Chapter 7

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Wu Guifen set up a table in the shop, and the entire Xu family gathered around to have dinner. Today, Xu Deyou had come with his wife to visit, chatting at length with the eldest brother and sister-in-law. Xu Qingling had no idea what her uncle and aunt had told her parents upstairs, but after several hours of discussion, her parents came down looking rather displeased, while her uncle and aunt remained calm as usual.

After they left, Wu Guifen and Xu Demao didn’t say much but noticeably softened their attitude toward their daughter.

When Xu Qingling asked to go to Xiutan Peak with her classmates, Xu Demao readily took out three hundred yuan for her. Xu Qingling didn’t hesitate to accept it—this was a familiar pattern with her parents: a slap followed by a treat.

She hadn’t understood before—when her dad gave her three hundred, she would only take a hundred. Now, knowing their true nature, she didn’t bother to resist; it was better to save this money for future use.

Neither side mentioned anything about tuition fees—her parents nor Xu Qingling herself. She was curious to see how her parents planned to settle this matter this time and what excuses they would use to placate her.

That night, lying in bed, Wu Guifen couldn’t help but complain to her husband, “The ticket to Xiutan Peak is only thirty yuan, yet you gave her three hundred! Do you have money burning a hole in your pocket?”

Xu Demao, still pondering what his sister-in-law had said earlier, blurted out, “Our second daughter is at the age to start dating. Don’t be so stingy with her. I think her style is not even as good as Wan Shupeng’s daughter’s.”

Wu Guifen was stuck for words, “Where am I being stingy? In her senior year, everything she eats and drinks, the tutoring fees, the materials—none of that is less than what Junwen gets!”

Xu Demao glanced at her, “Daughters will eventually marry and won’t be around long. If she finds a good partner, she’ll be able to support Junwen later. At least she shouldn’t feel that we favor one child over the other.”

Earlier, when his younger brother and sister-in-law visited and inquired about their second daughter’s education, a few words from his sister-in-law struck Xu Demao deeply.

“A girl going to university has more options when choosing a partner.”

Fu Juan also gave an example with her nephew. Shen’s grandson had also been admitted to Xun University, but it was a regular undergraduate program in the School of Economics and Management. Families like the Shens considered not only family background but also the girl’s own qualifications when selecting a daughter-in-law. Not having a university education was definitely a disadvantage.

Although a college diploma was inferior to a bachelor’s degree, it still counted as having attended university. If not for the eldest daughter Hongjiao studying at Beijing University, she wouldn’t have found a cadre’s child studying there.

Thinking about matchmaking, Xu Demao couldn’t help but compare himself to his brother Deyou. Except for being better at studying, Deyou was inferior in every other way.

Relatives around the family always said Deyou was lucky. But wasn’t his luck due to meeting Fu Juan, from a high-ranking official family, at university? Fu Juan was the youngest in her family, spoiled from childhood. At first, the Fu family didn’t approve of Deyou, but they finally relented because they couldn’t refuse their youngest daughter.

Lying on his side staring at the ceiling, Xu Demao made up his mind, “Maybe we should let our second daughter go to college after all. Even if it’s just a junior college at Xun University. Shen Luan is there too. If she can find a partner like him, we won’t have to worry about the future.”

Wu Guifen hesitated, “Junwen will be starting university next year. Supporting two university students at once—our family isn’t a money-printing machine. How can we afford that?”

Xu Demao thought for a moment, “If it really comes to it, we can talk to Hongjiao. We’ll pay her five thousand yuan tuition a year; she can help figure out the living expenses for her sister.”

Mentioning the eldest daughter always made Wu Guifen angry. “Hongjiao called today. The wedding date is set—August 8th in Xun City.”

Xu Demao sat up quickly, “They decided and informed us directly?”

Wu Guifen, initially upset, calmed down as her husband’s expression darkened. “It was originally scheduled for June 1st, but they postponed it because of Qingling’s college entrance exams. The time is tight now. In the next few days, they will finalize the guest list and the number of banquet tables. Hongjiao’s wedding in the city, booking the banquet, getting the outfit, renting the car, and hosting relatives from the countryside—all of this costs money. Hongjiao is only contributing thirty thousand yuan. Are you really expecting her to pay for Qingling’s living expenses?”

