Tian Jiao was puzzled. “Isn’t that good?”

“There’s something wrong with his legs. They may never heal. Even if they do, it will be hard for him to walk normally…” Zhang Rui’s voice grew quieter.

In the past, the family relied on the money Zhang Dong sent home. They were all farmers and couldn’t save money. When he was younger, Zhang Rui didn’t dare go to the black market. They had a time when life was so tough that they almost starved.

Zhang Dong’s yearly allowance helped them get through hard times and allowed Zhang Rui to go to school and work as a carpenter.

Now, even when he wasn’t around, Zhang Dong always supported the family during tough times.

How could Zhang Rui be in a good mood?

He felt deep gratitude for his brother. He wasn’t overly emotional, but he did feel sad for him now that things had turned out this way.

Tian Jiao didn’t know what to say. They hadn’t seen each other for almost twenty years. Now, when they met again, it was under such difficult circumstances.

She thought for a moment and said seriously, “Don’t worry, Dad. Uncle will get better.”

Zhang Rui felt strangely uplifted by her words. It was as if her optimism might actually come true. He replied, “Yeah, everything will be fine.”

Tian Jiao patted him on the back. “If we’re in a good mood, everything will be okay.”

Zhang Rui began to think positively. Yes, his brother was back, and he had his little niece with him. He added, “Jiaojiao, your uncle has a daughter too. She’s very pretty and one year older than you.”

Tian Jiao didn’t feel as happy as he expected and fell silent.

Zhang Rui noticed her silence and asked, confused, “Did Jiaojiao not hear? Dad said you have a sister.”

Tian Jiao playfully bumped her forehead against his back. “Jiaojiao heard.”

Just as Zhang Rui was about to laugh, he heard a muffled voice behind him ask, “Dad, do you still like Jiaojiao the most?”

Before, she was the only one in the family. Her father loved her, as did her grandparents and Dabao. Now there was another girl, and her dad said she was very beautiful. What troubled Tian Jiao most was that this girl was her uncle’s biological daughter.

In this comparison, Tian Jiao felt at a disadvantage.

She felt down.

…

Zhang Rui quickly stopped the car. This was a serious matter. It was the first time his daughter had expressed such feelings, and he had to take it seriously to protect her tender heart.

Tian Jiao rested her forehead on his back, but when he got out of the car, she sat up straight, holding the seat with both hands, looking at him suspiciously.

Zhang Rui parked the car and didn’t let her get out. Instead, he playfully poked her face and said in mock anger, “What do you think? That’s your uncle’s daughter. Of course, he likes her the most. But you’re my daughter, so who do I like the most?”

Tian Jiao smiled widely and said, “I like you the most!”

Zhang Rui replied, “Yes! I definitely like you the most. As for your grandparents, it’s not certain. They all like you very much and treat you the same. It’s just that your uncle and his family just returned, and your uncle has had an accident. At first, they may care more about your uncle’s daughter, but over time, it will be the same. Don’t worry too much, okay?”

Tian Jiao’s little feet swung happily as she held his big hand. “Hehe, I get it, Dad.”

Zhang Rui pinched her cheek and looked her over, making sure she was okay before starting to drive again. “Be good, if you want anything, just tell Daddy. Don’t worry, I will always love you the most!”

“Yeah!” Tian Jiao felt completely relieved.

Zhang Rui continued, “I bought you some meat today. On the way home, I picked up a piglet. Let’s roast it tonight.”

“Okay!” Tian Jiao exclaimed cheerfully. “I want to eat the pig’s trotters!”

“Okay, I’ll give you two of the four trotters.”

“Dad is so nice!”

****

When she saw Zhang Dong, Tian Jiao felt a little uneasy. A stranger had suddenly appeared in her familiar home after six years, and he was such an important person.

But when she actually met him, she found that her uncle was just as gentle and kind as the other members of the Zhang family.

Zhang Dong lay on the bed, looking unwell, but there was a faint smile on his face when he looked at people. He had dark skin, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. He might have looked a bit fierce, but this soft expression made him seem comfortable.

Zhang Rui brought Tian Jiao to meet him. The twelve-year-old girl was still quite small. She hadn’t fully developed yet, but compared to the chubby child she was six years ago, she had lost weight. Her beautiful oval face was taking shape, with big, twinkling eyes and a red little mouth that seemed to have natural lip balm on it.

Her skin was fair, and as soon as she entered the dim room, the people inside felt their eyes brighten.

Zhang Rui looked at his eldest brother with pride. He glanced at the girl next to his brother, noticing that she looked similar to his daughter. But now, comparing the two, he unexpectedly found his own daughter even more beautiful. He coughed lightly and said, “Jiaojiao, call me uncle.”

Tian Jiao smiled shyly. “Uncle.”

Zhang Dong smiled and nodded. “Good girl. I’m sorry, uncle has taken your room.” 

Tian Jiao hurriedly shook her head. “No, no, there’s another room.”

Zhang Dong’s smile deepened as he looked at his daughter. “This is your sister, Zhang Yanran. Yanran, this is your sister Zhang Tian Jiao. You two should get along well.”

Zhang Yanran stepped forward, smiling as she nodded. “Yes, we will.”

Tian Jiao blinked, examining her sister. She didn’t recognize her face, but the name sounded very familiar.

As she was still processing this, a young woman entered from outside. The woman was pretty and fair, likely in her twenties. Her gentle eyes and soft brows gave her an inviting appearance, but there was something about her that felt off.

