My phone screen lit up. A fourth text demanding rent had popped up, but before I could open it, Aunt Chen the landlady started another relentless round of calls.
I stared at the caller ID photo, which practically screamed “utterly detestable,” took a deep breath, and hung up. Then I flipped my phone over and set it face down on the greasy table at the convenience store.
Steam from the instant noodles fogged up my face. A bowl of braised beef noodles that cost three yuan and fifty cents was the most decent meal I’d had today, or this whole month.
“Hey, young lady, instant noodles again?”
