Trafford’s Trading Club

Fang Jiping had the habit of jogging at night… Of course, it started since half a year ago.

Of course, exercising was just an excuse, the main purpose was to have the opportunity to chat with the girl he liked so that they would have more time for speaking freely.

He thought that it was ridiculous that many rich families made their daughters marry into better families.

But Fang Jiping knew that this applied to him as well.

Since a long time ago, he realized that his father Fang Ruchang was a very greedy person. For decades, Fang Ruchang had been building up his own reputation… and now, he had gained that. Yet, he did not have enough wealth.

Now Fang Ruchang planned to turn his son into a famous violinist, perhaps to achieve the purpose of seeking a good marriage in the future.

What a snobbish guy he was.

However, Fang Jiping had told himself long time ago … that he seemed not to have the rights to criticize Fang Ruchang.

He always made various excuses for himself, and had no courage to introduce that hardworking girl to his family.

“Well, be careful, don’t work too hard.”

After hanging up the phone call, Fang Jiping walked along the path of the housing estate alone. He mocked himself. but made up his mind furtively.

When he achieved both success and fame, it was sure that he would bring this hardworking girl into his own family… rather than continuing this secret affair.

Dong dong, dong dong.

All of a sudden, Fang Jiping heard a sound.

It was so familiar. He stopped his steps, recalling this sound that had been buried deeply in his memory.

Finally, he found the origin of the sound at the place located not far from his apartment.

Under the street lights, there was a rickety silhouette. It was probably an aunt, like a ragpicker. The ‘dong dong’ sound came from the small rattle-drum in the aunt’s hands.

The sound generated from the shaking of the rattle-drum attracted Fang Jiping to come closer. All his attention was focusing on it.

In his memory, he used to have such a rattle-drum.

Fang Jiping returned to consciousness from deep thought and found that this aunt was fixing her eyes on him. The cloudy eyes looked terrifying under the night street lights, the wrinkles on her face seemed to be able to hide under the shadow. He took one step back subconsciously.

At this moment, this aunt called cautiously, “Baby Tiger.”

Fang Jiping face changed slightly. He couldn’t help asking, “How do you know this name?”

“Baby Tiger!” the aunt walked one step closer with agitation. She grabbed Fang Jiping’s hand, saying raucously, “Baby Tiger, it’s me! I’m your mother!”

Mother…

Fang Jiping quivered subconsciously, he shook off the aunt’s hands furiously while talking quickly and anxiously, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Baby Tiger! I’m really your mother! Don’t you remember? During your childhood, you liked to eat popsicles sold at the village entrance. You always cried for it when summer came… Oh yeah, one time you cried and fell down, the back of your head struck a rock and left a scar! It’s at the back of your head, you can feel it! Baby Tiger, mum has been seeking for you for years, I’ve found you at last!”

Fang Jiping breathed deeply suddenly, taking a step back again, “I don’t know what you said. I’m not Baby Tiger, and I don’t know you either… go find your son elsewhere.”

With the words, Fang Jiping turned around and walked away quickly.

The aunt at the back looked very nervous and worried, she quickened her footsteps to catch up to him. But she was seriously ill and couldn’t walk very quickly. After few steps, she stumbled and fell down.

Hearing the anguished groan, Fang Jiping turned his head around unwittingly… He glanced at her, clenched his teeth and walked towards her. He fished out his wallet, took out all the cash, and gave them all to the aunt, “Go away, I’m really not your son.”

Without waiting for her reply, Fang Jiping walked quickly out of her sight.

“Baby Tiger! Baby Tiger! Baby Tiger…”

He didn’t pause. Only the cold and cheerless street lights accompanied her. The same happened throughout these 20 years, she sat on the road again, alone and helpless. The aunt lowered her head, grabbing her rattle-drum, sobbing in a low voice.

…

“Do you want some water? You drank only a little soup, not drinking even a sip of water.”

Under the street lights, Luo Qiu opened the bottle and passed it to the aunt.

The aunt trembled while holding the bottle, sitting silently without a word. After quite a long time, her mood seemed to calm down. She raised her head, a slight hint of ugly smile revealed on her grieving face. “Brother, thank you, I’ve found my son! He’s really Baby Tiger, but he denied it. I know he is.”

“He didn’t intend to recognize you’re his mother.”

Luo Qiu who was observing secretly at the side had naturally seen Fang Jiping’s reaction.

The aunt smiled bitterly, “Brother, I’ve been contemplating throughout these years what should I say to him if I find him one day. I’ve been contemplating for days and nights while I’m eating, having a high fever after soaking in the rain, and even when I am dreaming… Those human traders are damnable, but I am more likely to be the damned person.”

The aunt wept bitterly, “Baby Tiger must hate me a lot… that year, if I was not addicted to gambling and forgot about everything when I was gambling, how could I lose him? I remember that day, I plunged into the gambling table, thinking it was safe for him to stay in our village, so I left him alone outside because I felt it was bothersome to take him with me …”

“I know he certainly hates me… because he was kidnapped when he was very young …” the aunt wailed, “I’m damned! I have been damned throughout these years! It’s like my heart has been cut by knives day by day. How can I blame him if he didn’t want to recognize me!”

Luo Qiu took a glimpse at the corner. There was a shadow passing by.

He knew that Fang Jiping didn’t go away, he was just hiding somewhere.

Luo Qiu didn’t intend to point it out bluntly, he just helped up the aunt, “Let’s leave it for tonight. Aunt, let me find a place for you to sleep.”

The aunt was shocked, “Brother, why do you still helping me? I’ve found my son already.”

Luo Qiu said coolly, “The person has been found but not his heart. So our work isn’t complete yet.”

…

…

Subeditor Ren was holding two boxes of gluten with beef offal and daikon, along with some bottles of beer, stepping onto the stairs of the old building.

Soon later, she rang the doorbell, “Ye Yan, Ye Yan! Small Ye! It’s me, open the door. I brought you supper!”

After work, she suddenly recalled that Ye Yan was still monitoring King Kong here. Although she promised that she wouldn’t interfere in this issue… but she regarded her effort to send the supper here as a kindness towards him!

But there was no response even after she rang it for a while. She gaped, “Did this guy go out?”

Ren Ziling took out her cellphone.

Feeling that this was a wasted trip and kindness, Subeditor Ren leaned against the door with curiosity, planning to call Ye Yan.

But unexpectedly, the door opened suddenly as she leaned against it. Ren Ziling was taken by surprise and fell into the room.

—‘The number you have dialed is unavailable.’

Hearing the faint voice from her cellphone, Ren Ziling got up while massaging the painful part. Feeling the switch next to the door, she switched on the light.

“God… did the war finish?”

In this room, everything was chaotic and disorganized. As to those machines used for monitoring, they had all disappeared.

Ren Ziling was stupefied. She unconsciously pulled the lock, but it dropped off the door in an instant.

It had been broken by someone!