World 1. Chapter 12
“Huanhuan, let’s go see a movie together this afternoon!” Qin Huan had just finished class and was about to head back to the dorm with her roommate Wu Yue when she ran into Zhang Rui, who had come over to chat. He was from the same hometown as her, a year her junior, and exactly her type; the two of them were currently in that ambiguous phase.
“Sure! I’ll just head back to the dorm to drop off my stuff first, then we’ll go out together.” Qin Huan’s tone was cheerful as she saw Zhang Rui follow her. His family was even less well-off than hers—apparently a single-parent household—but she didn’t mind. Being with him made her feel at ease; she didn’t have to hide her true self. It felt as though he would accept her no matter what.
“Then you go ahead and book the tickets online. I’ll head to the convenience store to grab some popcorn and Coke—it’s cheaper there.” After saying this, Zhang Rui gave a sheepish smile.
“Alright, we’ll meet at the entrance of the academic building.” Qin Huan didn’t sense anything amiss, but Wu Yue, standing beside her, had already furrowed his brow.
“Huanhuan, don’t you feel something’s off? Why do you always end up footing the bill whenever you go out? You even bought Zhang Rui’s clothes, didn’t you? Is it really worth it?” Back in the dorm, seeing Qin Huan booking the tickets, Wu Yue couldn’t help but speak up. Two movie tickets would cost at least sixty or seventy yuan, and the popcorn and Coke from the convenience store would add up to twenty yuan. Once or twice was one thing, but doing this every single time was just too much.
“What’s there to be worth it or not? We’re just going out to have some fun. Two people shouldn’t be so nitpicky about it.” Qin Huan thought Wu Yue was making a mountain out of a molehill. They’d always been like this—it wasn’t a big deal. She understood he was short on cash, but that was fine; she could cover a little more.
“Huanhuan, if I’m not mistaken, haven’t you already asked your parents for extra living expenses twice? Nobody’s money grows on trees!” Why are you so generous with strangers? That money was all transferred to you by your family, yet you’re so freely spending it on others. Wu Yue couldn’t understand this behavior.
Her family was comfortably off; her parents gave her 2,500 yuan a month, which she couldn’t even spend all of. She had always told them not to send her any more money—she had enough—simply because she knew how hard her parents worked. Wu Yue didn’t approve of Qin Huan’s habit of being so generous with her family’s money.
Besides, Wu Yue had heard that Qin Huan’s mother was sick and had been hospitalized for quite some time. Didn’t the family need the money even more now? Why could she still spend it so freely on others?
“Wu Yue, you’re meddling too much. If I’m happy and willing to do this, what business is it of yours? Who are you to me? Not even my own mother has ever controlled me like this!” Qin Huan, enraged by Wu Yue’s words, shoved her aside and stormed off. Wu Yue stood frozen in place for a long time.
“Qin Huan, we’re going to the new dessert shop for afternoon tea. It’s pretty cheap—only a hundred yuan per person. Want to come with us?” Qin Huan and Zhang Rui were on their way to the movies when they ran into Liu Yutong and her friends at the school gate and invited her to join them for afternoon tea.
“Sorry, Yutong, we’re going to see a movie together.” Because she was short on cash, Qin Huan hadn’t hung out with Liu Yutong and the others in a long time. The pressure was too much—they could buy whatever they wanted on a whim and think everything was cheap, but she couldn’t.
“Oh, are you out on a date with your boyfriend? Then we’d better step aside.” Liu Yutong glanced casually at Zhang Rui, then at Qin Huan, and teased offhandedly.
“Yeah, yeah. Well, have fun, then. We’re off.” With that, Qin Huan took Zhang Rui by the hand and walked away. The two of them waited for the subway at the station by the school gate.
“Hey, did you just acknowledge my status a moment ago?” While waiting for the subway, Zhang Rui nudged Qin Huan’s arm.
“What did I acknowledge? Don’t make things up.” Qin Huan shook her head sheepishly, though she knew exactly what he meant.
“Boyfriend. Since you’ve given me your seal of approval, don’t take it back later.” ” Seeing that Qin Huan showed no resistance, Zhang Rui simply took her small hand.
“It depends on how you behave,” Qin Huan pretended to struggle a couple of times, then let Zhang Rui lead her.
Having just confirmed their relationship, the two were all lovey-dovey, and by the time Qin Huan returned to the dorm, they were both radiating a romantic, love-struck vibe.
