Chapter 54 Kids These Days Are Incredible

Xu Yuanjie hearing this, glanced around and lowered his voice, "He sold the meal tickets subsidized by the school."

"Don't look at Lao Zhu's nice clothes and good food; his family's financial situation is actually not very good."

With a look of "don't go around spreading this," he continued, "Lao Zhu's mother developed a chronic illness when she gave birth to him, and her health has been poor all these years. It's all up to his father, who does odd jobs outside to support the family."

"His parents don't want him to be looked down upon at school or become the subject of gossip, so they make him dress like this and give him the best they possibly can."

He had helped Lao Zhu a few times, but later Lao Zhu forbade him from doing so, saying his family could get by and that there were plenty of people worse off than him, so he didn't need any help.

Yan Ziyue nodded understandingly and teased, "Aren't you afraid I'll go around spreading this since you're telling me?"

Xu Yuanjie looked her up and down, then pointed to his own eyes, "I can tell you're not that kind of person. My read on people is very accurate."

"Did you deliberately ask about Lao Zhu because you need something?"

"I've seen you borrow Lao Zhu's notes."

Yan Ziyue was slightly startled, "Are kids these days all this sharp?"

To be only thirteen or fourteen years old and yet so perceptive and observant.

Xu Yuanjie held his head slightly high with a hint of pride, "Not every kid is this sharp. I'm special."

"My family runs a small business, and I've watched all sorts of people with my parents since I was little, which is why I have this skill."

Yan Ziyue thought to herself that no wonder this kid was dressed well; it turned out his family was well-off.

"What kind of business does your family run?"

Xu Yuanjie replied, "Grocery business."

"If there's anything you want to buy, I'll give you a discount. Lots of people at our school buy from my family, and I'm the one who brings in the business."

Yan Ziyue gave him a thumbs-up, looking full of admiration, "You're really something else, helping your family drum up business from such a young age."

As long as this child didn't go astray, he was bound to become a capable person when he grew up.

Xu Yuanjie wasn't arrogant. He introduced the items his family sold, feeling not the least bit embarrassed and caring not at all about the surrounding students' gazes.

The students walking back and forth either cast curious glances at Yan Ziyue or at Xu Yuanjie, with some pointing fingers.

Neither Yan Ziyue nor Xu Yuanjie cared about such things, and the two of them arrived at the cafeteria.

Yan Ziyue looked around the cafeteria to take it all in.

The cafeteria wasn't particularly large, but it was clean and tidy, and the air was free of any strange odors. Teachers and students walking to and fro were all holding lunch boxes, either picking up food at the service windows or sitting at the tables and chairs to eat.

Xu Yuanjie pulled Yan Ziyue over to the food-serving window, picked up two lunch boxes, and handed one to her, "Do you have meal tickets?"

"If you don't have meal tickets, getting food here costs an extra ten cents."

He explained, "This is what our school does to accommodate the teachers and students who don't have meal tickets."

Yan Ziyue did have meal tickets. Xiao Hoshuo had given them to her last night, along with several large-denomination bills, telling her to eat well at school and not to be frugal.

She went up to the window to see what dishes were available.

Braised pork, stir-fried napa cabbage, cucumber and egg drop soup, stir-fried potatoes, and steamed buns and stuffed buns.

She noticed that the majority of people simply paired steamed or stuffed buns with a side of stir-fried cabbage or stir-fried potatoes, while only a small minority ordered egg drop soup or braised pork.

Ordering several dishes at once was extremely rare—like Xu Yuanjie.

"Auntie, I want all of these dishes." Xu Yuanjie handed his lunch box over with a beaming smile, "Please help me pick a bigger stuffed bun, Auntie."

He then handed over the money and tickets—thirty-five cents in total.

Yan Ziyue didn't want that much; she ordered an egg drop soup, one stuffed bun, and stir-fried potatoes, which came to fifteen cents including the ticket.

The two of them carried their lunch boxes and found an empty table to sit down.

Yan Ziyue noticed that Xu Yuanjie had placed a stuffed bun and a steamed bun to the side, and asked curiously, "Are you saving those to eat later?"

Xu Yuanjie lowered his voice, "I brought these for Lao Zhu."

"His portion of food is never enough. Later, I'll just say I bought too much, give him the bun, and share half of the steamed bun with him."

"I do this often."

The corners of Yan Ziyue's eyes lifted high, "You have a really good heart."

Fine flour steamed buns and meat-stuffed buns like those were coveted luxuries for many families, something they might only get to eat during festivals or holidays.

Xu Yuanjie shoveled rice into his mouth in large mouthfuls and mumbled indistinctly, "Lao Zhu helps me a lot too. He tutors me for free, often lets me copy his homework, and we're good buddies. Of course I'll help him within my capabilities."

"Take Nie Cai'er, for instance—I wouldn't help her."

Yan Ziyue ate at a moderate pace, "Is Nie Cai'er's personality not very good?"

Xu Yuanjie shook his head, "I wouldn't say her personality is bad."

"Her family background is very good, and she gets great grades, so her personality is a bit... you know. But she doesn't have bad intentions; she just likes hanging out with people who get good grades, and she's a bit reluctant to let anyone surpass her scores, so she doesn't like lending her notes to classmates."

Yan Ziyue understood, but she intended to find out for herself since everyone's opinions of others inevitably carried personal biases.

"Does the school have a late summer break?"

Xu Yuanjie gave a hum of affirmation, "Our school starts its break relatively late, usually around July tenth."

"As for the eighth and ninth graders—especially the ninth graders—their break is even later, basically mid-August, and they have mountains of homework."

He wrinkled his face, "I don't really want to finish ninth grade, but my parents make me, saying having a junior high school diploma makes a big difference."

He understood the benefits of studying; the problem was that he couldn't absorb the knowledge anymore.

At this point, Yan Ziyue realized that the little schoolmate in front of her was a walking encyclopedia; despite only being a first-year junior high student, he was well-versed in every aspect of the school.

"Let me ask you something."

Xu Yuanjie said, "Go ahead."

Yan Ziyue said quietly, "Do the people who borrow Zhu Xinyu's notes and textbooks lend them to others?"

Xu Yuanjie couldn't figure out why she was asking this, but he answered anyway, "Yeah, they lend Lao Zhu's notes and textbooks to each other, and a lot of them copy them down."

"Especially right before every monthly exam, the copying gets crazy."

Yan Ziyue's eyes lit up bit by bit, "I have an idea to make money that requires your help and Zhu Xinyu's. I wonder if you're willing?"

Xu Yuanjie's business mind was exceptionally quick. Hearing this, he was startled, "You don't mean... you want to sell Lao Zhu's notes, do you?"

"Does this stuff even need to be sold? Lao Zhu would just lend them out."

Yan Ziyue wagged a finger, "No, no, no, you've got it wrong."

"Nobody had this idea before, but now that we do, don't you think this is a great way to make money?"

"Zhu Xinyu's family situation isn't great; this could also be a way for him to earn some money, and besides, it's honest work—no stealing, no robbing."

If she wanted to sell the notes of the top-ranking students in the school, she had to get on the good side of this walking encyclopedia in front of her.

Xu Yuanjie felt tempted as he listened, "...Would anyone actually buy them?"