Chapter 103 Let's Go to School Together
"Qingqing, eat some watermelon."
A gentle breeze blew as the old lady handed over a plate of watermelon with a smile.
Qingqing woke up with a start and quickly gave up the rocking chair. "Grandma, I've already told you not to overwork yourself and to avoid handling knives. Your eyesight isn't good!"
The old lady chuckled and looked at her with her hands behind her back, saying, "Now that you're away at university, Grandma will have to visit you more often."
"..." She had no way to deal with this little old lady.
Qingqing attends a university in the province and can only manage to go home twice a month. But in the old lady's eyes, it seems like they are separated by the ends of the earth, and she can't see her for a year or two.
After feeding the old lady a slice of watermelon, Qingqing took a bite herself and solemnly promised, "I'll come back for National Day and buy you your favorite peach shortbread. Don't just think about me; play with other grandpas and grandmas more often."
The old radio played Yue opera intermittently under the eaves. In the shady courtyard, the summer heat was far less unbearable than in the city. The old lady lay comfortably, her eyes fixed intently on Qingqing. Hearing this, she finally responded with a relieved sound.
He then murmured, "Oh dear, my little granddaughter is finally not working so hard outside this year. Right? You're only twenty, you should make more friends. I think Yan Zheng is quite good!"
Qingqing said helplessly, "Grandma, I'm nineteen. They're just classmates."
Yan Zheng's village is a model well-off village in the city, and most families there are at least middle-class, let alone wealthy. In contrast, she was penniless and not someone you could hang out with.
The old lady acted as if she hadn't heard: "The young lady in front is eighteen years old, and the young man she brought back is very upright!"
"...I'll go back to my room and read for a while."
She claimed she was reading, but as soon as she sat back down in her traditional wood-burning chair, Qingqing started shelling beans. The bowl was only half full when light pierced through her thin underpants—a message had arrived. She rubbed her hands together, then picked up her phone, a chipped piece between her fingers.
[Stern but not harsh] My pond has lots of crayfish; we can't eat them all, there's a whole basin of them left. Do you have time to come and get some?
[Stern but not harsh] (emoji) I happen to have some free time, I can send it over.
Qingqing stared at the cartoon image of a pouting orange cat in the box, lost in thought.
The fact that Yan Zheng was my classmate was discovered by chance last week when the two villages jointly organized a temple fair.
She didn't have a deep impression of her classmates. There were sixty or seventy people in the class, and they often went out to work early and returned late, so she could only remember about half of their names.
As for Yan Zheng, I think I overheard my roommates discussing him when school started. He's fair-skinned, tall, and about 1.8 meters.
Qingqing wasn't sure if he was the most handsome guy in her class, as the school's most popular figure had always been someone she'd never been associated with. Besides, she was already feeling tired, and seeing Yan Zheng suddenly start sending messages sporadically made her a little apprehensive.
Although crayfish are delicious...
Qingqing lowered her head and opened the chat box.
[A Willow Tree] Thank you for your concern. However, there aren't many people at home, and we can't finish it all. So, we won't trouble you and your aunt and uncle.
The other end immediately displayed "typing in progress," then quickly disappeared.
[Stern but not harsh] How can something that makes you happy be called troublesome?
Qingqing: "..."
[Stern but not harsh] (Cat rolls around) Shall we go back to school together next month? That way we can look after each other.
Qingqing pursed her lips, Yan Zheng didn't look like someone who needed to be taken care of.
[A Willow Tree] Haha, let's go together if we have time. I have something to do, so I'll have to go now. See you later.
Exiting the chat window, Qingqing continued peeling beans. As she peeled, her gaze unconsciously drifted back to the old, carved canopy bed. The scent of leather and dust seemed to linger around her nose.
When she woke up in this bed, everything was exactly as it was. The bayberries in the small bamboo basket in the corner were still wet with water droplets, and summer clothes were hanging on the clothesline outside the window.
Nearly three years in the "Heroes Settle the Chaotic World System" were nothing but a fleeting dream.
She was just an ordinary 19-year-old college student, Yang Liuqing.
"..."
Time truly heals all wounds.
Only thirty days? The turbulent world was already like a bubble to her.
Whenever I'm lost in thought, my mind is a jumbled mess, and eventually, it's all drowned out by that pool of water.
