"When I first came out, I wanted to stay far from home, find a hotel for a few days, but the hotel was too expensive. I heard that most things in the city require tickets, which I didn't have. Just then, I passed by here aimlessly, found out that this place rents houses, so I rented a place for a month. The next day, when I went out to buy food, I got hit by a car. The person must have been in a hurry. Seeing it was just an exterior wound, he directly compensated me twenty bucks. That's what I used to buy things," Lin Wan recounted with her head down.
"You got hit by a car? Where? Are you alright?" Liang Hongmei and Lin Yinghui were scared, pulling Lin Wan to check her.
"It's fine now, it's already scabbed." Lin Wan raised her arm to show the peeling wound: "Cars rarely come to the town, I was careless. It was just a skin scrape. The driver must have been wealthy, generously gave me twenty bucks and left." Speaking of which, she was rather lucky.
"Be careful next time, not far west from this town, there's a camp. It's normal for cars to pass by here often," Lin Yinghui said.
"Camp? I stayed here for a month last time and didn't hear about it."
"It was built only a few years back. It's normal not to know if you don't go out often. It's next to the woods, not many people."
"...Oh."
Lin Wan was supposed to go home today, so she didn't plan to buy anything.
The three of them discussed, and Mom planned to come over to help Lin Wan. A few days ago, Brother was working in their town carrying wood with Brother Ah Zhi, earning six bucks a month.
Brother didn't want to keep working and quit halfway through, the boss was stingy, deducting five dimes even if just a day less in a month. At least it's six bucks, got to stick it out and finish. Uncle's family is still worrying about Lin Wan, and Lin Yinghui also needs to go back home to reassure them.
"Brother, I don't want to go to college this year." Lin Wan saw that Brother became even thinner in just under a month. She knew he worked hard for their family, being the family's pillar, swallowing all the bitterness without a word to her or Mom.
"Why? Haven't you always wanted to go to college? Is it about the cost of living? Brother can study while working. I heard you can apply for bursaries in college, I..."
"...Brother, I applied for a design major this time for college. I've thought it through these days; studying design isn't reliable. Design needs talent and time, and it's costly. I'm not really passionate about this major. Back when I applied, I thought it'd be great to sit in an office with a pen and paper, sketching, but now it's not practical at all. I've made up my mind to study for another year and prepare to study finance, just like Brother, and apply to a finance university. I will continue business at home with Mom and study at the same time. When conditions improve, I will certainly attend a good college."
"Little sis, are you sure? Brother is a guy and strong, even with just a high school degree, finding work outside is easier. Actually..."
"Brother, I'm being honest. I've thought about it for a long time. The age for college students is generally older than me now. Reviewing for another year isn't late at all. Brother should focus on studying; your little sister will need your guidance in the future." Lin Wan gave Lin Yinghui a relaxed smile.
She didn't want to go to college, mainly to avoid encountering Li Liang. With memories from another lifetime, she's learned almost everything, it's just a diploma. In a few years, night schools will be in vogue; she can just attend a night school casually for a diploma.
"...Alright, Brother will." Lin Yinghui's eyes reddened for a moment, stepping up to hug Lin Wan, choking up, "Thank you, little sis."
Lin Wan patted Brother's back, giving him a hearty laugh.
Liang Hongmei watched her son and daughter being so sensible, shedding tears of joy.
Lin Wan gave Lin Yinghui a few food tickets, reminding him not to go hungry. After seeing Lin Yinghui off, Lin Wan took her mom for a walk nearby, arrived at the street corner on the west, looked up, and indeed not far away were rows of tile-roofed houses, two to three-story small buildings, and a large wall.
This place is neither a village nor close to anything. Why establish a military camp here?
With Mom around, Lin Wan felt much more relaxed. At night, she kneaded the dough herself, cooked a dozen flatbreads, and the next morning's dishes were made by Mom.
Her dad went away to be a soldier when she was three, and later there was no news.
Dad was from the early batch of Communist Youth League members who advocated "the countryside is a vast land where great achievements can be made." This became the slogan for knowledge youth moving to the countryside. Starting from that year, the Communist Youth League began organizing farms, encouraging and organizing youths to partake in reclamation movements.
Dad was a young intellectual from the city's earliest batch who came to their village at fifteen or sixteen years old. According to mom, Dad was six feet tall, with deep-set eyes, fair skin, a slender build, always with a stern look just working hard. Not very sociable with other intellectuals who came. Even so, he mesmerized many village girls and married women.
Throughout history, who doesn't like a handsome young man? Mom was one of them.