After the College Entrance Examination ended, Tong Yang, like everyone else, finally relaxed her tense nerves and slept like the dead.
On Sunday at noon, Tong Le quietly pushed open the door and saw that Tong Yang was still sound asleep. Without disturbing her, he left a note on the bedside table and quietly slipped out.
When Tong Yang woke up, it was almost 3 p.m. She hadn’t slept in this late since high school. Her body felt heavy, but her mind was refreshed.
Sitting up, she looked at the warm afternoon sunlight streaming onto the windowsill and lazily squinted her eyes, resembling a satisfied cat.
It felt as if life had returned to normal, and everything was back to peace.
She glanced down at the note on the bedside table, which read:
“Sis, I’ve gone to hang out with my friends. Make sure to eat something after you wake up. I’ll bring you some snacks tonight.”
Tong Le, though only nine years old, had beautiful handwriting. It was said that his calligraphy teacher at school was particularly fond of him and would sometimes keep him at school over the weekend to teach him brush calligraphy for free.
“Went out with friends?” Tong Yang muttered.
Tong Le was the complete opposite of her.
While Tong Yang had no real popularity at school—teachers liked her because of her good grades and quiet nature—she didn’t have anyone she was close to. Even if people tried to talk to her, unless it was about studying, she would mostly ignore them, feeling it wasn’t worth her time.
Tong Le, on the other hand, not only had good grades and the teachers’ favor, but he also got along well with everyone, often helping his classmates.
This was a relief to Tong Yang; she didn’t want Tong Le to grow up like her.
Putting down the note, she paused for a moment, recalling what Tong Le had said yesterday when they got home.
He had seen someone with a silhouette very similar to hers.
Although the recent events had made her more cautious, it was probably just a coincidence. After all, in a world this big, it’s not unusual to find people who look alike, let alone share a similar silhouette.
Tong Yang wasn’t too worried about Tong Le getting involved in anything dangerous. The members of the Melon Eating Netizen 007 group had helped her check the news, and there hadn’t been any incidents of missing or deceased students from Experiment Primary School in the past two years.
As for other matters, she hadn’t delved into them much.
Tong Yang got up, washed up, and made herself a steaming bowl of egg noodles.
After eating, she cleaned up the kitchen and returned to her room. Looking at the messy study materials and tools scattered across her desk, she felt a bit lost for a moment, not knowing what to do.
The College Entrance Examination was over, and for now, she could relax without the pressure of studying.
But then what?
She didn’t want to take on a part-time job yet, still feeling exhausted.
Maybe… she should try doing things normal students do? Watch dramas, play games, listen to music, that sort of thing?
Tong Yang lay back on her bed and downloaded a few entertainment apps on her phone. After scrolling through them for a bit, she felt bored again. Remembering she hadn’t yet decided on which university to apply to, she opened a browser and searched for universities near Yaocheng.
Third Middle School had set a target for her to rank in the top 50 in the province, offering her a 50,000 yuan bonus if she achieved it. If she made it into the top 20, the bonus would increase to 100,000 yuan, and so on. The top 10 would grant her 150,000 yuan, the top three 180,000 yuan, and if she ranked first, she would receive 200,000 yuan.
Third Middle School’s enrollment rate wasn’t very high, so from the time Tong Yang was in her first year, the school had been heavily promoting her test rankings to boost enrollment for the following year, which had proven quite effective. Tong Yang had always cooperated, and in recent years, Third Middle School had become one of only two College Entrance Examination testing centers in the old district.
As for universities, Tong Yang hadn’t given them much thought before. Her plan was to wait until the exam results were out and see which top universities reached out to her. Then, she would choose the one that offered the best conditions for her and Tong Le.
She didn’t have any grand aspirations of serving the country by excelling in her studies. As long as she didn’t break the law or cause trouble, her goal had always been to create a better life for herself and Tong Le.
Also, she couldn’t study too far from home—after all, Tong Le was still young.
Feeling idle, as evening approached, she heard some rustling outside the door. It must have been Tong Le returning home.
