Chapter 4

The next morning, very early before dawn.

Su Xiaoqi's door was knocked on.

"Xiaoqi, get up quickly."

She opened her eyes, turned on the light, and looked at the clock on the table. It was only five o'clock.

The village had only one bus going to the city every day.

It normally left at six, taking over two hours to get to the city. Usually it came back at noon. If there were a lot of people, it would make another trip in the afternoon, coming back at six.

People who needed to go out had to go early instead of late.

Usually when she had to go from home to school, Su Xiaoqi felt dead tired, having to get up so early.

But today she was a little excited. The interface was still in front of her, with one thousand dollars on it.

To be honest, she had never gotten so much pocket money since she was little.

Their Gumula Village was located very remotely with poor transportation. The villagers could not earn much from the crops on the mountain and things like that. They either went out to work, but Dad Su was lame and could not find a good job when he went out.

Mom Su was quite tall and good looking, but did not have much education.

The couple only had one child. They did not have big ambitions, just hoping to support the child to finish college so that the child could be self-reliant and not have to suffer in the countryside like themselves.

Su Xiaoqi read New Concept English Workbook 1 last night. Today she thought about it and took Workbooks 2, 3 and 4 with her too.

Although she was going to be a tutor, she did not have many things to pack. She did not have many clothes. With school being out, she could not wear her school uniform either. She had a few t-shirts which were extremely precious to her. She washed and folded them very carefully. Her shorts were boys' knee-length ones. Usually she just wore t-shirts and shorts, dressed a bit like a little boy. Su Xiaoqi had fair skin, a melon seed face, small eyes with single eyelids, red lips and white teeth. She was slim and tall, resembling her mother, very delicate looking.

After breakfast, she went with Dad to catch the bus.

Dad carried a large burden of winnowing baskets, weighed down by shoulder poles. The road was dark. Dad walked in front, breathing heavily.

She walked behind Dad. Before she would have felt ashamed and embarrassed but now she felt more sad.

Poverty was not wrong, and working hard to earn money was not wrong either. But all this made the just turned seventeen-year-old girl Su Xiaoqi feel awkward and upset.

She looked at the interface in front of her. As they started walking in the morning, the number one thousand went up. Her heart beat a little faster. This was real, right? It could not be an illusion. It must not be.

When they arrived at the bus stop, because Dad carried a burden of winnowing baskets, he sat in the pickup bed. The front seats were usually left for women, children and the elderly. The men would usually not squeeze in. Of course some shameless ones would.

Su Xiaoqi was good looking and still a young girl, so she naturally sat in the front, squeezed between two older women.

She looked back through the glass at Dad outside. The sky had lightened a little, cool, very windy. Dad huddled in a corner, sitting on a piece of rag, chatting with others. His smile looked a little forced.

Dad Su really wanted to boast that his daughter got admitted to university, but the expensive tuition made Dad feel very troubled. He was worried that he might have to borrow money then, so he did not say much.

As the bus started, Su Xiaoqi squeezed in the seat. Although she would not feel cold, she was not comfortable either. In her heart she silently recited the English words and sentences she had memorized yesterday. To her surprise, she had actually remembered them all when she recalled them.

She was extremely delighted, wishing she could take out her book to read right then.

But the bus rattled too much for reading and the lighting was not good either, so she could only continue consolidating what she had memorized yesterday.

As she closed her eyes to recite, the older woman next to her sized her up too. She thought to herself, Elder Su's daughter looks really good, small nose and eyes, quite pretty, even wearing glasses like city people.

She dressed neatly and cleanly in a white tee, black athletic pants and blue and white jacket.

Others dressed like this too but did not look as crisp and tidy as her.

She just did not talk much, had not said a word since getting on the bus.

Su Xiaoqi fell asleep reciting, as she had gotten up too early.

She opened her eyes when someone shook her awake, and they had arrived.

She took a look at the interface in front of her. The steps had not increased. It would not miscount the bus rattling as walking. Looks like it only counted actual walking.

But seeing the amount over one thousand, she still felt extremely excited, unconsciously smiling.

After getting off the bus, Dad had already paid.

He said to his daughter, "Xiaoqi, go find a place to rest. Dad is going to sell winnowing baskets, then meet up with you after."

Su Xiaoqi was eager to try if she could spend the money. She thought about following Dad to watch him sell winnowing baskets but felt it would not be good. Dad was tired carrying the stuff, having to talk to her would tire him more.

"Okay Dad, I'll wait for you at the entrance of Xinhua Bookstore on Jiangbin Road."

She watched Dad's figure slowly disappear.

Everyone on the street made way around him. They were all dressed lightly and comfortably. She really wanted Dad to take a taxi but knew it was unrealistic. She did not have any reason or excuse to say she had money now.

She had to try spending money first to see if the money from the system could be used.

Just not used to being poor, she suddenly did not know what to buy for a moment, wanting too many things, feeling she had to buy everything. But when she really had money in hand, she felt nothing was necessary.

She walked around in circles. Steps increased, money increased too. Seeing the amount was already over 1370, she still did not know what to do.

If it was a month ago, she probably would have eagerly ran into a clothes store to buy clothes for herself. At seventeen, a girl had just started to care about looks. Wearing one new piece of clothing or a pair of new socks made her feel beautiful.

Especially having faint feelings for a boy, getting excited just by touching hands, she paid extra attention to these things.

Unknowingly she had arrived at the entrance of the biggest mall in the city. To her surprise the doors were not open yet, a group of people waiting outside, eyeing covetously like things were free.

It was over 1500 now. What could she buy?

Seeing most of the people waiting at the entrance were older women.

The city women dressed very nicely too.

Next to her was an old lady wearing vertical striped pants, a white halter top with a pink jacket, even a strand of pearls around her neck. One look and you could tell she was well-off. Wrinkles on her face showed her age, but just looking from behind, she would even think this old lady looked younger and better dressed than her own mom.

At this moment, Su Xiaoqi recalled her mom's clothing, forever those few pieces. Although mom was quite good looking, she only wore those floral shirts from when she got married. Mom rarely came to the city, let alone buy clothes.

She wanted to buy a set of clothes for mom.

Somewhat nice clothes.

It seemed a bit impulsive, but it was what she most wanted to do right now.

When the mall doors opened, she followed the crowd in.

She had come with classmates once before, just went along looking around, not familiar with it. But she subconsciously followed the fashionably dressed old lady.

She saw the old lady take the elevator to the third floor.

The third floor had many women's clothing stores, looking very mature.

Mom was quite tall, about five foot six, not skinny either, around one hundred and twenty pounds. She should buy one size up from herself. She wore size small, so mom could probably fit medium or large.

First time buying adult clothing, and at the mall, she felt a little nervous.

Her expression was still the seldom smiling one she usually had in the village.

She picked a short sleeve knit top with a knit cardigan, tan color. Although it was summer, mornings and nights were cool in the village, so this could be worn.

Just these two pieces together cost six hundred and eighty, way exceeding what she could normally afford. She had not even bought something like this before.

But feeling it in her hand, cool to the touch, she could imagine how mom would look wearing this, straightening her back and laughing.

"I'll buy it."

She took out her card and swiped.

There was no strange sound stopping her. It actually went through smoothly.

At this moment the balance on the interface changed to 985.8.

Carrying the clothes, she felt extra happy. She could even see a girl with a big smile, extremely delighted, in the mirror as she passed by.