CHAPTER 144: CHAPTER 144: WRAPPING BOOKS

Zhou He had just come out of the house when she overheard the words of Auntie Liu.

Her chubby grandson.

The newly married Zhou He was expressing great shyness.

As she had just stepped out, was it still possible to take her foot back?

"Each thing in its own right, I’ll take the chili peppers, but I really can’t accept the eggs,"

Ji Ying said decisively. To be indebted for food eaten and favors received made her uncomfortable. On this account, she had her principles.

"Mom, our chicks at home are still too young to lay eggs. It just so happens we’ve bought Auntie Liu’s eggs, which can help Nianhua nourish his body since he is working so hard at school," Zhou He came forward, standing behind Ji Ying and suggested softly.

Seeing that Auntie Liu was insistent on leaving the eggs, why not just buy them instead? That way, Auntie Liu’s intentions would be fulfilled, and the mother-in-law wouldn’t have to feel uncomfortable about accepting eggs for nothing.

"That sounds good." Ji Ying agreed immediately and dropped the subject. They didn’t have eggs at home, and buying ten eggs to nourish the family seemed like a good idea.

Auntie Liu herself felt slightly embarrassed—it felt as if she was forcing the sale of the eggs.

Zhou He weighed the chilies for Auntie Liu, Ji Ying paid the money, including the cost of the eggs.

"How can I accept this?" Auntlie Liu looked at the money in her hands and finally accepted it after Ji Ying insisted several times.

She would have to think of some other way in the future.

...

In the county, at Gaoliang County No. 1 High School.

Xu Nianhua and Xu Nian’an were both repeating a year, and everyone was placed in the same class; most students in their class had not been admitted to university previously.

With nine classes in the senior year, getting forty to fifty students admitted to university was considered quite good.

There was only one class for those who were repeating the year, and although many wanted to, repeating meant spending more money, which many families could not afford.

Xu Zhiyuan was also in the same class, but he pretended not to know them, blending in with the other students while Xu Nian’an and Xu Nianhua naturally acted as if they hadn’t seen him.

Sitting at her desk, Xu Nianhua often felt as if she was in a different world, gazing at the youthful faces around her, as if she was dreaming.

How many years had it been since she had last attended school?

She hadn’t felt it while at home, but sitting in the classroom, Xu Nianhua realized she was not used to it.

In the past, she might as well have been an old woman, and sitting here now, looking at those youthful faces, she couldn’t help but lament, "Youth is wonderful."

"You’re only nineteen, why do you sound so old and cranky?" Xu Nian’an tapped her head gently with his notebook and said, "Didn’t you use to love covering books? The books have been issued, why haven’t you covered them yet?"

As he spoke, Xu Nian’an took her new books, brought out the prepared calendar paper, and began to cover her books, then wrote on the pristine white cover in hollow lettering details such as the subject, class, and her name.

"How’s that? Not bad handwriting from your brother, right?" Xu Nian’an handed her the wrapped book, expecting praise, which made Xu Nianhua unable to help but laugh.

Sitting in the classroom, Xu Nianhua felt herself to be a nineteen-year-old girl. She had adapted quite well since returning, and that momentary nostalgia seemed non-existent. She glanced at his writing and conceded, "It’s okay."

"The wrapping looks really nice, and so does the handwriting. Xu Nian’an, can you wrap mine too?" A girl with pigtails turned around, handing over her new books and calendar paper.

In those years, having a book meant taking good care of it. Without the variety of book covers available in future generations, people used calendar paper, which saw the most use at the beginning of a school term. Those without calendar paper would resort to newspaper wrappings.

However, books wrapped in newspaper clearly did not have the same status as those covered with pure white calendar paper.