"Wow, big sis brought so veggies. I’ll cook after I finish my popsicle."
"How co you’re ho so early? Final exams today?"
"Mhm, finished them. I’m free tomorrow."
"So how will you spend your sumr vacation?"
"I’ll go to work with Mom during the day, and in the evenings I’ll be ho alone."
"Why will you be ho alone at night? Where’s Mom?"
"She’s taking classes. She’s enrolled to sit for the Interdiate accounting exam in September. These two months she’s been attending night school, and it’ll continue over the sumr for a special intensive prep course."
"So you’re alone at ho in the evenings."
"Yeah."
Ye Nai pulled out her phone and looked at a previous ssage from her mom, which didn’t ntion anything about night school.
"You’ve been alone every evening this sester? Have you encountered any danger? Like weird people knocking on your door?"
"A few tis, but I ignored them. Mom told to double lock the door after she leaves, and she will use her keys to get in. She said not to answer the door for anyone."
"Right, you’ve got to be smart when you’re alone."
"But it’s still scary to be ho alone." Yu Jiao looked at Ye Nai with pleading eyes.
"What are you looking at for? You want to stay and keep you company?"
"Big sis, what brought you to the city?"
"I enrolled in a driving school to prepare for my driver’s license during the sumr break."
"How many days does it take to get a driver’s license?"
"If all goes well, two months?"
"Really? Big sis, you’re going to stay in the city for two months?!" Yu Jiao was quick to grasp the main point and imdiately clung to Ye Nai’s arm. "Are you going to be here for these two months? Then, where will you stay?"
"Where do you think I should stay?"
"Stay here! Stay here!"
"Where would I sleep?"
"With ?"
"No way, it’s too hot, your bed can’t fit two people, and there’s no air conditioning in the house."
"Buy one, let’s buy an air conditioner. Mom was just saying she wants to go buy one this weekend; she can’t stand the heat either."
"What you say doesn’t count; it’s up to Mom whether she agrees to let stay here for two months while I learn to drive and take the test."
"Mom will definitely agree. She would love to have soone keep an eye on at ho. There’s a sumr daycare in the neighborhood, but they only look after you during the day, not at night."
Yu Jiao quickly finished off the last few bites of her popsicle, jumped up, and dashed into the kitchen.
"That settles it, I’ll get dinner started! We’ve got veggies today, so no buns."
Listening to the sounds from the kitchen, Ye Nai heard Yu Jiao skillfully rinse the rice and start the rice cooker.
"Big sis, you also bought so vegetables and lons? We have lons to eat tonight!"
"Wash a tomato and leave it there. I’ll cut it. Once Mom gets ho, we’ll cook tomato and eggs, along with the vegetables I brought. That’s it for today." Ye Nai sat in the living room, fiddling with her phone while giving instructions.
"Okay~"
Yu Jiao quickly washed a beautiful, large tomato, dried her hands, and returned to the living room to watch Ye Nai play.
Ye Nai, feeling hot, handed the handheld ga console to her to play with and went into the kitchen to slice the tomato and prepare the egg mixture.
At five-thirty, Yu Qing returned from work with a bag of stead buns, only to encounter a neighbor who secretly told her a tall girl had co to her ho, looking fierce, and opened the door with her keys. She’d never seen her before and advised Yu Qing to be careful when she got ho.
Yu Qing guessed the tall girl must be Ye Nai, and as for the fierce look, that was just her elder sister’s air of authority.
She didn’t elaborate with the neighbor, rely offered a quick thanks and hurried to unlock her door.
As soon as she cracked open the door, she heard the music from the ga console and her younger daughter’s laughter.
The neighbor, lingering nearby in hopes of new gossip, also heard the cheerful sounds and, deciding it was enough, walked away. Any sensible person knows there’s a limit to prying; being able to unlock a door clearly ant she was family. Insisting on treating soone like a suspect and then rubbernecking is a sure way to get oneself into trouble soday.
Yu Qing ignored the neighbor. Every neighborhood had those who loved to gossip about others, and such people ca in all genders.
She entered her ho and indeed saw her two daughters, engrossed in playing gas in the living room.
"Mom." Ye Nai handed the ga console back to her sister, got up, and greeted her mother, "I brought so vegetables, and dinner is ready. I just need to stir-fry so tomato and eggs, then we can eat. Check if the food needs reheating."
After changing her shoes, Yu Qing placed the stead buns on the dining table and felt the lunchbox, deeming it alright.
"It’s fine, still warm. Let’s eat directly, no need to heat it up."
"What ti is your class, Mom?"
"The class starts at seven, I need to leave by six forty."
"Then that’s fine, we have ti."
Ye Nai went into the kitchen to cook while Yu Jiao chattered about the elder sister planning to stay in the city for two months to learn driving, and whether she could stay with them.
Yu Qing, incredibly pleased, stood in the doorway of the kitchen and looked at Ye Nai’s back as she cooked, asking again.
"Yes, I’ve already registered at the driving school. Starting July first, if all goes well, I should be able to get the license."
"Do you plan to buy a car after getting the driver’s license?"
"I’m thinking of getting a cute little car, around forty thousand yuan."
"Do you have enough money? If not, I can give you so. I haven’t spent the divorce money yet."
"No need, I have enough money. You keep yours, wait until you pass the Interdiate accounting exam. You’ll at least get a raise if not a promotion, and we might need to move again to a better neighborhood."
"Alright then. Where do you plan to stay during these two months of learning to drive? Why not stay at ho? We can dismantle the little one’s bed, and you two can sleep on the floor. If you can keep an eye on her, I’ll have peace of mind while attending night school every day."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s take apart my bed, so big sister can sleep on it," Yu Jiao chid in.
"Shall we buy an air conditioner?"
"Yes, buy, buy, buy," Yu Qing imdiately took out her phone and transferred five thousand yuan to Ye Nai, "I’ve had my eye on a few brands, but you take a look too, buy the one you think is best."
"Okay, let’s eat," Ye Nai said efficiently as she served the stir-fried dish on the table. She opened the lunchboxes one by one to reveal greasy at dishes with pork, eggs, and shrimp, making for a perfect al.
The bag of stead buns at one corner of the table had originally been the dinner for Yu Qing and Yu Jiao. Ti was tight for Yu Qing to eat after work before going to class. Yu Jiao was too young to be cooking, so from Monday to Friday, the two of them mostly lived on stead buns and rolls, only enjoying proper als on weekends.
Twenty years into marriage and motherhood, Yu Qing was determined to strive for herself once more. No matter the hardship, she resolved to endure it. She had paid the tuition of eight thousand yuan for the Interdiate accountancy night school without batting an eyelid. She had also paid the sa amount for a two-month intensive sumr course.
Yu Jiao was still thinking about dismantling the bed and buying an air conditioner, as well as clearing out half her wardrobe for her elder sister’s clothes.
Ye Nai, anwhile, responded with a series of affirmatives, urging her to eat properly, as they were going to check out air conditioners in the mall after mom headed to night school.
Yu Jiao imdiately quieted down and ate earnestly.
They comfortably finished dinner, but ti was not on their side. Yu Qing wiped her mouth, grabbed her backpack, and left the house. Ye Nai went to wash the dishes, and Yu Jiao tidied up the dining table.
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