Chapter 17: Summer Break

    When they reached the fried chicken shop, Li Yifeng went back to work. Li Yifei watched as he disappeared into the shop, feeling a bit sad that, at just 15 years old, he already had to work.

    So, Li Yifei headed home first. When she arrived, she found the lunch Grandma Li had prepared for her.

    As for helping Grandma, Her grandmother had already told her not to help with things like sorting vegetables or selling them.

    Saying that she’d only get in the way.

    Anyway, Li Yifei also agreed with her reasoning.

    At home, she scooped some rice and ate the leftovers from breakfast, waiting eagerly for the evening when she could boast about the 2,500 yuan scholarship she had earned. It was nearly half of her father’s monthly salary!

    She planned to use the money to help her family.

    According to her brother, there were no restrictions on how the scholarship money could be spent.

    In the meantime, she would think about making more money from claw machine toys.

    She picked up her phone and opened the chat app, intending to message Li Ying about it. But before she could, Xu Kai had already messaged her about the same thing.

    Li Yifei then replied on the topic.

    Xu Kai, who seemed to still be on his phone, also replied, and soon a group chat was formed, with Li Ying added.

    It was a conversation between the three of them, though Xu Kai didn’t include Xiu Min or Lu Han, likely because he didn’t consider them close friends.

    In the group chat, the conversation unfolded.

    Xu Kai: Wanna go play the claw machine tomorrow? If Yifei’s luck is good, we can sell them and make some money over the break.

    Li Ying: My mom’s taking me on a trip to celebrate my passing the exams and not needing any remedial classes this summer break.

    Li Ying: *Crying face sticker*

    Li Ying: Sorry, but I’ll make it up to you with some souvenirs!

    Yifei: No worries, enjoy your trip!

    Xu Kai: What about you, Yifei?

    Yifei: If you’re free, let’s do this and make some money.

    Xu Kai: Sure! We still have a few days before extra tutoring starts. Gotta strike while the iron’s hot!

    Li Ying: Awesome! I’ll be rooting for you. May Yifei’s luck in the claw machine stay strong!

    Xu Kai: It definitely will. I’ll be waiting at the bus stop near your house at 10 AM tomorrow.

    Yifei: Sounds good.

    Xu Kai: I’ll invite Lu Han and Xiu Min too. We’ll need some help carrying all the stuff.

    Yifei: Sure.

    Xu Kai: Alright, see you at 10 AM tomorrow. I’m off to play some games now.

    Li Ying: Good luck!

    Yifei: Thanks! Have fun on your trip!

    After that, the group chat fell silent. Li Yifei read the messages with hope and felt grateful that her friends wanted to do something with her, even if Xu Kai saw it as just a fun activity.

    She wondered if her luck with the claw machine would hold up tomorrow. There was no way to know until the day came.

    Throughout the afternoon, Li Yifei spent time on her computer, visiting websites with practice tests for her grade level. She wanted to assess her abilities, and the results were promising.

    Time flew by as she immersed herself in different exercises. She only realized how long she had been working when she heard the sound of the metal door opening. Turning toward the noise, she saw that Grandma Li had returned home.

    Li Yifei decided to stop her self-testing, shut down the computer, and went to see if she could help her grandmother with anything.

    Grandma Li didn’t ask about the exam results, partly because she had doubted that there was a problem with the result. How could her granddaughter, who had struggled with her studies and put in so little effort, suddenly leap to the top of the class? The change seemed too drastic.

    Though her behavior had certainly improved, especially over the past month, as Li Yifei had become more adept at helping with household chores like sorting, washing, and chopping vegetables.

    Her contributions to the market work had also been surprising.

    Grandma Li didn’t want her granddaughter to go back to the market. Even though Li Yifei’s mother had been beautiful, Li Yifei was even more so, and the market was full of different kinds of people. Deep down, Grandma Li feared that the old Li Yifei, who used to charm others, might resurface.

    And it would become troublesome.

    While having her granddaughter at the market certainly boosted sales, and Li Yifei often kindly helped other vendors, they didn’t receive anything in return.

    Grandma Li didn’t want her to go too often.

    Because the mere presence of Li Yifei was enough to draw young men to buy their vegetables. Having her drop by occasionally was enough, and this kept Grandma Li at ease.

    "Grandma, I’m heading downstairs for a bit," Li Yifei said.

    “Alright,” Grandma Li responded.

