Chapter 25: Critical Handling

Pi Tiantian was hiding behind the door and lunged at me when I wasn't looking...

My mother’s voice came through the phone: "Hello? Hello? What's wrong? I'm coming right over!" The call ended.

Pi Tiantian reached out to grab my phone, leaving herself exposed. I slammed my elbow into her waist, crouched back, grabbed her head with both hands, and arched my body, flipping her over my head. I spun around, mounted her, and delivered a heavy punch straight to her head. She shook it off, dazed. I landed two more heavy blows, and she went blank.

To be honest, fighting someone with no martial arts training is too easy. I didn't dare hit any vital points; otherwise, I’d have to pay damages again.

But she lay on the floor limply, like a corpse. This shouldn't have happened under normal circumstances...

Mother appeared at the living room doorway, her eyes wide with shock. She couldn't help but ask, "Zhengtai, is she dead?"

I didn't believe it. I had only hit her three times, and none of them were to the temple...

Even so, Mother wasn't sure. "If you didn't hit her vital points, why won't she wake up?"

I had been asking myself the same thing. It was truly inexplicable.

Mother frantically picked her up, placed her on the sofa, shook her vigorously, and shouted, "Tiantian! Tiantian! Wake up!"

I was disgusted by my mother's actions. Why bother waking up such a persistent stalker? If she’s dead, let her be! Ignoring my mother's protests, I rushed over, grabbed her by the legs, dragged her off the sofa onto the floor, flipped her over, and stomped on her backside a few times, yelling, "I told you to stop playing dead! Do you think you can fool me?"

Pi Tiantian’s body wobbled, but she remained like a corpse, feeling no pain.

Mother looked confused, her eyes widening as she roared, "She’s in this state and you’re still hitting her? Are you trying to make sure she dies? Look, you’ve given her three huge bruises on her head!"

I didn't care whether she lived or died! It was the first time I’d encountered someone like this—clinging to people like a leech, thick-skinned and shameless.

Seeing Tiantian lying on the floor, Mother burst into tears. Wiping her eyes, she grumbled, "Your father is in such a state, and we don't have the money for his surgery. If she dies and I have to pay for another life, how am I supposed to go on?"

That sentence touched a nerve. Helpless, I finally said, "Mom, she’s not a woman!"

"Ah!" Mother’s tears stopped instantly. She immediately realized the implications and couldn't help but ask, "How do you know?"

I had to recount what had happened, the most important part being...

Mother realized the gravity of the situation and had a thought: "Wait until I make a call!"

"Mom, why call anyone? To have me arrested? People would want to cover up something like this, not expose it. Who would be that stupid?"

Mother disagreed, offering a rebuttal: "She’s an adult and you’re a minor. This involves criminal suspicion. Paper can’t wrap up fire; sooner or later, people will find out."

I looked at her long, messy hair covering her face, her feminine build, and the obvious secondary characteristics, and said, "What if people don't believe she's a man?"

This caught Mother's attention. She stared at Pi Tiantian, who was sprawled on the floor, as if looking at a monster. After a moment, she said, "Let me look into the situation first, then we'll see."

I already knew what she was like.

Mother, being an experienced adult, didn't mind...

I stared out the window, indifferent to what Mother was doing.

Although Mother covered her mouth to keep from screaming, her eyes were wide, filled with a strange expression.

Just then, Tiantian’s body stirred. She slowly opened her eyes, regained her senses after a few seconds, and climbed up from the floor. Looking around, it took her a while to understand the situation. Embarrassed, she asked, "Auntie, when did you get back?"

I gritted my teeth. If Mother weren't here, and there wasn't a sick patient in the hospital, I would have beaten her to death! She actually still had the nerve to call her "Auntie"?

Mother had many things she couldn't let me hear. She quietly pulled Tiantian into the large bedroom and locked the door tight.

This made me curious. I snuck to the door, where I heard Mother’s lowered voice: "Tiantian, are you a man or a woman?"

Actually, Mother had already... but the point of asking was to tell Pi Tiantian that she knew nothing.

I didn't care what technique Mother used, as long as she stopped pestering me!

Pi Tiantian’s voice drifted out: "Auntie, I don't want to hide it from you. I appear as a woman, but I am actually a man. I like Zhengtai very much. After I graduate from university and find a good job, I will marry her!"

I was stunned! She actually dared to say that in front of Mother. She thought I would like her? Don't have such delusions! A person who is neither man nor woman is disgusting to look at!

