Chapter 223: Kindness

On the day of winter vacation, Lin Fang was tidying up in the bookstore with Rouqiu helping beside her, preparing to go home. During this period, she had to mind the store in the mornings on weekends, practice piano at Teacher Wang’s house in the afternoons, and help Teacher Qiu compile books in the evenings. There was simply no time to go home, and if her family missed her, they had to come to the county town to see her.

Now that winter vacation had finally arrived, the calligraphy class would start in two days. She would have to teach five mornings a week, continue piano practice in the afternoons, and though the editing of review materials was nearing completion, she still couldn’t relax—she had to go through everything again to check for any overlooked mistakes. So, Lin Fang would be even busier during the vacation. Taking advantage of the first few days off, she planned to stay home and rest for a couple of days.

“Huh? This place is quite nice. I’ve heard classmates mention that you work here selling books. I was curious, so I came to take a look. The store’s layout is quite novel—no need to bother the salesperson, customers can freely pick books, and there’s even seating. Lin Fang, was this your idea or your boss’s?”

Just as the two were bustling about, Staff Officer Shangguan and Teacher Su walked in one after the other. Shangguan immediately launched into his observations, while Teacher Su silently glanced around without a word.

Rouqiu, not pausing in his work, was quicker to speak than Lin Fang: “Oh my, Staff Officer Shangguan gracing us with his presence truly brings honor to our humble shop! Please wait a moment, I’ll clear a table for you and Teacher Su right away. Lin Fang, pour some tea.” With that, he deftly began tidying up a table near the checkout counter.

Lin Fang was sorting books piled on the tables by category and era, arranging them back onto the shelves. She and Rouqiu had rearranged the shelves to make space for two cabinets dedicated to calligraphy supplies. They were also planning to reorganize the tables for her teaching sessions, but at the moment, every table was cluttered with books and stationery, making the place look chaotic.

Putting down the books in her hands, Lin Fang quickly greeted them: “Teacher Shangguan, Teacher Su, sorry about the mess today. Please wait just a moment—we’ll be done soon.”

Shangguan waved his hand. “Don’t mind us. Teacher Su and I just dropped by to take a look. Lin Fang, if you need any help, just say the word.”

Lin Fang, heading toward the back room, replied with a smile, “No need, we’re almost finished. Please wait a moment—I’ll bring tea.”

As the three exchanged polite words, Teacher Su wandered around the store alone, picking up a stack of books from a table and flipping through them. After browsing a few, he frowned. “Why are all these books in traditional characters?”

Rouqiu, wiping down the newly cleared table, opened his mouth to answer but hesitated at Teacher Su’s expressionless face. Lin Fang, returning with two cups of tea, explained:

“The books we sell here are reprinted from our boss’s personal collection. That’s why we call it ‘Reviving Ancient Books.’ The boss said those books are valuable, and it’s a shame to keep them hidden. But putting the originals out risks damage, so we reprinted some as a compromise.”

“Oh? Let me see.” Intrigued, Shangguan picked up a nearby book and started flipping through it. The more he read, the more delighted he became. “Ah, if I’d known you sold books like these, I would’ve come sooner!”

“Staff Officer Shangguan, you’re into this stuff too?” Rouqiu leaned over, eyeing the book in Shangguan’s hands. The characters gave him a headache—they were too hard to recognize.

Shangguan chuckled. “Not me—my grandfather loves them. He always says simplified characters look like scattered fragments. If he finds a book in traditional script, he’ll go out of his way to get it. Since you sell them here, I won’t have to scour the streets for gifts—I can just buy a few books from you.”

“Teacher Shangguan, Teacher Su, please sit and have some tea to warm up before browsing. The books aren’t going anywhere.” Lin Fang set the teacups on the table and added, “Since I’ve been rearranging shelves, some books are stored in the back. Teacher Shangguan, if you’re looking for anything specific, I can fetch it for you.”

“No need for the trouble. I’ll just grab a few at random—it’s just to make the old man happy.”

As Shangguan sat down and became absorbed in his reading, Teacher Su picked up a recent magazine and joined him at the table.

Lin Fang continued shelving books and suggested, “If it’s to make your grandfather happy, the gifts should suit his taste. If you give him something he dislikes, it’d be worse than giving nothing—instead of joy, it’d just bring annoyance.”

Shangguan looked up. “Good point. Maybe I should browse a bit more and pick books he’d actually enjoy.” He stood up to wander around.

Teacher Su asked, “Do you have any chess manuals?”

Lin Fang replied, “Yes. Are you looking for Go or Chinese chess manuals?”

Before Teacher Su could answer, Shangguan interjected, “They’re all in traditional script—can you even read them?”

“I can’t, but you can. You were just engrossed in those books.” After retorting, Teacher Su answered Lin Fang, “Go manuals.”

