Author: Shu Ding Rou
Translator: Yuenme Translations
Don’t steal!
A story is a story because it can be repeated many times.
Also because in the hearts of many people, it can be repeated many times.
Chapter 1
So cold.
Winter started not long ago, yet Guan Pipi felt that today is definitely the coldest day of the year. Last night there was a heavy snow. According to the older generation, it was a rare event in fifty years because C city's winter usually does not have snow. If there is, it won’t last long. A thin layer of snow will melt away by the next day. Even so, many parents specially take leave from work to accompany their children to make snowmen and have snowball fights. In the end, they are mostly excited for nothing. However today’s snow is actually half a foot thick, glimmering blue, stepping on it will make a hole, and it even gives out a 'ga ga'(1) sound as if stepping on a foam board. Compared to the north, this is not regarded as cold. The people of C city were unprepared as they looked for scarves, gloves, and warm hats from their (clothes) trunks. Guan Pipi found them all, but still forgot her gloves when she went out. It only takes ten minutes to walk from her home to the subway station. She only walked for five minutes before she felt frozen to death. She had no choice but to go into a breakfast shop to get a cup of hot soybean milk in her hand, drink a big mouthful, and warm her stomach before continuing to move forward.
(1) 嘎 (gā): snap/crack/creak sound
This is a busy Monday. A cloudless blue sky, the sun has some dazzling brilliance. The snow on the branches beside the road were shaken by the footsteps of pedestrians. Guan Pipi looked at her watch, 7:30 just passed. In the pre-editorial meeting at 8:00, the president will come in person and take notes. She (Pipi) must not be late.
Guan Pipi is walking on the main road to C city. During rush hour, cars shuttle back and forth, pedestrians push and squeeze. At the critical intersection, it’s almost only possible to walk shoulder to shoulder, like a group of black penguins. Crossing Fuxuan Department Store and turning into a residential area, there were fewer pedestrians. The subway station sign was also revealed, and Guan Pipi was happy. Only need to sit on the subway for four stops. Getting out, the newspaper building is right there without even needing to cross the street. At this moment, someone came over and suddenly stood still, in a manner of asking for directions. Then, Guan Pipi smelled a strange aroma, a little bit like the smell of the fern tree in remote mountains.
"Sorry, xiaojie(2)."
(2) 小姐 (xiǎojiě): Miss, young lady
Guan Pipi was currently occupied with drinking the last mouthful of soybean milk. Suddenly forced to stop, she almost choked.
"È(3)–"
(3) 呃 (è): Burp/hiccup sound
It was a man, voice was very young, wearing a very thin windbreaker with the collar up. A gray scarf encircled more than half his face, and he was wearing black sunglasses.
"Can you help me?" The voice that passed through the scarf was very deep, as if filtering out all the noise. It was clear and pleasant to listen to like the FM stereo evening program.
"What’s the matter?" She stopped.
"I need to take a taxi right away, but I can’t see the road. Can you help me hail a taxi?"
Blind person?
Guan Pipi couldn't help but glance at him again. Doesn’t seem like it. The speaker was a head taller than her, slim and without a blind stick in his hand. Maybe he has severe glaucoma like her aunt. Guan Pipi was embarrassed to ask.
"No problem." She smiled, "Come with me. The road is slippery, be careful." She turned his hand over and held it. He wore a pair of very thin gloves, almost silky. Pipi thought it was a bit strange. In a cold winter like this there was no way these gloves could keep out the cold. And as that man realized she was leading him with bare hands, he hurried to take off the glove and also held her hand with a bare hand. Chilly, ice-cold fingers held her, freezing her so that she shivered with cold. Pipi didn’t mind, took him to the side of the road, and moved her hand to attract a car.
Two minutes of waiting and still no empty car. The man was still calm, but the hand that held her was getting tighter and tighter, somewhat nervous. Guan Pipi had no choice but to say, "Right now is rush hour, it's not easy to take a taxi."
That man gave out a "En" and suddenly asked a very strange question, "Are you afraid of dogs?"
She shook her head, "Not afraid."
He said, "I'm afraid." After a few seconds, he turned around nervously and seemed to be listening to something, then said, "If a dog chases me, will you protect me?" Guan Pipi twisted her face and looked at him, wanted to laugh, but was afraid that he would hear. His face was wrapped in a scarf, and she couldn’t see his expression. There was expectation in his voice.
"Of course," she said.
An empty car on the opposite side saw them and was waiting for the green light. Guan Pipi raised her arm to look at her watch and suddenly heard a bark.
Looking back, a gray shadow flashed in the distance. A dog that was half a person tall charged towards them and was instantly in front of them. A dozen steps away from it followed a middle aged fatty, probably the owner of the dog, holding an empty leash. Sweating and panting he shouted, "Joy! Joy! Stop!"
