I Also Hope You Don't Mind

Yongjia Middle School was about four or five kilometers north of Fang Bai's home, a ten-minute bike ride at most.

When Fang Bai came back, he rode one-handed, as carefree as could be.

But this time, heading to Yongzhong, he had to grip the handlebars with his right hand and pedal hard, rushing over in a flurry.

He knew where his aunt lived. Over ten minutes later, he arrived at the staff housing area of Yongjia Middle School.

It was the weekend, and the school was open. The guard let him in since he didn't look like a troublemaker, and the faculty dormitory area wasn't strictly managed anyway, separate from the teaching zone.

Building 2, Unit 1, Room 302—that was his aunt's home.

As soon as Fang Bai reached the second floor, he heard his mother and aunt talking.

Seeing his mother standing at the door, Fang Bai felt a surge of anger. His aunt hadn't even invited her inside to sit.

His mother worked as a support staffer at the school and rarely visited her home.

Usually, when his aunt ran into his mother on campus, she wouldn't even acknowledge her, afraid her colleagues would find out she had a relative working as a janitor and embarrass her.

"I know Fang Bai well. His college entrance exam score was far below the Undergraduate Line. With his current situation, even repeating a year won't get him into a bachelor's program.

Our school has strict requirements for Repeating students. Someone like Fang Bai isn't accepted, and there's nothing I can do about that.

Now he's gone and broken his finger working. I don't know what you were thinking—sending him to work instead of just letting him go to some vocational school to learn a skill."

Chen Xia was in charge of the Repeating student class. Fang Bai's grades were barely passable, but getting into a bachelor's program through repeating wasn't easy.

These poor relatives were such a headache. If his grades were excellent, she wouldn't mind—having one more top student in her class, with the bonus money in sight, she could reluctantly take him in.

But his grades were bad, and now he was a cripple with a broken finger, still wanting to repeat a year. He couldn't even recognize his own lowly fate. Why bother struggling? If people found out they were related, it would make her a laughingstock and hurt her reputation at school.

"Sister-in-law, A Bai studies very hard. He says he's confident he can get into college."

"Kids these days love to brag. Based on my experience with make-up exams, his chances are extremely low.

Look at Xiao Hai—he got into Shencheng University of Technology this year, a pretty good bachelor's program. If he'd worked harder, or repeated a year, maybe he could've gotten into Jiaotong University."

Getting into a bachelor's program wasn't easy these days. Shencheng University of Technology was a solid school, and Chen Xia loved to humble-brag in front of her Repeating students: "My son is just too playful, that's why he only got into Gongda. Otherwise, Jiaotong was within reach. I hope you all work harder and don't end up like my useless son."

"If there's really no way, then I'll have to find another school for him to repeat at. Sister-in-law, could you lend us some money? We'll pay you back next year." Liu Fengqing's face was troubled as she tried to think of a compromise.

"Oh, bad timing! My younger brother-in-law came by yesterday asking too. We really can't right now—Xiao Hai just started college, and we're still in debt." Chen Xia frowned and shook her head with a sigh of helplessness.

Her money earned interest in the bank—why lend it to them?!

Hmph, whether she'd even get it back was a question.

Fang Bai, standing on the second-floor stairs, felt bitter listening to their conversation. Even if she didn't want to lend, she could at least ask how much they needed, then refuse a smaller amount out of brotherly obligation—not just shut it down without even asking.

He knew his aunt's character well. He hadn't expected her to lend money anyway, so he walked straight up and said to his mother, "Mom, no need to borrow. I've already arranged to repeat at Oubei No. 1 Middle School."

"A Bai, what are you doing here?"

Fang Bai's mother was surprised to see her son.

"Oh, Fang Bai's here too. What I said just now came from the heart. Your cousin just got into Shencheng University of Technology this year, and studying in a big city costs a fortune. We're up to our ears in debt.

If we could lend, your dad came by yesterday, and we would have."

Fang Bai didn't respond, just smiled faintly and pulled his mother away.

His aunt watched him go, muttering that the kid had no manners, not even greeting an elder, and cursing under her breath that even if he got into college, he wouldn't amount to anything.

Once downstairs, his mother looked dejected. "A Bai, Mom will find a way to borrow the money. Just focus on your studies."

"Mom, I told you, don't ask that woman."

"You child, talking so strangely. Besides, she's still your aunt."

"She doesn't see us as family, these poor relatives. From now on, don't give her any kindness at school. We don't need anything from her. After all these years, aside from sneering and belittling, has she ever helped us?

I already told you, I've solved the money problem."

"Where did you get the money?"

"I asked my boss for compensation. It's over a thousand, plus the two months' wages from my job. After buying a bike, it's enough for now."

Fang Bai didn't dare say it was five thousand—he couldn't let his parents worry. A thousand in compensation was reasonable; any more, and they'd think he'd done something wrong.

"How did your boss agree to compensate you? Is he that kind-hearted?"

Liu Fengqing was skeptical, but her son rarely lied, so she believed him halfway.

"Let's talk about it at home. It'll be dark soon, and riding will be hard."

They reached the bike shed. His mother saw him unlock a new bicycle, which made the compensation story seem more believable.

She unlocked her own bike, and they rode home together.

On the way back, Fang Bai's mood was complicated. He hadn't expected to run into such a mess.

