Chapter 90
Childhood Sweetheart 4

The boy was slender, with collarbones that felt slightly bony to rest on, but his chest was warm like a furnace. As soon as Lin Qiao snuggled up to him, she felt less cold. She instinctively grabbed his arm and squeezed herself closer into his embrace. In her drowsy state, she even thought it was the familiar Ji Duo holding her and softly calling out, “Ji Duo.”

“You’re not even calling me brother now?” The boy’s sleepy voice was filled with dissatisfaction.

Lin Qiao didn’t hear him clearly and felt he didn’t respond, so she called out again, “Ji Duo.”

“Mm, I’m here,” the boy responded patiently.

This time, Lin Qiao felt at ease. She snuggled closer in his arms, planting a kiss on his still slightly immature chin.

Last time, it was just a touch, but this time, she kissed him firmly. The little girl’s lips were soft, and her small body was even softer, pressed against his chest.

Ji Duo’s whole body stiffened. He pulled up the blanket and firmly tucked it in, saying, “Sleep.”

Luckily, his mom didn’t give him a little sister. Taking care of a sister is really troublesome.

The troublesome little sister, having a human-shaped heater, didn’t feel cold in the second half of the night and slept soundly until morning.

Ji Duo, holding a soft and warm little pillow, also stayed in bed on the winter morning. Xu Li checked on them twice but didn’t wake them up.

When they finally woke up completely, they discovered that Lin Qiao had also developed a chickenpox spot on her face.

Of course, it was Ji Duo who noticed first. The boy frowned and stared at her face for a while but couldn’t help but laugh. Lin Qiao wanted to reach out to touch it, but the boy grabbed her wrists, “Don’t scratch it. If you break it, it’ll leave a scar, and you’ll end up with a face full of pockmarks.”

A face full of pockmarks is definitely one of the common scare tactics used on kids. In her past life, Lin Qiao’s neighbor’s grandmother used to scare her grandson into finishing his leftovers by saying the same thing.

Unexpectedly, the young Ji Duo also used this trick to scare her, and he had just laughed, hadn’t he?

The old cadre had lived with her for so many years and rarely smiled, but seeing her get chickenpox made him laugh.

Lin Qiao looked up at the boy with sincere eyes, “Brother, let go, I won’t scratch.”

“Then I’ll let go.” Ji Duo didn’t think much of it. As soon as he released his grip, the little girl lunged forward and lifted his shirt, “I’ll scratch yours!”

Ji Duo slept in a pure cotton undershirt. It was fine when freshly washed, but it became loose and baggy after a while. Lin Qiao didn’t have to exert much effort to lift the shirt, revealing his slender, fair waist. She scratched it lightly with her small hand.

He was really slender. He didn’t have abs; even his ribs were clearly visible at the edges.

Ji Duo didn’t expect her sudden movement. The cold air hitting his body gave him goosebumps, and her small hand scratching him made him itch unbearably.

“What, what are you doing?” He hurriedly tried to pull his shirt down, but Lin Qiao’s small hand slipped under his armpit to tickle him.

This time, Ji Duo couldn’t hold back his laughter. Laughing, he caught her small body and pushed her away, “Keep it up, and I’ll get mad.”

There was no intimidation at all. The big and the small ones were tangled up on the bed, their giggles echoing throughout the yard.

That day, when they came out of the room, Ji Duo had a stern expression, while Lin Qiao smiled sweetly despite the clear chickenpox spot on her little face. The chickenpox spot was right in the middle of her forehead. If the surface was shiny, it might even look like it was intentionally placed there.

Xu Li saw it and reminded Lin Qiao not to scratch it. Otherwise, it would leave a scar on her face, which wouldn’t look good. Lin Qiao nodded obediently but couldn’t help but glance at Ji Duo beside her.

Ji Duo probably remembered the events of the morning and looked at her, giving her a cold stare.

Even as an adult, Ji Duo’s glare was powerful enough to command respect. But when he was a teenager, his glare only made Lin Qiao find him adorable. She split the boiled egg that Xu Li had peeled for her in half and put the egg white directly into Ji Duo’s porridge bowl, saying, “Brother, eat.”

“Don’t think I don’t know you don’t like egg whites,” Ji Duo snorted, not buying it, but he didn’t return the egg white that fell into his bowl.