“I bought some snacks. Take a look and grab whatever you like.” Qin Huan happily opened the snack bag, letting everyone pick what they wanted, then smiled as she took their teasing and banter in stride.
“Wu Yue, do you want some?” Qin Huan knew she’d been harsh with Wu Yue earlier that afternoon, so she took the initiative to strike up a conversation, handing her favorite potato chips over.
“Thanks, but I’m on a diet right now. I don’t eat snacks.” Wu Yue’s face remained expressionless. After politely declining, she climbed up to the top bunk. Qin Huan’s hand dropped limply, and she didn’t say anything else. The others in the dorm sensed the tension between the two and dared not speak loudly. For a moment, the dorm fell silent.
While Qin Huan was facing a crisis in her friendship, Lin Yanan’s business was booming. In addition to her initial mending services, she had now expanded into making custom clothing. Although the volume of orders wasn’t huge yet, it was a promising start. On top of that, she had branched out into knitted stuffed animals, knitted dresses, and knitted sweaters. Consequently, Lin Yanan was particularly enthusiastic about dressing up Li Xue and her daughter, effectively using them as her models.
Today’s matching mother-daughter outfits were knitted by Lin Yanan herself. Li Xue wore a green sweater paired with a white skirt, while her daughter, Xiao Tianguo, wore a white sweater with a green skirt. Even the green stuffed animals on their bags were knitted by her.
“Mom, isn’t this color a bit too babyish? It doesn’t really suit me, does it?” Ever since her mother-in-law had taken a keen interest in making clothes for the two of them, Li Xue had been facing this sweet dilemma.
“Why wouldn’t it suit you? You have fair skin—it matches you perfectly. When you two go out wearing these, be sure to give me some good publicity so I can make a nice profit before the New Year.” ” Lin Yanan smiled with satisfaction as she looked at their outfits.
“So Grandma, will you give us some pocket money then? Mom and I both helped out.” Seeing that Lin Yanan was in a good mood, Xiao Tianguo quickly made her little request.
“No problem. I’ll give both you and Mom a big red envelope.” When it came to her little granddaughter, Lin Yanan was always more than happy to oblige.
Pinky promise—you can’t go back on this for a hundred years.”
“Okay, pinky promise.”
After the warm farewell, Li Xue took Xiao Tianguo to school. Their matching mother-daughter outfits naturally caught everyone’s attention. Although the clothes weren’t overly flashy—designed to complement Li Xue’s style—they were simple and elegant. After dropping the child off at school, people began approaching them with questions. Li Xue added the interested people to the group chat she’d set up earlier, where updates were posted regularly.
Thanks to the efforts of regular customers and Li Xue and her mother, business at Lin Yanan’s shop remained strong. Eventually, Li Xue had no choice but to help out after work; otherwise, they simply couldn’t keep up with the demand.
With all the hustle and bustle, the New Year arrived before they knew it. Qin Huan was also going home for the holidays. Unsurprisingly, she had overspent again; Lin Yanan had to cover the cost of her train ticket—otherwise, it wasn’t even certain she’d be able to make it home!
“We’re home. Let’s part ways here. We’ll walk together again when school starts.” ” Qin Huan and Zhang Rui had traveled home from school together, but once they got off the train, Zhang Rui took the initiative to suggest they go their separate ways.
“Alright, just be careful.” Although Qin Huan really wanted to ask if they should walk together, seeing that Zhang Rui had already hailed a cab and was dragging his suitcase away, she didn’t voice the suggestion. She could make all sorts of demands of her own family, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do the same with her boyfriend.
“Oh, could you help me with the suitcase? It’s really heavy.”
Since Qin Huan didn’t have any extra money, she couldn’t take a taxi and had to wait for the bus to go home. As she boarded the bus, the girl in front of her cooed at her boyfriend to carry her huge suitcase, while she herself had already gotten on the bus ahead of time.
Watching that boyfriend carry his girlfriend’s suitcase, then comparing it to her own suitcase—which she could only lift after huffing and puffing—Qin Huan felt a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite put into words.
“Mom, you have no idea how heavy my suitcase is! Look, the palms of my hands are all red. Why didn’t you come out to meet me?” Perhaps feeling wronged, Qin Huan began complaining the moment she saw Lin Yanan, even showing her the reddened palms of her hands.
