TBW - 8

Chapter 8: Slim Legs with Low Body Fat

The entire afternoon, Cheng Simin rode a shared electric scooter around the streets, making two full loops and visiting three second-hand furniture stores. 

Though advertised as furniture shops, upon arriving at the locations via navigation, two of them turned out to be scrap collection stations. 

The furniture there was haphazardly piled alongside stacks of plastic bottles and cardboard boxes, exposed to wind, sun, and rain. Their condition was abysmal—wobbly and on the verge of falling apart. They looked worse than the relatively new sofa she had thrown away at noon. 

Talk about misfortune piling on misfortune. Leaving the last furniture shop empty-handed, Cheng Simin discovered that the electric scooter she had parked by the roadside had been taken by someone else. 

Looking down the street, the only remaining shared bikes were a few yellow ones parked a hundred meters away. It was still four kilometers back to Huanghe Garden, and the nearest bus stop was 800 meters away on foot. 

When she left home earlier, Cheng Simin thought she’d wrap things up within an hour, so she only brought her phone and ID card. After an afternoon of running around, sweat poured from her temples and nose in torrents. Her naturally curly hair clung to her neck like a heavy blanket, sticky and suffocating. 

With no tissues to wipe her sweat or hair ties to tie her hair back, her cheeks were flushed rose-red, and every strand of fine hair curled tightly in the humid air. Her messy hairdo fully revealed itself, making her look like Merida sprinting through the jungle. 

If she had known this would happen, Cheng Simin wouldn’t have spent so much time haggling with “Sparrow” over the sofa. Frowning, she lifted the hair off her neck to let the breeze cool her skin, absentmindedly kicking a small pebble stuck under her shoe. 

The pebble ricocheted off the pavement, rolling and bouncing until it landed on the steps of a street-facing shop. 

Under the pinkish evening glow, a glaring neon advertisement outside the shop caught Cheng Simin’s eye: 

“New users enjoy special broadband rates of 10 yuan per month. Annual subscribers receive a free basic mobile phone.”

The strands of hair slipped from her fingers, and Cheng Simin had a sudden idea. She quickly stepped into the business hall. 

Twenty minutes later, she emerged, no longer caring about appearances, and plopped down on the steps outside. Using a silver pin, she ejected her SIM card from her phone and inserted it into the basic mobile phone included in the package. Then, she repeated the process, inserting the new SIM card into her smartphone. 

Opening the second-hand shopping app, she swiftly maneuvered through the interface like a pro, successfully registering a new trading account for herself. 

This time, she approached “Sparrow” with full courtesy. 

“Hello, friend, I’d like to buy your sofa. I’m still a student and just moved out of the dormitory with no income yet. I really want it—could you give me a discount?” 

On the other side of the screen, Shi Ying had just pulled his phone back from his grandmother’s view when he saw the message. He paused, instinctively clicking into the user’s profile, then into the chat window of “Saury Fish,” whom he had blocked earlier that afternoon. 

Scanning through the messages in seconds, he quickly confirmed it—the writing style was unmistakable. This new account belonged to “Saury Fish.” 

Impressive. The person behind “Saury Fish” seemed to possess some kind of reverse-aging magic. Just moments ago, they were posing as a middle-aged man with a wife, and now they had transformed into a college student. 

The evening summer breeze brushed against his face as electric scooters whizzed past on the sidewalk ahead. Their spinning wheels continuously rattled a loose manhole cover, creating a cacophony of bangs mixed with human chatter, car horns, and the distant hum of asphalt road construction nearby. Despite the chaotic environment, Cheng Simin remained unfazed, staring intently at her phone screen, waiting for a reply. 

Above the chat window, the text indicated that “Sparrow” was typing repeatedly—but after several minutes, no words appeared. Instead, he sent her an image. 

Cheng Simin tapped on the thumbnail—it was a “bargaining application form.” 

Anyone familiar with second-hand trading apps knew this trick: such forms were often used by sellers to discourage buyers from proceeding. Cheng Simin was well aware of this tactic but still carefully filled out the form with detailed reasons for her request. 

Out in the world, identity was self-assigned. Though her bargaining reasons were fabricated, her desire to negotiate was genuine. After all, sellers were supposed to be shrewder than buyers, right? 

Perhaps her sincerity moved heaven and earth. After sending the completed form back, “Sparrow” typed for a while, seemingly unable to find a reason to reject her, and eventually relented. 

“Alright, student. I’ll knock off 100 yuan, but that’s the most I can do. Send me your address—you can come pick it up now. If you don’t show up soon, the deal’s off.” 

Swiftly locating the address, Cheng Simin arranged a cargo van via the platform, negotiating the delivery route and additional labor costs with the driver. She sent “Sparrow” a string of handshake emojis to confirm the deal, stood up from the steps, and dusted off the seat of her overalls. 

The cargo van driver was en route. With the matter resolved, Cheng Simin’s tense nerves finally relaxed, and her stomach took the opportunity to growl loudly. 

