Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  Qiao Zijin ran off angrily. With that, Qiao Nan laughed to herself, a cold glint in her eyes. She knew things would turn out like this.

  “Happy Lunar New Year.” On the day for enrollment, Qiao Nan handed in her school fees and arranged for the boys in her class to carry the books and distributed them to the students.

  It used to be the Class Monitor’s responsibility. But the Class Monitor seemed to have caught a cold and did not come today, The Class Monitor even arranged for someone to help to hand in the school fees. As a Vice Class Monitor, Qiao Nan would then have to help out.

  “After receiving your books, flip them open and check through. If there’s any problems please come over to me to make a note and exchange your books.”

  The students seldom need to exchange their books, but to be on the safe side, Qiao Nan still instructed them to check.

  “Hmph, bullying people by flaunting one’s powerful connections.” Zhao Yu was furious when she saw how Qiao Nan directed people around on the podium.

  Zhou Lei had gotten used to Zhao Yu who would act up once in a while. “During Lunar New Year this year, you must have eaten the aged vinegar.”

  “What do you mean?” Zhao Yu paused momentarily, she was slow to react.

  “Sour.” Zhou Lei wrinkled his nose in disdain. “But don’t let the sourness drift towards me. I don’t like sour stuff.” With that, Zhou Lei paid attention to Zhao Yu no more, he focused on helping Qiao Nan to distribute the exercise books.

  “You are the one who is sour.” Zhao Yu finally understood. If she still did not get the drift, how could she be the Chinese representative?

  “For you.” Zhu Baoguo placed a nicely wrapped box on Qiao Nan’s table. A flower was tied on top of the box.

  “For me?” Qiao Nan arched her eyebrows. “Where have you been during the Lunar New Year, I didn’t see you in the quad.”

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  “I am not at the quad, I went overseas on holiday. Did you see the shoes that I am wearing now, they are the trendiest sports shoes overseas. They were pretty expensive as well.” Zhu Baoguo lifted his leg to flaunt off his new shoes, letting Qiao Nan to have a close look.

  “That’s really trendy of you to spend the Lunar New Year overseas.” For the older generations, not to mention in the 21st century, most families would choose to spend the Lunar New Year having reunion dinner at home.

  It was only the end of the 20th century now, the Zhu family was very open minded.

  “This is my gift for you from overseas, open it and take a look to see if you like it. You can’t get it here.” Zhu Baoguo pushed the gift towards Qiao Nan. “I spent half a day choosing a gift for you. If your house has a phone, I could just make a call and ask your preferences, I can buy whatever that you preferred. Oh, it’s such a headache to pick a gift.”

  It was supposed to be words of concern, but Zhu Baoguo made people feel uneasy with the way he put it across.

  Qiao Nan who was used to the way people behaved in the 21st century, unwrapped the box that Zhu Baoguo gave her without hesitation.

  While Qiao Nan was unwrapping the box, everyone in the class was waiting to see what was inside the box.

  Why was Qiao Nan so lucky this year? First there was someone who gave her the revision notes, and now Zhu Baoguo gave her a present, and they heard that it was bought from overseas. What could be inside the box?

  Qiao Nan was quick and familiar in unwrapping the box.

  When she finally unwrapped the box and saw what was inside the box, she gave a small shout of surprise. “Walkman?”

  “There’s more.” Zhu Baoguo smiled. “I heard that your English is pretty good, but while I was overseas I overheard a lot of the people who said that the Chinese students are only good in written English, they do not place focus on conversational English. You can listen to the native speakers and practise your conversational English, you would definitely be able to speak good English in the future.”

  Other than the walkman, Zhu Baoguo also picked quite a lot of English cassettes for Qiao Nan. It seemed to come in a set and must have cost a bomb.

  Looking at the gift, Qiao Nan hesitated for a while. “I really need this, I won’t refuse your good intentions, Zhu Baoguo, thank you.”

  It was rare that Qiao Nan would be full of gratitude towards him. Zhu Baoguo shuddered and rubbed his elbows. “Don’t, don’t ever do that. I am used to your cynicism, I can’t take it when you are nice to me.”

  Zhu Baoguo might have expressed his dislike, but his lips curled upwards to show that he was in fact very pleased.

  “Scram, are your eyes okay? Do you have red eyes?” Zhou Lei who was finished with distributing the books had just sat down and saw Zhao Yu whose eyes turned red and scary. They were not red from crying, but glaringly red. Zhou Lei had such a bad fright that he almost jumped up. “I heard from my Dad that eyes infections are contagious. Zhao Yu, maybe you should consider applying for leave to go back home and have your Mom to take you to the doctor. It’s only enrollment today and there aren’t many classes. Don’t frighten other students.”

  “It’s your eyes who are infected.” Zhao Yu closed her dry eyes and tried to contain her jealousy.

  Qiao Nan was just a lackey, no wonder she was so nice to Zhu Baoguo. Even though he was such a lousy student, she still mixed with him. So it turned out that she was sucking up to him, hoping to gain something out of it.

  Zhu Baoguo must be blind as well, she was such a good lady, yet he befriended Qiao Nan instead of her.

  Just you wait and see, Zhu Baoguo would definitely stand to lose if he kept on mixing with Qiao Nan. By then, Zhu Baoguo would finally realize who the good person was.

  Zhu Baoguo had given her such expensive gifts. Qiao Nan dared not keep the books at home, let alone these walkman and cassettes. She would be a fool to bring them home.

  Qiao Nan had a bitter smile on her face. She was finally done with keeping the newly distributed textbooks for the new year and the walkman and cassettes that Zhu Baoguo gave her at Zhai family residence.

  To her, Qiao family residence did not seem like a house. It was in fact a den of thieves, a bandit’s nest. If she put her things at the Qiao family residence, there would be the possibility of them being snatched away.

  Bearing this in mind, whenever Qiao Nan had anything of a considerable value, she would bring them a little by little to Zhai family residence.

  Because of this, there would be a day in the future where Qiao Nan would become a member of the Zhai family. By then, she had no need to move her things at all.

  When Qiao Nan reached home, she put down her school bag and went to look for Qiao Dongliang. “Where’s Mom? Did anything happen?”

  Today she had to go to school for enrollment, while Qiao Zijin went back to school yesterday.

  “Nothing.” Qiao Dongliang frowned.

  “What about my sister’s school fees?” Where did her mother get the money to pay for Qiao Zijin’s school fees in two days’ time?

  Judging from Qiao Zijin’s temper, if she did not have the money, she would not go to school.

  “No idea, they probably borrowed the money.” Qiao Dongliang was furious when he saw the mother and the daughter went through his room to search for money the day before yesterday. Even if he did not lament them, one could tell that he was boiling over with rage from the fact that he moved from the bigger room to the small study room and slept by himself.

  “Where did Mom borrow the money from?” As soon as the words slipped out of her mouth, Qiao Nan regretted her words, she should not shoot off her mouth.

  As long as it wasn’t her father’s money. it didn’t matter where her mother borrowed it from.

  “Don’t bother about it.” Qiao Dongliang said in anger. “Your Mom is way too unreliable, Nan Nan, you must remember to just ignore her.”