Chapter 25 Part 1

Just as things were about to erupt into a full-blown argument, Liu Chunhua hurried over.

She was holding two steaming hot sausages. When she spotted Mother Lin, she let out an “Oh my!”

“You actually ran into each other,” Liu Chunhua said with a hearty laugh. “Looks like we really do have a fateful connection.”

Mother Lin smiled and greeted her warmly. “Hello, Niannian’s mom. Our Tianyi got the date mixed up and insisted on coming today to check if registration was open…”

Lin Tianyi chimed in, “I thought it was tomorrow, so coming today seemed safer.”

“Oh, what a clever boy,” Liu Chunhua praised without a hint of insincerity, eyeing the sturdy, round-faced little kid. She handed him one of the sausages. “Here, let Auntie treat you to a sausage.”

Lin Tianyi’s eyes lit up. “Wow…”

Mother Lin waved her hands hurriedly. “Oh no, that’s all right. We had lunch late…”

“Slurp.” Lin Tianyi swallowed hard, practically drooling. “Mom, I’m hungry.”

Mother Lin hesitated. “…”

Liu Chunhua thrust the skewer into his hand. “Take it. Eat this first.”

Mother Lin felt terribly awkward. “These were for Niannian and the others, weren’t they? Where did you get them…”

Liu Chunhua handed the other sausage to Fang Zhi. “No worries. Chen Nian doesn’t eat them.”

Chen Nian, who had been gearing up to tease Lin Tianyi mercilessly: “???”

Liu Chunhua explained, “She doesn’t like sausages. She said she ate too many over New Year’s and got sick of them.”

Chen Nian: “???”

Lin Tianyi had already taken a big bite. “So good! I love meat! I could eat it three times a day and never get tired of it!”

Chen Nian: “…”

All Chen Nian could do was pout and snipe, “You are what you eat.”

Lin Tianyi couldn’t have cared less. With his sausage in hand, he forgot all about Fang Zhi and the lunch table. He grabbed his mom’s hand and chowed down, grease dripping from his mouth.

Chen Nian twitched her lips. Arguing with a real little kid felt utterly pointless—like punching a big, dumb cotton ball. There was no give, no satisfaction anywhere.

Liu Chunhua and Mother Lin fell into easy chatter. Fang Zhi tugged at Chen Nian’s sleeve and held out the sausage. “Want some?”

The sausage did look tempting, crispy on the outside and tender within, with that perfect burst of juices—ideal for a winter day…

Chen Nian shook her head. “Nah.”

She sniffed. “Too greasy.”

Fang Zhi gave her a look, then stopped pressing and took a small bite herself.

Chen Nian pouted.

Adult conversations were strange. Women’s friendships were even stranger.

Chen Nian might have been a grown woman herself, but she couldn’t fathom how talk of school and homework suddenly veered into high excitement about heading to the rice noodle shop down the street.

Naturally, they brought all three kids along.

Lin Tianyi polished off his sausage and moved on to slurping rice noodles, his mouth going nonstop. Chen Nian watched his eyes get squished half-shut by his chubby cheeks and genuinely worried for his future.

If the kid kept eating like this, how would he ever find a wife?

She rummaged through her memories. This elementary school classmate was completely unremarkable, not occupying even the tiniest corner of her mind.

Chen Nian glanced at Fang Zhi and hoped Lin Tianyi stayed that way—never taking up even a sliver of space in her head or Fang Zhi’s.

Her mom really took a shine to Mother Lin, though. The two of them seemed to have endless things to talk about. When Liu Chunhua got excited, she’d slap her thigh and gesture grandly. Mother Lin’s eyes would sparkle as she watched, clutching the tissue in her palm, ever ready to wipe Tianyi’s mouth.

She always seemed so gentle, so fragile.

The two families lingered quite a while at the rice noodle shop. During that time, Lin Tianyi pestered Chen Nian repeatedly for info on Fang Zhi. Chen Nian hemmed and hawed, reluctant to spill, but her mom had a quick tongue.

Lin Tianyi learned her name was Fang Zhi, that she lived at Chen Nian’s house, that she was super smart, and that she was transferring to their school soon.

He clapped his hands in delight. Elementary schoolers had this mysterious obsession with transfer students.

Finally, as dusk fell, the two moms said their goodbyes.

Lin Tianyi waved vigorously at Chen Nian and Fang Zhi, flinging his jacket hem up to reveal a strip of his white, chubby belly.

