Chapter 316 - 313: You Can Afford to Pay It Back

Chapter 316: Chapter 313: You Can Afford to Pay It Back

After the staff meeting, Qiuting returned to the university to pack her luggage. She cleaned the dorm room until it was spotless, even washing her roommates’ pillowcases and duvet covers and scrubbing their shoes. Thinking back on the past six months of university life, she let out a soft sigh, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

She had met three wonderful roommates. They didn’t discriminate against this "Cinderella from the great mountains"; on the contrary, they took great care of her in every way, especially Sister Yanwan.

She had helped her build confidence and provided her with a job. After her grandmother, she was the kindest person to her.

After one last look at the dorm, she shouldered her bag, picked up her suitcase, and prepared to head home.

Just then, the dorm room door was suddenly pushed open. Lin Yanwan stood outside, brushing the snowflakes from her clothes as she walked in.

Qiuting was taken aback. "Sister Yanwan..."

Seeing Qiuting’s packed bags, Lin Yanwan smiled gently. "Getting ready to go back?"

"Mhm." Qiuting nodded slightly. If she hadn’t needed to work, she would have gone home right after her exams, just like Si Si and the others.

’I miss Grandma so, so much right now.’

"When’s your flight?" Lin Yanwan asked.

"It’s a train at 1:30 in the afternoon," Qiuting said in a small voice.

She had checked the prices on the official website. A plane ticket for the same route was several hundred yuan more expensive than the train. Although the train was slower, the money she saved could be given to her grandmother to help with household expenses.

Lin Yanwan paused for a moment. When she came to her senses, she didn’t ask a pointless question like why Qiuting hadn’t bought a plane ticket. Instead, she stroked Qiuting’s head. "If you’re taking the train, how long is the ride?"

"Almost two and a half days."

"That long? It’s so far..."

Lin Yanwan sighed in exclamation. In this era, most domestic trains were the old "green-skinned" models, which were relatively slow. The distance from the Imperial Capital to Qianzhou was over two thousand kilometers, and the train would have to pass through many cities, stopping and starting along the way. It was truly an arduous journey.

"Is it a sleeper car?"

"Mhm."

Lin Yanwan sighed softly. ’I don’t even have to think about it. With this girl’s personality, she would have bought a hard sleeper berth, the less comfortable option, just to save money.’

"After you get to the station, how much longer will it take to get home?"

Qiuting thought for a moment. "I’ll have to take a long-distance coach for about six more hours, then transfer to a local bus in the county to get to my town. From there, it’s a few more hours of walking."

Lin Yanwan felt a pang in her heart hearing this. According to the historical timeline of her previous life, the country wouldn’t fully eradicate poverty until 2020. It was easy to imagine just how poor Qiuting’s hometown must be right now.

Deep in the mountains, transportation was inconvenient, and many places could only be reached on foot.

Fortunately, Qiuting had studied diligently since she was young. Knowledge had changed her destiny, allowing her to travel from the depths of the mountains to the bustling Imperial Capital. But people like her were ultimately a minority. Most children from impoverished mountain regions might never leave the mountains their entire lives.

"Qiuting, the trip home must be exhausting, right?"

Qiuting shook her head. "It’s no big deal, Sister Yanwan. I also took the train when I first came to the university to register. Besides, I’ve lived like this my whole life, so I’m already used to it."

Seeing the smile on her face, Lin Yanwan couldn’t help but smile too. "Remember to call me when you get home, and please say hello to your grandmother for me."

"Okay!" Qiuting nodded emphatically. "Sister Yanwan, Grandma told me to thank you. She said you’re a wonderful person. You’re the one who gave me confidence and made me unafraid of strangers. You’re the one who gave me a job so I could support myself. I... I will never, ever forget your kindness to me."

As she spoke, she actually moved to kneel before Lin Yanwan, but Yanwan quickly pulled her back up.

"Qiuting, this was your own effort. All I did was a very, very small thing. Keep up the good work. You’re still so young, and this is Tsinghua—a place countless students dream of. Don’t be afraid of being indebted to us on your path of growth. You can afford to pay it back. Knowledge... that is your most precious asset."

Qiuting froze.

Lin Yanwan continued, "Qiuting, from now on, you shouldn’t kneel to anyone except your own parents and the grandmother who raised you. Do you understand?"

Qiuting sniffled and nodded forcefully.

"I understand, Sister Yanwan."

"Alright, it’s getting late. The train station is still a ways off, so you should get going. Don’t miss your departure time," Lin Yanwan said with a small smile.

"Okay!" Qiuting took a sharp breath, holding back her emotions. "Sister Yanwan, when are you and Brother Jiang Xia going home?"

Lin Yanwan thought about what that guy had said—how he wanted to spend some time with just the two of them in the Imperial Capital—and felt a wave of exasperation.

"Maybe in a few days. But my trip home is much more convenient than yours; it only takes half a day," she said with a laugh. "After the New Year, when you come back to the Imperial Capital, I’ll buy you a plane ticket. You’ve never flown before, have you? It’s much faster than the train."

Qiuting shook her head. "There’s no need, Sister Yanwan. I’d rather just take the train. Plane tickets are too expensive, and besides, you’ve already helped me so, so much."

"This is from your Brother Jiang Xia."

Lin Yanwan seemed to have anticipated this response and said with a smile, "The company starts back up on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. If you take the train, you’ll have to leave three days in advance. Will you even get to celebrate the holiday? Will you get any time to spend with your grandmother? Didn’t I just tell you? Don’t be afraid of being indebted to me. You can afford to pay it back."

Qiuting bit her lip. "Thank you, Sister Yanwan."

"Alright, hurry and go. It’s snowing outside, so I won’t see you off to the train station. Be safe on the road, and remember to call me when you get there," Lin Yanwan said with a small smile.

"Okay, I definitely will!"

Qiuting stepped forward and hugged Lin Yanwan. A few seconds passed before she slowly let go. "Sister Yanwan, I’m leaving now. I’ll miss you."

"I’ll miss you too," Lin Yanwan said earnestly.

Qiuting opened the door and left with her bags and suitcase. As Lin Yanwan watched her retreating figure, she patted a pocket on her clothes and suddenly remembered something.

"Qiuting, wait a second," she called out quickly.

"Hm? Sister Yanwan, what is it?" Qiuting stopped in her tracks and turned to look back at her.

Lin Yanwan took a red envelope she had prepared earlier from her pocket and handed it over, smiling. "Here, this is for you. Happy New Year."

Seeing the New Year’s red envelope in front of her, Qiuting quickly waved her hands in refusal. "No, no, no, Sister Yanwan, I can’t accept this."

"Just take it. Go home and have a good New Year’s."

"Sister Yanwan, the company already gave me a lot of money today—not just my salary, but a year-end bonus too. I really can’t accept this." Qiuting refused to take it no matter what.

"Your salary is your salary, the bonus is the bonus, and a red envelope is a red envelope. They’re all separate. This is from me to you, personally. Just consider it my way of paying New Year’s respects to your grandmother."

Only after hearing this did Qiuting accept it, looking very embarrassed.

"Thank you, Sister Yanwan." It was the first time in her entire life that she had ever received a New Year’s red envelope, and her palm felt unusually hot.

"Alright, hurry along now. This time, there’s really nothing else," Lin Yanwan said with a smile, waving her hand.

Qiuting sniffled, took two steps back, and bowed deeply. Forcibly holding back her overwhelming emotions, she picked up her luggage and left without looking back. She didn’t want Sister Yanwan to see her tears.