Chapter 43 Three Yuan and Fifty Cents "Should I also call him Lele?"
As autumn transitions into winter, the weather in Shengping quickly turns cold. It gets so cold that you have to wear a school uniform jacket over another one. The school uniform jacket is a must-wear, and you'll have to wear it again when it gets too hot to wear a down jacket. It's like wearing it gives you an extra life; people who don't know better might think this thin jacket has a heating function and keeps you incredibly warm.
“Come on, I’ll take you to school.” Jiang Yueming put his long legs on the ground, and Li Leshan let him say that, straddling the back seat of the bicycle.
After spending a few months with his classmates, Jiang Yueming had become quite familiar with them. Some of his close friends didn't want to always eat the school's steamed buns, soy milk, and fried dough sticks, so they offered to give Jiang Yueming an extra 50 cents each time they went out to buy breakfast for him.
At first, Jiang Yueming was reluctant. He already had to get up at 6:30 every day, but now he had to get up at 6:10. It wasn't a big deal that he had to get up early, but the problem was that Li Leshan also had to get up early. Jiang Yueming was a little unwilling to accept this.
However, Jiang Yueming couldn't resist their persistent pleas. They kept asking him to beg Li Leshan, saying that bothering just him was enough and there was no need to bother Li Leshan. So he agreed.
"Where's the paper?" Jiang Yueming let go of the handlebars with his left hand and reached back.
Li Leshan took a piece of paper out of his pocket, flattened it, and handed it to Jiang Yueming.
"Four meat buns, two vegetable buns; two servings of layered pancakes; six tea eggs... Wow, who can eat so much? Four cups of millet porridge, one without sugar and three with sugar..." Jiang Yueming rattled off a long list of dishes without getting tired. "Damn, there's someone drinking spicy soup here. I'll have to go to the market to buy it. Damn it, this guy should give me two extra dollars."
"What do you want to eat? Buy it for us first. How about we eat Grandma's steamed buns?" Jiang Yueming asked. "If you agree, give me a thumbs up."
Li Leshan silently raised his hand and made a "1" gesture.
Jiang Yueming was just like the rickshaw pullers of decades ago, working hard without complaint. Although he was very unwilling, his actions spoke louder than words, and he bought it anyway.
Jiang Yueming bought a bunch of breakfasts like she was rehearsing an advertisement, working like a robot without taking a break. In the end, she stuffed all the bags into her schoolbag and then had Li Leshan carry them.
"Put the stuff that can be pressed down at the bottom, and put the spicy soup on top so it doesn't spill on you." Jiang Yueming glanced back at the bag full of breakfast and chuckled, "Does it smell like food now?"
Li Leshan drew a line on his back, meaning "Yes".
"I'll earn three yuan this time. Am I like that laborer, getting all the money?" Jiang Yueming muttered from the front. "I'm bad at math. Is it really three yuan? There are six people to guide, or seven...?"
As soon as they entered the classroom, the students pounced on them like gluttons. Jiang Yueming told them not to rush and to count them one by one, marking each one as they left.
"Thanks, brother." Zhao Yuxuan turned around happily, holding two steamed buns and a cup of porridge.
"We have to thank Li Leshan," Jiang Yueming said unhappily. Because of this, Li Leshan followed him around every day.
"Thank you, Brother Shan!" Zhao Yuxuan grinned foolishly.
"Hey, Brother Shan, you sound like you're in the underworld." Jiang Yueming laughed.
"Then what should I call her?" Zhao Yuxuan pondered for a moment, "Should I call her Lele too?"
He heard Jiang Yueming calling "Lele" from behind every day, and guessed that it was probably Li Leshan's nickname. So... he should be able to call him that too, right?
"Get lost!" Jiang Yueming cursed. "Who do you think you are, calling someone 'Lele'?"
After he finished cursing, he felt a little strange. He didn't know why he got angry over a name, which wasn't even his. Did only he have to call Lele that? But it was okay for Grandma to call her that, and it was okay for Auntie to call her that... if they were elders. But it wouldn't be okay for Han Jiang to call her that, and it wouldn't be okay for Xu Qing to call her that either. It seemed like none of them were quite right.
Jiang Yueming was increasingly confused. Why did he get upset when others called him that? They clearly didn't mean anything by it, but something just felt off.
Seven people, earned three yuan and fifty cents on one trip, enough to buy seven steamed buns. To be honest, it wasn't worth Jiang Yueming making that trip.
"Here, this is your morning's wages." Jiang Yueming handed it to Li Leshan. "Let's do the accounting."
Actually, Li Leshan didn't need to calculate it; doing so was really making a mountain out of a molehill and wasting his talents. Jiang Yueming was just joking, teasing Li Leshan.
Li Leshan's lips curled up. He pretended to count them, then handed them back to Jiang Yueming, "That's right."
"Here you go." Jiang Yueming stuffed it into his pocket, covering his school uniform pocket to prevent Li Leshan from returning it to him. "I'll help you make big money in the future."
"You'll make me a fortune by opening a barbershop?" Li Leshan gestured.
“So what? I run a chain—a nationwide chain.” Jiang Yueming raised an eyebrow and patted Li Leshan’s pocket: “You really kept it? I never intended to take their money.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Leshan froze for a moment. He suddenly felt as if the three yuan and fifty cents in his school uniform pocket were burning hot.
"What do you mean?" Li Leshan asked, puzzled.
What does Jiang Yueming mean? Does he mean that he got up early and made this trip just to earn those three yuan and fifty cents?