Tong Yang put down her phone, left the bedroom, and saw the old wooden door creak open. A small head poked in cautiously, seemingly wanting to check the situation first. But as soon as he raised his head, his eyes met Tong Yang’s confused gaze.
“Sis…” Tong Le chuckled sheepishly, averting his gaze, and slipped into the room through the crack in the door.
Tong Yang noticed the bruises and scrapes on his face, and his clothes were torn, exposing part of his arm.
“Did you fight with your friends?” she asked.
Tong Le hung his head like a guilty quail, not answering.
“Did you win or lose?” Tong Yang asked flatly.
Tong Le exhaled and said, “I lost. There were more of them, I couldn’t beat them.”
Tong Yang nodded. “Go change your clothes, I’ll make dinner.”
“Okay…”
Tong Yang headed to the kitchen, not too concerned about Tong Le’s fight. It was normal for kids to have scuffles, as long as no one bled.
When Tong Le finished changing, his face was still bruised. He held the torn clothes in his hands and took out a needle and thread, trying to sew the torn part back together. Halfway through, he realized there was a piece of fabric missing, so he couldn’t sew it back properly.
Frustrated, he put down the clothes and walked to the kitchen door, saying, “Sis, I can’t fix it.”
“Then throw it away. Tomorrow’s the Dragon Boat Festival, I’ll take you out to buy some new clothes.”
“What a pity, I haven’t worn it much yet.”
“Alright, go wash your face and disinfect those wounds. Next time you fight, if you can’t win, just run, okay?”
“I got it.”
June 10th was a Monday, and it was also the annual Dragon Boat Festival. Tong Yang took Tong Le shopping for some clothes and bought some zongzi as well. On the way home, they passed the milk tea shop where she often worked part-time, so she asked if they still needed help and agreed to start on Wednesday, with the same hourly wage as before.
The next morning, after dropping Tong Le off at school, Tong Yang bought some joss paper and incense to visit her parents’ graves.
Since they didn’t have the money for a proper burial plot, their parents were buried on a long-abandoned mountain nearby.
Tong Yang crouched by the simple gravestone, burning paper while telling them she was close to escaping her current life.
“Without you two, my life is actually a lot easier.”
“I wonder why the woman who looks just like you is trying to kill me. Could it have something to do with you? Did you want me to rot here, like a parasite, just like you?”
“It’s a shame, really. I’ll soon be able to take Tong Le away, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. So, I’ve prepared extra paper money for you.”
She didn’t stay long, tidying up the weeds around the grave mound before heading back home.
Back in Dongyang Community, a group of old men and women were sitting in the garden playing cards.
“Hey, wild girl, go to the entrance and buy Grandpa a pack of cigarettes.”
Tong Yang, walking past the garden, was suddenly called out by one of the men.
“Five bucks for running the errand,” Tong Yang stopped and said.
“Heh! Just a few steps and you’re charging five bucks? Do you think money’s that easy to earn?”
“If it’s just a few steps, why don’t you go yourself?”
Tong Yang replied, turning to leave. The old man, embarrassed, scoffed, pulled out thirty yuan from a pile of money, and waved it at her.
“Here, take it. The rest is yours.” He leaned back in his chair, a half-finished cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes narrowing. “I know your family’s poor, always asking for money.”
Ignoring him, Tong Yang continued on her way.
“Don’t forget, you and your brother have no one else. Haven’t we neighbors always been the ones looking out for you? How many years has it been since the Dongyang Community relocation policy came out? If it weren’t for us, the government would’ve forced you out long ago, and you two wouldn’t even have a place to live. And now, you’re haggling over running an errand to buy a pack of cigarettes.”
Tong Yang snickered, “If you neighbors care so much, why not pitch in a bit of money every month? You know we’re poor, don’t you?”
“What kind of talk is that? No respect for your elders!”
“Hey! Calm down. These kids nowadays don’t know the meaning of gratitude.”
“I even felt sorry for those two siblings, thinking I’d help them if I had the chance. But now… sigh.”
“I saw that younger one covered in bruises yesterday. He probably got beaten up for stealing something.”
“I’ve always thought there was something off about those two kids. No wonder they don’t have parents.”
