Chapter 5: She would definitely rob fairly and aboveboard.

Under the strong and towering public pressure of local citizens, the authorities realized that arresting and deporting people was unpopular. They changed their policy and began constructing resettlement areas for those people. They provided timber and started building plank houses on the hills or vacant lands to house them.  

Ye Tianhui tidied up the abandoned stairwell where she had been hiding, making it so that no trace of anyone having stayed there could be detected. Only then did she quietly evade the people in the building and blend silently into the crowd.  

The local police distributed food to them, such as biscuits or porridge. Ye Tianhui also drank the porridge that was distributed for free.  

Over the past few days, Ye Tianhui had been eating bread, egg tarts, and various biscuits. At first, she found them delicious, but after a while, her mouth felt uncomfortable—it was too dry.  

Now that she could drink a mouthful of soft porridge, it was naturally a gourmet meal.  

Unfortunately, the porridge was too salty, unbearably so, but she forced herself to drink it down.  

Afterward, Ye Tianhui mixed in with the crowd, moving along with everyone and queuing up to register her name.  

However, when it came to collecting the free meal vouchers, Ye Tianhui didn’t take one. She had less than a thousand Hong Kong dollars on hand, which was actually enough for her to eat and drink, and maybe even rent a cheap place to stay. She didn’t need to compete with others for a bite to eat. She only wanted to obtain a legal identity, so she had to follow the procedures along with everyone else.  

By now, rows of wooden shack houses had already been built. They were very simple, generally constructed with wooden boards and tin sheets, but they had water, electricity, and public toilets.  

However, it was clear that these shacks were far from sufficient to house everyone. The local government didn’t have the manpower to manage it, so they provided materials such as tin sheets, asbestos tiles, wire mesh, and wooden planks for people to build their own shelters.  

Like a flood, the masses obtained building materials and constructed shack houses on the edges of urban areas or in mountainous regions, adapting to the terrain.  

These houses and materials were naturally prioritized for families with children. As someone who could fill her stomach and sleep anywhere, Ye Tianhui didn’t want to compete for these opportunities.  

Fortunately, she finally obtained a residence permit. While it wasn’t an official identity document, it meant she could legally be there and freely engage in some work.  

She understood very well that at any time, people need such a small proof. In her era, traveling required travel permits; on the mainland, people needed letters of introduction and verification from work units. Here, naturally, a residence permit was required.  

She carefully stored the thin permit stamped with a red seal and then left.  

Not far away, she caught the aroma of food and turned her head to look.  

Dusk had fallen, and the distant clouds painted the sky in colorful hues. Nearby, the high-rise buildings had begun to light up, and in the simple shacks built along the hillside, dim lights shone through, accompanied by the aroma of meals.  

It was likely the simplest porridge, but it smelled very tempting.  

At this moment, women who had previously been frowning showed faint smiles, children were playing around the shacks, and men were gathering to chat, discussing topics like “where to find work.”  

Ye Tianhui stood silently, watching this scene amidst the faint aroma of food.  

At this moment, Ye Tianhui felt a gaze.  

She looked over and saw, in the twilight, a tall and lean young man standing by one of the shacks, looking at her.  

He was very tall, with a straight back, narrow and sharp eyes, slightly tense brows, and deep, dark pupils. He appeared thin and impoverished, yet there was an ambitious stubbornness about him.  

When their eyes met, the young man slightly pursed his lips and averted his gaze.  

Ye Tianhui remembered seeing this person before. On the chaotic day when the crowd scrambled for building materials, it was he who stepped forward to stop them. 

He looked about the same age as her, around twenty, but he was cold and unyielding, and his methods were sharp.  

At the time, Ye Tianhui noticed but didn’t pay much attention. Right now, she wasn’t too concerned about people or matters unrelated to making money.  

She withdrew her gaze, turned around, and left directly.  

—  

Walking alone on the streets of Hong Kong, she watched the neon lights flash and the bustling crowds surge. This was a world she had never experienced, a place she yearned to strive and work hard in.  

