Chapter 10

Moreover, the Wang family probably doesn’t want to see her either, especially after that major incident, right?

If it weren’t for the fact that the Education Bureau, the police, the schoolteachers, and the principal were all present at the time, Wang Zi’s mother probably wouldn’t have handed over the money so easily.

—-

After hanging up the phone, Lin Nanzhi noticed that Lin Nanxun had been watching her the whole time. She tossed her Xiaolingtong (a type of small mobile phone) to him, then pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and placed it on the table. “This is for you. You can buy food, clothes—whatever you want.”

Lin Nanxun caught the phone and looked at the hundred-yuan bill on the table. He quickly picked it up but then hesitated, finding something off. He put it back down. “Where did you get so much money? You didn’t take Dad’s money, did you?”

Lin Nanzhi: “…”

The cost of living here wasn’t high. Even spicy strips were only fifty cents a pack, and there were still snacks priced at just ten cents. A hundred yuan was enough for Lin Nanxun to buy three full sets of clothes, or a huge amount of food.

Their father rarely gave them extra money beyond the essentials.

Lin Nanzhi got a weekly allowance for middle school, but it was only just enough for herself. Occasionally, if she had a couple of yuan left over, she would buy something for Lin Nanxun. So it was no wonder he was so surprised to see so much money.

“It’s not stolen or robbed—take it or leave it.” She reached for the money, but Lin Nanxun snatched it up faster and stuffed it into his pocket.

“I’ll take it! Why wouldn’t I? I’m not stupid!”

Lin Nanzhi rolled her eyes.

Looks like I can still handle him.

For some reason, their father seemed to be feeling guilty about neglecting their daily lives. Today, he had unusually bought a lot of fruit for the house, including two pineapples.

Lin Nanzhi picked up a knife to cut the pineapple, but unexpectedly, she sliced her finger. She distinctly felt the pain in her thumb, as well as the sensation of the blade cutting into her skin. However, when she raised her hand to check, there was nothing—no wound at all.

She stared at it for a long time in confusion, then figured it must have been her imagination. She continued cutting the pineapple, soaked the pieces in salt water, and grabbed a banana to eat while waiting.

“When’s your exam?”

“The first.”

“On New Year’s Day?”

“Yeah.”

Lin Nanzhi chuckled with schadenfreude, earning a dramatic eye roll from Lin Nanxun.

The two of them sat idly on the couch—one watching cartoons, the other playing a game—when their mother called.

Their mother, Lin Mu, was working in Zhejiang with Lin Nanxuan. She often sent clothes home for the siblings or called to check on them.

Since they were about to go on vacation, she had called to check in on them again.

Lin Nanzhi answered the phone, and as soon as Lin Mu spoke, she asked, “Zhi Zhi, have you eaten yet?”

People from Zhonghua (China) always started conversations with this kind of down-to-earth greeting.

“We ate. Mom, what about you?”

“I haven’t eaten yet. I just got to Lufengya, and I’ve got a lot of stuff with me. Can you and Lin Xun come pick me up?”

That’s right—Lin Mu had returned home recently because her ID card had expired and needed to be renewed. She had only stayed for a few days before leaving again, and in the process, she had also finalized her divorce from their father.

I can’t believe I almost forgot about that.

—-

In her past life, Lin Mu had come back and had a long conversation with their father, saying that they either needed to divorce or stop fighting. Their father, acting on impulse, had agreed to divorce, and they even took Lin Nanzhi with them to handle the paperwork.

Her parents had once been deeply in love, but due to constant meddling from relatives on both sides, their relationship had deteriorated. They had already been living separately for four or five years—divorce was just a formality at this point.

Besides, their father had a strong patriarchal mindset and had even hit their mother. She couldn’t take it anymore and had gone to work in another province. This time, she had returned specifically to finalize the divorce.

Even in this life, Lin Nanzhi had no intention of trying to stop them.

After all, for both of them, divorce was the best option. Besides… in her past life, she had dropped out of school and followed her mother to Zhejiang, only to find out that Lin Mu had already found a new boyfriend. That realization had been difficult to accept.

Lin Mu had once told her that the fights and eventual divorce with her father were all because of another woman. In the end, both sides had their reasons, and Lin Nanzhi couldn’t tell who was truly in the wrong. She just felt that divorce was the fairest solution.

“Zhi Zhi, are you listening?”

“I’m listening. We’ll come right away.”

After hanging up, Lin Nanzhi called Lin Nanxun to grab a flashlight and go with her to pick up their mother.

Lin Nanxun was absolutely thrilled when he heard that their mother was back. He even skipped down the road, making his excitement obvious.

Most children in the village were left behind while their parents worked far away. Some parents were gone for years, and only a few were able to bring their children with them. The ones left behind rarely got to see their parents, so of course, they were overjoyed when they did.

Lufengya was in the third section of the village, about 2.7 li (roughly 1.35 kilometers) from the first section where Papaya Creek was. Walking there took about twenty minutes. But since it was snowing heavily that night, the two of them walked slowly and took an extra fifteen minutes to get there.

Lin Mu was well aware of the cold here, so she was dressed in a long down coat.

She wasn’t from Zhonghua—she was Russian. She had long blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. Standing at 1.65 meters tall and maintaining a youthful appearance, she looked like a university student despite being nearly forty.

Beside her were several bags, big and small. There was no doubt she had brought gifts for them.

Lin Nanxun was so excited to see her that he rushed forward and threw himself into her arms. Meanwhile, Lin Nanzhi walked over more calmly. To Lin Nanxun, it had been years since he last saw their mother, but for her, they had only been apart for a short while, and Lin Mu hadn’t changed at all.

She grabbed a suitcase, placed some of the bags on top, and helped carry them.

“Why didn’t you wear more layers? It’s cold. Was the road slippery?”

“No, it just started snowing.”

Lin Mu took another suitcase and some of the bags, leaving the rest for Lin Nanxun. The three of them carried everything off the highway and walked home together.

By the time they got home, Lin Nanzhi’s hands were frozen stiff. She quickly stretched them out over the fire and warmed her face, finally feeling alive again.

Lin Mu, on the other hand, didn’t seem to feel the cold at all. She excitedly opened the suitcases and took everything out one by one—clothes, pants, and shoes for both of them, even a pair of shoes for their father, along with some snacks.

After unpacking everything, she asked, “Where’s your dad?”

“He went to Lufengya to eat.”

Lin Mu didn’t ask any further, and Lin Nanzhi didn’t say anything either.

She then asked about their recent grades, and both siblings responded that they were doing okay.

Lin Nanzhi struggled with math, while Lin Nanxun wasn’t good at Chinese, but overall, their grades were decent.

Luckily, Lin Mu didn’t press further and instead changed the topic. “I heard you have exams soon. Have you been reviewing?”

“Yes.”

“Where’s your sister? Didn’t she come back with you?”

“She didn’t want to come back. She practically wants to stay there forever!”

Mentioning Lin Nanxuan made Lin Mu visibly frustrated.

That daughter was always causing trouble—staying out all night, hanging out with bad friends, drinking. And now she had a boyfriend whom Lin Mu didn’t trust, but Lin Nanxuan thought she was being unfair.

Just thinking about it gave her a headache!