Since picking persimmons in the courtyard, Chu Xia had become familiar with Dou Baishui, who lived next door.

Every time she and Cen Huai’an went to the courtyard to check on the property and tidy up the yard, Dou Baishui would pop his head over the wall.

In winter, when there were many fallen leaves in the yard, Chu Xia and Cen Huai’an would gather the leaves to burn them, and Dou Baishui would hurriedly call from the wall, “Cen Aunty! An An, wait a minute, don’t burn them yet!”

Before long, Dou Baishui reappeared with four or five sweet potatoes cradled in one arm, using his free hand to steady himself as he jumped down from the wall and ran over to them.

“There are so many leaves; they’re perfect for roasting sweet potatoes.”

Chu Xia replied, “Those leaves won’t burn for long; the sweet potatoes might not cook through.”

Dou Baishui confidently waved his hand. “No worries. Once the leaves are done burning, just bury the sweet potatoes in the embers, and they’ll cook!”

As Dou Baishui tossed sweet potatoes into the dry leaves, early summer ignited the foliage.

The warm, red-yellow flames burned brightly above the fallen leaves, radiating warmth that chased away the cold of early winter.

The children who jumped in with Dou Baishui danced around the fire joyfully, as if at a gathering.

They held hands, and both Chuxia and Cen Huai’an joined in, singing and dancing along with them.

The beautiful flames of the fallen leaves didn’t last long.

As the flames flickered down, red embers still glowed amidst the black ash, with the sweet potatoes buried inside, waiting to be roasted.

“Xiao Bai, where did you get these sweet potatoes?” Dou Baishui’s eyes were fixed on the ashes, full of longing for the roasting sweet potatoes.

“I got them from my kitchen,” he replied.

Chuxia paused and asked, “Do your parents know you took the sweet potatoes?”

Dou Baishui shook his head. “They don’t know.”

Chuxia said, “If your mom notices the missing sweet potatoes, she will definitely be angry.” She stood up and continued, “You all stay and play here; I’m going out for a bit.”

Cen Huai’an released Dou Baishui’s hand and took a few steps toward Chuxia. “Mom…”

Before he could finish, Chuxia interrupted, “You don’t need to come with me; you’re the little host at home now and should entertain these little guests.”

Cen Huai’an stopped, looking down at Chuxia.

In just over a year, he had grown taller than her and was still getting taller.

Every time Chuxia marked Cen Huai’an’s height on the wall at home, she joked, “An’an, I have to stand on a stool to draw the line for you now. If you grow any taller, you might have to bend down to talk to you.”

Cen Huai’an was delighted; growing taller meant he was maturing and could take care of his mother in return.

The courtyard was located in Xidan, just a short distance from the bustling street and the nearby market.

Chuxia didn’t walk far before buying a good number of sweet potatoes.

She also found someone selling freshly dug lotus roots, still covered in some wet soil, which she purchased and carried home with the sweet potatoes.

“Mom!” Cen Huai’an heard a commotion and looked toward the door, spotting Chuxia carrying a large bag, which left a red mark on her hand.

He rushed over, taking the bag from her. “I should have gone with you.”

Chuxia shook her hand to relieve the soreness in her arm. “What was the point of following me? I didn’t go far.”

She handed half the sweet potatoes to Dou Baishui. “You should put these in your kitchen so your mom won’t notice the missing ones.”

Chuxia felt uneasy about taking so many sweet potatoes from someone else’s home.

Dou Baishui initially refused, but Chuxia insisted, “If you won’t take them, I’ll just have to take them myself.”

“Auntie Cen, my mom won’t be mad,” Dou Baishui said.

Chuxia replied, “Taking one or two is fine, but you took too many.”

In the end, Dou Baishui took the sweet potatoes home.

He had jumped over the wall to get back, and today his parents were also resting—one sitting outside in the sun listening to the radio, the other in the living room watching TV.

No one noticed when Dou Baishui jumped in.

He dumped the sweet potatoes into his study and was about to turn back when he suddenly saw his mother standing behind him, scaring him into a jump.

“Mom!”

Dou’s mom looked at the sweet potatoes and frowned, “Where did these come from?”

“From Aunt Cen next door,” he replied.

Dou’s mom frowned deeper, “You shouldn’t just take things from others. Don’t you know about being polite?”

Dou Baishui nodded, “I understand. But it’s because I took sweet potatoes from our home to roast at hers that Aunt Cen let me bring these back.”

Dou’s mom didn’t really remember how many sweet potatoes were in the kitchen.

Even if a few were missing, it wouldn’t matter; their family had plenty.

After asking for details, she felt a strong fondness for Chuxia.

She had Dou Baishui hold the ladder while she climbed up the wall, carrying some sweet potatoes.

As soon as she reached the top, she spotted Cen Huai’an and Chuxia with the children.

“Hello!” Dou’s mom called out.

When Chuxia looked up, Dou’s mom exclaimed in surprise, “Doctor Luo!”

Chuxia was equally taken aback; she hadn’t expected that the neighbor would be related to the elderly person she had saved.

She recalled that the woman on the wall had mentioned being the daughter-in-law of the elderly man, and her husband was named Dou Zhang, who could help with anything.

“What a coincidence,” Chuxia smiled at her.

Dou’s mom was very excited and called to her husband, “Dou Zhang! Dou Zhang! Come here quickly; Doctor Luo is our neighbor!”

