Chapter 4

Oak Village, the largest urban village in the western part of Xun City, where houses stood cramped and side by side, and the alleyways were dim and shadowy.

In her previous life, before marrying, Xu Qingling had always lived here. The Xu family’s “Xunda Convenience Store” was right by the roadside, directly opposite Xun City’s First Hospital, so business never worried them.

At this hour, the rolling shutter was tightly closed. Xu Demao slept inside the store every night.

True to her word, Xu Qingling found a phone booth to report Shen Angu to the police, then took a taxi back.

Fortunately, it was nighttime, and she deliberately stayed in the shadows. The taxi driver didn’t notice that she was covered head to toe in mud; otherwise, he surely wouldn’t have let her in.

That chaotic night was finally over. As the adrenaline faded, exhaustion flooded her. Her legs felt weak, as if she were walking on cotton.

Circling to the back door and up to the second floor, she returned to the level where her family usually lived. At night, Wu Guifen typically slept on a makeshift bed inside the hotel front desk cubicle upstairs. As for Xu Junwen, he was likely still out playing games with classmates during the holidays.

Her fingers still throbbed painfully when she got home. She found something to wrap them with but couldn’t wash her hair. She barely managed to take a shower, tossed the mud-stained clothes into the washing machine, and by the time everything was done, it was already five in the morning.

Since her sister was admitted to Peking University and went to study elsewhere, the room that once belonged to the two sisters now housed only Xu Qingling. Wu Guifen piled clutter into her room, setting up a row of iron shelves along the wall, stacked with brightly colored hot water bottles, basins, towels, and toilet paper—all goods sold by the supermarket downstairs. Her room didn’t even have a bed, just a mattress.

The musty smell mixed with various strange odors invaded her nostrils. The moment her body touched the mattress, Xu Qingling nearly lost consciousness; it was the sweetest sleep she had ever had.

At last, she could fall asleep on a bed.

...

Wu Guifen carried a pile of changed bed sheets and covers downstairs and stuffed them into the half-automatic twin-tub washing machine.

Early in the morning, rooms 301 and 402 had been vacated, and the dirty sheets replaced with clean ones.

Wu Guifen was busy from dawn, almost done with the hotel chores. Seeing the mud-strewn, chaotic state of the room with no clear space to step, anger surged inside her. She shouted into the room, “What time is it? Why aren’t you up yet?!”

Inside, Xu Qingling’s head was heavy and fuzzy. Loud banging echoed in her ears, as if something was shaking the earth.

Was this an earthquake? She was momentarily stunned, then realized where she was. Summoning all her strength, she barely pried open her sticky eyelids and glanced at the clock on the floor—it had been over three hours since she slept.

Wu Guifen was making noise outside again early in the morning. Xu Qingling held back her anger and shouted out, “It’s Xu Junwen’s turn to watch the store this week!”

Why was she always the one stuck at home tending the shop while her brother played outside every day? After the college entrance exam, she had been watching the store alone for more than half a month. It was time to take turns.

Wu Guifen muttered something outside, but Xu Qingling didn’t catch it and didn’t bother to listen. She pulled the quilt over her head and turned over to sleep again.

This time, she slept straight through until 1 p.m. Xu Qingling was awakened by pain when she accidentally pressed on her injured finger while turning over.

All ten fingers were swollen like carrots. She urgently needed to see Dr. Wu in the village for treatment.

She grabbed a brand-new pair of sneakers from the shelf in her room and put them on. These elastic-band sneakers weren’t worth much, and Wu Guifen wouldn’t notice if she had an extra pair.

...

Thinking about it, how could any valuable items be kept in her room? The precious goods sold in the supermarket were all locked up by Wu Guifen.

“I haven’t had a sip of water since morning, and you’re sleeping so soundly!” Wu Guifen had been busy since before dawn, her irritation spilling out as she muttered nonstop, “It’s the holidays, and you don’t even help around the house. Your father went out early to stock up, and I’m just one pair of hands, inside and out…”

Hearing such words before used to make Xu Qingling’s heart ache terribly. Now, not a ripple stirred within her. She brushed her teeth expressionlessly.

Outside, the washing machine next to the wall rattled loudly. The Xu family’s five-story building had over a dozen rooms, yet she didn’t even have a bed. The old washing machine had to be placed right next to the clutter where she slept.

When she was preparing for her senior year exams, she sometimes stayed up late hungry, doing homework without even a biscuit to fill her stomach. When Xu Junwen was in his senior year, boxes of instant noodles and chicken drumstick bread filled his room.

Memories long buried deep in her mind bombarded her eyes all at once. Hearing Wu Guifen still nagging about her being immature, Xu Qingling’s anger flared. She slammed the enamel basin she was holding onto the windowsill and said coldly, “How have I not helped the family? After the exams, I’ve been watching the store every day. Xu Junwen’s out there playing games every day! Whenever anything happens, you only call for me. Doesn’t Xu Junwen have hands?!”

The usually obedient and sensible daughter had actually talked back to her face. Wu Guifen froze, speechless.

The college admission results had come out recently. Xu Qingling had been admitted to Xun University’s Art College for a diploma. Wu Guifen and her husband had discussed it and decided the younger daughter wasn’t cut out for studying. Spending tens of thousands on a diploma wasn’t worth it; it was better for her to start working early. The family business needed extra hands.