“You just deserve it!” Though she said this, Lin Yanan still took her suitcase: “ “Didn’t you say I didn’t give you enough money? Weren’t you sulking and refusing to let the family pick you up? Well, everyone at home was busy anyway and didn’t have time to meet you—but look, you made it back safely, didn’t you?”
“You really are a real mom—I said you wouldn’t come pick me up, and you actually didn’t!” After hearing Lin Yanan’s words, Qin Huan felt a little annoyed again.
“You’re an adult now. You have to take responsibility for your own words. Do I really need to teach you that?” Lin Yanan set down the suitcase and turned to look at Qin Huan seriously.
“Okay, okay, Mom. I just got back. Please don’t lecture me.” Unable to meet Lin Yanan’s gaze, Qin Huan lowered her head guiltily.
“Then stop complaining and hurry up. Your sister-in-law has already made dinner.” Lin Yanan didn’t want to argue right after her daughter’s return, so she decided to let it slide for now.
“Sis-in-law, your family’s living it up, aren’t you? Is Mom giving you all her earnings?” Seeing the lavish feast on the table and the much brighter expressions on her family’s faces compared to her last visit, That means your living standards have skyrocketed! Since you both quit your jobs, your income must have dropped—so how could your life be getting better and better? Unless Mom is subsidizing you.
“You don’t know Mom at all. When have you ever seen us get a dime out of her? “Are you just looking for trouble the moment you walk in? If you don’t want to eat, then don’t. Your sister-in-law has been preparing this meal since yesterday afternoon. Not only are you not grateful, but you’re also nitpicking.” Even though she was his own sister, Qin Feng wasn’t going to put up with her anymore. With a temper like that, who else but family could tolerate her?
“Bro, aren’t you being unfair? Can’t I even crack a joke anymore?” When you’re under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head. Qin Huan wisely didn’t press the issue with her brother—after all, it wouldn’t do her any good, and she didn’t have a single dime to her name.
“My money is mine. You two siblings had better stop eyeing it. I raised you both to this age, and instead of thinking about how to repay me for my kindness, why are you constantly scheming over my possessions?” Lin Yanan didn’t look at anyone as she spoke; everyone knew exactly who she was referring to. After delivering her warning, Lin Yanan announced, “ “Since we’re all seated at the table, let’s not dwell on trivial matters. Let’s eat.”
Although she had her reservations, she had to admit the food tasted pretty good. Qin Huan finally got to enjoy a proper meal. At the end of the semester, she had called home, but her family hadn’t sent any money. She’d had to juggle daily-pay part-time jobs while skimping on expenses, and eventually, she even went out with Zhang Rui much less often. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or something else, but ever since she’d started working part-time, Zhang Rui seemed to have put some distance between them.
Just as Qin Huan finished washing up and lay down on her bed, thinking this, she saw a message from Zhang Rui pop up on her phone, asking if she’d made it home safely. At the same time, Zhang Rui expressed his apologies for not having walked her home.
Hearing Zhang Rui say that, the slight sense of grievance and resentment in Qin Huan’s heart began to fade, and she gradually started to remember his good qualities.
“Shall we go shopping tomorrow? The New Year is coming up, so the streets must be bustling.” Seeing Zhang Rui’s invitation, Qin Huan was very tempted, but unfortunately, she didn’t have any money, so even if she wanted to go, she couldn’t.
“I’m out of money, so I won’t be going. You go have fun on your own.” Qin Huan thought for a moment and decided to tell him the reason; after all, boyfriends and girlfriends should be honest with each other.
“Oh, okay. I’ll go by myself then. What a shame.” Whether Zhang Rui meant it or not, reading that message, Qin Huan couldn’t bring herself to feel happy.
But the thought of coming home for the holidays only to be stuck at home instead of going out made Qin Huan feel down. She really needed to make some money! Unfortunately, she didn’t have access to the local part-time job groups back home. After much deliberation, Qin Huan set her sights on Lin Yanan’s little shop. With the New Year just around the corner, everyone was starting to make new clothes, and people’s budgets were a bit more generous at this time of year. Luckily, after all this time honing her skills, Lin Yanan’s craftsmanship had improved even further—as long as you had a style you liked, she could make it.
Of course, copying designs was out of the question. Whenever customers brought in pictures, Lin Yanan would discuss making some adjustments with them—ensuring their requests were met while adding a touch of originality. But this approach meant the workload was much heavier than before. Qin Huan saw this as her opportunity: she’d help out at the shop, but only if she was paid daily.
