Chapter 8

Lin Baixin didn’t reply to that WeChat message, and she hadn’t been online. At the time, she wasn’t in the country; she’d gone abroad with her advisor for an exchange visit, and for the moment, she couldn’t spare much thought for any of this.

Once the scores were out, it was only a temporary reprieve. That year, the middle school entrance exam still used the system of publishing results before students filled in their school preferences. Yu Min had, unsurprisingly, chosen Siping No. 1 High School’s upper secondary division. Back then, supervision over policy was still fairly loose; middle school entrance exam scores were shared citywide, and within the province, many key high schools in different cities recognized one another. As long as you had an admission letter from a local key high school and your citywide ranking, transferring to another city in the province to study was easy.

Siping No. 1 High School ranked fairly high in the province, and was in the top five in the city. According to the college-prep plan Zheng Qing had originally laid out for her, Yu Min should have transferred to Jincheng for high school. The couple had bought property in Jincheng years ago; houses, storefronts… Back when the Yu family business was thriving, the two of them had agreed that once Yu Min came of age, all those properties would be transferred to their daughter. That was meant to be Yu Min’s future security.

On the day she submitted her preferences, Zheng Qing and Yu Shengyu were both nowhere to be found. After the form was handed in, the homeroom teacher called several high-scoring students, Yu Min included, into the office one after another to talk and ask about their actual target schools.

Yu Min’s actual target matched what she’d filled in: No. 1 High School. She wasn’t transferring away.

The homeroom teacher was surprised. Zheng Qing had clearly told the teacher before that Yu Min definitely wouldn’t stay local for high school, and had even consulted several teachers about preparations. In the homeroom teacher’s mind, Yu Min had already had one foot out the door of Siping No. 1 High School. Now she was saying she wanted to stay, which was bound to come as a shock.

“Where are your parents? Do they know?” the homeroom teacher asked, clearly assuming this was Yu Min’s own decision and that the adults were out of the loop.

Yu Min told the truth. “I’m not sure.”

“You’re not sure, or you didn’t discuss it with them?” the homeroom teacher asked, puzzled. “Can your parents come to the school? I’ll talk to them.”

Yu Min couldn’t make that call. How would she know whether they could come?

Her attitude was vague, and the homeroom teacher was afraid of delaying things, so she tried contacting Yu Min’s guardians. The result wasn’t promising.

The homeroom teacher made the call behind her back; as for exactly what was discussed afterward, the teacher didn’t say, and Yu Min didn’t ask.

It wasn’t until the admissions notices were issued at the end of the month and handed to the students that Zheng Qing and Yu Shengyu still showed no sign of any movement.

In the meantime, Yu Min did receive several calls from the admissions offices of No. 1 High School and other schools. High-scoring students were in demand. Back then, middle school entrance exam rankings were completely public; some key high schools recruited students no less aggressively than universities did. Bonuses, subsidies, tuition waivers… all kinds of conditions kept coming one after another.

“You really aren’t going to Jiaming?” Zhou Jin was extremely envious. He ranked above average in school, but didn’t get treatment like that. “Why not go? Go on. Jiaming’s way better than No. 1 High School. Didn’t the school promise it? Three years there and you won’t pay a penny; they’ll even pay you. What a great opportunity. And if you get into a good university, they’ll sweeten the deal too. How impressive would that be?”

Yu Min ignored him and kept scrolling on her phone. After hearing the same nonsense until her ears were practically callused, she replied, “No. 1 High School doesn’t charge tuition either, and they give money too.”

“How can that be the same? It’s just a few thousand yuan for enrollment; how can that compare to Jiaming?” Zhou Jin analyzed it with complete confidence, getting excited and rambling on nonstop. “A small place can’t hold a big Buddha. I’m studying here because my mom’s here; why should you stay? Your parents…” Only after speaking did he suddenly realize he shouldn’t have said that. Zhou Jin immediately clapped a hand over his mouth and gave himself two light slaps for effect. “Pah pah, I didn’t mean that. Don’t misunderstand. I mean, it’s good outside too. Water flows downhill, but people go uphill, right?”

From the time she received the admission notice until school registration day, she still had a month to think it over. Yu Min hesitated and hadn’t made up her mind.

It had nothing to do with money. She didn’t care; no matter which school she went to, the amount they could offer was limited. The card Yu Shengyu had given her contained money, more than all the bonuses those schools promised put together.

Yu Min wasn’t short of money anymore. She was just lost, unable to make a choice.

If she chose another school, then she would have to leave Siping County and leave Aunt’s house… Yu Min didn’t like living under someone else’s roof, and she didn’t like Aunt’s family. But right now, aside from here, where else could take her in? If she went to another school, could she still come back here during future holidays?