Signs lined the streets, shops filled with customers coming and going. The shopkeepers would bid them farewell with a smiling “Come again when you’re free.”  

She passed by a cinema, where modern men and women dressed fashionably gathered. The men wore pants with narrow waists, tightly fitting their hips, flaring out into wide bell-bottoms below. Some were wearing jeans.  

As for hairstyles, they were even more varied—curled, dyed, strange and colorful, yet undeniably trendy.  

Many of these men and women were couples, holding hands, hugging, and even passionately kissing by the roadside.  

Ye Tianhui curiously watched, finding it very amusing.  

In her era, people were very conservative, with strict boundaries between men and women. Although she, as a female general, could go to battle, ordinary women from respectable families rarely even left their homes.  

On the mainland, though it was much better than in her time, there were still a lot of restrictions, and public displays of affection like kissing in the street were unheard of.  

She hadn’t expected the people of Hong Kong to be so open.  

She watched for a while. The couple noticed her, cursed, and looked furious. Ye Tianhui, realizing she was in the wrong, quickly scurried away.  

After walking a few steps, the couple was out of sight, but she caught a sweet scent. Looking over, she saw an old man pushing a popcorn machine. The machine was no different from those on the mainland, with a fire burning below.  

Ye Tianhui was tempted by the sweet aroma. Since she had Hong Kong dollars, she went over and bought a portion.  

The popcorn was freshly made. After a moment, there was a loud “pop,” and the fragrant, freshly popped popcorn spilled out.  

Carrying the bag of popcorn, Ye Tianhui walked and ate, taking in the sights of Hong Kong.  

Soon, she came across a stall selling cart noodles. Curious, she walked over to take a look. The soup looked quite appealing.  

For the past few days, she had been eating government-supplied meals—either bread, buns, or overly salty porridge. Now, seeing such flavorful-looking noodles, she couldn’t resist and ordered a portion.  

The cart noodle seller was an elderly woman with trembling hands. After taking Ye Tianhui’s money, she picked up a bowl with a slightly chipped rim decorated with a rooster pattern. She filled it with coarse, light-yellow noodles, added a few curry fish balls, a small piece of pork skin, and two segments of braised pig intestines, sprinkled on some chives, and handed it to Ye Tianhui.  

Carrying the bowl, Ye Tianhui asked for a pair of chopsticks and looked for a place to sit.  

Many people were eating cart noodles nearby, mostly gray-faced and shabby-looking poor folks. They buried their heads in their food, eating with sweaty brows and satisfied expressions.  

Someone finished eating and left, and Ye Tianhui quickly took the vacant seat. Sitting down, she mimicked the others and took a bite.  

She rarely ate Southern-style food before, but now she devoured it heartily, finding it flavorful and satisfying.  

While eating, she heard the people around her chatting. Most spoke in Cantonese, but there were also some northern mainland accents—familiar tones to Ye Tianhui.  

The conversation revolved around “making a living,” as survival was the primary concern.  

Some talked about selling blood, others about working as errand boys in casinos, or unloading cargo at the docks as laborers. Somehow, the topic shifted to horse racing.  

One person, seemingly knowledgeable, said, “That’s something sanctioned by the King!”  

Hearing this, Ye Tianhui perked up her ears, curious to listen. She was always eager to learn about things she didn’t understand.  

Others around her were also intrigued, so the person began explaining mysteriously. Apparently, gambling was prohibited in Hong Kong, but horse racing was an exception—it was an entertainment sanctioned by royal decree. There was even a place called Happy Valley in Hong Kong, named for its racetrack. 

In today’s Hong Kong, almost everyone participates in horse racing; there are hardly any who haven’t played. In recent years, horse racing in Hong Kong has become even more popular. Ordinary citizens can watch the live broadcasts on television, which further boosts the enthusiasm. Many people even shout and cheer in their living rooms for the horses they’ve bet on.

Ye Tianhui’s eyes brightened upon hearing this.

To be honest, her specialty in her previous life was war, archery, military strategy, and troop deployment; anything else she was terrible at.

If asked to do women’s embroidery, she could make her mother die of anger. If asked to read or write, she could make the tutor run away. She was hopeless at anything else.

