Yongjia Middle School was located north of Fang Bai's home, about four or five kilometers away, a bike ride of just over ten minutes.
When Fang Bai returned, he rode with one hand, as carefree as could be.
This time, rushing to Yongjia Middle School, he had no choice but to put his right hand on the handlebars and pedal furiously, charging forward.
He knew his aunt's house, and after more than ten minutes, he arrived at the Yongjia Middle School faculty and staff living area.
Today was the weekend, and the school was open; the guard let him in after seeing he didn't look like a hooligan. Moreover, the faculty dormitory area was not strictly managed and was separate from the teaching area.
Building 2, Unit 1, Room 302—this was his aunt's home.
As soon as Fang Bai reached the second floor, he heard his mother talking with his aunt.
Seeing his mother standing at the doorway, Fang Bai felt a surge of anger; his aunt hadn't even invited her inside to sit down.
His mother worked in school logistics and rarely visited her home.
His aunt usually ignored his mother whenever they met at school, fearing colleagues would know she had a relative working in logistics, which would embarrass her.
"I know this child Fang Bai well. His college entrance exam score is far from the undergraduate line. Given his current situation, even if he retakes the exam, it will be difficult for him to get into an undergraduate program.
Our school has strict requirements for repeat students, and we don't accept cases like Fang Bai's. There's nothing I can do to help you with this.
Now he's broken his finger working; I don't know what you two were thinking, sending him to work. It would be better to send him to a vocational school to learn a skill."
Chen Xia managed the repeat student class. Fang Bai's grades were barely passable, but getting into an undergraduate program after retaking the exam was not that easy.
These poor relatives were truly annoying. If his grades were excellent, she wouldn't care, as having one more key university student in her class would be good for her bonus, and she might reluctantly accept him.
But his grades were poor, and he was already disabled with a broken finger, yet he still wanted to retake the exam. He didn't even realize how lowly his fate was and was still struggling for what? If people knew they were relatives, it would cause her to be gossiped about and affect her reputation at school.
"Sister-in-law, A-Bai studies very hard. He said he's confident he can get into university."
"Young people like to boast. Anyway, based on my experience with retake exams, his chances of getting in are very low.
Look at Xiao Hai; he got into Shanghai Industrial University this year, which is a very good undergraduate university. If he had worked harder, or if he were to retake the exam, Jiao Tong University might even be possible."
It was not easy to get into an undergraduate program these days, and Shanghai Industrial University was also a very good undergraduate university. Chen Xia loved to humblebrag in front of her repeat students: "My son was just too playful, which is why he only got into Industrial University. Otherwise, Jiao Tong University would have been possible. I hope you all work harder and don't be like my good-for-nothing son."
"If there's really no other way, then he can only retake the exam at another school. Sister-in-law, could you lend us some money? We'll pay it back next year." Liu Fengqing's face was troubled as she thought of a compromise.
"Oh dear, it's really not a good time. Your second brother also came yesterday and asked. We really can't right now; Xiao Hai just started university, and we're still in debt." Chen Xia frowned deeply, shaking her head and sighing helplessly.
Her money in the bank was still earning interest. Lend it to him?!
Hmph, it was questionable whether she'd even get it back.
Standing on the second-floor staircase, Fang Bai felt quite uncomfortable hearing their conversation. Even if she didn't want to lend money, she should at least ask how much was needed, and then, unable to refuse completely out of respect for his uncle, she could lend a smaller amount, rather than refusing outright without even asking how much.
Fang Bai knew his aunt's character and didn't expect her to lend money. He walked straight up to his mother and said, "Mom, no need to borrow. I've already decided to retake the exam at Oubei No. 1 Middle School."
"A-Bai, why are you here?"
Fang Bai's mother was a little surprised to see her son.
"Oh, Fang Bai is here too. What I just said was from the bottom of my heart. Your cousin just got into Shanghai Industrial University this year, and studying in a big city costs a lot of money. We're still deeply in debt.
If we could lend, your dad came yesterday, and we would have lent it."
Fang Bai didn't respond, just smiled, and directly pulled his mother away.
His aunt saw Fang Bai's behavior and grumbled that the child was impolite, not even greeting his elders, secretly cursing that even if such a child got into university, he wouldn't amount to much.
Downstairs, his mother looked dejected: "A-Bai, Mom will find a way to borrow money for you. Just focus on your studies."
"Mom, I just said, don't beg that woman."
"You child, you speak so strangely. Besides, she is your aunt."
"She doesn't acknowledge poor relatives like us. From now on, don't give her a good face at school. We don't ask anything of her. After so many years, besides sarcasm and ridicule, have you ever seen her help us?
I just said, I've already resolved the money problem."
"Where did you get the money?"
"I got compensation from the boss, over a thousand, plus my two months' salary for the work I did. After buying a bicycle, it's enough for now."
Fang Bai didn't dare to say five thousand, mainly because he didn't want his parents to worry. Over a thousand in compensation was within a reasonable range; if it were more, his parents might think he had done something bad.
"How did your boss agree to compensate you? Is he that kind-hearted?"
Liu Fengqing was a little skeptical, but her son usually didn't lie, so she believed him half-heartedly.
"Let's talk about it when we get home. It'll be dark soon, and it'll be hard to ride."
The two arrived at the bicycle shed. His mother saw her son unlock a new bicycle, which made it seem more likely that he had indeed received the compensation.
She also unlocked her own bicycle, got on, and rode home with her son.
