Dazzling

As soon as Qing Ye mentioned the accounts didn't match, Li Lanfang immediately cut in: "What's wrong with them?"

Qing Ye glanced at her dismissively and said calmly: "I arrived on the 10th. Counting from that day to the end of the month makes 21 days, with total revenue of 4620. That averages about 220 per day. Plus the nine days before the 10th that I didn't count, the monthly income should be at least around 6600. And from what I've observed, quite a few students came during summer break. Since summer vacation just started in early July, if I'm not mistaken, there should be a wave of increased traffic. So July's actual income should be higher than this average - at least over 7000."

After speaking, she looked toward Liu Nian, and everyone else gradually turned to look at him too. Liu Nian thought for a moment and said: "That seems right. There were lots of students right after vacation started."

Li Lanfang immediately cried out: "That much difference? Several thousand yuan! Your accounts are wrong? Huh? Liu Nian, explain?"

Liu Nian looked bewildered and said: "I don't know either."

Li Lanfang pointed at Liu Nian and said: "Did you pocket it yourself? You usually seem like such an honest person."

Hearing this, Liu Nian immediately became agitated: "I've never taken any money from the shop, Boss Li."

Just as Li Lanfang was about to press him further, Qing Ye raised a hand to stop her, stared at the computer and said: "Wait, first listen to the expenses after the 10th. Liu Nian and Du Qiyan's combined wages are 2400. Utilities totaled 1320. Other miscellaneous fees came to 329. You took 300 on July 11th, 200 on the 14th, another 300 on the 17th, 126 on the 18th for groceries, then 1000 all at once on the 20th, and 500 on the 25th. Just now you took the remaining 1205. So after the 10th, you've taken 3631 total. Liu Nian, did the boss take any money before the 10th?"

Liu Nian glanced uneasily at Li Lanfang and answered truthfully: "Seems like a few times, not sure how much."

Qing Ye made an acknowledging sound and looked at Li Lanfang: "I heard you take the remaining money at the end of each month and start fresh at the beginning. Not counting what you took before the 10th, just the expenses after the 10th total 7680. So that 5380 figure from earlier definitely doesn't match up."

Hearing Qing Ye's analysis, Xing Wu suddenly understood - adding the income before the 10th, this month's accounts should reach nearly ten thousand. No wonder Qing Ye had been so certain earlier that the accounts were wrong.

Li Lanfang never told Liu Nian when she took money, and Liu Nian himself was rather clueless, so the missing several thousand yuan had actually been taken by Li Lanfang. As for her constantly complaining about having no money, it was probably lost to gambling. Xing Wu knew Li Lanfang lost quite a bit at mahjong every month, but he never realized she could lose the equivalent of several people's wages.

He stared coldly at Li Lanfang. Knowing she was in the wrong, having just suspected Liu Nian, she now had no ground to stand on and fell silent.

Huang Mao chimed in: "Damn impressive! Cousin, your brain's something else! You've only been here a few days and you've already figured out the shop's accounts so clearly?"After speaking, he leaned in to take a look. Li Lanfang and Liu Nian also curiously gathered around. Xing Wu then walked behind Qing Ye and saw her Excel spreadsheet clearly displayed everything: dates, summaries, income, expenses, balances, and handlers. Even small purchases like candy for the shop, costing just over twenty yuan, were noted with remarks. With just a few clicks, Qing Ye could instantly filter out how much was spent on haircuts, perms, and dye jobs. Using functions, every piece of data at each stage was clear at a glance.

Although these operations seemed trivial to Qing Ye, in the eyes of these academic underachievers—including Li Lanfang and Liu Nian, who hadn’t even finished middle school—they were incredibly impressive.

Xing Wu was the only one who could understand the functions, but even he couldn’t match Qing Ye’s meticulousness in keeping the accounts so clear and organized. A glimmer of deep understanding flashed in his eyes.

Li Lanfang called them to eat first and invited Liu Nian to stay for the meal. They moved the barbershop chairs to the backyard and gathered around a wooden table. Xing Wu went to feed his grandmother first, as she had a better appetite in the evening and ate quickly.

When he came out a short while later, Qing Ye was sitting at the table, chin in hand, listening to Huang Mao and Pang Hu boast endlessly. Liu Nian listened with an expression of admiration, while Qing Ye remained calm and unimpressed.

Xing Wu walked over, kicked a chair into place, and sat down. Li Lanfang didn’t join the kids, opting to take her meal inside to watch TV after finishing cooking.

Huang Mao opened the beer bottles, but Liu Nian stubbornly refused to drink, complaining it was too bitter. Huang Mao laughed and called him a coward.

They poured three glasses of beer, and Huang Mao asked Qing Ye, "Hey, cousin, want some?"

Xing Wu shot him a sidelong glance. "Does she look like someone who drinks?"

Hearing this, Qing Ye felt provoked. "Why can’t I drink? Does this beer say it’s exclusively for high school students in your county?"

With that, she handed a disposable cup to Huang Mao. "Fill it up."Huang Mao had never seen any girl leave Wu speechless before and burst into laughter, taking the cup and filling it to the brim for Qing Ye." Pang Hu chuckled along, while Xing Wu shook his head and let them be.

Qing Ye raised her glass boldly and said, "Bottoms up."

Tilting her head back, she downed it in one go as a sign of respect. Xing Wu frowned and scolded her, "Why drink so fast?"

Qing Ye put down the empty cup and looked at him challengingly. "Your turn."

