Dou Yalin ultimately failed to draw any portraits.
For one thing, no one was willing to model for her. Moreover, some people admired how well Lin Fang had drawn Zhang Jiejun and asked Lin Fang to draw them as well. Once one person made the request, others followed suit, and soon more people approached Lin Fang. Meanwhile, Dou Yalin, who had always been praised by everyone, was completely ignored.
Lin Fang, however, didn’t hesitate at all. She told everyone to discuss and arrange the order among themselves, saying she would draw for them if she had time. She also suggested that if they didn’t want their portraits to deteriorate quickly, they should buy sketch paper from a stationery store, as it was much better than the thin paper she used for drafts.
So, the group began discussing buying sketch paper, but none of them knew what it looked like. They asked Lin Fang, who honestly admitted she didn’t know either—she had only heard of such paper. In truth, Lin Fang had seen sketch paper used by classmates in college, and the paper she used in her past life was also different from ordinary paper. However, she wasn’t sure what sketch paper looked like in this era.
Someone remembered Dou Yalin, the professional artist, and asked her what sketch paper was like and whether it was expensive. Already frustrated, Dou Yalin refused to answer and stormed out of the classroom, slamming the door behind her.
“What’s the big deal? Xinhua Bookstore sells it. Just go take a look and you’ll know,” Zhang Jiejun chimed in cheerfully, having just learned from Xiang Meili how to focus on herself.
At that time, there were no dedicated stationery stores on the streets. Everyday shops sold common paper and pens, while specialized materials like sketch paper were only available at Xinhua Bookstore.
Xiang Meili added, “Yeah, just go check it out. There are different types of sketch paper. You can choose what suits you. Also, if you buy in bulk, it’s cheaper than buying individual sheets.”
As the classmates continued their discussion, Lin Fang fell into deep thought. She suddenly remembered why the name Lin Guicheng sounded familiar. In her past life, he had been her father’s assistant, later adopted as a godson by her second grandmother. He had left Lin Village with his wife and daughter to search for his roots and was never mentioned again. Wasn’t that man named Lin Guicheng?
She hadn’t thought much about it before, but now it seemed increasingly suspicious. She recalled that Lin Guicheng’s business card listed him as the chairman of Lin’s Aquatic Products Company. But how could a chairman have the leisure to stay in such a small bookstore? Shouldn’t someone of his status be extremely busy? And shouldn’t he have attendants? Yet he was alone, dressed no differently from an ordinary person.
Moreover, while she could sense his businessman’s demeanor, she detected no aura of authority. At best, he seemed like someone who had been around authority figures but wasn’t one himself.
In her past life, though her family was ordinary, she had interacted with people who exuded authority—like Qi Biao, her second grandfather who had long served in government, and her cousin who was a general. Even the eunuch Zheng, who had once delivered an imperial decree to Lin Town, carried an air of authority that didn’t match his status, though he tried to hide it.
Even her father, Lin Dalang, who had been in business for years, had a stronger authoritative presence than Lin Guicheng now. Lin Fang felt that what Lin Guicheng radiated most was hostility—carefully concealed hostility. This trait was similar to the Lin Guicheng of her past life. Her father and Lin Guicheng had often worked together, with Lin Guicheng playing the “bad cop” role, handling underworld matters during business dealings.
As she pondered, Lin Fang felt as if she were in a different world. Well, she *was* in a different world.
The next two classes were biology and math. Like in the morning, the teachers spent the entire period going over the exam papers and had everyone copy down the questions and answers. There were exceptions, though: those who scored above 56 in biology (out of 72) only had to copy the questions they got wrong, and those above 80 in math didn’t have to copy anything.
Without a homeroom teacher to maintain order, Class 51 was chaotic. Predictably, few students were exempt from copying. Out of 60 students, only four didn’t have to copy the entire biology paper—Lin Fang, Shaobaitou, Boshi, and the class monitor. In math, only two were exempt: Yang Xiuqin and Lin Fang.
At dinner, Lin Fang unexpectedly saw Teacher Wang at the cafeteria entrance. Amid the noisy crowd rushing in, she thought Teacher Wang might not notice her or recognize her, given how brief their noon meeting had been.
“Lin Fang! Lin Fang, come here for a moment.”
Hearing Teacher Wang call her, Lin Fang felt pleased—it seemed she had successfully connected with her.
Squeezing through the crowd, Lin Fang approached. “Teacher Wang, is something the matter?”
