Chapter 124

She was stunned. She might actually make more than a hundred yuan this month.

For her family, that hundred-odd yuan was like money falling from the sky. It made up for the income they'd lost when Lin's Father was fired, and covered Lin An'an's school fees and the cost of having someone look after the younger children.

Half a month later, Lin An'an happily told Song Chaohua she wouldn't have to drop out of school!

The news made Song Chaohua happy, though it left her a little heartsore too.

She bought Gu Yousi a soda to thank her. "If it weren't for you, Lin An'an couldn't have stayed in school."

Gu Yousi held How the Steel Was Tempered in her hands.

She glanced at the soda, closed her book, and said, "It wasn't thanks to me. It was thanks to you. You put up the money for the restaurant."

"But it was your idea, and you've handled everything from start to finish." Song Chaohua paused, then spoke without thinking.

Gu Yousi said quietly, "Weren't you the one who promoted the restaurant at school and told everyone how good Lin An'an's mother was at cooking?"

She stood, took the soda, and handed Song Chaohua the book. "Read it when you have time."

The book felt heavy in Song Chaohua's arms. She stared at it, at a loss for words. Perhaps she'd lost her head for a moment, because she really did take it home.

By March, the weather had grown hot, and cicadas chirred without pause.

Gu Jinshui lounged in a rocking chair at the shop, enjoying the breeze. A book rested in his hand, and his eyes were half-closed. It was hard to tell whether he was reading or asleep.

The wind chime outside rang. Someone entered and stopped by