Chapter 32
Give it to him?
How can I give it to you?
Guan Nan stared at the screen, then looked at the coins in her hand, feeling somewhat troubled.
After a while, she typed a few words on the keyboard and tentatively replied: 【Here you go.】
Jiang: [Hmm.]
Um?
That's it?
After a moment of stunned silence, Guan Nan scratched her eyebrows, her feelings somewhat complicated.
Fortunately, the other side replied.
Jiang: [Are you free to go out tonight?]
The message indicated that it was already 10:56 PM. If she went out at this time, she would definitely be scolded by the authorities. But that was fine. The problem was that when she came back, there was no guarantee that anyone would open the door for her.
After a moment's thought, Guan Nan bit her lip. "You want the coins, right? Can we bring them to you at school? You won't have to make the trip again."
The words are finished.
She didn't send it immediately; she checked it over and found that the tone sounded both distant and polite.
After deleting the message, Guan Nan retyped it, carefully considering each word before typing: "It's too late today, I'll give it to you at school tomorrow."
This seems just right; the distance and politeness have disappeared, and the tone is more natural.
Just as she was about to send it, she heard Zhang Guilian call out to her, "Xiao Nan, are you asleep?"
"Not yet." Guan Nan immediately put down her phone.
Zhang Guilian came out and saw her still doing her homework on a small stool while lying on the folding bed. She pretended to be concerned and asked, "Why don't you go to the living room to do it? It's so cramped here, how can you be comfortable?"
The living room and balcony are separated by a wall. They sit in the living room after get off work, with the TV volume turned up very loud and noisy. Every day it's either a romance movie or a spy thriller, and the lights don't turn off until 11 or 12 o'clock.
Guan Nan did her homework in the living room, but she was kicked out again, so she stayed on the balcony every day.
The balcony light had been broken for a long time and no one had fixed it, so she could only turn on a small desk lamp.
"No need, Auntie, it's fine here," Guan Nan said obediently.
Zhang Guilian was obviously saying this to Guan Weimin, and didn't really intend for her to be an eyesore in the living room. She didn't care much about her answer: "Is your student grant coming soon?"
"Yes," Guan Nan said without waiting for her to ask more questions, "I've filled out the forms and submitted them. Now I'm just waiting for the approval process. Once the school approves it, that's fine."
Zhang Guilian added, "Does the money still have to wait until December?"
"It's always in December."
“Okay,” Zhang Guilian said casually, then added, “Go downstairs and take out the trash. I’ve put it away by the door. I was just about to call my sister, but it’s too late now, and she’ll be scared.”
Guan Nan nodded: "Okay."
"You have two more packages downstairs in the guardhouse, bring them up with you."
"Okay." She was initially a little resistant to this kind of thing, but she got used to it over time. Guan Nan asked, "Shall we go now?"
Zhang Guilian was about to turn around when she said, "Go now. My sister's key is on the shoe cabinet. Take it and use it first, then put it back later."
After saying that, Zhang Guilian went from the balcony to the living room and told Guan Weimin, "Your daughter is going."
Guan Nan pretended not to hear, picked up her phone, paused when she put the coin into her backpack, silently put it into her pocket, put away her test paper, and zipped up her backpack.
Standing in the entryway, I had just picked up my keys when I heard Lin Zhaozhao's voice.
"Hello."
Guan Nan turned around and looked at her.
"Are you going out?" Lin Zhaozhao's expression was not very willing.
“Okay,” Guan Nan said, “I’m taking out the trash and picking up a package at the same time.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhaozhao glanced up at the sofa, her gaze unreadable—was she looking at Zhang Guilian, who had just come out with her, or at Guan Weimin, who was engrossed in a suspense film?
"Then," Lin Zhaozhao frowned, stammering as she asked, "do you still have money?"
As if she didn't see the questioning look in her eyes, Guan Nan asked her, "There's still a little bit left, what's wrong?"
"You said no." Lin Zhaozhao glanced quickly at the person on the sofa and whispered a reminder.
Guan Nan: "?"
Lin Zhaozhao ignored her and stuffed a fifty-yuan bill into her pocket. "Then buy some barbecue when you come up. Or fried skewers are fine too."
"Okay." Noticing her awkwardness, Guan Nan pursed her lips, wanting to laugh a little.
"If you don't have either, then buy two hamburgers."