Yu Min was torn, feeling awkward deep down.

On one hand, she wanted to escape this place full of trouble and didn’t want to get involved in her parents’ struggles; she longed to break free from that messy tangle of conflicts. On the other hand, there was also an emotion she couldn’t explain or name. She couldn’t bear to let it go, yet she didn’t understand what exactly it was she couldn’t part with.

Lin Baixin’s message arrived in time to interrupt her hesitation and inner conflict.

LX: -I’m coming back.

LX: -In a while.

LX: -I’ve been busy these past few days and haven’t gone on this account. I didn’t see it. Sorry.

Lying flat on the bed, Yu Min held her phone half-raised, deleting and revising a line of text over and over, unable to send it.

LX: -Probably before July 20, but it isn’t set yet. It might change. I’ll let you know after I buy the ticket.

Yu Min deleted everything she’d worked up and changed it to: -Mm.

No small talk. After she sent it, the chat screen returned to normal. The “The other party is typing…” prompt at the top froze, then changed back into the contact name.

There wasn’t much to talk about with a little girl; Lin Baixin didn’t like chatting.

Turning over, then lying on her stomach, Yu Min clicked into Lin Baixin’s Moments to take a look. That morning, the other woman had reposted a post about the exchange event from an official account.

Lin Baixin’s Moments were all public, unlike most people’s, who set theirs to visible for only three days. She never posted private photos or little daily complaints; the entire feed was made up of reposts like this, or very formulaic content.

Remembering the first few messages Lin Baixin had replied with, Yu Min thought: she said she hadn’t gone on this account. That meant she had another account?

This one wasn’t her private account?

Without realizing it, Yu Min kept clicking back into the chat box again and again, but she didn’t know how to ask.

The money in the card Yu Shengyu had given her, Yu Min withdrew all of it in several installments. With last time’s lesson in mind and worried the card might be deactivated again, she decisively emptied it. In another four months she would be sixteen and could open her own card; then she would deposit the money into her own account.

Once the money was gone, Yu Shengyu naturally received a bank notification. Yu Min thought he would at least ask about it; it wasn’t a small amount, so he couldn’t possibly ignore it.

Yu Min had still thought too highly of him. In fact, once Yu Shengyu gave her the card, he had no intention of managing it again. She could withdraw as much as she wanted. The card wasn’t something he’d given her because his conscience had suddenly awakened. Yu Min’s red-packet money card had been deactivated by accident. The couple had gone at each other so hard they were practically seeing red; the card had been opened under Zheng Qing’s name, and at the time all the money the family could move on the books had been transferred by Zheng Qing into her own account. It was only a year later that this absurd couple realized their daughter’s card had been deactivated too.

The reason Yu Shengyu gave Yu Min another card and transferred money into it was because Zheng Qing demanded it.

If you can get it for free, then take it. In any case, she wasn’t going to let the other woman profit. As long as Yu Shengyu still had any lingering father-daughter affection left, Zheng Qing was more than happy to squeeze him dry.

Yu Min didn’t tell anyone about the money. A week after receiving the admission notice, she used the pocket money she’d saved up earlier to buy two gifts, one for Aunt and one for Uncle Xiao.

She was living and eating in someone else’s house, so that was only right.

You didn’t bite the hand that fed you. Even if what she bought wasn’t as expensive as the Cartier bracelet on Aunt’s wrist, it was still a gesture. Aunt hadn’t expected her to suddenly become so tactful and socially adept. She smiled, accepted the gifts, and casually set them on the cabinet.

“That’s thoughtful. Then I’ll keep it. You’re more sensible than our A-Jin. That kid, who knows where he’s wandered off to today? He can’t even be found. Probably went to game with classmates again.”

The silk scarf Yu Min bought was expensive and impractical. Aunt accepted it, but the scarf never once appeared around her neck.

That thing wasn’t rare; Aunt had a whole pile of them in her wardrobe, and she simply didn’t like that style. She didn’t think much of it.

Aunt’s family was planning another trip. In a small place, things were small, and the pressure wasn’t much. Families like theirs, with local money and plenty of free time, made traveling together a regular occurrence whenever the kids had vacation.

They said Yu Min could come along, but Yu Min knew her place and made up a casual excuse to decline.

Uncle Xiao said, “It’s not very reassuring to leave you home alone. Come with us. Just so you can keep Zhou Jin company; people your age have more in common.”

Yu Min still didn’t go. Whether the invitation was sincere or not, she was already studying the first-year high school material on her own in advance and didn’t have the mind to go out wandering.

