Before you knew it, it was time for Guan Baiyu to go home again.

Mr. Wang's plumbing and electrical work still needed finishing touches, so Shi Zhen still hadn't gone over. That day, he arrived at the bus station early to wait for Guan Baiyu.

The tan bus stopped at the bus station, and many people rushed off... Shi Zhen immediately spotted Guan Baiyu in the crowd: "Xiaoyu!"

Guan Baiyu spotted Shi Zhen at a glance and gave him a big smile.

Guan Baiyu thought the world was quite amazing.

Two weeks ago, when he returned home, he was filled with conflicting emotions. His heart was churning with affection for Shi Zhen and uncertainty about the future.

But after a thrilling weekend... he wasn't so conflicted anymore.

He needs to learn self-control and must not do anything terrible.

His brother is working so hard for his future; he shouldn't ruin his brother's life.

"Xiaoyu, how have you been lately?" Shi Zhen looked Guan Baiyu up and down as soon as he saw him.

That last long week really scared him.

When Guan Baiyu came back that time, he looked dejected. Later, he went to celebrate Liang Qinxuan's birthday and encountered Chen Shaojin who wanted to kill him. In the end, he was covered in bruises and had a fever.

He couldn't sleep well at night for several days, and he really wanted to go to the school to see Guan Baiyu.

But he also knew that it was unnecessary.

Guan Baiyu has grown up; he needs to learn to let go.

"I'm fine now, I'm as lively as ever," Guan Baiyu said with a smile as he walked to Shi Zhen's side and grabbed Shi Zhen's arm. "Brother, let's go back."

“Okay,” Shi Zhen said, leading Guan Baiyu to his tricycle.

Although there weren't many cars in the town at that time, the roads were also narrow, making it difficult to park tractors. In comparison, it was more convenient to ride a tricycle.

Guan Baiyu skillfully climbed onto the tricycle and followed Shi Zhen home.

On the way, Shi Zhen asked about the Liang family.

Guan Baiyu recounted what he had learned from Liang Qinxuan, adding, "We all live on campus and have little contact with the outside world. This is what Liang Qinxuan's cousin told us during the previous weekly meeting. We don't know how things are now."

“No matter what, Chen Shaojin will definitely not stay in the Liang family anymore… But you and Liang Qinxuan still need to be careful. He’s too extreme and might cause you trouble,” Shi Zhen said.

Guan Baiyu said, "Yes, we will be careful!"

After Guan Baiyu understood his feelings for Shi Zhen, he felt nothing when Shi Zhen showed concern for Liang Qinxuan.

It's obvious that Liang Qinxuan likes women; he even brought out a deck of cards with pictures of swimsuit-clad beauties printed on them to "share" with him.

Not only that, Liang Qinxuan's appearance... is really quite average.

Even if his brother likes men, he wouldn't like Liang Qinxuan.

Not to mention... his brother most likely likes women; he's never met a man who likes men, except for himself.

His brother's attention to Liang Qinxuan is more like... wanting to know the gossip about the Liang family.

Well, he was actually curious too.

The book says that only common people like these things... He has to admit that he is a common person.

Guan Baiyu talked to Shi Zhen a lot, but didn't mention that he was selling stationery at school.

On the one hand, he was afraid that Shi Zhen would say he wasn't concentrating on his studies; on the other hand... after having a large sum of five thousand yuan... he was starting to look down on bicycles.

Bicycles aren't expensive for them these days, so the reason his brother hasn't bought one isn't because he can't afford it, but because he doesn't need it.

If only he could earn more money, then I could buy his brother a motorcycle!

Motorcycles are so cool! Liang Qinxuan's biggest dream was to have a motorcycle so he could roar through the streets of Changxi City.

Of course, Liang Qinxuan's father would not agree to buy him a motorcycle in the short term because he thought it was dangerous.

In Changxi City, Guan Baiyu had seen men riding motorcycles and taking their girlfriends around... He hoped that one day, his brother could also take him out for a ride.

These days, the cheapest motorcycles cost over 20,000 yuan, and the more expensive ones... cost over 30,000 yuan.

Guan Baiyu told Shi Zhen about Liang Qinxuan's family situation, and Shi Zhen also told him about Zhao Dongjuan's upcoming marriage.

"So fast?" Guan Baiyu was a little surprised.

“Yes,” Shi Zhen said, “The main thing is that the groom’s family is anxious. They’ve already started preparing for the wedding and plan to hold it before the new year. Originally, my dad’s idea was that since Zhao Dongjuan was getting married, they should at least hold a banquet in her hometown to invite relatives and friends there and let everyone know that she’s getting married… But Zhao Dongjuan doesn’t want to go back, so that’s it. Now my dad and the others have decided not to hold a banquet.”

"This saves a lot of trouble," Guan Baiyu said.

