I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 93
In the swaying lantern light, I sit at the hot spring outlet in a small canal by the seaside, gazing at the black sea ahead. The sea is so calm that it’s somewhat worrisome, as if in the next moment, numerous terrifying monsters might emerge from the profound darkness and devour everything.
Fishing boats and warships line up along the shore, their main cannons shining a cold light in the firelight. Numerous tents are set up on the coast, and the fishermen have already rested, leaving only a few sailors responsible for vigilance chatting while holding weapons—
?When will these days come to an end? I really want to go back to my hometown and drink sweet fruit wine.?
?I don’t know. Those monsters are everywhere now. Maybe even my hometown has been destroyed. I’m not sure if I dare to go back.?
?Do you really think that newcomer hero has the ability to save the world??
?Come on, no matter how strong the hero is, he’s still an ordinary person. You might as well rely on the little demon next to him.?
?I heard from the village’s archmage that the bloodline of that little demon is extraordinary. She might grow up to be even more powerful than the current demon king.?
?But if she does grow up, who’s going to control her? Don’t tell me she’ll become the next demon king.?
?…?
—
The moon is hazy, the lights are blurred, and the sea is charming. With the sound of small footsteps splashing in the water, I hear someone slowly approaching from behind.
?Have you finished bathing??
?I can’t bathe with you, you know. Men and women shouldn’t be too close, even if you’re a demon… and a female one at that. I’m a guy.?
?I don’t mind your pointed ears. Don’t overthink it.?
—
“In an incredibly quiet world, what did you truly see?”
“Searching for the expression that allows the words ‘goodbye,’ just repeatedly repeating such scenes.”
“In this place that seems both arduous and lonely, I only want to walk hand in hand with you…”
“……”
Opening my eyes, the ceiling is familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar.
“Ugh…”
Turning my head slightly, the horizon outside the French window on the right has started to show a faint dawn approaching.
I seem to… have had a dream about the ‘past’ again?
Blurry-eyed, I sit up, lowering my head to glance at my chest clad in children’s underwear.
Inside the little bunny nightgown, it still only has a faint curve, and the surrounding delicate white skin is like white jade, without any flaws.
Oh, right, I have to go to work today.
Realizing something, I wake up a bit from the daze, stretch lazily on the small bed: “Ah—”
I really want to sleep a little longer.
“No matter how many times, I’ll call your name, even if we face an uncertain future…”
“I’m here! I’m right here!”
“Your destination is right here!”
The phone beside me continues to play the waking-up ringtone, “And I’m Home,” and the azure phone screen glows gently in this hazy morning.
On the second day of working at the café, Start.
Encouraging myself silently, I turn off the alarm on the phone next to me and get out of bed.
Just like yesterday, Ai Luodi and Yin Xiamo’s room doors are still tightly closed. After leaving the room, I head straight to the balcony and take down the overalls and little dress that I washed the day before.
Then I remembered what happened last night.
“…”
It seems that Miss Grim Reaper brought me back last night… while I was asleep, she stripped off my clothes as soon as we arrived home and threw them into the bathtub?
Perhaps because it was my first time doing such an intense maid service job, I was really, really tired after returning from the café last night. The feeling was beyond just typing or doing laundry – waking up in the bathroom was almost my limit.
The only thing I can compare to that drowsiness is the extremely boring math or English classes during school, and with a lack of sleep last night, I was in a daze throughout the entire class. As soon as the bell rang, I collapsed onto the desk and lost consciousness – more or less that kind of state.
The only thing I remember is being thrown into the bathtub in the end, facing Miss Grim Reaper, and mutually washing each other’s bodies “frankly meeting” face to face.
After that, I don’t have much memory, but I feel like it’s probably something like changing clothes with Yin Xiamo’s help after taking a bath and then lying down on the bed.
Also, I seem to remember one thing – Miss Grim Reaper’s chest doesn’t seem to be flat.
She belongs to… how should I put it, the average standard for Asian women.
At least, she has more “assets” than I do now.
