After the rain, the wind stopped in front of the river. - Chapter 3

Lin Yuluo Wants to Make Money

Gu Junchuan found Lin Yuluo’s disheveled state rather amusing. He stood there waiting for her to get up, but she lifted her head, her eyes still brimming with tears. “Could you please help me get some water to feel better?”

“….”

Gu Junchuan went inside to get water. 

“Where’s she?” Lin Shuxue asked him.

“Vomiting!”

“Vomiting?”

Lin Shuxue followed him and saw Lin Yuluo crouched against the wall, holding her forehead. Gu Junchuan handed her the water and also gave her a trash can to hold. Well, to put it bluntly, Lin Yuluo looked like a drowned dog, utterly miserable.

“I’m sorry, Lin  Jie,” Lin Yuluo quickly apologized to Lin Shuxue. 

But the latter didn’t make a fuss and waved her off, “Come in and rest for a bit.” She motioned for Gu Junchuan to help her inside, sitting out there looking like this might be awkward if someone saw.

Gu Junchuan rolled his eyes and refused to move. Lin Shuxue gave him a push, “Hurry up!”

Reluctantly, Gu Junchuan said to Lin Yuluo, “Come on, Coach Lin .” 

He bent down, grabbed her arm with considerable force, almost twisting it off. Lin Yuluo forced herself to stay upright but was too weak, leaning partly against him. Her elbow accidentally brushed against his abdomen, he grunted, tensed his body, and shot her an impatient glance. Then he ‘helped’ her to the living room sofa, where she could rest, and went to the water bar to drink.

“Did Xiao Gu say you got heatstroke?” Lin Shuxue teased, calling Gu Junchuan “Xiao Gu” for fun, letting Lin Yuluo continue misunderstanding.

Gu Junchuan glanced at Lin Yuluo. She was resilient. 

After a couple of minutes, she forced herself to stand. “Lin  Jie, I’m fine now.”

“Fine?”

“Yes, fine,” Lin Yuluo said. “Sorry for troubling you, Lin  Jie. Our electricity’s been out at home for a few days, it’s too hot.”

“Power outage? For several days?” Lin Shuxue looked shocked. “Where do you live? Is there a place in Beijing where the electricity is out for days?”

“Wang Liuzhuang. About ten kilometers from here.”

Gu Junchuan raised his eyes and glanced at her. Wang Liuzhuang, he knew it well. Driving there required detours, it was a self-built urban village with unstable utilities. The rent was cheap, attracting people with low incomes. Others avoided mentioning it casually in conversation, but she spoke openly.

Despite feeling unwell, Lin Yuluo diligently assisted Lin Shuxue in the class, not missing a single detail. When helping her stretch, she even gave her a massage. Lin Shuxue appreciated her sincerity and decided to let her stay for breakfast. 

Lin Yuluo hurriedly declined, “The gym provides breakfast. I can eat once I get there.”

Lin Shuxue, feeling generous for some reason, insisted she stay, a bowl of lily and lily seed porridge, jujube cake, and four light side dishes. 

Lin Yuluo reported to Fang Liu honestly, who was quite pleased, “Stay for breakfast, no need to rush back to the shop. You have a group class at two. Talk more and see if she’s willing to introduce clients to you.”

Lin Yuluo didn’t know how to ask for client introductions and just quietly drank her porridge. 

Lin  Jie’s ‘boyfriend’ was also present. Lin Yuluo saw Lin  Jie pour a small bowl of porridge for him, tasking him with serving her as well. Feeling uneasy, Lin Yuluo hurried to serve herself, afraid of earning the ‘boyfriend’s’ resentment.

The meal was awkward. Lin Yuluo noticed that Lin Shuxue kept bossing around her ‘boyfriend,’ which made her nervous. She had a constant feeling that someone like him, if embarrassed in front of her, might look for ways to get back at her.

She barely breathed, ate quickly, and immediately excused herself. When Gu Junchuan saw her off in the elevator, she smiled at him politely, a hint of sympathy in her expression.

Gu Junchuan snorted but didn’t explain anything. This little coach was so timid, it was amusing. He even wanted to scare her a bit. “Remember to give me my commission.”

“I will, Mr. Gu. I’ll ask the boss today if I can get an advance.”

“Alright.”

Lin Yuluo arrived at the yoga studio and immediately told Fang Liu what happened. 

“No wonder you were so quick this time. Has Lin  Jie really been spoiling a little pretty boy?” Fang Liu nodded.

“I know it’s not good to say it like this, but that’s the truth. I just don’t understand why her ‘boyfriend’ pays for her yoga classes,” Lin Yuluo nodded.

“Would Lin  Jie let him pay for nothing? He must get double, or maybe even more, plus take your commission. This guy isn’t simple, he’s skilled. You need to be careful when dealing with him,” Fang Liu explained the ways of the world. 