“I don’t have parents, just like some of you don’t have kids. When Dongyang Community gets demolished, where will you go?”
Tong Yang said with a mocking smile, “Actually, wait. This grandpa over here, I remember you have two sons, right? How come they’ve never come to take you to live a good life?”
The group of elderly men and women, furious at Tong Yang’s words, began cursing her out.
Tong Yang was no pushover. If she and Tong Le hadn’t learned to stand their ground, they would’ve been eaten alive by these people long ago. She wasn’t great at insulting people, but she sure knew how to make them angry.
“Tong Yang?”
Amidst the commotion, a man with a briefcase under his arm tentatively called out to her.
Tong Yang raised an eyebrow and looked at him. He seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him.
“Uh, I’m Li Yao from the district government. We met last year.”
Tong Yang replied suspiciously, “Really? I forgot.”
“No problem, no problem.” Li Yao shook his head. “You’re done with the College Entrance Examination, right? How did it go?”
“Thank you, it’s over. I just performed normally.”
“That’s good.” Li Yao nodded to himself and then paused for a few seconds before speaking again, “My superiors sent me to ask when you plan to move out. We agreed to postpone the relocation until after your exams, didn’t we?”
“We’re pretty familiar with your situation—you and your brother’s. We know you do well in school and didn’t want to disrupt your exam prep. Fortunately, the higher-ups weren’t in a rush, so we pushed the relocation back. But now…”
Tong Yang nodded to show she understood and said, “Thank you. I’ll be out by August at the latest.”
“Alright, I’ll report that to my superiors. Here’s my number. Keep it, and if you have any issues, give me a call. Tong Yang, our leadership thinks very highly of you.”
“Thank you.”
Tong Yang took the business card he handed her and thanked him.
The district government’s support for her wasn’t lost on her. After all, most of the bonuses Third Middle School promised her were coming from the district government’s funds.
After watching Li Yao leave, Tong Yang looked back at the elderly group, their expressions dark.
“What did he mean by agreeing to postpone the demolition?”
“What did the district government want with you?”
Tong Yang shrugged, “What do you think?”
“You don’t actually believe that you can just keep living here forever by causing a scene, do you? Hate to break it to you, but you’re only still here thanks to me.”
She smiled sarcastically, “You’ve got two months left to find a new place to live. Though, the welfare center might suit you better.”
More curses followed her as she walked home, but Tong Yang paid them no mind.
It wasn’t just her who had delayed the demolition of Dongyang Community. Part of the reason was that the government funds hadn’t come through yet. But it didn’t hurt that there was a future “top student” living here, too.
That Friday, Tong Yang finished her part-time shift early and went to pick up Tong Le from Experiment Primary School.
When she arrived, there was still half an hour before school let out, so she bought a lemon tea and sat in the shop to wait.
Feeling bored, she opened her group chat.
The gossip group was discussing which male celebrity had secretly married and had a child, with the kid almost old enough to start school. Tong Yang glanced at the name but didn’t recognize it. She didn’t usually keep up with entertainment gossip and wasn’t familiar with many celebrities.
Out of curiosity, she searched the actor’s name on Weibo and discovered he was a young trainee, with a public persona of being a naive college student.
But if his child was almost old enough to start school, wouldn’t the kid be at least three years old now?
Studying is for Making Money: “What do you guys think? If I blackmail him, saying I’ll expose his secret family unless he pays up, how much could I get?”
[…]
[Sis, that’s illegal]
[Wow, you’re still alive! You never say a word unless absolutely necessary]
Studying is for Making Money: “Been busy.”
[Haven’t you finished the College Entrance Examination? What’s keeping you so busy?]
[Yeah, my cousin finished and immediately went on a trip abroad]
[I remember sleeping for almost half a month after my final year of high school]
[Hey, Sis Tong, nothing strange happening recently?]
Studying is for Making Money: “I’m just working part-time.”
Studying is for Making Money: “Nothing much. I plan to wait for the exam results before making any decisions.”
[You deserve a break]
[Seems like nothing unusual has happened in the old district lately. You can relax]
[By the way, aren’t you curious who the 2024 top science student will be?]
