87 Ran Weis' Friends Need Money

Ran Wei, for once in her lifetime, was able to wake up late. Usually, she had work in the mornings, but due to the floor renovations, the whole clothing shop was on a one-week break. This was neither a good nor bad thing, as she had nothing to do without work. These days, she hadn't been entering the Store of Fates either, since she could not afford it and did not want to rely on her boss' kind graces. One advantage that came with it was that she did not have to look at Lin Zhuyues' stupid face.

"Death to the rich," she muttered while clicking her tongue.

If only she had money too, that'd be nice. Sometimes, she wished she could be a cherished fairy maiden of a sect, or family too. She felt envious, yet admired Mei Xue, who appeared to have it all—beauty, strength, wits, and intellect. If only she could rise in her cultivation road, then she'd be free to do whatever she wanted and money would never be a problem. That was the ultimate dream, even more than being wealthy or privileged.

But naturally, just like 99% of the population, she did not possess any magical abilities or great destiny. "If only I had a bloodline or some kind of great ancestor in a ring," she sobbed to herself. If it weren't that early in the morning, she'd have brought some alcohol to drown her sorrows and lament the unfairness in life.

—well, she knew a person who tried, despite that unfairness.

She put her clothes on. As it was a rare break, she had plans to meet her old friends. The place they booked was a small pavilion outside the central district. At first, they planned on splurging and reserving a table in the famous Flying Swan run by Xing, but they had no more tables left, and one of her friends had fallen on hard financial times as one of her walls broke down from a water leak.

The sun shone straight into her eyes, making her squint. Even though it was so bright, the weather was still cold, just as she disliked it. Already, there were many people working—many vendors and sales assistants soliciting customers on the streets. She felt sorry for them, as she could relate to the struggles, as before she worked at a high-end fashion street, this was her daily job too.

"Hello, would you like to purchase a lottery ticket," a young woman asked her. "Only five copper."

Ran Wei raised her brows. These guys really knew how to pick their fights. It's almost scary how they'd asked her today of all times as if they knew she was having a quarter-life crisis about her financial stability. "...Sure." She handed her the money and took the ticket, though regret immediately washed over her, the same way someone would do after getting scammed.

"Thank you for your purchase," the woman said cheerfully and bowed down.

"Yeah, yeah..." Ran Wei waved her away and went to the pavilion with her heart just a little heavier.

Her two friends had already arrived, taking up space on a table in the corner, but judging there was neither food nor drinks on the table, they could not have waited for long. She greeted them and took the last remaining seat.

It was truly a long time since she had met these two, as she was busy with her career, and with the other two walking their own lifepaths too, they had slowly drifted apart.

The small woman reading through the menu was Zhang Huahua. She wore a light-blue dress, matching the big ribbon on her head. Her hair was black, and cut short, just above her shoulders, adding to her cutie look. Ran Wei remembered that every time they went out, she'd get approached by creepy old men wishing to buy her candy, though they'd scurry fast when they heard her foul mouth speak. And if she wasn't fighting off basement dwellers, the woman would talk about how she was a distant relative of the Zhang family, even though their surnames weren't even written the same way.

Ran Wei glanced at the menu. In comparison to the prices in the Flying Swan, let alone the Store of Fates, this was a lot more affordable.

Her other friend—another woman, as she does not associate with men outside her work—was the polar opposite of Zhang Huahua. She was tan and tall, towering over even men. Her hair was light gray (as far as Ran Wei knew, it had always been that color), and cut even shorter than Huahuas. Her most noticeable trait though was the worn-out and blunt broadsword on her back. She referred to herself as Malice. Naturally, that was not her real name. Even now, Ran Wei cringed, just thinking about calling her that.

Malice looked at Ran Wei, "What do you want to order?"

"I have well too, thanks for asking." Ran Wei joked. "Aren't you too eager to leave?"

"Sorry, sorry. It's just that I still have to go train afterward, so I don't have that much time, you see," Malice spoke.

"Don't tell me you're still trying to become the greatest cultivator and reach immortality," Zhang Huahua asked in a scrutinizing tone.