In this life, she wasn’t much better at studying, her English was poor, and as a factory textile worker, she was often criticized.

She was born to live in a chaotic era, destined to be a person raised on horseback. Without those things, she would be nothing more than an ordinary person, destined to live a mediocre life.

So, for her, to make money, unless she resorted to robbery, her only option was to work as a thug in a casino or become a movie stunt double.

Now, hearing about horse racing, her eyes immediately lit up.

The Ye family had served in the military for generations, and they had all kinds of extraordinary people. Among them was an elder she called Wen Shu^[1]Uncle Wen, a person who had worked under her grandfather and had a deep understanding of horse appraisal. When Ye Tianhui was a child, she had taken an interest in horses, and she pestered Wen Shu to teach her. Wen Shu imparted everything he knew.

Afterward, Ye Tianhui spent many years in the military and saw countless fine horses. She integrated Wen Shu’s horse appraisal techniques, to the point that later on, her skill in judging horses was almost unparalleled in the Dazhao Kingdom.

She remembered that when she returned triumphantly to the capital to meet the emperor, the emperor had specially mentioned that the Imperial Stable had acquired some fine horses and that she had an excellent eye for them, waiting for her to appraise them.

Ye Tianhui picked up her chopsticks and poked around in the bowl, eating the last curry fish ball. As she enjoyed the rich aroma of the curry fish ball, she thought contentedly about this matter.

Horse racing, betting, making money.

For someone like her, who didn’t work in production, it seemed like the fastest way to earn money.

It was definitely better than being a thug, robbing people.

*********

After finishing her bowl of cart noodles, Ye Tianhui stood up and casually wandered around. In fact, over the past few days, she had been secretly observing rental information for apartments, and every time she saw a small GG, she would check it out.

Although she now had less than a thousand Hong Kong dollars, she was not a spender. For example, a bowl of cart noodles cost around six or seven Hong Kong dollars. Renting an apartment, even in government-provided affordable public housing, which only had a shared kitchen and bathroom, and included rates (taxes), still cost over one hundred Hong Kong dollars a month.

Naturally, she couldn’t apply for public housing right now, so she would have to look for a place on her own. With the little money she had, she needed to find something cheap, ideally under two hundred Hong Kong dollars, so she could save some extra money.

However, since it was already late in the evening, it would be hard to find anything, and it seemed like she would have to sleep rough for the night and look again tomorrow.

Luckily, the weather was warm now, and it wasn’t too cold at night. If necessary, she could find a phone booth or a quiet stairwell to spend the night.

She walked aimlessly for a while and, passing a newsstand, she took a look at the newspapers.

She noticed that most of the newspapers and magazines were not expensive, but the one about horse racing, called “Ma Jing” (Horse Chrronicles), cost ten Hong Kong dollars, which was more expensive than a meal.

Ye Tianhui hesitated but decided to buy it.

After purchasing it, she moved to a nearby shop, using its light to flip through the “Ma Jing.” The content was quite rich, including details about the horses’ conditions, race schedules, jockey and horse profiles, and analysis from well-known horse commentators. There were odds and tips from horse reviewers, along with some critiques about the current issues in the horse racing industry.

Ye Tianhui carefully read through it, gaining a rough understanding of the local horse racing industry. Unfortunately, the photos in the magazine were not very clear, so she could only get a general idea.

With this information, she dared not casually place a bet.

Horse racing wasn’t about gambling; it was about technical judgment. Since she had limited funds, she couldn’t afford to squander them recklessly.

It seemed she would have to find an opportunity to observe the horses up close to better assess them. It looked like the final betting time was just a few days away, so she had to decide quickly, then put down a few hundred Hong Kong dollars to bet, hoping to win and solve her immediate financial dilemma.

By this time, the sky had darkened, and the neon lights along the streets flickered. Hong Kong’s night scene was naturally beautiful, and Ye Tianhui admired the modern and fashionable style of the people, as well as the bustling nightlife. She slowly walked forward and finally found a small, winding alley. The corner was dark and damp, covered in moss, but from the street vendors and the passing crowd, it was clear that this was the kind of cheap place she had been looking for.