"Yes, I know." Guan Nan replied, picking up the trash bag and grabbing the key to close the door.
Just as the door was about to close, she heard a brief conversation inside: "Why are you eating a hamburger? Didn't I tell you to..." followed by "Okay, okay, it's all the same." "I'm not eating it anyway, why didn't you just say so yourself?"
The security door doesn't block out much sound; if the noise inside is a bit loud, you can hear it going up and down the stairs.
After changing her shoes, Guan Nan quietly went downstairs.
Lin Zhaozhao's keychain was very fashionable. The iron bell on it jingled loudly with the slightest movement when she walked, and the bell jingled all the way up and down the stairs.
After throwing away the trash, Guan Nan stood on the road opposite Fuling No. 7 High School and took out her phone to prepare a message.
As soon as I unlocked the door, I saw a message from Jiang Lilian.
Jiang: [I passed by Tangzi Alley]
jiang: [Buy something on the way]
Jiang: [If it's inconvenient for you, I'll leave.]
The last message was sent just a few minutes ago.
Guan Nan deleted the characters that couldn't be typed and replied again: 【Sure, it's very convenient.】
The next second, my deskmate called.
This time, she didn't hesitate and answered the call immediately: "Hello, Jiang—"
"Are you in Tangzi Alley?" Jiang Li asked.
“Hmm,” Guan Nan said slowly, looking down at her feet, “I’m at the entrance of No. 7 Middle School.”
"Front door and back door?"
"Front Gate".
Jiang Li hung up the phone quickly after saying "Wait for me for two minutes."
Guan Nan paused for a moment, then stood still and waited for Jiang Li to come over.
Standing here waiting like this looks a bit silly. She turned her head to look at the downhill section of the road, hesitating whether to go and take a look, so as not to seem too deliberate.
But that wouldn't be very polite, since I just said I'd wait for him at the gate.
Guan Nan frowned, lost in thought.
Before long, Guan Nan saw Jiang Li running towards her.
He was still wearing that blue and white school uniform, the buttons undone, his thin, muscular frame billowing with a gust of wind, striding towards her.
Gone was his usual carefree and arrogant demeanor; his aura was now very gentle.
"You—" Guan Nan didn't expect him to run from the side gate. There are three entrances and exits to No. 7 Middle School. One is a small gate, which is halfway up the slope, turns right, goes through an alley, and then passes through an iron gate. Another is the main gate across the street. The third is a side gate, which is about 200 meters straight ahead on the right and then turns a corner. The underground parking lot of the residential area is next to the side gate.
Jiang Li: "I came to get something."
"Oh," Guan Nan thought he had come all this way just to get some coins, so she immediately took out the coins from her pocket and handed them back to him, "I brought some with me."
Jiang Li took the coin, pulled the shoulder bag strap across his chest with his other hand, and unzipped the bag.
There was something that looked like an electric drill stuffed inside him.
"Take this first." Jiang Li handed her the coins.
Guan Nan stared at him and said, "Okay."
Jiang Li asked casually, "What color looks good?"
After a two-second silence, Guan Nan said, "Light yellow, I guess."
Upon hearing this, he paused in rummaging through his schoolbag.
Jiang Li looked at her thoughtful expression and asked with a strange look, "That's all?"
“Green, I guess,” Guan Nan replied instinctively.
Finally, the inner compartment was cleared out. Jiang Li opened his hand in front of her, and Guan Nan naturally placed the coin in his palm. The two looked at each other.
A few seconds passed.
Jiang Li: "Red and black."
"red."
After he finished speaking, Guan Nan saw the corners of his mouth curve up and he nodded slightly.
"You..." Guan Nan looked at him suspiciously as he stuffed the coins into her hands. Her gaze shifted to the electric drill, and her eyelids twitched. She was both conflicted and annoyed, and couldn't help but ask, "What are you going to do?"
My original intention was to ask him if he had enough money, but then I remembered that Jiang Li never seemed to be short of money.
However, he suddenly came to her, just to get this coin.
This made her think more deeply.
"Huh?" Jiang Li zipped up his jacket, looked up at her, and asked, "What did you say?"
Guan Nan pursed her lips. "Are you out of money?"
"No—" Seeing her serious yet somewhat worried expression, Jiang Li decided to tease her and slowly said, "Yes, the car broke down, we have no money, and we can't go back."
