Make a Fortune and Become Well-off [90] - Chapter 43
Under the sun, Jiang Ning smiled brightly and insisted, “Grandpa, it’s important that you eat well. Don’t just eat pickled radishes to avoid trouble. I’ll check on you when I return.”
After enjoying Jiang Ning’s cooking every day recently, Grandpa Jiang had even gained some weight. Despite her thin frame, Jiang Ning’s complexion had noticeably improved.
Although Grandpa Jiang wished to see Jiang Ning off, she persuaded him to stay. The harvest season had ended, and it wasn’t easy for him to leave the mountain. He had daily responsibilities patrolling the area.
When Jiang Ning returned home to pack her winter clothes, quilts, and rice, she found that Father Jiang and Mother Jiang were not there. They had gone to the provincial capital to visit Jiang Song. They had expected him to return before school started, but despite their repeated calls, he hadn’t come back. With school about to begin, the couple couldn’t sit still. They hurried to the provincial capital determined to bring Jiang Song back and ensure he resumed his studies.
Before they left, Mother Jiang gave Jiang Ning eight hundred yuan and asked her to deliver it to Jiang Bai, who had been attending classes all summer. The money was for his tuition and accommodation for the semester. They would send him food stamps to exchange for food when they returned.
With their focus on Jiang Song, Mother Jiang hadn’t paid much attention to Jiang Ning recently. She left home before dawn and returned after dark each day, assuming Jiang Ning was safely working at the brick factory. Little did they know she had never set foot there.
With no phone at home and her aunt working daily, there was no one to ask why Jiang Ning hadn’t shown up. They lived in different towns, and Jiang Ning’s village was on the opposite side of the river, making communication difficult. Mother Jiang planned to visit her sister’s house on a rainy day when work was impossible.
It wasn’t until Jiang Ning registered for school that Mother Jiang realized her daughter hadn’t been working at the brick factory after all.
Their county was vast and densely populated. Over the years, it had experienced changes in status, from city to county and back to city again, with rising housing prices reflecting its prosperity.Â
At that time, Wuxian County was already as prosperous as it would be more than ten years later. There were so many people. As soon as they got off the bus, people kept shouting, “Those going to Shanghai, Shanghai, come get on the bus.”
“Those going to Hangzhou, come”
“If you are going to the market, follow me.”
Because it was before school started, there were many tricycles near the station shouting, “Only one yuan to No. 1 High School!”
The boys and girls who appeared at the station were all students from Wu County. When they heard the shouts of the tricycle masters, they all rushed over to get on the tricycle.
Jiang Ning, with a quilt on her back, ten kilograms of rice, and a large bag of other items in hand, resembled a turtle carrying its shell as she rushed towards the tricycle heading to No. 1 High School.
When she noticed another girl heading in the same direction, Jiang Ning quickly hailed her. “I’m going to No. 1 High School. Want to share a ride?”
The girl, wearing a junior high school uniform labeled “Yaoba Junior High School”, with pants and clothes that were slightly too short, was carrying a bundle of thick quilts on her back and a straw bag in her hand. She agreed, and the two managed to fit onto the bicycle after arranging their belongings.
The girl remained quiet and reserved. Jiang Ning, trying to be friendly, introduced herself with a smile. “I’m Jiang Ning, from Shuibu Town. What about you?”
Surprised by Jiang Ning’s outgoing nature, the girl nervously pursed her lips. “I’m Yao Wenjuan, from Yaoba Township,” she replied softly, her attention focused around, noting landmarks and roads as they traveled.
As they arrived at Wu County, Yao Wenjuan felt a bit nervous, fearing she might encounter unsavory individuals.
“Maybe we’ll end up in the same class,” Jiang Ning said, smiling warmly.
Perhaps Jiang Ning’s kindness and friendly demeanor, coupled with her youthful appearance, eased Yao Wenjuan’s nerves, prompting her to return a smile.
At the school gate, amidst the bustling crowd of enrollees, Jiang Ning disembarked from the tricycle and looked up at the sign of No. 1 High School. Approaching her briskly in the school uniform was none other than Jiang Bai.
Seventeen-year-old Jiang Bai stood at 1.79 meters tall, with long arms and legs accentuating his slender frame. His complexion was snow-white, lightly sprinkled with subtle freckles across his cheeks. Despite his baby-faced appearance, which seemed incongruous with his cold demeanor, his round eyes, straight nose, and rosy cherry lips completed his features. Only his height, short hair, and prominent Adam’s apple betrayed the fact that he was unmistakably male.
Jiang Bai was very annoyed by his own appearance.
Born during China’s one-child policy era, Jiang Bai’s mother had concealed his gender from birth in her fervent desire for a daughter. Consequently, Jiang Song, following her mother’s wishes, referred to him as “Sister” even after his younger sister, Jiang Ning, was born. This charade persisted until Jiang Bai began attending school.
The concealment was so effective that even their neighbors, including their cousins, and Grandmother Jiang remained oblivious to Jiang Bai’s true gender. When suspicions arose about his identity, his cousin once bet against others, insisting, “She’s definitely a girl. How could I not know if she’s a boy or a girl?”
Later, reality dealt her a harsh slap in the face.
However, that incident occurred several years after Jiang Bai’s cousin had made a bet, and it became a frequent topic of conversation due to the sting of that slap.
As a young boy, Jiang Bai had once been an innocent child who loved to smile. However, his experience of being mistaken for a girl in his early years seemed to change him. Upon discovering his true gender, he became perpetually serious, rarely displaying a smile.
She couldn’t tell how long he had waited at the school gate. When he spotted Jiang Ning, his expression remained devoid of a smile. He simply reached out to take the quilt, straw mat, and baggage from her hands. “Let’s go. I’ll help you with the registration.”
The registration took place in the Academic Affairs Building. Downstairs housed various subject teachers’ offices, while the second floor held the principal’s and director’s offices. The third floor accommodated the computer room.
During that period, computer literacy was scarce, so the computer room on the third floor was only sporadically accessible and lacked internet connection. It contained only very basic games and served primarily as a typing practice facility for students during classes.
After completing her registration and confirming her assigned class, Jiang Ning proceeded to the class teacher’s office to queue for an invoice. Following that, she made her way to the finance room to settle her tuition fees. Afterward, she gathered essentials such as books, bed sheets, toothbrush, and washbasin before heading to the dormitory accompanied by Jiang Bai.
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