Her hope, however, was disturbed by the presence of several beggars who came running when the bus stopped, with their horned and dirty bronzed hands.
Twenty minutes had gone since they boarded the bus. It had escaped her notice that they’d reached a place with the most significant tourist attractions in the same area. After a sharp turning, the bus snaked its way through the busy Chaozhou Arch Street and moved slowly towards a stop to pull over. A few people got off but many more got on. All of the strap-hangers were taken and the aisle packed. Mei looked around without much interest. But soon, with the sight of her favorite fl ower shop, her favorite hair salon, her favorite restaurant and her favorite mall, she remembered having been there many times. But she could not remember whether the street had always been so busy. Never in her life had she visited it on a rainy day. However, she did remember enjoying taking her sons to wander through the arch on that stolen motorbike.