The news about Shen City Stock Exchange’s popularity boom reached even Liyun Town.

However, in this era, most ordinary people had little interest in such matters. Though they might exclaim in shock or wonder, for them, the stock market was a strange world full of pitfalls—it was fine to observe from the distance, but it was best not to get involved.

Lin Jingzhe usually didn’t read newspapers, so it was only a month later when a front-page article caught his eye. By then, the value of Aeon Technology’s stock had increased several times, and his 500,000 yuan turned into over 2 million.

Lin Jingzhe glanced through the newspaper and put it down. Strangely, this news caused barely a ripple in his heart—finishing packing his luggage seemed much more important.

Today, Zhou Haitang’s father had asked for leave and didn’t go to the factory. He sat at a table with Deng Mai’s father, Deng Feng, smoking the cigarettes Lin Jingzhe had brought from Shen City. They sucked on their cigarettes cautiously and reverently, careful to not waste even a bit of smoke.

Deng Fengshou squinted at the newspaper. He normally paid no attention to the world outside of Liyun Town and his organization, so he was quite surprised. “Hey, it seems that the country is starting to promote capitalism.”

Father Zhou shook his head. “Some people from Liyun Town also went—I know of two coal plant workers. When the factory heard about it, they were directly fired. You tell me, should they really have done that? Now they are jobless.”

Deng Fengshou sobered up. “Yes, we should keep our feet on the ground, work steadily and make solid progress, not give in to flights of fancy. Otherwise, it could all be for nothing!”

Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang, who were folding their clothes, exchanged looks. Then, along with Deng Mai, they glanced over at Lin Jingzhe.

Lin Jingzhe met their stares with a poker face, silently warning them to not say anything. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of somebody’s figure and quickly turned in that direction, smiling courteously. “Auntie Zhou.”

“Ah!” Mother Zhou came in holding a few jars. She kindly said, “Last time, didn’t you say that my pickled eggplant was delicious? I specially pickled some nice and ripe eggplants for you to bring to school. No, don’t pack it, it’s heavy—I’ll put it in Haitang’s luggage. After you arrive, let him help you move your things to the university dorm.”

As she spoke, she stuffed Zhou Haitang’s bag with jars of pickled eggplant, pickled radish, pickled bamboo shoots… She seemed to be afraid that the children wouldn’t eat well in Yan City, and had been busy as a bee, preparing long-lasting food.

Hu Yu and Mother Deng were looking through old newspapers, doing research. From time to time, an exclamation would sound—

“Minus twenty degrees Celsius? How cold is that? Winter in Yan City is too terrible—what was the lowest temperature we had here last winter?”
[T/N: -20 °C = -4 °F; -5 °C = 23 °F]

“Five below zero? Anyway, it was cold enough. Is there a big difference between minus five and minus twenty?”

Unable to endure, Deng Fengshou said to his wife, “Do you even need to ask? It’s fifteen degrees. In summer, is there a big difference between twenty degrees and thirty-five?”

Mother Deng took out the cotton-padded jacket she’d just packed and examined it. “Then this won’t be thick enough…” she said anxiously.

“Just give them money and let them buy more clothes in Yan City!” Father Zhou turned to Mother Zhou and patted the table. “All right, stop stuffing the bag, it’s almost splitting at the seams! Why don’t you put in a briquette stove as well?”

Seeing the elders in such a mess, Lin Jingzhe wanted to laugh. He went over to his friends to try on the cloth shoes the mothers had hurriedly sewn.

The shoes had hard soles but were sweat-absorbent and breathable, which made them comfortable to wear in summer. In addition, the mothers had good taste—the shoes were constructed in the style of canvas slip-ons, similar to a trend that would be popular in the future.

Lin Jingzhe wore the set of white casual clothes and a pair of cloth shoes as he carried an extremely light duffel bag (also made by the clever-handed mothers) with only some basic necessities and a few sets of thin summer clothes inside. He and his three friends bid farewell to their elders.

Silence fell. The mothers’ eyes were red; they gathered together to secretly wipe their tears. The fathers smoked cigarettes, not saying a word. After a moment, Deng Fengshou asked, “Are you certain you don’t need us to accompany you?”

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Father Zhou said, still uneasy. “I’ll take some days off and…”

“I’m certain, we’ll be fine.” Lin Jingzhe had already declined this proposition several times, and this time he also refused with a smile. “We’re a group of four young men. After we arrive at the provincial capital, we’ll board the train going directly to Yan City, and the school staff members sent to pick up the freshmen will be waiting at the train station. We won’t have to worry about anything, but for you—how many days would be wasted for a round trip to Yan City? Not to mention, the tickets are expensive.”