So, did Yin Xiamo wash these clothes?
In the fragrant air of the balcony, I look at the whole set of maid outfits and matching socks on the rack above, as well as the T-shirt and shorts I wore yesterday. I silently think in my heart.
Did she even help wash the underwear?
I try to take one of the children’s underwear and smell the scent on it.
Hmm… it’s the scent of the laundry soap I usually use.
Did Xiao Mo use my laundry detergent to help wash the clothes?
Why does it feel like I’ve turned into a child in need of care?
With a bitter smile on the balcony, I took the clothes back to the room and began the usual routine of getting ready. Face cream, eye cream, toner… hmm.
After putting on the clothes, tidying up the little skirt, and finally dealing with my hair, I looked at the mirror. Yesterday, the manager gave me two ribbons, and if I follow her instructions for the hairstyle, it should be…
Busy in front of the bathroom mirror for a few minutes, I eventually managed to mimic a hairstyle resembling “Noel”.
It’s quite simple! I am indeed a genius!
Looking at the cute little loli in the mirror, now dressed in a light blue sweatshirt and a small skirt, I displayed a satisfied expression.
But then again, why do I feel weird in my body today?
It’s like something’s a bit uncomfortable, but I can’t quite put my finger on what’s wrong. This “discomfort” seems to originate a bit below the abdomen, feeling somewhat like an upset stomach or perhaps like not covering oneself well at night, causing the stomach to catch a chill – in any case, it’s very uncomfortable, but I can’t pinpoint the specifics, making me quite uneasy.
Could it be that there was something wrong with the buffet or the milk tea I had last night?
I glanced towards Yin Xiamo’s room.
No movement; it seems that she hasn’t woken up.
Oh well, it doesn’t seem too serious anyway. If things don’t improve, I’ll go to the hospital later.
Rubbing my flat little belly in the room, I completed the daily abdominal exercises on the living room cushions as usual, then picked up my phone and keys and headed downstairs.
Yesterday, I didn’t prepare any ingredients, and there’s not much taro and sweet potato left at home. So, I won’t make breakfast today. Instead, I’ll try the skills of the breakfast shop nearby.
Leaving the residential area and breathing in the fresh air outside, I found one of the breakfast shops I remembered passing by yesterday morning.
A southern-style breakfast shop… Well, isn’t Shenzhen City considered southern?
Entering the shop, I saw a variety of buns, steamed buns, soy milk, and fried dough sticks, as well as flavored snacks like “zongzi,” rolled rice noodle rolls, and “hun tun.”
This shop seems to have been around for a while, not like those very formal ones where everything is neatly arranged. Many tables, chairs, bowls, and cabinets look quite old, and it’s not so particular. They just place the pan for frying dough sticks right at the entrance. If someone wants to eat, they fry a portion on the spot, and the soy milk machine is placed on the table, serving a bowl when someone orders.
By the way, why does this rolled rice noodle roll not look like the one in my memory? Is there another way to eat it?
“Do you want this, little sister?”
The shop owner is a middle-aged woman in her fifties or sixties. She was originally making dumplings with her husband. When she saw my gaze on the side of the food counter, she quickly walked over: “How many do you want?”
“What is this?”
I was curious: “What does it taste like?”
In the central area of Shenzhen City, I have had similar breakfasts, such as rice noodle rolls and rolled rice noodle rolls, but it always feels a bit different from the one in front of me.
“You can make it yourself if you want.”
The auntie at the breakfast shop looked at me with a gaze similar to how one looks at a child. She directly took out a full and fragrant bowl of meat from the cabinet, indicating how to make this ‘rolled rice noodle roll’.
“Here, spread this out first.”
She spread out a semi-transparent soft noodle, which seemed to be made from special flour, into a long strip. The auntie then used a spoon to scoop a large spoonful of what seemed to be a mixture of minced meat and leeks or some vegetarian filling from the nearby bowl. She evenly spread it over the stretched super-wide noodle, creating a layer.
“Like this, roll it up again.”
