As long as it’s from you, it’s perfect.
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Fang Chang’an explained, “It totals nine thousand, and I asked Uncle Shen to help me buy stocks with the other eight thousand.”
“That much?” Shen Mo nodded slightly, a hint of amazement in his eyes, then blinked repeatedly. “Then how much does Uncle have to earn?”
“You seem like you’re hoping Uncle will lose money, don’t you?” Shen Chengyan, overhearing the two kids talking outside the study, walked in and complained with a sour expression.
“No, I’m happy for Uncle,” Shen Mo said with a bright smile. “Grandpa and Grandma would definitely be happy too.”
“Forget it. If your grandpa doesn’t scold me, that’s already me feeling a bit happy on my own behalf.”
Shen Chengyan still believed his father harbored resentment over his insistence on resigning despite his arrangements. He looked forward to the Lunar New Year when his elder brother would return. If his father and brothers questioned and lectured him together, and he showed them his “achievements” from this time, what kind of scene would that be?
The experiences and observations of these past few months had matured Shen Chengyan considerably. He had developed a deeper understanding of his own “conscience” and no longer felt so anxious after making a profit as he did initially.
After all, making money was better than losing it.
Of course, neither Shen Chengyan nor Fang Chang’an indulged their inner greed. The “return gift” previously decided—beverages—had already launched in November.
It was a kind of bean powder mixed with sugar, similar to the soy milk sold on the streets in the future. The purchase price was seventeen cents, selling at twenty cents. Fortunately, it was quite popular; many bought two or three bags daily. With slim margins but high volume, the three-cent difference barely covered transportation and labor costs.
Fang Chang’an had suggested making packaged soy milk himself. Grinding the beans wasn’t practical, but using a blender might work.
Shen Chengyan trusted what they produced more, yet neither really understood the costs or flavor profiles well enough to rush production. They planned to ask around first, then buy a blender for testing.
The soy milk would definitely keep the original price. If costs couldn’t be reduced or the taste was poor, they would have to continue sourcing from manufacturers.
Besides reading books, Fang Chang’an had been catching up on news through newspapers, learning about events he thought were distant but actually happening right now.
For example, on December 13, Saddam Hussein was captured; on October 24, Soong Mei-ling passed away.
That year also saw the death of another notable figure.
There were uplifting stories too, such as yesterday’s successful launch of the Equatorial Satellite at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, part of the “Twin Star Program,” the first international space exploration initiative proposed and led mainly by Chinese scientists.
This year, Sino-European cooperation in space was still ongoing, but Fang Chang’an knew that, historically, the Europeans would betray the agreement next year, prompting China to resolutely develop the Beidou Navigation System independently.
In the future, Beidou would become the true Beidou, while Galileo remained as Galileo.
As an ordinary netizen who had witnessed live broadcasts of the full launch of Beidou-3 and the Chang’e 5 mission, Fang Chang’an looked forward to seeing this “falling out” event reported in the news seventeen years ago.
There was a genuine satisfaction in watching the clowns stumble from a superior vantage point.
Of course, not all moments moving forward were joyful. After the Gregorian year ended, there was only about a month left in the semester.
In a month, Shen Mo would transfer schools, and her presence here would vanish.
As usual, Shen Chengyan drove Fang Chang’an and Shen Mo back to school. Walking side by side toward the classroom after getting out of the car, Shen Mo keenly noticed Fang Chang’an’s somewhat off mood and curiously asked on the stairs, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Fang Chang’an smiled. “Just thinking that the Gregorian New Year is also a kind of celebration. Do you want to give me a gift to express our deep friendship as desk mates for the semester?”
“Then why don’t you give me a gift?” The little girl pouted her soft pink lips, then smiled again, her dimples showing sweetly and charmingly. “I bought you a card. I’ll decide what to write tonight and give it to you tomorrow morning.”
Greeting cards had become very popular little gifts on campus. Tomorrow was the Gregorian New Year, and many were exchanging cards today. Fang Chang’an had already received two this morning—from Wang Hao and Wu Di. He wondered why those two boys were so eager.
He nodded and smiled. “I’ll be waiting.”
Shen Mo blinked and asked, “Aren’t you giving me one?”
