Chapter Nine: How Should I Make Money?

Chapter Nine: How Should I Make Money?

After spending five minutes washing up, she quickly tied her hair into a ponytail, shed her pajamas, pulled on a white T-shirt, found a pair of cream-colored casual pants, and finally slipped into white sneakers. Looking at her youthful reflection in the mirror, Lin Xia felt a surge of satisfaction.

Although her face was nothing remarkable and her skin rather dark, she was young—youth itself is a kind of capital.

Lin Xia spun twice in front of the mirror, brimming with delight, before heading downstairs.

Her father and mother had already left for the market. On the table in the main room, there were two yuan—breakfast money for her and Lin Hui.

She took one yuan, tucked it into her pocket, and, humming a cheerful tune, set out for school.

The Lin family’s main source of income now came from her parents—her father and mother, who went to the market each day to sell vegetables and support the household.

In other words, Lin Xia's parents were small vegetable vendors, eking out enough every day to cover the family's expenses.

Three hundred sixty days a year, only the first day of the lunar new year allowed them to sleep in; every other day, they rose early to sell vegetables at the market. When winter arrived, each day brought biting winds. Lin Xia’s mother, exposed for years to the cold, had developed rheumatism by her thirties.

Even in the hottest weather, she dared not wear skirts or shorts; she had to cover her knees with pads while sleeping and, before bed, would steam her knees with some home remedy over the stove—Lin Xia only had to watch to feel the heat.

As Lin Xia walked down the street, pondering her family's situation and future, a genuine heaviness settled in her heart. What could she do to change their circumstances? How—how could she earn money?

Unconsciously, she reached the school gate. From afar, she saw Ren Jie trudging listlessly. Lin Xia quickened her pace to catch up and tapped Ren Jie on the shoulder. “What’s the matter with you? It’s early morning and you look like a cloud of gloom floating for miles.”

Ren Jie turned her head, glanced at Lin Xia, and drooped her head. “There’s a math test today. It’s so annoying.”

“Hey, it’s just a test. When I finish, I’ll let you copy,” Lin Xia reassured her.

“Please, you and I are equally matched. Worry about yourself,” Ren Jie retorted without a shred of comfort.

Lin Xia’s mouth twitched as a dark line crossed her face. How could she forget? She never liked math, and her grades were never stellar.

“This is the first math quiz. We have to do well, or the math teacher will start keeping an eye on us,” Ren Jie explained. “The seniors say this Old Yang is not only strict but also extremely conscientious. He puts extra effort into students who excel at math, but for those who are average, he constantly checks in, making their lives miserable.”

Ren Jie vented her frustration, then sang to the tune of “The Single’s Love Song”: “There are so many math teachers in the world, why must I meet this one? Don’t love, don’t miss, don’t leave behind a tragic me, singing love songs alone.”

Lin Xia laughed, “Alright, alright, stop howling. I studied until midnight last night, slept at twelve, then got up at five. I’ve basically reviewed everything. I probably won’t get first place, but top three should be fine.”

Ren Jie grabbed her hand, eyes shining like stars. “Dear Lin Xia, my happiness depends on you. Please do your best!”

Lin Xia smiled, “Enough with the flattery. Your happiness depends on your future husband.”

Seeing Ren Jie’s puzzled face, Lin Xia sighed inwardly: It’s still good now, so pure. Unlike ten years later, when elementary and middle school students talk constantly about same-sex crushes, BL, and yuri, turning society upside down.

What unsettled Lin Xia most was how deeply those young students were influenced by inappropriate topics. At such a tender age, boys and girls spoke freely about messy relationships.

She wondered if it was a sorrow or misfortune for society.

While Lin Xia pondered, Ren Jie, reassured, hooked her arm and led her toward the classroom with renewed enthusiasm.

Seated in the classroom, Lin Xia looked at the crowd of children and felt no urge to chat. After all, she was thirty, while most of them were thirteen. Aside from a few close friends, she truly felt no inclination to converse with others.

From today onward, she resolved inwardly to study hard and improve daily. At the very least, she wanted to get into the county’s top high school, saving her parents from unnecessary expenses.

Yes, studying hard was an excellent plan. It would save them a significant amount of money and give them pride. Until she found a better way to earn money, it was a win-win.

With her mind made up, Lin Xia propped her face with one hand, idly flipping through her English textbook.

Lenne, then the conversation between Li Lei and Han Meimei. She hadn’t opened a junior high English book in years, and now, looking at these familiar names, she felt both nostalgia and distance.

The boy was named LI LEI, the girl HAN MEIMEI.

Gdmrringl

Gdmrringee

Wiyurnme

ImLiLei

ImHneimei

ynmeiJILILY

ynmeiATE

Im...

She turned a few pages and saw more familiar names: JILILY and LUCY, and a talking parrot—PLLY.

Lin Xia savored these brief dialogues, reminiscing about days gone by.

Who could have predicted that after so many years, those once close friends would all go their separate ways, each with their own life, eventually becoming strangers? They had families and children, leaving her alone, forever missing those innocent days, that carefree existence.

Everyone had a future they never anticipated; only Lin Xia’s life remained unchanged, worn down by hardship into stagnant waters.

They had their journeys, and she her own path home.

Everyone is a river; the years are the water, and their occasional crossings inevitably end in separation.

Lin Xia mused idly as gentle sunlight seeped through the clouds, illuminating the earth and this little corner.

The ceiling fan above creaked as it spun—who knows how many years it had lasted? Lin Xia glanced up at its angled position, always half expecting it to suddenly fail and crash down from the ceiling.

Just a few simple words in the English textbook, yet on this morning, they struck a chord deep within her.

She had always been outwardly calm, inwardly sensitive, and today found herself unexpectedly melancholic.

No, perhaps it couldn’t be called sorrow at all.

Lin Xia picked up her pen and scribbled on a sheet of draft paper:

What we thought forgotten is still rooted inside, locked away in the depths of our minds, sealed by dust. Following the traces of those before us, we run forward, unwavering.

As time turns, our figures cannot blend into the dazzling city; memories remain in pale stories, our bodies left behind in the passage of years.

When Lin Xia paused her writing, Ren Jie suddenly snatched the draft paper and read aloud:

Time has sealed the pavilion of memory, leaving the mind blank.

This little town is always so peaceful, with neither great events nor crises, yet it brings me a tranquil heart.

This is the beginning of another chapter in life; why trouble myself with pointless worries?

Close my eyes and feel this warmth.

Outside the window, the sunlight is perfect, falling across my desk, brushing the corner of my eye.

Perhaps, it also touches your brow?