The Banknotes: Silently Falling Back Asleep

When Liang Xiaoqing had first chosen her dormitory, she'd opted for a single room. Among the young married couples who'd come from out of town to teach, the larger rooms had been taken, leaving only a few options. It was a compromise, but she'd settled on this room, which few had vied for.

When she first arrived, the place had been sparse, furnished with only the bare essentials. Over time, Liang Xiaoqing had gradually added things, little by little transforming it into what it was now. The room lacked nothing, but there was only one bedroom and one bed—no extras. That meant Jiang Xu would have to share with her for the time being.

After dinner, Jiang Xu insisted on washing the dishes. Liang Xiaoqing couldn't dissuade her, so she went to the bedroom to look at her bed, lost in thought.

After washing the dishes, Jiang Xu told her she wanted to take a bath. Liang Xiaoqing boiled a large pot of hot water for her and explained which bucket was for bathing and how much hot water to mix to get the right temperature. Jiang Xu listened with serious concentration, which nearly made Liang Xiaoqing laugh.

Just as Jiang Xu was about to step into the bathroom, Liang Xiaoqing remembered that Jiang Xu didn't seem to have any loungewear. They had left in such a hurry, and most of the clothes Wang Cai had packed for her were outer jackets and pants.

Liang Xiaoqing said she'd find some loungewear for Jiang Xu, rummaging through the wardrobe. Jiang Xu stood quietly nearby, waiting.

The wardrobe was wide open. Jiang Xu watched Liang Xiaoqing's back, blinking. Her gaze flitted from the bedroom door to Liang Xiaoqing's figure, then to the contents of the wardrobe.

Inside, bright colors caught her attention.

"I remember I bought a set of pajamas once, then I gained weight and left them aside. Hmm... they should fit you just right," Liang Xiaoqing mumbled to herself, her head buried deep in the wardrobe.

The wardrobe was open from top to bottom. On the rod above hung thick clothes for autumn and winter, in muted hues—blacks and grays. The brighter clothes were at the back: reds, pinks, greens. Some had lost their shape, some were faded, and some were far too big.

When Jiang Xu wore them, she'd still have room for another Jiang Xu inside.

Wang Cai rarely bought clothes for Jiang Xu. As she grew up, her clothes were either hand-me-downs from others or cheap finds from a street stall during the occasional market trip—bought larger on purpose so they'd last for years.

Now those clothes, sorted out, hung alongside Liang Xiaoqing's—wrinkled, garish, almost unbearably bright. Jiang Xu averted her gaze, watching Liang Xiaoqing's back for a moment, then looked away. Beneath her calm exterior, her fingers picked at the faded print on her own clothes.

"Found it!" Liang Xiaoqing's voice rang out from deep inside the wardrobe, and she pulled herself out like a carrot from the ground, stumbling slightly. "Careful, Teacher Liang," Jiang Xu stepped forward, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Liang Xiaoqing waved her hand. "I'm fine." She smoothed her messy hair and handed the pajamas to Jiang Xu. "Here, wear this after your bath."

"...No need." Jiang Xu took a step back, her gaze passing over Liang Xiaoqing's shoulder to her own colorful clothes. "I have something to wear."

Liang Xiaoqing stood up, and as Jiang Xu retreated, she advanced, pressing the pajamas into Jiang Xu's hands, thinking she'd made some mistake. She explained, "I can't wear them now. They'd just sit here unused. Better you have them."

Jiang Xu pressed her lips together.

Liang Xiaoqing smiled. "Go and wash up now, Jiang Xu. I'll make your bed, so you can slip right into the covers after your bath."

She urged her on.

When Jiang Xu came out of the bath, Liang Xiaoqing looked her up and down and nodded with satisfaction. The print on the pajamas was a bit childish, but they fit Jiang Xu just right. The pink fabric even made her complexion look better.

She'd also figured out the sleeping arrangement. There was only one bedroom, and that couldn't be helped. But where there's a will, there's a way, so Liang Xiaoqing had spread a makeshift bed on the floor beside the bed, just to make do for now.

She led Jiang Xu to sit on the edge of the bed. "For the time you're at my place, you'll sleep here, okay?"

Jiang Xu wasn't stupid. She looked at the floor mat, then said, "But Teacher Liang, you—I'll take the floor."

Liang Xiaoqing patted Jiang Xu's head. "It's fine. I've layered two quilts on the floor; it's soft. You just sleep on the bed, no worries."

Jiang Xu didn't know why this teacher, whom she barely knew, always liked to pat her head.

Since Liang Xiaoqing had said so, Jiang Xu couldn't find the words to object. She did as told, lying down on the bed to sleep.

But she'd slept so much during the day that she wasn't the least bit drowsy. Yet she couldn't disturb Liang Xiaoqing because of it, so she tossed and turned restlessly. She didn't know how much time had passed, only that the desk lamp was still on. In such a quiet environment, drowsiness slowly crept in.