“It’s convenient, but my dad isn’t too happy; he feels a bit embarrassed,” Shi Zhen said.

Shi Dalin still held onto his old ways of thinking. His stepdaughter had suddenly married herself off outside the village and refused to return to her hometown to hold a banquet, as if she had a problem with him... Although Zhao Dongjuan did indeed have a problem with him, the older generation didn't want their relatives and friends to know about it.

After Guan Baiyu arrived home, he first put down what he was carrying and started tidying up. He then took out some snacks from his backpack and gave them to Shi Zhen: "Brother, I bought these in Changxi City. They're said to be especially delicious. You should try them."

Shi Zhen looked at the pile of snacks and found it somewhat amusing.

There are many kinds of snacks, including vacuum-packed braised chicken legs, soft-looking bread, as well as sausages, bubble gum, shrimp chips, lollipops and drinks.

Guan Baiyu really likes to eat snacks. He loved buying them in his past life too, and I would give them to him whenever I bought them.

Back then, he always felt that snacks were for children, and it was okay for women to eat them, but he, a grown man, shouldn't eat them.

But after actually eating it... it really tasted good.

To be honest, there was a time when he couldn't understand why people liked to buy that iced tea. He felt that black tea shouldn't be so expensive... Guan Baiyu let him taste it, and he realized that it wasn't ordinary black tea at all, as he had imagined. It was sweet.

"What snacks are you buying for me? You can eat them yourself."

"Brother, why don't you try some! They're all delicious! How about we each have half?" Guan Baiyu said.

"You can eat it... Have you eaten it before?" Shi Zhen asked. Guan Baiyu was quite frugal with money. Although he received five thousand yuan, he felt that Guan Baiyu might not be willing to buy it to eat.

In his past life, he gave Guan Baiyu even more money, and Guan Baiyu didn't squander it. When he was short of money, he even lent it to him.

Guan Baiyu said, "I've never eaten this before... so we'll each have half. Brother, if you don't eat it, I won't eat it either."

Shi Zhen was a little dazed. Guan Baiyu had said something similar in his previous life.

They shared plenty of snacks.

Shi Zhen did not refuse in the end, and then he saw Guan Baiyu unpack the bread, cut it in half, and give him one half.

The bread didn't taste very good; it had a strong artificial flavor. But Guan Baiyu had never eaten it before, and he ate it with a blissful expression, his eyes even squinting.

After finishing his meal, Guan Baiyu unwrapped a few pieces of bubble gum and ate them with him: "Brother, this can be used to blow bubbles. Let's see who can blow the biggest one."

Shi Zhen chewed it helplessly—what a child!

Guan Baiyu looked at Shi Zhen and felt a little like touching Shi Zhen's face.

However, this action is a bit excessive, so I won't do it.

He should give his brother some good food first and treat him well before making any further decisions.

Thinking this, Guan Baiyu took advantage of the free time in the afternoon to disassemble and wash Shi Zhen's quilt, and said, "Brother, you can make your bed separately from theirs, it will be cleaner that way!"

The blankets that Shi Xinghuo and Shi Xingchao used looked dirty!

"The house is small, so this is fine," Shi Zhen said. "I'll tidy it up properly after they move out after the New Year."

Guan Baiyu's eyes immediately lit up: "They're moving away?"

“Yes, Brother Xingchao will pick up my uncle and aunt after the New Year,” Shi Zhen said.

Although Shi Xingchao was stingy, he was a reliable person. In his previous life, he was the one who took in and cared for his uncle and aunt.

However, Shi Xingchao and his wife had a complicated relationship. His uncle and aunt couldn't stand it anymore. In addition, he bought pension insurance for his uncle and aunt, so they could each receive a pension of two thousand yuan per month. Therefore, they stopped living with Shi Xingchao and moved in with their youngest daughter to help take care of her children.

“That’s the right way. It’s so inconvenient for the elderly to live in the mountains!” Guan Baiyu particularly agreed with this point.

Shi Zhen and Guan Baiyu chatted for a long time, from their own experiences to interesting things that had recently happened in the village.

They chatted on and on, as if they had endless things to say. In the end, Shi Zhen felt that he couldn't keep talking like this, so he said, "I'll go to Xingchao's place and buy a chicken while I'm at it."

"Okay." Guan Baiyu smiled. Every time he came home, Shi Zhen wanted to kill a chicken or a duck...

After Shi Zhen left, Guan Baiyu thought for a moment, took out four thousand yuan from his schoolbag, put it in an envelope, and walked towards Guan Guangguo's house.

Guan Guangguo is quite stubborn; he has always raised chickens, just not a lot.

As soon as Guan Baiyu arrived at his doorstep, he smelled an unpleasant odor and saw Zhang Xiumei sitting at the door embroidering clothes.

