Xu Chuning returned to the small shop and gave the money she had just collected to You Shuzhen. Then, she sat down to rest near the fan.
You Shuzhen glanced at her unintentionally and noticed her distracted appearance, slightly furrowing her eyebrows, "Ningning."
Xu Chuning snapped back to reality, "Mom."
You Shuzhen responded, gazing at her, "Are you feeling unwell or just tired?"
She asked softly, "Do you want to go ho and rest?"
Normally, Xu Chuning would definitely decline You Shuzhen’s suggestion. But at this mont, she didn’t want You Shuzhen to notice anything unusual. She pursed her lips lightly and said softly, "Okay, I’ll go ho and rest for a while, and co back after five."
"No need," You Shuzhen patted her shoulder comfortingly, "It’s not busy in the shop now, and it’s okay if you don’t co back tonight."
She pondered for a few seconds, then suggested, "You can go et up with your classmates."
Xu Chuning vaguely agreed, "Okay, I’ll see tonight."
You Shuzhen: "Take your ti going ho."
Xu Chuning’s lips curved slightly, she got up, hugged You Shuzhen, and cooed, "Mom, why are you so good to ?"
You Shuzhen was taken aback, she stroked her head, chuckling, "You are my daughter, who else should I be good to if not you?"
She vaguely guessed the reason for Xu Chuning’s bad mood, but she did not ask further.
After being affectionate with You Shuzhen for a mont, Xu Chuning went ho.
In the afternoon, the urban village is quiet. Most of the tenants living here work in Jiang City, and they are accustod to leaving early and returning late. This area only becos relatively lively at night.
Back ho, Xu Chuning felt no trace of sleepiness.
She washed her face and lay on the bed, watching the bright and intense sunlight outside the window, replaying the scene at the supermarket in her mind. She didn’t know why Xu Yiming had initiated a conversation with her, and why he was willing to... exchange pleasantries with her. In any case, his talking to her couldn’t possibly be for the reason Xu Chuning guessed.
Xu Chuning was sowhat annoyed with herself now. She clearly had no expectations of them recognizing her, of them realizing that the person at ho was not "her", yet every ti she encountered them, her emotions were affected.
She really wanted to control it, to keep her emotions stable when facing them, to treat them as strangers.
After all, she was a stranger to them.
But right now, she seed to lack the skill to completely ignore their presence. She couldn’t do it yet.
Thinking of this, Xu Chuning sighed in frustration.
After tossing and turning for a long ti, Xu Chuning gave up struggling and despondently picked up her phone. She felt that at this mont, she needed to find sothing to do, to distract herself.
Just after logging into QQ, Xu Chuning saw that Cheng Mingyin had sent a ssage in their small group of three girls. She said she had returned from a trip yesterday, they could et up today, and she had brought gifts for the two of them, asking if they were available.
Deng Xitong had replied a few minutes ago that she was free tonight and specifically wanted to eat fried chicken. But mainly, it depended on Xu Chuning’s schedule.
Xu Chuning hesitated a bit then hurriedly replied: [I’m free today.]
Deng Xitong: [Don’t you need to help at the shop today?]
Xu Chuning thought for a mont: [I was supposed to help. Can we et at seven?]
Cheng Mingyin: [Sure, it gets dark late nowadays, there’s still a bit of sunlight at seven]
Deng Xitong: [Yeah, it’s too early for to go out, too.]
Xu Chuning: [Alright, shall we et at seven then? Where shall we et?]
At seven o’clock, the small shop would have passed the dinner rush hour, so it wouldn’t be a big deal for Xu Chuning to step out for a bit.
Cheng Mingyin: [The small shop? We can co to you, and after you’re done, we can go sowhere else.]
Deng Xitong: [I think that’s a good idea.]
Xu Chuning: [I have no problem with that.]
After finalizing their plans, Xu Chuning put down her phone for a short rest, an alarm went off, and she got up and returned to the small shop.