Following that, the auntie rolled up the side that had just been coated with filling, rolled it forward a few times, then continued to spoon more filling in the middle. She rolled a few more times until it became a roughly 20-centimeter-long “rolled rice noodle roll” with clearly visible filling inside.
“Two yuan each, you can make it yourself or buy it already made. There are many sauces over there, including soy sauce, tomato sauce, and yellow skin sauce.”
As if coaxing a child, the auntie sized me up: “How many do you want?”
Two yuan each?!
I was a bit surprised, thinking I had misheard, and specifically glanced at the price list on the wall.
Two yuan for a rolled rice noodle roll, four yuan for a serving of rice noodle rolls, one yuan for soy milk and fried dough sticks… all so cheap!
“Haha, little sister, is this your first time here?”
At this point, a nearby customer spoke: “This shop has been around for almost thirty years, and the prices have hardly increased. In this area around Nanqi, almost all the shops are like this. Everyone knows each other, and it seems like the Shenzhen City government has almost forgotten about this area. It hasn’t seen much development in decades, but we’re happy with the tranquility.”
Oh… that’s really a fascinating place.
No wonder people say that as a writer, you should go out more… Even though Pumpkin District and Central District are both parts of Shenzhen City, separated by less than 20 kilometers, there are such noticeable differences in prices and dietary habits. If this is within the same city, imagine how much greater the differences would be between two different cities!
At least, I’ve never had rolled rice noodle rolls like this before. Moreover, if you let customers make it themselves, aren’t you afraid they might stuff a lot of minced meat into it when adding ingredients? This is almost the same as a buffet…
If this were in the Central District’s urban villages or commercial streets, I reckon it would be picked clean by various customers, leaving nothing behind.
“I’ll take six, two separate portions of two each, there are three of us.”
Considering my limited time, I abandoned the idea of making it myself and walked over to the soy milk machine: “Also, three cups of soy milk.”
Soy milk, or soybeans, is said to have a beautifying effect. It contains plant estrogen, and because it’s a weak estrogen of plant origin, its nature is relatively mild. Some experts have claimed it can be beneficial for beauty and breast enhancement. Whether it actually works, I don’t know.
When I used to write books or eat, I liked watching various popular science and interesting knowledge summary programs. As the saying goes, “know a little about everything, and life will be more colorful.” I don’t mind having a variety of knowledge.
“All right.”
Under my gaze, the shop owner swiftly separated and packed three portions of breakfast for me, and I quickly made the payment with my phone.
Fifteen yuan for a breakfast for three people, this area in Nanqi is truly a haven for budget living.
Returning to Ai Luodu’s house with the breakfast, I saw that neither of the two inside had gotten up. So, I separated the breakfast into three bowls and enjoyed my portion at the dining table.
Hmm… this legendary rolled rice noodle roll, how should I put it, it tastes very fresh.
Its filling is indeed a combination of leeks and minced meat, but the taste is not as strong as the leek filling in dumplings, and there’s no distinct leek flavor. It feels more like the savory taste of minced meat and leeks cooked and sautéed together in a pan with soy sauce.
The “skin” used by the auntie to wrap the meat filling has the same texture as “ho fun” or rice noodle rolls, or in other words, it’s like large-sized rice noodle sheets. To put it simply, it takes the original rice noodle, which is less than a centimeter wide, and increases it to over ten or twenty centimeters. The meat filling is wrapped in this thin, semi-transparent skin, rolled into a cylinder shape, and finally eaten directly with a bit of tomato sauce, yellow skin sauce, or soy sauce.
But why is my stomach still feeling so uncomfortable?
After finishing the rolled rice noodle rolls and drinking the soy milk, feeling the obvious discomfort in my lower abdomen, I tried massaging the soft flesh there, hesitating whether to request leave from the café manager.
Taking leave on the second day of work is not what I had hoped for. Not to mention a waiter, even if you’re a white-collar technician or something similar, taking sick leave in the first week of work would leave a bad impression on the supervisor. Moreover, my stomach is in a state that hovers between “not very painful, can endure” and “not very comfortable,” making me unsure of what to do.