"Of course I am!" Malice laughed heartily. "To become strong and free, that is the greatest romance, you know? how could I possibly pass up on that?"

Ran Wei and Zhang Huahua both sighed at the same time. That girl really hadn't changed. From all the people she knew, Malice was the only one not broken by the harsh reality and continued pursuing her pipedream. Even her parents disowned her, which was why she had to change her name. Day and night, she'd swing her big sword, training all day and honing her body to find enlightenment in the Dao. Her dedication was almost admirable if it weren't for Ran Wei knowing that she had no talent whatsoever.

"What stage are you now," Huahua asked her.

With a proud face, the tall woman replied, "I have just recently broken through to the second stage."

That's pretty bad, Ran Wei thought. "That's fucking dogshit," Zhang Huahua spoke out aloud. "I'm the same rank and I didn't do shit."

Malices' eyes opened widely. "...Are you some kind of genius?"

"No, it is only that you are trash," Zhang Huahua decisively cut her down, causing Malices' shoulders to droop. How merciless. Without batting an eye, she turned to Ran Wei with a smile, and asked, "So, what have you been up to these days? You still working at that clothing store?"

"I am," Ran Wei spoke.

"I wish I could visit you, but I don't have any money," Huahua sighed. "That damn water leak. If I catch the one who placed a big bucket on the roof to gather rainwater, I swear to god!" She pretended to choke someone. It looked comical on such a small girl, but Ran Wei could not laugh. She knew Huahua wasn't joking. Huahua placed her hands down, and turned gloomy. "If I could buy the clothes in your shop, I might have better luck finding a partner."

"You are still looking for a man?" Ran Wei tilted her head. "What's the point of these bums? Whatever they can do, we can do better. You should rely on yourself first."

"That is right," Malice spoke. "You should train your body first, it's the only thing that will not betray you."

Zhang Huahua clicked her tongue. "That's easy for a lesbian and vestal virgin to say. All I get with this body is kids and creeps. Nobody takes me seriously and any man I fancy runs away from me. I just want to find a good man and be in a stable family. What if I am still single by the time I've reached thirty? Isn't that basically a death sentence?"

Ran Wei raised her hands. "Hold up, who's a lesbian? Obviously, Malice is the forever-maiden. . . so, me?"

"Wait, why am I singled out like this," Malice spoke, "As far as I know, you guys never felt the embrace of a man either?"

The two of them ignored the cultivation nerd. Zhang Huahua spoke, "Well, wasn't obvious? You always say not to associate with any men, and avoid them at all costs. Don't you already have a lover too? That girl you always spoke about, Lin Zhuyue? Don't worry, I won't ju—why are you grabbing my head?"

Ran Wei tightened her grip, as veins appeared on her forehead. "Any last words?"

"Ah! It hurts! It fucking hurts!" Zhang Huahua wriggled around. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong!"

"Look here," Ran Wei spoke in a calm yet terrifying voice. "I don't want a man because I am busy with my career, not because I can't get one or swing the other way. Understood?"

"Understood, understood! You are breaking my head," Huahua screamed. "You're the coolest and fairest, so please let me go."

Ran Wei retracted her hand. At once, all her energy left her, and she slumped down her chair. Why was she so tired, without even ordering? If she had known these were the topics they talked about, she'd really have gotten something to drink first. "...In the end, it's all about money."

Zhang Huahua rubbed her aching head. "Malice seems to be doing well without it."

"Actually, I just got kicked out of my place. I was planning to buy a cultivation manual, but got scammed."

"..."

Ran Wei was left speechless. Forget about the Flying Swan, she feared the two of them couldn't even afford this place. "If I ever get any money, I will make sure to share it with you guys."

They indulged in their food, forgetting the pain. Still, the rest of the meal tasted a little bitter.

...

"No fucking way," Ran Weis' hands shook as she held her scratched-off lottery ticket. "It really happened..."

'Congratulations, you won! Take the ticket to the store and redeem it for a prize of 170 spirit crystals!'