Chapter 64 - 22: Grind a Little More

Chapter 64: Chapter 22: Grind a Little More

Lin Zhao had been taken to the movies by Gu Chenghuai before, so she was fairly familiar with the county’s movie theater.

The ticket window was set in a wall facing the street, over a meter off the ground. You had to climb three steps just to reach it.

The window was a square, about two feet wide and two feet tall. It had double doors, with several steel bars fixed to the outside.

The theater started pre-selling tickets at 2:00 PM each day. It was just past 1:00 PM now, but a long line had already formed in front of the ticket window.

"So many people," Er Zai said.

Da Zai frowned with worry. "Mom, will we be able to get tickets?"

"Let’s go take a look first." The crowd here was large and chaotic, and worried that her two boys might get snatched, Lin Zhao never let go of their hands.

She walked straight to the ticket counter, and when she looked up, she saw a familiar face.

The ticket seller saw her too. A look of pleasant surprise on her face, she poked her head out and smiled. "Zhaozhao?! Long time no see! Are you here to see a movie?"

"Yeah, I want to bring my sons to a movie, but I’m not sure if I can get tickets. It’s pretty crowded," Lin Zhao said.

On such a hot day, she had thought there wouldn’t be many people. She hadn’t expected to underestimate everyone’s enthusiasm for the movies.

The ticket seller winked at Lin Zhao. As she turned her head, the small braid that fell to her collarbone swayed a few times.

"Of course you’ll get tickets."

The implication was that she would save some tickets for her.

Lin Zhao smiled. "I hope you’re right."

Seeing how sunny it was outside, the ticket seller said, "Zhaozhao, you should find a shady spot to wait. Be careful the little ones don’t get heatstroke."

"Okay."

Seeing that her friend was about to get busy, Lin Zhao led her two sons away from the ticket window.

"Mom, who was that?" Er Zai was curious about everything; if he had a question, he had to ask it.

"That was Mom’s middle school classmate," Lin Zhao replied.

Back in school, she was a good student with a good personality. She was pretty, too, so she was quite popular and got along well with all the girls in her class.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other in years, it wasn’t like her friend wouldn’t save a few tickets for her.

"Our younger uncle is in middle school too," Da Zai said.

"That’s right. After middle school comes high school," Lin Zhao told her son, imparting a piece of useless trivia.

Da Zai immediately declared, "I want to go to middle school and high school in the future, too."

Lin Zhao said, "And after high school, there’s college."

’The book said the college entrance exams will be reinstated later. By the time Da Zai and Er Zai finish high school, the exams should be back. They’ll be born at just the right time.’

"If I get into college, will you be happy, Mom?" Da Zai asked.

"Of course I’ll be happy," Lin Zhao said automatically. But then, afraid her older son would put too much pressure on himself, she changed her tune. "But as long as Da Zai is a good, law-abiding boy, even if you don’t get into college, Mom will still be happy for you and proud of you."

Da Zai nodded obediently, but he was still determined to get into college.

Er Zai wasn’t interested in this. Seeing his mother pass by several shady spots without stopping, he asked, "Mom, where are we going? Aren’t we buying tickets anymore?!"

"That aunty is saving tickets for Mom. I’m going to buy her a popsicle," Lin Zhao said.

A popsicle!!!

Er Zai’s eyes lit up in a flash. He wheedled, "Mom, my brother and I want one too."

"Done." Lin Zhao agreed in a heartbeat. As a woman with some money to spare, she could certainly satisfy her sons’ small request.

"Mom’s the best~" Er Zai’s voice softened. As a child who was dearly loved, his whole face lit up with happiness.

Lin Zhao estimated the time and bought four popsicles: one for Da Zai, one for Er Zai, one for herself, and the last one for Meizhu.

"Mom, it’s smoking," Da Zai said. He had never eaten a popsicle before, nor had he ever even seen one.

"Eat it quickly. It’s hot, so it’ll melt soon." Lin Zhao took a bite herself. A wave of coolness washed over her, seeming to carry away all the sweltering heat from her body.

The cold shocked Er Zai. HISS. "Cold! And sweet! Mom, popsicles are so good!"

"Yeah, they’re best in the summer." The first popsicle Lin Zhao had ever had was bought for her by her uncle.

She thought as she bit into her popsicle.

’Once my job is settled, I’ll go visit my uncle’s family.’

Worried the popsicles would melt, Lin Zhao quickened her pace and led her two boys back toward the movie theater ticket window.

In that short time, the line to buy tickets had vanished.

The ticket seller, Guo Meizhu, finished her work and came out.

Lin Zhao handed her the popsicle, smiling. "I bought this for you."

"Thanks." Guo Meizhu accepted it with a smile and pulled two tickets from her pocket. "Movie tickets. One for you, and the two little ones can share one seat."

Normally, kids Da Zai and Er Zai’s age didn’t need tickets and could just sit with their mother. But seeing that Lin Zhao had two children with her, and that three people in one seat would be a squeeze, she had simply saved two tickets for them.

"That’s so thoughtful of you, thanks." Lin Zhao handed her the money.

Guo Meizhu wasn’t one to stand on ceremony, so she accepted the money graciously and even laughed. "I got a free popsicle out of this. My treat next time."

"Don’t worry about it. If it weren’t for you, I would have had to break my promise to these two boys. You helped me out; I should be the one treating you to a meal," Lin Zhao said, laughing along.