Jiang Ning followed her gaze. Across the street from the railway station stood a milk tea shop, with several people lined up outside.
In 2013, milk tea shops in China were far from the ubiquitous presence they would later become. In a few years, even the milk tea shop opposite the railway station would be driven out of business by the onslaught of various internet-famous chain stores.
At this time, a cup of milk tea cost three or four yuan, roughly the same price as a cola. Given Jiang Ning's allowance, he could easily afford it.
In the past, he definitely would have bought one for Shen Qing'e. He had always been generous when it came to her.
"If you're thirsty, just have some water," Jiang Ning said in an ordinary tone.
Shen Qing'e asked, "Jiang Ning, are you in a bad mood?"
The girl was sensitive and had noticed the change in Jiang Ning. In the past, Jiang Ning used to grant her every request, but after this train ride, he seemed like a completely different person.
"Yeah." Jiang Ning didn't feel like indulging her.
Now that he had started over, his mind was focused on how to live this life.
He still had to finish school; otherwise, suddenly dropping out would cause a lot of trouble with his parents.
Jiang Ning also wanted to experience the carefree student days all over again.
Back then, when he graduated from university and entered society, he buried himself in busy work day after day, enduring all sorts of hypocrisy. Countless times, he had dreamed of returning to his youth.
He was going to live a good life this time and not let his past self down.
To live with dignity in modern society, money was indispensable. With money, he could move away from his uncle's house and live better. In this lifetime, he would never again depend on others and live under their thumb.
"Qing'e, Qing'e."
A voice from the distance reached Jiang Ning's ears.
Across the street, a woman in her mid-twenties was standing in front of a car, waving at the two of them. She was his older cousin's wife.
"Sister!" Shen Qing'e forgot her recent displeasure. A sweet smile bloomed on her face as she grabbed her suitcase and crossed the crosswalk.
"Oh, if your brother-in-law hadn't been so busy these past few days, I would have had him drive to the township to pick you up," the cousin-in-law said, taking Shen Qing'e's hand and speaking affectionately.
Only then did she shift her gaze to size up Jiang Ning.
"You must be Jiang Ning."
"Yes, hello, cousin-in-law," Jiang Ning nodded, still wearing a faint smile.
In his previous life, when he moved into his uncle's house, his cousin-in-law hadn't actually welcomed him; she had even disliked him. It was just that he hadn't noticed it back then. Having lived through it once more, he was already well aware of it.
"Get in the car."
After putting the suitcase in the trunk, Jiang Ning sat in the back seat.
The car started. There weren't many vehicles on the road—traffic jams in the urban area of Yuzhou City were far less severe back then than they would be in the future.
His cousin-in-law had just gotten her driver's license this year. As she drove, she chatted with Shen Qing'e in the passenger seat, laughing every now and then when the conversation got lively.
Sitting in the back row, Jiang Ning silently fastened his seatbelt.
He used to be a Cultivator, but that was in the past. The present him was still flesh and blood; if he got into a car accident and was killed, it would be a huge joke.
Jiang Ning remembered clearly that next year, his cousin-in-law would hit someone and break their bones, taking 100% of the liability and paying out 180,000 yuan in compensation.
Even so, Jiang Ning didn't remind his cousin-in-law to watch her driving; doing so would only breed resentment.
Ten minutes later, the car drove into a mid-to-high-end residential complex.
His cousin-in-law parked the car in the underground garage, led the two of them into the elevator, and went straight up to the ninth floor.
His uncle's apartment was a large flat, 180 square meters, with five bedrooms and two living rooms. It still looked spacious with the whole family living together.
His uncle ran a restaurant in the city. It wasn't very large, but having been open for fifteen years, it was a well-known old establishment with many regular patrons showing their support on weekdays.
Business had been good in recent years, making three to four hundred thousand yuan a year. This large flat was worth just over two years of the restaurant's profits.
Housing prices in Yuzhou City wouldn't experience a surge until 2017. Right now, this apartment, priced at five thousand yuan per square meter, would climb to eight thousand within a year and then break ten thousand all the way up.
"Qing'e and Jiang Ning are here. Come on in," his aunt said, standing at the doorway and handing over two pairs of slippers.