Hu Yu, a teacher, couldn’t leave so close to the beginning of the school year. Neither Mother Zhou nor Mother Deng had ever been so far away from home, and it would be even more dangerous for the women to travel by themselves. The special investigation team led by Deng Fengshou was about to wrap up the antiques’ case, initiated by the attempted seizure of Lin Jingzhe’s bronzeware, and it was impossible for him to get away. As for Father Zhou…

Recently, the thermos factory had been looking for excuses to lay off workers. If he took leave now, he’d probably have no job to come back to.

Lin Jingzhe planned to help him and Mother Zhou to start up their own business, but this wasn’t the right time. Besides, all of his capital was tied up in stocks, and it was still too early to sell them.

The elders’ difficulties were not a secret to anyone. The fathers felt very guilty—their children were about to leave home for the first time and attend university, yet they couldn’t send them off. It was so irresponsible of them!

Mother Deng wiped her tears and took out several small waist bags. She fastened them over the young men’s waists, repeatedly reminding them, “The tuition fees and living expenses for the next six months are sewn inside. I’ll tie it over your waists with a knot that’s impossible to unravel on its own—only open it when it’s time to pay the tuition, all right? Don’t talk to strangers on the road, don’t eat anything that strangers give you, and sleep lightly when you’re on the train. Take care of each other and be careful!”

Deng Mai glanced at Lin Jingzhe. Lin Jingzhe gave him a minute nod, signaling him to accept.

Then, the parents bought them bus tickets. The mothers gave their sons pocket money for unexpected expenses, also shoving 100 yuan at Lin Jingzhe.

Lin Jingzhe tried to refuse: “I really do have money!”

“Just keep it! What a disobedient child!” Hu Yu sniffed, stuffing it into his pocket and patting him on the back as a warning against his refusal. She looked up at him, smiling through her tears. “You rascal, when did you get so tall?”

The parents accompanied their children to the bus, warning and nagging them, only getting off when it was about to leave. They stood in a tight group, looking towards the bus windows, the mothers crying.

Father Zhou had already smoked half a pack of cigarettes. As he looked up at Zhou Haitang’s face, his heart was full of both distress and gratification.

His son was going to study in Yan City, and in a few years, he would be a university graduate. A while ago, he and his wife steeled themselves, hiding their embarrassment, and borrowed money from anyone and everyone.

Right as the bus was departing, Deng Fengshou rushed forward, thrust his hand through the open window, and slapped his son’s head with an iron palm. “Since you’ve made up your mind to go to college, you have to study hard!”

Deng Mai wiped his eyes, stuck his head out the window, and waved at him before sitting back down. For the first time, this eternally sunny young man burst out crying. “Mom, Dad, I’m sorry!” he wailed loudly.

Silent, Lin Jingzhe looked back at the group of people who had been left behind. They chased after the bus for a while but still got farther and farther away. After the bus turned a corner, they finally disappeared completely.

He glanced at Deng Mai’s tear-covered cheeks and let out a soft sigh.

“Have you changed your mind and decided to study after all?”

Deng Mai hesitated but still shook his head.

“When we arrive in Yan City, I’ll take you to apply for a passbook. After a few months, you’ll send the tuition money back to your parents and tell them you earned it by working part-time.” Lin Jingzhe gently patted Deng Mai on the shoulder, comforting him.

In the past few days, college and university freshmen all began to leave home to enroll in their new schools. There were many people going to the provincial capital to take a bus or train to another city, and instead of the single vehicle that usually ran alone to Qunnan City, there were several. After getting off, Lin Jingzhe unexpectedly saw several acquaintances.

When Yu Zhiliang noticed him in the distance, he called out  and immediately ran over. Standing in front of him, he eyed Lin Jingzhe’s luggage with a hint of envy and asked, “Are you going to Yan University, Classmate Lin Jingzhe?”

His parents followed after him, also loaded with luggage; his skinny father even carried a rolled-up bedding on his shoulder.

“Aiya! We actually were lucky enough to run into you, Lin Jingzhe. I’ve heard from Zhiliang that in the college entrance exam, you won the first place in our town! And you were also admitted to the famous Yan University!” Yu Zhiliang’s mother exclaimed enthusiastically. Then, without saying anything further, she took out a few crumpled banknotes and tried to put them in Lin Jingzhe’s hand, but the young man didn’t let her. Finally she said with some embarrassment, “This child! We’re trying to thank you, don’t be so polite!”

“That’s right,” Yu Zhiliang’s taciturn father whispered, flashing a reserved smile.

“Thank you, but I’m not short of money.” Lin Jingzhe took Mother Yu’s hand and warmly persuaded her, “You should keep it—Yu Zhiliang will have to buy a lot of things for school. If you really want to thank me, Auntie, then next time I’m back in Liyun Town, I’ll go to your house for dinner.”

Mother Yu was overjoyed: “Yes, yes, you should come over! Be sure to come!”

Feeling complex, Yu Zhiliang looked at his parents’ worn-out clothes, then at Lin Jingzhe, who displayed not a shred of impatience or annoyance. After a long moment, he said softly, “I wish you a smooth journey, Classmate Lin Jingzhe.”