“Bye, Chen Nian! Bye, Fang Zhi—” he shouted. “See you the day after tomorrow, Chen Nian! Fang Zhi!”

Chen Nian smiled and waved. “Bye, Auntie.”

Fang Zhi waved along with her, playing the part of the shy, quiet, beautiful little girl to perfection.

That evening at home, Liu Chunhua told Chen Junjie about running into Mother Lin. Chen Nian rushed over to tattle. “I didn’t get any sausage!”

Liu Chunhua shot back, “You said you didn’t want it.”

Chen Nian retorted, “You were the one who said I’d eaten too much meat over New Year’s and was sick of it.”

Liu Chunhua shrugged. “Didn’t you say that yourself?”

Chen Nian admitted, “Yeah, I did.”

Liu Chunhua nodded. “There you go.”

Chen Nian said, “But I didn’t say I wouldn’t eat the grilled sausage.”

Liu Chunhua replied, “Isn’t grilled sausage meat?”

Chen Nian fell silent. “……”

Chen Junjie burst out laughing. “Hahahahahahaha……”

Fang Zhi chimed in, “I gave it to you, and you said you were sick of it.”

Liu Chunhua added, “See? It’s her who doesn’t want to eat it.”

Chen Junjie kept laughing. “Hahahahahahaha……”

Chen Nian had nothing to say. “………………”

Chen Nian pouted and shouted, “You’re all bullying me!” Then she turned and stormed into the bedroom.

She left the door ajar—she wasn’t truly upset over something so trivial. Pretending to be a petulant little girl and throwing a tantrum with her parents was already the extent of her indulgence.

Moments later, Liu Chunhua brought in a plate of fried meatballs. Chen Junjie secretly slipped five yuan into Chen Nian’s pocket.

Chen Nian pocketed the money, munched on the tasty treats, and was beaming with joy when a knock-knock-knock sounded at the door.

Her smile faded as she called out, “Who is it?”

Fang Zhi pushed the door open and poked her head in. “Me.”

Chen Nian kept up the pretense. “Who’re you?”

Fang Zhi strode right in. “Your sister.”

Chen Nian was speechless. “……”

Hands clasped behind her back, Fang Zhi approached and glanced at the half-eaten meatballs on Chen Nian’s desk. “Sick of them?”

Chen Nian furrowed her brow. “They’re fine.”

Fang Zhi produced the item from behind her. “The green one’s for you.”

It was a pencil case.

Chen Nian couldn’t hold it in and let out a “pfft” of laughter.

“Hey, actually, I didn’t insist on the green one. I just thought…” Chen Nian looked up at Fang Zhi. Fresh from a shower, the curly-haired girl looked soft and radiant. “Pink suits you better.”

Fang Zhi asked, “Why?”

“Because you’re pretty,” Chen Nian replied without hesitation. “The kind of girl who makes pink bubbles float up at first sight.”

Fang Zhi tilted her head. “Why pink bubbles?”

“It’s a metaphor…” Chen Nian struggled to explain. “Like cherry blossoms in spring or summer ice cream. It just feels… wonderful.”

Fang Zhi nodded.

Chen Nian grinned. “Got it?”

Fang Zhi reached over, snatched the green pencil case off the table, and turned to leave.

Chen Nian protested, “Hey… what’re you doing? Not giving me any now? Then it’s not wonderful anymore…”

Fang Zhi ignored her. Soon enough, she returned to Chen Nian’s room and set the pink pencil case down on the desk.

Chen Nian blinked. “Ah, this…”

Without another word, Fang Zhi turned and headed out to bed.

Chen Nian stared at the pencil case for a long while, her cheeks growing warm.

She buried her face in her hands and giggled.

The next day was the Lantern Festival. After sleeping in, Chen Nian and Fang Zhi each had their own little lantern.

That evening, the two of them carried their lanterns as they strolled the streets with Mom and Dad. A photo booth was set up outside a studio, and Chen Junjie dragged everyone over, insisting on snapping a commemorative picture amid the pitch-black night.

The lantern-lit street glowed behind them, the light source at their backs. Chen Nian strained to hold up her lantern, but it couldn’t illuminate all four faces.

She didn’t need to see the developed photo to know how it turned out, yet she felt utterly delighted all the same.

Joyful moments didn’t require flawless images; they etched themselves into memory, growing ever more vivid with time.

