The Quagmire of Desire: From Gambling Addict and Village Flower to Movie Queen

By the time the car came to a stop at the warehouse entrance, it was already completely dark.

Chen Xiaodie's parents didn't say much. Chen's mother opened the car door and led Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling up to the dormitory on the second floor.

Chen's father followed behind, carrying a bag of steamed buns and braised vegetables that he had bought on the way.

Chen's mother pushed open the door to the storage room and turned on the light.

The light bulbs cast a dim yellow light, and the two iron-framed beds remained the same, with the sheets neatly folded.

Two faded towels were draped on the washbasin stand in the corner.

"Are you hungry? I'll go heat up some food for you." After saying that, Chen's mother turned around and went downstairs to the kitchen.

Sun Xiaoyan sat on the edge of the bed, her hands supporting her knees, her head down and she didn't say anything.

Liu Meiling stood by the window, looking down at the empty alleyway illuminated by the streetlights, lost in thought.

Mr. Chen stood at the door, silent for a moment before speaking: "Go to work as usual tomorrow. The work in the warehouse isn't heavy, take your time."

Sun Xiaoyan looked up at him and nodded.

Mr. Chen added, "The matter with the police is almost settled. From now on, we can just live a peaceful life."

Liu Meiling turned around and forced a smile: "Uncle, thank you."

Mr. Chen waved his hand: "Don't be so polite. You're Xiaodie's friends, so you're family."

A short while later, Chen's mother brought up a hot meal: a plate of stir-fried green peppers and pork, a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, and a large bowl of tomato and egg soup. The steamed buns were piping hot.

"Eat up, and get some rest after you finish." Chen's mother handed chopsticks to the two of them.

Sun Xiaoyan took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of shredded potato and put it in her mouth. Her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't swallow it after chewing it a couple of times.

Liu Meiling ate heartily, saying as she ate, "Auntie, your cooking is so delicious."

Chen's mother smiled and said, "Eat more if you like it. There's more in the pot."

The two ate most of the dish and each drank a bowl of soup. As Chen's mother cleared the dishes and went downstairs, she reminded her, "There's hot water in the kettle. Wash up and go to bed early."

Sun Xiaoyan responded.

Mr. Chen said, "Get some rest," and then followed him downstairs, his footsteps fading into the distance on the stairs.

The door closed.

Only two people remained in the room, the light bulb hummed, and occasionally a dog barked outside the window.

Sun Xiaoyan sat on the edge of the bed without moving, and Liu Meiling did not move either.

The two of them sat there, neither of them saying a word.

After a while, Liu Meiling stood up and went to the tap in the corner to get water to brush her teeth.

The water was splashing, and she took a mouthful of water, gurgled it, and spat it into the basin.

Sun Xiaoyan also stood up, took a towel, and walked to the tap.

The two stood side by side brushing their teeth, foam dripping down their lips, neither looking at the other.

After brushing her teeth, Sun Xiaoyan took off her coat and lay down on the bed, the metal frame bed creaking.

Liu Meiling also lay down and turned off the light.

In the darkness, Sun Xiaoyan stared at the ceiling with her eyes open, and could hear Liu Meiling turning over.

"Meiling," Sun Xiaoyan called softly.

"Um."

"You said... if we go to the warehouse tomorrow, those female union members won't..."

Liu Meiling was silent for a moment: "What will happen? It's not like we haven't been told that before."

Sun Xiaoyan didn't reply, turned over, and faced away from Liu Meiling.

A dim yellow light shone through the streetlamp outside the window, casting a mottled pattern of yellow and white on the wall.

Neither of them could fall asleep, but neither of them spoke again.

The alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning.

Sun Xiaoyan got up, rubbed her eyes, and went to get water to wash her face.

Liu Meiling also sat up, her hair disheveled, and sat on the edge of the bed in a daze for a while.

The two changed into their work clothes, washed their faces, and went downstairs to the cafeteria.

Several female workers were already seated in the canteen. When they saw Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling come in, they paused with their chopsticks and began whispering to each other.

Sun Xiaoyan walked to the window with her head down, and the cafeteria lady handed her two steamed buns and a bowl of porridge.

She took her bowl and found a corner seat to sit down, and Liu Meiling also took her bowl and sat down.