“Of course, but I haven’t decided what to give yet. Everyone’s giving cards, so if I also give a card, it would seem unoriginal.”
“That’s not true. Everyone’s doing it, and they’re cheap and can be personalized—what’s not to like?” She earnestly advised, “If you buy one, be sure to get me Du Bingyan. I don’t want *My Fair Princess*, nor *The Return of the Condor Heroes* or *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*. I only want Du Bingyan.”
“What if they don’t sell Du Bingyan?”
“Then it’s okay if they don’t.”
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Shen Mo said considerately, “I didn’t get Du Bingyan myself, so I asked you to get it for me. If you can’t find it either, then forget it.”
“All right,” Fang Chang’an nodded in agreement. “I’ll look around. If I can’t find it, I’ll pick one I like.”
“If you can’t find Li Yuhu, then I want Zhao Min.”
“Okay.”
The “Zhao Min” Shen Mo referred to was not the one played by Alyssa Chia, since that version hadn’t aired yet; she meant the one portrayed by Gigi Lai.
Back in the classroom, as soon as Fang Chang’an sat down, Shen Mo turned quietly to Wang Ke and asked, “Whose card do you want?”
Wang Ke, busy with math homework, paused briefly, glanced quickly at Fang Chang’an, then smiled at Shen Mo, “Yours.”
“I’m not asking who’s giving the card. I mean, which kind of card do you like? Like *The Return of the Condor Heroes*, *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, that kind of thing. The card I’m giving you is already bought. I’ll write on it tonight and bring it tomorrow.”
Shen Mo explained carefully, then added, “Fang Chang’an is buying cards, and I told him to get me Du Bingyan.”
“I want one too!” Wang Ke’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Fang Chang’an. “I want *Wrong Wedding, Right Groom*. I want Li Yuhu!”
Fang Chang’an nodded. “Okay.”
Wang Hao, sitting next to Wang Ke, lifted his round, potato-like head and eagerly looked at Fang Chang’an. Having shared a bed for the semester, Fang Chang’an nodded knowingly, “I know. Yours, I’ll get Yang Guo.”
“Great!” Wang Hao nodded enthusiastically.
Shen Mo then told Wang Ke, “*Wrong Wedding, Right Groom* is rare. I couldn’t find it. If I can’t get it, I’ll have to switch it. If Fang Chang’an can’t get it, then get me Zhao Min.”
Wang Ke said, “I want Zhao Min too.”
Shen Mo said, “I already asked for her first. If you don’t want that, then how about Zhou Zhiruo?”
“No, I don’t want Zhou Zhiruo. She’s bad.”
At their age, the world was simply divided between good and bad characters. Zhou Zhiruo was undoubtedly the villain, so Wang Ke rejected her without hesitation.
She thought carefully and said to Fang Chang’an, “If you can’t get Li Yuhu, then get me Xiao Zhao.”
“Okay, I’ll look.”
Fang Chang’an nodded with slight helplessness.
After school in the afternoon, he quickly ate a bowl of rice with toppings outside the school gate, then went to several small shops nearby to look for greeting cards. There was a large display with many people gathering around, flipping through the selection.
As soon as Fang Chang’an entered, he saw Fang Dianqiu and her round-faced desk mate picking out cards. Surprised and pleased to see him, Fang Dianqiu said, “I picked this one for you. Do you like it?”
The card showed Yang Guo, Xiao Longnu, and an eagle.
Without hesitation, Fang Chang’an said, “Change it.”
“Change to who?”
“Wei Xiaobao.”
“There’s no Wei Xiaobao.”
“Then Zhang Wuji.”
Fang Chang’an chose a card featuring Zhang Wuji, Zhou Zhiruo, and Zhao Min. Fang Dianqiu pouted but still took it.
Fang Chang’an casually flipped through the cards and asked the shop owner, “Do you have *Wrong Wedding, Right Groom*?”
“No!” the owner shook her head.
Fang Dianqiu said, “You want *Wrong Wedding, Right Groom*? I want to buy it too, but I couldn’t find it.”
“I’ll check another shop.”
