Chapter 59: The First Salary and a Journey Home

July in Jiangcheng was beginning to swelter, feeling much like a steaming basket.

However, today proved surprisingly pleasant, merely overcast.

Su Xinxin stood on the subway platform, staring blankly at a bank SMS notification that had just popped up on her phone screen. It took her a long moment to process it.

The message displayed the credited salary amount.

The memo simply read: ‘June Intern Salary.’ Evidently, the specific employer had been omitted.

She reread it several times, scrutinizing every detail, before finally convincing herself that her eyes weren’t deceiving her.

‘Xiao Ming,’ she called out mentally, ‘Is this my… salary from the Hua Ling Division?’

“Yes,” Xiao Ming replied languidly. “It’s for last month. That is, your salary from the day you signed your contract until the end of the month.”

“Only for last month? And it’s only arriving today? It’s already the fifteenth.”

“Uh… don’t many companies in reality pay last month’s salary on the fifteenth?” Xiao Ming yawned. “Actually, there’s a benefit to paying mid-month. They say it prevents ‘moonlight clans’ from spending everything too quickly—”

It cut itself off mid-sentence, perhaps realizing the old adage held little interest.

Su Xinxin didn’t press further. Watching train after train become packed, she retreated to a corner of the platform, leaning against the wall. Her fingers idly traced patterns on the screen as her mind began to tally figures.

How should she divide the money among her three daughters?

Her eldest was relatively well-off, with only one child. While not wealthy, their life was stable. The second daughter had married far away, to another province, and had three children in quick succession a few years prior. She was still nursing her youngest, making her the most financially strained. The third daughter lived near their hometown, with two children, and was currently at a stage where expenses were high.

If she were to divide this sum into ten portions…

As she calculated, Xiao Ming suddenly spoke.

“Master, you’re not planning to give it all away, are you?”

Su Xinxin’s fingers paused.

“Two portions for the eldest, four for the second, three for the third…” She hesitated. “I’ll keep one portion for myself. It’s enough.”

“Enough?” Xiao Ming asked, a hint of doubt in its voice. “You still owe Jasmin for that bracelet you’ve been talking about. And there’s your Aunt Yingchun; she mentioned taking you shopping last time. Not to mention potential future expenses. You can’t always let others treat you, can you?”

Su Xinxin fell silent.

“Besides,” Xiao Ming continued, “you are ‘Su Xinxin’ now, a person who has lived independently until this point. Surely, you should have some savings in hand?”

That sentence pricked her gently, like a needle.

She recalled the anonymous transfer they had agreed upon and Xiao Ming’s mention of a “secure channel.” Lying in her hospital bed, she had only wished to help her children one last time. Now that she truly could, she still…

“Then… I’ll keep thirty percent?” she asked tentatively.

“Master,” Xiao Ming’s tone softened. “It won’t be too late to give it to them next month. Save it for now, and we can discuss it when you’re a bit more comfortable, alright?”

Su Xinxin didn’t reply. She swiped away the bank page on her phone, then opened the navigation app, studying the subway lines.

One line stretched northeast, passing through schools, crossing the countryside, and ending at a name she knew intimately.

Zhuzhou District.

It was the place she had lived for most of her life.

‘I…’ she began in her mind, her voice feeling a little hoarse. ‘I’ll just go back and look at my old home from afar. No contact, just a distant glance.’

Xiao Ming remained silent.

It simply lay quietly on the phone screen, as if to say: *As you wish.*

Another subway train arrived.

Su Xinxin flowed with the crowd into the carriage, finding an empty seat. Yet, her heart moved with the train’s journey.

She hadn’t ridden this line in a long time. In the past, coming to Jiangcheng from her hometown required several transfers, a journey that consumed half a day. Now, the subway had extended, station by station, connecting even those remote corners to the city.

Her phone vibrated.

She looked down to see a message from Lin Mo.

[Xinxin, look!]

Several pictures followed the message.

One showed her leaning against a tree adorned with red ribbons, making a wish. Another captured her reaching out to catch petals amidst a shower of fallen flowers. A third depicted her holding a milk tea, standing beneath a popular internet-famous sign that read, ‘The wind that misses you still blows…’

Su Xinxin scrolled through each picture, the corners of her mouth curving into an unconscious smile.

[I’m traveling with my family these days. I’ll come find you to hang out when I get back to Jiangcheng in a few days!]

Another message followed.

Su Xinxin typed: “Mhm, have fun and spend quality time with your family.”

After sending the message, she stared at the screen for a moment. Was she envious? A little. But she was happier that this nineteen-year-old girl could still travel with her family during summer vacation.

[Mhm mhm! It’s a rare summer vacation, so I should have a good time!] Lin Mo quickly replied, followed by a long string of emojis. [Oh, right! Xinxin, you should also enjoy your summer vacation! Be happy!]

Su Xinxin browsed through the emojis, selecting an ‘Mhm mhm’ to send back. This time, she was much more proficient—those extra memories had indeed helped her quite a bit.

The train continued its journey forward.

After some time, the light outside the window changed from the bright underground tunnel to dazzling sunlight—the line had emerged above ground, speeding along an elevated bridge.

Fields flashed by, lush and green, glistening under the July sun. In the distance, low-rise buildings, factory chimneys, and crooked utility poles appeared. It seemed both similar to and subtly different from her memories.

Her familiar old station names also swept past, one after another.

If only the subway could extend a few more stations. Then she wouldn’t need a taxi; she could walk directly to her old house.

Zhuzhou District hadn’t always borne that name. It was later incorporated into Jiangcheng, and in the eyes of many, it wasn’t considered a true city. Like Beilin District to the north of Jiangcheng, it was only regarded as a suburb. However, Beilin District at least boasted popular tourist attractions and an airport, while Zhuzhou District seemed to lack any distinctive features.

Su Xinxin had lived there for most of her life, making her familiar with every alley, every tree, every cobblestone. Her eldest and third daughters had married nearby, allowing them to visit during holidays. The second daughter, having married far away, was rarely seen more than a few times a year.

The train sped along the elevated bridge, the fields outside the window receding one after another.

Su Xinxin leaned by the window, watching the rapidly disappearing green, and suddenly felt how fast this train was moving. Or rather, how quickly time itself was passing—so fast that she hadn’t even prepared, and yet she was almost there.

Xiao Ming peered out from the screen, glanced at her, then withdrew.

Inside the carriage, some people were on calls, others scrolling through videos, and some dozing in their seats. No one noticed the girl in the off-white dress in the corner, gazing out the window lost in thought.

Her eyes drifted past the fields and buildings, settling on something further away.

There lay the old house where she had lived for most of her life, the alleys where her daughters had grown up, and the empty yard after her husband had passed.

The subway announcement sounded.

‘Next stop, the final destination…’

Su Xinxin sat up straight, placed her hands on her knees, clenching and then relaxing them.

*The closer one gets to home, the more timid one becomes.* But since she had arrived, she might as well take a good look.

Thinking this, Su Xinxin disembarked.

****

Somewhere in Zhuzhou District.

A figure in a rouge-pink dress entered a flower shop.

She held a silk-covered folding fan in her hand, her eyes meticulously examining the displayed flowers.

Then, she spoke softly to the shop assistant:

“Flowers, yellow ones. Jasmin flowers.”

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