Guan Nan didn't believe it was fake and immediately pulled out a handful of money from his pocket, taking out a hundred-yuan note to give to him.
"..." Looking at the money handed to him, Jiang Li looked down at her, a faint smile on his face, "Really giving it to me?"
"Mm." Guan Nan nodded.
Jiang Li: "I'm having a really tough time lately."
The implication is that the money borrowed won't be repaid so quickly.
"It's okay." Guan Nan looked down at the money in her hand, hesitated for a few seconds, and then took out a twenty-yuan note.
The next second, he tucked the pieces into a ball in his hand and gave the rest to Jiang Li.
You just gave it to him like that?
Jiang Li held a wad of money in his hand, his face showing astonishment. "Aren't you going to count it?"
“No need to count,” Guan Nan said. “We’re friends, don’t worry about these things. Go home quickly, don’t let your family worry.”
Jiang Li hummed in agreement, then frowned slightly and asked, "Have you always lent money to others like this?"
“No,” Guan Nan shook her head and said softly, “I don’t lend money to others.”
Everyone knows she's in financial difficulty, and no one will ask her for money.
Even if someone asked her for the money, she wouldn't lend it out.
"Then why did you lend it to me?" Jiang Li stared straight at her.
Guan Nan blinked awkwardly, lowered her head and said, "We're friends, and friends help each other out."
He then asked, "Who told you that?"
"That's what they said on TV..." Guan Nan answered quietly.
Upon hearing this answer, Jiang Li stuffed the money back into her hand, looked at her and said, "Don't lend money to others casually, and don't spend money on others casually."
Guan Nan was about to say that you are none other than yourself.
Then I heard him say, "No one, including me, can do it."
"Your money didn't grow on trees."
Guan Nan was taken aback by his words. Clutching the money tightly, she felt conflicted and didn't know what to say.
Since Ran Mingju was hospitalized, her money has been divided up under various pretexts and excuses, with no one refusing any amount.
No one has ever said such a thing to her in all these years.
The two walked slowly downhill, passing a row of shops and stalls.
"What would you like to eat?" Jiang Li asked, browsing through the various stalls with great interest.
Guan Nan said dryly, "I... I'm just going to buy some barbecue and then head back."
"Oh, let's go together," Jiang Li said casually, taking out his phone without asking any further questions. "I'll ask Jiang Siyao what she wants to eat."
Guan Nan and he stood side by side in front of the stall and ordered some things as they usually did.
"Butter, roasted leg, lotus root slices, pork belly, beef, bean curd sheets, tendon..." Jiang Li rattled off a long list over the phone, then repeated it to the owner, finally adding, "Two of each."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Li calmly said, "We raise two pigs at home."
Guan Nan smiled, a hint of envy in her eyes, noticing the warm family atmosphere. "The elders say that being able to eat well is a blessing."
Jiang Li: "That's so lucky."
The two ordered quite a lot of food, so the teacher gestured to a table nearby and invited them to sit down.
The desktop was shiny and smooth. Knowing that Jiang Li seemed to be a germaphobe, she took a tissue and carefully wiped his side.
Jiang Li said nonchalantly, "It's not that pretentious."
"Hmm, it's a bit oily, let me wipe it off." Guan Nan wiped it clean and threw the tissue into the trash can.
Although they were deskmates at school, she felt inexplicably strange sitting face to face with them now.
So, as if making conversation, she asked, "What do you need the coins for?"
Jiang Li looked at her, raised an eyebrow slightly, and smiled with a captivating smile, saying leisurely, "It's a secret for now."
After a two-second silence, Guan Nan thought for a moment and then asked, "Is the electric drill also a secret?"
Suddenly, he chuckled, dragging out his words in a lazy tone: "Yeah."
His voice was casual and unrestrained, yet profoundly meaningful.
"·····"
Jiang Li countered, "Want to know?"
"..." Since it's a secret, it doesn't matter whether you want to or not. Guan Nan shook her head: "I don't want to."
Jiang Li tilted his head and smiled, then suddenly said, "Then why did you ask?"
yes.
If you don't want to know, why are you asking?
Why ask?
You asked because you wanted to know, right?
As soon as she finished speaking, Guan Nan's heart skipped a beat, and her nerves tensed up.
Like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow.
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