23
Goodbye to Imperfect Beauty
By Cang Shanyue
Around eleven o’clock, Qi Lei and his two friends packed up their stall as usual, having grown somewhat proficient at it.
Today’s sales were even more explosive than yesterday’s – they sold over 400 pairs out of the remaining 600-plus affordable socks.
Tang Xiaoyi and Wu Xiaojian couldn’t contain their excitement again. “So easy! It’s just too easy! We’re absolutely unbeatable!”
When they got home and counted the earnings, they found they’d sold more premium socks than yesterday too – 17 pairs, netting a clean 300 yuan.
300 yuan!!
Tang Xiaoyi started calculating again. “That’s nine thousand a month! Eighteen thousand for the whole summer break! We’re rich!”
Qi Lei ignored him. That wasn’t how the math worked with street vending – some days were good, some days were bad. The three hundred earned today might shrink to just one hundred tomorrow.
“I’m going to Harbin to restock tomorrow. You two stay home.”
With only about two hundred pairs of affordable socks left, there wouldn’t be enough for tomorrow’s sales.
Probably no one but Qi Lei had expected that a thousand pairs of socks would sell out in just two days, requiring another supply run.
Tang Yi said, “Send us a pager message before you come back. We’ll meet you at the station.”
The two buddies didn’t make a fuss about it. If Qi Lei was going alone, then so be it! Mainly because they wouldn’t be much help anyway – Qi Lei was the one calling all the shots.
Just as they were talking, someone started banging violently on the door, accompanied by Guo Lihua’s furious shouting.
“You little brats! Open this door! Why are you locking it when you’re home?”
Tang Yi and Wu Ning hurriedly covered the bed scattered with small bills using the quilt before unlocking the door.
They saw not just Guo Lihua, but Cui Yumin and Dong Xiuhua too – all three mothers standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the doorway with stern expressions.
“Where have you been running wild this time!?” Guo Lihua started scolding immediately, pointing at Qi Lei. “A couple good days and you forget your own name, is that it?”
“Didn’t I tell you this morning to come home for meals!? Explain yourself! What’s going on?”
Cui Yumin was gentler, frowning at the three kids. “You’re getting more and more out of hand, disappearing right at mealtime every day?”
Under the three mothers’ combined assault, Tang Xiaoyi and Wu Xiaojian occasionally retorted with a word or two, feeling quite wronged, but ultimately didn’t reveal their secret.
As for Qi Lei, he didn’t say much at all, simply accepting whatever his mother said.
When parents have decided you’re “irresponsible,” any explanation is futile.
Especially in Northeast China – what mother here wouldn’t be ready for De Yun She without even practicing the basics? Could you ever win an argument with them? If you made them angry, they’d just beat you!
The three mothers found it strange that Qi Lei, who usually talked back the most, remained completely silent this time. Scolding him felt utterly unsatisfying.
Soon enough, they left on their own, finding no pleasure in it.
They warned the three that if they couldn’t be found at home tomorrow evening, they’d break their legs.
After the door closed, Tang Xiaoyi curled his lip. “Tomorrow? You won’t see me home for dinner all summer! We’re doing big things here!”
Sure enough, early the next morning, when Guo Lihua got up as usual to prepare breakfast and knocked on Qi Lei’s door around seven to call him for breakfast…
He was gone.
This infuriated Guo Lihua. Not only was he missing for dinner, now he’d disappeared before breakfast too. She swore she’d cut off Qi Lei’s allowance.
We’ll see who cries then!
Qi Lei had meant to get up early, but he still ended up running late and missed the earliest Big Green Train. By the time he reached the station, the train had already departed.
Helpless, he had to buy a ticket for the express train departing after eight o’clock from Jilin to Harbin, with a stop in Shangbei. The fare was fourteen yuan—quite expensive.
With over two hours until boarding, Qi Lei decided to catch up on sleep in the waiting hall.
However, at half past seven, still quite a while before boarding, Qi Lei suddenly felt a jolt in his heart and instinctively opened his eyes, his gaze drifting toward the station entrance.
There, he saw a girl with short hair, wearing cropped pants and a pink T-shirt, carrying a backpack, revealing a glimpse of her fair calves as she strode confidently into the station.
Qi Lei was somewhat surprised—wasn’t that ‘Flawed Beauty’?
…
Qi Lei was sitting right by the station entrance, but even so, there was a distance of over five meters.
He found it strange himself—in his drowsy, half-asleep state, his mind had conjured up a vivid scene of someone entering the station and inquiring about the train schedule. Upon receiving a clear answer, the person politely said, “Thank you!”
It was this “thank you” that suddenly sharpened the blurry image in his mind, giving it form.
Then, he opened his eyes and looked.
And there, exactly as in his vision, stood a girl, matching the image perfectly. He couldn’t help but marvel, “How incredible!”
As soon as Xu Qian entered the station, she noticed Qi Lei craning his neck and staring intently.
To be honest, she was quite surprised too.
Their farewell after the high school entrance exam had led Xu Qian to believe that he was just a stranger she would never cross paths with again.
Even years later, if they passed each other on the street, they probably wouldn’t even greet one another, let alone remember each other—just insignificant acquaintances.
But it had only been five days—how had they run into each other again?
Gathering her composure, she walked over to him with poise and stopped in front of him.
“What are you looking at?”
Qi Lei replied, “A beauty.”
Pfft—Xu Qian turned her head away, laughing.
This guy always had such shameless confidence. Pretending to be calm, she said lightly, “Where? I don’t see one.”
Qi Lei immediately put on a stern, serious expression. “Young lady, don’t be so hypocritical. You should face yourself honestly and accept the fact that ‘you’re very pretty’!”