“A lot of things are complicated. Speak little. Even when teaching at a client’s home, smile, even at the dog. Always smile.”

Lin Yuluo nodded. She thought, fortunately, Lin  Jie’s home doesn’t have a dog, only a little pretty boy; otherwise, she’d have to practice smiling at dogs. Dogs won’t ask why you’re smiling, but a ‘boyfriend’ will.

During lunch, colleagues who had no errands went home for a nap, so Lin Yuluo stayed at the front desk with the receptionist to watch the studio. She enjoyed being there, the air-conditioning was cool, and there was a faint fragrance in the air. She lay on a yoga ball, her body forming a large arch, trying to open her chest and exhale the bad air.

Her younger brother Lin  Yuzhou called, asking what she was doing.

“I’m at the studio.”

“Can I come in to see you?”

“Sure.”

Lin  Yuzhou was in college. A kid from a small town, he had gotten into a top university thanks to his excellent grades. Every day, besides studying, he worked part-time. He brought a cup of iced jasmine milk tea to Lin Yuluo: “Sis, you don’t look well.”

“I think I got a little heatstroke.” Lin Yuluo sipped the tea, the icy coolness refreshing her and making her feel a bit better. “Do you still have money?”

“Yes. I joined a club that provides many part-time jobs. I found a tutoring job, three hundred yuan per hour,” Lin  Yuzhou said. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Don’t worry about who?” Lin Yuluo asked softly. “Sis sold twenty thousand worth of cards yesterday, I might get a few thousand in commission. Your phone is too old; sometimes you can’t even hear calls. I’ll get you a new one.”

“I don’t want it. If I want a new one, I can save money from tutoring.”

“You still have tuition to pay.”

“I have a scholarship.” Lin  Yuzhou looked at her hand, noticing the thin calluses, then at her pale face, and felt a little pang of sympathy. “I’m in college now, I can support myself. If you have money, move out of Wang Liuzhuang and into a proper apartment. Also, buy yourself something nice.”

Lin Yuluo looked at her capable little brother and smiled. Rubbing his head, she said with relief, “Yuzhou has grown up.”

“On the eleventh, I’m doing a part-time job for a music event. The organizer will cover food, lodging, and travel. Haven’t you always wanted to see the sea? I’ll take you.” Lin  Yuzhou pulled out a sketchbook to show her. He had signed up for this event specifically because his sister had longed to see the sea since she was little but had never gone.

“Alright! I’ll ask Fang Jie to leave in advance!” Lin Yuluo felt her mood lift slightly. She draped her arm around Lin  Yuzhou’s shoulder and pinched his face, as if she could never love this little brother enough.

Lin  Yuzhou blushed slightly, embarrassed, and called out, “Sis!”

Lin Yuluo finally let go and saw him off at the door. Watching her younger brother, backpack on his shoulders, walk farther and farther away until he disappeared, the smile on her face didn’t fade.

By evening, Lin Yuluo went to give her class. When she arrived, Lin Shuxue hadn’t returned yet, and only Gu Junchuan was there. He had just finished working out, sweat dripping from his head, and treated Lin Yuluo with indifferent responses. Lin Yuluo thought she could understand his mindset, probably feeling he couldn’t assert himself in front of her, or maybe he considered his way of making money to be superior. She sold her strength, he sold his body. Both were just trying to earn money.

She sat there waiting for a long time. The normally busy Gu Junchuan suddenly looked at her and, smiling without really smiling, asked, “How much is the rent in Wang Liuzhuang?”

Lin Yuluo felt a little nervous, tightened her legs, and straightened her posture. “Eight hundred.”

“Why do you live there?”

“Other places are a bit expensive.”

“Oh?” Gu Junchuan looked genuinely interested and plopped down boldly across from her, his arm draped over the back of the sofa chair. “So you’re short on cash?”

“Yes,” Lin Yuluo nodded. 

There was no shame in being poor. She didn’t steal or beg, she supported herself with her own hands and even raised a child who had gotten into a top university. She felt proud of herself.

“How about I show you a clear path to making money?” Gu Junchuan narrowed his eyes, looking like an old fox.

A thought flashed through Lin Yuluo’s mind. What kind of money-making path could he have? He must have some so-called circle that introduces ‘clients’ to each other. That would make money fast, but she didn’t want to sell her dignity.

So she shook her head seriously. “Thank you, Mr. Gu. But I don’t want to sell myself.”

“Who said anything about selling yourself?” Lin Shuxue pushed the door open, her eyes sparkling with obvious interest in the topic.

Lin Yuluo’s face turned red. She saw that Gu Junchuan didn’t react at all, he didn’t even get up to greet his ‘boss.’

“Nothing, Lin  Jie. We were just talking about ways to make money.”