Mother had her own way of handling it. I could hear snippets: "Men should marry, and women should wed! Zhengtai is only fifteen; she won't be an adult for another three years. But I don't want her to marry so young. At the very least, she must finish university and find a job so she can support herself. That will take seven or eight years, and it depends on whether she is willing. You know, marriage is free now; my word isn't the final say!"

After a long while, Pi Tiantian’s voice came through: "I can wait, I will wait until she agrees!"

I believed that. She was truly shameless. To be beaten like that and still dream of eating swan meat—it was unbelievable.

Later, I sat on the sofa, lost in thought. I don't know how long they talked. Mother eventually led Pi Tiantian to the door and watched her leave.

Where exactly does this Pi Tiantian live? Who is in her family? To this day, I still don't know.

Mother returned and sat beside me, looking relieved. "Great! She was beaten like that and didn't utter a single complaint. That’s a huge weight off my shoulders!" Mother hugged my shoulder tightly and said, "Zhengtai, check Mo Liping’s phone number. Can you get through?"

I loathed her. I had called N times; the call would clearly connect, and she had the audacity to hang up. She didn't give me any respect at all.

Mother had a different perspective, explaining calmly, "When asking for a favor, the attitude is what matters. Try calling one more time; maybe you'll get through!"

I knew that without money, Zhengtai’s father couldn't have his surgery. Forced by desperation, I bit the bullet and dialed Mo Liping’s number. A moment later, a voice said: "I'm sorry, the number you dialed is disconnected. Please check and dial again."

Mother heard it too. She panicked and started crying again, muttering, "Your father is so miserable. After his front teeth were knocked out, his mouth won't close, and eating hot food is unbearable. Every movement hurts like hell. When I asked the doctor for painkillers, they asked for a payment update; otherwise, you know what happens!"

I wouldn't pity this beast of a father. If he hadn't tried to take advantage of me, he wouldn't have ended up like this!

Mother cried for a while, but it solved nothing. She patted my shoulder gently and said, "I don't have much money either. Here is ten yuan! See what’s in the fridge and make something for yourself. I have to go borrow some money!"

"Mom, I’ve been thinking for a long time. The green jade bracelet must be real. Let’s find someone else to look at it. Maybe that will solve the problem. Since Mo Liping is ignoring me, even if I wanted to return the bracelet, I have no chance, right?"

Mother stood up and paced back and forth by the wooden coffee table, unable to come up with a good plan.

I searched online on my phone. After typing in a dozen words, I clicked search, and the results popped up: "To authenticate a treasure, you need three first-tier experts at different locations. Only when the appraisal results are roughly the same can the authenticity be confirmed. No single expert's appraisal result can confirm the authenticity of a treasure."

I showed this to Mother. She was thirty-five and understood it clearly. After thinking for a while, she said, "Zhengtai, let's go out and grab a bite, and look for where..."

This was the result I wanted. After the fight with Pi Tiantian, I didn't know where my schoolbag had gone. I looked around and found it on the sofa. I put it on; it looked very small on my back.

Mother grabbed her handbag and hurried downstairs. We locked the door and went to the electric scooter shed. I waited at the entrance. Mother rode out, and I sat behind her. After starting the scooter, we soon left the residential area and reached the asphalt road. Mother drove through several alleys until we found a small shop. We ate a bowl of rice noodles, then continued on. Following the electric scooter lane along the highway, we finally found a shop with a large storefront. Inside, someone was sitting behind a wide wooden counter.

Mother went up to inquire, "Excuse me, can you authenticate jade here?"

"Authentication? First, take out the item you want to authenticate and register it. It will likely be ready for pickup tomorrow." The speaker was a young female attendant in her twenties, wearing a mask and a white lab coat, looking like a doctor. Her figure was hidden beneath the coat, so I could only see a general outline.

Mother hesitated and asked, "How much does the authentication cost?"

"It depends on what the treasure is."

Mother took the green jade bead bracelet off her left wrist and said, "It's this."

The attendant took a look and said, "This piece is large. We can't determine the price until the expert has finished the appraisal."

I tugged on the back of Mother’s coat. She understood and said with regret, "We can't wait that long. It must be authenticated immediately!"

The attendant didn't hesitate and dialed a number. After a while, she got through: "Hello? A client is here to authenticate a treasure right now, and they don't have time to wait."

"Tell them to come in the afternoon. I have guests with me now, I can't get away."