It was just before dawn.
Xiao Qi woke up, still a little dazed, in her aunt's basement bedroom.
Last night, after returning, she had a video call with Zaizai, painted for a while, studied some C language, and then went to bed.
She had been halfway through painting a portrait of the lovely Miss Gao Wenwen from yesterday.
She was an interesting young lady whose English was quite good, though her accent wasn't as natural as Xiao Qi's, since Qingmeng University didn't have as many foreign teachers for daily conversational practice as Enhua University did.
After speaking English with Xiao Qi, Miss Gao had become even more admiring of her. Last night, she had almost insisted on coming over to stay with Xiao Qi and her aunt.
Xiao Qi couldn't help but laugh. Her dad had to hold Miss Gao back before she gave up.
She never expected such an enthusiastic young lady. And judging from her good impression of Xiao Qi's aunt, life probably wouldn't be too bad if her aunt did end up marrying Uncle Gao in the future.
So Xiao Qi thought she would paint a picture as a gift for that young lady.
It was just dawning, and her aunt was already gone from her side, probably upstairs working. The hospital had a lot of tasks early in the morning, like tidying up before doctors made their rounds.
Xiao Qi finished the remaining half of the painting, then went for a run at the nearby high school.
The security guard surprisingly still remembered her and warmly asked, "Hey, little lady, on vacation?"
Xiao Qi nodded.
She had attended high school there for three years, but the security guard didn't remember her. Yet after running there for part of last summer vacation, he recognized her. She really had lacked presence back then.
Sometimes, time just passes by. If you don't do anything, you'll just quietly grow old.
You have to actively engage with the world, change yourself, and do more things to be remembered and have meaning.
On the winter morning campus, there were still many people around—those exercising, playing sports, full of life's vitality.
Xiao Qi still studied while running.
She felt her mind was clearer and sharper now, with higher learning efficiency.
Previously, her plan to complete credits early had been quite strenuous. Zaizai had studied so hard that she lost a lot of hair and shaved her head. Although Xiao Qi didn't go that far, she had taken on coursework for several additional languages, which she didn't want to give up. At seventeen or eighteen years old, one's potential was truly limitless—as long as one was willing to learn, everything could be learned. But as people got older, into their late twenties, life became busier, and the mind wandered more, so memory and focus weren't as sharp or pure as during student years.
So the student years were the most suitable time for learning, the most single-minded period.
Xiao Qi tried her best to manage her studies, but sometimes it did feel quite tiring, leaving little time for relaxation, video games, reading non-curricular books, or going out with roommates.
But that wasn't ideal either, as studying required a balance of work and rest.
Recently, though, Xiao Qi felt she had slowly adapted. With strong logical thinking abilities, her mind was clear when studying, not getting things mixed up. And when working on tasks, she could prioritize and not become flustered.
Today upon waking up, that feeling was even stronger.
It was as if a new space had opened up in her mind, eagerly waiting to be filled with more knowledge from studying and learning.
Her learning efficiency was higher during today's run, with clearer memory retention.
After the run, she brought breakfast for her aunt.
Xiao Qi thought about calling her neighbor Lin Min. Although their previous relationship had only been that of acquainted neighbors, after the college entrance exam, things felt different. It was as if their lives had become intertwined after both going to study in Meng City, a different dynamic.
The phone rang for a while before connecting, and Xiao Qi thought no one would pick up. But then it went through.
"You're back."
"Yeah, I'm at my aunt's place. My aunt said you've moved, so I'm checking in on you. Want to grab a meal together?"
Xiao Qi heard Lin Qingqing's voice in the background, calling out, "Yes, yes, I want to go too, mmm..."
"No need, my dad's health isn't too good right now, maybe another time," Lin Min declined.
Xiao Qi made an acknowledging sound.
She should have asked about Uncle Lin's condition, but having been lectured about it too many times by her aunt, her impression of Lin Min's father wasn't great, so she didn't bring it up.
She did ask how Lin Min's mother was doing instead.
They chatted idly for a bit, then hurriedly hung up, as Xiao Qi thought she heard yelling on the other end.
