Chapter 1 | Days Starting from Zero

Lin Mo squatted at the alley entrance, clutching a bag of discounted bread from yesterday's supermarket. The winter wind was biting, seeping into his sleeves from the narrow alley, making his fingers numb. He kept his head down, his shoes lightly scraping the wet ground, careful not to make a sound that would disturb the alley's tranquility.At the end of the alley, Shen He stood there, holding several notebooks, beads of sweat on her forehead, her eyes calm but firm: "I'm late."Lin Mo looked up at her and softly replied, "Just arrived."They were childhood sweethearts, growing up together. No extra words were exchanged; they simply walked silently towards the school. Lin Mo knew that poverty was not only a reality for his family, but also an inescapable responsibility.In Lin Mo's family, his father made a living by doing odd jobs. Years of hard work had left his back slightly hunched, and his hands were covered in calluses and small injuries. His mother left early and returned late every day, cooking in the morning and mending clothes at night. Her fingers were often pricked by needles, causing slight bleeding, and she suffered from back pain. His younger sister was still in elementary school, but she was always sensible and didn't cause any trouble. Every day after school, Lin Mo's first task was to help his sister tidy her desk, and then help his mother wash vegetables, mop the floor, and sweep the room. His life was simple: he had enough to eat and slept soundly, and no one in his family argued about money—this was his greatest happiness.However, this ordinary happiness also left Lin Mo with a lingering sense of discontent. He began to pay attention to his surroundings: the small shops on the street, the bookstalls, the needs of his neighbors. He discovered that making money wasn't just about doing odd jobs. One weekend, he secretly went to a nearby used bookstore and saw that some tutoring books and reference materials were priced at half the original price on the secondhand market. He carefully bargained with the bookseller, bought a few books, and then asked his classmates if they needed to borrow or buy them. After his first transaction, he earned seven yuan. Although the amount was small, Lin Mo felt an unprecedented surge of excitement.He didn't tell his parents, nor did he boast; he simply slipped the seven yuan into his younger sister's allowance box. When his mother saw the money, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but she didn't ask any questions, only softly saying, "Keep it."Shen He quickly noticed Lin Mo's change and offered to help, taking charge of recording customer needs and book-borrowing/purchasing transactions, calculating the cost and profit of each transaction. The two quietly divided the work: Lin Mo handled the actual execution, while Shen He planned and managed.After school, Lin Mo lay in bed, reviewing the ledger. The numbers before him, though few, clearly showed a visible trajectory—each transaction was the result of his hard work, each one a gradual accumulation. He whispered to himself:"Make money quietly, little by little, and completely change our family's situation."In the quiet of the night, only the ticking of the clock on the wall and the gentle swaying of the curtains in the breeze filled Lin Mo's heart with a profound sense of peace. He knew this path wouldn't be fast or easy, but as long as he moved forward steadily, he could one day change his family's fate.The next morning, carrying his account book and a new plan, he set off for school. The wind in the alley was still biting cold, but a warmth welled up in Lin Mo's heart—the future, no matter how difficult, now had direction.At that moment, he understood two things:Money wasn't for showing off, but for giving his family a sense of security.Every small effort could be the starting point for changing his destiny.