"We can take the bus from town. There’s a parking spot there where we can leave the scooter. It only costs two yuan, and there’s an old man who watches over it to stop people from stealing the batteries."

Tan You smiled. She had gone to school in town for three years, so of course she knew what was there.

Tan Deming nodded. "That works. Should we head out early tomorrow, then?"

"The bookstore opens at seven, but I agree we should go early. It’ll be too hot if we go later." Tan You calculated. "Oh, right, there’s a hospital near the bookstore. How about I take you and Grandma for a full check-up before school starts?"

"You know, you haven’t been in the best health. Why don’t we go to the hospital and get you properly checked out?"

Tan Deming was tempted. "Let’s see how your book sells. If it does well, then we’ll go to the hospital. It’s not easy for you to earn money. I’ve gotten by all these years; it’s not urgent."

Tan You didn’t try to force the issue. "Alright, we’ll see."

’We’re definitely going, though.’ The old couple were both so thin and frail. It wasn’t in her nature to be harsh; she had to take good care of them.

When Wang Hunv returned from the fields, she heard they were going to the bookstore in the city tomorrow. "Fine, it’s good for you to go have a look. You’re always cooped up at home. You used to go out and have fun all the time, but now I see you just stay at home."

Tan You said, "There’s nothing fun to do outside, and it’s too sunny."

Wang Hunv glanced at Tan You’s skin, which was so fair and supple. "That’s true. It wouldn’t look good if you got a tan. You’re not breaking out anymore, either. You look so much prettier than before."

Tan Deming laughed as well. "Our Tan You was always a good-looking girl, and now she’s even more beautiful."

’Grandpa really sees me through rose-colored glasses,’ Tan You thought. ’Before I got the Beauty System, my beauty score was barely a 50. I was always breaking out during puberty; I was hardly what you’d call pretty.’

"It makes me sigh when I think about it. My parents aren’t ugly or anything. They both have big eyes with double eyelids, and Grandpa has big eyes too, but I ended up with small, single-lidded eyes. My mom even has dimples, and I don’t have a single one."

Tan Deming said, "Single eyelids are pretty too. Anyway, I just think you’re beautiful. So fair and pretty, and you have such a fortunate-looking face."

Tan You was exasperated. "Grandpa, that’s not what ’fortunate-looking’ means. This is just me being chubby. Being chubby makes you look fortunate?"

"Fair and plump, doesn’t it look festive and lucky?" Tan Deming’s eyes crinkled into a smile. He had worked so hard to raise his granddaughter to be like this, and just looking at her put him in a good mood.

Tan You didn’t bother arguing with Tan Deming. "Fine, whatever. I’m not going just for fun, anyway. Grandpa’s just curious how many copies the magazine will sell, and I also want to estimate my approximate royalty income."

Wang Hunv was surprised. "You get more money? I thought it was just that one-time payment."

Tan You chuckled lightly. "Of course. We also have to go to the post office tomorrow to mail a letter. The middle third is finished, so more money will be coming in soon."

Wang Hunv grew excited. "Is it that much again?"

As she spoke, she made a "five" with her hand. Tan You smiled. "More or less."

Wang Hunv’s face lit up with a grin. "That’s wonderful! What time are you two leaving tomorrow? When will you be back?"

Tan You replied, "Probably not until the afternoon. The bus ride to the city takes forty minutes, and we want to spend some time looking around there."

"Alright, I’ll make my own lunch tomorrow." Wang Hunv knew they were going on important business and had no intention of holding them back. She knew the money belonged to Tan You, but wasn’t it being kept with Tan Deming?

Besides, Tan You had said she would support her in her old age, so Wang Hunv wouldn’t even think of trying to claw that money into her own pockets. If she angered Tan You, who would she be able to rely on in the future? She couldn’t count on her son or daughter, so of course she had to cling tightly to her granddaughter’s coattails. Thus, while the old woman might seem ignorant, she could still read the situation clearly. For instance, ever since the contract was signed, she had never once brought up the topic of money.

「The next morning.」

Before six o’clock, Tan Deming and Tan You arrived in town. After exchanging a few words with the old man watching the scooter shed, Tan You and Tan Deming walked to the main gate of the school to wait for the bus.

Looking at the school building across the road, Tan Deming said with some regret, "If you hadn’t slacked off in your third year of middle school, you wouldn’t be going to high school here. This place, after all, can’t compare to the schools in the city."

Tan You was very calm. "I know. A good learning environment is nice, but in the end, it all comes down to the person. Even if I study here, I won’t just fade into the crowd."

Tan Deming sighed. "In an environment like this, a student has to work that much harder to stand out."

"I’m just facing the consequences of my mistakes," Tan You said rationally. "Grandpa, you don’t need to worry. I’ll do very well. Haven’t you always thought I had a talent for studying? Just you watch me."

Tan Deming didn’t press the issue further. "Thankfully, it’s not like that’s the only path we can choose. Besides studying, there are always other ways forward in this world."

Tan You smiled. "That’s right. I’m going to get a very solid university degree one way or another."

As they were talking, the local town bus arrived. After the pair of grandfather and granddaughter boarded, the bus chugged its way toward the city. Coincidentally, this particular bus route passed right by the bookstore.

When they passed a certain cake shop, Tan You didn’t point it out to Tan Deming. She just pretended not to see the sign. ’Why let those people ruin their good mood?’

In this era, quite a few people still visited bookstores. For example, when Tan You and Tan Deming arrived in front of the bookstore, there were already more than a dozen people waiting outside for it to open.

As soon as it turned seven, Tan Deming and Tan You followed the flow of people into the bookstore. Tan You had never been to this bookstore before. In the past, she would have felt anxious, finding herself in an unfamiliar environment.

But having gone out, broadened her horizons, and weathered so many storms, her heart had long since been forged to be incredibly strong. After just a single glance around, Tan You led Tan Deming to the second floor.

The second floor was where they kept all the magazines, periodicals, newspapers, and the like. Many people came to the bookstore just to browse these for free. After one lap around the second floor, Tan Deming found the magazine serializing Tan You’s novel.

He nudged Tan You with his elbow. "That one. It’s right near the front."

Tan You smiled. "It already has high sales, so it’s a featured recommendation in the bookstore."

Tan Deming saw a poster next to it, prominently displaying the name of Tan You’s novel, *Tianjiao*. He didn’t say anything, planning to ask about it only after they left. Tan You saw the poster too and thought, ’The magazine publisher really knows how to create a buzz.’ 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

To justify lingering there, Tan You went ahead and bought a copy of the magazine. She didn’t read it, instead pushing it in front of Tan Deming. Then she took out a pen and paper from her bag and went back to puzzling over her math competition problems.

Meanwhile, Tan Deming sat across from Tan You, holding his tea thermos and occasionally glancing at the stack of magazines.

After eight o’clock, the bookstore gradually started to fill up. As people made their way to the main display area in the center of the second floor, they saw the magazine the store was featuring. Especially after seeing the well-made poster, it was hard to deny that it piqued their curiosity.