015 Start Writing

Xia lay on her bed, silently weeping. Suddenly, she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and steeled herself: since fate had granted her a second chance at life, this time she would not disappoint her parents’ hopes, nor would she squander precious time.

Composing herself, Lin Xia went to the bathroom to fetch a washbasin, then entered the space. In a flash, she emerged from the room carrying a half-filled basin of water, which she used to water the flowers and plants she had experimented on yesterday.

She watered the three pots on the left with water from the space, and the three on the right with tap water—a perfect balance. After watering them, Lin Xia carefully observed and compared the plants. From their appearance, nothing seemed to have changed; they looked just as before.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least the water posed no great harm; it was not toxic to the plants.

Having tended the flowers, she returned inside and flipped open “Dream of the Red Chamber” to the place she had stopped reading last night. It was the fourth chapter: “The Ill-Fated Girl Encounters the Ill-Fated Boy; the Gourd Monk’s Chaotic Judgment of the Gourd Case.”

She had barely read a page when her mother called from the staircase, “Xiaxia, come down for dinner.”

“Coming!” She closed the book and dashed downstairs.

Lin Hui, having just washed his hands, arrived at the dining table and exclaimed, “Wow, Mom, did you strike it rich? There’s so much delicious food!” As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of wine-braised fish fillet into his mouth, mumbling indistinctly, “So good…”

After washing her hands, Lin Xia glanced at the table. There were spicy chicken with crushed bones, stir-fried double mushrooms, fresh bamboo shoots boiled in plain water, stir-fried beef tripe with tofu sheets, sautéed baby bok choy, wine-braised fish fillets, and braised chicken wings.

There was even a bowl of lotus seed and longan soup. Counting the dessert, there were eight dishes in all. Except for when guests came, what family would prepare so many dishes for an ordinary meal? No wonder Lin Hui was surprised.

Her mother smiled and lightly tapped her son’s head in mock reproach. “You can’t keep your mouth shut, even with food to eat.” Then, passing a bowl of rice to Lin Xia, she said, “Xiaxia, eat up. Try the beef tripe and see how it tastes.”

Lin Xia nodded, picked up a bite, and smiled, “Of course, Mom’s cooking always suits my taste best.”

Delighted by her daughter’s praise, her mother beamed at her children. Seeing her husband eating quietly, she suddenly called out, “Lin Jiagui, your daughter did so well in her exams this time. Don’t you have anything to say? Eat, eat, eat—you only know how to eat…”

Sensing her mother was about to scold her father again, Lin Xia quickly changed the subject. “Mom, Lin Hui is in fifth grade this year. Next year, he’ll be in sixth, which is a crucial time. I’d like to tutor him for two hours every day this term to help lay a solid foundation.”

Hearing this, her mother was overjoyed but hesitated, “If you spend your time teaching him, won’t it affect your own studies?”

Lin Xia smiled, “Who says teaching someone will harm your grades? That’s a misconception. In fact, explaining problems helps you identify your own gaps, and teaching reinforces your own foundation. It’s a win-win.”

“But when you get home from night study, Huihui’s already asleep.”

Lin Xia hadn’t considered that. In high school, they never went to bed before eleven, but Lin Hui was still just a child.

After a moment’s thought, Lin Xia said, “Then I’ll tutor him for an hour before my evening study, then assign him an hour’s worth of homework. You and Dad can supervise him at home—he can’t go out to play until it’s finished.”

“Mom, I don’t want Sis to tutor me!” Realizing the conversation had turned to him—and his evening fun was about to be taken away—Lin Hui hurriedly swallowed his food and protested.

But who would listen to a child’s objections?

In the end, their mother waved her hand, settling the matter. “Alright, it’s decided.”

Lin Xia looked at Lin Hui with a sweet smile. “Mom has decided. From now on, I’ll tutor you every day and assign homework. If you don’t finish it—hmm.”

She recalled the future, when his wife would treat their mother coldly while Lin Hui stood powerless, unable to set things right. With a cold snort, Lin Xia threatened, “If you don’t finish your homework, I’ll double it. Let’s see if you still want to play or leave your assignments undone.”

Faced with this stern elder sister, Lin Hui couldn’t help but shiver. He dared not protest further, only pouted and shoveled rice into his mouth, turning his grief into appetite.

The evening air wasn’t too hot. The earth, scorched by the midday sun, had absorbed much of the heat. By dusk, the cool breeze blew away the lingering warmth, leaving a clean, fresh atmosphere.

On her way to evening study, she saw clusters of elderly people taking their bamboo chairs out to the doorsteps, waving palm fans and chatting leisurely.

Under the afterglow, Creekwater Town appeared peaceful. Nearby, children’s laughter rang out; in the distance, dogs barked, lending the air a comforting sense of life.

Lin Xia didn’t hurry to school as she once did. Instead, she strolled slowly, sometimes watching the cotton-candy clouds in the distance, sometimes observing the weathered houses lining the street.

On the utility poles were faded advertisements, their original content barely discernible. Upon closer inspection, she made out words like “difficult and complicated diseases.”

This was her own time, moments for quiet solitude.

Evening study was the same as always—problem after problem. Before it ended, Lin Xia borrowed two books, “Teens” and “Youth Campus,” from Ren Jie.

As Ren Jie handed her the books, she winked playfully, “A few days ago you were saying how plain love was, and now here you are, showing your true colors.”

Lin Xia was speechless. “I need them for something.”

“Alright, alright,” Ren Jie patted her shoulder knowingly.

Lin Xia brushed her hand aside, dragged Li Jing along, and said, “Let’s go. Ignore this lunatic.”

Watching Lin Xia storm off, Ren Jie felt vindicated, waved after them with a grin, and called, “Bye! Let’s talk about the plot tomorrow!”

When she returned home, the rest of the Lin family was already asleep. Lin Xia took a shower, spent half an hour finishing both books, and chose a story called “Don’t Run! My Prince” as inspiration to craft a campus tale of her own.

Yes, Lin Xia had decided to start with these simple campus magazines. Their plots were straightforward, requiring little literary skill—just the same old Cinderella and Prince stories, perfect for her to practice.

Within an hour, she had written “Cinderella’s Glass Slipper” in imitation of that style. After copying it neatly onto submission paper, she closed the magazine.

These stories were too simple. If she wanted to make a living by writing, this alone would not suffice. Thinking of how rapidly online literature would develop in the future, who would still read such stories?

She realized she would have to buy some popular novels to study. But where would she get the money? She only had ten yuan and fifty cents left.

Lin Xia sighed. For now, she’d have to write more of these magazine pieces and save up manuscript fees.

With this in mind, she opened the magazine again and continued down the path of creation. Cast a wide net—surely a few editors would appreciate her work. Once a magazine accepted her stories and a relationship was built, she’d have an income.

Having made her decision, Lin Xia bent over her desk, tirelessly writing—her half-bowed silhouette cast against the curtain, the very picture of diligence.