After calling, she jumped into Chuxia’s courtyard, her sweet potatoes wobbling in her hands from the movement.

“Doctor Luo, if I’d known you lived next door, I would have knocked on your door long ago. You’re roasting sweet potatoes; you should take some for yourself,” she said, turning to Dou Baishui, who had climbed up on the wall, asking him to bring the sweet potatoes from the kitchen.

“Xiao Bai, don’t take any! You can’t eat them now; I don’t live in this yard anymore,” Chuxia interjected.

“Doctor Luo, please don’t be polite. You saved my father-in-law; our family is so grateful to you,” Dou’s mom said.

Chuxia responded, “You’ve already thanked me.”

Dou’s mom waved her hand, “That’s just material things; it can’t compare to health.”

At this moment, Dou Zhang also climbed onto the wall.

He was quite hefty, and the way he struggled up caused some concern.

“Dou Zhang, are you crazy? Use the front door!” Dou’s mom shouted.

Chuxia saw Dou Zhang’s body shake slightly, and he quickly scrambled down the ladder and obediently went through the front door.

Dou’s mom and Dou Zhang were overly enthusiastic toward Chuxia.

Meanwhile, the group of children sat nearby, each holding a roasted sweet potato, savoring the aroma while listening intently to the adults speak.

“An’an, your mom is a doctor; that’s really impressive,” Liu Hongxin remarked.

“Yeah! An’an’s mom even saved my grandpa!” Dou Baishui quickly added, nodding.

“I also want to save people. Can I become a doctor?” Liu Jianshe asked.

Cen Huai’an replied, “Sure.”

……

In mid-November, the national math competition was about to begin, with the venue in Liangzhou.

When Chu Xia heard the name, her heart skipped a beat. “Where was the competition held before?”

Cen Huai’an was packing his things and said, “Every city has hosted it; the location of the national competition isn’t fixed.”

Chu Xia understood, just like the national middle school math league, which changes cities every year.

If it were any other city, she wouldn’t react so strongly.

But Liangzhou had her maternal relatives there.

Looking at An An’s face, she asked Cen Zhengnian, “Do you think An An looks like he did when he was a kid?”

Cen Zhengnian replied, “Yes.”

Cen Huai’an had grown up with a similar appearance; his features had matured, but traces of his childhood were still evident.

Chu Xia furrowed her brow more tightly. “An An, I’m going to Liangzhou with you.”

“Mom, you don’t have to,” Cen Huai’an said, holding her hand.

His hand was larger than hers, and without her noticing, he had grown into someone who could protect her.

“When I get to Liangzhou, I’ll stay in a hotel near the examination venue with the teachers and classmates. I won’t go anywhere else and won’t run into those people.”

“But…”

“Even if I do,” Cen Huai’an recalled the unpleasant memories from childhood, his expression showing disgust. “They can’t defeat me now.”

If the Luo family did anything excessive, he wouldn’t mind letting them know what pain feels like.

A cold gleam flashed in Cen Huai’an’s eyes; he had never forgotten the painful memories from his childhood, but he had buried them deep inside.

“Mom, I’m a high school student now. You need to trust me. Plus, I won’t be alone in Liangzhou; there’s Bang Ge and the others.”

Chu Xia was finally convinced by Cen Huai’an and gave up on the idea of going to Liangzhou.

Just as he said, he was in high school now, and she needed to learn to let go.

Parents who hold onto their children out of fear of them getting hurt can also make their children suffer.

Just like Jiang Zhiyi, who still refused to return to Beijing, creating a tense relationship with her family.

That night, lying in bed, Chu Xia tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

As she flipped over again, Cen Zhengnian wrapped his arms around her.

“Still worried?”

“Mm.”

Chu Xia turned in his embrace, burying her head against him. “You don’t know… those people from the Luo family did some awful things in the past.”

Cen Zhengnian felt a pang in his heart and gently stroked her hair. “I know.”

He hadn’t let go of this matter either, but he placed more blame on himself.

“How can I relax? An An is competing, and what if he runs into someone from the Luo family? It could affect his competition. He cares a lot about this one.”

Cen Huai’an had prepared a lot for this national competition; his goals extended beyond just this, including winter camps at prestigious schools and even the world stage.

Math competitions within the country were just the starting point, with no end in sight.

Cen Zhengnian understood this well; he frowned slightly. “I’ll contact my classmates.”

“Don’t,” Chu Xia stopped him. “Right now, it’s all speculation. What would you even tell them? Besides, An An and I have troubled your classmates in Liangzhou so many times already; we can’t keep bothering them. If An An really runs into someone from the Luo family, I’ll just fly over then.”

Liangzhou also had an airport, and it would only take two hours by plane.

“Okay.”

The next day, Chu Xia sent Cen Huai’an to school.

All the students who had won first prize in the city competition were headed to Liangzhou, totaling about ten students accompanied by three teachers, including Teacher Jiang.

He didn’t feel at ease leaving these kids in anyone else’s care, especially since there were still three students from their school.

The train carried these high school students to Liangzhou, and Chu Xia watched as the train disappeared in the distance, her brow slightly furrowed.

In the following days, Chu Xia kept her ears tuned to the phone in the staff quarters, and not only did she listen, but she also insisted that Cen Zhengnian listen with her.