Oh well, since it’s not particularly painful and doesn’t affect daily life, I’ll observe and see how it goes. I can’t escape the café duties in the early days of its opening – heroes can’t bail out at the critical moment.
“Creak,” the sound of the room door opening reached me as I finished cleaning up the trash in the room after eating.
“Nuo’er, good morning…”
Yin Xiamo, coming out of her room, yawned: “What are we having for breakfast today?”
“I bought it downstairs, it’s called rolled rice noodle rolls, and there’s a cup of soy milk too.”
I held the garbage bag in both hands. “Did you wash my clothes?”
“Yeah.”
The grim reaper girl admitted straightforwardly, “The outer clothes went into the washing machine, and I hand-washed the maid outfit and underwear… What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
For some reason, the thought of someone else helping me clean my personal clothing made my face feel hot. “…Thanks for last night.”
“Last night?”
Yin Xiamo looked bewildered, whether she was pretending or not was uncertain. “What happened last night? Oh, you mean helping with the bath? Don’t worry, I’ve seen what should be seen and what shouldn’t be seen. It’s nothing.”
“Not that!”
I instinctively retorted, “What do you mean what should be seen or not? We… we were just taking a normal bath, right?”
“Is that so?”
The girl tilted her head, and her face was full of mischief. “Indeed, there’s nothing big about girls taking a bath together. So, let’s save time and bathe together in the future.”
“Please allow me to decline.”
I twitched my lips. “You should know that I… I mean, my original…”
“I know, Yin Nuo’er, you’re already 18 but still look like a little loli, mocking others for not having a chest, while your own body can accommodate an airplane and steel plates.”
Yin Xiamo almost blurted out, “If you put on a boy’s swimsuit and take a selfie, you probably wouldn’t even need to label it R18 on that blue app.”
I had a black line on my forehead. “That’s enough…”
“So, someone does care quite a bit about their figure, huh?”
“I really don’t care about my figure!”
I decided not to argue with this girl anymore. “Anyway, I’ve bought breakfast for you. Goodbye.”
Yin Xiamo sounded happy behind me. “Be careful with vehicles and strange uncles on the way!”
“I’ll be careful!”
With the rabbit backpack on my back and the garbage bag in hand, I went downstairs and threw the garbage bag into the “non-recyclable” trash at the bottom of the building. Once again, I rubbed my little belly through my clothes.
Such a strange feeling of irritability. Hopefully, it’s just an upset stomach… Isn’t this body supposed to be immune to various viruses?
Along the main road outside the community, through various streets, and up a steep slope, twenty minutes later, I arrived at the entrance of the commercial street, in front of the Mushroom House.
“Meow!”
The Maine Coon cat, Dingman, didn’t know when it had run out of the store. Originally resting at the door, it saw me and rushed over, rubbing its big head against my calf.
“It probably considers you the new owner.”
Ouyang Xue, still dressed in the Office Lady outfit with black stockings, greeted me when she saw me. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
I picked up Dingman from the ground and walked into the café, placing the rabbit backpack behind me. “What did that Jitu… cough, Su Yunjin say yesterday?”
“You’re calling him Su Yunjin directly? It seems like you two have a good relationship.”
Ouyang Xue paused her work. “We briefly discussed the future development direction of the café and the means of self-rescue in case the commercial street project encounters problems.”
Speaking of this, Ouyang Xue seemed to notice that something was off with my complexion. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah? No… It’s not that uncomfortable.”
I gestured towards my stomach. “Probably ate something wrong last night, but it’s not a big issue. It doesn’t hurt much.”
“How can eating something wrong last night cause discomfort today?”
Ouyang Xue looked skeptical. “You’re not on your aunt (period), are you?”
“What do you mean, on my aunt?”
I didn’t understand. “My relatives are far away, and we haven’t been in touch for a long time.”
“Are you an idiot?”
Ouyang Xue put down the broom and took off her gloves. “I’m talking about relatives, aunt, your period.”
