Chapter 5: The Magical Grandma

  Alas, how could I have forgotten this? I hugged my head in shame and painfully looked at the salary slip in front of me, with an unspeakable sense of regret. Two hundred yuan was washed away by a cup of soy milk, and I slapped myself on the head.

  Suddenly, the cup in front of me crashed down, and a glass of water burst out like a mountain flood, instantly flooding the stack of papers in front of me, which contained the market research report that my boss wanted. I subconsciously rushed to pick it up. But suddenly, a black shadow flashed before my eyes, and the computer inexplicably fell over, spinning around in a circle, crashing onto the snow-white ceramic tile floor.

  Facing a series of surprises I brought to everyone, my colleagues' mouths were wide open, and the corners of their mouths almost reached their ears.

  "Su Xiaomei, you're really quite amusing."

  "Su Xiaomei, you are simply the clumsiest person in the world, clumsy hands and feet."

  ……

  "What's going to happen now?" Amidst the joyful cheers and laughter of my colleagues, I felt completely different, like an ant on a hot pot, facing this messy situation.

  "You wipe the water off the table with a cloth, and I'll put the computer back." Anan walked over, picked up the computer from the floor, and said to me.

  Anan's actions seemed to have infected his colleagues who were laughing just a moment ago, as Zhang Xin and Feng Ke came over to help.

  I feel like I've got a backbone now, my heart is no longer so panicked. I tidied up the table and turned off the computer. But the research report that was fished out of the water had become blurred and illegible. I anxiously went to turn on the computer to look for the draft, but it was black-screened.

  "It looks like the computer is broken," Anan said, shaking the mouse and staring at the unresponsive computer, shaking his head and saying, "We'll have to get someone from the computer company to fix it."

  "This computer was broken on purpose, and someone's going to have to pay for it." Liu Shanshan, who had been standing aside watching the commotion, curled her lip, making no attempt to hide the smile at the corner of her mouth or the schadenfreude on her face.

  "Alas, fixing a computer doesn't cost much money, just put it on the company's account. Liu Shanshan, you're in charge of finance, can't even handle such a small matter?" Old Wang held his cup and took a sip of the bland tea, saying nonchalantly.

  "Hmph, you're quite good at being a good person. What's public is public, what's private is private. When the boss blames us later, this good person of yours will be for nothing. Are you going to let me take the blame alone?" Liu Shanshan's face changed color, her eyes slanted, and her eyebrows rose as she said.

  "Hey, what's the big deal about splitting it so clearly? Besides, this is a company computer, and even Su Xiaomei doesn't use the computer for personal matters... You finance people can claim reimbursement for buying a bottle of shampoo, but not for fixing a computer?" Feng Ke chimed in.

  "Who said that? Who's behind the scenes, spreading rumors! I think people nowadays are just jealous, afraid others will do better than them, and they're always making trouble. If you have the guts, bring out real evidence! If you have the guts, stand up! Don't be sneaky!" Liu Shanshan's face suddenly turned red with anger, her hands on her hips, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, her bright red lips curled up, abandoning her usual elegant demeanor, ready to fight at any moment.

  "Fine, fine, I'll pay for it myself. Who made me so unlucky?" Just as the atmosphere was getting tense, I hastily intervened to mediate.

  It's easy to talk, but only I know the bitterness in my heart. Fixing a computer and not being able to submit the research report on time is not a big deal if it were someone else, especially the boss's favorite, who can just smile and greet the boss to get away with it. But for me, who always fails to please the boss, it's a disaster.

  I am so tormented by my own poor character, and even more resentful of the unfairness of fate towards me. Why can't I be like others who are so carefree and adaptable? Why don't I have this gene in my personality?

  Is it really destined by heaven in the vastness of the universe that a person's fate is predetermined?

  I habitually stretch out my two hands, wanting to see some clues from the lines on my palms. My grandmother was good at palm reading, and when she was alive, she would often take my hand and tell me which road had a broken manhole cover, which little boy was blocking the way and wouldn't let me go home, and whether my parents would quarrel when they came back. She told me that a person's fate is predetermined by heaven, and a person's life, old age, sickness, death, wealth, and poverty are all written on their hands. Otherwise, why do people come into the world with their fists clenched? That's because the King of Hell had already determined their fate before they were born, and they have to clench it well.

  Affected by my grandmother, I involuntarily believe in fate. I think that every moment of my life is full of mystery, and there is a thread leading me, either to good fortune or bad luck, which I am powerless to grasp.

  I remember when I was very young, I broke my mother's most treasured jade bangle. At that time, only my grandmother and I were at home. When the jade bangle hit the ground, it made a crisp sound. My grandmother, leaning on her cane and shaking her golden earrings, opened her nearly toothless pink gums and said to me, "You're in trouble... Stretch out your right hand and let me take a look."

  I made a face at her and giggled as I ran off to one side.

  "I have the most delicious chocolate here." She rummaged through her pants pocket and pulled out a brown-wrapped candy, so I licked my lips with my tongue and slowly approached, only to be suddenly grabbed by Grandma's outstretched hand.

  She revealed her pale gums, with shredded dark green scallion leaves still stuck to them, and chuckled as she grabbed my right hand, flipping it over to reveal the deep and shallow palm lines on my white palm, which were tinged with a blood-red color.

  "See, when your mom comes home, she'll beat you..." Her rough fingers scratched my palm, ticklish, I burst out laughing and tried to pull back, but her strength was too great, holding my hand tightly, continuing to scratch. "See, she must spank you, three times."

  Later, when mom came home, she really spanked me, and indeed gave me three slaps.