Chapter 10: Sharing Meals

“You, don’t cry. I said something wrong. I apologize.”

Tang Xiaoxiao turned her face away, her head still lowered. Her fingernails dug into her palm, and Song Jingzhi saw large tears fall from her face onto her dress.

“Don’t cry. I’m not good at comforting people. I just think it’s not easy for anyone right now. I…”

“Then, how about this, I’ll make soup for you every day, and I’ll share meals with you at your house, okay?” She looked up at him, her clear eyes fixed on him.

Her eyes were still filled with tears, and tears were still hanging on her face. Song Jingzhi felt like something had been struck in his heart.

“You don’t need to give me money, and I won’t give you money either. Okay?” She leaned forward slightly.

Song Jingzhi felt like he smelled a fragrance of gardenia. He was stunned for a moment. “Okay.”

“You promised.” Tang Xiaoxiao burst into laughter through her tears.

“Ah?” He looked at her. He wanted to say something else, but he stopped when he saw the two small dimples on her face.

“I still have about thirty pounds of rice. I’ll bring it over this afternoon. When I run out of rice, you’ll have to be responsible for my food. But don’t worry, I don’t eat much, and I don’t need to eat fine grain every meal.”

“Okay.” He nodded.

“You eat quickly, it will get cold.”

“Okay.” He didn’t understand how things had come to this.

After he finished eating, Tang Xiaoxiao prepared to leave. “I’ll come over again this afternoon.”

With that, she carried her bamboo basket and left the room.

“…”

“Little Tang educated youth, I’m so sorry. Our Jingzhi is a straightforward person, he doesn’t know how to say nice things.” Song’s mother apologized to her as soon as she came out.

“Auntie, it’s okay. Auntie, please call me Xiaoxiao. It’s so strange to always call me Little Tang educated youth. I’ll be coming here every day.”

“Okay, then Auntie will call you Xiaoxiao.” Song’s mother said with a smile. She liked the girl more and more.

“Then, Auntie, I’ll go back now.”

“Okay.”

After Tang Xiaoxiao walked away, Song’s father came out of the hall. “This little Tang educated youth, she wouldn’t be interested in our Jingzhi, would she?”

“What are you thinking about? With our son, how could such a good girl be interested in him? That would be our family’s ancestral grave smoking incense.”

“Mother, come in here.” Song Jingzhi’s voice came from the room.

“See, he’s a debt collector. Can I expect him to find a wife for me?” Song’s mother looked at Song’s father.

“You go in quickly, and bring the chamber pot out. I’ll wash it.”

“Okay.”

Song’s mother walked into the room and looked at her son with annoyance. “What’s wrong?”

“Mother, Tang is sharing meals at home. Please make more food in the future. I’ll pay for her meals.” Song Jingzhi said, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Oh, you’ve come to your senses?” Song’s mother looked at him with interest.

“No, she won’t take my money. I, I, well, anyway, that’s how it is.”

Song’s mother heard that Tang Xiaoxiao didn’t take the money. Wasn’t that taking advantage of her? “Son, that’s not right.”

“It’s because of this that she cried.”

“This…” Song’s mother thought for a moment. “How about this, when you get better, we’ll go to the department store and buy her some things. We can’t take advantage of her for free.”

“Okay, we’ll see how it goes then. Mother, I’ll give you an extra ten yuan a month. Make the food a little better.”

Before, Song Jingzhi had given all his allowance to his parents every month. Later, the family built a tiled roof house, and Song’s mother only agreed to take ten yuan from him every month for her old age.

This time, he came back to recover from his injuries. Because he needed to supplement his nutrition and his parents needed to take care of him, Song Jingzhi gave his parents thirty yuan a month.

“Thirty yuan is already a lot. You don’t need to give more.” Thirty yuan a month was more than enough.

“Mother, I get over a hundred yuan a month now. I have money.”

“That’s because you earned it with your life. Save it and get me a daughter-in-law soon.”

“Mother, you’re at it again.”

“Again and again. You’re 25 years old. Other people your age have kids who can already run errands…”

“Mother, Mother, Mother, my head hurts. I’m going to sleep.” With that, Song Jingzhi lay down and closed his eyes.

“You’ll make me mad.” Song’s mother glared at him and took the chamber pot out.

After Tang Xiaoxiao went back, she took out the half a pound of Great White Rabbit milk candy she bought in the morning and two boxes of Daqianmen cigarettes from her space. She wrapped them up and went to the village head’s house.

She had to deliver soup to Song Jingzhi every day and go to take care of him often. She had to appear in front of him frequently, otherwise, how could she gain his trust?

So, she had to talk to the village head about work. She wanted to see if there were any easier jobs. She didn’t need to earn work points anyway, she didn’t rely on work points to live.

The layout of the houses in the south was similar, the main difference was whether they had a few more rooms at the back.

“Is the village head home?” Tang Xiaoxiao stood at the door and called out to the hall.

“He’s home.” Auntie Wu’s voice came from the hall, and she came out.

Oh, Comrade Tang, what brings you to see your village head? He’s here, come in.

She followed Auntie Wu into the hall. Song Jian Guo was sitting in a chair, drinking tea and smoking a pipe.

Comrade Tang is here. Is there something you need? Old lady, go pour some tea.

Auntie, no need to pour tea. I’ll be gone after I finish speaking.

What is it? Tell me. Song Jian Guo said with a smile.

Village head, you know I came to the village to take care of Comrade Song Jingzhi, so I wanted to ask if I could do some simple and easy work.

Song Jian Guo looked at her, a little hesitant. It’s not impossible, but Comrade Tang, you know that if you don’t work, you won’t have work points, and you won’t have grain.

It’s okay, village head. I’ll take care of that myself. I won’t trouble the village.

Hearing her say this, Song Jian Guo felt relieved. Okay, then you can go gather pigweed. One basket is worth two work points, at least one basket a day. But Comrade Tang, you still have to help harvest rice during the rice harvest season.

No problem, village head. Thank you! Tang Xiaoxiao placed the things she brought on the table.

Then I’ll go back now. Thank you. She expressed her gratitude again.

Comrade Tang, take these things back. I can’t accept them. Song Jian Guo didn’t look at what she had placed, and quickly refused.

Tang Xiaoxiao didn’t care about his refusal and walked out of the hall. Auntie Wu took the things and chased after her to the door.

Comrade Tang, we can’t accept these. Take them back quickly.

Auntie, don’t. It’s not good if people hear us. She pushed her a few times and quickly ran away.

This Comrade Tang… Auntie Wu held the things and looked at Song Jian Guo helplessly.

Forget it. We’ll take care of her in the future. After all, she came here for Jingzhi.

Auntie Wu opened the small package and saw what was inside. This…

The Great White Rabbit milk candy was the one she saw Tang Xiaoxiao buy this morning. She didn’t expect her to bring it to her house.

This cigarette.

The cigarette should be from her home. The two boxes yesterday were the ones she gave. Song Jian Guo said. It seems that this Comrade Tang’s family is indeed well-off.