Chapter 139: I Want to Be Good to You

Dong Yanyan carefully arranged the rhinestone-inlaid hairclips. In this era, rhinestone accessories had not yet flooded the market. While such items could easily fetch upwards of fifteen yuan in city department stores, selling them for at least twenty yuan here was practically guaranteed.

Her mother, bundled up in a thick cotton-padded coat, was bustling about helping her. Knowing her mother had many acquaintances in the town and fearing she might feel too embarrassed to hawk goods in public, Dong Yanyan gently suggested she take a stroll around the bustling fair to buy whatever was needed. Stubbornly, her mother refused, insisting on standing by her side. Yanyan knew her mother simply worried about leaving her alone here, so she let her be. Besides, she would not be able to enjoy this kind of overprotective care for many more years, and revisiting it felt rather comforting.

As time passed, the crowds at the fair grew thicker. People began to walk over and inquire about the prices. There were many lookers and few buyers, but Yanyan was already accustomed to this, patiently helping them pick and choose items while her mother enthusiastically chimed in to help greet the customers. Seeing her mother’s nose tipped red from the cold, a pang of sympathy touched Yanyan’s heart. She vowed to herself that she would never set up a street stall the next time she came home. Next year—by this exact time next year—she would ensure her family enjoyed a secure and prosperous Spring Festival.

A hand wearing a knitted glove suddenly snatched up a hairclip, waving it right before her eyes.

"This little trinket is quite pretty," a rakish voice drawled. As Yanyan looked up, she received a light flick on the forehead.

Rubbing her forehead, she smiled up at the young man standing before her and said, "Deskmate, if you like it, just take it!"

This spirited, roguish boy was named Song Yang. He had been her deskmate for all three years of middle school—the quintessential bad boy found in every classroom. School mischief, trouble-making, and puppy love were never complete without him. He was a notorious little tyrant who drove teachers crazy, throwing his weight around in class and earning little favor with anyone.

Yet, he treated her differently. Back then, even though she was young, she somehow understood that a mischievous boy wasn't necessarily a bad kid. Besides, she had been an avid admirer of both good looks and table-sharing partners since childhood. Naturally, she had been very kind to him: letting him copy her homework, helping him hide cigarettes and lighters when teachers conducted impromptu body searches, and even taking exams for him during quizzes. Of course, the rewards she reaped in return were plentiful. During classroom cleaning duties, he took total responsibility for chores like wiping the chalkboard and fetching water. Moreover, he explicitly warned his little gang of friends that absolutely no one was allowed to bully her. She remained the only girl among all the students to enjoy such privileged treatment. Because of her natural introversion and low self-esteem in those years, she never developed the haughty pride other girls held in front of the troublemakers; instead, she harvested a unique friendship, spending three years effectively sheltered under his protection.

After graduation, he attended vocational school for a mere two days before dropping out to open an audiovisual shop in town. Long after that, he drifted to the four corners of the country for business, and they hadn't seen each other in countless years.

Looking at his roguish,痞子-like (insolent) smile, she suddenly realized that his mischievous, rebellious aura bore a striking resemblance to Ren Jiaxuan. No wonder she had so easily fallen for Ren Jiaxuan back then; it turned out there was a familiar, affectionate sense of nostalgia at play.

"When did you get back?" Song Yang asked with a grin.

"The day before yesterday," Yanyan replied with a smile. "I was actually planning to go look for you guys this afternoon, but here you are."

"Let's get the old class together for a gathering in a few days. It'll be at my family's restaurant. Jianbo and the others are already on board, and Wang Fang's group is coming too. You and Li Juan should come as well," Song Yang suggested cheerfully.

"I'll definitely be there. I haven't seen you all in half a year, I've missed you guys," Yanyan smiled. For her, it was far more than just half a year; she hadn't seen many of these classmates in over a decade. A reunion sounded wonderful, and thinking back to that long-ago gathering truly stirred a wave of nostalgia—that had been the sole get-together after junior high graduation.

"You better make sure you come, hear that? I've gotta run," Song Yang said. After taking a few steps away, he suddenly turned back, unraveled the long scarf from his own neck, and wrapped it tightly around her face until only her two eyes were visible. "You've gotta wrap up warm, otherwise it's freezing! Look how good this is, you won't feel the cold at all." Satisfied with his handiwork, Song Yang waved goodbye and walked off.

Yanyan cast a stealthy glance at her mother from behind the shelter of the scarf.

"I kept telling you to wear a scarf and you refused. Don't forget to return it to him next time. This classmate of yours is a good kid; he always greets me whenever he runs into me at the market," her mother remarked.

Yanyan almost forgot that her mother had met the few classmates she was close with; she must have simply grown used to it.

"Sis, how much for this bracelet?" a heavily made-up young woman in her early twenties with long hair picked up a nearby bracelet and asked.

"You really know how to pick, Sis. This bracelet is our best seller. Let me help you try it on," Yanyan said warmly, slipping the bracelet onto the woman's wrist. Truth be told, selling bracelets in the dead of winter was notoriously difficult, especially in the countryside where everyone wore thick gloves. Wearing a bracelet felt like wearing nothing at all since nobody could see it, which was why she hadn't bothered restocking them during her last supply run—these few were simply leftover stock from autumn.

The long-haired girl admired the bracelet on her wrist for a long time, feeling quite pleased, and asked, "How much is this?"

"This one is thirty," Yanyan smiled.

The girl's expression faltered slightly. She slid the bracelet off, tossed it back, and said, "Way too expensive, I'm not buying it."

"Sis, this one is inlaid with colored rhinestones, look how pretty it is," Yanyan coaxed with a smile. "Alright, since it's the last one, I won't haggle with you—twenty-five at the very least, consider it my treat to you."

"Ten yuan," the girl said, picking the bracelet back up.

"Sis, I really can't let it go for that much. How about you take a look at this one instead? It's fifteen, inlaid with rhinestones and just as pretty," Yanyan said, picking up a different bracelet.

"Forget it, I'm not buying. So expensive," the girl huffed and walked away, looking thoroughly displeased.

Yanyan was well-used to this and didn't take it to heart. Turning back, she saw her mother holding her arms across her chest and stamping her feet, shivering uncontrollably in the biting wind.

"Mom, why don't you go find a shop to warm up in for a bit? I can watch the stall by myself," Yanyan said.

Her mother forced a stiff, strained smile. "I'm fine. Why don't you go warm up for a while? I'll watch things here."

Yanyan knew her mother would respond this way. Recognizing the good intentions, she didn't argue further; otherwise, a perfectly fine moment would end up spoiled by stubborn bickering. That's just how things were between family members—sometimes both parties clearly acted out of love, yet a stubborn clash could easily spark a full-blown argument, highlighting just how crucial mindset and communication methods truly were.

Yanyan counted the cash in her hand. She had made a little over two hundred yuan that morning, and after deducting the capital costs, she still had a profit of over a hundred left. She pulled out a hundred-yuan bill, handed it to her mother, and smiled. "Mom, our family hasn't bought firecrackers yet, right? Why don't you go find Dad and buy some now? Once you're done, we can pack up our stall and head home."

Her mother repeatedly waved her hands in refusal. "No, no, I can't possibly spend your money!"

"What do you mean *my* money? Aren't I still relying on you guys to support me? Besides, the startup capital was yours to begin with, and you've been helping me sell the goods," Yanyan nudged her gently. "Go on, hurry back!"