Because this street is close to a park, there were many people walking their dogs. Pipi once worked in a pet shop and knew that the German shepherd was of superior quality: tenacious, confident, not easily excited, on the contrary most of the time is relatively indifferent.
Yet this dog rushed at an unexpected speed, ferocious, not like a dog but like a hungry wolf who found prey.
Guan Pipi only felt that her arms are tight, and the man next to her is completely stiff and putting on a resistant posture. The palm of his hand twisted unconsciously, almost breaking her arm.
Guan Pipi has never been afraid of dogs, and she knows that trained German shepherds are very disciplined. If the owner doesn’t instruct so, then it won’t randomly attack. There are a lot of pedestrians on the road, and even more pedestrians across the street. She thinks that she and the man are not the targets of the dog.
But seeing the dog accurately and without doubt running towards them, she still decided the best strategy was to run away. She quickly pulled the man and ran to the taxi. When the car arrived it hadn’t even stopped yet, but Guan Pipi rushed to open the back door. Pushing the man into the car, she also followed on his heels and got in. Just as she was about to close the door, the dog also arrived and slammed into the back seat, its forelegs rested on her shoulders and it barked at the man inside.
“Drive! Hurry and drive!” She yelled at the driver, her voice still louder than the dog's, tense until until she was nervous.
"How can I drive with a dog in the car!" The driver was distressed by the seat cover he had just changed, also full of anger.
That dog was half a person tall, Guan Pipi had to raise her shoulders high and wrap them around the head of the dog, not letting it climb past her to hurt the blind man. However, when she looked back, she could not help but be annoyed. A hundred pound big dog pressed on her and the man did not come to help, sitting properly by himself with concentrated introspection, just like an old monk looking at his fingers as if there were flowers on them.
"Hey, lend a hand, will you?" That man didn’t even lift his head, as if he didn’t hear it, he continued to look at his fingers and looked solemn and uninterested.
Fortunately, the owner of the dog had already caught up. Pulling the dog violently, the dog couldn’t help but fall back two feet, and Guan Pipi quickly closed the door.
The driver stepped on the gas and flew away amid the dog owner’s repeated apologies.
Everyone let out a breath. At the same time, Guan Pipi also smelled a dog’s smell on her body, and there were several dog paw prints on her snow-white down jacket.
""It didn’t hurt you right?" After the calm was restored, that man asked.
"It didn’t," She was still panting and gasping.
"Where are you going? I’ll let the driver send you.
“Youth Road 107, C City Evening Newspaper Office." She looked at her watch, five minutes to eight. Oh no, definitely will be late.
The man turned, the sunglasses reflected the snow outside the window, "About what just happened, thank you very much."
"You’re welcome."
"How should I address xiaojie?"
"Passerby."
The man's face is still wrapped in a scarf, but he seems to laugh, feeling for his wallet from his bosom. Then felt out a business card from his wallet, "This is my business card. If there is anything you need to help with, please come find me.”
She took it over, looked at it, and couldn't help but smile. There is only a phone number printed on it, and the rest are a few lines of convex dots, Braille. Maybe the name and address.
"Oh, ok," she responded without thought.
No words were spoken the entire way. Guan Pipi was thinking about whether her best friend Tian Xin can buy her a six percent off ticket to the NK concert. The car arrived very quickly.
Guan Pipi got off the car. The man was always looking blankly ahead. Although he could not see anything, he politely leaned over and earnestly said to her, "Goodbye, thank you for saving me."
Guan Pipi smiled. The word "save" was too strong. She was originally resentful that this person refused to help. After thinking about it, he was afraid that the dog would come to him. At the time he couldn’t help but to stay away from the dog out of fear, and having to help her resist would be a bit too difficult. Moreover, he also gave me a chance to be a hero. Just don’t complain any longer.
"It’s nothing. Remember to take some self-defense items next time you go out."
"Definitely,” the man promised, then asked, "Then, there is nothing uncomfortable with you right?"
Guan Pipi shook her head, "There isn’t."
When entering the newspaper office’s front door, Guan Pipi was still pinching that paper cup containing soybean milk in her hand. She wanted to throw it away since earlier, but she couldn’t find a trash can. Passing by a trash can, she threw the paper cup along with the business card into the trash.
Then, she didn't even take off her down jacket before rushing to the meeting room on the third floor with the utmost speed. She came face to face with Director Zhang standing at the door. His face was cold and gloomy, “Guan Pipi, you’re late.”
Glossary:(1) 嘎 (gā): snap/crack/creak sound
(2) 小姐 (xiǎojiě): Miss, young lady
Hello, yuejiin here~ I hope this translation was understandable as it’s my first time translating, plus (ngl) my Chinese is terrible eek
I’m welcome to any feedback/tips in the comments so I can improve, thank you!