Chapter 9: 5.1

‘How does that sound good?!’

Luo Shuyan glared at Shen Yan and looked at her father. She advised, “Papa, you’re only earning a thousand a month. A car is so expensive, it isn’t something that our family can afford. Plus, we don’t need a car! School is very nearby, it’s only a 10 minute walk. As for you, you can take the company bus to work or even ride a bicycle!”

She’d rather him use the money to buy another piece of property.

Of course, she wouldn’t dare to tell her father something like this. After all, she was still an elementary school kid. Plus, people from the 90s didn’t have the desire to buy houses as investments; they believed that houses were a place for them to stay in. At most, the more progressive population of society might consider buying a piece of property for their children, and that was it.

Luo Tianyuan already had two properties under his name plus another one in the village. It would not be realistic to buy another house and Luo Shuyan knew her father would not agree to do so.

Ning City wasn’t as developed as big cities like Jing City or Shanghai. The average wage of workers wasn’t a lot. People like Luo Tianyuan, who were able to earn more than a thousand a month, were rare in the small city.

Families in the late 90s already had a change in eating habits and meat was no longer a luxury.

Pork cost CNY3 for one pound and rice was 7 cents per pound, however, based on their meat intake and the price of meat, she could estimate Luo Tianyuan’s monthly income. The father and daughter were able to live comfortably on this salary, and if only he knew how to budget, they might even be able to put quite a bit into their savings account.

Despite all that, Luo Shuyan understood a man’s love for cars. She didn’t need to look far. Even her male classmates loved their toy cars.

But based on their financial standing at the moment, a car wasn’t something that they could afford to keep.

Luo Tianyuan was taken aback. Clearly, he hadn’t expected his daughter to say something like this.

When he came back to his senses, his heart clenched; he wanted to laugh and cry. He had so much money. So, wasn’t all his hard work done to allow his daughter to have a good life? To ensure her happiness?

He had to admit that he wasn’t being serious when he brought up the idea. However, he now had his heart set on buying a car. If others were to ask, he could tell them that he’d sold a house to buy the car. Coincidentally, he wanted to ask Shen Qingruo to buy the apartment that they were living in. She couldn’t keep renting from him forever, could she?

Although he was born in Ning City, he knew that he and his daughter couldn’t possibly stay there indefinitely. When he found confidence in his abilities and when his daughter was older, he would leave this place and move to a bigger city with her.

Luo Tianyuan remained silent on their walk to school. At the school gates, he knelt down and told his daughter, “Papa has decided to buy a car and will find a way to get the money. Won’t it be great when Papa comes to fetch you in a car when the weather is bad?”

Luo Shuyan had no idea how to answer him.

Luo Tianyuan, who was squatting in front of her, was only 27 years old. At his age, he was physically attractive and a man with good morals. He looked stunning in a simple short-sleeved shirt. He was as charismatic as the actors found in movies. No wonder he was so popular among women despite having a child.

People told him that he was very young and many men his age weren’t even married yet.

He was a father, but he was only human. As a human, he had his own desires. He didn’t smoke or drink and he spent all his money on his daughter. So now, since he felt like buying a car, who was she, as his daughter, to stop him from doing so?

She felt like she wasn’t being very filial…

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“Alright then.” Luo Shuyan unhappily nodded.

‘Since the old man likes it, why not.’

What else could she do but agree?

Luo Tianyuan was amused by his daughter’s expression and reached to pinch her chubby cheeks.  “Papa will ask around for a suitable second-hand car. I’ll try to buy it before National Day, it’ll be just in time to take you and Shen Yan out for a spin.”

Shen Yan’s hands were holding onto the straps of his backpack. His expression was very calm.

A few fifth graders stood guard at the school gates to check if each of them had brought their red scarves*.

*The red scarf is a neckerchief worn by young pioneers of several countries during the socialist (“communist”) era.

“Oh no, I left my scarf at home,” Luo Shuyan panicked.

The school was very strict. Students who didn’t bring their red scarves weren’t allowed on school grounds and their names were taken down. The small vendors outside the school saw it as a business opportunity. So, in addition to selling ice popsicles, spicy sticks, haw flakes and pork jerky, they also sold red scarves. It wasn’t expensive and elementary school students definitely had enough pocket money to buy new ones. It was better than heading home again, reporting late for school, and having their names taken down.

Luo Tianyuan had just left. Luo Shuyan was about to take out her money to buy a scarf before Shen Yan tugged her by her bag.

He was half a head taller than her despite being only half a year older than her.

“Ah!” Luo Shuyan exclaimed and before she could reprimand him, he said, “I brought yours along with me, there’s no need to buy a new one.”

“…Oh.”

The vendor missed a chance to make a deal and promptly shifted his gaze towards other hapless little children.

Shen Yan took out a red scarf from the side pocket of his bag. He paused before he shoved it to her in contempt. “How long has it been since school started? You’ve bought at least ten new ones.”

‘You’re so forgetful.’

“Mhmp.” Luo Shuyan put on the scarf and whispered, “I’m saving for a rainy day.”

At first, she found it childish to wear the red scarf. Then, she realized that the little kids in her class reacted proudly when they received the scarf from their teacher. They were finally part of the Young Pioneers of China*; the scarf was a symbol of honor. Third and fourth graders would write essays with sentences such as — ‘The red scarf I wore shone brighter than day!”

*The Young Pioneers of China, often shortened to the Young Pioneers, is a mass youth organization for children aged six to fourteen in the People’s Republic of China. The Young Pioneers of China is run by the Communist Youth League, an organization of older youth that comes under the Chinese Communist Party.

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