Chapter 5

Carrying clothes, she walked toward the bookstore on Jiangbin Road.

Her pace quickened, and her money continued to increase.

At this moment, most of the shops on the street had opened their doors. When she passed the bustling Drum Tower Street, she saw a roadside shoe peddler and went to buy two more pairs of flip-flops, one red pair, one khaki pair, the red ones size 37, the khaki ones size 41.

They were made of very soft tire rubber material, comfortable to wear without pinching the feet. Watching the shoe peddler twist and turn the shoes, the quality was very good, of course they were relatively expensive, a pair of flip flops actually cost over 80 yuan. Su Xiaoqi bargained a little on the price, buying two pairs, which just wiped out the small change, 160 yuan.

Then she asked the boss for a pair of scissors and cut off the tags from the shoes and clothes she had just bought, putting them all in a plastic bag to carry and wait at the bookstore.

Because she didn't have a cell phone, she was worried that if she went in to read, her dad would come and not be able to find her, so she sat on the front steps with her New Concept English Book 2.

She had finished Book 1 yesterday. Book 1 was just junior high school level, basic entry level, very simple, she had basically learned it.

Book 2 was intermediate level. She hugged the book and sat quietly reading at the entrance.

Not many people went to the bookstore in the morning, so she sat undisturbed.

But she couldn't read aloud, only silently.

However, the effect was surprisingly good. Reading through once and then reciting silently, it seemed to stick. To consolidate this feeling, she would read five sections before going back to recall the first section.

"Host is undisturbed and focused on reading for one hour, rewarded with 10-day English language sense buff, making reading more fluent for host in the next 10 days."

Hearing this voice, Su Xiaoqi was startled to find that a whole hour had passed. She had gone shopping for clothes and shoes, and read for an hour, but her dad still hadn't come over. Could something have happened?

She was a little worried and wanted to go check, but also worried about missing her dad if he came looking for her.

If only she had a cell phone now.

Thinking of her dad walking over carrying a burden basket, he would be walking slowly. If delayed a bit while selling, it would be one or two hours before he got here. Calculating the time, she decided to read for another half hour. If her dad still hadn't come, she would go look for him.

But now holding the book, she was a little restless.

So she simply read aloud.

"Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a young man......"

In front of the steps, cars came and went, pedestrians hurried by.

Su Xiaoqi didn't look left or right, and kept reading. She didn't notice a passing pedestrian pause briefly before continuing on.

"Wow, that girl's English is really good. If not for her face, I'd have thought she was a foreigner."

"Yeah, it sounds even better than the tape I bought for my son. Like normal speech. I wish my son could be that good."

Perhaps empowered by the memory buff, her reading efficiency was much higher than before.

Plus having experienced the college entrance exam, this somewhat insecure yet proud girl Xiaoqi was abruptly awakened from her muddled vanity and ambiguous relationships. She didn't have the right to be vain, nor to be ambiguous with others.

In the prime of her youth, she was poor, with nothing but her youth.

She should work harder than others, to live up to what she now possessed.

She read aloud, unaware that her voice was much louder than usual, the sunlight having moved from her toes to her legs.

The book on her lap turned another page as she casually tucked the stray hair behind her ears.

Looking up, she saw her dad appear across the street.

Dad was walking a bit fast, but because of his limp, it looked somewhat funny.

Su Xiaoqi stood up and waved at her dad.

"Dad, I'm here!"

At this moment, the passersby who had paused earlier when hearing her read were surprised to see the smiling girl waving, thinking a girl like this should have a good family background. But the one she waved at was a man in old clothes with yellowing, curled shirt edges and rolled up pants cuffs, wearing a standard pair of peasant shoes, and moreover limping along.

Su Xiaoqi didn't care about the looks from others.

Seeing her dad waiting for a break in traffic to cross, she was filled with joy, eager to show him the clothes and shoes.

Her dad came over, wiping sweat from his brow, and laughed: "Anxious, huh?"

"No, I was reading, only halfway through when you came." Su Xiaoqi smiled brightly.

"Dad, let's go eat. I know a cheap but tasty restaurant."

She knew Dad would normally refuse to spend money dining out and just hurry to catch the bus home, so she pulled on his arm coquettishly.

"No, we won't make it to catch the bus home after eating." Dad rejected as expected.

He sat down on the steps in front of the bookstore, taking a box out of his bag and handing it to his daughter.

"Bought you a cell phone. Your mom and I worry with you out here alone. If anything comes up you can call Granny Liu's house next door, and we'll call you if needed too."

Su Xiaoqi was stunned.

Seeing her dad's scarred, weathered hand holding out the phone, tears instantly flooded her eyes.

"Take it, what are you dazing for. Your dad's burden baskets sold for more, the boss said mine were well made and raised the price to 30 yuan a pair, higher than anyone else's." Dad said this happily. Other villagers' baskets sold for only 24 yuan a pair, while his were sturdy and beautiful, with the stray twigs meticulously sanded smooth, selling better than others'.

"Yeah, I'm just happy." Su Xiaoqi choked up a bit.

30 yuan a pair, with Dad carrying a shoulder pole load today, that was about 30 pairs, already heavy enough to bend him over. Not counting transportation and labor fees, it was 900 yuan total.

This one cell phone cost at least 700-800.

"I heard you still need to buy a SIM card to use it. I'll take you to buy a card then have to head back, can't miss the bus." Seeing his daughter blankly stunned, Dad rubbed her head.

There was a SIM card seller near the bookstore. Dad bought a card, paid, and added 50 yuan of call credits, having his daughter write down her number for him. He solemnly folded the paper with the number and put it in his pocket.

"I'll tell your mom when I get home. She'll definitely be thrilled, and will probably call you at Granny Liu's to check. Remember to listen for it." Dad said happily.

After buying the card they took the bus, when normally he'd have walked home, but the phone purchase held him up today.

Only when boarding did Xiaoqi remember the clothes to give Dad.

Seeing the items, Dad said, "Oh you silly girl, spending the money I gave you on this stuff when your mom and I have everything we need."

"It was very cheap at the wholesale market by the riverbank. There's money left over." Su Xiaoqi said.

Still Dad shoved 20 yuan back to her.

She saw his pockets were empty.

The bus left.

Though only middle aged, Dad looked like an old man and was given a seat.

He was very happy, sitting there craning his neck to wave goodbye to his daughter, smiling.

Su Xiaoqi held the phone, watching the bus depart.

Tears streamed down her face.