You Shuzhen saw her coming back after just over an hour at ho, quite helplessly said, "I told you to rest at ho."
"I’m rested now," Xu Chuning said to You Shuzhen with a smile in her eyes, "Mom, I’m going out for dinner with Xitong and Ming Yin tonight."
You Shuzhen: "Sure, what do you plan to eat?"
"Xitong wants to eat fried chicken," Xu Chuning told her, "But we’re not sure what exactly we’ll eat."
You Shuzhen chuckled and, taking advantage of the fact there were no custors in the store yet, hurried to the drawer to get her so money. "Then let give you so money."
"No need," Xu Chuning said with a smile, "I have my own."
You Shuzhen glanced at her, her stance firm, "Your money is your money, it’s your private savings, keep it well. I’ll give you money separately for going out to eat."
She handed two hundred yuan to Xu Chuning, saying gently, "Don’t skimp on yourself when eating or shopping with classmates. If you see sothing you want to eat or buy, just get it."
Although Xu Chuning’s family didn’t have much, You Shuzhen earned hard-earned money, but she had always been generous toward Xu Chuning. She never scrimped on Xu Chuning’s material life but rather gave her generous emotional support.
Holding the two hundred yuan that You Shuzhen forcefully placed in her hand, Xu Chuning blinked softly. She was unlucky, yet she was lucky.
She felt fortunate to have been adopted by You Shuzhen, to have her as her mother.
"Thank you, mom," Xu Chuning breathed out, accepting the money, "What will you eat tonight?"
You Shuzhen: "I’ll think about it when I get hungry later."
Xu Chuning made an agreeing sound, suggesting, "Actually, I can also bring you so fried chicken."
You Shuzhen chuckled, "Let’s see later, if it’s good, you can bring so."
"Okay."
As the mother and daughter were chatting, custors ca into the store.
Xu Chuning and You Shuzhen got busy for a while, and around 6:40 PM, Deng Xitong and Cheng Mingyin ca over.
Seeing them arrive, You Shuzhen quickly sent Xu Chuning off, urging her to go eat and shop with her friends sooner.
The store wasn’t too busy anyway, Xu Chuning hesitated for a few seconds, then left with them.
...
The three hadn’t seen each other for a while; shortly after the sumr vacation started, Cheng Mingyin’s parents had so free ti and took her to the beach for a week.
Now appearing before them, she couldn’t help but moan, "Oh my God, I turned so much darker compared to you two."
Deng Xitong, holding a newly bought ice cream cone, nodded as she ate, "Indeed, were you out in the sun during the day?"
Cheng Mingyin gave her a look, "Actually, I only went out in the afternoon, but the sun on the islands is harsher than in Jiang City."
Xu Chuning: "It’ll fade by winter."
Cheng Mingyin sighed, "I hope so."
The three of them boarded a bus to the downtown mall.
The fried chicken that Deng Xitong wanted to eat was only available there.
After they arrived at the mall, Cheng Mingyin first bought three drinks—it was necessary to drink sothing cold in the middle of a hot sumr.
They drank while waiting for the fried chicken.
Even though they occasionally chatted on QQ, when they t up, they couldn’t control themselves and chattered ceaselessly.
However, usually, the ones starting the conversation were Deng Xitong and Cheng Mingyin, while Xu Chuning mostly listened.
While they were talking, Deng Xitong suddenly exclaid, "Hey, look over there, isn’t that Shen Yubai?"
Xu Chuning and Cheng Mingyin instinctively looked up, following the direction Deng Xitong was pointing, and saw Shen Yubai standing with a slim girl. He was side-facing them, and vaguely, Xu Chuning could still see a smile on his face.
"It’s him," Cheng Mingyin unconsciously glanced at Xu Chuning, paused, and asked, "Who is that girl next to him? Ningning, do you know?"
Xu Chuning: "..."
She paused, then said softly, "I don’t know."
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