The Xu family claimed no dowry was exchanged for their daughters, but Xu Demao didn’t want to spend a penny unnecessarily. The family’s assets were ultimately meant to support the sons.

The thirty thousand yuan Hongjiao gave covered the entire wedding expenses in Xun City. Though it seemed like a lot, it was barely enough for such an event these days.

Wu Guifen had been married into the city from the countryside for decades and was regarded as wealthy by the villagers. This time, she wanted to invite all their relatives from the village to the city for the wedding banquet.

Xu Demao, marrying off a daughter for the first time, also wanted to show face among the people of Oak Tree Village.

“She has already cost the family so much with her university education. Now that she’s successful, she doesn’t want to care about home anymore? That’s just not right! Qingling’s living expenses in college will be at most three or five hundred yuan a month. Deducting holidays, she’ll spend three or four thousand a year—not even half her monthly salary! I’ll find a time to talk to her!”

Wu Guifen muttered, “You go talk to her then!”

With their eldest daughter’s temperament, she certainly didn’t want to be the villain.

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Xu Qingling wore a short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans today. Before heading out, she snagged a long-sleeved shirt from Xu Junwen and tucked her long hair inside a black baseball cap.

Riding fifty kilometers in this weather would surely leave her sunburned.

The heat was intense, and she had already removed the gauze from her hand; the wound was healing faster than she expected. Only her right thumb and index finger hadn’t fully recovered, so she wore two band-aids.

After days of covering her fingers, they finally saw daylight, making everything much easier—she felt like her hand was truly her own again.

Squinting at the blazing sun overhead, she wondered how Shen Angwu’s leg was doing.

At the village entrance, Feng Bo was already waiting, a girl standing beside him.

From afar, Xu Qingling’s grip on her bike handles tightened little by little, the pain in her fingertips snapping her back to reality.

Wan Yue’s pale, delicate face smiled at Xu Qingling. “I didn’t want to come at first, but Feng Bo said he’d take me.”

Feng Bo’s chest puffed out as he boomed, “It’s just fifty kilometers! Don’t worry! I’ll make sure you get back safely!”

If she didn’t come back safely, Wei Donglai would surely want his life! Yesterday, Wei Donglai had specially come to his house to remind him to take good care of Wan Yue and not let her ride on any other boy’s bicycle.

Feng Bo knew he was stuck doing the heavy lifting this time. Luckily, Wan Yue was small, barely eighty pounds; carrying her on the bike wasn’t too tiring. Besides, Xu Qingling would be there for the return trip.

Wan Yue couldn’t ride a bike. For three years of high school evening classes, Feng Bo and Xu Qingling had always taken turns bringing her to and from school.

“Xu Qingling, you take Wan Yue back tomorrow.”

“There’s someone willing to take her. I don’t need to,” Xu Qingling said as she pedaled ahead, leaving the two behind.

“Hey! Why are you riding so fast?” Feng Bo gritted his teeth, pedaling hard to catch up.

Wan Yue noticed Xu Qingling’s coldness and frowned at her retreating back. Could it be she was upset because Wan Yue hadn’t told her about going to Xiutan Peak?

Xu Qingling always sulked over little things, then eventually made up with her.

Wan Yue was tired of worrying about such things lately; maybe she’d get over it soon.

At nine o’clock in the morning, classmates gathered at the school gate for the Xiutan Peak trip. With the college entrance exam over, everyone was letting loose.

Several girls had permed hair and makeup, carefully dressed up. The boys had shed their uniforms, shaking off their usual dull appearance.

Those couples who had been dating openly in high school no longer hid it. Li Zhengqi and Zhao Zibei, for example, had been semi-public since high school. He was class president, she was arts commissioner, both excellent students, and the homeroom teacher had turned a blind eye.

Now that the exams were over, Li Zhengqi had been admitted to a northern polytechnic university, and Zhao Zibei would attend university in their province, facing four years of long-distance love. But to those in love, such things were no obstacle.

