Chapter 1 - 1 001 Above the Altar

Chapter 1: 001: Above the Altar Chapter 1: 001: Above the Altar April in the capital city, where the Chinese scholar trees bloom profusely and the loquat trees are bent with the weight of their fruit.

The temperature had dropped a bit these past few days, transitioning from warm to cold again.

“Changling.”

It was Sister Tao, the owner of the fruit shop, standing at the doorstep, waving at Wen Changling.

“Come and have some loquats.”

It was loquat season, and Sister Tao had picked a basketful that morning.

Wen Changling crossed the street and entered the fruit shop.

She worked in a hospice ward and usually kept irregular hours, often out early and returning late, her days and nights reversed. She wasn’t fond of socializing either. Having moved to Lotus Pond Street just over half a year ago, she was only a little familiar with Sister Tao from the fruit shop, and that was because last month Sister Tao’s son had a high fever. Wen Changling just happened to be on duty at the hospital and had lent a helping hand; that’s how they became acquainted. Sister Tao was a kind-hearted woman grateful for Wen Changling’s help and would always call her over to share any tasty treat she had.

Lotus Pond Street was an old street pending demolition, very narrow, with outdated facilities. Government officials had come by several times, each time saying it would be demolished, but each time nothing came of it. According to the neighbors, Lotus Pond Street was filled with old courtyards and alleys inhabited mostly by locals. There were many traditional houses with multiple courtyards, which were usually too expensive for most people to demolish.

Changling sat on a small stool by the door, peeling loquats, the setting sun falling on her face, the breeze lifting the hair by her left ear, revealing a segment of a transparent hearing aid, a behind-the-ear model, disguised by her hair and not very

are you looking at?” asked

her head up, looking at the newly

rich family’s hobby, not really run like a proper shop. It’s

pawnshop was a

her only impression of the owner was that the business wasn’t doing well and he wasn’t enthusiastic about

on her nose bridge and swept back her bangs to cover

finishing the loquats, she stood

The landlady’s surname was Zhu, and her husband had passed away earlier that year. She had only one

renovated the year before last. Granny Zhu lived at the front, where she also ran a watch shop, and to the right of the shop, a small door opened, through which Wen Changling lived in the back. The door led straight through a corridor to the backyard. Granny Zhu, being elderly and

property was Ruyi

Zhu, the pawnshop’s owner had paid three times the market price in cash to purchase the neighboring property. Sister Tao from the fruit shop guessed correctly: the owner was someone from a wealthy family, which explained

and Hooked Cymbidium had another name, Broken

Heart Grass was toxic in its entirety, especially the young leaves, which were highly

****

hospital where Wen Changling worked was called Dihong Hospital, and her department fell under oncology. The oncology department’s palliative ward was what people commonly

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