She put down her phone, the screen still warm on her fingertips, but she felt an emptiness inside. She buried her head again and continued picking through the worm-eaten bean pods. A crackling sound came from the neighboring yard, and Qingqing looked up at the clock.
It's 5:30.
She got up and went to the kitchen.
Grandma, do we want to have loofah soup again today?
A cheerful laugh came from the rocking chair: "Everything's fine, everything's fine."
She laughed and said, "Then I'll make loofah soup."
After taking a bath in the evening and helping Grandma tune the TV, Qingqing lay on the bamboo mat with the fan on, scrolling through short videos haphazardly under a small lamp. She couldn't watch most of them completely.
Qingqing was determined to look at them one by one. Suddenly, the screen froze.
Qingqing: ……
I'm definitely going to replace this crappy phone this time!
After much agonizing reflection, she opened her small purse and saw five thousand in savings.
It withered instantly.
The flagship phone with 512GB of storage that she bought after seven years of hard work still costs over six thousand yuan. Although she has ten thousand yuan saved elsewhere, pulling out so much at once means she still has to pay tuition fees.
My heart aches so much.
"System, why haven't you issued my 200,000 yet?"
Starting from the third day after she returned, Qingqing asked about the bonus every day. But no matter how much she asked, she never saw it in her account.
【etc. 】
The system seems to have been changed; it's not as businesslike as before, and the system seems a bit irritable.
Qingqing couldn't help but complain, "But it's been thirty days already."
There have been some unexpected malfunctions here, and we're working on repairs.
"I really need the money urgently!"
The system remained silent for five minutes, until Qingqing was about to lose her temper, at which point its irritated response finally arrived.
We have exhausted all our efforts to repair the damage, and at this point we can only issue a maximum of 100,000 yuan. The remainder will be issued depending on the situation.
Don't worry, I won't renege on my debt.
"……All right."
After restarting my phone, the official WeChat account indeed sent me the amount received: 100,000.
Never having seen so much money before, Qingqing's hands trembled. She repeatedly checked the zeros before letting out a sigh of relief. She then opened a certain orange-colored app, shakily tapped the purchase section, paused for a second, and selected 12-month interest-free installments.
Insufficient credit limit.
Qingqing: ……
With a sigh, I reluctantly paid the full amount.
After finishing this big job, she stared at the top of the mosquito net and quickly allocated the remaining money.
There are still three years left, which is more than enough even if I don't work. I can still buy things for my grandma often.
She turned around and drifted off to sleep, completely satisfied.
The next morning, Qingqing went to the village to buy soy sauce. The supermarket was under renovation, so she had to go next door. But what she feared most came to pass.
Qingqing, wearing slippers and shorts, glanced at Yan Zheng, who happened to be standing at the door, and her face, hidden under a baseball cap, froze slightly for a second.
"you,"
She's never one to embarrass anyone, so she asked, "Are you here to buy soy sauce too?"
Yan Zheng stepped back slightly, his gaze piercing through the brim of the hat.
Her eyes, clear and bright, were set in her well-proportioned oval face. She must have been cooped up at home for most of the summer vacation, because she looked even paler than when I saw her last week.
Yan Zheng considered it in his heart, and it was indeed the same as what he had discovered last time. If Yang Liuqing didn't wear a baseball cap all the time, had long hair, and wore some decent quality clothes... she would be quite good-looking.
Seeing that she had no expression on her face and kept glancing outside, Yan Zheng looked away and said, "I'm here to buy some daily necessities to use back at school."
"You...cook?"
Qingqing picked up the soy sauce and said in a formulaic manner, "Okay, cooking. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now?"
She and Yan Zhengzhen had nothing to talk about. She didn't understand him, and she didn't understand him either.
Yan Zheng stepped forward and asked, "If there's nothing else, could you do me a favor?"
Qingqing gripped the soy sauce bottle tightly: "...You tell me."
Seeing that she wasn't entirely against it, Yan Zheng flashed a refreshing smile.
"My parents are away on a business trip, and I... need to go to Lingshui County to visit my maternal grandparents. There's no one to take care of our cats and dogs. Could I stay with you for a few days?"
As if afraid she would overthink it, Yan Zheng opened his phone and placed it in front of Qingqing. It was a photo of an orange cat and a cow-shaped dog.
