Chapter Nine: Support

After finishing her meal, Jin Xin hurried off to school again. Although Xin County was small, it was still a county town, and it took at least ten or twenty minutes by bicycle from the Jin household to the school. The short midday break truly allowed no delay. Rushing home, eating quickly, then hurrying back to school—if everything went smoothly, she might even catch a short nap of ten or twenty minutes at school, to restore some energy for the non-stop classes in the afternoon. If time was even tighter, she might have to have her family bring lunch to school. Such was one small facet of the arduous life of a third-year high school student.

Watching her brother like this, Wu Tong seemed to glimpse her own future school days.

After seeing Jin Xin off, the adults continued chatting amongst themselves, and Wu Tong had nothing to contribute. She greeted them and decided to head out to the bookstore. From her grandparents’ alley, the Xinhua Bookstore was just up the main street.

The moment she mentioned going to the bookstore to buy study materials, all the elders reached into their pockets to sponsor Wu Tong. They always wholeheartedly supported purchases for her studies.

Wu Tong waved them off, saying she had her own saved pocket money, and with her brother’s recent contribution, she was well-funded for a shopping spree at the bookstore.

“I’ll take Tongtong to the bookstore and have a stroll myself!” announced Jin Yongning, grabbing his teacup and promptly following his eldest granddaughter out of the courtyard.

“Dad, don’t buy Wu Tong this and that, especially those frozen treats—ice cream and popsicles…” Jin Yu called out anxiously, worried. Wu Tong had little self-restraint, and her father spoiled her outrageously; without constant reminders, Wu Tong was bound to end up with a stomachache.

“Dad knows what he’s doing, and Tongtong will behave. Don’t worry, big sister!” Xu Meifeng pulled Jin Yu back. The child had been studying hard all morning; it was good for her to go out and relax with her grandfather. Her sister-in-law was excellent in every way, except that she was just too strict with the children!

“Tongtong, come on, let’s buy you some snacks—or whatever you’d like. Grandpa will get it for you!” As soon as they were ten meters from the house, Jin Yongning glanced back at the gate to make sure his daughter hadn’t followed, then slipped two red bills into Wu Tong’s hand.

He adored his eldest granddaughter. After being cooped up at home studying for a month, she was still at it even at his place. He couldn’t stop her from studying, but he could at least sneak her some small pleasures.

“Hee hee, Grandpa, you’re the best!” Wu Tong accepted his kindness with a grin, tucking the money into her pocket. She resolved to repay her grandparents well in the future. Her mother had always been strict, so her grandfather’s secret dotes were her source of joy.

The two of them joked as they entered the Xinhua Bookstore. Wu Tong was no stranger there and quickly made her way to the section with high school study guides. She had already memorized Jin Xin’s book list, so for every title on it, she picked up a single copy.

There were also some new materials not on her brother’s list—she picked up two of each, intending to give him a set later as thanks for his generous sponsorship.

As for the high school textbooks, she didn’t bother buying any. School was starting in a couple of days, and the remaining science textbooks for the second and third years would be distributed then. No need to purchase extra.

She mainly chose comprehensive review papers and single-subject practice books. Earlier at noon, she’d checked and seen that her brother’s bookshelf was already piled high with such materials. She could simply cover his answers and work through them again, so there was no need to buy duplicates.

She was quick at solving problems and reading, so buying the same materials again would be wasteful.

Huanggang’s Secret Papers, Five-Three, Must-Do Questions, Wang Houxiong… Wu Tong was like a little mouse who’d fallen into a rice jar, picking out books without the least hesitation, piling them high in her arms. Jin Yongning, seeing his granddaughter’s enthusiasm, helped carry whatever else she picked.

Before long, both Wu Tong and Jin Yongning were carrying towering piles of books, attracting the attention of everyone around them. Jin Yongning was quite pleased—look how much his precious granddaughter loved to learn, how impressive she was!

He proudly led Wu Tong to the counter and insisted on paying for the books. “You’re just a child—how much pocket money could you have? Save it for yourself, let Grandpa pay for these!”

Jin Yu never gave Wu Tong too much allowance, and Wu Jingzhong was of little help, unable to win better perks for his daughter. Jin Yongning would do what he could to save for Tongtong!

Wu Tong couldn’t help but laugh. She’d brought four hundred yuan from home—her parents had given her extra money knowing she’d buy study materials; her brother had just given her another six hundred at noon, and now her grandpa had slipped her two hundred more. In 2009, having 1,200 yuan in her pocket as a high schooler made her feel positively wealthy!

The two heavy bags of study materials were no joke. Jin Yongning wanted to carry them all by himself, unwilling to let his granddaughter tire herself, but Wu Tong would not allow it. Though her grandfather was still robust, he was getting on in years—she couldn’t trust his self-assessment!

In the end, the pair left the store and hailed a three-wheeler to take them home. At that time in Xin County, taxis were rare, and even ten years later, these little covered tricycles were still the mainstay for hailing rides around town. Small and convenient, they could go anywhere and were a common sight on the streets.

Hearing the commotion, Jin Yuan came out to help carry the books into the house. The heavy weight made him secretly click his tongue in amazement—this child was truly diligent! With so many study materials, how long would it take her to finish them? For someone like Jin Yuan, who’d never enjoyed studying, the thought of working through all those booklets would drive him mad!

This time, neither Wu Jingzhong nor Jin Yu voiced any objection to Wu Tong buying so many materials at once. They had seen for themselves the diligence and care she’d put into her studies over the past month; every book she’d bought before was filled from cover to cover with earnest, meticulous work. They were now fully confident in their daughter—if she bought so many, she must have a use for them and would make good use of them.

A child who loved to learn—what parent could do anything but support her wholeheartedly?

“Dad, how much was it? Let me pay you!” Jin Yu pulled out her wallet. Since her father had gone along, she knew he would never let Tongtong pay herself.

“Are you trying to embarrass your old man? I can still manage to buy my granddaughter some study materials without your fuss. I’m not decrepit yet!” Jin Yongning glared at his daughter in annoyance.

“Go on, go home, and leave Tongtong here. I’ll take her back when school starts!”

Well, that was a clear dismissal! Jin Yu could only throw up her hands in exasperation—old folks were like children; what was there to argue with her own father about? If he wanted them gone, they’d just leave and come another time!

“That’s just how Dad is. Everything’s here, and the new clothes I got for Tongtong are washed and hanging in her closet. Help yourself, big sister, Wu, just leave Tongtong here with us and don’t worry!” Xu Meifeng smiled to smooth things over. “We’ve missed her all summer long—no matter what, we have to keep her here for a few days!”