Chapter 37

Lin Youqing and He Guijuan were not working today. They prepared fried peanuts, sunflower seeds, tea leaves, candies, and cookies early in the morning. The couple busied themselves in the kitchen, cooking away.

Today was their daughter Jiang Jiang’s birthday. This was Jiang Jiang’s first birthday since Lin Youqing, and He Guijuan had adopted her, so the couple was particularly invested in the celebration.

Lin Youqing was making a cold dish, while He Guijuan was cutting up vegetables that would go into the pot later. After helping out in the kitchen for a while, Jiang Jiang and Fengzhen were sent out by He Guijuan. The two children couldn’t contribute much, so it was better to let them go play.

The two young men, Zhong Xing and Yu Hangyuan, were the first to enter. They also offered to help in the kitchen, but He Guijuan humorously refused, saying, “You two should just sit outside, drink tea, and have some snacks.”

“Jiang Jiang, pour tea for the brothers,” she instructed.

“Coming!”

As Jiang Jiang reached for the tea leaves to prepare the water, Zhong Xing had already stepped ahead, taking the kettle. “I’ll do it.”

Jiang Jiang smiled faintly at him. “Okay.”

Zhong Xing placed the loose tea leaves into the teapot and poured them into the steaming hot water. His fingers were long and graceful, with defined knuckles. What should have been a simple process became a fluid dance in his hands, a sight to behold.

The tea was likely freshly produced, carrying a natural fragrance that was pleasant to the senses. Jiang Jiang hadn’t seen Yu Hangyuan for some time. Compared to their first meeting, he seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight and had tanned significantly.

“Happy birthday, little birthday star,” Yu Hangyuan said, handing her a beautifully crafted notebook.

Jiang Jiang was taken aback for a moment, then accepted it with both hands, cherishing the gift. “Thank you, Brother Hangyuan.”

She opened the cover and saw a line of neatly handwritten characters on the first page.

[To Jiang Jiang: Wishing you a happy birthday and healthy growth.]

Yu Hangyuan chuckled softly, “No need to be polite. I hadn’t thought about what to get you, so I just bought a notebook. I don’t know if you’ll find it useful now. Just keep it for now.”

“I will take good care of this notebook,” Jiang Jiang promised.

After a while, the Xie family arrived. They lived in the county party committee compound, just a few steps away from their home.

“Uncle Xie, Aunt Huang, Brother Jinyan,” Jiang Jiang greeted them.

Xie Jinyan was wearing a white sports shirt paired with gray pants. The boy had delicate features; beneath his thick eyebrows were a pair of bright, expressive eyes.

“Jiang Jiang, happy birthday!” he said with a smile.

“Thank you, Brother Jinyan,” she replied cheerfully.

Huang Shuhua was carrying several ingredients in her hands and smiled, “Jiang Jiang, is your mom in the kitchen?”

“Yes, she is,” Jiang Jiang answered.

Huang Shuhua wrapped an arm around Jiang Jiang’s shoulder and, with a smile, handed her a box. “A while ago, Jinyan said he wanted a watch, so I asked your Uncle Xie to buy one while he was on a business trip to the province. Consider it a birthday gift from me and your Uncle Xie. Do you like it?”

Jiang Jiang opened the box to find a children’s watch inside. It was different from the adult versions; the strap was made of leather, and the dial had a picture of Donald Duck, looking very cute.

“Do you like it?” Huang Shuhua asked again.

“I like it!” Jiang Jiang nodded excitedly.

Hearing her response, Huang Shuhua and Xie Xiuming both smiled. “Why don’t you take your brother to play? I’ll go help your mom in the kitchen,” Huang Shuhua suggested.

Jiang Jiang then went with Xie Jinyan into the room typically used for meals and entertaining guests.

After about two or three minutes, Lin Youqing and Xie Xiuming also came out and moved to another cave to chat.

From the kitchen, a continuous aroma wafted over. After some time, He Guijuan announced that dinner was ready. Zhong Xing and Yu Hangyuan went to the kitchen to help, and ,they set a full table of dishes together.

It was the first time Zhong Xing and Yu Hangyuan interacted with someone like Xie Xiuming, and they inevitably felt awkward. Although Lin Youqing was also a secretary at the county committee, they had stayed at the Lin family’s home during their time in Dongxi Village, and Zhong Xing had saved Lin Youqing before, which made their interaction feel more familiar compared to how they felt around Xie Xiuming.

Xie Xiuming smiled at them and extended his right hand. “Hello,” he greeted.

To their surprise, Xie Xiuming wanted to shake hands with them. The two hurriedly extended their hands and took turns shaking hands with him.

“Let’s eat, everyone is hungry,” Lin Youqing urged.

“Xiao Zhong, Xiao Yu, enjoy the food,” He Guijuan said, serving them some braised pork. “Just treat this like your own home; don’t hold back.”

“Jiang Jiang, try this brown sugar glutinous rice made by your aunt,” Huang Shuhua offered, scooping a spoonful for her.

“Yes, try it quickly. Your Aunt Huang started preparing it right after she got off work yesterday. The glutinous rice was soaked overnight, and there were candied dates, raisins, and red dates inside,” Xie Xiuming said with a smile.

Jiang Jiang took a bite, and the aroma of the glutinous rice mixed with the various dried fruits filled her mouth with a sweet fragrance. “It’s delicious,” she exclaimed.

“And there’s this stir-fried pork with chili; this is also Aunt Huang’s specialty,” Huang Shuhua added.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Jiang Jiang replied gratefully.

On the table was a bowl of fish head and tofu soup. The fish soup was milky white, and the fish was tender and fresh. Zhong Xing noticed that Jiang Jiang’s bowl was empty, so he served her another bowl.

“Thank you, Brother Zhong Xing,” she said with a smile.

“Be careful, it’s hot,” Zhong Xing reminded her.

“Today is my daughter Jiang Jiang’s birthday. I want to thank everyone for coming. You’ve all worked hard, so let’s raise a glass!” Lin Youqing stood up, holding his wine glass.

Hearing this, everyone got to their feet. The adults drank wine while the children had soda. They clinked their glasses together and downed their drinks in one go.

The meal was filled with joy and laughter.

The next day, Jiang Jiang’s family visited Zhong Xing’s family at the previously agreed upon time.

Unlike Lin Youqing’s family, who prioritized practicality, the Zhong family had beautifully arranged their home. Their spacious courtyard was filled with various flowers, and beneath the grapevines were tables and chairs for tea.

Zhong Xing’s father worked in the region, so only his mother and grandfather were usually at home. However, upon hearing that Lin Youqing’s family was visiting, Zhong’s father specially took leave to come back.

Lin Youqing’s family sincerely thanked Zhong Xing and his family.

“I’ve prepared a small gift as a token of appreciation. I hope you won’t mind,” Lin Youqing said.

“It’s really just what he should do; you’re being too polite,” Zhong’s father said, welcoming them inside. “I heard from Zhong Xing that he received a lot of care from you all while he was in Dongxi Village and hasn’t had a chance to thank you properly.”

“Xiao Zhong has helped us a lot as well. He has a good heart, and with such sincerity, he will surely achieve great things in the future,” Lin Youqing replied.

Zhong Xing couldn’t help but cough a couple of times, feeling uncomfortable from all the praise.

Zhong Xing’s parents led them inside, where tea and snacks had already been prepared in the cave.

The elders quickly became acquainted, chatting about work matters and family relationships, and even suggested that Zhong Xing and Jiang Jiang become siblings.

Zhong Xing chuckled helplessly, “I already consider Jiang Jiang my sister. Why complicate things further?”

“That’s true,” the elders finally gave up on the idea.