Romantic Love Story
When I was thirteen or fourteen, my self-esteem was especially high. I was sensitive, arrogant, yet also fragile.
I understood that my parents working at a market selling vegetables after being laid off wasn’t shameful. They were simply earning a living with their hardworking hands. However, due to youthful vanity, I didn’t want my classmates to know about it.
Initially, I was unwilling to help at the market, fearing I might run into my classmates. But watching my parents leave early and return late every day, their backs bent from exhaustion, I felt tormented. So, when I had the chance, I would reluctantly go to the market to relieve them, letting them rest for a bit. I felt for them and knew that all their hard work was for the family, to save money for my college education. My father once said, “As long as you get into college, we’ll sell everything if we have to.”
But I never expected that one evening during the summer break, while I was helping my mom sell vegetables, I would run into my classmate, Wu Xin. She was my strongest competitor in class, our grades neck and neck. Despite being classmates for two years, we had barely spoken. In the arrogant years of youth, we were like two proud peacocks, neither yielding to the other, each with our own circle.
I couldn’t stand her coquettish and delicate way of speaking. She would wipe her desk and chair meticulously with tissues before sitting down. I appeared carefree but was actually very sensitive. From her occasional disdainful glances, I knew she didn’t like me.
We adhered to the principle of “minding our own business,” maintaining a peaceful coexistence. But she discovered my secret of selling vegetables at the market. Dreading this moment, I was too late to hide when I saw her. She was stunned, eyes wide open, mouth agape. After a long while, she finally managed to say, “You sell vegetables here?” My face flushed red, as if slapped, and I retorted angrily, “What’s it to you?”
Several middle-aged women were haggling over the vegetables at our stall. Flustered, I was no longer my usual efficient self. I glanced at Wu Xin and saw what seemed to be mockery on her face.
When school started again, we were in our final year of middle school, and the teacher rearranged the seating. To my dismay, Wu Xin and I became desk mates.
I couldn’t stand it and immediately raised my hand to object, but Wu Xin had already moved her things over. Did she want to mock me every day? Hold onto my secret? I thought furiously. When she sat down and gave me a meaningful smile, I shot her a glare, feeling anxious inside.
Sure enough, she told other classmates about me selling vegetables. One day during self-study, a girl was talking with her desk mate, and when I asked her to keep it down, she retorted disdainfully, “You’re just a vegetable seller, who do you think you are to tell me what to do?”
The class turned their attention to me, eyes filled with ridicule and surprise. I wished I could disappear into a hole. They couldn’t believe that the usually confident and flamboyant me was selling vegetables in a noisy market.
I was stunned, my face burning, unable to find words to retaliate.
My heart felt like it was being torn apart.
Wu Xin hurried over to stop the girl from saying more hurtful things, but she avoided my gaze. I breathed heavily, furious, glaring at Wu Xin. She seemed to want to say something but as she approached, I pushed her hard. Unprepared, she stumbled and fell flat on her back.
It must have hurt. Wu Xin cried pitifully, and her sobs made me feel a bit guilty. “Serves you right!” I said stubbornly, though I regretted my impulsiveness. But apologizing publicly was beyond me.
“How barbaric! Hitting someone! You do sell vegetables, don’t you? Was I wrong?” The girl who instigated the argument added fuel to the fire. Other girls helped the crying Wu Xin up, chastising me and comforting her, treating me like air.
My brief remorse vanished in the face of their accusations, leaving me unable to argue back.
I hated Wu Xin, thinking she used tears for sympathy, turning black into white, isolating me from everyone. Even my good friends distanced themselves, saying I was uncivilized.
During that period, I was a loner, with rumors stabbing my heart like needles. I hated Wu Xin, the girl who started it all, and all my classmates. I didn’t understand why my parents had to sell vegetables, or why they had me if we were so poor. I became reclusive, hostile to everyone. My grades plummeted, and I started skipping classes.
The teacher talked to me, but I kept my head down and stayed silent. From her worried eyes, I saw her frustration and pain. She couldn’t understand why I was so defeated over a small matter. Only I knew the heartache.
Wu Xin avoided my gaze, and I always glared at her. I seemed to grow thorns overnight, snapping at the slightest provocation. It was the same at school and home.
My parents didn’t understand what had happened, looking concerned but saying nothing. My mom spoke cautiously, afraid of upsetting me.
I stubbornly clung to my coldness and pride, feeling the world owed me. At night, my thoughts swirled as I lay in bed. I replayed that day, the laughter and accusations echoing in my mind, tears silently falling.
I didn’t despise my parents; I understood their hard work was for me. I just didn’t want my classmates to know they sold vegetables. Was that wrong? I knew it was vanity, but who doesn’t care about their image at thirteen or fourteen? Thinking of the pain Wu Xin caused me, I decided never to forgive her.
Sitting together every day, I never gave Wu Xin a kind look. Her grades remained excellent while I lost interest in studying, unable to compete with her.
One day after class, she tried to speak to me, but I turned away, cold and disdainful. Despite winning over me in grades, she grew silent after the incident, always lowering her head when seeing me.
“Yinzi, I’m sorry about what happened last time…” she said softly. This girl who never admitted defeat was apologizing, even after I pushed her, even when I was ostracized.
I stayed still, wanting to hear more.
“Seeing you now makes me sad. That wasn’t my intention. I didn’t mean to mock you, but I didn’t expect things to end up like this. I’m sorry, I didn’t think it through.”
I remained motionless, but my eyes were wet. During my isolation, while skipping classes, I hid my fear and loneliness behind coldness. I wasn’t as strong as I pretended, and facing my first failing grades and my parents’ worried eyes, my heart ached.
When Wu Xin left the classroom, she gave me a paper crane with a note inside.
“Yinzi, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for things to go this way. When I saw you selling vegetables, I admired you. I admired your understanding of your parents’ hard work and helping them. I didn’t initially respect you, seeing you as a rival. But knowing you often help your parents, I felt our competition was unfair, so I told a few friends, hoping their parents would buy from you, giving you more time to study. I asked the teacher to seat us together. I wanted to be friends, to compete and help each other. I didn’t expect things to turn out so badly. I’m sorry!”
I looked up, eyes tightly shut, fearing my tears would fall. Wu Xin’s sincere words eased my gloomy heart. If not for my vanity, what was so shameful about my parents selling vegetables?
“Yinzi, let’s go for a walk!” Wu Xin invited me after class one day.
I smiled and agreed, taking her hand as we left the classroom. After reading her note, I had wanted to reconcile, but pride held me back.
Thankfully, Wu Xin understood and gave me a way out. Perhaps she saw my longing for friendship in my eyes.
After resolving our issues, we became close friends, and I realized my previous prejudices. Though she spoke delicately, she was strong and brave. She confronted bullies, claiming her dad was a police officer, scaring them away. She gave all her spare change to elderly beggars without hesitation.
Wu Xin accompanied me to the market every weekend after finishing her homework, saying she wanted to experience life. But I knew she was showing respect and cherishing our friendship.
With Wu Xin by my side, I no longer felt embarrassed helping my parents sell vegetables. Her cheerful smile and sweet calls attracted many customers, and the women often asked if we were sisters. “Yes! We’re the best sisters!” Wu Xin would answer happily before I could. Her bright smile warmed my heart.
We were good friends, but still fierce academic rivals. This aspect remained unchanged.
I appreciated this rival, as her presence fueled my determination and energy. As Wu Xin said, a rival is like another hand, and the greatest respect for a rival is to fully unleash your potential.
I respected Wu Xin as a rival because she was my best friend. With a rival, our youth would never be lonely.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