After the call ended, there were sounds of smashing bowls and chopsticks from inside: "I'll die anyway, you still have to serve me. What's wrong with having a drink?"
"But the doctor said you can't drink alcohol in this condition..."
Crash!
Lin Min's hand gripped the phone. His expression shifted from gentle to stern, then back to a smile before he entered the room.
He voluntarily bent down to pick up the fallen bowls and chopsticks. Seeing his mother's forehead accidentally cut by the flying debris, his eyes darkened briefly before he smiled again.
"Dad, don't be angry. Mom's just worried about you. If you really want a drink, having a little is fine," Lin Min calmly said as he cleaned up.
Towards this eldest son, Old Lin now saw everything to like. He had seemingly forgotten the times when drunk that he had beaten Lin Min with a rod and cursed him as a "bastard son," never insulting himself like this.
"See, even Doctor Lin says I can drink a bit," Old Lin said.
Lin Min's mother wanted to protest that her son, still a student, didn't count as a "doctor"—it was the hospital doctors who had advised no alcohol to avoid worsening his leg condition. But seeing her son's deep, somber gaze, she couldn't bring herself to continue. She muttered nothing more and went to prepare food.
Xiao Qi was unaware of all this. After hanging up, her system's mechanical voice sounded: "Host has shown timely care for a friend, earning a friend's heartfelt gratitude. Rewarding host with +1 Voice Sweetness."
Xiao Qi was puzzled. Every time she interacted with Lin Min, the system seemed to give her rewards, but this time was different. Previously, it had always mentioned slowing his "juvenilization" rate, but now it didn't bring that up. Could it be that Lin Min was no longer juvenilizing?
Since things seemed fine on Lin Min's side, Xiao Qi didn't linger in the city. She bought plenty of ingredients, preparing to return home.
After staying in Meng City for half a year, she really missed the food from Lv Shan.
There was a particularly delicious chestnut pancake vendor, with real chestnut filling and a crispy yet soft skin, not too sweet. And there were smoked duck feet, spicy enough to make one clutch their heart, but still craving more after finishing. Then there were fish balls—one bite and the oil would flow out, with a delightfully chewy skin and remarkably fresh taste. And a special beef noodle soup with large chunks of beef, reminiscent of but more distinctive than the famous Tingmeng beef noodles from Meng City. Plus there were beef balls cooked with squid ink, endlessly moreish. And...
Xiao Qi no longer had to worry too much about money, at least having achieved food freedom. She bought everything she craved.
While purchasing the items, her phone video was on as she videocalled Zaizai, buying things while introducing them.
The vendors thought the pretty young lady was livestreaming and were extremely enthusiastic, eagerly presenting her with the best ingredients and posing for the camera.
Xiao Qi bought a whole boxful of goods. Although she was quite strong, carrying it all seemed awkward, so she was thankful when a vendor gave her a cart to use, which she purchased.
With so many provisions, this year's New Year celebration would surely be abundant.
When the village's driver Da Yong saw all the goods, he was surprised at how the college student would transport it all back.
He helped load the car.
Upon hearing Xiao Qi say, "Thank you, Brother Da Yong,"
his tanned face actually reddened.
He thought to himself, educated people really are different—even her voice sounds so pleasant.
When Xiao Qi returned home, her father came out to greet her and help carry the items.
When Xiao Qi got home, she was surprised to find that her mother had set up a live streaming setup in the living room.
"Mom, can we live stream from here? Didn't you say there was no signal?"
"There is now. The people from that company were really reliable, they got it set up in just a few days. We have a full signal now, take a look at the strong network connection. I figured since the City Museum is also closed for the holidays, and there's nothing to do back home, I might as well keep up with the scheduled live streams. Your father can work on his bamboo weaving during the holidays anyway."
The living room was already crowded with villagers from their small town. Xiao Qi couldn't imagine what it must be like for them to watch a live stream. For the time being, everyone was very curious, gathering around the ring light and circling it.
"Is that a camera?"
"No, the neighbor's wife said it's a light." An old man said, promptly getting kicked by an elderly woman standing next to him. He quickly corrected himself, "I mean, my sister-in-law said it's a light."