“Ah, I’ll fetch them from the back. Not many people here play Go, so I only displayed Chinese chess manuals. The Go ones were stored away.” Pausing her work, Lin Fang headed back to the room where she’d prepared the tea.

When she returned with the book, Teacher Su immediately began flipping through it without a word. Shangguan asked Lin Fang, “Do you play any chess, Lin Fang?”

“I’m not very skilled, but I can follow Chinese chess. My dad and two older brothers are quite good, though I rarely play. Lately, I’ve been spending time at the teachers’ quarters at No. 1 High School. Sometimes I see teachers playing Go and join in. When they’re in the mood, they teach me a bit, so I know the basics.”

Shangguan took her at her word. “It’s good for girls to learn more skills—helps with future prospects.”

Lin Fang replied politely, “If Teacher Shangguan doesn’t mind my clumsiness, maybe you could teach me too.”

Shangguan readily agreed. “Sure, if you want to learn, just come find me.”

In truth, in her past life, Lin Fang had rarely met anyone who could beat her at Go—except her parents. As for Chinese chess (or military chess in that world), she was only average, though women there seldom played it. Men, however, were passionate about it, and her grandfather, Li Qingyun, had been one of the best.

As Lin Fang and Rouqiu continued tidying up, Shangguan chatted with them while selecting books, and Teacher Su silently studied the Go manual. By the time Lin Fang had shelved all the books and stationery and was about to organize the checkout counter, she found nearly twenty books piled there, with Shangguan still adding more.

Lin Fang asked, “Are you taking all of these?”

“Yes. My grandfather reads all sorts of things. Now that he’s older, even comic books make him happy, so I’ll get him a variety.”

But you don’t need to buy so many at once. Someone in Shangguan’s position likely earned around two hundred a month. Though the books here weren’t expensive—averaging under five yuan each—buying this many would cost nearly half his salary. Lin Fang thought it unnecessary.

But she was a bookseller, and he was a customer. Besides, she was just an employee. Telling him not to buy so much wouldn’t make sense, so she phrased it differently: “Carrying so many at once will be heavy. You’ll probably have other luggage too—it’ll be a hassle. We have a phone here. If you think of more books you’d like later, just call and ask. If we have them, you can buy them next time.”

Shangguan brightened. “Ah, right! I saw the public phone sign outside. Give me the number, and I’ll call if I think of anything else.”

“Sure.”

Lin Fang wrote down the number, but Shangguan still asked her to tally the total for the books. She didn’t argue—if he wanted to spend the money, it wasn’t her place to interfere.

Including the Go manual Teacher Su was holding, the total came to a little over 120 yuan. After paying, Shangguan lingered and asked Lin Fang, “Are you running a calligraphy class during the vacation? Will you be here alone?”

“Me too,” Rouqiu chimed in, having poured tea for himself and Lin Fang now that things had quieted down.

Shangguan pressed, “Where will you two stay at night? The school stops supplying coal to the dorms during breaks. Staying there would be freezing, and it’s not safe for you to be alone.”

Rouqiu shook his head. “We weren’t planning to stay in the dorms. We’ll go home at night and come back in the morning. I have a motorcycle—it won’t take long.”

“That won’t do. It’s already cold, and riding a motorcycle will make it worse. You’re both still kids—commuting daily isn’t safe.”

Glancing at Teacher Su, who was still absorbed in the Go manual, Shangguan continued, “Here’s an idea: The school stops coal for student dorms during breaks, but not for teachers’ quarters. Teacher Su and I will both be away for the holiday. You two can stay in our rooms and keep an eye on them. There’ll also be other teachers around if anything comes up.”

The suggestion was so sudden that Lin Fang and Rouqiu were momentarily speechless, exchanging glances.

Teacher Su, who had been silent until now, spoke up: “What, do you think we’re filthy men or something?”

That was even harder to respond to. Lin Fang stayed quiet, but Rouqiu said, “I’m a man too.”

But I’m a woman—how can I stay in strange men’s rooms? Lin Fang thought but couldn’t remain silent when they were being kind. “This might not be appropriate…”

Shangguan frowned. “Are you worried about the rumors from before? Who cares? Stand straight, and your shadow won’t slant. Besides, even if someone wants to gossip, I won’t be at school during the break—what can they make up? And with Rouqiu here, they can’t spin tales about two men, can they?”

Before Lin Fang could reply, Teacher Su scoffed, “Stubborn. You’d rather freeze and get sick?”

Why was this man so abrasive? She’d never offended him, yet every word seemed aimed at her. Lin Fang grew irritated and was about to snap back—she wasn’t afraid of him, unlike Rouqiu. Even Qi Biao, that cold and ruthless prince from her past life, hadn’t intimidated her. What was this Teacher Su compared to him?