“Hehe, yes. I just wanted to thank you for the chili sauce. Teacher Gao gave me two bottles, and they’re delicious. Really, thank you.”
“No need to thank me, Teacher Wang. I’m just glad you like it.” Lin Fang found it amusing—Teacher Gao had kept only three bottles and had given away two.
Teacher Wang took her hand. “Come, let’s eat at the teachers’ cafeteria.”
“Ah? No need. I’ll eat here.” Lin Fang shook her head quickly.
Xiang Meili had mentioned that the teachers’ cafeteria had better food and no crowds, but as a student, eating there would draw too much attention. Plus, she’d have to greet every teacher out of politeness—too much hassle.
Teacher Wang didn’t let go. “Come on. I should’ve invited you to my home, but you saw my husband—I’m afraid you wouldn’t eat comfortably. Besides, if I delay you now, you’ll have to queue for ages, and the food will be cold.”
“It’s fine. I made a deal with Rouqiu—we’ll take turns queuing. I just saw him go in. Don’t let his size fool you; he’s great at queuing. He’ll definitely get hot food. Don’t worry.” Lin Fang stepped back.
Seeing her reluctance, Teacher Wang finally released her hand. “Alright, I won’t force you. You’ll be visiting the teachers’ compound often anyway. My house is right behind Teacher Gao’s.”
Lin Fang nodded. “Exactly. We’ll have plenty of chances to meet. No rush. You should head back to the office, Teacher Wang. It’s cold out—don’t catch a chill. You still have to take care of Teacher Guo.”
After dinner, Lin Fang walked alone to the antique book restoration shop, declining Rouqiu’s offer to accompany her. Though her condition had improved, she wasn’t fully recovered and avoided strenuous activity. Still, a little walking was good for her.
Rouqiu had spent the afternoon torn between studying seriously or continuing to drift through life. His mind was still in turmoil, so he accepted Lin Fang’s reasoning and agreed to meet her later at Teacher Gao’s place.
Despite the lack of customers, Lin Guicheng kept the shop open. Lin Fang went straight to the point: “Uncle Cheng, I’m here. You mentioned you had something to discuss at noon—what is it?”
Lin Guicheng smiled. “Let’s hold that for a moment. There’s something else I’d like to ask. Besides chili oil, does your mother know other ways to prepare chili peppers?”
“Of course! Many ways. I’m not bragging, but everyone knows multiple chili recipes. It’s just that my mom’s seasoning and timing are exceptional, so her dishes taste better.” If not for their limited means, her mother could’ve been a chef.
Lin Guicheng was direct. “Good. I’d like to collaborate with your family. Could you help facilitate that?”
“Collaborate?”
“Yes. I run an aquatic products company. Besides selling fresh goods, we also process products. After tasting your chili oil today, I realized our spicy products aren’t as flavorful. I’d like to explore a partnership.”
Lin Fang paused. “Uncle Cheng, don’t take this the wrong way, but I find it odd. I’m just a child. Why discuss this with me? Aren’t you worried I won’t understand? Plus, we’ve only met four times at most. Why trust me so much? As a chairman, why would you have time to stay in this small town, running a losing bookstore? Doesn’t that seem unusual?”
Lin Guicheng laughed heartily. “Hahaha! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you. You’re indeed a clever girl. Let me answer your questions.
“First, you’re a thoughtful child who loves reading. I’m not worried you won’t understand. Second, as a businessman, I rely on insight and timing—sometimes even intuition. I trusted you at first sight, so I didn’t overthink it.
“I admit, as a chairman, I have many responsibilities. Staying here alone is unusual, but I’m stuck in an unsolvable puzzle. A master advised me that I’d meet my destined person here—the only one who could help me unravel it. Does that answer satisfy you?”
His explanation made sense. Though the last part sounded mystical, given her own rebirth, it wasn’t far-fetched. “So, have you met this destined person?”
“Yes. I was planning to leave for a while, but your chili oil kept me here.” *That person is you*, he thought, but it wasn’t the right time to say it.
Lin Fang didn’t mince words. “Fine. Since you trust a child like me, show your sincerity. Bring your company’s materials soon so I can review them before deciding on collaboration.
“I’ll also need to visit your company. If you think this is unnecessary, you can approach my family directly. But we’re a democratic household—we discuss everything. Even as a child, my parents value my opinion. If you lack sincerity or intend to deceive, my family won’t ignore my input.”
At this time, the internet was far less advanced than in Lin Fang’s college days. Most people didn’t even have landline phones, let alone mobiles. Research meant going places in person.
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