The light in the room went out at some point. The bed was soft, and Jiang Xu drifted in and out of sleep. She felt someone approach her, and her instincts sharpened.

But the faint fragrance that reached her nose made her let her guard down. Even without opening her eyes, she knew who it was.

The person seemed to lean close to her, and rustling sounds reached her ears.

A few strands of hair brushed lightly against her cheek, tickling it. She didn't know what Liang Xiaoqing was doing, but she knew Liang Xiaoqing would never hurt her. Time seemed to stretch long, yet short. After a while, she felt the quilt being tucked in around her.

The warmth grew, sealing off the drafts. Soon, the tickle of hair brushing her cheek was gone, and the fragrance by her nose faded too.

She opened her eyes instinctively.

The desk lamp still cast a dim glow, though weaker than before.

At the desk sat a figure—someone Jiang Xu hadn't known well until recently, yet now just a silhouette was enough to recognize. The light fell on her slightly curved back as she bent over the desk, head bowed, pen in hand, writing something with a faint scratching sound.

All around was peaceful—a sleeping environment she'd always yearned for but never had. Jiang Xu closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

When she woke again, the dim light at the desk was gone, and so was the figure.

Darkness surrounded her, with only moonlight seeping through the window, barely illuminating the room.

She moved her eyes, instinctively searching for that figure, and remembered the pallet beside the bed. She turned onto her side, facing where Liang Xiaoqing had laid out her bed, and saw a lump of blankets.

Steady breathing reached her ears, rhythmic, one breath after another.

Liang Xiaoqing was already asleep, fast asleep, as if the image of her burning the midnight oil had been a figment of Jiang Xu's imagination.

She had no idea what time it was. She made not a sound, lying flat again, staring at the pitch-dark ceiling. She was wide awake now, and further sleep was out of the question.

So her mind began to wander, replaying memories, wondering how she'd ended up so muddled at Liang Xiaoqing's home.

She thought of the words Wang Cai had said to her before she left.

She and Wang Cai had never had a good relationship. She was indeed, as Jiang Daguo had said, an ungrateful wolf child. Memories of Wang Cai over the years flashed through her mind. Sometimes she thought Wang Cai was good, sometimes not. After all, Wang Cai was her mother.

If not for Wang Cai, Jiang Daguo would probably have beaten her to death by now.

Jiang Xu's emotions were as cold as ice and snow, as if nothing could warm her.

She blinked, slowly sat up.

In the darkness, her back looked even more desolate.

She groped for her clothes, remembering that in her jacket pocket was something Wang Cai had given her before leaving. It struck her now, and she pulled it out of the jacket.

In the pocket was a cloth bag. A black thread was wound around the opening, tied tight.

She loosened the thread and took out what was inside. In the moonlight, she saw it was a roll of banknotes, bright red.

Jiang Xu was astonished. She carefully unrolled the bills and counted them. The outermost were hundred-yuan notes, inside a few fifties, and at the very center some one- and two-yuan bills.

Altogether, there were over a thousand yuan—clearly saved up bill by bill. Jiang Xu clutched the money tightly, a look of bewilderment in her eyes.

She didn't know how Wang Cai had managed to save this money, or why she had given it to her.

As far as she knew, the family's money was managed by Jiang Daguo. After tuition and a monthly allowance for Jiang Lun, there was barely enough. At such times, Jiang Daguo always called her a money-losing wretch.

Jiang Xu recalled the earnest way Wang Cai had admonished her before she left.

She didn't know what Wang Cai had said to Liang Xiaoqing to convince her to take Jiang Xu in, nor why Liang Xiaoqing was willing to have her stay, nor what would happen to Wang Cai if Jiang Daguo found out she wasn't home...

A suspicion of abandonment pricked at her, but she didn't want to dwell on it.

Autumn nights always turned colder, and the deep darkness amplified the chill. Jiang Xu's body, which she'd barely warmed, began to cool.

She folded the bills one by one, stuffed them back into the cloth bag, and returned the bag to her jacket pocket.

At thirteen, Jiang Xu felt her future was like a rickety boat, swaying unsteadily.

Her strength seemed to drain, unable to hold herself up. She had no choice but to sink into the soft bed, pulling the quilt up over her body.

She lay there a while, still no sleep. So she turned onto her side, facing Liang Xiaoqing. She looked at the blurry outline wrapped in blankets and clearly heard her own heartbeat.

Thump, thump, thump.

Seeking warmth, her body instinctively curled up, bit by bit. Yet somehow, she still felt cold.

Jiang Xu closed her eyes, but a stream of heat welled up from the corners of her eyes, soaking the pillow.

She wiped away the tears with her hand, and listening to Liang Xiaoqing's breathing, she closed her eyes.

Silently, she fell back asleep.