Wen Peng asked, "What's wrong?"

Wen Liang deliberately rolled his eyes at him.

Yao Shiling said, "It's alright, I won't let you write the letter, I'll let your second brother write it."

“Alright then, anyway, my second brother’s handwriting is better than mine,” Wen Peng said.

Wen Qing received the letter on a Sunday.

The dormitory was empty except for her and Wan Min, who was sitting on the upper bunk diagonally opposite her, reading a book.

Wen Qing sat on the lower bunk of her bed, moved the strips of cloth and the drawings aside, and unfolded the letter to read.

The letter, written by Wen Liang, was written in neat handwriting and plain language. It simply explained that Aunt Xiao's tailor shop was good, Yao Shiling was good, he was good, and Wen Peng was good. It also told her to study hard, keep warm as the weather was getting cold, and eat and sleep well.

Wen Qing felt a warmth in her heart as she read the letter. At the end of the letter, there was a line of crooked handwriting: "Big sister, don't throw away the stamps on the envelope. Take them off and give them to me. I want to collect stamps!"

He wrote the character "撕" twice, but it was either too short or too long, and he just couldn't get it right. He cleanly covered up both characters and finally replaced them with the pinyin "si", which he typed correctly.

Wen Qing looked on and smiled.

"A letter from your home?" Wan Min asked, putting down her book upon hearing Wen Qing's laughter.

“Yes, my brother writes the words he doesn’t know using pinyin,” Wen Qing said.

"That's clever of you, Wen Qing. Are you homesick?"

"Um."

"I've thought about it too, but it's okay. We'll have five more days of classes, and then we'll have a Mid-Autumn Festival holiday starting next Friday night. Classes don't start again until the Tuesday after next."

Before the two could finish speaking, Ji Ningzhi and her two other roommates returned.

Wan Min immediately fell silent and lowered her head to read.

Wen Qing put the letter away and wondered how Aunt Xiao's tailor shop was doing, and whether she often went to Tang Quan Garment Factory to get clothes. Since she came to school, she had classes during the day and evening self-study sessions. The lights were turned off shortly after class. She didn't have a sewing machine, nor did she have large scissors for making clothes. In the past week or so, she had hardly made any clothes, except for a few pairs of shoe uppers and soles in her spare time.

Thinking this, Wen Qing packed up her sketches.

"Ningzhi, next Friday is the Mid-Autumn Festival, are you going home?" her roommate Xu Shanshan asked.

"Yes," Ji Ningzhi replied.

"Then we can take the bus together."

Ji Ningzhi glanced at Wen Qing: "I'm not taking the bus. On Friday, my brother will drive over to pick me and Sister Fangfang up."

"You have a car?"

“Yes, my family has a car and a truck. My brother said he’ll buy another truck by the end of the year,” Ji Ningzhi said proudly.

Wen Qing pretended not to hear; these past few days, she had treated Ji Ningzhi as if she didn't see her at all.

Ji Ningzhi is someone who can't resist being instigated. Now that Zhang Fangfang isn't stirring things up with her words, she isn't targeting Wen Qing in every way.

And she is very playful.

For example, right now, I just got back, washed my face, applied face cream in front of the mirror on the upper bunk, combed my hair, and then left with Xu Shanshan and the others.

Ji Ningzhi had just left.

Wan Min put down her book and said, "Wen Qing, do you know? When school started, Ji Ningzhi's brother gave her a hundred yuan, and she treated people to meals every day. It's only been a few days, and the hundred yuan is almost gone. A hundred yuan is enough for my whole family to live on for a year."

Wen Qing never liked talking about people behind their backs. After saying "hmm," she picked up her book and asked Wan Min a math question.

Wan Min stopped talking about Ji Ningzhi and started discussing math problems with Wen Qing.

Wen Qing was originally a prominent figure in her class and even the school. She was good-looking, a top student, and arrogant when she first entered the school, but returned to focusing on her studies after a year. Everyone was very curious about her, but at the same time, they just observed her silently.

Wen Qing's goal is very clear: to study. So, unlike in her previous life, she doesn't go out and play, occasionally get into arguments, or skip classes. Now, she studies, reads, and reads even more books, living a peaceful life.

