After two and a half busy days, by the evening of the fifth day of the lunar new year, the debts recorded in the five account books had mostly been cleared. The family was utterly exhausted. For dinner, Lin Guicheng took charge of the cooking, assisted by the worker who had stayed behind to guard the house. Though the meal wasn’t as good as Dong Huixin’s cooking, it wasn’t bad either, and everyone ate with relish.
By the end of the meal, Lin Guicheng had received baskets full of praise. He chuckled inwardly—though he was now a big boss with people handling everything for him, back when he followed Lin Dalang, he had been responsible for cooking for both of them. Lin Dalang wasn’t overly picky, but he wasn’t one to settle for just anything either. Over time, Lin Guicheng’s cooking skills had naturally improved.
On the sixth day of the new year, Lin Fang had just gotten up and was washing up in the courtyard when Rouqiu and Guo Hongping, their round bodies jostling for position, bickered their way through the gate, neither willing to let the other go first. Though Lin Fang was used to their antics, she nearly choked on her mouthwash from laughter.
After breakfast, Sun Siyuan drove into the alley, with Lin Guicheng in the passenger seat. Most workplaces had resumed operations that day, and they were preparing to start the paperwork for the resort. They also planned to sort out Lin Yong’s school enrollment. They had come to pick up Lin Fang and the others to go to the county town—Lin Fang’s calligraphy class was resuming that day and would run until the sixteenth day of the new year.
As for the restaurant the Lin family planned to open, out of caution, Lin Yuanmin decided to secure a loan before starting construction and handling the paperwork. After years of debt pressure, both Lin Yuanmin and Dong Huixin had developed a psychological aversion to borrowing money. Lin Fang’s snack shop and startup funds had already been discussed with Lin Guicheng, who would handle everything on her behalf.
As Lin Fang’s nominal boss and the founder of the calligraphy class, Lin Guicheng also needed to make an appearance that day.
On the first day of the calligraphy class, only three students showed up. Since it was still the New Year period, Lin Fang didn’t think much of it and even gave each student a brush worth five yuan as a New Year’s gift from the teacher. Lin Guicheng was even more generous, handing each child a ten-yuan red envelope, delighting the parents, who eagerly taught their children to thank “Grandpa Lin” and “Teacher Lin.”
Lin Fang charged only eighty yuan per student for calligraphy lessons, so giving back fifteen yuan per child that day was significant. Rouqiu, used to spending freely, didn’t mind, but Guo Hongping winced at the expense. If they gave money to every child, how much would they really earn? She had invested less than thirty yuan in Lin Fang’s bookstore, and now a single child had received fifteen. The disparity stung.
“Hongping, think of this as an investment. If we work hard, we’ll earn it all back eventually.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just hard to wrap my head around right now. Heh.”
Guo Hongping’s pained expression and forced grin made Rouqiu roll her eyes. Before he could mock her, Lin Fang shot him a glare, shutting him up. Lin Fang sighed—these two bickered constantly, and it was only going to get worse.
Following the pre-holiday routine, Lin Fang taught the class while Rouqiu sat in the back as a placeholder. Guo Hongping managed the bookshelf, though sales were slow—people were busy visiting relatives during the holiday, and no one came to buy books. By the time the class ended, not a single book had been sold, so Lin Fang closed the shop early, and the three headed to the teachers’ housing compound at No. 1 High School to pay New Year’s visits.
Just as they were about to leave with their gifts, the phone rang.
“Hello, Happy New Year! Ah, it’s Official Shangguan! Wishing you prosperity! How touching that you’d call to check in on our first day back at work! May all your wishes come true, may everything go smoothly, may the new year bring new blessings, may your health flourish, and may success rise like sesame flowers—higher and higher…”
Rouqiu’s rambling showed no signs of stopping. Guo Hongping pursed her lips, Lin Fang frowned, and on the other end of the line, Official Shangguan grew increasingly impatient—he couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
Lin Fang snatched the receiver. “Enough! Just ask if Official Shangguan has any business. This is a long-distance call from Beijing—it’s expensive!”
Rouqiu let go, unfazed. “Heh, so what? It’s not my money.”
“Hello, Official Shangguan, Happy New Year! Wishing you happiness and smooth sailing in the new year.”
“Hahaha, aren’t you wasting time too?”
Hearing Lin Fang’s greeting, Rouqiu burst out laughing. Lin Fang shook her head helplessly—even if she didn’t want to waste the caller’s money, it would be rude not to exchange New Year’s pleasantries.
“Lin Fang, Happy New Year. How’s your health?” Official Shangguan sighed in relief. If the chubby kid had kept talking, his wallet would’ve suffered.
“Thank you, Official Shangguan. I’m doing well.” Lin Fang wanted to ask why he’d called so they could wrap up—she still had to visit her teachers—but it felt impolite. They weren’t close, and it was the New Year; asking outright might seem like she was brushing him off.