After some back-and-forth between mother and daughter, they finally agreed that Qin Huan would help out at the shop for 100 yuan a day, paid in full and on time. Qin Huan was quite pleased with this part-time job—it paid more than most of her other part-time jobs! Of course, if her mom were willing to give her some pocket money, she wouldn’t have to go to all this trouble. But unfortunately, she could only keep those thoughts to herself. Who could blame her for having such an unfeeling mother?
“Your clothes are over here—they’ve been ironed! Please take them.”
“Would you like a new down jacket made? No problem. What are your specifications?”
“We can make this style. I’ll jot down your requirements for now, and we’ll go over the details later.”
Qin Huan soon realized that this part-time job wasn’t as easy as she’d thought. She was running around nonstop all morning, without even a moment to take a sip of water. Not only did she have to attend to customers in the shop, but she also had to post updates in the group chat: “I’m sorry, but we’re fully booked until the New Year. If you don’t mind picking up your clothes after the holiday, you’re welcome to make a reservation.”
As soon as the message went out, the group chat erupted in a chorus of groans. There was nothing to be done—they were short-staffed, so this was the only option for now. They simply couldn’t take on any more orders. But even with just these accumulated orders, the family was kept running around nonstop. Working day and night, they finally finished all the orders on the 27th day of the 12th lunar month and delivered them to the customers.
“Finally done! Let’s clean up and get ready for the New Year!” After seeing off the last customer, Lin Yanan stretched her arms and said with a sense of relief. She’d been absolutely exhausted these past few days, so the New Year break was the perfect time to rest up.
“Mom, I’m so exhausted. Will there be a big red envelope for the New Year?” Although her wages had never been delayed, Qin Huan still wanted to try her luck with the New Year bonus. If she got one, she’d be raking it in. In previous years, she’d only received a single red envelope, but with business booming this year, shouldn’t it at least double?
Qin Huan had originally hoped for more, but she’d been so let down in the past that she didn’t dare get her hopes up too high anymore. Getting two red envelopes would be good enough.
“Yes, there will be. Don’t worry, it’ll definitely be more than in previous years. Let’s tidy up a bit, then we’ll go to the market and the supermarket to stock up on New Year’s supplies. I’ll cover the bill.” Li Xue had already bought a few things here and there, but with two more mouths to feed this year, they’d need to buy a lot more.
“Long live Mom!” Qin Huan jumped for joy. This time, she could pile all her favorite treats into the shopping cart—after all, with Mom footing the bill, why not take advantage of it?
So, after the family finished their meal, Qin Feng drove the whole household straight to the market. Seafood, pork, beef, all kinds of vegetables and fruits, dried fruits—they loaded it all into the car. Besides food, they also bought some daily necessities: chopsticks, bowls, bed sheets, and duvet covers.
Having been cooped up for so long, Qin Huan was in high spirits as she browsed, even picking up a few casual outfits at the market to wear while lounging around at home during the New Year. By the end, the car was completely full, so Lin Yanan simply had Qin Feng call a delivery service to have the items sent back to their apartment complex first.
After unloading the car, the family headed to the supermarket. This time, their shopping was much more focused—mostly food and clothes. Qin Huan also set her sights on a skincare set priced at 2,000 yuan. Since she’d been helping out lately, Lin Yanan decided to treat her to it. She also bought a similar set for Li Xue—after all, she couldn’t play favorites!
After this outing, Qin Feng felt deeply that he really shouldn’t go shopping with women. Seriously, it was a never-ending ordeal—they wanted this and that, leaving him, the strong laborer, to suffer through it all.
Their group made quite a few purchases. Besides items for their own families, they also bought things for Lin Mu’s family. Not only did they regularly send over plenty of goods from their hometown, but they’d even cleaned up the old courtyard—they’d thought of everything in advance, so a gift was definitely in order.
Before the New Year, Lin Yanan didn’t go back to their hometown; only Qin Feng made the trip. He not only delivered the New Year’s provisions but also took the opportunity to put up the Spring Festival couplets and other decorations at the old house.
Before they knew it, it was New Year’s Eve. Everyone cooked together, made dumplings, and stayed up late to welcome the New Year—it was a lively scene. Qin Huan sent Zhang Rui a “Happy New Year” message and even sent him a 100-yuan red envelope. Yet on New Year’s Eve, Qin Huan still hadn’t received a message from Zhang Rui. Although the house was bustling, it couldn’t hide the loneliness in her heart!