I still didn’t get it. “My period?”
“Menstruation.”
“Uh…”
Wait a minute…
Wait a minute!
Upon hearing this term, a not-so-good premonition rose in my heart.
My current body… is a girl.
Girls… are a kind of… beings that experience a monthly… cycle.
Although my body was created by that Miss Grim Reaper, theoretically, this body can be modified at will. But she had every reason to create a body for me based on the typical human condition… a body that experiences a monthly cycle.
Given her terrible personality, she would actually do such a thing.
This explains the “kind of pain but not really” feeling in my stomach, which I, as a male who has lived for almost thirty years, have never experienced before.
Because the male version of myself doesn’t have that organ.
Menstruation, periods.
Many small animals have similar phenomena, like pigeons laying eggs.
In middle school biology class, they explained that girls experience this phenomenon. The menstrual cycle for girls lasts 2 to 8 days, usually 4 to 6 days, during which there is bleeding, abdominal pain, irritability, bad mood, and some may even experience headaches, diarrhea, weakness in the legs, and so on.
To prevent unexpected bleeding during this period, girls typically need to use sanitary pads or tampons… in short, it’s quite inconvenient.
I actually forgot about this aspect!
Yes, girls usually experience their first menstruation after elementary school, around the ages of 11 to 13, known as “menarche.” Even though my current body’s age was just invented by the whimsical Miss Grim Reaper and is theoretically just 12 years old, it’s at the age where menstruation can occur…
An inexplicably uncomfortable stomach, followed by irritability, feeling that everything is going wrong… really?
It perfectly matches my current situation…
“It seems so.”
My expression gave away what Ouyang Xue understood. She looked incredulous. “Is this your first time having your period?”
“Ah… no, it’s not.”
I hastily explained, “Maybe… it wasn’t painful before. It should be okay.”
“How is it okay? Do you plan to work in this condition? You look much paler than yesterday.”
Ouyang Xue walked straight toward me and pressed me onto the sofa in the corner of the room. “Sit here for now.”
Then, she headed to the kitchen and soon returned with a cup containing a dark red liquid. “Drink this.”
I took the cup. “What is this?”
“Ginger red sugar water.”
Ouyang Xue sat beside me. “I really don’t know how you’ve been living these years. You seem quite lacking in common sense. Who is currently in your family?”
“Well, I…”
I took a sip of the warm ginger red sugar water and felt my stomach easing a bit. “Sister Ouyang, I’m okay. It’s not very painful.”
“It does matter. Don’t work today. Go home and rest. I’ll give you a two-day leave. Anyway, there’s nothing special to handle at the café these two days. I can manage the customers alone.”
“Well…”
I finished the ginger red sugar water in one go. “Really, it’s better now. I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re so stubborn and end up damaging your health in the future, you’ll be the one suffering.” Ouyang Xue stood up. “Stop arguing. I have the authority as the manager. Go back and rest. Who was that yesterday? Your sister?”
“Ah…”
The image of Yin Xiamo appeared in my mind. “She could be considered a sister, I guess.”
“Alright, I’ll take you back.”
With that, Ouyang Xue shouted upstairs, “Li Chen! Give me the keys to your motorcycle!”
Before long, a young man rushed down from the second floor. “Coming!”
“Sister Ouyang, is this the super cute little maid you were talking about?”
Handing over a bunch of keys to Ouyang Xue, the young man seemed curious. “She looks quite young…”
“Yes, her mental age is also quite young. If she didn’t have an ID, I would have almost thought she escaped from the Shenzhen Starlight Elementary School.”
After searching for the keys, Ouyang Xue grabbed one and waved at me. “She’s not feeling well, I’m taking her home.”
Maybe noticing my lack of response, Ouyang Xue, who had already reached the door, raised her voice. “Stupid girl! Come here!”
“Okay… okay!”
I had no choice but to follow her.
“Even if you’re short on money, you shouldn’t neglect your health.”
