Zhou Ya finished getting the ingredients and drove to the food stall.

The stall opened for business at six in the evening; the other cooks and staff wouldn’t come in until the afternoon, so for now it was just him at the stall.

The marinated raw crab took the longest to prepare, so he started with that first.

Today, besides the three-eyed crabs, he’d also gotten mudi crabs from Niutianyang — the boss had specially saved them for him, every one of them full of roe and meat, lively and kicking.

Zhou Ya picked out half to marinate, and put the other half into the fish tank to keep alive.

A generous base of cilantro and minced garlic, mixed with sea salt, chili, minced ginger, and chopped Vietnamese coriander.

He arranged the crabs one by one into a large basin, covered them thoroughly with the seasoning, poured in soy sauce, and finished with sugar to bring out the flavor, then sealed and refrigerated them.

Oysters, fresh shrimp, blood clams, and other small seafood needed to be marinated in the afternoon — Zhou Ya kept them alive in circulating water for now, and went on to prep the meat and poultry.

There was plenty of time, so Zhou Ya planned to come back in the afternoon to prepare the fish rice, braised goose, and other dishes.

He crouched down and picked out two large crabs from the tank where he kept the live ones.

He got home not long past noon, but Fang Long wasn’t there.

“Your sister said the supermarket wanted her to come in early, not eating lunch at home today,” Ma Huimin said, seeing the bag her son was carrying. “Oh, crab for lunch today?”

“Yeah, meaty crab from Niutianyang. Saw they were nice and plump, brought some back for an extra dish.”

“Well, Long-Long’s out of luck today then.”

Zhou Ya gave a faint smile: “Yeah.”

On the last day of 2009, Fang Long got fired.

She worked as a cashier at the town’s only large supermarket. At noon that day, the manager called her into the office.

The manager’s tone was mild, but the meaning was direct — she should pack up her things after work today; starting tomorrow she didn’t need to come in. She’d get her full pay for the month, plus an extra month’s severance as compensation.

Fang Long didn’t wear makeup at work, her bare face carrying no real edge, and her tone wasn’t sharp either: “You could at least give me a reason.”

The manager sighed helplessly: “Xiao Fang, when you first started I worried you might be lazy on the job, but after working with you a year, I found you’re actually quite conscientious. Working with you’s been pleasant too. But… this is the big boss’s decision. I’m just the messenger.”

Fang Long understood. The supermarket owner’s wife was a relative of Jiang Yao’s family.

The town was so small that walking a single loop down the street, you’d run into several people you knew.

The manager glanced at the not-quite-shut office door and lowered her voice: “I heard you caused a scene at the police station last night? And it seems someone told the boss you had a habit of petty theft when you were younger… so…”

Fang Long stood there stunned for a moment, then suddenly let out a scoff. “Fine. I understand. I’ll go pack my things.”

Back when she and Jiang Yao were deeply in love, Fang Long had felt there shouldn’t be secrets between them, so she’d told him some things from her childhood.

Fang Long regretted it a little now.

Not that she regretted how much she’d invested in that relationship — she regretted not slapping Jiang Yao ten or twenty more times last night.

Her last shift was busy — lots of customers buying things. The best sellers were beer, snacks, and condoms.

After all, tomorrow was a holiday.

After her shift, she went to the staff break room to collect her things. A few coworkers, hearing she’d been fired, came specially to say goodbye.

Fang Long wasn’t particularly close with them; she just smiled and told everyone, “I’ll come visit when I have time.”

There was one coworker Fang Long actually got along with — a girl named Luo Xin, also a cashier, a few years older than her.

Luo Xin pulled a pack of 520 cigarettes from her bag, raising an eyebrow at Fang Long: “Back door?”

Fang Long nodded.

The back door was the loading area, cigarette butts scattered on the ground. The two young women, under thin moonlight, shared a “farewell smoke.”

Luo Xin felt it was unfair on her behalf: “A month’s severance is way too little. Firing you for no reason — you should’ve demanded more before leaving.”

“Forget it, it’s not exactly for no reason.” Fang Long didn’t want to explain further.

“Honestly, I’ve always thought — someone as pretty as you, staying in this small town is such a waste.”

Luo Xin leaned against the wall, cigarette tilted between her lips, sizing up the girl in front of her.

Fang Long wore the same supermarket uniform as her — a shapeless long-sleeved polo shirt — yet Fang Long still managed to wear it with her own flair.

She’d tucked the hem into her jeans, cinching in her waistline, playing up her strengths and downplaying her weaknesses.

What she played up was her curves; what she downplayed was her slightly short height.

At the end of the day, it still came down to that face — far too good-looking.

Fox-like eyes, dark and glinting, slender brows that arched just slightly — enough to make even other girls’ hearts skip a beat at first sight.

The supermarket firing her would probably cost them a few regular customers too.

Fang Long exhaled a puff of white smoke and said, “What’s there to be a waste about? Staying in a small town’s fine too.”

“Our monthly pay is like eight hundred to a thousand. I’ve got a sister in Guangzhou, also working as a supermarket cashier, and she makes twenty-five hundred a month.”

Luo Xin tilted her head up to look at the sky — clear tonight, the moon riding high.

She went on: “Just letting you know ahead of time — I’m planning to work through the new year, then go find new opportunities in a bigger city.”

Fang Long blinked, a little surprised: “Not bad. Which city are you thinking?”

Luo Xin smiled: “Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen… anywhere really. I haven’t set foot outside this little place my whole life. My education’s not great, but I’ve got hands and feet — I won’t starve.”

Fang Long offered a sincere blessing: “Go for it. I wish you success. When you come back rich and glamorous someday, don’t forget me.”

Luo Xin tried to persuade her once more: “You really won’t consider going out there? I think you’re prettier than the models in Cosmo Girl. Go out, look for opportunities — who knows, maybe I’ll spot you in a magazine one day.”

Fang Long’s cigarette was nearly finished. She dropped it to the ground and crushed the embers with her foot.

She laughed softly, shaking her head: “No. My family’s here. I don’t want to leave them.”

Luo Xin pursed her lips: “You’re really strange, you know that? Other young people can’t wait to get out there, and here you are, squatting in this mud pit like a turnip.”

Fang Long grinned wide: “Yeah, I like this big mud pit!”

As the two said their goodbyes, Luo Xin suddenly remembered something: “Oh, right — I bought you a birthday present the other day when I was out shopping. Was planning to give it to you in a few days.”

“A present?” Fang Long’s eyes widened in surprise. Though she and Luo Xin could chat a bit, outside of work they didn’t really keep in touch — she hadn’t expected Luo Xin to even remember her birthday. “Why would you buy me a present?”

“Wasn’t it my birthday last time, and you got me a little cake? Just returning the favor.” Luo Xin smiled, patting the younger girl’s shoulder. “Whenever you’ve got time these next couple days, swing by the supermarket and I’ll give it to you.”

Warmth spread through Fang Long’s chest; she reached out and hugged Luo Xin. “Stay in touch.”

“Mm, stay in touch!”