“That’s good. Don’t overwork yourself during the holidays. Money matters, but health comes first. If you feel unwell, ask your boss for time off—don’t push yourself.” His tone was full of concern.
“I understand. Thank you, Official Shangguan.”
Lin Fang was growing anxious. Without Rouqiu’s motorcycle, the three of them had to walk to the teachers’ compound. If they delayed any longer, they’d arrive after lunch. Teacher Gao, being older, took an unwavering midday nap. Teacher Qiu’s wife disliked rural folk, but Teacher Qiu had been kind to Lin Fang, so she felt obliged to visit—though she didn’t want to intrude during nap time.
“Official Shangguan, did your grandfather like the books you brought back?” Since he wasn’t getting to the point, she changed the subject.
“He did! My grandfather said it was his favorite gift this time and asked me to buy more.” Official Shangguan’s heart sank as he spoke. While his grandfather had liked the books, he’d also scolded him for overspending.
“I’m glad he liked them. Official Shangguan, my bookstore is shifting to popular books. When you return, come see if there’s anything else you’d like. I’ll set them aside—the rest will be cleared out by my boss.”
“Thank you, Lin Fang. I’ll stop by when I’m back. The change in inventory won’t affect your job, will it?” He immediately thought of the practical implications.
“It won’t. I’ll still manage the bookstore and teach calligraphy on weekends, but my boss hired someone else to help since I have school. It’s too much for one person.” Only Rouqiu knew the bookstore now belonged to her. She wasn’t ready to share that with others, not even Guo Hongping, who thought Lin Guicheng had merely rented the space to Lin Fang.
“That’s good. With two people, you won’t be as overworked—better for your health.” Official Shangguan was happy for her.
Seeing the conversation circle back, Lin Fang decided to be direct, regardless of how it might sound. “Official Shangguan, I need to visit Teacher Gao. Was there anything urgent? Long-distance calls are expensive.”
“Nothing urgent. I just wanted to ask if there were more books for my grandfather. Since that’s the case, I’ll wait until I’m back to see you. Go ahead to Teacher Gao’s—if you’re late, he’ll be napping. That’s all. Goodbye.”
Hanging up, Official Shangguan groaned. Over the holidays, he’d spent his entire salary trying to keep up appearances. The phone call had been paid for with money his grandmother slipped him, and he still hadn’t figured out how to afford his train ticket back to school. Why had he impulsively said he’d buy more books? If he picked them out but couldn’t pay, the embarrassment would be unbearable.
Lin Fang, meanwhile, couldn’t care less about Official Shangguan’s troubles. As soon as he hung up, she, Rouqiu, and Guo Hongping closed the shop, grabbed their gifts, and hurried to the teachers’ compound. The gifts weren’t extravagant—mostly homemade food, including chili sauce and some dried seafood Lin Guicheng had given them.
At the compound, Teacher Gao’s door was locked, and Teacher Qiu’s family was out. Only Teacher Wang was home, busy cooking, while Teacher Guo sat quietly by the kitchen door, basking in the sun.
Lin Fang set down her things and offered to help, but her cooking skills were lacking—even Guo Hongping, no culinary expert herself, was better. Soon, both Lin Fang and Teacher Wang were shooed out of the kitchen by Rouqiu and Guo Hongping. Despite being an only child, Rouqiu loved food and had taught himself to cook decently.
Teacher Wang took Teacher Guo’s hand and chatted with Lin Fang as they walked to the house. Teacher Guo followed obediently, like a quiet child. When Lin Fang asked about his condition, Teacher Wang smiled. “He hardly recognizes anyone now, and his mind is foggier, but at least he’s not restless anymore. He sleeps most of the time—he only woke up a little while ago. The doctor says as long as he’s alert when awake, it’s best to keep him moving.”
In other words, Teacher Guo’s condition had worsened. “Does he recognize you?” Lin Fang asked.
Teacher Wang shook her head. “No. He just follows me mechanically. Anyone could lead him away.”
“If I tried to guide him, would he follow me?” If Teacher Guo didn’t resist strangers, Lin Fang could help care for him occasionally, giving Teacher Wang a break.
“Here, try it and see.”
Teacher Wang passed Teacher Guo’s hand to Lin Fang. When she gently held his fingers, he showed no reaction. Asked about Teacher Gao and Teacher Qiu’s absence, Teacher Wang explained that Teacher Gao had been taken by his son for the holidays, while Teacher Qiu’s family had gone to visit their son in another province since he couldn’t return home this year. They’d be back before school started.
By the time Rouqiu and Guo Hongping finished cooking, Teacher Guo was drowsy again. Teacher Wang coaxed him into eating half a bowl of rice before he began snoring.
Watching Teacher Guo sprawled out like a sleeping baby, Lin Fang reflected. For Teacher Wang, this state might be a blessing—at least caring for him was easier now. But for a couple to reach the point of not recognizing each other—wasn’t that a tragedy, even if unintended?
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