Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Ye Tianxin and her grandmother walked into the bookshop, it felt as if they’d stepped into another world.
The four walls of the bookshop were lined with books. On the sofa in the center of the room, a qipao-clad woman was napping under a lamp.
She seemed to have been awoken by the sound of the wind chime, because she raised her head, a little startled, and looked toward the entrance of the bookshop. She noticed Ye Tianxin and her grandmother standing there.
“Can I help you?”
“Hello, Aunty Du. We were sent here by the proprietor of the Zhajiangmian noodle shop out front. May I ask if you’d let me and my grandmother stay here for the night....”
Even as she spoke, Ye Tianxin felt that she was being too presumptuous.
If she were on her own, she could have roughed it out anywhere for the night, but her grandmother wouldn’t be able to bear it!
Her grandmother was too old to rough it out and camp out in the open with her.
“Are you here for the examinations at the Film Academy?”
Madam Du stood up. She looked to be in excellent physical shape. Clad in a qipao made of gambier silk, which accentuated her elegance and grace, she simply oozed charm.
“Yes, we arrived a little late and the proprietor informed us that all the hotels in the vicinity are full.”
“I assume that you traveled here by train? Why don’t you settle this old lady first and let her get some sleep? When you’ve done that, come downstairs to see me!”
At Madam Du’s words, Ye Tianxin relaxed, feeling relieved.
With help from Madam Du, she gave her grandmother a bath and took her upstairs to the loft, where she coaxed her to sleep.
“Grandma, you go ahead and sleep. I’m going to have a word with Madam Du. Afterward, I’ll join you here.”
After Ye Tianxin showered, she went downstairs in a floral-patterned cotton dress. Although the dress was a few years old and therefore outdated in style, it didn’t have an adverse effect on Ye Tianxin’s beauty. In fact, the simpler outfit better accentuated her natural, flawless beauty.
“Young lady, what’s your name? From your accent, I’d guess that you’re from the south-western region.”
Madam Du handed Ye Tianxin a cup of coffee—enticingly aromatic coffee served in an exquisitely designed coffee cup.
“My name is Ye Tianxin, and I’m from the town of Jiameng. This is my registered residence card.”
Ye Tianxin handed over her registered residence card. Since she was under eighteen, she didn’t have an identity card. Also, the temporary ID that the school applied for en masse for the senior high students sitting the college entrance exams hadn’t been approved yet. That was why Ye Tianxin and her grandmother had only brought along her registered residence card and Grandma’s identity card for this trip.
“Young lady, judging by the clothes and general appearance of both you and your grandmother, you don’t seem to be wealthy people. Do you know that you’d need to set aside a lot of money to study at the Capital Film Academy? Can your family afford the hefty expense?”
Madam Du was being brutally honest. To an outsider, perhaps Ye Tianxin and her grandmother looked like the typical earthy, honest country folk.
Going through the qualifying process for acceptance into the Capital Film Academy would be a very challenging task.
Furthermore, once accepted, the ensuing expenses would be extremely high.
“Madam Du, my primary goal is to gain acceptance into Capital University. If I get accepted into Capital University, the town, county, and city offices will grant me bursaries to help with the expenses. Actually, the real purpose of my coming here for the interviews with Capital Film Academy is because I want to send my grandmother to the Capital First Hospital for a medical check-up.”
Ye Tianxin somehow didn’t need to hold back with Madam Du and was very frank and open with her.
Or perhaps it was the cultured and scholarly ambiance in the bookstore that caused Ye Tianxin to lower her inhibitions for the first time since her rebirth.
“I’ve lived with my grandmother since I was very young. We only have each other. My grandmother recently collapsed, and I’m concerned about the effectiveness of the medical facilities and their conditions where we live. That’s why I’m using this chance to bring my grandmother here for a medical check-up. Madam Du, don’t worry. My grandmother and I aren’t bad people....”
At Ye Tianxin’s response, Madam Du’s eyes flashed.
She slowly stood up. As she looked tenderly at Ye Tianxin, her eyes radiated tranquillity, like gently flowing spring water.