“Hah,” Xu Qian conceded defeat. She had to admit she was no match for him in banter.
Her cheeks slightly flushed as she changed the subject. “Why did you run off without saying goodbye that day?”
Qi Lei grinned. “I actually waited outside the school gate for a while, thinking you’d come out to say goodbye to me!”
Xu Qian was completely speechless. “Excuses! Why didn’t you say goodbye when we handed in our exam papers?”
Qi Lei retorted, “Come on, that was the exam hall! Saying emotional goodbyes? Ending with a hug? The invigilator would’ve kicked you out!”
“You!!” Xu Qian had to admit defeat.
Qi Lei chuckled, knowing when to stop, and changed the subject. “How did you do on the exam?”
Xu Qian replied, “Extremely well!”
Qi Lei said, “That’s good. Seems like copying wasn’t in vain. I guess I’m just lucky!”
Xu Qian: “…”
Qi Lei asked, “Will you get into a key high school?”
Xu Qian retorted, “Drop the ‘will you’!” Then, after a moment’s hesitation, she added, “I’m going to No. 2 High School. What about you?”
Well, she didn’t even know why she was telling him this. This guy was hopeless—he wouldn’t get into such a good school.
Besides, why was she even sharing this with him?
Feeling a bit flustered, she cut in, “What about you? How did your… copying go?”
Qi Lei said, “Honestly, I didn’t copy much. I answered most of it on my own!”
“Ha!” Xu Qian scoffed, pursing her lips. “Keep bragging!”
Looking around, she asked, “So, you’re…”
“Oh!” Qi Lei immediately confessed honestly, “I’ve been doing some small business lately, going to Harbin to stock up on goods.”
His words immediately made Xu Qian unhappy again. Her eyes turned cold as she stared icily at Qi Lei.
It wasn’t that she looked down on him for bragging about doing some small business. What caught her attention in Qi Lei’s words was, “You’re not even planning to attend high school?”
Why give up proper studies to do business? Are you even cut out for that?
Qi Lei: “…”
Did I say I wasn’t going to high school?
He said blankly, “It’s just a summer job, you know? Working while studying? Who said I’m not going to high school? We might even be at the same school!”
But Xu Qian wasn’t listening to his “bragging”—with your grades, we’d be at the same school?
At this moment, she felt deeply disappointed in Qi Lei, utterly disappointed.
After thinking for a while, she finally decided to speak earnestly, “Qi Lei, you’re a very smart boy, very interesting.”
“But I hope you can be more mature! With your intelligence, if you put your heart into studying, you could definitely have a bright future.”
“So you don’t need to put on an act of being mature—it’s meaningless and just makes me think you’re even more immature!”
“Maybe you don’t understand now, but at our age, while it seems like we can do whatever we want, this time is really precious! Please respect time and seriously consider what I’m saying, okay?”
“It’s really not too late to wake up now! Choose a high school you can attend and work hard for three years. In the future, you’ll be grateful for today’s efforts, and you’ll be grateful to me too.”
Qi Lei: “…”
Damn, getting lectured by a little girl?
But he couldn’t argue back.
Trying to reason with a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl who thinks she’s mature would yield about the same results as trying to reason with your own mother.
Besides, only a fool would try to regain dignity or show off in this situation just for the sake of face or the truth!
Remember! A tactfully mature man at this moment must say:
“So, why are you telling me all this?”
Qi Lei put on a profound expression, gazing deeply at the girl with a look that seemed aged by thirty-eight years of experience.
“Are… are you concerned about me?”
“I…” Xu Qian was immediately stunned, speechless!
Yeah! What’s wrong with me? Why am I telling him all this? Could it be, just as Qi Lei said? Do I want him to change his fate through studies? Do I want us to be more than just strangers?
She felt extremely annoyed with herself. Am I crazy? Why did I say all that?
But Qi Lei’s sharp offensive wasn’t going to stop there.
Just as Xu Qian was flustered, he added, “Do you hope I can attend No. 2 High School with you?”
“I…”
Xu Qian was even more stunned, completely defeated.
But facing Qi Lei’s profound gaze, she—who considered herself proud and mature—suddenly made a decision, treating it as saving a life!
She stiffened her neck, “Wh-what!? S-so what if I’m concerned about you? B-but can you even get into No. 2 High School? W-will you work hard?”
After saying this, as if afraid Qi Lei might not be capable enough to achieve this difficult goal, she muttered quietly, “Actually, you could still transfer in after school starts.”
Unexpectedly, Qi Lei suddenly stood up.
Now here comes the key point—a steel-straight man or a foolish guy would immediately reveal his intentions and say: “Actually, I did pretty well on the exams and have a good chance of getting into No. 2 High School.”
And the reborn shameless, middle-aged greasy man would declare with the determination of one ready to die: “Though it’s impossible, I want to give it a try!”
“For you!” (‘For you’ crossed out—too cheesy.)
Xu Qian: “…”
Xu Qian was actually moved.
Impossible. But I want to try!
A boy making a promise, imagining himself sweating and toiling through sleepless nights for his goal—so cool!
She stared blankly at Qi Lei for a long time, her face flushing red.
Finally, forcing herself to maintain her cool persona, she tossed her short hair stylishly, brushed past Qi Lei without looking back, and waved her slender fingers in the air. “Then see you at No. 2 High School!”
The scene was cringey and childish.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Qi Lei watched her retreating figure, smirking as he savored the promise between two youths.
Indeed, the romance that belongs only to the young is the most beautiful!
Though my youth is a bit over the limit—I’m almost forty. But it’s fine, my body is still young enough!
He shouted at her back: “Let’s work hard together! (See you at No. 2 High School!)”
…
.
―――
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