Arriving at a temporary parking space not far from the Mushroom House, we found a motorcycle parked there. Ouyang Xue handed me the helmet from the back of the bike and took another for herself. “Rest at home today and tomorrow. You’ll still get paid, don’t overthink it. Come back after your period is over.”
“Uh…”
I was a bit curious. “Can girls take leave during their period?”
“Is your stomach hurting now?”
“A bit… yes.”
“Feeling uncomfortable?”
“Not very comfortable.”
“That’s your answer.”
Ouyang Xue got on the motorcycle, inserted the key, and said, “Get on.”
I had to comply. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me. You’re the future manager of the café and the top maid. Take care of your health. When the time comes, let’s expand the café together. It’ll be the best if I can retire early and go back to my casual logistics job. Don’t worry about these unnecessary things.”
Ouyang Xue turned her head. “Are you holding on tight?”
I nodded. “Yeah…”
With a “vroom” of the engine, the motorcycle instantly rushed forward on the road.
“Where’s your home?”
“Starry Garden Community, through the back gate…”
“Oh, that community. I know. I rented a place there before, and the breakfast shop nearby is pretty good.”
“When you get home later, if your sister is there, ask her to make some soup. Ginger is best. Take a sip from time to time. Drink plenty of warm water, and when it hurts, use a hot water bottle to warm your stomach. Just rest at home.”
“Yeah…”
I didn’t know the brand of this motorcycle, but it was stable and had a cool appearance. The journey that usually took me over twenty minutes was covered in seven or eight minutes on the motorcycle.
“Give your sister a call.”
At the entrance to the back gate of the Starry Garden Community, after parking the bike, Ouyang Xue took off her helmet. “Or should I take you upstairs?”
“I can go back on my own.”
“No, have your sister come down.”
“Alright…”
Under Ouyang Xue’s insistent request, I dialed Yin Xiamo’s phone.
“Doot—”
“Hello?”
Soon, the call connected, and on the other end of the phone, the mischievous voice of the Miss Grim Reaper sounded. “What’s up, my little Nuo’er?”
“Not feeling well. The manager asked me to go back and rest.”
I helplessly said, “Are you at home?”
“Yes, I am. I’ll come pick you up. Just wait a moment. Cutie~”
After hanging up the phone and waiting at the door for a few minutes, I saw Yin Xiamo, dressed casually, walking down from the stairs.
“Are you her sister?”
For some reason, Ouyang Xue looked surprised when she saw Yin Xiamo. She looked like she had found something valuable.
“Do you work nearby?”
“Yes.”
The Miss Grim Reaper didn’t explain much, walked straight to my side, and said, “Nuo’er, my sister caused you trouble.”
“Her health is poor. Even with menstrual pain, she insists on working.”
Ouyang Xue was straightforward, explaining without hesitation, “I gave her two days off. Take good care of her.”
“Alright.”
“Then I’ll go back now. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
“Vroom—”
Watching Ouyang Xue leave, I turned back and faced Yin Xiamo. “You’re not working today?”
“Nope.”
The Miss Grim Reaper seemed to have anticipated my question. “I took the day off.”
“Why did you take the day off?”
“To take care of you~”
“To take care of… me?”
I instantly realized what was happening. “You… You knew about… about today?”
Yin Xiamo innocently said, “Why would you think that I, who created this body, wouldn’t know about its menstrual cycle?”
This person… absolutely… did it on purpose!
“Didn’t you say… my body wouldn’t grow?”
“Hmm? Did I say that?”
“You…”
Feeling choked up, my emotions surged, and I instantly felt more pain in my stomach.
“I won’t argue with you.”
Avoiding Yin Xiamo, I walked toward the house. “This break is good. I can work on my writing.”
“Have you ever bought personal items for a girl on her period?”
Someone behind me chimed in, “Do you know where to buy them? How much is the flow? What style is more suitable?”
I halted my steps.
“You don’t know, do you?”
Yin Xiamo’s voice behind me became increasingly triumphant. “Call me ‘big sister,’ and I can help, you know?”
“……”
……