Back to Auntie’s School Days - Chapter 6

The only mode of transport in Jian You’s house was a “28-inch” bicycle—part of Jian Sihong’s wedding dowry.

The bike was old, but it saved Jian You a lot of time commuting to school.

Evening, after school.

Jian Hao followed Jian You to the school’s bike shed. For the past few days, Jian You had been giving her a lift.

It reminded Jian Hao of her kindergarten and primary school days when Jian You used to carry her just like this. So, when Jian You pushed the bike out of the school gate, Jian Hao expertly hopped onto the back rack sideways and wrapped one arm around Jian You’s waist. Her movements were so fluid that Jian You gave her a second look.

Jian You thought: This girl really doesn’t stand on ceremony with me.

She lived in her house without a shred of awkwardness, almost as if she truly treated Jian You like her mother.

They wove through the sea of blue-and-white uniforms, bumping into many classmates along the way. When they spotted Zhu Xinsui, Jian Hao was about to say hello, but Jian You slowed down, deliberately creating distance. This caused the smile to freeze on Zhu Xinsui’s face, and she biked ahead.

Confused, Jian Hao looked up at the tip of Jian You’s ponytail. “What was that for?”

Jian You remained silent.

Jian Hao asked, “Do you have a problem with Zhu Xinsui?”

Jian You glanced back. “Did you see the bike she’s riding?”

Jian Hao craned her neck to look. It was a red bicycle, looking brand new. “It’s pretty.”

“It’s the latest model,” Jian You said.

So?

Jian Hao was mature for her age; she could understand the subtle shifts in adolescent pride with just a little thought. She glanced down at their own bike, which was rusting and peeling in places, and poked Jian You’s back. “Are you feeling self-conscious?”

Jian You paused. After a few seconds, she said, “Don’t you know that if you realize someone is feeling inferior, not pointing it out is the best way to protect them?”

“I didn’t know. I have amnesia.”

Jian Hao’s excuse was logically sound, but she immediately offered comfort: “Why feel inferior? You’ll be able to buy plenty of the latest models in the future. Don’t just look at the present; imagine the future. The future is beautiful.”

Jian You let out a short laugh.

She laughed because even with amnesia, Jian Hao was like a little sun, so full of vitality. She also laughed at herself for actually being comforted by Jian Hao’s words.

But the future? She didn’t dare think about it.

Jian You didn’t bike fast, but the night wind still brushed past them, fluttering their hair.

“Sitting next to Zhu Xinsui… have you…”

Jian You’s hesitant voice drifted in and out of the wind.

Jian Hao didn’t catch it clearly. “Huh?”

Jian You: “Nothing.”

Jian Hao frowned. What do you mean, “nothing”?

What Jian Hao didn’t know was what Jian You saw up ahead:

Zhu Xinsui, who had biked away earlier, had stopped by the roadside and was talking to someone. A moment later, that person climbed onto the back of Zhu Xinsui’s bike.

Jian You stared, pedaled hard, and sped past them.

As they brushed past, Jian Hao, sitting on the back, met the eyes of Tan Yanqing, who had just sat down.

Tan Yanqing must have been talking to Zhu Xinsui just a second ago, because those icy peach-blossom eyes were currently curved with a smile.

Jian Hao’s heart skipped a beat.

But two seconds into their eye contact, she saw Tan Yanqing’s curved eyes return to a flat, calm expression.

Jian Hao’s arm tightened around Jian You’s waist.

Why was she willing to smile for Zhu Xinsui, but stopped the moment she saw her?

Does Tan Yanqing hate her that much?

“It tickles! Loosen up!”

Jian You’s voice snapped Jian Hao out of her thoughts. She loosened her grip, bit her lip, and asked after a moment, “Why don’t you get along with Tan Yanqing?”

Jian You replied, “She just annoys me.”

Jian Hao: “There has to be a reason for the annoyance.”

Jian You hissed, “I hate that ‘dead fish’ face of hers.”

Jian Hao: “…”

Jian You glanced back. “Do you like her?”

Jian Hao lowered her lashes. “I want to be friends with her.”

Jian You: “Forget it. That girl’s eyes are so high up she can’t see anyone.”

“That’s not true,” Jian Hao defended Tan Yanqing. “She has a great relationship with Xinsui.”

Jian You said slowly, “That’s because she likes Zhu Xinsui.”

“As her desk mate, haven’t you noticed that Zhu Xinsui likes her too?”

Jian Hao: “?!”

She looked back in disbelief, but they had already turned a corner, and the figures of Zhu Xinsui and Tan Yanqing were gone.

