The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 762: Generation Gap

Liu Haoqiang cried herself to exhaustion, and her wails slowly quieted into a sob. The girl comforted her on the side, wiping her tears for her with a handkerchief, which quickly got drenched.

“You’ve got a lot of tears,” the girl joked brightly. “Are you made of water?”

Liu Haoqiang didn’t know what to say. “I...I’ll pay you back...”

“Can you afford to?” The girl suddenly pulled a straight face. “This is made of the most premium silk from heavenly snow silkworms. It’s priceless, and there are only two such handkerchieves in the world. The other one is owned by the queen of Snow Nation.”

“Re-really?” Liu Haoqiang’s eyes widened.

“Of course not. Is your brain turned off or something? You can’t even tell that I’m joking.” The girl laughed carelessly and offered her a hand. “I’m Ba Qiuchi. Based on the poem. Easy to remember, right?”

Ba Qiuchi. What a pretty name. It’s poetic.

“I’m...”

“Ah!” Ba Qiuchi shouted, staring at the two streaks of blood running down Liu Haoqiang’s legs under the red dress.

“Are you...hurt?”

Liu Haoqiang flushed red from her face all the way to the bottom of her neck. She had never been so embarrassed and ashamed. She wanted nothing more than to dig a hole in the ground and hide in it. She lowered her head and couldn’t look at Ba Qiuchi. “I’m not...”

“Oh, you’ve got your period!” Ba Qiuchi realized and reacted easily. “You don’t have pads with you, do you? Me neither.”

Ba Qiuchi picked up her bicycle. “Hop on!”

“I...”

“Hurry,” Ba Qiuchi urged.

“Okay...” Liu Haoqiang awkwardly got onto the back seat of the bicycle with her head lowered.

Soon, they reached a small shop. Ba Qiuchi parked her bicycle and flashed Liu Haoqiang a smile. “Wait here.”

A minute later, she returned with a small black plastic bag. Inside were the pads, and she was carrying a pair of simple-looking sandals in her left hand.

Liu Haoqiang was surprised. Although the shopkeeper was an older woman with a kind face, how did Ba Qiuchi just buy something like that without batting an eye? Wouldn’t she feel...embarrassed?

“Put on the shoes first. Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable to walk barefoot? Come on. There’s a public restroom there.” Ba Qiuchi seemed completely unfazed. When Liu Haoqiang didn’t react, she asked, “What? Do you need me to do it for you?”

Liu Haoqiang blushed and took the plastic bag from her.

A few minutes later, Liu Haoqiang emerged from the public restroom, having cleaned up the blood on her legs with water, too.

Ba Qiuchi was on her bicycle, waving at her with a bright beam. “Come on. Get on.”

“Where are we going?”

“A nice place!”

Liu Haoqiang got onto Ba Qiuchi’s bicycle again. They rode through the busy streets with the breeze of April and the clear sunlight kissing their faces. Liu Haoqiang felt like she was in a tender dream as the bicycle wavered and wiggled, lost in the moment.

Ten minutes later, Ba Qiuchi dragged Liu Haoqiang to a shop selling female undergarments on the street corner.

Liu Haoqiang blushed as soon as she saw the mannequin with fashionable undergarments in the window display.

Ba Qiuchi grabbed her hand. “Let’s go!”

“No...I, I’ll stay outside...” Liu Haoqiang broke free of Ba Qiuchi’s hands. It felt like her feet were pinned to the ground.

Ba Qiuchi considered her face closely and gave her a gentle smile. “Your mother passed when you were young, and your father doesn’t like you. No wonder you don’t know a lot about girls’ stuff. Don’t you know that at your age...”

She glanced at Liu Haoqiang’s chest and continued in an envious tone, “You’re all grown up! You should’ve gotten some undergarments long ago! Come on. We’ll buy you one...”

“I don’t have money.” Liu Haoqiang tried for an excuse and refused to go in.

“I do!” Ba Qiuchi grabbed her and dragged her into the shop.

“Cousin!” Ba Qiuchi called out to the young shop owner with a trendy look. “I’m taking my friend here to get some bras. Pick something that’ll suit her.”

“Alright.” The shop owner took off her earphones and walked up to Liu Haoqiang, giving her a once-over before breaking into a smile. “Your friend’s good-looking. What’s with the tomboy look? Her hair is way too short.”

“It’s cool! You don’t get it! There’s a generation gap between us!”

“You and your mouth. You run wild just because you get good grades and skip classes all the time to come to my shop. I’m going to tell your dad if you continue this.”

“Dear cousin, I know you’re the best...” Ba Qiuchi phoned it in immediately. “I’ll bring more business to you in the future, okay?”

“As if I need it.” The shop owner glanced at Liu Haoqiang. “Come to the changing room, girl. Undress and I’ll check your size for you.”

Liu Haoqiang trembled all over, feeling like bolting and getting out of the shop, but Ba Qiuchi was blocking her escape route. Awkwardly, she was somewhat forced into entering the changing room.

Soon, the shop owner walked out before returning with two regular white bras. Then the two of them emerged from the changing room.

Ba Qiuchi looked at Liu Haoqiang in her red dress, pleased. “Yeah, this is more like it!”

“If it doesn’t fit right or if you feel uncomfortable in any way, tell me,” said the shop owner.

“No, it...fits well.” Liu Haoqiang walked up to the mirror and stared at the girl with feminine curves in a red dress, stunned.

A few seconds later, a warmth spread from her stomach to her chest before reaching the rest of her body.

A heady feeling shook her and threatened to melt her. She suddenly felt like a ray of light was finally shining on her after a prolonged entrapment in a dark marsh.

I’m a woman.

Both my body and soul are a woman’s.

Nothing can change that. Not my biological father, the cold world, or even death.

Liu Haoqiang broke down into tears. She didn’t wail, and warm tears silently fell down her face.

Behind her, Ba Qiuchi and her cousin quietly watched her.

Her cousin shook her head and sighed softly, whispering to Ba Qiuchi, “She must have had it hard. You should help her as best you can.”

“She doesn’t need help. She’s strong. She’s just too lonely and needs a friend.” Ba Qiuchi’s eyes were bright and clear with intelligence. “There’s a generation gap between us, Cousin. You don’t get it.”