The two of them buried their heads in their food, not saying a word.

The female workers at the next table lowered their voices, but the words still drifted into my ears intermittently.

Sun Xiaoyan's hand trembled, and a few drops of porridge spilled out, burning the back of her hand.

She didn't say anything and continued to drink her porridge with her head down.

Liu Meiling bit into the steamed bun hard, her cheeks bulging, and it took her a long time to swallow.

After breakfast, the work bell rang at the warehouse.

The female workers walked toward the warehouse one after another, and Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling followed the flow of people in.

The warehouse shelves were stacked high, and people were moving goods, counting them, and packing them.

Sun Xiaoyan walked to the middle of the shelf, bent down and picked up a box. The box wasn't heavy, but her arms were shaking a little.

Several female workers stood together nearby, one of them muttering to herself, "Those naked bottoms are those two, I saw it clearly."

Another scoffed, "You dare come back? You've got some nerve."

Sun Xiaoyan's tears welled up instantly. She tried her best to hold them back, moved the cargo box onto the cart, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Liu Meiling was moving goods on the other side when she heard those words. She slammed down the goods she was holding and glared at the people over there.

Ah Zhen came in from the warehouse door, carrying a wrench. Hearing the female workers gossiping, her face darkened: "Are you all just bored out of your minds? Isn't there enough work for you?"

The female workers quickly shut up and lowered their heads to continue working.

Ah Zhen walked over to Sun Xiaoyan and said in a low voice, "Don't pay attention to them. There are gossipy people everywhere."

Sun Xiaoyan nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, biting her lip and remaining silent.

Ah Zhen walked over to Liu Meiling and patted her on the shoulder: "Get to work, get to work, don't give those gossipy people any attention."

Liu Meiling didn't say anything, but picked up another box and put it on the cart.

The morning was spent moving, packing, and counting goods.

Sun Xiaoyan kept her head down as she worked, her tears welling up again and again, sometimes held back.

At lunchtime, the cafeteria was crowded, and the lines for food were very long.

Sun Xiaoyan stood in the line with her bowl in her hand. Several female workers squeezed past her from the side and deliberately bumped her with their elbows.

She was knocked back a step, and a few grains of rice spilled out of her bowl.

Liu Meiling saw this and was about to start scolding when Sun Xiaoyan pulled her back, saying, "Forget it."

The two of them carried their bowls and squatted down in a corner of the cafeteria to eat.

When several female workers returned from getting vegetables, some people covered their noses and walked around them as they passed by, making exaggerated "eh" sounds as if they had smelled something foul.

Sun Xiaoyan paused for a moment with her chopsticks, then continued to pick up food and put it in her mouth, chewing until her cheeks ached.

Liu Meiling couldn't eat anymore, so she put the bowl on the ground and stared straight at the ground.

The two of them barely spoke all afternoon.

Sun Xiaoyan's mind was buzzing as she moved the goods, and all she could hear were the whispers of the female workers.

Liu Meiling kicked the shelf, and the metal frame made a loud bang, startling the people nearby.

The get off work bell rang, and the female workers left one after another.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling changed their clothes and went directly to Chen Xiaodie's house instead of the cafeteria.

Chen Xiaodie was looking at her phone on the living room sofa when she saw the two of them come in. She stood up with a smile and said, "Sis, you're off work?"

Sun Xiaoyan stood at the door, her toes shuffling on the floor: "Xiaodie, I need to discuss something with you."

Chen Xiaodie noticed her expression was off and stopped smiling, asking, "What's wrong?"

"We...want to leave." Sun Xiaoyan's voice was soft but firm. "We don't want to work here anymore."

Chen Xiaodie was stunned: "Go? Where to? What happened?"

Liu Meiling chimed in, "Those female workers in the warehouse keep gossiping. We can't stay here any longer."

Chen Xiaodie frowned: "Who said that? I'm going to find them!"

"Don't go," Sun Xiaoyan pulled her back. "What good will it do? People will just keep talking nonsense. We want to go somewhere else and start over."

Chen Xiaodie panicked: "But where can you go? You have nowhere to go!"

Sun Xiaoyan lowered her head and remained silent.

Mr. Chen came out of the kitchen, wiping his wet hands: "What's wrong?"