“You too.” Lin Jingzhe gave him a slight nod.

Several familiar figures appeared not far away. Lin Jingzhe subconsciously looked in that direction and discovered that they were Jiang Run and his parents.

Why they weren’t driving to the provincial capital was a mystery, but the three descended the bus carrying bags of various sizes with somewhat humiliated expressions on their faces. Jiang Xiaoyun looked rather haggard. After setting foot on the ground, she raised her head to glance around, frowning and complaining about something. Then, her eyes fell on Lin Jingzhe and she froze.

Stunned, she stood still. It took her a moment to recover, then her expression turned complicated. She veered away as if she had been stabbed.

Noticing her abnormality, Jiang Run and his father, Liu De, looked over. Upon seeing Lin Jingzhe, they also turned into stone statues for a short while.

Jiang Xiaorun didn’t complain any longer, just pushed the backs of her son and husband, urging them to leave. All of them walked away in silence, not daring to look up again.

Deng Mai also saw them. He had already stopped crying, and now promptly switched back to his gossip king persona. “I heard that Jiang Run didn’t do well on the exam and didn’t get into any of the universities he’d filled out in his college application form. His parents wanted to get him into Qunnan University using their connections, but after the results came out, his score was almost thirty points below what was required for admission. This was too much and they had no choice but to give up,” he said into Lin Jingzhe’s ear.

Yu Zhiliang and his parents said goodbye and left, and the Jiang family, luggage-laden and hurrying away as if they were being chased by ghosts, disappeared through the bus station exit. Lin Jingzhe looked away, his expression calm, and let out a quiet hum.

Jiang Xiaoyun walked out of the station, sweating all over. She cautiously glanced over her shoulder, relieved that Lin Jingzhe hadn’t followed them.

Liu De watched her actions with cold eyes, feeling bitter. He only lit another cigarette, however, letting the feeling smoulder in his heart, suppressed.

Jiang Run’s mood was complicated. The moment his mother pushed his back, he clearly felt the earth-shattering difference between Lin Jingzhe and himself.

Lin Jingzhe should be going to Yan City, right? He was the town champion, as well as third in the entire province, and news of his admission to Yan University had long spread throughout the high school students. For the parents in Liyun Town, his name became almost synonymous with “other people’s children.”

Just now, Yu Zhiliang and his parents had been riding on the same bus. They probably knew about the Jiang family’s attempt to snatch the Qunnan University admission spot by bribing Li Yurong because they’d been particularly cold, pretending they hadn’t noticed the Jiang family at all. Yu Zhiliang, however, was the center of attention, the freshmen’s parents talking incessantly about his imminent admission to Qunnan University.

Every time this topic was mentioned, it was like a sword piercing through Jiang Run’s heart. He’d huddled in his seat, his head sinking lower and lower and his back more and more bent.

He felt that all the students and parents in the bus were giving him strange looks and were mocking him secretly.

Now, Lin Jingzhe was about to set off for Yan City, and the Qunnan University seniors that had been waiting at the station already picked up Yu Zhiliang. It was only him—like a rat that had tried to scurry into the gutter but was pulled out by its tail, he had to enroll in a school that he had never wanted to attend.

Jiang Run sniffed, he himself not knowing who exactly he should resent. As they moved to the edge of the sidewalk to hail a taxi, he muttered under his breath, “It’s so hot and I knew I would see them… Why couldn’t we have driven?”

Jiang Xiaoyun heard his whisper and her steps paused for a second. She glanced at her son, embarrassment flashing in her eyes.

She’d kept it secret from Jiang Run, but the car had actually been sold before the college entrance examination. She had no other choice—the company had lacked funds.

There was no backer who could help, and Section Head Wang from the Provincial Bureau of Land and Resources, with whom she and her brother had gotten acquainted with great difficulty, couldn’t be contacted. Recently, the company was having a hard time developing its real estate business. The money from selling the car was far from enough; Jiang Xiaoyun sold the several apartments that her father had left for her in Qunnan City in the hopes that the money would be sufficient for them to survive this crisis.

She sighed heavily, wondering why she was having such a hard time. Her previously meek and docile husband had become more and more sarcastic recently. After they got on the taxi that had been quite difficult to hail, he asked caustically, “You have such a good relationship with your sister and have worked so hard for her sake—how come she can’t even be bothered to pick you up?”

“Shut up!” Hit at her sore spot, Jiang Xiaoyun glared at Liu De furiously, angry and humiliated.

She deeply regretted contacting her sister, regretted it so much that she could neither sleep nor eat in peace—the trouble with Section Head Wang had started after Jiang Qiaqia got involved. She never expected that her elder sister, who always seemed so smart and kept her nose high in the air, was actually a failure who would spoil everything without accomplishing even a single thing.

Jiang Qiaqia didn’t pick them up? Even if she did, the first thing Jiang Xiaoyun would do after seeing her would be to rush at her and claw her face!