When their eyes met, Tian Jiao noticed surprise, confusion, and a deep curiosity reflected in the woman’s gaze.

“This is Jiaojiao. She’s really good-looking.” The woman smiled, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and approached Zhang Dong to clean his hands. “Auntie said dinner will be ready soon.”

“Yeah.” Zhang Dong, accustomed to being treated this way, nodded calmly. He looked at the two girls. “You both should go out and play. The medicinal smell is strong here.”

Though the smell of medicine wasn’t overwhelming, the girls complied.

Zhang Yanran gently tugged at Tian Jiao, and seeing that she didn’t resist, they both stepped outside.

Once outside, Tian Jiao felt a cool breeze that sent a shiver through her. Suddenly realizing she was sweating, she was confused by the chill.

The early autumn evening didn’t feel hot; the cool wind blew away her sweat, making her feel even colder, prompting several sneezes.

Zhang Yanran looked at her in confusion. “What’s wrong? Are you cold? Why don’t you put on more clothes?”

Tian Jiao shook her head, lowering her voice to ask, “Sister, what’s uncle’s name?”

“Zhang Dong,” Zhang Yanran replied.

That sounded familiar. Tian Jiao remembered her father mentioning it casually but didn’t think much of it then. However, putting the names Zhang Dong and Zhang Yanran together felt wrong.

She sensed something was off but couldn’t recall what it was, so she pressed on, “What about that woman who just came in?”

Zhang Yanran pursed her lips, a strange and complicated expression crossing her face. “She’s my aunt, Xu Qiu.”

This name rang a bell, but it felt like it shouldn’t belong in this context.

After a moment of contemplation, she felt a headache creeping in.

Suddenly, it was as if invisible hands were soothing her temples, and warmth spread through her head, as if something was trying to surface.

Almost there, almost…

“It’s time for dinner!” Dabao shouted, breaking through Tian Jiao’s daze. She turned to see Dabao grinning and making faces at her. “Sister, how can you fall asleep while standing here?”

Her thoughts disrupted and feeling irritated, Tian Jiao approached him. “Come here, I’ll teach you!”

“Ah! Help!” he screamed playfully.

Zhang Yanran stood on the steps, watching them with a mix of envy and confusion. She had traveled to this era, born in a year when she should have died at birth, yet she had unexpectedly survived and become this person.

Due to her parents’ special jobs, she grew up in a military school, isolated from the outside world. Still, she was well aware of everything happening around her.

People were quite poor during that time. There had been a famine before she was born, followed by a decade of hardship that was coming to an end. The college entrance examinations would resume this winter, and restrictions on self-employment were about to change, allowing her to pursue business opportunities. Just when she was about to convince her father to retire from the army, tragedy struck—her father was injured.

Confusion clouded her thoughts about the future. As an adult, she had to think more deeply, unable to laugh and play like the two children.

After a while, Aunt Li Mizhen announced it was time to eat, and the brother and sister stopped their playful antics. Tian Jiao took Dabao’s hand, and they headed to the table.

Dabao, now over seven years old, had just started primary school and had changed his name to Zhang Tianheng, taking the “Tian” from Tian Jiao’s name.

He would live with his parents for one day each month, but he disliked it there because it was dirty, disorganized, and devoid of anything fun. He occasionally visited during the week but never stayed overnight after becoming a bit more sensible.

Notably, two months ago, Ding Yushu finally became pregnant.

Of course, Dabao didn’t care at all. He felt he had enough love already. As for his mother, she would always prioritize him, regardless of whether there was a second child.

…

After dinner, Tian Jiao quickly winked at Zhang Rui and slipped away to the cowshed.

Zhang Rui was busy tidying up the house. With three more people now living there, he needed to prepare the other room as soon as possible.

He had given up his room for Tian Jiao and the two girls, choosing to sleep in a room cleared out from the utility area for the sake of taking care of his elder brother.

While everyone else chatted, Tian Jiao quietly slipped away, eager to see her friend after not having seen him for five days. She ran off with her little school bag.

The cowshed remained unchanged, but a small house had been built next to it. It wasn’t large, but it was more than enough for two people. There was a main room, fully equipped with tables, chairs, benches, and everything else.

Zhang Rui had done all this himself. In recent years, he had focused on carpentry and developed his skills through practice. He had also quietly engaged in small business ventures, and the family was actually quite well-off.

Of course, they didn’t flaunt their wealth. In a time when everyone else was struggling, their family lived modestly, appearing similar to others.

But privately, they were doing well. For example, the backpack Tian Jiao carried was specially bought at a department store for thirty yuan. It was of good quality and stylish, in a lovely pink-green color that suited her perfectly.

Tian Jiao took out her schoolbag and quickly made her way to the cowshed.

Inside, everyone was gathered. Thirteen-year-old Xiao He had grown into a teenager, but he remained as thin as ever. Despite eating a lot, he struggled to gain weight. Grandpa Song mentioned that Xiao He had digestive issues, which prevented him from absorbing nutrients properly.

As Tian Jiao entered, she noticed the eyes of the three people sitting there light up.

“Jiaojiao is here! Come over so I can check on you. Have you finished your homework for this week?” Song Zhen called out, waving her over.

Tian Jiao smiled proudly and opened her schoolbag, pulling out a folded piece of rice paper. Due to limited conditions, she could only paint in ink.