The first two weeks of school passed in the blink of an eye. She had little interaction with her classmates, and she and Ji Ningzhi got along peacefully.

On Friday afternoon, the whole school was dismissed at 3:30 pm. All the students in the school went crazy, packing their books and bags and running towards the main gate.

Wen Qing and Wan Min returned from the classroom and walked down the dormitory corridor, accompanied by a constant clattering sound.

Many people were packing up their white porcelain jars and bottles, preparing to bring back a bag of sweet potato cakes and a bottle of pickled mustard greens, cowpeas, and other similar items to eat at school for a week.

"Wen Qing, are you also going home today?" Wan Min asked.

Wen Qing nodded: "Let's leave now. I should be home before dark."

"Me too."

Are you taking a car?

“No, it costs five cents to take the bus. I can walk by myself,” Wan Min said.

Wen Qing and Wan Min were both in a hurry, so they finished packing last night.

In contrast, Ji Ningzhi in the dormitory was slow and leisurely, applying face cream and nail polish.

Xu Shanshan wanted to hitch a ride with Ji Ningzhi, so she didn't leave and stuck close to Ji Ningzhi.

Wen Qing picked up her backpack and asked Wan Min, "Can we go now?"

“Okay,” Wan Min said.

So the two of them left the dormitory with their bags on their backs.

Ji Ningzhi was taken aback. The reason she was taking such a long time was because she was afraid that Wen Qing would shamelessly pester her brother. She didn't expect Wen Qing to leave without saying a word.

Has Wen Qing stopped bothering her brother?

Wen Qing and Wan Min talked as they went downstairs.

"Wen Qing." Zhang Fangfang was standing in front of me. Today, Zhang Fangfang was wearing... her own design: a green short-sleeved shirt with a ruffled collar, white capri shorts, and leather sandals. She looked very elegant and fashionable for this era.

Wan Min looked on timidly.

"Hello," Wen Qing replied and continued downstairs.

"Wen Qing, is Ning Zhi upstairs?" Zhang Fangfang asked again.

Wen Qing went downstairs without turning her head: "Here."

"Thank you," Zhang Fangfang said gently.

Wen Qing ignored her, but Wan Min kept turning back. After leaving the dormitory building, Wan Min said, "Wen Qing, who is that girl? Her clothes are so pretty!"

Wen Qing turned her head and asked with a smile, "Do you think her clothes are pretty?"

Wan Min nodded: "It looks really good. It's much better than the clothes that are popular now."

"Then I'll give you a set."

"Stop joking, let's go home. We can only look at those clothes, we don't have the money to buy them." In Wan Min's mind, Wen Qing hadn't come to school for a year because Wen Qing didn't have money, so she didn't think much of it.

Seeing that the school gate was crowded with people, Wen Qing and Wan Min decided to go through the back gate since they had to walk a distance anyway.

At the same time, Zhang Fangfang arrived at dormitory 202. As soon as she entered, Ji Ningzhi greeted her happily and said, "Sister Fangfang, where did you buy your clothes? They look so beautiful!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes, it's really beautiful. I've never seen clothes like this before. This set is absolutely gorgeous!" Ji Ningzhi stared at the clothes intently.

Zhang Fangfang laughed and said, "This is a newly popular style, it's very popular. I paid the deposit one day and only bought it the next day. This green short-sleeved shirt and white pants would look even better together, but it's too fashionable, I'm afraid people will say something."

"Who cares what they say? This outfit looks great, I love it!"

"Should I buy you a set as a gift?"

"Great! Great!" Ji Ningzhi exclaimed happily.

Zhang Fangfang glanced around the dormitory a few times, her gaze settling on Wen Qing's bed. The bed was covered tightly with a gray cloth, so she couldn't see anything. She asked, "Is it all packed up?"

"Alright, let's go. My brother is definitely waiting for us at the school gate." Ji Ningzhi said, taking Zhang Fangfang's arm and calling out, "Shanshan, let's go."

The three locked the door, left the dormitory building, and walked to the school gate. Ji Yanjun stood next to the car, his eyes searching among the students coming and going.

"Brother, brother, over here, I'm here!" Ji Ningzhi called out, reaching out her hand.