It was just before dawn.
Xiao Qi woke up, still a little dazed, in her aunt's basement bedroom.
Last night, after returning, she had a video call with Zaizai, painted for a while, studied some C language, and then went to bed.
She had been halfway through painting a portrait of the lovely Miss Gao Wenwen from yesterday.
She was an interesting young lady whose English was quite good, though her accent wasn't as natural as Xiao Qi's, since Qingmeng University didn't have as many foreign teachers for daily conversational practice as Enhua University did.
After speaking English with Xiao Qi, Miss Gao had become even more admiring of her. Last night, she had almost insisted on coming over to stay with Xiao Qi and her aunt.
Xiao Qi couldn't help but laugh. Her dad had to hold Miss Gao back before she gave up.
She never expected such an enthusiastic young lady. And judging from her good impression of Xiao Qi's aunt, life probably wouldn't be too bad if her aunt did end up marrying Uncle Gao in the future.
So Xiao Qi thought she would paint a picture as a gift for that young lady.
It was just dawning, and her aunt was already gone from her side, probably upstairs working. The hospital had a lot of tasks early in the morning, like tidying up before doctors made their rounds.
Xiao Qi finished the remaining half of the painting, then went for a run at the nearby high school.
The security guard surprisingly still remembered her and warmly asked, "Hey, little lady, on vacation?"
Xiao Qi nodded.
She had attended high school there for three years, but the security guard didn't remember her. Yet after running there for part of last summer vacation, he recognized her. She really had lacked presence back then.
Sometimes, time just passes by. If you don't do anything, you'll just quietly grow old.
You have to actively engage with the world, change yourself, and do more things to be remembered and have meaning.
On the winter morning campus, there were still many people around—those exercising, playing sports, full of life's vitality.
Xiao Qi still studied while running.
She felt her mind was clearer and sharper now, with higher learning efficiency.
Previously, her plan to complete credits early had been quite strenuous. Zaizai had studied so hard that she lost a lot of hair and shaved her head. Although Xiao Qi didn't go that far, she had taken on coursework for several additional languages, which she didn't want to give up. At seventeen or eighteen years old, one's potential was truly limitless—as long as one was willing to learn, everything could be learned. But as people got older, into their late twenties, life became busier, and the mind wandered more, so memory and focus weren't as sharp or pure as during student years.
So the student years were the most suitable time for learning, the most single-minded period.
Xiao Qi tried her best to manage her studies, but sometimes it did feel quite tiring, leaving little time for relaxation, video games, reading non-curricular books, or going out with roommates.
But that wasn't ideal either, as studying required a balance of work and rest.
Recently, though, Xiao Qi felt she had slowly adapted. With strong logical thinking abilities, her mind was clear when studying, not getting things mixed up. And when working on tasks, she could prioritize and not become flustered.
Today upon waking up, that feeling was even stronger.
It was as if a new space had opened up in her mind, eagerly waiting to be filled with more knowledge from studying and learning.
Her learning efficiency was higher during today's run, with clearer memory retention.
After the run, she brought breakfast for her aunt.
Xiao Qi thought about calling her neighbor Lin Min. Although their previous relationship had only been that of acquainted neighbors, after the college entrance exam, things felt different. It was as if their lives had become intertwined after both going to study in Meng City, a different dynamic.
The phone rang for a while before connecting, and Xiao Qi thought no one would pick up. But then it went through.
"You're back."
"Yeah, I'm at my aunt's place. My aunt said you've moved, so I'm checking in on you. Want to grab a meal together?"
Xiao Qi heard Lin Qingqing's voice in the background, calling out, "Yes, yes, I want to go too, mmm..."
"No need, my dad's health isn't too good right now, maybe another time," Lin Min declined.
Xiao Qi made an acknowledging sound.
She should have asked about Uncle Lin's condition, but having been lectured about it too many times by her aunt, her impression of Lin Min's father wasn't great, so she didn't bring it up.
She did ask how Lin Min's mother was doing instead.
They chatted idly for a bit, then hurriedly hung up, as Xiao Qi thought she heard yelling on the other end.
