When even the landlady gave up on him.
Lin Mo had spent those years eating alone, and after graduating from high school, he returned home and became a drifter. It was the same story.
As his cousin started a family and his grandmother passed away, familial bonds grew increasingly scarce.
Yet, he actually preferred sitting together with his family, even if they did nothing at all—it felt good.
Sitting at the dining table, Auntie Zheng looked at Lin Mo.
"Lin Mo, you know, after school, you can come to my house and eat with Yuling. One more person, one more pair of chopsticks, that's all."
Lin Mo smiled and nodded. "As long as Auntie Zheng doesn't feel I'm intruding, that's fine."
In his past life, Lin Mo would have refused. After all, he felt that troubling others was something he couldn't bear.
But in this life, his way of thinking had changed.
"Just don't bring groceries up here, though. It's quite expensive."
Auntie Zheng had always been a kind-hearted person, well-known among the neighbors for her good reputation. As a result, the surrounding neighbors often took care of this single mother and her child.
Lin Mo shook his head. "Don't worry, Auntie Zheng. My parents left me quite a bit of money—it's more than enough to support me until I graduate from college. If I don't pay for meals, at least let me buy some groceries. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare come up and freeload."
This explanation made it easier for Auntie Zheng to accept.
Freeloading for too long might eventually make the other party unhappy.
So Lin Mo decided to buy groceries, making things feel more balanced for everyone.
"Alright then, but buying so many shrimp like today is a bit much."
Seafood prices were always relatively high, no matter the time.
Not long after, Xie Yuling came over carrying a bowl full of bright red shrimp.
Beside it was a small dish of soy sauce with sliced chili peppers.
However, what caught Lin Mo's attention was Auntie Zheng's salt-baked chicken.
That salt-baked chicken was Lin Mo's favorite dish, but he had only eaten it twice before.
Unlike Lin Mo, Xie Yuling's eyes were fixed on the plate of shrimp, the corners of her mouth slightly curling upward as if she wanted to smile but was holding it back.
"The dishes are pretty ordinary, Lin Mo. I hope you don't mind," Auntie Zheng said apologetically.
"They're already great. If it were just me, I'd only be eating takeout," Lin Mo shook his head.
Xie Yuling served the rice, placing a bowl in front of Lin Mo before serving her mother and herself.
As soon as she sat down, she grabbed her chopsticks, ready to dive into the food.
But before she could, Auntie Zheng lightly tapped her hand with a pair of chopsticks.
"Have you forgotten the manners your father taught you?"
Xie Yuling rubbed the back of her hand in grievance, then turned to Lin Mo and said:
"Lin Mo, please eat. Mom, please eat."
Lin Mo quickly followed suit. "Yuling, please eat. Auntie Zheng, please eat."
It was clear that the Xie family had once been quite well-mannered.
But since it was usually just her and her mother at home, they had skipped this step.
Zheng Yuan nodded in satisfaction and then deliberately placed a chicken drumstick into Lin Mo's bowl.
"Eat up. This drumstick is the best part."
"Thank you, Auntie Zheng."
Xie Yuling cast a resentful glance at Lin Mo. That drumstick was usually hers.
But today, it was a whole chicken, so there were two drumsticks.
Just as she was thinking this, the other drumstick landed in her bowl.
She looked up and saw her mother smiling at her.
"Thank you, Mom."
After savoring the flavors of the meal, Lin Mo had already put down his chopsticks.
There weren't many shrimp shells in front of him, but Xie Yuling had already put down her chopsticks and was wholeheartedly attacking the prawns.
"Lin Mo, why aren't you eating shrimp?" Auntie Zheng nudged Xie Yuling with her foot.
As soon as Xie Yuling heard this, her lightning-fast shrimp peeling action came to an abrupt halt.
Lin Mo waved his hand.
"I'm full. Auntie Zheng's salt-baked chicken was so delicious that I focused on eating the chicken. As for the shrimp, I'll leave them for Xie to enjoy. Shrimp meat doesn't keep well overnight."
Lin Mo's words made Xie Yuling, who was eating shrimp, nod vigorously.
"Exactly, exactly. If left too long, the shrimp meat will spoil by tomorrow."
Xie Yuling spoke with conviction, and Auntie Zheng could only give her daughter a look before apologetically glancing at Lin Mo.
...
Monday.
Starting today, school officially begins.
During military training, the class schedule was already issued, but everyone is still unfamiliar with their teachers.
Lin Mo also donned his freshly washed new school uniform.
The blue and white outlined uniform looked quite spirited.
Naturally, summer calls for summer attire, so Lin Mo went out in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.
He carried a backpack filled with some stationery.
Leaving home after six, there were already quite a few people on the move, including many joggers, office workers, and students like Lin Mo.
With morning reading time at seven-thirty, Lin Mo had some time for breakfast.
He arrived at a shop.
The shop looked rather spacious, with only three people inside.
An elderly lady wrapping wontons, a woman greeting customers, and a man making noodles with bamboo.
Though it was early, every table in the shop was occupied.
Lin Mo sat down and had to share a table.
Ordering a large bowl of wonton noodles, Lin Mo took in the familiar decor.
By rights, this shop was a longstanding establishment and should remain open for a long time.
However, unexpected circumstances arise, and during Lin Mo's second year of high school, for reasons unknown, the shop closed and was rented out.
It later became a Huazhou dessert shop.
Business was quite booming, but the family of three was never seen again.
Bearing this in mind, Lin Mo still frequented the shop to enjoy a few more bowls of wontons.
After all, the wontons and broth here were excellent.
The broth and the ground fish powder for the wontons were meticulously slow-roasted by the owner.
Moreover, as Lin Mo knew, they used fish bones to make the broth, and the roasted fish meat was ground into powder for the wontons.
This kind of freshness was unparalleled.
However, the craftsmanship for this bowl of noodles was considerable, and the process was cumbersome, making it increasingly rare to find.
As Lin Mo ate, the shop became increasingly crowded.
Once Lin Mo finished, someone else took his seat.
Such shops are indeed profitable, but they earn through hard work.
With a wave of his sleeve, Lin Mo headed to school.
Class 8, Grade 1.
Starting today, no one wore their military training uniforms.
However, everyone's spirits were high, especially after the three days of rest following military training, which made them feel rejuvenated.
At this moment, they truly felt they had arrived at a new school, facing new classmates, all attending classes together.
This feeling was fresh and exciting.
Especially during military training, everyone had already begun to bond slightly.
Lin Mo sat in the fourth row, sharing a desk with Jiang Yunlu.
In front of him sat Xue Zigui. After returning from military training, Xue Zigui wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, giving off the impression of a top student.
In reality, Xue Zigui truly was a top student, consistently ranking in the top fifty of the grade and top three in the class.
However, Lin Mo hardly interacted with him.
After all, the gap between a top student and a slacker was too vast.
As for Jiang Yunlu, who sat beside Lin Mo, she was also a top student. Her family was wealthy enough to afford private tutors for one-on-one lessons.
As a result, her grades were excellent, and she often competed with Xue Zigui for the top spot in the class.
But in the future, could Lin Mo also strive to become the number one disciple of his sect?