Ji Yanjun glanced at Ji Ningzhi, then looked past her and behind her, before continuing his search among the students coming and going.

Ji Ningzhi muttered, "Didn't my brother see me? Why is he looking for me everywhere?"

“He saw you!” Xu Shanshan said. “He even smiled at you just now, but it seems like he’s still looking for someone.”

Zhang Fangfang didn't speak; she knew he was looking for Wen Qing.

"Brother, brother!" Ji Ningzhi walked up quickly: "Brother, didn't you see me?"

Ji Yanjun then looked at Ji Ningzhi, then at her left and right, and finally saw Zhang Fangfang.

Zhang Fangfang said with a smile, "Yanjun, it's been a long time!"

Ji Yanjun smiled politely and asked, "You're on holiday too?"

"Um."

Ji Yanjun stopped talking to her, looked back at the school, and asked Ji Ningzhi, "Have all the people in your dorm left?"

"Yes, I was the last one to leave."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Ji Yanjun's eyes. He opened the car door and said to Zhang Fangfang, "Then we'll be going now. Ningzhi, get in the car."

Zhang Fangfang was taken aback.

Ji Ningzhi quickly said, "Brother, Sister Fangfang is going to Uncle's house in the county town today."

Ji Yanjun looked around and turned to Zhang Fangfang: "Your uncle didn't come to pick you up, how are you going to get home?"

Zhang Fangfang looked unwell.

"Brother! Sister Fangfang, come back with us!"

Ji Yanjun remained silent.

Ji Ningzhi pulled Zhang Fangfang's arm: "Sister Fangfang, my brother can be really stubborn sometimes. Come on, get on."

Zhang Fangfang looked at Ji Yanjun.

Ji Yanjun said, "If it's on your way, get in the car."

Zhang Fangfang remained silent for a while before finally getting into the car.

Ji Ningzhi told Xu Shanshan to get in the car, and Ji Ningzhi skipped and hopped to open the passenger door.

Ji Yanjun grabbed him and said, "Sit in the back."

"Why?" Ji Ningzhi protested, "No one else is sitting here, why can't I sit?"

Ji Yanjun's face darkened: "Sit in the back!"

Ji Ningzhi was mostly afraid of Ji Yanjun, and she reluctantly squeezed together with Zhang Fangfang and Xu Shanshan.

Ji Yanjun stood at the door for a while before getting into the car, starting it, and driving around Nanzhou No. 1 Middle School before heading onto the road. When he encountered a bus going from the city to the county, he drove alongside it and peered into the bus.

Ji Ningzhi chattered incessantly with Xu Shanshan the whole way.

Ji Yanjun remained silent.

Zhang Fangfang listened to Ji Ningzhi with a smile on her face, but her hands were clenched tightly, she bit her lip secretly, and she would look up at Ji Yanjun from time to time.

At the same time, Wen Qing and Wan Min were coming out of the school stationery store.

Wan Min said, "Wen Qing, you actually bought marbles for your brother to play with? Aren't you afraid it will interfere with his studies...?"

Wen Qing smiled and said, "My little brother is doing well in his studies, and now is the time when he likes to play, so I'm buying him some. He also likes to eat, so I'm going to buy him some snacks. Do you want to come?"

"I'm not going. I'll walk home. It'll be dark by the time I get home."

"See you on Tuesday then."

Be careful on your way.

"good."

After parting ways with Wan Min, Wen Qing went to the market next to the school. Thinking that she hadn't been home for a long time, she couldn't help but want to buy more things for her family to eat.

She bought three sesame seed cakes, which were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with sugar inside. They cost four cents each.

Fruit cakes cost eight cents each, and I bought three.

I also bought three apples and salted dates, stuffed them all into my backpack, and then walked for about twenty minutes to reach the bus stop.

After waiting at the station for more than ten minutes, the bus arrived.

The bus was crowded, and Wen Qing was squeezed quite badly. After enduring it for more than half an hour, they finally arrived at the four-way intersection in the county town.

The bus had just stopped, and Wen Qing hadn't even squeezed off when she heard Wen Peng's slightly childish voice call out, "Big sister!"