C12 Buying Books

Ms. Kung was well aware of Ann Jue's fondness for books and her years of studying calligraphy under Mr. Xue. Ann Jue was skilled in the art and her academic performance was consistently excellent. Therefore, Ms. Kung wasn't taken aback by her proposal.

Nevertheless, Mr. Xue's estate was meant to be passed on to his nephews, and Ann Jue, being just a colleague, had no say in the matter. Ms. Kung offered, "I can inquire with Mr. Xue's nephew for you, but whether he's willing to sell is another question."

"Thank you, Ms. Kung. I'm sure he'll agree! Please find out the price for me. I'll go home and talk it over with my dad right away!" Ann Jue expressed her gratitude earnestly. She was resolute in her decision to preserve Mr. Xue's collection of books, manuscripts, and calligraphy supplies, even if it meant spending money to convince her father to purchase them. After all, these items were invaluable cultural treasures.

When her father heard about her intention to acquire Mr. Xue's entire library, he was somewhat surprised but quickly came to understand. His daughter had a deep affection for her teacher and cherished books, so it was no surprise she couldn't bear to part with them.

"Buying the books is fine, but I'm not sure if Mr. Xue's nephew is willing to sell. Besides, Jue, my salary has been quite low this year. I'm afraid we won't be able to afford many books," he said with concern.

Ann Jue pondered for a moment, realizing she might be asking too much, but her desire to buy the books was unwavering. "Dad, I could borrow money from Grandma! I'll pay her back once I receive my scholarship next semester!"

"Well, your grandmother... she just lent ten thousand yuan to your uncle," he said, scratching his head.

"What? Why did she do that? Isn't Uncle working at the auto repair shop? I heard it's quite profitable," Ann Jue remarked, recalling that her uncle was probably the most well-off among her father's siblings. Her grandmother's favoritism towards her uncle wasn't new, but lending him such a large sum was excessive.

Her father, not one to confront his mother's decisions, even if he disagreed, simply explained, "Your uncle just had twin boys. Your grandmother is overjoyed and wanted to buy them some nice gold locks, so..."

"So this money is a gift, not a loan, correct?" Ann Jue exclaimed in frustration, "Grandma clearly plays favorites, always valuing boys over girls!"

When she was born, all she got was a silver bracelet.

Ann Jue's face soured. "Jue, you shouldn't speak about Grandma like that. As for buying books, I think... if you really want to, just get around ten. That should suffice."

"No, I need to get all of Mr. Xue's books, along with the pens, ink, paper, and inkstones! Dad, please don't interfere. I'll figure something out on my own!" Ann Jue declared defiantly.

"What kind of plan can a young girl like you come up with? Jue, don't be stubborn. This issue..." Ann Jue said sternly, "isn't for a child to decide."

Ann Jue bit her lower lip, falling silent.

Zhou Qian, witnessing the brewing tension between father and daughter, intervened: "It's just about buying books, which is a wonderful thing. I think we should support Jue! How about I borrow some money from my colleagues for now?"

"There's no need, Mrs. Zhou!"

"That's not acceptable!"

Ann Jue and Ann An protested in unison.

Zhou Qian sighed in resignation, "Look at you two, united in rejecting my offer. Let's do this: we'll wait until Ms Kung finds out the prices. Jue has a passion for reading, and she's bound to pursue higher education in the future. She's already outshining many others! Just for that, I'm behind you all the way!"

Gratefully, Ann Jue linked her arm with Zhou Qian's, reassuring her, "Rest assured, Mrs. Zhou, buying these books is going to serve a great purpose!"