Chapter 48: The Awakening of the NEET Generation 6

After a long and winding journey that took several hours, she finally caught sight of the village’s outline. This was already much improved thanks to the government building a road for the village—otherwise, it would have taken even longer, and the path would have been much rougher.

“Dad, Mom, I’m home!”

Father Ren and Mother Ren were in the middle of dinner. There was only one dish on the table—no meat, just plain cabbage. In their bowls sat steamed cornmeal buns. For a moment, she felt as though she’d traveled back to the era of the 1970s.

Mother Ren was overjoyed, firing off question after question. Father Ren, on the other hand, quietly took the bundle from Ren Xin’s shoulder and set it down on the table.

“Xin, why didn’t you send word before coming home? Your dad could have come to pick you up. You shouldn’t be carrying so many things by yourself and walking all that way—you must be exhausted. I’ll go cook now. Tonight, we’ll have chicken for dinner.”

Ren Xin shook her head. “We need to keep our chickens for laying eggs, don’t kill any. I’m not even hungry. I’ll just have a little cabbage with you. If you two are fine eating it, so am I.”

Mother Ren and Father Ren exchanged a glance. Father Ren explained, “Your mom and I usually eat pretty well. We were just lazy today and didn’t cook anything.”

Ren Xin didn’t buy it. “You’re both so skinny you’re practically skin and bones, and you still want to fool me.” With that, she pulled a stack of cash from her pocket and piled it onto the bed.

Father Ren and Mother Ren stared in shock at the money that nearly covered the whole bed, unsure for a moment what to do.

Ren Xin explained, “Earlier, I bought a batch of small goods wholesale, thinking I could sell them here at home. I didn’t expect business to be this good—it sold out instantly. Also, there’s still some money left in my phone. Some people paid by QR code.”

It took Mother Ren a while to find her voice, and she finally muttered, “How much money is all this…”

“They’re all small bills, probably a few thousand yuan in total.”

“Your dad and I work all year to earn a few thousand like this. My girl, you’re really something. Isn’t this what they call… um, business sense, like the people on TV say?”

The whole family chatted and joked together as they ate. Honestly, the food wasn’t tasty—just enough to fill their stomachs. But with family surrounding you, even the plainest meal tastes better than the finest delicacies.

After a night’s sleep, Ren Xin got up to find her parents had already gone out to the fields. They’d left two eggs in the pot for her.

Though the house wasn’t dirty, it was messy everywhere. She rummaged around and found a cleaning talisman—this would do the trick.

With the help of the talisman, Ren Xin tidied up the house quickly and efficiently. By the time Father Ren and Mother Ren returned carrying their hoes, everything was spotless and Ren Xin was already preparing lunch.

Mother Ren rained compliments down on Ren Xin once again.

When the villagers heard Ren Xin was back, they all came over to see her, eager to ask what university life was like. Was it really all that wonderful?

Ren Xin didn’t get annoyed at all. She simply pulled out her phone and showed everyone the photos she’d taken at school.

Everyone crowded around, admiring the pictures and exclaiming, “It’s so big! So clean! So pretty…”

Some of the more curious folks asked, “Xin, did you bring your parents some nice things this time? Come on, show us!”

There was no malice in the villagers’ words, so Ren Xin didn’t mind. She thought for a moment, then went back to her room and brought out the clothes she’d prepared for her parents. She also took out a small, attractive radio.

With a smile Ren Xin said, “I figured if my parents ever get bored, they could listen to stories. I’ve downloaded loads of audiobooks on this—there’s also Peking opera, crosstalk, all sorts of stuff…”

After the villagers went home, they couldn’t stop telling their kids how they should all learn from Ren Xin—smart and filial, aiming to become the second college student in the village.

Father Ren and Mother Ren adored the radio. They finished dinner that evening while listening to a storytelling program about the Three Kingdoms.

They were so absorbed that they didn’t spare even a shred of attention on Ren Xin.

Ren Xin couldn’t help but think: Kids are obviously the flavor of the day—once that’s gone, you’re just leftover rice no one wants!

— Translator's Notes —

– Three Kingdoms: Refers to 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It is a foundational epic in Chinese culture, frequently adapted into oral storytelling and opera.

– crosstalk: Known as 'xiangsheng,' this is a traditional Chinese comedic performance involving rapid-fire banter, puns, and storytelling, typically performed as a duo.