Chapter 15

Carrying several dollars' worth of fruit, I walked through the entrance of Sand Village.

Over twenty years ago, before Silverlight City became what it was today, it was just a little place called Sand Town.

Back then, the town was dirt poor, mainly surviving off a local steel mill. The mill was doing alright, and most of the workers lived around here, so the area got some decent policies. This village was one of the first spots in Sand Town to get a proper underground water system.

But as time went on, the big wave of reform hit the country. The steel mill started tanking, leading to massive layoffs. The young folks took off to find work elsewhere, and eventually, the factory packed up and left too.

Only the older generation stuck around, but they couldn't do much. The glory days of Sand Village were over. The place fell apart, no one took care of it, and it turned into a hangout for the poor.

Now, Sand Village had grown quite a bit; otherwise, it wouldn't have made it into the government's plans. The alleys were spread out, and after years of neglect, sewer pipes were sticking out by the roadside, spewing sewage and stinking up the place. With all the restaurants nearby, the mixed smells made the sanitary conditions pretty awful.

I remembered my colleagues talking about Sand Village, saying the rich kids in Silverlight City wouldn't be caught dead here because they didn't want to dirty their expensive shoes.

Hearing that made me uneasy. A lot of young people come to Silverlight City to hustle, with no support, spending their first few years in Sand Village. This place was the starting point for many rural and out-of-town youngsters chasing their city dreams.

Back in the day, after Alan graduated, he secretly lived here for a bit. When I found out, I was pissed and ready to move him out of Sand Village. He stopped me, saying it was too dirty and unsafe for a girl to come in. He moved to my place with his bags that day.

He paid me rent every month, not a penny less than the market rate. It was a matter of pride for him, and I accepted it until we got married.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten years had flown by.

Wearing heeled shoes, I felt even more uncomfortable walking on the bumpy road. I walked with uneven steps, careful not to trip and fall.

At that moment, I felt a sense of revisiting an old place, even though it was my first time here. Seeing the dilapidated buildings, the illegal extensions, and the greasy food stalls around, I felt a mix of emotions.

After about a ten-minute walk, I arrived at the fourth gate of the third alley, just like the fruit vendor had described.

The gate was ajar, rusty, and looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. The door knocker was covered in a thick layer of grime. Through the gap in the door, I saw a small courtyard. On the left was the kitchen, and on the right was an outhouse. Directly opposite was a three-story building.

The top floor looked newer, probably added and rented out to other tenants. The first floor was the most rundown, with strips of rubber hanging between the doors and windows, dangling in mid-air. The door had a tattered curtain, still hanging despite it being late autumn.

The three-story building had an iron staircase hanging outside, making the already small courtyard feel even more cramped.

Just as I was hesitating about whether to go in, a woman burst out of the second-floor house. She looked around twenty-seven, with striking features, heavy makeup, and an irritated expression. She was in pajamas, her hair a mess, and she clattered down the iron stairs like they might collapse any second.

She stormed into the first-floor house and immediately started in, "Mom, how many times have I told you not to work there? Going out at night and coming back during the day, how is that okay?"

"What else can I do? Tony Thompson is working his butt off day and night, and you just stay home all day, laughing and chatting on your phone. Does that make money? If I don't go out, how will you two get by?" Tammy shot back, clearly annoyed.

It seemed like the woman was her daughter-in-law. I was about to step in but decided to hang back and get a feel for Tammy's family situation first.

"But you can't keep doing that," the young woman complained, her tone dripping with frustration. "You go out at night and come back at noon, and in those shady places, people in the alley are starting to gossip. What exactly are you doing all day?"

Tammy snapped, "Shut up! Isn't it you who spreads everything around? I earn money honestly, unlike you..."

I heard a loud thump, like someone slapping the table. Tammy was clearly pissed. It seemed like their relationship was pretty rocky, and the young woman wasn't exactly tactful.

The young woman shot back, "I'm an honest online streamer. Without the gifts from my viewers, Tony's salary wouldn't even cover my makeup. He always brags about being a network engineer, but he's just a keyboard-pounding editor. Does he really think he's a high-income earner? What a joke!"

"Keep your voice down! If the neighbors hear you, you might not care, but I do! Tony's not here today, so let me make it clear: no more live streaming! What livestream sales? Where are the goods? When Tony's not around, what kind of clothes do you wear, and what do you say? Do you really think I haven't seen it? Our family may be poor, but we never do shameless things!" Tammy's voice was trembling, low but full of anger.

I was starting to piece it together. Tony's income wasn't great, working as an editor, and his wife was probably doing online streaming, relying on viewer gifts for money.

"Who are you calling shameless? Isn't being ungrateful and biting the hand that feeds you shameless?" the young woman shouted. "Everyone in Sand Village knows that your son is ungrateful, living off the family, and then wanting to demolish Sand Village. The demolition compensation is so little, and he says he tried his best. It's bad enough he treats the villagers like this, but he doesn't even come home. You work so hard outside, and he earns so much money. When has he ever given a penny to this family?"

Tammy sneered, "I know my son better than anyone. When you got close to Tony, was it really because you liked him, or were you just after his money? Calm down. We can get by somehow."

"How have I wronged your family or Tony? How can you talk like that?" The young woman cried, almost hysterically. "I married Tony at a young age and have been living a hard life. Did I say anything? Didn't I marry him because he's honest? But you're always saying sarcastic things to your son. Do you think it's easy for me?"

It seemed Tammy had another son, possibly tied to the village's demolition a few years back.

I pushed the door open and stepped in, asking, "Hello, sorry to bother you. Is Tammy home?"