Chapter 18

Su Xiaoqi carried two large bags of things, with a backpack on her back.

She tried her best to stuff clothes, shoes, earrings into the bag, while the things she was carrying in her hands were all food.

Even so, when she arrived at the place to take the car, a group of people still curiously asked questions.

In the past, she would have ignored them with a straight face, feeling that these were her private matters.

However, life in the village was like this. There was not really any privacy to speak of. Each family left their doors open. When you cooked something, others would smell it and come over.

Today, before she came, she had steeled her face.

Smiling did no harm.

"My aunt gave them to me. Some are for my grandmother," she explained with a smile, then went to sit in the corner of the car.

Then she heard a lively discussion outside, with those already on the bus explaining what was going on to those just arriving.

"Su Laifeng's daughter, extraordinary, works in a hospital, must make good money."

"What's good about working in a hospital, nothing but crap and piss. Don't make me work there."

"I heard she got divorced, heard her husband had an affair outside."

"No, I heard her husband loved drinking and hitting people."

"..."

Xiaoqi listened to a few sentences before automatically tuning them out.

By noon, almost everyone had arrived and boarded the bus. But halfway into the journey, the driver got a phone call.

Someone had missed the bus, and asked the driver to wait in Huanghe Town so they could take a car there to meet up.

This happened frequently. Sometimes people missed the bus, so they asked the driver to wait in town, since taking a taxi directly to Gumula Village was too far, probably costing over 100 yuan one way.

As a student, Xiaoqi only paid 4 yuan for the bus ticket, subsidized by the village for students. Adults paid 8 yuan.

The car arrived in Huanghe Town around 1pm and stopped. The small pickup truck disgorged its occupants.

Xiaoqi also got off to stretch her legs. The small car and many people had made her legs numb.

Huanghe Town was just one street, with scattered dilapidated shops lining both sides.

It was said that long ago there had been a match factory here, and the town had grown up around the factory.

Even the name came from the yellow matchboxes, hence Huanghe or "Yellow Box" Town.

Later the factory had closed and the town declined.

Occasionally a dog barked, cicadas buzzed in the trees, but there were scarcely any people.

After getting off the car, Xiaoqi paced around it, looking at the interface in front of her. She had spent over 2800 yuan today in one go. Remembering it made her a little nervous. Yet the money on the interface didn't seem to have decreased much. Yesterday there had been over 7000 yuan. After walking over 10,000 steps this morning, it increased by another 2000 yuan. Looking now, there was still over 7000 yuan left.

Moreover, as she walked around, the numbers kept increasing by 0.2, 0.2.

At first those who got off the car were quite happy, but after waiting 10 minutes they grew impatient.

After all, most villagers going to the city had business to take care of. Some just wanted to hurry home and eat. By mealtime they would just eat a little something simple, so waiting indefinitely like this, tired and hungry, tried their patience.

"Da Yong, who asked you to wait? Call them and ask where they are," someone couldn't help but ask the driver.

But the driver didn't make a call. He took out a cigarette, sat on a large rock by the roadside, took a deep drag before replying, "It's Old Zhang's daughter. She called me uncle, so I should wait a bit. She'll be here soon. No need to rush home."

As he smoked, Xiaoqi didn't like the smell, so she approached then backed away again.

This caught his attention.

"College student, I remember Juan was your middle school classmate, right? Know where she works now? Heard she even drives now."

"I'm not too clear," Xiaoqi shook her head.

She hadn't expected the one they were waiting for to be Zhang Juan. They had been classmates since elementary school, separate classes but same school in middle school, and different high schools.

Only 7 students from their middle school had tested into the top middle school.

Zhang Juan had tested into the number 12 middle school. Her mother didn't want her to go, and she didn't want to herself either, so she went to work instead.

After that they were like two parallel lines, never intersecting.

Xiaoqi also didn't keep in touch with classmates. Though she occasionally heard something.

Gumula Village was small, with everyone related in a winding way. Zhang Juan's mother was her father's cousin.

With her tall figure, fair skin, and big eyes, Zhang Juan was considered among the most beautiful girls in Gumula Village where there were many pretty girls. Her beauty was showy, she was sweet talking, and good at socializing.