A little while later, as Lin Qiao lowered her head to drink porridge with a spoon, an egg yolk fell from above, landing in her bowl. She didn’t look up, smiling as she used a spoon to mash the egg yolk and mix it with the millet porridge.

After the meal, Ji Duo cleaned up the dishes and utensils, taking them to the kitchen before heading back to his room to catch up on the homework he had missed over the past few days.

The old cadre, who later became so decisive and efficient, was evidently very disciplined even as a child. Lin Qiao had never seen him neglect or delay his homework for the sake of playing outside. On the other hand, Su Zheng was often dragged back home by his mother to do his homework, and Lin Qiao had witnessed this several times.

Lin Qiao didn’t make a fuss either. She hugged the iron pencil case that Ji Duo had brought back, filled with marbles and playing cards, and sat on Ji Duo’s bed to play.

Ji Duo looked up halfway through his writing and saw the little girl with her short legs spread wide, bending over to flick marbles into the pencil case.

After a while, he looked again and saw that the old homework book he had given her had been folded into a paper airplane.

A little later, the little girl, wearing thick cotton pants, had fallen asleep with her little bottom sticking up.

“Don’t even fear cold.” He took the playing cards on her little bottom.

As he finished, there was a commotion in the yard. It was Grandpa Lin being discharged from the hospital, along with Liu Yulan wanted to go home.

Just as Ji Duo picked up his pen, his body suddenly froze, and his lips gradually pressed together. That was the first time he realized that the little sister on the bed could actually leave.

The timing of Grandpa Lin’s discharge from the hospital was unfortunate, as Lin Qiao fell ill and couldn’t follow him and Liu Yulan back home. With the New Year approaching, Grandpa Lin and Liu Yulan couldn’t stay, so the two families decided to leave Lin Qiao behind for now and discuss the rest after the New Year.

Whether due to understanding or being too sick to react, Lin Qiao didn’t cry for her mother when Ji Duo carried her to send them off.

Liu Yulan knew that once she left, she would only grow further away from this child, so she held her for a long time, unwilling to let go.

Finally, Grandpa Lin patted her head and said, “Qiao Qiao is still running a fever. Go back, don’t let her catch a cold.”

Lin Qiao raised her small hand and touched his dry, thin hand, saying, “Grandpa, you have to take care too.”

This is the truth. If he hadn’t fallen ill earlier and been hospitalized here, Grandpa Lin would have fallen ill upon returning home. Due to the lack of medical care and medicine, he would have passed away the next year, not even making it to the Spring Festival of 1967.

It was precisely because of her sincerity that, when Grandpa Lin looked into those clear eyes, his heart ached. He held her silently for a long time before leaving.

Watching the car take them away, Ji Duo adjusted the little girl on his back and said, “Let’s go back.”

Lin Qiao lowered her head as Ji Duo carried her back to her room. He removed her hat and scarf, and then the thick cotton coat wrapped around her. Just as he was about to hang it up, Lin Qiao grabbed his hand, or more precisely, his fingers.

The little girl’s small hand was soft, only holding onto two of his fingers. She looked up and said, “Brother Ji Duo, you have to be good to me.”

At that moment, Ji Duo wanted to put down the small cotton coat in his hand and said, “I have to wash your feet and dress you. Isn’t that good enough?”

“But you scold me,” Lin Qiao retorted confidently.

This time, Ji Duo really put down the cotton coat.

But before he could say anything, the little girl already said in her childish voice, “Now you’re scolding me again.”

Ji Duo was momentarily speechless, choked by her words. Facing such a delicate and soft little girl, he couldn’t be as harsh as he wanted to be.

Seeing he didn’t respond, Lin Qiao shook his finger and said, “Grandpa and Mom have left. Brother, be good to me, okay?”

Ji Duo stared at her for a while, then resignedly picked up the cotton coat again, saying, “If I had known, I would have let you go with them.”

“What did you say?” Lin Qiao couldn’t hear the mumbling clearly.

“Nothing,” Ji Duo replied, flicking her forehead lightly. “I must really owe you. Good thing my mom didn’t give me a little sister.”

Lin Qiao covered the spot where he flicked her, just smiling, “I knew Brother Ji Duo was the best.”