On the way home, Fang Bai's mood was quite complex, never expecting to encounter such a vexing matter.
Even if he had no money, he would rather beg than borrow from his aunt's family.
As for retaking the exam, he had to work harder. If he didn't do well, he would be mocked again and it would affect his study plans.
Some relatives don't wish for others to live better than themselves.
If you're not doing well, they can't wait to step on you more, adding insult to injury, let alone helping you.
Having lived so many years, Fang Bai viewed such matters with detachment.
For him, as long as he lived well, that was enough. Life was his own, not lived for others to see.
But in reality, he still had family, and he couldn't avoid worldly expectations. If he didn't do well, his parents would be laughed at and looked down upon.
Around six o'clock, Fang Bai and his mother arrived home. His father had also just returned from outside, saying that the pork in the village was not fresh, so he had gone to the town to buy half a catty of pork.
Hearing this, Fang Bai felt a surge of bitterness, realizing his father had walked back and forth for dozens of minutes just to buy half a catty of pork.
Just as they were about to cook, Fang Shi walked out of the kitchen and handed Fang Bai an empty 500ml wine bottle and a yuan: "A-Bai, we're out of soy sauce, and the salt is almost gone. Go to the village store and get a catty of soy sauce and a packet of fine salt."
"Alright."
Fang Bai paused, then chuckled as he took the empty bottle and money, walking towards the general store he remembered.
Halfway there, if he hadn't opened the bottle cap and sniffed, he wouldn't have remembered if he was getting soy sauce or vinegar.
The general store was located in the center of the village, a few minutes' walk away.
The general store was a tiled-roof house, with only twenty or thirty types of goods for sale inside, all household necessities, sourced from the supply and marketing cooperative in town.
"San Gong, a catty of soy sauce."
Fang Bai placed the bottle on the counter and called out to a bald old man in his sixties sitting on a long bench.
The younger generation in the village all called this old man that, even though he had no family relation to Fang Bai's family.
"Alright."
The bulk soy sauce was in a large earthenware jar. San Gong chuckled as he opened the lid of the jar, and a rich soy sauce aroma wafted through the room.
Then he opened the empty wine bottle cap, used a bamboo dipper to scoop the soy sauce from the jar, and poured it into the empty bottle through a funnel. One scoop was exactly one catty, almost filling the empty bottle.
Fang Bai didn't know if it was exactly one catty, but San Gong certainly wouldn't weigh it. "One catty" was just a local term; if you asked for "one bottle," he would still give you one scoop.
If you were to ask for nine liang, you'd simply be looking for trouble.
While he was getting the soy sauce, several villagers chatting in the shop glanced at his hand multiple times. Fang Bai understood; if someone else were injured, he would also be curious and look a few extra times.
A catty of soy sauce cost five mao. After paying, Fang Bai carried the bottle of soy sauce. He had only walked a few steps out of the general store when he realized he had forgotten to buy salt, so he walked back into the store and bought a bag of salt.
He still remembered how, in the past, his parents would tell him two or three times before he left to buy household items from the store, but he would still forget something when he got home, often making two trips.
As Fang Bai walked back to the general store, he heard the villagers inside discussing his hand, basically saying it would be hard for him to earn money in the future, that he would be a bachelor for life, and some even talked about his family.
Seeing Fang Bai return to buy salt, and having heard them, the villagers who had been talking loudly looked at each other awkwardly and fell silent.
"What we said is also the truth. I hope you don't take it too much to heart. Young people should be magnanimous." An old man with yellow teeth rolled up his hand-rolled tobacco, crossed his legs, and smiled ambiguously.
"Cough, what are you talking about? You've been a bachelor for decades. The wife you married with years of savings ran off with someone else, and the child you raised for over ten years wasn't even your own. Compared to you, what do I have to take to heart?"
Fang Bai said with a smile as he finished buying the salt, innocently telling Old Qi Gong, "I hope you don't take it to heart either."
If they had only talked about him, Fang Bai wouldn't have been angry, but when they started judging his family, he wouldn't be polite. Besides, they weren't from the same village team, and in his previous life, this old man had cursed him plenty.
Hehe,
If they loved to rub salt in other people's wounds, he dared to pour sulfuric acid on their sores!
If there was a grudge, he'd settle it on the spot.
Overnight, it would spoil.
"Hey, you little brat, are you cursing? You have no manners! How did your parents teach you?" Old Qi Gong immediately swelled his neck, his eyes red, looking as if he was about to rush forward and hit Fang Bai!
"Old Qi Gong, old people should be magnanimous. Don't bother with us juniors, okay? Besides, what I said is also the truth."
After Fang Bai finished speaking, he quickly left the general store. Otherwise, if that old man with yellow teeth spat all over him, he wouldn't have an appetite for dinner, and he would be the one at a disadvantage.
"That's enough, Old Qi. What he said is also the truth. Don't bother with the younger generation." Some people in the room held the old man back to prevent him from actually hitting someone, while others gloated and mocked him.
The old man, hearing Fang Bai curse him and being laughed at by those in the room, felt very humiliated. He picked up his slipper from the ground and threw it at Fang Bai, who was walking towards the doorway.
However, Fang Bai instinctively twisted his hips, and the slipper bounced a few times before finally tumbling and landing in a pile of cow dung, making the old man's face flush red, gasping for breath.
Walking home, Fang Bai couldn't help but chuckle like a child when he thought of the old man's angry expression.
Brothers, I beg for your monthly votes! Boom boom boom!