Huang Mao and Pang Hu raised their glasses, and Xing Wu also lifted his head and drained his in one go. He drank with a commanding presence, unlike Qing Ye’s gradual sips—Xing Wu truly embodied the phrase "down in one."

When Li Lanfang came out after finishing her meal to put away her bowl, she was surprised to see Qing Ye drinking and exclaimed, "Oh my, how come you’re drinking too?"

After setting down the bowl, she added worriedly, "I’m going next door to play cards. Wu Zi, keep an eye on Qing Ye and don’t let her drink too much."

Xing Wu leaned lazily against the back of his chair, lifting his eyelids slightly. "Go ahead."

Today, Qing Ye finally didn’t have to eat only Li Lanfang’s cooking—there was even some marinated food. Although it didn’t look particularly appealing and couldn’t compare to Beijing roast duck with its crispy skin and tender meat, it was at least flavorful.

She had a good appetite and ate quite a bit. Huang Mao poured her another drink and pushed the peanuts toward her. "Cousin, have some of these. They’re the perfect match for beer."Qing Ye picked up a peanut with her chopsticks and placed it in her mouth, leaving the boys staring in astonishment. In their world, drinking and eating peanuts meant grabbing a handful and tossing them into their mouths—they had never seen anyone eat peanuts with such delicate precision.

Growing up in different environments, even while sitting on a broken wooden stool, Qing Ye maintained an upright posture and elegant demeanor. Even the way she drank was pleasing to the eye—the four-yuan bottle of beer in her hands seemed to carry the sophistication of a four-thousand-yuan bottle of red wine. In contrast, the rough-and-tumble boys around her slouched and lacked any sense of posture.

Huang Mao and the others found her fascinating and couldn’t help asking, “Cousin, your surname is quite rare, and so is your name. How did your family come up with it?”

“Clear skies for ten thousand miles, words and deeds turning virtuous.”

“Huh? What does that mean?” Huang Mao was utterly confused by the classical-sounding explanation. He understood “clear skies for ten thousand miles,” but why clear skies should lead to virtuous words and deeds was beyond him.

Xing Wu also turned to look at Qing Ye, who calmly explained, “When your life is as clear and boundless as the sky, and your heart is open, the words you speak and the actions you take become positive. Only then can a person truly improve.

That’s the name my father gave me. When I was little, he told me that to become the person you want to be, you must first set foot on the path that leads there. Only then can you reach your destination.”

Xing Wu lowered his head and took a sip of beer, his thick eyelashes veiling the flicker of understanding in his eyes. Clear skies for ten thousand miles, words and deeds turning virtuous—but first, there must be clear skies. Suddenly, the questions that had been troubling him these past few days became clear. Why were the people here unable to be virtuous? Why were they always spewing harsh words, cynical and petty? Because here, the skies were choked with yellow sand, and even the blazing sun was filtered through a layer of dust. Without clear skies, how could one speak and act with virtue?

Liu Nian, only half-understanding, asked, “So, Qing Ye, what kind of person do you want to become in the future?”

Qing Ye smiled faintly. “Me? I haven’t figured out the specifics yet, but I plan to work toward getting into the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. I believe I’ll make a lot of money in the future, so I need to systematically study economic structures and business concepts.”

The table of boys burst into laughter. Someone actually had the audacity to claim with such confidence that she would make a lot of money in the future—even Xing Wu couldn’t help curling the corner of his lips.

Pang Hu stammered, “B-but isn’t this To-To-Toronto place abroad?”

“Canada,” Qing Ye told him.

Pang Hu and Liu Nian stared at her, mouths agape. In the poorest part of this forgotten small county, where even basic survival was a struggle, going abroad was like a dream. They had seen it on TV but never imagined it had anything to do with them or anyone they knew.

So, the word “Canada” made them look at Qing Ye with newfound reverence.

Xing Wu remained silent, his entire demeanor subdued. It was the first time he had heard about Qing Ye’s plans to study abroad. After seeing her old photos of a life so different from his, studying abroad didn’t seem unusual for someone like her. Yet, hearing her say it aloud made him acutely aware that they were from two different worlds.

By her third glass, Qing Ye’s cheeks were flushed. Against her porcelain skin, the soft blush stood out, and when she smiled, a charming dimple appeared at the corner of her lips. She was like a sky clearing after rain—radiant, dazzling, and carrying a touch of proud indifference. Under the dim glow of the lightbulb, her entire being seemed to emit a luminous glow.The biggest difference between her and the girls from Zhazha Pavilion was that she dared to think and speak, like a treasure trove of a girl, carrying endless strange experiences in their eyes. For instance, the perilous moment when she crossed a canyon in a helicopter, or the time she nearly collided with birds in a hot air balloon with her father. Pang Hu and the others listened with rapt attention, gazing at her with sheer admiration as if she were a goddess.

After a while, Qing Ye's voice noticeably shifted from its usual tone, taking on a playful and coquettish lilt. Xing Wu glanced up and noticed her large, watery eyes becoming hazy and shimmering.

When Qing Ye picked up her glass again to drink with Pang Hu and the others, Xing Wu finally couldn't hold back and pressed down on her wrist. "That's enough," he said.

Qing Ye was in the middle of an engaging conversation, and Xing Wu's interruption felt like a buzzkill. She pouted discontentedly, turning her head to glare at him. "I can still drink. Don't bother me."

Xing Wu was taken aback. Was he hearing things? Qing Ye's voice had just been soft and pleading, almost like she was whining at him, and she pouted? What the hell—was she drunk, or was he?