Studying is for Making Money: “No need. Unless necessary, don’t dig too deep into my business. Don’t try to contact the future me, either. It’ll only complicate things.”
[Got it, got it]
[Don’t worry, we’re scared too. We won’t stir up any trouble]
When the school bell rang, Tong Yang left the chat. She wasn’t really planning to blackmail the secretly married trainee, just mentally scoffing at him.
Leaving the milk tea shop, she saw students trickling out of the school gates, with parents standing outside waiting to pick up their kids.
Tong Yang stood in an inconspicuous spot, watching groups of students leaving, some walking arm-in-arm. A few boys with class name tags like Tong Le’s walked past her, laughing together. They were chubby and white, and seemed to be surrounding someone, but that person was too short for her to see clearly.
“Why hasn’t Tong Le come out yet?” Tong Yang muttered to herself.
After about five minutes, Tong Le came running out of the school, his heavy backpack weighing him down. He looked around nervously, as if searching for something, but didn’t notice Tong Yang.
“Excuse me…” Tong Le grabbed the sleeve of a student buying candied haws and gestured as he asked something.
The student pointed in the direction where the chubby boys had just left.
Tong Le thanked him and quickly ran off.
Tong Yang watched him leave with suspicion. Since he hadn’t noticed her, she quietly followed.
It wasn’t often that she saw Tong Le this anxious.
She followed him to a nearby park. Because it was in a more secluded area without any nearby residential buildings, the park was usually empty.
“Stop!” Tong Le shouted, panting, as he reached a corner of the park.
Tong Yang, standing a short distance behind, glanced toward the corner where three or four boys were surrounding a short student. From her angle, she couldn’t see who it was.
“Tong Le, are you crazy? Why are you following us again?” The leader of the boys frowned, clearly unhappy.
Tong Le said, “Xu Mimi, I promised Yang Lin that we’d walk home together.”
“You’re seriously messed up! Why do you like hanging out with that freak? Are you scared he’s going to rub off on you?”
“He’s not sick. We’re going home now.” Tong Le repeated, “The teacher said we can’t bully our classmates. If you keep doing this, I’ll tell the teacher next week!”
The stocky boy suddenly stepped forward and shoved him. “Go ahead and tell the teacher! I’ll tell them too—didn’t you hit us last Sunday?”
“That’s because you started it!”
Hearing this, Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. So, the injuries he had last Sunday were from fighting with these boys?
Though she had no interest in getting involved in kids’ squabbles, since she was already here, she wasn’t about to let them fight.
“Tong Le, what are you all doing?” Tong Yang called from behind, without moving closer.
Most kids were afraid of adults, and hearing Tong Le had someone with him, the boys exchanged glances and then left.
Tong Le, startled by her voice, turned around in surprise. “Sis? What are you doing here?”
Tong Yang responded lazily, “I’m here to take you home.”
“Wait a second, Sis, I need to say goodbye to my friend…”
Before he could finish, the boy who had been cornered buried his head in his backpack and hurried past him. “Le Le, thank you.”
“Wait…”
Tong Le tried to stop him to say something, but the boy had already run off.
Tong Yang walked over, took the heavy backpack off his shoulders, and slung it over her own. Looking in the direction the boy had left, she asked, “What’s going on?”
Tong Le, still looking worried, explained, “Sis, he’s my friend. Can I go talk to him for a few minutes?”
Tong Yang nodded, “Alright, I’ll wait for you at the street corner.”
“Okay!” Tong Le beamed, throwing his arms around Tong Yang for a hug. “Thanks, Sis. I’ll be right back.”
“Go on.”
Tong Yang watched him leave, then turned and headed toward the corner.
She normally didn’t interfere with Tong Le’s personal matters. As far as she was concerned, even though he was young, he had his own sense of judgment.
She waited at the corner for about five minutes before Tong Le came running back from the direction of the school.
“Sis, let’s go home!” Tong Le was sweating heavily from running so fast.
Tong Yang handed him a tissue. “Wipe off your sweat.”
“Oh.”
