Chapter 26: Preparing Gifts

Jiang Mingzhi only told Cui Li that she wanted to give the ink stick to her desk mate, because he had helped her a lot.

She didn’t mention whether the person was male or female, and Cui Li didn’t ask.

The two of them entered a local specialty store. Apart from the famous ink, South City was also known for a type of mushroom that, when dried, could sell for thousands of yuan per kilogram due to its high quality.

Jiang Mingzhi planned to buy some to give to Uncle Pei, Lin Wan, and Meng Yuan.

These mushrooms were said to help with nutrition, digestion, and boosting the immune system. Jiang Mingzhi remembered that when she was little, her aunt would drink chicken soup made with these mushrooms while she was recovering after giving birth. Her grandmother would also give some to her cousin, saying it would help improve brain function and enhance learning.

Back then, she herself only got a bowl of soup, but no mushrooms were added, and the chicken she got was just the driest breast meat.

Her grandmother even said that she could get first place in the class because she drank the chicken soup.

That was total nonsense—her cousin ate more than she did, so how come his grades weren’t better?

When they entered the store, Cui Li pulled Jiang Mingzhi over to a middle-aged woman. “Aunt, this is my classmate. She’s here to buy something.”

The middle-aged woman smiled warmly at Jiang Mingzhi.

Cui Li whispered into Jiang Mingzhi’s ear, “This is my aunt. She won’t trick you.”

Jiang Mingzhi nodded and explained what she wanted to buy.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Are your parents really okay with you, a young girl, buying such expensive things?”

After all, dried specialty products like these were often used to deceive customers. Looking at Jiang Mingzhi’s appearance, it was clear she was a high school student who probably never dealt with such things. She was an easy target for being tricked.

And these mushrooms were expensive—would her parents really trust her to buy them alone?

Jiang Mingzhi replied, “Yes, I’m buying some for out-of-town friends. Please help me pick the best quality ones.”

The woman took her to look at the goods. The mushrooms were packed in huge, thick plastic bags, separated into grades: top-tier, middle-tier, and lower-tier.

She pointed to one of the bags and said, “This is the best in the store. Many people buy these wild mushrooms to give as gifts.”

Then, she pointed to another bag, “These are cultivated, more uniform in size, and they come in gift boxes. Quite a few people choose these too.”

Finally, she said, “Well, wild mushrooms are much more expensive than cultivated ones. How much do you need, young lady?”

Jiang Mingzhi asked, “How much are they per kilogram?”

“The wild ones are 1288 yuan per kilogram, and the cultivated ones are 588 yuan.”

The price difference was significant, and Jiang Mingzhi decided to go for the wild mushrooms.

Since she was buying them as gifts, Jiang Mingzhi had given gifts like Maotai, cigarettes that couldn’t be found on the market, and various expensive presents to several business partners before.

So buying mushrooms at 1288 yuan per kilogram didn’t really faze her. Cui Li, on the other hand, was shocked by her generosity.

What kind of friends would require such expensive mushrooms? In South City, these types of gifts were typically given when asking for favors.

Jiang Mingzhi didn’t know what her friends thought, and even if she did, she wouldn’t see anything wrong with it.

People from Jing City were used to sending gifts worth thousands, like shopping cards of at least 5000 yuan.

And the people she was buying for, like Lin Wan, Guan Jingxu, and Zhuang Heyang, all looked like they came from wealthy families. If these mushrooms weren’t famous and a local specialty of South City, she might’ve felt a bit embarrassed.

From what Jiang Mingzhi knew, even when it came to birthday gifts between Pei Jinyang and his friends, it was always something high-end, either a brand name or something with special commemorative value, like shoes worth several thousand yuan, bracelets, or basketballs signed by famous players.

Pei Jinyang’s allowance for one month was 3000 yuan, and apart from buying school supplies, she didn’t have much to spend. She didn’t buy blind boxes or care for figurines, so she’d saved up quite a bit over the past few months.

Jiang Mingzhi, in her youthful, innocent appearance, had only been away from South City for less than half a year, and she was still a high school student.