Li Zhengqi stood counting heads, carrying his girlfriend’s pink backpack. Their class had over sixty students, and more than half had shown up.

A boy couldn’t help but ask, “Class president, can your family’s villa fit this many people?”

Li Zhengqi replied, “If not, we’ll just sleep on the floor!”

“Yeah, right! You’d never let your Zhao Zibei sleep on the floor!” a tall dark-skinned boy sitting near Xu Qingling on the curb said lazily. “I want a bed and I’m booking a room at the motel tonight. Anyone who doesn’t want to sleep on the floor can come with me.”

Xu Qingling sat on the curb, glanced at the boy, and finally remembered his name—Shen Shun.

One of the “Four Big Devils” of the class, he transferred in during sophomore year and was notorious for fighting. His father was in the military and had entered a military academy through an internal recommendation.

Xu Qingling wasn’t close to the “devils” at school and had no contact with them after graduation.

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After waiting a long time without seeing Cao Siqing, Shen Luan appeared.

Shen Luan wore a beige shirt and rode a black mountain bike. His fresh and composed appearance stood out in the crowd. Before the bike stopped, he scanned around and quickly approached them.

Xu Qingling knew who he was looking for and got up to move aside.

“Hey, I’m telling you…” came that lazy voice behind her.

“What?” Xu Qingling turned, realizing she was standing too close to Shen Shun and quickly stepped aside.

Shen Shun had been admiring Wan Yue’s slender legs; she wore white shorts revealing two slender limbs. Though a bit short, her leg shape was quite nice. But then someone without tact blocked his view solidly.

Just as he was about to curse, the girl turned her face slightly, the shadow of her baseball cap obscuring her eyes but revealing a high, playful nose.

Tilting his head to see her eyes clearly beneath the brim, Shen Shun swallowed the profanity again.

Their class was a science class with a dozen or so girls and more than twice as many boys. Aside from the three beauties Zhao Zibei, Wan Yue, and Hu Ying, the other girls were privately called “dinosaurs.”

What was Xu Qingling’s nickname? Shen Shun thought hard and finally remembered a buddy called her “Little Green Dragon.”

That buddy was quite envious of Shen Luan, saying Xu Qingling chased him so hard. If only he had a girlfriend like that, Shen Shun was speechless.

“Do you want some tangerines?” Shen Luan held a bag of fruit and smiled faintly as he extended it toward them.

The plastic bag was placed right between Xu Qingling and Wan Yue, making it hard to tell whom it was intended for.

That was Shen Luan—always able to show kindness without making a big deal of it.

Fu Qin had put great effort into cultivating her son. Shen Luan lacked the arrogance typical of Xun City’s wealthy heirs. He was always gentle, neither overly close nor distant, perfectly balanced.

The freshly picked honey tangerines still had green leaves attached, looking sweet.

Xu Qingling lowered her head and didn’t move. Her slender hand hooked the plastic bag and extended it toward them.

At eighteen, Xu Qingling was truly a foolish girl—accepting things that didn’t belong to her repeatedly, feeling full of joy.

Shen Luan must have been frustrated—he clearly wanted to give them to Wan Yue but could never avoid Xu Qingling.

He always felt that not marrying Wan Yue was a lifelong regret, and marrying her was a compromise.

His life had a void ever since, constantly on his mind, scheming.

He loved her so much; why didn’t she give him a chance?

Xu Qingling lifted the brim of her cap, turned to Wan Yue, and smiled, “You take them. Aren’t these your favorite honey tangerines?”

Wan Yue’s face flushed deeply. She really loved these tangerines and could eat several pounds at once. But having Xu Qingling say it publicly made it seem as if Shen Luan had bought them especially for her.

She glanced shyly at Shen Luan, who was watching her, and blushed even more as she quickly took the tangerines and lowered her eyes, whispering a thank you.

Shen Shun beside them was dumbfounded, suddenly feeling his brain fall short—who exactly was chasing whom?

When he looked again, Xu Qingling had already taken off, leaving her boyfriend and best friend sharing tangerines behind.