“So, tell me, was the fight because of him?”
Tong Le hung his head and nodded. “Yeah, Xu Mimi and the others always bully Yang Lin and won’t let me play with him. But Yang Lin is really nice. He has a great personality and his handwriting is beautiful. He even brings food his mom makes to share with me. But for some reason, no one else likes being friends with him.”
Seeing how downcast he looked, Tong Yang ruffled his hair. “Maybe they just don’t know him well enough.”
“Yeah… Sis, can I invite Yang Lin over to our house this weekend?”
“Sure.”
“Awesome! Do you know why he ran off just now?”
“Why?”
Tong Le took her hand. “Because he’s afraid you won’t let me be friends with him. So, I told him that my Sis is the best Sis in the whole world and that she’s nothing like the others! I’m going to call him tonight!”
Tong Yang chuckled, “Do what you want.”
That night, after they got home, Tong Le really did call Yang Lin’s house.
Yang Lin’s parents were surprised to receive the call, but after a brief conversation, they agreed to let him come over the next day.
“Happy now?” Tong Yang teased, waving her phone at him.
“Yeah! It’s my first time bringing a friend home.”
Tong Le hesitated for a moment, then walked up to Tong Yang and said, “Sis, Yang Lin… he’s a good kid. Please don’t dislike him because of how he looks, okay?”
Tong Yang pinched his cheek. “You think I’d do that?”
“Heh, I know you wouldn’t, Sis!”
The next morning, at 8 a.m., Tong Yang received a call from Yang Lin’s parents saying they were going to drop him off.
Tong Yang agreed. Tong Le usually liked to sleep in on weekends until 9 a.m., so he wasn’t up yet.
She knocked on his door and called out, “Your classmate will be here soon. Get up and clean yourself up. I’m going out to buy breakfast.”
She heard him mumble something in response and then left with her keys.
Tong Le was woken by the knocking and vaguely heard his sister say something, though he didn’t quite catch it.
After getting dressed and tidying his bed, he opened the door and saw a woman standing at the entrance to his sister’s bedroom, facing away from him.
From the back, she looked exactly like his sister, though she was wearing clothes he had never seen before.
She stood silently by the door, her posture strangely stiff. Her hair draped over her shoulders, and her hands hung by her sides. Even when she heard the sound of Tong Le opening the door, she didn’t turn around.
“Sis?” Tong Le called out in confusion.
The woman remained silent for a few seconds, then slightly turned her head. Her hair covered her cheek, but as she fully turned, she revealed the familiar face from his memory, her eyes curved in a smile, her pale skin shining.
“Le Le,” she greeted him softly.
“Sis, what are you doing here?” Tong Le asked.
“Waiting for you.” She turned around and patted his head. A faint metallic smell filled the air.
“What do you want for breakfast? Youtiao or buns?” she asked, squatting down to look him in the eyes.
Tong Le thought for a moment and said, “Youtiao!”
Tong Yang’s fingers brushed against his eyelashes, her expression unreadable.
“Alright, I’m off.”
“Thanks, Sis!”
Still half-asleep, Tong Le rubbed his eyes, feeling a little itchy. As he walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He stuck his head out of the bathroom.
“Sis, when is my friend coming…?”
Before he could finish, he realized the hallway was empty. Tong Yang was already gone.
“That was quick,” Tong Le muttered as he returned to the bathroom. He hadn’t even heard the door close.
Twenty minutes later, Tong Yang returned home with breakfast.
“Tong Le, breakfast is on the table. Your friend should be here soon. I’m going to change clothes.”
“Okay, got it!”
Tong Le rushed out of his room, and by then, Tong Yang had already gone back to her bedroom and closed the door.
When he saw the buns and steamed bread on the table, he paused for a moment.
He glanced at Tong Yang’s closed bedroom door and casually asked, “Sis, didn’t we say we were having youtiao?”
Tong Yang, inside her room, didn’t hear him clearly and replied, “What did you say?”
Tong Le shook his head. Buns were good too. His sister had gone out of her way to buy breakfast for him, after all.
“Nothing! Come out and let’s eat together.”
