Chapter Twenty-Four: Royalties and Returning Home

Returning to the classroom, he found his classmates quietly studying. However, Wei Xinyu glanced at Zhou Xuan from afar; her previously triumphant expression shifted to surprise when she saw Zhou Xuan enter as if nothing had happened.

A cold smile curled at Zhou Xuan’s lips. Deep down, he guessed that Wei Xinyu was indeed behind this.

“Hmph, for Wei Xinyu to dare treat me this way, she won’t go unpunished!” Zhou Xuan thought to himself.

As for Director Tian and Vice Principal Li, he believed the principal would have a good conversation with them. But at most, the principal would just talk; without concrete evidence, it would be difficult to discipline them. Just as Director Tian had argued earlier—it was merely an unusual exam paper.

Yet, this episode had allowed him to meet the principal and leave a strong impression. With the results of the midterm exam imminent, and the city’s essay competition semifinals approaching, Zhou Xuan was confident the principal would value him even more.

That would make future applications for exemption from evening self-study, or special leave, much easier. All he needed to do was maintain his grades in every test. That way, he’d have plenty of time for other pursuits and to learn new things.

Friday arrived, bright and sunny.

In the afternoon, at 4:25, Zhou Xuan finished the last history exam in just twenty-five minutes. After handing in his paper, he collected his backpack from the podium and strolled out of the school gate in no hurry.

Many rickshaws were parked outside; Zhou Xuan hailed one and rode straight to Uncle’s house at the West Gate.

Ten minutes later, he arrived. Uncle was watching TV.

“You’re here, Zhou Xuan. Your manuscript payment arrived two days ago,” Uncle said.

Zhou Xuan’s heart leapt with joy and relief. “It finally came. I’ve been waiting two weeks.”

Uncle, amused, decided to tease him. “Guess how much it is in total?”

Zhou Xuan considered: Reader’s pays between three hundred and fifteen hundred per article, while Science Fiction World is stingier, usually only one to one hundred fifty yuan per thousand words. Though unsure of his own level, even at the lowest estimate, Reader’s should be about three hundred yuan, and Science Fiction World, at one hundred per thousand words, about three thousand.

So he answered calmly, “Probably three or four thousand.”

“Haha, Zhou Xuan, your guess is about right. The total is four thousand six hundred. Science Fiction World paid one hundred twenty per thousand words, totaling four thousand, and Reader’s gave six hundred.”

“Not bad,” Zhou Xuan replied coolly.

Uncle, noting Zhou Xuan’s calm demeanor, laughed. “You don’t seem excited at all. That’s forty-six hundred yuan, more than half a year’s wages for the average person. You really don’t seem like a middle schooler. You’ve changed a lot since starting school.”

Zhou Xuan laughed, “Uncle, I’ll be making big money in the future. Why should I get excited over a few thousand? Besides, this is just the start—I’m still far from seventy thousand.”

“Good! Not arrogant or impatient, you’ll do great things,” Uncle praised sincerely. “You asked me to get you a new bank card, and I’ve done it. I deposited four thousand, and the remaining six hundred I’ll give you in cash.”

With that, Uncle handed over the card and cash, and told him the password.

Zhou Xuan gratefully accepted. “Thank you, Uncle. I’ll head home now; I want to buy something for my parents. When I come back the day after tomorrow, I’ll bring you a gift.”

“Alright, be careful on the road! No need for a gift, don’t be so formal.” Uncle knew Zhou Xuan was eager to get home and didn’t try to keep him.

With a bank card holding four thousand yuan and six hundred in cash, Zhou Xuan walked with a distinct spring in his step.

Counting the time, it had been about a month and a half since his rebirth, and now he’d finally earned a few thousand yuan. Though nothing compared to other reborn protagonists who made millions in months, Zhou Xuan was content.

It wasn’t much, but it was a good start, and he was filled with confidence for the future.

A few minutes later, Zhou Xuan reached the area near the farmers’ market. The two streets surrounding it were bustling, lined with clothing stores, general stores, hardware shops, even a roller rink and teahouses.

He wanted to buy a new outfit for each family member, so he chose a store with decent décor. The place looked large enough, with plenty of styles and neatly arranged clothes. Of course, it couldn’t compare to the shops on Culture Street, where most were brand-name boutiques with higher prices. Here, stores catered to ordinary people and mostly sold unbranded clothes.

Inside, the shop had a wide selection, though the styles were a bit dated.

What annoyed Zhou Xuan was the woman who seemed to be the owner, in her thirties, who clearly looked down on him. She ignored his presence, probably noticing his ordinary clothes and schoolbag, and assuming he wouldn’t buy anything.

In a good mood, Zhou Xuan let it go, pointing to a jacket. “Boss, how much is this?”

The woman didn’t move, instead loudly scolding him, “Hey… kid, don’t touch things! If you dirty it, your allowance won’t cover the cost!”

“My goodness…” Zhou Xuan’s good mood vanished instantly. “Which eye of yours sees that I can’t afford it?”

“Then buy it and show me… the one you’re looking at is eighty yuan. Are you buying?” she taunted.

Zhou Xuan was furious. “With that attitude, I wouldn’t buy from you even if I had money!” He turned to leave for the neighboring store. “I’ll buy from the next one… hmph!”

The woman burst out laughing. “Fine, I’ll watch you buy elsewhere.” She even dragged a chair to sit at the store entrance.

Seeing her really at the door, Zhou Xuan smirked coldly—he’d show her soon enough.

The next store’s attendant was a woman in her twenties. She greeted Zhou Xuan warmly, asking what kind of clothes he wanted.

Zhou Xuan looked around—the clothes were decent. He said, “Help me pick—I need outfits for myself, my sister, my parents, and my grandparents.”

The saleswoman was delighted, her enthusiasm almost overwhelming the young Zhou Xuan.

He pretended to savor the feeling of being a “big spender”—much like sweeping through the boutiques on Chunxi Road twenty years later.

He chose quickly, picking out six outfits in just over ten minutes. Though he hadn’t seen his family for decades, he roughly remembered their sizes; to be safe, he bought everything a size larger.

As for himself, he put on a new outfit right away and left wearing it.

With the saleswoman’s warm farewells, Zhou Xuan carried several bags past the previous shop.

He paused for two seconds in front of the door, raised his bags proudly, and grinned.

The woman’s eyes widened, her expression sour as if she wanted to disappear.

Zhou Xuan laughed heartily, then bought plenty of snacks for his backpack, carrying several big bags as he headed to the motorcycles parked by the street.

With so much to carry, Zhou Xuan decided to take a two-wheeler home. That way, he wouldn’t have to take the bus and walk over an hour on mountain roads.

He negotiated a price with a burly, honest-looking uncle, had him tie the clothes and backpack to the rear seat, and climbed aboard.

The ride was swift, and within half an hour, Zhou Xuan was near home.

After paying, he got off, rounded the mountain, and was almost ready to see his family in this life.

In his previous life, Zhou Xuan had lived for decades, and his grandparents had long since passed. He hadn’t seen them, his parents, or his sister for many years.

Now, the thought of seeing his grandparents, parents, and little sister again filled him with excitement.

Home was right ahead. Carrying the clothes and his backpack, Zhou Xuan hurried toward it.