Behind her lay an old residential area, and on the sidewalk ahead, many residents returning home from work passed by on electric scooters, their handlebars adorned with colorful plastic bags containing steamed buns, rolls, cold noodles, or other simple meals. 

Dinnertime had arrived. Cheng Simin hadn’t eaten all day, and though she had been preoccupied earlier, the enticing aroma of food wafting from others’ bags now made her painfully aware of her hunger. Her stomach felt like it was collapsing in on itself, and her eyes began to glaze over with a faint greenish hue. 

While waiting for the driver, she dashed across the street to a bun shop and bought three freshly steamed beef buns. Taking a bite of the hot, juicy bun, her attention was immediately drawn to the neighboring deli, where a customer was having a roasted chicken chopped up. 

Under the heat lamp, the glossy, honey-colored chicken skin glistened temptingly. Cheng Simin could resist the allure of handsome strangers, but not these irresistibly low-fat chicken legs. She indulged in two large drumsticks. 

The arrangement of snack shops along the street seemed meticulously designed by a commercial genius. Grilled squid, potato pancakes, fried chicken strips, and roasted gluten beckoned her forward. Before she realized it, her hands were full with five or six plastic bags, and she was sipping on a 4-yuan milk tea from Mixue Ice City. 

What a sin. 

As Cheng Simin mentally repented for her impulsive spending, the cargo van driver arrived. She jogged over, opened the door, and locked eyes with the forty-something female driver inside. 

Female truck drivers were rare, especially for small cargo vans. Given the limited carrying capacity and typically light loads, customers often preferred male drivers who could assist with heavy lifting. This made Zhou Yan, who worked ten-hour shifts daily, earn significantly less than her male counterparts. 

Seeing Cheng Simin hesitate before getting in, Zhou Yan grew anxious. Lowering her mask, she forced a stiff smile at the young woman outside. “Get in! There’s a parking violation camera on this street—if we stay here for more than 90 seconds, I’ll get penalized.” 

Zhou Yan’s words went in one ear and out the other. Cheng Simin placed one foot on the passenger seat while the other dangled uncertainly below. Standing at 162 cm, Cheng Simin estimated that the driver appeared even shorter. Considering the solid wood sofa she needed to move, she hesitated. “Sister, were you the one chatting with me on the platform earlier? The thing I need to transport is pretty heavy. Can we really carry it upstairs together?” 

She had paid an extra 50 yuan for moving services, after all. 

Zhou Yan feared Cheng Simin might cancel the order upon seeing her. Business had been slow due to the scorching weather, and she had logged onto the platform early that morning, waiting for customers near the logistics park. But orders had been scarce throughout the day. This particular job came with a bonus—enough to buy a month’s worth of steamed buns—and she couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. 

“How could we not manage it? Do you doubt my strength?” Zhou Yan exclaimed, pounding her chest emphatically. 

“These arms of mine are strong! Besides, isn’t your address Huanghe Garden? I know the security guards there very well. Just wait—I’ll drive straight to the underground elevator entrance and make sure your stuff gets delivered to your door.”

Since the other party had made such a guarantee, Cheng Simin simply gave an “Oh” and pulled her other leg into the car. 

Closing the door and settling into her seat, she fastened her seatbelt as Zhou Yan swiftly shifted gears and accelerated onto the main street. 

As Cheng Simin reached for her phone after securing her seatbelt, Zhou Yan glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. Over the years, she had traveled far and wide, leading a nomadic life, and had encountered many young women around Cheng Simin’s age. Some wore flashy jewelry and carried luxury handbags, while others sported wigs and oversized lolita dresses that dwarfed their frames. 

Cheng Simin’s attire was unremarkable—bare-faced, wearing a plain white T-shirt and loose denim overalls with wide legs. This was entirely ordinary, leaving Zhou Yan’s first impression of her as unremarkable. 

But when Cheng Simin picked up her phone, Zhou Yan’s gaze involuntarily returned to her face. This time, it wasn’t just a sidelong glance—she turned her neck fully and stared intently at Cheng Simin’s features and the delicate curls framing her forehead. Her eyes searched as if a detective gathering evidence. 

The traffic light turned green, but Zhou Yan was so absorbed in her observation that the car behind them honked impatiently. 

Cheng Simin looked up, almost noticing Zhou Yan’s intense stare. Quickly, Zhou Yan turned her head back to face forward, using casual conversation to mask her unusual behavior. “Which building in Huanghe Garden are we delivering to?” 

“I’ll figure out which gate is closer once we load the goods.” 

“Building 6.” 

“Building 6?” Zhou Yan’s face lit up with surprise as she turned the car left. “I live in Building 6 too—Apartment 1204.” 

Now it was Cheng Simin’s turn to be surprised. Her deep brown pupils flickered, and soon a bright smile spread across her face, revealing a row of pearly whites. The last rays of the setting sun fell on her lashes, but her radiant grin dispelled the dimness inside the van. “Sister, what a coincidence! I just moved into Apartment 1203—we’re neighbors!” 

“Banshan City is so small!”