When driver Da Yong mentioned her, everyone became excited again, and the conversation revolved around Zhang Juan.

"The Zhang family's girl is handsome, like old Zhang. Old Zhang was also good looking when he was young."

"Heard she makes good money working outside, wonder what she does."

"In my opinion, studying is useless. Bent over books to produce a college student, who still has to work..." This was said more softly, and the speaker couldn't help glancing at the village's only college student, Su Xiaoqi, afterwards.

She was sitting under a shady tree, taking out another book to read.

Her posture was different from theirs, straight and proper, focused.

After chatting a while, they saw a black sedan pull up.

In Huanghe Town, a sedan stood out.

It actually stopped in front of them, and a long-haired woman emerged after the door opened.

Her long, straight, black hair swung out like a model in a shampoo ad.

A white dress, high heels.

She got out herself and carried a small handbag.

The driver also got out to help carry two bags over.

In contrast to earlier, everyone was now quiet, only looking over the sedan driver. "Thanks for the ride, Brother Wang. Let me treat you to a meal next time," Zhang Juan smiled at everyone, then spoke to the middle-aged man who had helped with her bags.

He also smiled, but the others didn't catch what he said.

In any case, after Zhang Juan loaded her things onto the bus and everyone boarded again, one man reluctantly moved to the back seat.

Zhang Juan politely said, "Thank you, uncle."

The man waved his hands repeatedly, even blushing a little. "Don't mention it."

The bus started up again. It was 1:40 already after they had waited here nearly 40 minutes.

With the window open, the breeze coming in, it didn't feel stuffy despite the crowded bus.

Earlier everyone had surrounded Zhang Juan, but now it was like they noticed Xiaoqi for the first time.

"Xiaoqi, congratulations on getting into college. I work in Quanhai City, pretty close to Meng City. Come visit me sometime," Zhang Juan said breezily.

Xiaoqi nodded rather awkwardly. To be honest, she had never left Lvshan City before, and had no idea where Quanhai or Meng City were.

Luckily Zhang Juan didn't chat with her further, turning to speak with the auntie beside her instead.

She seemed to know how to address everyone - uncle, auntie, granny... Hearing it made Xiaoqi confused. Almost everyone in the village was related. She really couldn't remember what to call them.

"Juan brought back a lot of things. For your parents?"

"Yes, it's rare for me to come back, so I bought two sets of clothes for my parents, shoes for my dad. Quanhai is more developed with lots of cheaper goods."

"How much did that cost?"

"Not expensive, the clothes and shoes totaled just over 2000 yuan, less than 3000." Zhang Juan said matter-of-factly.

At this, the bus suddenly became quiet.

Then someone else asked, "Clothes that expensive can't be eaten. Bit of a waste, no?"

"I bought food too. My mom's health isn't good. My friend's family has a shop, so I got some nutritional supplements for her."

"Wow, Juanzi, that bag of yours looks so nice! It's so petite yet the fabric looks sturdy. It looks chic to carry around. Must have cost a few hundred, right?"

"Psh, auntie, this is branded - Guqi. Have you heard of it before? It was over five thousand yuan."

The car went quiet again before erupting into even more chatter.

They seemed to be grabbing at everything Juanzi had on, asking about each and every item.

Hearing the prices Juanzi quoted, they gasped and exclaimed in astonishment again and again.

Thus the ride home flew by quickly, and they soon arrived at the entrance of Gumula Village. Everyone was still reluctant to part.

The passengers disembarked, warmly inviting Juanzi over to their homes.

Little Qi didn't join in the excited chatter. She just waved briefly at Juanzi from afar before grabbing her hefty school bag and two shopping bags and heading home.

A few others going the same way as Little Qi had barely walked a distance when one auntie remarked from behind, "She's so young, how could she earn so much money? She must be up to no good."

"That's right, I think so too. I wonder what she does. That man who drove her here looks over 40, even older than her dad."

Little Qi clutched her two bags tightly and dashed home as fast as she could.

The gossiping aunties and grannies she left behind wore looks of utter bewilderment.

"Don't you think that Suliezi's girl is quite strong?"