Even if he had no money, he'd rather beg than borrow from his aunt's family.

For repeating the year, he'd have to work hard. If he did poorly, he'd get mocked again and mess up his own study plans.

Some relatives don't want others to do better than them.

If you're down, they'll gladly kick you further, adding insult to injury—let alone helping.

Having lived so many years, Fang Bai took such matters rather lightly.

To him, as long as he lived well himself, that was enough—life was his own, not something to be lived for others to see.

But in truth, he still had family, and he couldn't escape the mundane world. If he didn't do well, his parents would be laughed at and looked down upon.

Around six o'clock, Fang Bai and his mother returned home. His father had just come back from outside, saying the pork in the village wasn't fresh anymore, so he'd walked to the town to buy half a catty.

Hearing this, Fang Bai couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness—his father had walked dozens of minutes just to buy half a catty of pork.

Just as they were about to start cooking, Fang Shi walked out of the kitchen and handed Fang Bai an empty 500ml liquor bottle and one yuan. "A Bai, we're out of soy sauce at home, and the salt's almost gone too. Go to the village shop and buy a catty of soy sauce and a pack of fine salt."

"Sure thing."

Fang Bai was taken aback for a moment, then took the bottle and money with a chuckle, heading toward the village shop he remembered.

Halfway there, if he hadn't opened the bottle cap to sniff it, he wouldn't have remembered whether he was supposed to buy soy sauce or vinegar.

The shop was in the middle of the village, and it took a few minutes to get there.

It was a tile-roofed shack, with only about twenty or thirty items for sale—all household necessities, stocked from the town supply cooperative.

"Sangong, a catty of soy sauce."

Fang Bai set the bottle on the counter and called out to a bald old man in his sixties sitting on a long bench.

The younger generation in the village all addressed the old man this way; he wasn't related to Fang Bai's family.

"Right-o."

The bulk soy sauce was stored in a large earthenware jar. Sangong cheerfully lifted the lid, and a rich soy aroma filled the room.

He then uncapped the empty liquor bottle, used a bamboo dipper to scoop the soy sauce from the jar, and poured it through a funnel into the bottle. One dipperful was a catty, nearly filling the bottle.

Fang Bai had no idea if it was actually a full catty, but Sangong certainly wouldn't weigh it. "A catty" was just the local term; if you said "a bottle," they'd still give you one dipperful.

If you asked for nine taels, you'd just be picking a fight.

While he was getting the soy sauce, a few villagers chatting in the shop glanced at his hand a few times. Fang Bai understood—if someone else were injured, he'd be curious enough to take a few looks too.

A catty of soy sauce cost a few dimes. Since the shop bought from the supply cooperative and sold at a markup, it was pricier than in town. Fang Bai paid, picked up the bottle of soy sauce, and had barely taken a few steps out of the shop when he realized he'd forgotten the salt. He turned back and bought a bag.

He remembered how, back in the day, his parents would remind him two or three times before sending him to buy household goods, and he'd still come home having forgotten something, often making two trips.

When Fang Bai walked back into the shop, he heard the villagers discussing his hand, mostly saying he'd have trouble making money in the future, would end up a lifelong bachelor, and some even dragged his family into it.

Seeing Fang Bai return for the salt and overhearing them, the villagers who'd been talking so loudly just now exchanged awkward glances and fell silent.

"What we said was the truth. Hope you don't take it too hard. A young man should be broad-minded." A yellow-toothed old man rolled a hand-rolled cigarette, crossed his legs, and smirked.

"Ah, what are you saying, old-timer? You've been a bachelor for decades, the wife you saved up for ran off with someone else, and the kid you raised for over ten years wasn't even yours. Compared to you, what's there for me to mind?"

Fang Bai said with a smile as he paid for the salt, then added harmlessly to Old Qi Gong, "I hope you don't take it to heart either."

If they'd only talked about him, Fang Bai wouldn't have gotten angry. But when they started judging his family, he didn't hold back. Besides, they weren't even from the same village team, and in his past life, this old man had cursed him plenty.

Heh.

If someone loved rubbing salt in others' wounds, he'd pour sulfuric acid on their sores.

If there was a grudge, he'd settle it on the spot.

Letting it sit overnight would just make it stink.

"Hey, you little brat, cursing people out! No manners at all! How did your parents raise you?" Old Qi Gong's neck bulged, his eyes reddened, and he looked ready to charge at Fang Bai!

"Old Qi Gong, at your age, you should be broad-minded. Don't bother with us youngsters. Besides, what I said was the truth too."

After saying that, Fang Bai quickly left the shop. Otherwise, that yellow-toothed old man would spray spit all over his face, and he'd lose his appetite for dinner—he'd be the one suffering.

"Forget it, forget it, Old Qi. What he said was true. Don't stoop to a kid's level." Some people in the shop held the old man back to stop him from actually going after Fang Bai, while others snickered at him in schadenfreude.

Hearing Fang Bai insult him like that and being laughed at by the others, the old man felt humiliated. He grabbed one of his slippers from the floor and threw it at Fang Bai, who was already at the door.

But Fang Bai, with a nimble twist of his hip, dodged. The slipper bounced a couple of times before rolling and landing upright in a pile of cow dung, leaving the old man red-faced and gasping for breath.

Walking home, Fang Bai thought of the old man's furious expression and laughed like a little kid.