The grown-up cadre was not as easy to appease nor as cute as he was in his youth.

By the time Lin Qiao’s chickenpox had completely cleared up, it was already the end of the year. Grandpa Ji received a letter from Grandpa Lin, who had returned home.

Along with the letter, there were clothes made for Lin Qiao and twenty yuan tucked inside the letter, clearly indicating that they didn’t want Lin Qiao to stay at the Ji family’s house for free.

“This old Lin,” Grandpa Ji muttered, staring at the two large bills.

In the countryside, money was hard to come by. Earning even a little throughout the year was difficult, and this twenty yuan likely included Lin Shouren’s martyr’s allowance.

“If he hadn’t this temperament, how can your relationship be so good and have a childhood engagement with our family?”

Xu Li folded a few small clothes the Lin family had sent. “Since the Lin family made them, let Qiao Qiao wear the ones her mother sewed. I’ll have her wear the new ones after the New Year.”

Wearing clothes sewn by her mother at least shows some thoughtfulness and avoids any unnecessary gossip behind their backs.

Grandpa Ji also understood this sentiment and put down the two large bills, saying, “Let’s mention this money matter as well.”

At first, he thought there was a significant age difference between the two, but now, this engagement was rightly given to the second child.

On New Year’s Eve morning, Lin Qiao put on the new clothes made by Liu Yulan – a red floral top and blue pants, with an inch left at the cuffs and pant legs so she could still wear them next year if she grew taller.

After changing, Lin Qiao stood on the bed and asked Ji Duo, “Brother Ji Duo, do I look good?”

Ji Duo was busy putting insoles into her shoes and responded casually, “Hmm.”

Did he even look? Just “Hmm.”

Lin Qiao was speechless. Thinking about the grown-up cadre’s taste, she decided not to ask and sat on the bed to put on her shoes.

In those days, there wasn’t much to ask about the style and fabric of clothes, and the same went for shoes. However, upon seeing Lin Qiao following Ji Duo out, Xu Li immediately began to praise her.

With the cold winter weather, after Lin Qiao moved into Ji Duo’s room, neither she nor Ji Duo mentioned moving her out, even though her chickenpox had long since healed.

After praising her appearance, Xu Li took out a two-finger-wide red silk ribbon, tied her hair into a high ponytail, and made a beautiful bow. Finally, she put a red dot on her forehead and held her in front of the mirror, making her look like a New Year painting doll on the wall.

Lin Qiao suddenly remembered the photo in Ji Duo’s cardboard box, stored in his office along with his will. Unexpectedly, after Xu Li finished dressing her up, she really took her to the front door and took a photo of her.

She dressed the same as in the old photo, with the same background as her and Ji Ze’s photo, but this time, Ji Duo was beside her.

In the first photo, she stood in front, with Ji Duo’s hands and feet half behind her.

In the second photo, Ji Duo simply picked her up, and she reached out her small hand to touch the tassels hanging from the big red lantern at the door. The little girl’s almond-shaped eyes curved into a smile, and her face lit up with the festive red color of the lantern. Although the young man’s eyebrows and eyes were cold, the corners of his lips curved up, showing his good mood even in the black-and-white film.

This time, there were no mix-ups, and there was no need to exchange photos. The first photo they left for each other was a group photo.

Lin Qiao wiggled her short legs and asked, “When it’s developed, can I have a copy?”

“Yes, we’ll give one to Qiao Qiao and mail one to Qiao Qiao’s mom and grandparents, too,” Xu Li said, unable to resist kissing her little face.

“And me, and me,” Ji Ze, who had returned home for the New Year with his parents, jumped up and raised his hand. “Take a photo of me and Qiao Qiao too.”

As soon as he said that, Ji Duo and Lin Qiao, who was in his arms, both looked over.

Lin Qiao didn’t know what to say about this big nephew of hers, who was always testing the limits of getting beaten up in the future. Ji Duo also thought his nephew had a knack for joining the fun.

However, Ji Ze was only seven years old, at an age where he admired older kids. He thought that since Ji Duo had taken a photo, he should take one too. But did he know that Lin Qiao’s childhood engagement was originally intended for him? Did Ye Minshu know?

Before Xu Li could say anything, she quickly stepped forward and hurriedly took her son away, saying, “Haven’t you taken enough photos already?”