But the image of Tan Yanqing’s smiling eyes replayed in Jian Hao’s mind.

So… Auntie Zhu is that scumbag girl?!

With an extra person in the house, Jian You was bound to feel a bit awkward. So every day after school, she would take Jian Hao to the police station to ask if they had found her family.

On the way back from the station, they would often run into Jian Sihong finishing work. Jian Sihong rented a booth in the department store to sell cosmetics, and her shift ended right around the time their evening self-study did.

The three of them would meet and head to the wet market before going home. The “two little ones” followed behind Jian Sihong as she asked what they wanted for dinner. For the past few days, Jian Hao had been very active during shopping, sweet-talking the vendors and haggling over prices. But today, she was so quiet that even the vegetable vendor noticed.

The vendor whispered to Jian You, “What’s wrong with your cousin?”

Since Jian Hao moved in, Jian Sihong was afraid people would pester her with questions or take advantage of her amnesia. If anyone asked, she just said Jian Hao was a distant relative—Jian You’s cousin.

On the way back from the market, Jian You nudged Jian Hao. “Why did your wind-up key stop turning?”

If the vendor hadn’t mentioned it, she wouldn’t have noticed that this person, who usually talked a mile a minute with a smile on her face, was exceptionally quiet tonight.

Jian Hao shook her head.

Jian You: “Did you remember something?”

Jian Hao shook her head again.

“The police said they’re doing their best to find your family. Don’t be sad.” Jian You assumed she was discouraged by the lack of news at the station. “If only the streets were full of surveillance cameras in the future… then we’d know how you got to the school gates, and finding your family would be easy.”

Jian You patted Jian Hao’s shoulder. “Cheer up. My mom is making sautéed pork strips tonight. It’s her specialty, really delicious.”

Jian Hao gave a small smile. “Thanks.”

She knew Jian You was comforting her. But her silence wasn’t because of the police; it was because she had been mentally replaying every detail of the interactions between Auntie Tan and Auntie Zhu and couldn’t find anything suspicious.

If Auntie Zhu really was the scumbag who broke Auntie Tan’s heart, why had she never heard her mom mention it? Not only had she never heard of it, but the way Auntie Tan and Auntie Zhu acted was just like ordinary best friends.

So why…?

On the way to school the next day, Jian Hao couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you say Tan Yanqing likes Zhu Xinsui? Did you overhear a confession?”

Jian You: “No.”

Jian Hao: “So you just guessed?”

“Yeah. Don’t you think they have a great relationship?”

“…”

Good grief! Her mom’s train of thought was so linear. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning over this, and now it turns out it was just a guess!

Jian Hao was speechless. “I have a good relationship with you too. Does that mean I like you?”

Jian You gave her a weird look. “Don’t fall for me; there’s no future there.”

Not just linear, but a bit narcissistic, too.

The two arrived at the school gates. Bikes weren’t allowed inside, so they dismounted and walked.

Jian Hao: “I don’t think Tan Yanqing likes Zhu Xinsui.”

Jian You didn’t ask why. Instead, she asked, “Then does Zhu Xinsui like Tan Yanqing?”

“I don’t feel it,” Jian Hao said. “I think they’re just ordinary friends.”

“Oh~”

Jian Hao’s brow furrowed. She turned to stare at Jian You’s profile.

Jian You was wearing a smirk. Was it a secret smile? A “fluttering” smile?

Based on Jian Hao’s experience reading countless web novels during class, Jian You was acting very strange.

“You don’t happen to like Zhu Xinsui, do you?” Jian Hao asked tentatively. Jian You’s sudden, panicked expression made Jian Hao’s heart leap. She grabbed Jian You’s arm tightly. “Wait, really?”

Jian You was a straightforward person. Now that her crush had been discovered, she acted a bit bashful but didn’t deny it. She just warned Jian Hao: “Don’t tell anyone.”

Jian Hao’s head throbbed.

If her mom liked Auntie Zhu, then why did she end up giving birth to her?

Was there technology for two girls to have a baby in 2008? Even if there was, her mom couldn’t afford it… Auntie Zhu’s family had money, but… was it even possible?

Jian Hao suddenly remembered: Zhu Xinsui was going to study abroad.

Was it because Zhu Xinsui left that her mom, heartbroken and desperate, had a rebound that resulted in her? Her mom had a fiery personality; it was exactly the kind of thing she might do.

That would explain why she grew up in a single-parent home.

It also explained why her mom didn’t get along with Tan Yanqing.