    After Li Yifei left, Grandma Li continued stir-frying the vegetables. Although the veggies weren’t as fresh anymore, they were still edible. Saving as much money as possible was crucial, as one never knew when someone might fall ill or when an emergency might arise.

    For Grandma Li, having money in the bank was always more reassuring.

    Before long, Li Yifei returned with a bag of roast duck. Grandma Li looked at her in disbelief.

    She then quickly remembered how her granddaughter had earned money from the claw machine game and how her friends had helped sell the toys. Since her recovery, Li Yifei’s friends seem to have encouraged her to do more useful things.

    Seeing her granddaughter’s cheerful face as she prepared to treat the family to roast duck, Grandma Li didn’t say anything in protest.

    At least the money was being spent on a family meal.

    Still, since the money had been earned by Li Yifei, she couldn’t help but suggest,

    “Next time, you should save some for yourself—maybe for skincare products or something like that.”

    Grandma Li had noticed that many of Li Yifei’s skincare products had run out. As a young woman, it was important to start taking care of her skin now. While people say youth naturally looked vibrant, if they didn’t take care of themselves, it wouldn’t stay that way.

    It was important to care for the family.

    But taking care of herself was important too.

    Hearing this, Li Yifei looked at her grandmother with heartfelt appreciation, knowing that her grandma cared about her well-being.

    “Go on, put the roast duck on a plate. Your brother, mom, and dad will be back soon, and we can eat together,” Grandma Li said.

    Li Yifei obediently followed her instructions.

    As dinnertime approached, the family started to gather. Even though it was already past 7 p.m., everyone was finally home.

    “Today we also have duck?” her father remarked.

    “Yeah, Yifei, you don’t have to spend all your money,” her mother added with a gentle scolding.

    “It’s a celebration! I went with my sister to check the exam results today. She really did get first place!” Li Yifeng announced, seizing the opportunity to share the news.

    This time, there was no clattering of chopsticks, but their faces still showed disbelief.

    Li Yifeng took the chance to explain how they had confirmed the results.

    “You took another test to verify it, and it went well?” their father mused.

    “I can’t believe it,” their mother echoed.

    Meanwhile, Grandma Li remained quiet, likely sharing the same astonishment as her parents but unable to find the right words.

    “Not only that, but she also got a scholarship! And this year, there’s a special scholarship too. How much did you get, sis? Tell them!” Li Yifeng urged.

    “I got 2,500 yuan,” Li Yifei replied.

    When she revealed the amount, each family member, except Li Yifeng, gasped in surprise, and once again, there was the sound of chopsticks dropping.

    “Who should I give it to for safekeeping?” Li Yifei asked.

    Her question was met with silence.

    Li Yifei smiled broadly, enjoying their reactions.

    “I can keep it for you,” her brother offered.

    “I’ll take care of it,” Grandma Li interjected.

    “But I’ll only receive the money when school starts,” Li Yifei clarified.

    “No worries. Let’s just continue eating,” Grandma Li said, dismissing the concern.

    “Yes, let’s celebrate all the good things that have happened for Yifei,” her father added.

    “Indeed, let’s celebrate the good things,” her mother agreed.

    After that, everyone picked out a dish and placed a bit of it on Li Yifei’s rice bowl. Even the garlic from the stir-fried vegetables ended up on her plate, and Li Yifei ate it happily.

    Seeing the joy on everyone’s faces, Li Yifei hoped their business venture with the claw machine toys would go well the next day.

    After dinner, she shared her plan with the family, explaining who she would be going with. Her parents and Grandma exchanged worried glances—perhaps because all the others going were boys.

    “I can go with you tomorrow,” Li Yifeng quickly volunteered.

    “That’s good. You could use a break from the fried chicken shop. I don’t want you to overwork yourself,” Grandma Li said.

    “You’ll miss your work,” Li Yifei remarked.

    “My shift is over. I don’t have anything else lined up this break,” Li Yifeng explained.

    “Is that so?” Li Yifei asked.

    “Yes, sis,” he confirmed.

    So, her brother would be joining them for their toy-selling venture the next day, which Li Yifei was happy about. She loved the protective feeling her younger brother gave her.

    Now, it seemed the whole family was relying on Li Yifeng to look after her.

    That night, as they were preparing for bed, Li Yifei couldn’t help but tell her brother,

    “I can’t wait for tomorrow!”