Jiang Yueming didn't understand what he meant by asking. She went through it in her mind over and over again but still couldn't figure it out. Confused, she asked, "What do you mean? What do you mean?"
What kind of riddle are we trying to solve?
“Well…” Li Leshan paused for a moment, then quickly resumed his actions, “I didn’t mean to take their money. Is this money being collected for my sake?”
"No..." Jiang Yueming was still a little confused. What did Li Leshan mean? What did he mean by saying that this money was for him? It was just a little bit, three yuan and fifty cents, not even enough to buy a set of jianbing guozi. What was wrong with Jiang Yueming letting him keep it? Did he think it was too little? Or what...? But he couldn't ask for more.
“I don’t want it,” Li Leshan said, taking the money out of his pocket and placing it on Jiang Yueming’s table. “You rode the bike and you bought the food, so I can’t accept it.”
What is the purpose of him taking this money?
"Are you stupid?" Jiang Yueming sensed that he was a little angry, but she didn't know why. "You've been running around with me for so long, and besides, why not take it?"
“I don’t want to,” Li Leshan said.
"Okay, okay," Jiang Yueming quickly said. He sensed that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, so he could only go along with Li Leshan. "Then I'll keep it, I'll keep it."
This was the first time he had a falling out with Li Leshan. Jiang Yueming was a little confused about the situation, but he knew that there was no point in saying anything more and he had to do as Li Leshan said. So he quickly put the money in his pocket and made sure that Li Leshan wouldn't see it again.
He had poor reading comprehension; you couldn't beat around the bush with anything, you had to say it directly and plainly, otherwise Jiang Yueming wouldn't understand. He didn't press for details, nor did he ask Li Leshan what "this money is for me" meant. He felt he might have misunderstood Li Leshan's sign language. In any case, he put the money away for Li Leshan, knowing he wouldn't spend it.
Although 3.5 yuan isn't much, at a frequency of three times a week, earning 10 yuan a week, plus a little extra, would amount to 50 yuan a month, enough to buy another set of practice problems. Jiang Yueming felt it was acceptable; after all, by getting up 20 minutes earlier, he and Li Leshan wouldn't need to eat breakfast at the cafeteria, and Jiang Yueming could catch up on some sleep while Li Leshan could do a few more practice problems.
However, winter comes quickly in Shengping. The seasons here aren't exactly four distinct seasons, but summer and winter are very distinct. Summers are unbearably hot, so hot that your feet are burning even when you wear shoes, and winters are unbearably cold, so cold that you have to wear layers upon layers of clothing.
Although it's not winter yet, winter is coming soon. The morning temperature is very cold, so cold that it wakes you up.
"If it gets any colder, I won't bring them breakfast anymore, okay?" Li Leshan hesitated for a moment before using sign language.
Jiang Yueming sat in her seat, rummaging through her schoolbag as she spoke to him, "What's wrong? Didn't you get enough sleep?"
“No,” Li Leshan gestured, “it’s too cold, I’m afraid you’ll get cold.”
"Or I can go buy it later, I can ride my bike, okay?"
"Yes, it is indeed too cold." Jiang Yueming thought to himself that in a while, when the temperature drops to several degrees below zero, it wouldn't be good for them to keep running like this.
“Okay, let them buy it themselves. They’re always ordering us around for five cents a day… Zhao Yuxuan and the other two are alright, they’re familiar with us and don’t cause us much trouble.” Jiang Yueming whispered, making a “shh” gesture to Li Leshan.
Li Leshan nodded.
"And the one with the spicy soup, I'll only bring it for you from now on, it's free," Jiang Yueming said.
“I’m not drinking,” Li Leshan gestured, “the market is too far away.”
“Not far,” Jiang Yueming shook his head. “If it’s you, it’s not far. Don’t even mention the vegetable market, I’ll bring you to the Zhonghua Market too… I’ll bring you anywhere.”
"No, it's too cold," Li Leshan refused. "Let's go to the cafeteria."
“I know, I know,” Jiang Yueming quickly replied, “It’s not that cold after morning exercises in winter, and it’s warm everywhere afterward.”
He saw Li Leshan nod, and then he opened the workbook.
Not wanting to disturb him, Jiang Yueming slowed down his movements. He also opened a book and cautiously glanced at Li Leshan. The three yuan and fifty cents were still in his school uniform pocket, to be moved elsewhere after he got home.
He actually wanted to ask Li Leshan what he meant by what he said at the beginning, because he felt Li Leshan was a little angry. But Jiang Yueming was afraid of saying the wrong thing, perhaps because he hadn't realized it. The three yuan and fifty cents felt like a small pebble, stuck in his school uniform pocket, and also stuck in his heart. He wanted to ask, but didn't dare. He could only look at Li Leshan's silent profile and quietly swallow back all his doubts and a hint of grievance.
This question was briefly put aside in his mind and soon forgotten; he was too busy to think about it. Even the reason why he was unhappy when Zhao Yuxuan called Li Leshan "Lele" was temporarily forgotten as time passed.
These small, inexplicable thoughts, like youth itself, with a slightly bittersweet feeling, were hastily swept into the increasingly cold north wind of Shengping, waiting for a certain moment to sprout again.
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Author's Note: Xiao Jiang: Feeling a little wronged, but I won't say it TTTT
Readers complained: Can't this extended chapter be written about something more lucrative?
Yan Xiaohui: Next time, next time for sure!
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