Prologue  

Title: Union of Enemies 冤家易解布一截

Author: Xiao Yao Hong Chen 逍遙紅塵

Total Chapters: Prologue   + 59 Chapters = 60 Parts

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Zhen Lang's Quote ~~~ Buddha says, 500 times of exchanging glances in the previous life would only exchange for a moment of brushing past each other's shoulders in the present life. If I had known I would meet you, then on the 499th time, when exchanging glances, I would have gouged out my eyes!

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Years Ago.

Every weekend, during an allocated time, the factory would give the employees some welfare benefits. The bathrooms would be opened for their staff and family members to take free baths and this way of saving money was good for everyone. It did not only mean taking a bath but also to wash the sons and daughters and every member of the family. When the bathroom doors were opened, a group of men and women would hurtle in like a gust of wind.

Of course, grabbing hold of the faucet is a skill. The technique used is a squeeze, sweep, hit, pull, push, utilizing the whole set of Chinese Tai Chi Quan, Japanese Karate, Korean Taekwondo, Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the 36 Stratagems used in the Art of War, all defensive moves concocted by the various individuals.

But whoever can rush in and guard the faucet from the beginning until the end, he must also be capable of fighting for a table at the canteen and fighting for a space in the public bus. Why is it said like this? Let's take for example. The moment the door is opened ~ he had blocked the way, keeping everyone behind and he would be guaranteed to be the first one to use the facility.

When he goes in, the first thing he does is not to take off his clothes but to hang his things on the faucet ~ this tactic is to catch the king first before catching the thief. When washing, his feet will be in a T-position with both his arms crossed ~ the fighting stance, understand?

Whoever makes an attempt to get close, just a few words 'I just came." would make them leave ~ understanding the enemy gives you the lead. If whoever does not take the hint, then he had to depend on Tai Chi Quan ~ the body moves but the legs do not. His body will sway when anyone pushes him but his feet will not move, rooted to the ground.

The women naturally did not make use of their legs and hands but they have another weapon ~ delaying tactic. Who does not want free water? The dirty laundry that had piled up in the house for a week which consisted of dirty clothes and stinky socks were all bundled up and washed slowly. The production department, Auntie Li had also brought all her house's five bedsheets and quilt covers over to wash. As a result, when she entered the door, she was stuck there and was pushed by the people behind her. Suddenly the woman laden with the heavy bundle fell down and was trampled over by countless feet. In the moment of shock, Auntie Li was flattened spreading sideways by three centimeters wider and flattened down by the thickness of two fingers.

Women usually will wash their children first and after they are cleaned up, they would be left aside to play by themselves. Then they would wash their clothes and enthusiastically chat about the trivial matters in their family life accompanied by the sounds of splashing water.

At this time, the two women on the left and right chatted with each other joyously.

The husband of the woman on the left is a small technician in the factory and his surname is Jia. The people usually call the woman Jia Mama. And the husband of the woman on the right is said to hold a job in the finance department of the factory and long ago he had moonlighted on his so-called gathering of business sense outside. His surname is Zhen and the people call this woman, Zhen Mama.

"Ai......Sister Jia, in the recent allotment of apartment units, which floor did you draw?" Zhen Mama used force to scrub the clothes in her hands and asked casually. In the misty bathroom, Jia Mama rubbed the soap on her daughter's dress and scrubbed it. "Fourth floor, West Wing."

"Really?" Zhen Mama's scrubbing hand movement stopped. "I'm also on the fourth floor, East Wing."

"Ah!" Jia Mama threw down the skirt in her hand and shook her hands to get rid of the water. "So, we are neighbors?"

"Then in the future, we should take care of each other."

"Of course! Of course!"

As the two women were talking excitedly about the fact that they were each other's new neighbors and looking at each other with deep feelings, a clear tragic scream was heard coming from a corner of the bathroom.

"Ah!!!!........"

The scream was too distinct and piercing and for a moment, it was impossible to tell whether it was a boy or a girl's voice. Both women turned their heads in unison......