She observed carefully. This place was clearly different from the surrounding areas of prosperity. The rooms were densely packed, and there were countless long narrow buildings. There were also some crooked, illegal structures barely supported by steel bars and wooden planks. Each tiny room had extended long clotheslines, with colorful clothes hanging on them.

Tonight, the lights of each family are on, with the smell of oil and smoke mixed with the sounds of pots, pans, and utensils being knocked together coming from the kitchens. In front of the buildings, there are raggedly dressed crowds, along with some people smoking and looking very disreputable, possibly the legendary so-called “guohuazi” ^[2]At risk youth/gangsters typically part of triads.)?

Ye Tianhui saw an old man next to her holding a basket of vegetables, walking forward, so she went up to ask. The man pointed and said that if she wanted to rent a room, she should find Granny Wang. Granny Wang just had extra space available for rent since the previous tenant had moved out.

Upon hearing this, Ye Tianhui quickly followed the man’s directions and arrived at the place, only to find they were cooking. The smell was sweet and fragrant, very strong, making her mouth water.

She went over, greeted them, and asked, “Is anyone here?”

Her language learning ability was pretty good. Over the past few days, she had been paying attention to how people spoke here and had already learned some common phrases. Although the sentence was not entirely native, it was decent enough.

As she greeted them, an elderly woman came out. The woman was wearing a Chinese-style qipao with short, permed hair and holding a stir-frying spatula.

She looked at Ye Tianhui and asked, “What can I do for you?”

Ye Tianhui explained she wanted to rent a room and emphasized, “I hope it’s cheap.”

The old woman mentioned that there was a room available. If Ye Tianhui was interested, she could take a look. Naturally, Ye Tianhui was interested. While she could spend the night on the street, she hoped to settle down quickly.

She asked about the price. A room would cost 150 HKD. Ye Tianhui then asked if that price included utilities and taxes, and the old woman confirmed it was a reasonable deal.

At this moment, the old woman finished cooking. Ye Tianhui saw that she had made honey-glazed chicken wings, which looked and smelled amazing.

She turned her gaze away from the food and followed the old woman to the rental room.

The area in front of the building was not very clean; the garbage cans were overflowing. Outside the hallway were rows of rusted mailboxes, closely packed together, indicating the high density of residents.

Following the old woman up the cramped stairway, they reached the sixth floor. Each apartment had a small door, and in the hallway, various stoves and kitchenware from each household were scattered about. Some people were still cooking, and the sounds of pots, pans, and utensils clattering echoed.

As they walked, someone would occasionally shout, “Where did this young girl come from?” To which the old woman would casually reply, “A northern girl who’s just arrived.”

Ye Tianhui walked behind, carefully considering the meaning of “northern girl.”

She thought that she didn’t really need to imitate their tone or pretend to hide anything—others could see right through her.

In this city, some people looked at her with slightly contemptuous eyes, while others lay in front of large trucks with their bodies to give the poor citizens about to be evicted a glimmer of hope.

How some individuals viewed her didn’t matter to her.

No matter what, this city as a whole had accepted her, given her a legal identity, and offered her a glimmer of hope for wealth.

Ye Tianhui followed the old woman into the vacant room, which wasn’t really a room but just a place to sleep.

Upon entering, the first thing she saw was a bunk bed. Underneath the bed were storage drawers. To the left was a clothes rack, and to the right were five buckets arranged in a cabinet. Hanging on the wall were some storage panels. These items had already filled the entire room, leaving almost no space to move around.

Ye Tianhui asked if she could get a cheaper price. The old woman looked her up and down and asked, “Where do you work?”

Ye Tianhui understood what she meant—she was asking where she worked. She explained that she had just arrived, had received a residence certificate, but had not found a job yet and was currently “looking for work.”

The old woman listened with some sympathy and said, “Then I’ll be lenient. Just give me one lump of water, and when you get paid, you can pay me the rest.”

Getting paid must mean receiving her salary, but what was a lump of water?

