Chapter 042: Memories That Wound the Heart

At first, Chen Qingguo hadn't considered this possibility, but now, with Xie Fanghua's reminder, he laughed and said, "That's right, my younger daughter Tongtong is in eighth grade now as well. Old Lin, I'll arrange for Xiaxia and Tongtong to be in the same class. That way, they can look out for each other."

Chen Qingguo was the principal of the Experimental Middle School, and the class his daughter attended was certainly among the best in the school.

Thinking of this, Lin Jiagui could not have been more satisfied. He nodded repeatedly, smiling, "That's really kind of you."

Chen Qingguo laughed, "With the friendship between us, saying thank you would be too formal. Besides, I've always liked Xiaxia as a child."

Turning, he smiled kindly at Lin Xia. "Xiaxia, whenever you have time, come over and visit."

Lin Xia smiled lightly and nodded. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lin’s father and Lin Xia finally took their leave.

The afternoon sunlight spilled warmly across the earth, filtering through barren branches and casting mottled shadows on the ground.

Lin Xia looked up at the tree branches. A few fresh green buds had already appeared. Spring had arrived quietly and unnoticed.

"Dad, how do you know the principal of Experimental Middle School?" Lin Xia was truly curious, for in her previous life, she had never known of such a connection.

Perhaps because everything had been settled, Lin’s father was in exceptionally good spirits at that moment. He laughed, "Your principal is also from Creekwater Town—he and I attended the same middle school. Back then, we were quite the pair of hard-luck brothers."

"But your dad's family was poor, so I couldn't afford to continue studying and eventually dropped out. Chen Qingguo's family, on the other hand, was considered wealthy at the time. He got into high school, and his family moved to the county. After that, we gradually lost touch." At this, Lin Jiagui sighed with a hint of melancholy. "Who would have thought he'd become a school principal now?"

If not for Xiaxia’s situation, they likely would have gone through life as in the previous cycle, without ever having the chance to meet.

After all, they belonged to different social strata.

"Hard-luck brothers?" Lin Xia was puzzled. "Dad, did your teachers often scold you when you were young?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Lin’s father's face. He replied awkwardly, "Ah, those were childhood days. Don’t follow in your old dad’s footsteps."

"If you were both hard-luck brothers, how did Principal Chen manage to get into high school?"

Seeing his daughter had dropped the subject, Lin’s father secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Back then, graduating from vocational school meant guaranteed job placement, so everyone wanted to get into vocational school. The scores required were much higher than those for high school. Besides, his family had money. High school wasn’t like vocational school—you could pay your way in."

Father and daughter were still talking as they arrived at Building 4. As they were home, the conversation ceased naturally.

The elementary school term started later than middle school, and transferring to elementary school was much simpler than the process for middle school. Lin Hui’s situation was easily resolved. With Chen Qingguo’s help behind the scenes, it was nothing more than a phone call, so Lin’s father had little worry.

When they returned home, Lin’s mother was busy wiping the table with a cloth, while Lin Hui lounged lazily on the sofa watching television.

To Lin Xia, the table already looked clean, but her mother insisted on tidying up the house, since no one had lived there for over half a month and she wanted everything comfortable again.

Seeing the father and daughter return, Lin’s mother hurried over, asking, "How did it go? What did the principal say?"

Lin Xia was feeling a bit tired. She greeted her mother and then headed to her own room.

Pushing open the door, she found the room had already been tidied. The wooden floor had been mopped clean, and in the sunlight, it gleamed—a testament to its cleanliness.

Lin Xia lay on the bed for a while, then propped herself up and took in her surroundings.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were draped with light coffee-colored velvet curtains. Beside them stood a dressing mirror in a distinctly European style, with her usual skincare products scattered atop.

Lin Xia smiled. It was certainly her mother’s handiwork.

Next to the dressing mirror was a foldable wardrobe. Lin Xia planned to place a flat-screen television atop it in the future. In the center of the room was a double bed, its sheets rose-red, carrying a hint of intimacy—yet blending perfectly with the room’s style.

Long ago, flipping through magazines showcasing bedroom décor, Lin Xia had felt a yearning deep within. She always thought that one day, when she had the means, she would have a bedroom of her own—just like this.

And now, hadn’t all those dreams come true?

Lin Xia got up and walked to the adjoining dressing room.

It was called a dressing room, but in truth, it had no door—just a small space designated for clothes. Very close to the bathroom, between the bathroom and the dressing area, Lin Xia had laid a wool rug.

This way, after a shower, she could step barefoot onto the soft carpet.

Thinking so, she slipped off her slippers and stepped onto the rug. The wonderful sensation slowly eased her mood.

That young man—he had once been Lin Xia’s secret crush.

Chen Zimo.

Lin Xia savored his name in her mind, as if it were a precious treasure, reflecting on it with quiet affection.

In her previous life, when she had transferred from Creekwater Middle School to Rongcheng No. 1 High School, Lin Xia carried an inescapable air of the countryside. Having never left her small town, everything in the county seemed novel and strange to her.

Here, even the children at a young age styled their hair—either permed or dyed. They dressed fashionably and spoke of albums, P3s, P4s—terms Lin Xia didn’t understand.

She had no idea what cliques meant then.

Once, during a casual conversation among the girls in her class, a pretty girl complained, "Yesterday our main computer broke down. We had to take it for repairs. So annoying."

Lin Xia had simply asked, "What kind of chicken is a main chicken?"

The girls burst out laughing, giving her alien looks. Some even called her a "country bumpkin" without a trace of politeness.

Lin Xia’s face was flushed with shame, and the sting of humiliation and inferiority never left her.

Later, Lin Xia understood that the city kids formed one group, while those from the countryside formed another. Humiliated by the city kids, Lin Xia naturally avoided them. The rural students, many of whom had also been belittled, welcomed her into their circle.

Girls from Rongcheng never boarded at the school—they considered it disgraceful. Only students from outlying towns boarded.

Lin Xia got along well with them. As time passed, she gradually emerged from the shadow of humiliation.

Yet, between city and country kids, the divide remained distinct and uncrossed.

They were barred from entering that circle, and those within looked down on them.

Despite this, high school was chiefly about studying, so these undercurrents flowed quietly and never erupted or caused destruction.

Though the pace of high school life was intense, what girl did not harbor secret affections? What boy was not disposed to love?

Chen Zimo—a boy spoken of by all the girls—quietly walked into Lin Xia’s heart.