The Scavenger's Daughters (Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book One) by Kay Bratt Read Free Book Online Page A

flick of flame that she expected, the flame jumped and ran the length of the tube. Linnea jumped up and using her hand, slapped out the fire. Ignoring the sting on her palm and the one to her pride, she tossed the lighter back to the stranger.
    “I told you that you weren’t smart enough to use the old ways,” Lao Joh snorted.
    Linnea didn’t reply. Anything she said would mean trouble for her. But she still wanted to beat him. She couldn’t help herself.
    Simultaneously she and Lao Joh both turned to their customer’s bicycles. Linnea quickly made sure the glue was dry, then rolled the tube once more through her bucket of water, searching to make sure there weren’t any more holes. Then she pressed the almost-deflated tube into place inside the tire. Now biting down on her lip in concentration, she used her thumbs to push the tire into the frame, flinching when she pinched her skin next to the metal.
    “
Aiya,
the girl is quick,” remarked one of the customers over her shoulder.
    Linnea didn’t look to see what stage Lao Joh was at; instead she picked up her tire iron and used it to pry the rest of the tire into place. Beside her she heard the thump of Lao Joh’s tire iron hit the pavement and knew he was right behind her.
    The spectators—at least a dozen now—began to chant around them. “Go, go, go.…”
    Linnea wasn’t sure if they were rooting for her or Lao Joh and she didn’t care—she just wanted to prove to him she was faster. Finally the tire was in place and she reached behind her for her air pump. Around her the crowd broke into laughter. She looked beside her and saw Lao Joh lunge for his, trying desperately to keep up with her. Linnea smirked, knowing the crowd’s chanting and amusement were making him nervous.
    A few pumps and the tire inflated perfectly. Linnea threw down the pump and lifted the tire into place on the bike frame. From her peripheral view, she could see Lao Joh doing the same.
    Her hands now shaking, she picked up the wrench and quickly tightened one screw, then moved to the next. Lao Joh began tightening his first screw and Linnea started on the second one, trying to hide the smile that lurked in anticipation of beating him. At almost the last crank of her wrench, Lao Johsuddenly jumped to his feet and threw his tool down, narrowly avoiding hitting her with it.
    “Go!” he yelled, pointing his finger at her. “Go away now! You are fired. From now on no girls will work for me!”
    Linnea stopped working and stared up at Lao Joh. Neither tire was completely ready, so neither of them had won, but she knew she was only half a second from the crowd’s declaring her the winner. She also knew she should’ve let her boss win, but she was so tired of always being the subservient one—taunted for being a girl. Now she was going to be jobless, all because of her stubborn streak that her Ye Ye had always warned her to control.
    Lao Joh had gotten angry at her before for silly reasons and she knew if she just held her tongue, he’d finally calm down. But as she waited, he stepped forward and shoved her. Linnea stumbled backward and would have fallen if someone behind her hadn’t reached out and supported her, then given her a gentle nudge to set her back on her feet. Embarrassed, she didn’t even turn around to see who it was, but instead straightened up, refusing to let Lao Joh scare her.
    At his manhandling, the spectators around them stopped chanting. Gasps could be heard from a few and others showed their disapproval of his poor sportsmanship by walking away. Lao Joh stood glaring at her with his hands on his hips.
    “I told you to get lost.” He glared at her, even angrier now that the crowd appeared to be turning against him. Though only a corner-bike-shop repairman, he took great pride in his small success and thought himself an important businessman. Linnea had learned long ago that any conceived slight against him would set him off.
    “Lao Joh,
dui bu qi
.” Linnea