Ye Tianhui was confused. “Lump of water?”

The old woman waved her hand. “Red clothes fish!”

Ye Tianhui “?”

The old woman sighed and clarified, “One hundred dollars!”

Finally, Ye Tianhui understood. “Red water” or “red snapper fish” meant one hundred Hong Kong dollars because the bills were red in color.

She thanked the old woman and immediately agreed on the arrangement, handing over one hundred Hong Kong dollars to settle in.

She had no bedding or clothes, but that didn’t matter. Having a roof over her head was enough.

After settling in, she observed the surroundings. Cooking was done in the hallway, and the toilet and bathroom were shared. Of course, that didn’t bother her.

Her goal was to make a fortune, earn big money, and living here was just a temporary solution. It was good enough to make do.

She also noticed that the place was full of different people—there were prostitutes, triads, and others who looked at her with strange expressions, clearly with ulterior motives.

But that didn’t matter either.

After all, she had made up her mind: if others didn’t bother her, she wouldn’t bother them. If someone tried to provoke her, she’d beat them up and then steal their money.

She would rob them openly and with justification!

She had also inquired around and bought a towel, bedding, and two simple sets of clothes for changing, along with some bathing products from a nearby general store.

She asked the old man nearby and also bought a spittoon and a mosquito net.

These purchases cost her quite a bit, but after getting everything, she truly felt settled.

Carrying her items, she walked back. As she reached the hallway, she noticed a few old men chatting, seemingly discussing “horse racing.”

Ye Tianhui deliberately slowed her pace, pricking up her ears to listen.

It seemed that one of the old men was an avid horse racing fan. He was holding a racing form and a pen, calculating the odds and chances of winning by the dim light from a nearby store. He was familiar with the horses, mentioning names like “Good Father” and “Upstart,” all well-known horses that had won several times.

He also mentioned someone named Ke Zhimin: “Ke Zhimin is racing too! He’ll definitely win!”

One of the younger men, listening to this, said mysteriously, “Have you heard today’s ‘secret tip’? Should I place a bet?”

The old man quickly waved his hand and shook his head, saying, “You don’t understand, don’t bet. In horse racing, you can’t rely on secret tips, you have to trust yourself.”

Ye Tianhui stood by and listened for a while, learning that the old man’s surname was Sun, and he had been studying horse racing for decades, clearly an expert.

The “secret tip” seemed like insider information, similar to rumors that seasoned professionals analyzed and sold to ordinary people to make money.

She listened carefully and found out that the racecourse for the horse racing event was open to the public. Ordinary citizens could watch the races from behind a fence, though it was a paid service and there were certain safety regulations to follow.

It was a hassle, but it was fine as long as she could watch.

After hearing enough, she carried her items back. It was already quite late, though she wasn’t sure of the exact time. From the stars in the sky, she guessed it was probably around 10 p.m.

She went to the public bathroom to take a shower. The bathroom was cramped, barely enough for four or five people, with only three showerheads. It was clear that during peak times, people had to wait, but luckily, there were fewer people at the moment.

Ye Tianhui took her time showering, cleaning herself from head to toe. She used body wash with a jasmine scent, which was a bit overwhelming for her, as she didn’t like strong fragrances, but she tolerated it.

To her, the jasmine-scented body wash symbolized stability, relaxation, and proof that she was finally living like a proper person, not running away from being chased or hiding in abandoned stairwells.

After showering, she wrapped a towel around her wet hair and returned to her room. The breeze made her feel refreshed, and she immediately felt comfortable all over.

These past days, she had been soaking in seawater and hiding in various places, living like a beggar. Now, she was finally clean, comfortable, and even started to like the jasmine scent on her body.

She smelled so good!

She entered her room, closed the door, and threw herself on the bed, lying there comfortably while staring at the ceiling and thinking about what she had just heard.

Tomorrow, she would try to sneak into the racetrack, preferably get a closer look at the racehorses, and once she figured things out, place a bet.

After betting, if she had time, she would try to gather information on the Ye family, see if she could meet her real father, and test their attitude toward her.

TN:

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