After the call ended, there were sounds of smashing bowls and chopsticks from inside: "I'll die anyway, you still have to serve me. What's wrong with having a drink?"
"But the doctor said you can't drink alcohol in this condition..."
Crash!
Lin Min's hand gripped the phone. His expression shifted from gentle to stern, then back to a smile before he entered the room.
He voluntarily bent down to pick up the fallen bowls and chopsticks. Seeing his mother's forehead accidentally cut by the flying debris, his eyes darkened briefly before he smiled again.
"Dad, don't be angry. Mom's just worried about you. If you really want a drink, having a little is fine," Lin Min calmly said as he cleaned up.
Towards this eldest son, Old Lin now saw everything to like. He had seemingly forgotten the times when drunk that he had beaten Lin Min with a rod and cursed him as a "bastard son," never insulting himself like this.
"See, even Doctor Lin says I can drink a bit," Old Lin said.
Lin Min's mother wanted to protest that her son, still a student, didn't count as a "doctor"—it was the hospital doctors who had advised no alcohol to avoid worsening his leg condition. But seeing her son's deep, somber gaze, she couldn't bring herself to continue. She muttered nothing more and went to prepare food.
Xiao Qi was unaware of all this. After hanging up, her system's mechanical voice sounded: "Host has shown timely care for a friend, earning a friend's heartfelt gratitude. Rewarding host with +1 Voice Sweetness."
Xiao Qi was puzzled. Every time she interacted with Lin Min, the system seemed to give her rewards, but this time was different. Previously, it had always mentioned slowing his "juvenilization" rate, but now it didn't bring that up. Could it be that Lin Min was no longer juvenilizing?
Since things seemed fine on Lin Min's side, Xiao Qi didn't linger in the city. She bought plenty of ingredients, preparing to return home.
After staying in Meng City for half a year, she really missed the food from Lv Shan.
There was a particularly delicious chestnut pancake vendor, with real chestnut filling and a crispy yet soft skin, not too sweet. And there were smoked duck feet, spicy enough to make one clutch their heart, but still craving more after finishing. Then there were fish balls—one bite and the oil would flow out, with a delightfully chewy skin and remarkably fresh taste. And a special beef noodle soup with large chunks of beef, reminiscent of but more distinctive than the famous Tingmeng beef noodles from Meng City. Plus there were beef balls cooked with squid ink, endlessly moreish. And...
Xiao Qi no longer had to worry too much about money, at least having achieved food freedom. She bought everything she craved.
While purchasing the items, her phone video was on as she videocalled Zaizai, buying things while introducing them.
The vendors thought the pretty young lady was livestreaming and were extremely enthusiastic, eagerly presenting her with the best ingredients and posing for the camera.
Xiao Qi bought a whole boxful of goods. Although she was quite strong, carrying it all seemed awkward, so she was thankful when a vendor gave her a cart to use, which she purchased.
With so many provisions, this year's New Year celebration would surely be abundant.
When the village's driver Da Yong saw all the goods, he was surprised at how the college student would transport it all back.
He helped load the car.
Upon hearing Xiao Qi say, "Thank you, Brother Da Yong,"
his tanned face actually reddened.
He thought to himself, educated people really are different—even her voice sounds so pleasant.
When Xiao Qi returned home, her father came out to greet her and help carry the items.
When Xiao Qi got home, she was surprised to find that her mother had set up a live streaming setup in the living room.
"Mom, can we live stream from here? Didn't you say there was no signal?"
"There is now. The people from that company were really reliable, they got it set up in just a few days. We have a full signal now, take a look at the strong network connection. I figured since the City Museum is also closed for the holidays, and there's nothing to do back home, I might as well keep up with the scheduled live streams. Your father can work on his bamboo weaving during the holidays anyway."
The living room was already crowded with villagers from their small town. Xiao Qi couldn't imagine what it must be like for them to watch a live stream. For the time being, everyone was very curious, gathering around the ring light and circling it.
"Is that a camera?"
"No, the neighbor's wife said it's a light." An old man said, promptly getting kicked by an elderly woman standing next to him. He quickly corrected himself, "I mean, my sister-in-law said it's a light."