Of course, the photo was eventually taken, as Grandpa Ji insisted on a family photo.

The next day, Lin Qiao followed Ji Duo to visit the Gu family for New Year’s greetings and took a photo with the Gu siblings and Su Zheng.

After the photo, Gu Shaozhen showed Lin Qiao the new whip her brother had made for her. The two little girls held hands and ran off to play for a while.

Just as they left, they encountered the same mischievous kids from before, holding incense sticks and setting off small firecrackers and double-bangers in the snow.

These courtyard kids had always enjoyed better material conditions than others, playing football and basketball and wearing clothes that ordinary families couldn’t afford. Naturally, they were less fearful and even threw lit firecrackers at the feet of passersby.

Some kids were startled, while others glared, but the naughty kids laughed it off, not taking it seriously.

Lin Qiao instinctively looked at Gu Shaozhen beside her, worried she might be scared again. However, Gu Shaozhen gripped her little whip tightly, pulled Lin Qiao along, and walked past the troublemakers without a word.

Lin Qiao was a bit surprised and looked up to see that the little girl kept walking until they could no longer hear the laughter behind them, then finally relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing Gu Shaozhen’s adorable expression, Lin Qiao’s eyes curved into a smile, “Sister, you’re not scared anymore?”

Unexpectedly, Gu Shaozhen blushed and said, “The day before yesterday, they scared me, and I… I also sat down.”

“You sat down too?” Lin Qiao was genuinely surprised and a bit delighted.

Gu Shaozhen shyly lowered her head, “I just copied you. When they threw firecrackers at my feet, I sat down and pretended to cry.”

At first, she was also scared, but thinking that since Qiao Qiao wasn’t afraid, as the older sister, she felt she had to be brave.

So, she sat down on the ground, and the other kids were stunned, even asking her, “Are you going to learn from that crybaby?”

Gu Shaozhen didn’t dare to speak, opened her mouth as if to cry, and the other kids walked away dejectedly.

That day, she sat on the ground for a long time until everyone left. Then she stood up, patted the snow, dusted off her clothes, and suddenly realized that those kids who bullied her all the time weren’t fearless after all.

Lin Qiao held her hand and said, “Sister, you’re amazing, you’ve learned everything.”

With that soft, childish voice and those adoring eyes, Gu Shaozhen’s face turned even redder.

When Lin Qiao went back, she was in a great mood. Seeing Ji Duo, she ran over and hugged his leg, “Brother Ji Duo~”

Ji Duo, out of reflex, asked, “Thirsty, hungry, or want to go home?”

“Tsk tsk, having a child bride is really something,” Su Zheng teased with a wink.

Ji Duo glared at him, and Lin Qiao peeked out from behind his leg, “Why do you keep talking about this? Are you jealous that Brother Ji Duo has one and you don’t?”

“Why would I be jealous? Who wants a child bride?” Su Zheng retorted angrily.

“You!”
“You.”

Lin Qiao and Ji Duo said in unison.

This made Su Zheng even more furious.

Gu Shaoping just stood there, smiling gently, along with Gu Shaozhen, who had her lips pursed and eyes curved in a smile.

On the way back, Lin Qiao lay on Ji Duo’s back, humming the song “Childhood.”

She was in a great mood. Seeing Gu Shaozhen’s change gave her hope for another possibility, a chance for fate to turn around and for the tragedy not to repeat.

“What are you singing?” Ji Duo asked, his footsteps crunching in the snow, not quite catching her tune.

Lin Qiao naturally wouldn’t say. As they entered the Ji family’s mansion, she pointed to the eaves with her mittened hand, “Brother Ji Duo, I want to hear the bells.”

“Why do you always have such sudden whims?” Ji Duo’s tone wasn’t very pleasant.

But Lin Qiao had come to understand him a bit by now. Despite his words, he still put her down, found the right angle, took a running start, and kicked off the wall, just like the time she had seen before.

However, it was winter, and he was wearing more clothes with snow on his shoes. His foot slipped, and he didn’t reach the bells. Not only did he miss, he also landed in a rather ungraceful position, his face stiffening as he looked at her.

Lin Qiao could clearly read from his expression, ‘She didn’t see that, right?’

Unable to hold back, she burst into laughter.