When he was little, he was taught to call Zhang Xiumei "Mom," but as he grew older and learned the details, and since Guan Jinjin forbade him to call her that, he stopped.

“Hmm…I’ll pay back the money,” Guan Baiyu said.

"Pay back the money?" Zhang Xiumei was stunned.

“I wrote you an IOU before,” Guan Baiyu said.

The IOU stated a total of four thousand yuan.

When he went to primary school in the 1980s, the tuition was very cheap. At first, it was only ten or twenty yuan per semester. Later, the tuition gradually increased, and it was only in the third year of junior high school that it increased to two hundred yuan per semester. Moreover, his grandmother paid for it all at the beginning.

The money he spent on his studies was less than four thousand. In fact, this four thousand included the money that Guan Guangguo and the others had spent raising him.

The money Guan Guangguo and his men spent on him, plus the food they provided, actually amounted to less than four thousand.

“You mean that four thousand… your brother has already paid it back,” Zhang Xiumei said.

Guan Baiyu was taken aback: "My brother paid it back?"

Zhang Xiumei said, "Yes, I paid it back last month. My family lost money raising chickens, and life wasn't easy. He asked me a few questions, and after I told him, he paid me back."

Guan Baiyu remained silent.

Zhang Xiumei lowered her head to embroider clothes and said, "He's been very good to you. Don't forget his kindness to you in the future."

Zhang Xiumei used to dislike Guan Baiyu because Guan Baiyu spent her family's money.

But ever since Shi Zhen gave her that four thousand yuan, she has made a lot of money from him, and she no longer harbors any hostility towards Guan Baiyu.

Guan Baiyu was raised by her grandmother when she was a child. They didn't spend a penny on Guan Baiyu back then, and Guan Baiyu won't spend their money in the future either... Let's just treat her like an ordinary relative!

Thinking back to the two years her mother-in-law was bedridden, it was Guan Baiyu who took care of her, saving her countless troubles. She even started to find Guan Baiyu more agreeable.

"I won't forget." Guan Baiyu felt a little stuffy in his nose.

Zhang Xiumei added, "By the way, your brother wants to transfer your household registration out of the city, you know? I'd love for that."

Guan Baiyu was unaware of this matter, but he was not opposed to it, and even wondered if his brother wanted to put them on the same household registration.

That's fine too.

He and his brother will always be family.

That's what Guan Baiyu thought, but he still felt a bit down.

Guan Baiyu took the money and went home.

He never imagined that he wouldn't be able to repay the money even though he wanted to.

He hadn't even told Shi Zhen about borrowing four thousand yuan, yet Shi Zhen still helped him pay it back.

When Shi Zhen returned with the chicken, he saw that Guan Baiyu had found clean sheets and blankets and had already changed them for him.

He took a knife and a bowl and said to Guan Baiyu, "Xiaoyu, come and help me catch the chickens."

He could kill a chicken by holding it in one hand and a knife in the other, but then he wouldn't be able to collect the chicken blood—the chicken would struggle.

If you want to collect chicken blood, it's best to have one person hold the chicken with both hands while the other person uses a knife to kill the chicken and collect the blood.

Guan Baiyu was strong enough to kill a chicken. He and Shi Zhen worked together to kill the chicken, and then watched Shi Zhen pour hot water on the chicken and pluck its feathers: "Brother, you helped me pay back that four thousand yuan, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to tell you that, but I forgot," Shi Zhen said with a smile.

He genuinely forgot to mention it.

He always remembered the money, but he didn't pay it back at first because he didn't have the money.

He's been much better off financially lately, and since Guan Guang's chicken farming business lost money, he's paid back the money.

This happened last month. He hadn't figured out how to tell Guan Baiyu yet when a bunch of things happened, and he forgot about it before he knew it.

Shi Zhen spoke calmly, but Guan Baiyu's feelings were complicated. He glanced at Shi Zhen and began to think about how to use the five thousand yuan in his hand.

He wholesales some stationery and sells it at the school. He doesn't need that much capital at all. In fact, his original savings are enough.

And he wanted to do something else with that money.

To be honest, he did have an idea.

He came up with this idea after buying stationery for a week.

Nowadays, they use metal pencil cases to store pens.

However, these pencil cases make a lot of noise when they are opened and closed during class, which teachers don't like.

That's not all. When he was in elementary school, these pencil cases even cost ten yuan each. Back then, almost no one in his rural school could afford them.

Now that people are earning more, even the cheapest pencil cases have dropped to three or four yuan each, which is affordable for everyone, but it can't be said that they are cheap.

Actually, there are other things that can replace a pencil case.

When he was a child, he didn't have a pencil case, so he always used a bag he sewed himself from cloth to carry his pens.

Could he find a clothing factory to make some pencil cases using sturdy fabric and zippers?

If you could print cartoon designs on them, they would definitely sell very well!