"I'll offer you boarding service at the price I charge. Cat and dog food and litter are all provided. All you need to do is feed them for me and take them for a few more walks."
Yan Zheng seemed quite troubled:
“There are dog thieves around here, I’m not comfortable with that.”
Qingqing suddenly realized that if Little Grey were stolen, she would also...
She choked, forced a smile, and felt embarrassed by her guardedness.
"OK."
After all, they were classmates and from the same hometown.
"I don't need the money, I won't accept it. Are the cat and dog coming today?" Her tone was much lighter, unlike her previous aloofness, and her eyes were sparkling.
He nodded solemnly, his frameless glasses reflecting a sharp light.
"I'll take it over."
"I'll take it from outside your village," Qingqing said with a smile. "The old folks love to gossip if they see it."
Yan Zheng paused slightly, then said, "Your consideration is correct."
However, the elderly people at the village entrance had already gathered there.
Qingqing waited for an hour with a tingling sensation on her scalp before finally seeing Yan Zheng and his dog amidst a moment of ambiguous glances.
Before Yan Zheng could speak, she slung the cat carrier over her shoulder, leashed the dog, and carried ten pounds of food back home.
They didn't come to pick up the items until evening.
Yan Zheng is looking at his phone with a blank expression.
[A Willow Tree] Um, I have something come up. I won't bring the cat litter; there's litter outside my door that I can use. The food should be enough if we feed them sparingly. If not, I'll buy them chicken breast.
His lips moved slightly.
[Stern but not harsh] Okay, please send me videos every day.
The other party quickly replied with an OK gesture.
The conversation ended, and a new chat window popped up at the top. A pleasant message had arrived from Yang Liuqing, a high school classmate whom Yan Zheng had found through connections.
[Big Steamed Bun] Yang Liuqing? How could someone like her possibly have a boyfriend? She was the least noticeable person in our high school; she was always focused on doing homework and working part-time.
"..."
For the first time, he agreed with that tired old saying—that fate is just that wonderful.
Yan Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, no longer paying attention to the new conversation that popped up on the other end.
Over the next few days, Qingqing diligently carried out the task of posting videos. Before she knew it, she was having more and more conversations with Yan Zheng.
From what cats and dogs eat today, to what people eat today, and what happened at school.
Qingqing was conflicted and troubled.
Some people say that talking is good, but if you chat too much, won't it lead to dependence?
Despite her worries, she still couldn't avoid Yan Zheng when he came to pick up the cats and dogs. Holding the chocolate he shoved into her hand without explanation, Qingqing returned home dejectedly.
As soon as she entered, Grandma was holding a wreath of flowers that looked expensive, and she smiled happily at her:
"Qingqing, my good friend gave me flowers! Look, aren't they beautiful!"
Qingqing's heart sank, and she hurriedly sent a message to ask. Several hours passed before the other end replied with a light, indifferent sentence.
"It's on my own balcony, so it's free."
"If you insist on being polite with me, how about we walk together when school starts? That way we'll have someone to talk to and won't be so lonely."
"...No," she typed "no" but her finger pressed the delete key instead.
Dingding stared at the conversation for a while. Qingqing glanced at her grandmother, who was happily counting flowers, and reluctantly gave in.
...
However, Qingqing sensed something was wrong as soon as her second year of university started.
Yan Zheng stopped going to the back row, and her roommates stopped going with her.
It seemed as if a collective consensus had formed that Qingqing could only sit alone, while Yan Zheng would always appear at the classroom door in time and sit next to her, one seat away.
Now that things have come to this, what doesn't she understand?
Qingqing stared intently at the words in the book, the ink stains like fish, unable to grasp a single character. She could clearly feel the various gazes of her classmates: those watching the spectacle, those mocking, those puzzled, those well-meaning… and the undeniable presence of the boy beside her.
The teacher's voice on the podium seemed to be blocked by a curtain of water, and she couldn't hear anything.
Sure enough, my bad feeling came true before get out of class ended.
During the break between classes, Yan Zheng quietly approached and asked, "After class, can we have a meal together?"
The man's presence lingered at a suitable distance, seemingly not at all ambiguous.
Qingqing's face was sullen, her mind was in turmoil.
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