Maybe because the unborn child had died, or maybe it was just Yu Min’s imagination, but Aunt and the other elders from the Yu family were noticeably gentler toward her. This time, after her middle school entrance exam, even her grandparents and several relatives gradually came by with “concern” after the scores were released. Aunt, in particular, was all warmth and kindness. Since Yu Min wouldn’t go, she didn’t force her; instead, she turned and told the household maid to take good care of her.

Aunt and the others didn’t manage to wait for Lin Baixin to come back. Lin Baixin’s ticket was for the twenty-second; not too early, not too late, perfectly avoiding Aunt’s family.

The day Lin Baixin arrived, Yu Min put down her book. As the car drove in from that side, she ran downstairs. She was in such a rush to get down that she didn’t even change out of her shoes before heading out; she was wearing Pikachu house slippers.

“You’re back.” She was panting, having run too fast; her face was slightly flushed, and the wind had blown her hair into a mess against her cheeks.

Lin Baixin handed her a small bag with one hand.

“Open it and see.”

“What is it?”

“See for yourself.”

It was a schoolbag charm, a round little fluff ball.

You couldn’t tell whether it was an animal or what; the shape was a little odd, but distinctive.

Lin Baixin said, “A souvenir from the hotel. I can’t use it, so I gave it to you.”

Yu Min picked it up and looked at it carefully. The workmanship was very delicate, and the fur felt smooth and sleek to the touch; it didn’t look like some cheap mass-produced trinket.

But since it was given to her, she accepted it without being polite. It was just right to hang on her schoolbag.

In truth, Lin Baixin had bought it specially and was just fooling her. Little girls had a strong sense of pride; if she told Yu Min it had been chosen especially for her, the girl would probably get all twisted up about it again for half the day.

Yu Min liked little things like this. She had more than one charm hanging from her bag, and Lin Baixin had already noticed that her schoolbag looked like a store shelf full of accessories, so she bought this one on the way.

Yu Min hung Lin Baixin’s gift right in the center of her schoolbag, in the most conspicuous spot. She treasured the other woman’s thoughtfulness and wore it openly and unashamedly.

No one else was around. Though they didn’t live under the same roof, it was only the two of them now. Yu Min was even more blatant than before, shamelessly lingering in Lin Baixin’s place from daylight until deep into the night, as if she were punching in attendance.

Teacher Lu An came over to find Lin Baixin on this side. When she entered, she still hadn’t seen Lin Baixin; instead, the first person she saw was Yu Min.

Yu Min stood up at the sound, greeting her first. “Hello, Teacher Lu.”

She acted as Lin Baixin’s stand-in host, pouring water and making tea.

Lu An raised her brows and turned back to Lin Baixin, laughing in exasperation. “I thought I’d come to the wrong door. Why is this kid living at your place? Did her parents send her over here?”

Lin Baixin let the misunderstanding stand and didn’t clarify. Instead, she asked, “Is that not allowed?”

“It’s allowed, I didn’t say it wasn’t.” Lu An followed up, amused and teasing. “No wonder I called you a bunch of times and couldn’t get you out. So you’ve been helping people raise a kid. Very conscientious of you.”

Yu Min didn’t hear that part. Teacher Lu was especially proper in front of students and cared a lot about her image. Lu An had come over to mooch a meal; she hadn’t seen Lin Baixin in a long time and couldn’t get her out to meet up, so she’d shown up uninvited to sit for a while.

After making tea, then coffee, Yu Min didn’t mind the trouble. Lin Baixin didn’t like sugar, so Yu Min made two cups and drank the same thing herself.

Coffee without sugar was too bitter; it was more annoying to drink than medicine. Yu Min couldn’t swallow it. She stiffened, unable to spit it out in front of them, and silently held it in her mouth for a moment before forcing it down.

While talking with Lu An, Lin Baixin tore open a sugar packet and poured it into Yu Min’s cup.

Lu An invited Lin Baixin to supper late tonight; other friends were coming too. Lin Baixin didn’t give her any face and refused to go. Lu An asked, “Why not? Got something else on tonight?”

Lin Baixin gave a soft hum.

Lu An said, “What thing?”

Lin Baixin looked perfectly serious as she answered calmly, “Taking care of a kid.”

A mouthful of hot tea nearly sprayed out. Lu An choked so hard she had to cover her mouth, coughing violently.

Unable to understand the riddle they were exchanging, Yu Min looked confused and blank. She looked at Lu An, then at Lin Baixin.

Lin Baixin lifted her coffee without a fuss and took a sip, calm and unhurried.