A chubby little girl who was completely naked with a layer of soap bubbles clinging to her was running towards them. In her hands, she was dragging......er......dragging a boy. She was dragging him......she was not grasping his hands or his shoulders but.......but........ That......below his belly button, between his legs, that little thing like a Chinese-style sausage...........

(The picture shows the shorter version of Chinese sausage measuring about 7cm and the normal length of Chinese sausages is about 15cm.)

"Mom!" The little girl rushed to the front of her mother and the bright voice shouted loudly. "What is this thing?! Why is it that Zhen Lang has and I don't?!"

In the misty bathroom, her eyes showed her purity, her thirst for knowledge, her curiosity and her cuteness.

After seeing clearly the thing that her daughter was grabbing, Jia Mama instantly put her hands on her waist and shouted loudly. "Jia Shao, let go of your hands!"

The chubby little girl was extremely stubborn and turned her face away. "No! Why is it that Zhen Lang has this and I don't have? Is it because when you picked me up from the garbage dump* that time, you had left it behind?"

(Chinese parents usually tell their young children they were picked up from the garbage dump when they are naughty or disobedient. This is to instill fear in the children and make them behave lest their parents dump them back into the garbage dump.)

Jia Mama looked at her daughter's death grip and used her big hand to pinch her daughter's wrist. "Quickly, take away your hand! Zhen Lang is going to be injured by you!"

"No!" The female doll fiercely defended her new favorite toy. Instead of letting go, she even gripped harder. "This is so soft and it's nice to play with. I want this. Tell Zhen Lang to give this to me!"

As soon she pulled harder, the pitiful male doll cried out in pain and his tears flowed more powerful than the faucet. The sound of his cries shot through the roof of the bathroom. "Mom, it hurts!!!"

Zhen Mama quickly pulled her son over and hugged him. The poor three-year-old little female doll cried so loud that it shattered heaven and earth and even shocked the ghosts. He felt extreme pain while he was hugged by his mother and between sobs he said. "Mom, I don't want this. It hurts. Give it to Jia Shao, give it to Jia Shao........"

"Jia Shao......" Zhen Mama touched the little female doll's face that was full of expectation. "This.......when you've grown up then only this can be given to you. Why don't you wait until Zhen Lang is grown up so he can give this to you?"

"Really?" The little girl's eyes immediately lighted up and then instantly darkened again. "What if Zhen Lang secretly give it way to someone else?"

"Then you will have to guard him. You must make sure he does not give it away to someone else, alright?" Zhen Mama's eyes flashed with teasing. As she looked at her miserable son who was crying in her arms, she actually felt very happy.

Jia Shao firmly nodded and reluctantly let go of her hand. Before she released her hold, she could not control herself but squeezed it two more times. With a face full of seriousness, she looked at the beautiful face of the little boy and said. "Zhen Lang, promise me that you will give this to me later. You must not give it to others."

His face was bathed in tears and his body still wet, the porcelain-like little male doll nodded his head as he sobbed in jagged breaths. His ink-black eyes shone with tears, his tender lips turned pinkish in the hot air as if water could drip out.

Finally, Jia Shao felt a little guilty on seeing his pitiful expression. Anyway, sooner or later, this thing would belong to her, then she should at least comfort this person who had promised her the toy.

She stretched out her wet hands and rubbed hard on his face. "I will give you a kiss. Don't cry, okay?"

Zhen Lang tilted his head and thought for a while. Then slowly, with some hesitation, he nodded.

Jia Shao broke into a sweet smile and holding the face of the porcelain doll in front of her, she slowly leaned forward and kissed him with a loud sound. "Muah!!!'

Zhen Mama patted Zhen Lang's head. "She had already kissed you, shouldn't you return her kiss?"

Zhen Lang sniffed and looked at the chubby girl who was grinning so much that her eyes had turned into slits. He had a grievous expression on his face as he cradled his painful part with both his hands and his eyes still brimming with tears.

Both the male and the female were naked as they embraced each other tightly to seal their verbal agreement.

That year, both of them were three years old.