Fang Chang’an went to the store across the street. As soon as he entered, he saw Liu Bei, Zhang Jing, and Wang Sha. Before he could say anything, three older-looking boys nearby immediately shouted:
“Chang’an!”
“Chang’an!”
“Chang’an!”
Half the shop turned to look. Fang Chang’an awkwardly nodded, thinking he could brush them off, but one of them asked, “You’re here to buy cards too?”
He politely pushed his two companions aside. “Make way, make way. Let Chang’an choose first.”
Two of the three had dyed long hair and looked tough, which intimidated the other boys and girls picking cards, who instinctively moved aside.
Fang Chang’an sighed helplessly, waved them off, and said, “You pick your own... Boss, do you have *Wrong Wedding, Right Groom* here?”
The shop lady thought a moment, then shook her head. “No.”
Fang Chang’an waved goodbye to the three enthusiastic “little brothers” and the three girls in the class. “Let’s go.”
He visited four or five small shops near the school but still couldn’t find *Wrong Wedding, Right Groom*. Thinking it over, he headed back to school to fetch his bike. Just as he entered, he ran into Wang Yuwei, so he borrowed her bike and rode to the wholesale street downtown.
This street was lined with small commodity wholesale stores, which also retailed at prices similar to the small shops but with a wider variety. Fang Chang’an often came here in high school to buy things like pen nibs and scratch paper.
Though he had been many times, he couldn’t remember which store sold what, so he asked at seven or eight shops before the shop lady finally gave the answer like a savior: “Over there, look around.”
In a corner lay a huge pile of cards. Fang Chang’an stopped his bike, walked over, then turned back to lock it, took the key out, and pocketed it before searching more confidently.
After much digging, he found single cards of Du Bingyan and Li Yuhu, then found a single card for Zhao Min. He didn’t find a single card for Xiao Zhao, only a double card with Zhang Wuji.
Hesitating, he discarded the Zhao Min single card and instead chose the double card with Zhang Wuji, thinking it fairer.
He finalized the cards for the two girls, then asked the shop lady, “If I buy a lot, can you give me a discount?”
The lady asked, “How many do you want?”
“About fifty or sixty.”
“Forty cents each.”
“Twenty bucks for sixty cards. If that’s fine, I’ll buy them all here.”
Usually, these cards retailed at fifty cents each, and musical ones sold for a dollar or one fifty, but wholesale was definitely cheaper. The lady hesitated then nodded. “Alright, you’re a student, so a little discount.”
“Thanks, Auntie.”
Fang Chang’an first picked the cards for the two girls, then grabbed some other random ones, totaling sixty cards. After paying twenty yuan, he was about to leave but hesitated.
He put down the double card of Zhao Min and Zhang Wuji, and swapped it for the single Zhao Min card.
Winter nights grew dark early. Riding back to school, twilight had fully shrouded the campus. He parked Wang Yuwei’s bike in the shelter behind the teaching building, then carried the pile of cards back to the dorm and tucked them safely under his blanket. Then he dashed back to the classroom, forehead still sweaty.
Evening self-study was about to start. Shen Mo and Wang Ke were already there. Seeing him rush back empty-handed, they guessed he must have gone to find cards but failed.
Fang Chang’an sat down, first telling Wang Yuwei where he parked her bike and handing her the key. After he finished, Shen Mo turned quietly and asked, “Did you go buy the cards?”
He nodded, breath uneven. “I searched downtown for a long time but couldn’t find them. I’ll try again tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get them for you two.”
Wang Ke was listening behind, so he said “you two.”
Noticing the sweat on his forehead on such a cold day, Shen Mo felt touched and a bit worried, whispering, “It’s okay. I just want Zhao Min’s card, or others are fine too.”
Wang Ke quietly added, “Me too.”
Shen Mo looked at him with sparkling eyes and softly added, “As long as it’s from you, it’s good.”
“I’ll try again. Maybe I’ll find them next time,” Fang Chang’an smiled. “Don’t worry; I won’t miss class or get delayed. I’ll have them to you by tomorrow night.”
Shen Mo seemed about to persuade him further, but seeing his determined expression, she nodded lightly and settled down to read, her dimples blossoming faintly under the lamplight.
Like sunlight on a snow lotus, dazzling and radiant.
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