NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Su Fei, feeling wronged with just one penny, reluctantly headed to the fair. That one penny felt like a humiliation to her, better off not having it at all.
Ningning didn’t spoil Su Fei, not even with her previous demeanor as a young lady. Even if he gave her 100 yuan, it wouldn’t be enough, so no matter how aggrieved or unhappy Su Fei felt, he remained silent.
Su Fei now felt that having no money was really unacceptable. She must find a way to earn money immediately. She was about to start as an elementary school teacher soon, with a monthly salary of 16 yuan and a few tickets. She could secretly keep six yuan for herself and give the remaining ten yuan to Ningning.
As expected, the streets were bustling with vendors selling various goods. There were fruits, vegetables, meat, and fabrics, among other things. If you could think of it, it was being sold there.
Ningning had a clear goal in mind and led Su Fei straight to the fabric section to see if there were any nice fabrics. He wanted to make Su Fei a new outfit since she would be starting as a teacher soon, wanting her to look decent to save face.
Su Fei was directly dragged along by Ningning, feeling overwhelmed by everything she saw. There were fresh items everywhere, many of which she had never seen before. The lively scene was completely different from what she had imagined.
Looking at the fabrics in front of her, all of which didn’t require tickets but were still very expensive, Ningning gritted his teeth. He couldn’t afford even a new outfit for himself in a year.
After much deliberation, Ningning made a tough decision and bought the fabric for Su Fei as a reward for her good behavior recently. He picked up several pieces of fabric and gestured to Su Fei, “How about this blue fabric? Do you like it? If you do, we’ll take this one. You’ll have your new outfit for this year, and you can wear it for the New Year.”
Su Fei looked at Ningning with a wry smile, thinking that she only had two outfits to switch between. With this blue fabric, she would have three outfits. “Okay, I’ll take this color.”
However, she also knew that in this era, having new clothes meant they would last for about three years with mending and patching.
Seeing Ningning wearing mostly his best clothes with patches, Su Fei suggested, “Let’s each buy a piece of fabric and make matching outfits.”
Ningning, being thrifty, bought Su Fei a few feet of fabric and rolled his eyes, saying, “I spent almost half a year’s savings on this fabric for you. If I buy more, we won’t have money for food this year, let alone anything else.”
Su Fei quickly put the fabric in her basket and said, “I’ll let you manage my salary from now on. As soon as I get paid next month, I’ll buy you a new outfit.”
Ningning felt satisfied, but he still advised Su Fei, “Even if we have money, we shouldn’t spend it recklessly. We need to save. Besides, my clothes are not old yet.”
As they continued their journey, Su Fei noticed a group of people gathered in one place. Curious, she and Ningning went to see what was happening.
Upon entering, they found a pile of old books and newspapers being sold by weight.
“Wow! So many books, many of them worn out,” Su Fei exclaimed, noticing many foreign language books among them.
Ningning, uninterested in the books, tried to pull Su Fei away. After two unsuccessful attempts, he realized Su Fei wasn’t budging.
“Ningning, I also want to buy these books. They’re all good stuff!” Su Fei said excitedly. “These things will appreciate in value in the future.”
Ningning thought the books were useless, considering many educated youths in the village had sold or burned their books. Some were even used as kindling.
He sternly refused, “No, we can’t buy them! These things are useless. We have plenty of things at home to use as kindling.”
Su Fei knew that the future was uncertain, and many people had lost hope. This was the darkness before dawn. According to her understanding, there would probably be only one more year before the college entrance examination. Time had its own rhythm, regardless of the era. There might be deviations, but they would eventually follow the same patterns.
“Ningning, lend me some money. I’ll pay you back as soon as I get paid,” Su Fei pleaded.
After some consideration, Ningning agreed. “Fine, but remember, you said I would manage your salary. You have one penny, which can buy ten pounds. I’ll give you another penny, so you can buy twenty pounds and carry them back yourself.”
Su Fei quickly picked up several books, including a set of high school textbooks that would fetch a good price during the college entrance examination. There was also a foreign language book. She was thrilled with her discoveries, knowing their true value even if others didn’t appreciate them.
“Don’t just pick those useless books and pick up these newspapers to paste on the windows. They’ll keep the wind out in winter,” Ningning suggested, picking up some newspapers and calling Su Fei over.
While picking up newspapers, Ningning accidentally included a drawing. No one noticed as they went to weigh the newspapers and books. They ended up exceeding the weight they initially intended to buy.
Su Fei looked at Ningning with starry eyes, and Ningning couldn’t resist her puppy eyes. “Alright, we’ll buy them. You’ve really got me.”
Overjoyed with her books, Su Fei was even happier than when they bought the fabric. The two of them headed home together, with Su Fei carrying thirty pounds of books on her back without complaining. It was as if her physical strength had improved, and she effortlessly carried them all the way home.
Once they arrived home, Ningning organized their purchases and then took Su Fei’s measurements to make her clothes.
“Stand still and stop staring at your books,” Ningning instructed Su Fei, noticing her fixation on the books since she woke up.
Su Fei had been deprived of entertainment for so long that even high school textbooks seemed fascinating to her.
Ningning quickly took Su Fei’s measurements and then sent her outside to read while he designed her new outfit. He couldn’t afford any mistakes, or they would run out of fabric.
Su Fei was thrilled with her books and began diving into them. When she finished reading, she started browsing the newspapers. As she read, Ningning finished making Su Fei’s new outfit.
Su Fei put on the new clothes, ready to start her job as a teacher the next day. From next month, she would officially have a salary.
Dressed in the outfit Ningning made for her, the two set off together. Ningning needed to escort Su Fei to school because she didn’t know the way.
Along the way, they met many familiar faces from the village, all curious about their well-dressed appearance.
“Don’t worry, I’m taking Su Fei to work at the school. She’s officially become a teacher,” Ningning said with a forced smile, trying not to show too much happiness, lest it provoke envy.
“Oh, really? Su Fei is going to be a teacher?” The villagers were all amazed. “Then our children will go to school this semester. Su Fei must take good care of our children.”
“Yes, Teacher Su must be strict with our children. If they need punishment or scolding, don’t hesitate. We won’t say a word,” someone immediately declared.
Su Fei could only awkwardly nod, unsure of how to respond. Ningning realized it was almost time and quickly bid farewell to the villagers.
As Su Fei and Ningning walked away, they could still hear the villagers murmuring behind them. The more they discussed, the louder they became, frightening Su Fei, who glanced at Ningning’s calm face.
Su Fei couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn into a ‘white-eyed wolf’? What would you do if I did?”
Ningning calmly replied, “I’ll turn a blind eye.”
Having heard this modern expression before, Su Fei quickly assured, “As long as we get married, I won’t marry another man! I swear to God!”
Ningning, feeling sweet but also annoyed that Su Fei hadn’t finished her sentence, rolled his eyes and said, “You’re such a coward!”
Su Fei and Ningning soon arrived at the public school. Many students in the area attended there, and after being approved by the school principal, Su Fei decided to teach Chinese to the fifth graders.
Su Fei began her teaching career at the school, fortunate to have had some experience tutoring before graduating from university. She was able to handle the students relatively well, especially since they were a bit afraid of her.
Su Fei gradually settled into this rhythm of life, getting along well with her colleagues and strengthening her bond with Ningning.
Until one day, while browsing through the newspapers, Su Fei came across an announcement soliciting submissions. The deadline was approaching, so she hastily sent her work in.