Chen Xiaodie said, "Dad, they want to leave because they say there are people gossiping in the warehouse."

After a moment of silence, Mr. Chen looked at Sun Xiaoyan and asked, "Have you thought it through?"

Sun Xiaoyan nodded.

Mr. Chen then looked at Liu Meiling: "Have you thought it through too?"

Liu Meiling nodded.

Mr. Chen didn't say anything more, but took out his phone and scrolled through it: "Wait a minute."

He tapped the screen a few times, then looked up: "I transferred five thousand yuan to you. It's not much, but it should last you a while."

Sun Xiaoyan was taken aback: "Uncle, I can't accept this money..."

"Take it." Mr. Chen waved his hand. "You yourselves said you wanted to start over. How can you start over without money?"

A moment later, Chen's mother came out carrying two clean red, white and blue woven bags, which contained several folded old clothes.

"These are Xiaodie's clothes from when she was young. They're a bit old, but they're still wearable." Chen's mother handed the bag to the two of them. "Take these with you."

Chen Xiaodie glanced at it and chuckled, "Mom, my clothes are from years ago. I'll be laughed at if I wear them out."

Chen's mother glared at her: "As long as it's wearable, who cares about the style?"

Liu Meiling took the bag and forced a smile: "Thank you, Auntie."

Mr. Chen turned and went into the kitchen: "We'll eat at home tonight. I'll cook two more dishes."

Dinner was plentiful. Chen's father stir-fried a plate of braised pork, a plate of dry-fried green beans, and a plate of stir-fried vegetables, along with the leftover braised vegetables and steamed buns, filling the table to the brim.

Chen Xiaodie picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork and put it in Sun Xiaoyan's bowl: "Sister, eat more meat, you're so thin."

Sun Xiaoyan laughed: "I've gained weight, not lost it."

Chen Xiaodie picked up another piece and gave it to Liu Meiling: "Meiling, you should eat too."

Liu Meiling picked up a piece of meat and took a bite. As she chewed, her nose started to sting, so she quickly lowered her head and drank some water to hide it.

By the time we finished eating, it was completely dark.

Chen's mother helped the two pack their luggage. Actually, there wasn't much to pack, just two sets of clothes to change into, plus two bags of old clothes given to them by Chen's mother.

Sun Xiaoyan tied the woven bag and carried it on her shoulder.

Liu Meiling also picked up her bag and stood at the door without moving.

Chen Xiaodie stood under the streetlight and took Sun Xiaoyan's hand: "Sister, come back if you ever have any difficulties. Our home is your home."

Sun Xiaoyan burst into tears and nodded vigorously, "Yes."

Chen Xiaodie grabbed Liu Meiling's hand again: "Meiling, if anything happens, just call me. Don't try to handle it all by yourself."

Liu Meiling bit her lip, her eyes red-rimmed, and nodded.

Chen's father stood at the door, saying nothing, just watching the two of them.

Chen's mother wiped her eyes and said, "Be careful on the road. Come back if you encounter any difficulties."

Sun Xiaoyan turned and walked into the night, the streetlights casting long shadows.

Liu Meiling took two steps, glanced back at the brightly lit warehouse and the three people standing at the door, bit her lip, and followed Sun Xiaoyan.

Chen Xiaodie's voice came from behind: "Sister! Take care!"

Sun Xiaoyan didn't turn around, she just waved her hand behind her.

The two people walked out of the alley and onto the road.

Streetlights shone one after another, casting a yellow glow on the asphalt road.

Occasionally, a car would drive by in the distance, its headlights sweeping across the view before disappearing into the night.

Liu Meiling's phone vibrated. She took it out and saw that it was a text message from the police station.

"The farm owner, Xiaoya, and 12 members of her gang have all been arrested on charges including illegal detention and forced prostitution. This is to inform you."

Liu Meiling handed the phone to Sun Xiaoyan.

Sun Xiaoyan took the message, glanced at the screen, and quickly swiped to delete it.

After returning the phone to Liu Meiling, the two continued walking.

The night breeze was a bit cool, rustling the leaves of the trees along the roadside.

In the distance, the neon lights of the provincial capital shone red and green, turning the night sky into a murky orange-red.

The two people, carrying woven bags on their backs, walked step by step toward the light.