Because of this, the younger daughter had been sulking for days.

Wu Guifen came to her senses and said, “Why are you taking your anger out on me early in the morning? Can your brother keep the place clean? You’re already grown—don’t you feel ashamed? Look at the whole house, there’s hardly any place to step…”

Xu Qingling impatiently cut her off, “Xu Junwen’s behavior is all because you spoiled him!”

Wu Guifen was choked speechless, her face turning pale and blue. Remembering that Xu Qingling had been watching the store all these days during her holiday, her tone softened involuntarily, “Did you eat a bullet this morning? You don’t want to do this, you don’t want to do that—you just want to wear me out!”

Xu Qingling ignored her and began combing her hair in front of the mirror. The girl in the reflection had rosy cheeks and eyes full of innocent vulnerability.

So this was how she looked when she was young. Xu Qingling stared at those eyes, lost in thought for a moment, then turned to Wu Guifen with a cold sneer: “I care about you all, but do you care about me? Xu Junwen didn’t get into high school, and you paid to get him into Number One High School. I got admitted, but you won’t let me go! You keep saying you don’t favor boys over girls—who are you trying to fool? If you won’t let me attend university, then Xu Junwen can forget about it too!”

For the first time, being directly accused of sexism by her daughter, Wu Guifen’s lips trembled, her face pale, and she went downstairs without looking back.

...

Xu Qingling didn’t go to the large hospital across the street but went straight to Dr. Wu’s clinic. People in Oak Village all did this—when they had headaches or fevers, they preferred to see the doctor at the local clinic.

Dr. Wu uncovered the bandage on her finger and was shocked. “What happened to your finger? It’s so badly injured!”

Xu Qingling could only lie that she had fallen into a pit and hurt herself. Dr. Wu held up his tweezers, skeptical—no pit could cause such damage.

After asking several times without getting a clear answer, he stopped pressing. He cleaned the wound, applied medicine, and re-bandaged it.

Seeing her in great pain, Dr. Wu prescribed some painkillers.

Exiting the clinic, the bench outside, which had been crowded earlier, was now empty. The glaring sun dazzled her eyes. Squinting, Xu Qingling bumped into a middle-aged man.

“Teacher Wan.”

Wan Shupeng’s right eye was swollen high with a large bruise. Seeing Xu Qingling, he covered his eye and grinned awkwardly. “Qingling, I heard from Wan Yue that you got into Xun University’s diploma program. What are your plans? Will you retake the exam or go to college?”

Wan Shupeng was Wan Yue’s father and their junior high Chinese teacher.

Xu Qingling pretended not to notice the bruise at his eye and said, “I’m planning to go to college.”

Wan Shupeng grinned broadly. “What’s good about a diploma at Xun University? Wan Yue got into the bachelor’s program at Xun University. I’m planning to have her retake the exam for a university in Shanghai. You should retake with Wan Yue at Jiangke—you won’t pay a cent in tuition, and they give a scholarship!”

Jiangke was a private high school newly established last year, actively recruiting repeat students citywide, offering generous bonuses. Those admitted to bachelor’s programs who retook received 50,000 yuan; those who reached diploma levels got 10,000 yuan.

Hearing these same words as in her past life, Xu Qingling just smiled, “I’m not cut out for studying, not like Wan Yue who’s so good at it. I’m already satisfied with just a diploma.”

Wan Shupeng was visibly pleased by this and smiled proudly, the bruise near his eye seeming less painful. “Wan Yue indeed has a talent for studying.”

If she retook at Jiangke and signed the agreement, she’d get 50,000 yuan. A year later, she could directly apply to universities in Shanghai—best of both worlds, how wonderful!

Wan Shupeng naturally wouldn’t admit he was after the money. “If Wan Yue can study in Shanghai, she can settle there afterward. Maybe she’ll be as successful as your sister!”

In her previous life, Wan Shupeng lost everything in business and fell deep into gambling debts, forcing Wan Yue to retake the exam just for that 50,000 yuan bonus. Wan Yue refused; she wanted to go to university. But with an elder sister already in university and a younger sister in tenth grade, the family had no money for her education.

That night, Wan Yue dragged her to the Milky Way River. Wan Yue cried, and Xu Qingling cried with her.

Both grew up in Oak Village together. Wan Yue was beautiful, studious, and outstanding in every way, admired by many boys at school.

Shen Luan had probably liked Wan Yue early on. The youthful crush that lingered on was the true scarlet mark on his heart he rarely revealed in middle age.

That night, seeing Wan Yue’s pitiful tears, Xu Qingling resolved to start working early.

“Wan Yue, you go study. I’ll earn money to pay your tuition!”

Wan Yue looked at her with tearful eyes. Xu Qingling thought she didn’t believe her: “I’m serious. I live at home, which doesn’t cost much. I can save money to pay your school fees.”

Back then, she considered Wan Yue her best friend during her teenage years. She truly wanted to help.

A few days later, Wan Yue suddenly came to the store and told her someone was willing to pay for her studies.

Later, Xu Qingling learned that Wan Yue had become Wei Donglai’s girlfriend.