Chapter 9 – Good-Looking Enough
Thinking that her interactions with Ren Bingxin had been fairly pleasant, Lu Miao lazily lifted her eyes and glanced at her.
“Ren Bingxin, I don’t mind sharing benefits with friends, but I expect my friends to be honest and sincere. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Hehe, don’t worry!” Ren Bingxin’s smile was pure and bright. “I don’t like all those twists and turns either!”
Lu Miao withdrew her gaze. The sun dazzled her vision white, and she urged petulantly:
“Hurry up already, it’s too hot.”
“I’ve been walking fast all along, okay? It’s you insisting on staying in the shade of my shadow that slowed me down!”
…
In the afternoon, the older educated youths went to work right on schedule. Among the newcomers, the girls got familiar with one another more quickly, so their dorm was lively.
In contrast, the male educated youths seemed more intent on “individuality.” Aside from Liang Shao and Yu Hao, who were fellow townsmen and often chatted together, the others weren’t proactive. After a day or two, the male educated youths still acted like strangers to one another.
They could rest again this afternoon. Official work wouldn’t begin until tomorrow.
Ren Bingxin was chatting away in the main hall with a few other girls, their conversation animated, but they deliberately avoided talking about work assignments for tomorrow.
Lu Miao had even less interest in raising the subject. While they talked, she sat to the side, letting her hair fall forward over her chest as she slowly practiced braiding it.
She braided, then undid it, then braided again. After so many tries, a small pile of shed hair had gathered beside her. At last, she felt like the braid she made barely looked presentable.
She undid it once more, intending to practice the process one final time, when Geng Xiaoyun suddenly said from the table:
“Lu Miao, why do you keep sitting there braiding your hair? Look at how much hair you’ve pulled out already. Aren’t you afraid you’ll make yourself bald?”
Lu Miao pouted unhappily and shot her a sidelong glare.
“So what? Did my hair complain to you?”
Geng Xiaoyun froze, taking a good while to react to what Lu Miao meant.
“No, hair can’t talk. Besides, it’s your hair, not mine—why would it complain to me?”
Then she burst out laughing. “I just think you shouldn’t fuss with your hair so much. You’re good-looking enough already.”
The Northeast accent carried its own natural boldness, making it hard for anyone to take offense.
Lu Miao gave a haughty snort but, for once, spared her a biting retort.
Of course, it definitely wasn’t because Geng Xiaoyun had praised her looks.
Her small face stiffened, chin tilted high. Arrogant yet lazy, she looked like a beautiful little cat, tail swishing as if warning others not to get too close—or worse, to try and tease her.
Perhaps because she’d seen too many sturdy, rough women in the countryside, Geng Xiaoyun especially cherished delicate little girls like Lu Miao. She thought every gesture and expression of Lu Miao’s was charming.
But it wasn’t enough for her to appreciate it on her own—she even beckoned others over to admire Lu Miao:
“Look at her. Isn’t she beautiful?”
The others laughed in agreement, and Ren Bingxin’s voice rang out loudest:
“Yes, Miao Miao is the prettiest.”
“…”
Lu Miao was speechless. She didn’t know whether to be angry or not. Finally, she stomped her foot and retreated into her room.
Out in the main hall, Geng Xiaoyun and the others laughed uproariously.
“See that? She’s shy now!”
Lu Miao fumed silently: She was definitely not shy.
The room was empty. Lu Miao opened her suitcase and pulled out a small pouch with an elastic tie from the side pocket.
Inside, money and ration tickets were rolled up thickly.
She took them out and counted. Most of the notes were worth 0.2 yuan and 0.1 yuan, with a few 2-yuan and 10-yuan bills. Altogether they totaled exactly twenty yuan.
There were also ration coupons: two 1-catty pastry coupons, two 1-catty sugar coupons, three 2-chi cloth coupons, and some miscellaneous oil and grain coupons, which Lu Miao didn’t bother to count carefully.
