[Translation] The Story Untold (那个不为人知的故事) by Twentine (周爱华): Chapter 2

 

“The one who hit people—it’s you, isn’t it?”

When Yang Zhao said this, even the two police officers froze for a moment.

Lao Wang was the first to react. He forced a smile and said, “What do you mean hit? It was just a bit of pushing and pulling. How about we settle this privately?”

Yang Zhao didn’t look at him. Her gaze stayed fixed on the shadow in the corner.

“I’m asking you. The one who hit people—it’s you, right?”

Officer Xiao Song frowned. “What’s wrong with you? What are you acting like? This is shared responsibility. Your brother caused trouble while drunk—what more do you want?”

Yang Zhao turned to look at him.

“Shared responsibility? Drunk disorderly behavior?” Her tone was calm. “They were the ones who hailed the taxi first. Is there a law that says people over eighty must be given priority for a taxi? And who was the one who started hitting?”

As she spoke, she looked again toward the figure in the shadows.

“I know my brother. He might refuse to give up a seat, but he would never be the first to hit someone. The rest of them were so drunk they could barely stand. So the one who started it must have been you.”

She then glanced at the two officers standing by the desk.

“I don’t know why you’ve been defending the driver, but trying to intimidate me won’t work. If he doesn’t compensate and apologize, then we’ll see each other in court.”

Her words cut off all possible compromise. The two officers were momentarily stuck—they clearly hadn’t met someone who wouldn’t respond to either soft persuasion or pressure.

“I was the one who hit him. How much do you want?”

Finally, the man in the corner spoke. His voice was low and steady.

Yang Zhao said, “An apology, and five thousand.”

Officer Xiao Song immediately snapped, “Five thousand? Just a wrist injury and you want five thousand? Are you extorting people?”

“Fine.”

“Brother Sheng!” Xiao Song walked to the corner and whispered, “They’re clearly trying to scam you. You don’t have to agree—I’ll talk to them.”

The man shook his head. “No need. Thank you.”

He then said to Yang Zhao, “Can you give me some time? I can’t come up with that much right now.”

Yang Zhao replied, “Then just apologize first.”

He paused, then softly said, “I’m sorry.”

Yang Zhao was about to say something else when Yang Jintian called out to her.

“Sis… forget it.”

She turned back. He was staring at his fingers, head lowered. After a moment of silence, she said to Lao Wang, “Can I take them now?”

Lao Wang also felt five thousand was too much. Frowning, he waved his hand. “Go, go.”

“Wait.”

Just as they were about to leave, the man in the corner stopped her. Yang Zhao turned around and saw Xiao Song handing her a slip of paper.

The man said, “This is my contact information. Give me half a month, I’ll pay you back.”

Yang Zhao glanced at Xiao Song. So even a note had to be passed through the police—this man clearly had some status.

She took the note, saw a phone number, stuffed it into her pocket, and left with them.





On the way back, Yang Zhao put the three drunk young men in the back seat and let Yang Jintian sit in the front passenger seat.

“I’ll take you to the hospital first.”

He didn’t refuse—his wrist really hurt.

She opened the window slightly but didn’t smoke. When he was in the car, she deliberately restrained herself from smoking.

“So you really fought over a taxi with an eighty-year-old woman. That’s quite something.”

“I didn’t mean to fight!” he said immediately.

Yang Zhao started the car and turned onto the main road.

“Then how did it start?”

“It was that driver!” Yang Jintian frowned. “He looked down on us!”

“You people don’t exactly make it easy for others to look up to you.”

“He looked down on us from the start!” His voice rose. “You don’t know the way he looked at us—it was like… like we were trash. Fuck!”

Yang Zhao said nothing.

Yang Jintian turned his head away and stared at the passing road signs.

She drove to the nearest Third Hospital. It was crowded even at night. She let him wait in the car while she went to register.

“Come on.”

She took him to see the doctor. After the X-ray, they waited in the radiology hallway.

During that time, she went to the bathroom and smoked a cigarette.

When the results came out, she looked at the report and said, “Soft tissue injury. This counts as minor bodily harm. We’re not settling privately anymore—I’m suing the driver.”

“Sis.”

She turned back. He was sitting there, looking at her quietly.

“Forget it… don’t go after him.”

“How did he hit you? Did he use anything?”

“I said forget it!” he shouted. People in the hallway all turned to look.

He lowered his head. His thin young frame looked especially fragile.

Yang Zhao walked over and gently pulled him into her arms. He struggled briefly, then gave up and leaned into her. She could feel him trembling slightly.

“Sis… am I trash?”

He finally broke into tears.

Yang Zhao took a deep breath and said softly, “No. You’re just not awake yet.”

“I didn’t want to… I really didn’t… I couldn’t help it…”

She stroked his hair and comforted him quietly.

That night, it was already past midnight when she finished sending everyone home safely. Her parents asked about Yang Jintian’s injury, and she covered it up, saying he had fallen on stairs on his way back to school.

By the time she returned to her apartment, she was exhausted and fell straight onto the sofa, still fully clothed, and fell asleep.

The next morning, she was woken by a phone call.

Half-asleep, she reached for her phone. The caller ID read “Xue Miao.”

She rolled over on the sofa and answered.

“Hello.”

“You sound weak. You’re still in bed?”

She didn’t answer directly. “What is it?”

“How’s the repair going?”

“That broken bowl is basically falling apart. What do you think?”

Xue Miao laughed on the other end. She heard the sound of utensils scraping a porcelain plate. “Are you eating?”

“Mm.”

“You better not let it break. If it breaks, my heart breaks too.”

She smiled slightly. “Give me another month.”

“I’ll give you fifty days. Take your time.”

“Alright.”

He added, “Why don’t you come back here? The working environment is much better, and I can even assign you assistants.”

“No need,” she said, covering her eyes against the sunlight. “Too noisy. I prefer working alone.”

“Alright. Whatever you want.”

After a few more words, they hung up.

She stayed on the sofa for a while longer, then got up, showered, and felt much better afterward.

She ordered takeout, then went to her study to read while waiting.

Her study was large and messy, filled with books and materials stacked everywhere without order. On the wall hung an old silk painting: a single carp at the bottom, and large empty white space above it. Her desk was placed right in front of it.

She put on her glasses, picked up a book, then paused and called the restaurant.

“Hello, I just ordered delivery from Huaken Jinzuo. Has it been sent out?”

“Alright, please add a large bottle of mineral water as well.”

“Thank you.”

She hung up and began reading.

The room was silent except for the ticking clock.

A while later, the doorbell rang.

She stretched her neck, marked her page, and went to open the door.

It was a young delivery girl.

“Hello, are you Miss Yang?”

“Yes.”

“Your order, seventy-eight yuan.”

She paid, took the food inside, and the girl gave her change.

“You seem to order from us often,” the girl said.

“Do I? You remember me?”

“Yes. We’re running a promotion. If you top up a membership card, you get 12% off everything.”

“Oh?”

“It only applies to delivery, not dine-in.”

“How much is the card?”

“Minimum top-up is 300 yuan.”

She thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll get one. Wait here.”

She went back inside, brought out 300 yuan, and the girl quickly processed the card, clearly happy.

“Our food is very cost-effective, Miss Yang.”

After finishing the registration, the girl said she didn’t have the physical card with her and would either bring it next time or the customer could pick it up.

“Next time, bring it,” Yang Zhao said.

“Alright. Goodbye, Miss Yang.”

After the enthusiastic delivery girl left, Yang Zhao returned inside, unpacked the food, stored part of it in the fridge, and ate the rest as breakfast.