After that day of fun, school registration day arrived.

Early the next morning, Mom hauled Chen Nian out of bed. Grumbling under her breath, Chen Nian shuffled out of her room and spotted Fang Zhi, already dressed and ready.

Fang Zhi sported a high ponytail tied with a ribbon adorned by a pink pom-pom. Her pink jacket over a white sweater paired perfectly with her white leather ankle boots—she was almost too cute for words.

“Wow!” Chen Nian exclaimed.

Fang Zhi turned around; her outfit and hat featured a pair of little wings. “Hurry up. Breakfast’s ready.”

Chen Nian nodded eagerly. “Right, right, let’s eat.”

Once Fang Zhi was out of earshot, Chen Nian asked her mom, “It’s just registration and picking up books today—no classes. Why are we up so early?”

Liu Chunhua shot back, “Why don’t you go ask Zhizhi?”

Chen Nian clammed up. “I’ll go brush my teeth.”

After breakfast, as Liu Chunhua helped Fang Zhi pack her schoolbag, Chen Nian pieced it together.

The enrollment exam they’d mentioned still hadn’t gotten a specific time, but it looked like today was the day.

With teachers on duty and classes starting tomorrow, adding a transfer student was no big hassle. They’d probably knock out the exam right then and there.

The schoolbag was brand new—a Cardcaptor Sakura one that perfectly matched Fang Zhi’s style.

Chen Nian slung her old bag over her shoulder, and Fang Zhi kept glancing at it.

Sensing her concern, Chen Nian reassured her. “Mine’s great—I love it. Wouldn’t trade even if you begged.”

Fang Zhi pursed her lips, unzipped Chen Nian’s bag for a peek, and spotted the shiny new pink pencil case nestled safely inside. Only then did her expression soften.

Chen Nian had grown quite adept at clambering onto the front bar of the bicycle, while Fang Zhi could wait until it picked up speed before hopping onto the rear seat.

At first, Chen Nian had worried that her mother might struggle to pedal with both of them aboard. But after witnessing her young mom tearing through the city streets on that hefty bicycle, swift as the wind and lightning-fast, she set her concerns aside.

From the front, she bellowed, “Charge! Ultraman! Onward to the light of justice!!!”

Fang Zhi dissolved into giggles behind her.

They arrived early, before many classes had even set up their registration desks.

Chen Nian tugged Fang Zhi along, chattering about the school’s various areas and facilities as they hurried to the door of Grade 2 Class 3.

The homeroom teacher, Teacher Wen, was hauling stools around, and Liu Chunhua rushed forward to lend a hand.

The two women knew each other a little. Teacher Wen was startled to spot Fang Zhi and whispered, “Did you adopt her?”

Liu Chunhua replied forthrightly, “That’s right. Little Zhi’s part of our family now.”

Wen Can glanced at the pair. Chen Nian held Fang Zhi’s hand as they peered over the windowsill into the classroom. Fang Zhi looked far more vibrant than she had back at the Welfare Institute. Chen Nian’s eyes shone with delight, her excitement plain to see—she clearly doted on Fang Zhi.

“It’s truly miraculous,” Wen Can murmured.

The registration setup was nothing fancy: just a table and two stools with forms and ink pads atop it, positioned right outside each classroom door.

Wen Can had arrived early, and her partner teacher hadn’t shown up yet, so she chatted a little longer with Liu Chunhua.

Liu Chunhua asked about the director’s office; she needed to take Fang Zhi for her entrance exam.

“Is she joining our school?” Wen Can asked.

“Yes,” Liu Chunhua said. “Look at those two—they’re inseparable. You’ll have to keep an eye on them for me, Teacher Wen.”

“Oh, of course,” Wen Can nodded.

They talked a while longer until Liu Chunhua checked the time and beckoned Chen Nian over.

“Come register now, then head into the classroom and wait for your books.”

Chen Nian’s eyes went wide. “Do we have to go straight to the classroom after registering?”

“Otherwise you’ll scamper off again,” Wen Can said, “and it’ll be like herding chicks…”

“Then I won’t register yet, Teacher Wen,” Chen Nian declared.

She dashed over and grabbed her mother’s hand. “Mom, let’s take Zhizhi to her exam first. We’ll come back to register later.”

Wen Can blinked in surprise, tapping the roster in her hand. “Chen Nian, you sure? Register now, and you’re first in line. You’ll get your books first, too.”