. “No, I’m saying we’re about to be victorious… Aiya, no, that’s not it. Forget it, Nuonuo, you just go over first.”
Nuonuo was very obedient to his little friend. He swung his little feet and struggled to get down from the manager sister’s arms.
The manager sister thought he had seen something he liked and quickly put him down, crouching down to rub Nuonuo’s little head. “Nuonuo, what do you want to buy? Big sister will buy it for you.”
At the thought of buying something for the cub and getting a sweet “thank you, big sister” in return, the manager couldn’t help but show a doting smile.
Nuonuo didn’t want to buy anything. He sucked on his fingers, which were still sweet from the cotton candy, and toddled towards Gu Ze’s stall.
006 quickly reminded him, “Nuonuo, you have to be arrogant! Take bigger steps, let the little male lead know we’re not to be messed with!”
Nuonuo nodded obediently and tried his best to turn his little shuffling steps into big—shuffling steps. But he was small and had only learned to walk a few days ago. When his steps became bigger, he forgot how to walk. He would stop and think for a while before continuing to walk forward as if he were doing a split.
The manager sister watched Nuonuo’s wobbly, dazed penguin-like steps, occasionally stopping in a daze, and almost burst out laughing. Kids are so much fun!
Nuonuo finally reached Gu Ze’s little stall, but because he had taken such big steps, he was so tired that he was panting with his little mouth open.
Seeing Nuonuo walk towards him, Gu Ze’s eyes flickered a couple of times, and his lips tightened, betraying a hint of nervousness.
Seeing Nuonuo panting, Gu Ze wiped the sweat from his palms and handed over the water bottle he usually used. The water bottle was a dull yellow and an old, outdated style, but it was very clean, and the water inside was warm.
“Here, do you want some water?”
After speaking, Gu Ze’s expression became even more tense. He had no friends. The children in the neighborhood all called him “poor wretch,” and no one wanted to play with him.
At this thought, Gu Ze’s outstretched hand tightened slightly. The water bottle is not nice. I shouldn’t have just handed it over like that, Gu Ze thought, pursing his lips. I should have borrowed a clean cup for my little brother.
But Nuonuo was already tired and thirsty. He stood on his tiptoes, saw the clear water sloshing in the bottle, and couldn’t help but wiggle his little body closer. “Thank you, big brother.”
Nuonuo was a very polite child. He said thank you before taking the little water bottle and taking a sip of water.
After drinking the water, a satisfied Nuonuo handed the bottle back with sparkling eyes. “Brother, you drink too. Your water is sweet.”
After drinking the sweet water, Nuonuo’s mood brightened, and the bangs on his forehead swayed, making him look very lively.
Gu Ze’s fingertips tapped lightly on his pants, a small habit he had when he was emotionally agitated. At this moment, he was clearly a little happy. “I’m not thirsty.”
Gu Ze shook his head and put the water bottle his little brother had handed him back.
006 watched the two of them become inexplicably harmonious, its data going haywire for a moment, almost making it faint. “Nuonuo, you can’t talk to the little male lead! We have to be at odds with him!” 006 said sternly.
Nuonuo blinked, not quite understanding. “But Papa said we have to be polite. Brother gave me water, so I have to say thank you.”
Hearing Nuonuo’s words, 006’s system flickered with static. After a long while, it stuttered, “That’s… that’s right, but he’s the male lead… How about next time you don’t drink his water, so we don’t have to say thank you to him!”
Nuonuo let out a happy “ya,” clapped his little hands, and praised in his mind, “Liuliu, you’re so smart.”
006’s data turned a light pink, and it let out a shy “heh.” “It’s nothing. My processing speed is just a bit faster. But Nuonuo, you have to remember to do your mission.”
Nuonuo nodded his little head, then tilted it, thinking, What’s a mission?
Gu Ze was a quiet person. He looked at the fair and tender little brother in front of him, wanted to say something, but really didn’t know what to talk about, so he could only remain silent.
Nuonuo, on the other hand, crouched down with his face in his hands, having completely forgotten what he had come to do. His gaze was captivated by the woven-grass animals on the stall.
On the blue, floral-patterned cloth lay various small animals in different shapes, all woven from grass. Although not exquisite, they were interesting and cute, and Nuonuo looked at them with great interest.
“What… what is this, ya?”
Nuonuo pointed at a small grasshopper and looked up curiously.
Gu Ze looked at his little brother’s bright, dark eyes and said, “That’s a little grasshopper.”
Nuonuo didn’t even know what a grasshopper was, but he still nodded seriously, indicating that he understood.
“What about this one?”
“That’s a little sparrow.”
“Uh…”
The two of them went on like this, one asking and one answering. Their milky voices made many people turn to look. Seeing the two very serious-looking cubs, they couldn’t help but smile.
The manager sister next to them was one of them. She even took out her phone to record Nuonuo, even regretting not bringing her DSLR, as the footage of the cub wasn’t clear.
Nuonuo continued to prop his chubby chin on his hands, staring at a woven animal that looked like nothing in particular. The woven animal had a strange shape, but in a child’s world, the stranger, the more interesting.
The manager sister saw that Nuonuo quite liked it and was about to take out money to buy it for him. But just as she said she wanted to buy it, a slightly shrill voice interjected from the side. “Mommy, I want this one! Buy it for me! I want this one!”
A little boy being held by his mother was staring at the strange-looking little animal, pointing his finger at it several times.
The boy’s mother was wearing a lace sun hat. She looked down on the little woven trinket, a hint of impatience on her face. “What do you want? It’s just a dirty, ugly little thing. Don’t make a fuss. Mommy will take you to the mall to buy something. Don’t you like the little train the most?”
Hearing the woman’s words, Gu Ze’s eyes just darkened, but he didn’t say anything to refute her. The things he sold really weren’t as nice as others’…
But the next moment, he heard Nuonuo’s little milky voice. “Brother’s things are very pwetty!”
Gu Ze saw his little brother’s pouting, unhappy face, and his originally low and gloomy mood was suddenly sprinkled with a layer of warm sunshine.
He, who had been hiding under a thick shell, quietly poked his head out because of this ray of sunshine.