Jiang Ning changed his shoes and stepped onto the wooden floor as he entered the door.
The interior decoration leaned toward a Chinese style. His uncle hadn't gone to school and liked to combine Chinese and Western styles, using an old-fashioned decoration scheme. A rather flashy Chinoiserie-European hybrid chandelier hung from the ceiling, highlighting a unique aesthetic.
"Put your luggage over here. I'll show you to your rooms," his aunt led the two of them. "Let me know if you need anything, and I'll take you to buy it."
At this moment, Jiang Ning spoke up: "Aunt, don't trouble yourself. I plan to rent a place nearby to live so it's convenient for studying."
As soon as he said this, his aunt was stunned. When her husband made the unilateral decision to let Jiang Ning move in, she had been extremely unhappy.
Poor relatives from the countryside could be helped out, but having someone move directly into their home—and staying for three whole years—was that proper?
Yet her husband had already agreed. Although she was annoyed, she cared about face and couldn't go back on her word.
Now that Jiang Ning was proactively offering not to stay, she was immensely surprised.
"Studying? You can study at our house!" she dissuaded him.
Jiang Ning remained firm: "No need. Later, I'll call my parents to confirm this. Since there are still a few days before school starts, I'll take the opportunity to look for a place."
Jiang Ning spoke clearly and logically, so his aunt didn't try to persuade him further; she was afraid that if she kept pushing and Jiang Ning changed his mind, she would be the one stuck with the bad luck.
"Alright then. Discuss it with your parents first. The room at home will always be kept for you."
"Okay, sounds good." Jiang Ning nodded.
After this episode, his aunt's attitude became much warmer. Cutting fruit and inquiring after his well-being came one after another, so enthusiastically that Jiang Ning felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Taking advantage of a free moment, Jiang Ning went outside.
He took out his phone to check the time. The 3.5-inch screen displayed five o'clock in the afternoon.
The home screen had several game icons: Temple Run, Fruit Ninja, Where's My Water?, and Inotia 3.
Touching the smartphone, a flash of nostalgia crossed Jiang Ning's eyes.
This was a knockoff phone. When he was in the third year of middle school, his dad bought it at a carrier store for three hundred yuan. Although cheap and inexpensive, it held many of his memories.
Even later, when he got a job and earned a salary, gritting his teeth to buy the latest model fruit phone, the novelty only lasted for a week.
He called his mom.
Jiang Ning got straight to the point: "Mom, I want to rent a place to live near No. 4 High School."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, followed by a gentle voice:
"What's wrong, son? Are you not getting along at your uncle's house?"
Hearing his mom's voice again after hundreds of years, Jiang Ning felt a myriad of emotions in his heart.
He took two deep breaths, composed himself, and said:
"Mom, Uncle's family is very good, but the two families live far apart, and no matter what, there's some distance between us. Living together in the future, our living habits might be different, and conflicts could arise. It would put Uncle in a difficult position then.
So, I want to rent a place of my own. I can just visit Uncle's family often; aren't relatives always like that? Many of my former classmates who entered high school also rent places outside. As for meals, I usually eat at the school cafeteria, and on Saturdays and Sundays, I'll cook for myself."
In Jiang Ning's heart, his mother Dong Yun was very gentle with him. From childhood to adulthood, she had never hit him once and would always carefully listen to what he had to say.
"Son, you've grown up, and you're a young man with a mind of your own. What you said works too, Mom trusts you."
"I'll speak to your dad for you. You need to take care of your health, eat well, and don't try to be overly competitive. When it comes to renting a place, I'll call your uncle later."
His mother gave him countless tireless instructions. Listening to her voice, Jiang Ning not only didn't feel annoyed, but instead chatted along with her. A few minutes later, he hung up the phone.
Not long after, a text message came in: Respected Jiang Ning, 2,000 yuan has been transferred into your savings account ending in XXXX, balance 2,200 yuan.
"Son, look around carefully when renting a place. If the money isn't enough, I'll transfer more to you."
"Okay, I remember." Jiang Ning turned off the screen, a smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.
It's so good. His parents were in good health, and he was in the prime of his youth.
Everything was still not too late.