But her soul, after many years of navigating the business world, had become highly skilled in interpersonal relationships. Even now, she couldn’t help but bring her practical, business-like approach to everything.

The mushrooms were to be given as a gift to Uncle Pei. He would get two kilograms, and for four friends, each would receive 888 grams. The salesperson helped pack everything, and Jiang Mingzhi also picked up some snacks that would last a long time: dried fruit and crispy rice cakes, four portions of each.

After shopping, Cui Li helped Jiang Mingzhi carry a large bag.

Before they knew it, it was time to part ways. Cui Li was particularly reluctant. “Will you be coming back during the summer vacation?”

Jiang Mingzhi shook her head. “I probably won’t be back.”

Cui Li mentioned that the mothers had already started selecting summer camps for their kids and asked if Jiang Mingzhi was interested in going, and if so, what kind of camp she’d like.

Jiang Mingzhi didn’t want to go—after all, she had already attended one in her previous life.

Cui Li sighed, “Ah, does that mean we won’t see each other for a whole year?”

Jiang Mingzhi smiled. “You’re overthinking it. We’ll meet again in college.”

Cui Li looked dejected. “How could I possibly go to the same school as you? Your grades are so much better, and you even skipped a grade. I’ll always be your junior.”

Jiang Mingzhi felt a little embarrassed. When it came to studying, she was indeed struggling in this life.

After many years without studying, and with her university major not requiring much knowledge of science, it was hard for her to get back into high school, especially in the second year.

Thinking back…

Jiang Mingzhi encouraged her, “So you’ve got to work hard. Even if we don’t go to the same school, at least we can go to the same college town.”

From what she knew, Cui Li eventually got into college, though it wasn’t a very prestigious university. Still, if she had been able to motivate her, that would count as a small win.

Cui Li smiled. “Alright, I’ll work hard,” she said, putting on her helmet. “Get in the car, I’ll take you home.”

The things were hung on the front of the electric scooter, and Jiang Mingzhi sat on the back.

Her young friend weaved through the familiar yet strange small town, passing neon lights that shimmered in the rearview mirror.

Just like her life, it felt like it was being rewound.

Back at the hotel room, Qiu Tang was video calling Pei Zhaohua. When she saw Jiang Mingzhi return with bags in hand, she was startled.

“Did your friend bring this to you?”

Jiang Mingzhi casually dropped the bags on the carpet and plopped down on the sofa. “No, I bought some South City specialties for my friends and Uncle Pei.”

Qiu Tang grinned. “Hey, Zhaohua, did you hear that? Mingzhi came back to South City and thought about bringing you gifts!”

Pei Zhaohua’s cheerful laugh came through the phone. “Then I’ll thank Mingzhi in advance.”

Then Pei Zhaohua commented on how daughters were so considerate, calling them “the little warm jackets” or something similar.

Jiang Mingzhi went into the bathroom to wash up and didn’t hear it. Even if she had, she would’ve just blushed. After all, in her past life, she wasn’t a considerate little warm jacket; she was more like a cold-hearted troublemaker.

By the time both mother and daughter were done washing up and lying on the bed, it was just before 10 p.m.

It was still early, so Jiang Mingzhi read for a while.

Qiu Tang urged her to sleep early, as they would have to get up early the next day to visit the graves. Afterward, they’d head back to Beijing.

The two of them lay on the same bed. The bed was large enough for three people to lie between them, but Jiang Mingzhi still felt a bit awkward.

It had been such a long time since she had slept with her mother.

The last time she slept with her mother was when she was ten. One day, her mother had held her in bed and gently asked, “Mom and Dad are getting a divorce. Will you be sad?”

A child doesn’t understand such things; all she wanted was for both her parents to always stay by her side.

She didn’t understand. Why did her parents, who loved her so much, want to divorce?

Her parents had been fighting about divorce since she was nine, and they finally divorced when she was eleven.

Later, she understood that her mother had endured so much for her. When her mother got divorced, she was just relieved she didn’t have any children.