Chapter 34: The Jade Bangle 2

Because the old woman had fractured her hip and hadn’t done proper physical therapy, her legs were now different lengths, and her muscles had atrophied.

Strangely, her legs were covered in bruises of all sizes. Luckily, she was wearing a diaper; otherwise, that stinky fox would have seen everything.

“Did her daughter-in-law abuse her and pinch her?” I asked, looking up.

Wen Ye impatiently scoffed at me, “Le Xiaomai, do you have no brain? If that woman did it, would she tell you about the old woman’s leg pain? Those gossipy busybodies would never leave themselves open to criticism.”

I tried to save face, muttering softly, “Okay, okay, no need to be so fierce.”

“If I’m not strict with you, your brain will be a mess.” He frowned. “Ask quickly!”

I walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and softly called out, “Grandma.”

The old woman’s eyes were deeply sunken. She opened her cloudy eyes, her gaze flickering like a candle burning to its end. Her chest rose and fell, and her leaky mouth sounded like a broken bellows.

“Let me die, let me die… I’m in so much pain, my whole body hurts… Stop torturing me… Give me a quick death… Don’t torture me anymore… Water, I’m thirsty…” The old woman was incoherent.

I grabbed the canned fruit jar that the middle-aged woman had just filled with water. It was covered in a layer of dust, and the water wasn’t clean.

I rinsed it with water from the kettle, refilled it, and held it to her lips. The old woman drank greedily, like a long-awaited rain. Water she didn’t have time to swallow ran onto the pillow.

I wiped it with a tissue and patiently asked, “Grandma, who’s torturing you? Is it your daughter-in-law?”

The old woman exhaled a long breath, becoming slightly more lucid. “It’s her, she doesn’t give me food, doesn’t give me water… Scolds me every two or three days…”

“She, she can’t wait for me to die sooner… She comes to torture me while I’m sleeping every day, twisting my legs, pinching my head, keeping me from sleeping. She just wants me to die sooner… Alas, what sins did I commit in my past life!” The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, raising her thin, withered arms.

“She hates that my son bought me this bangle. She can’t stand that my son treats me well… Grrr… As long as I’m not dead, she can’t take it off. I’ll take it to the grave with me even when I die…”

The old woman wore a translucent jade bangle on her wrist, with a hint of watery green. I didn’t understand jade, so I didn’t know its value.

Great-Grandma’s jewelry box also had many jade pendants and jewelry. Some of them looked similar in material to the bangle on her wrist; Great-Grandma’s were even more transparent.

Great-Grandma said that all of these would be mine when she died. I spat at her several times, saying she was trying to trick me with glass beads, and then she would laugh.

Wen Ye also sneered, “This family doesn’t seem wealthy. How could her son be willing to buy such an expensive item for an old woman on her deathbed?”

“Is this bangle very expensive?”

“Jade is the essence of stone, and all jade has spiritual energy. Any piece of jade is priceless. Moreover, jade can dispel internal heat, nourish the heart and lungs, nurture the five internal organs, clear the blood vessels, and also calm and protect the spirit. It’s what you often say, ‘jade nourishes people.’ Even many spirits and animals like to use jade to collect Taiyin energy and use it to cultivate.” Wen Ye said casually.

“Later, people assigned value to jade based on quality and origin. According to worldly standards, this bangle should be worth at least hundreds of thousands (of yuan).”

I widened my eyes, “Hundreds of thousands?!”

He nodded, looking at me. “Le Xiaomai, you’re very suitable for wearing jade. It nourishes yin and dispels heat.”

“I don’t have money to buy jade.” I pouted, and a flash of inspiration came to my mind. Great-Grandma has some; I can scavenge one!

“There’s something strange about this bangle. Let’s come back later tonight.”

I followed him out, asking, “What’s strange?”

Before Wen Ye could answer me, the middle-aged woman led someone into the courtyard. She smiled and said, “Xiaomai, look how coincidental! I ran into Gong Fan on my way back from buying groceries just as he returned from the city.”

“Xiaomai, long time no see.” Gong Fan smiled modestly.

From childhood to adulthood, he had always been a well-behaved boy, with fair skin and delicate features. His former watermelon-style haircut had become short, choppy hair. His clean and refreshing appearance, combined with his smile, gave him a friendly, approachable air, like the big brother next door.

I was a little awkward, but I had to pretend to be excited. “Gong Fan, long time no see! You’re back too. Did you not go to develop in a big city after graduation? Haha… It’s been so many years since we last met.”

Le Xiaomai had never engaged in such awkward small talk before; my face was stiff from smiling.

“Six years and eight months.” Gong Fan looked at Wen Ye with a gentle expression. “Is this your boyfriend?”

I waved my hands. “No, he’s my friend.”

“I see…” He took out his phone from his pocket. “Xiaomai, let’s exchange contact information. I work in the city now and don’t come back often.”

I glanced at Wen Ye. He had his arms crossed and his head turned to the side, not even giving me a glance.

I awkwardly took out my phone and opened my friend request page.

“Why don’t you come to my house for dinner? My parents would be especially happy if they knew you were here. My mom has mentioned you several times.” Gong Fan tapped his phone, added my contact information, and put his phone back in his pocket.

Wen Ye snorted coldly, abandoned me, and walked away on his own.

I panicked and hurriedly waved my hands, wanting to chase after him. “No, no, thank you for your and your aunt and uncle’s kind intentions. My Great-Grandma is at home, and I have to go back and cook.”

The middle-aged woman grabbed my arm, offering politely, “Xiaomai, why don’t you stay at my house for dinner? How’s my mother-in-law doing?”

“We have to come back at night to determine what’s going on. Aunt, I’ll go back first.” I nodded slightly to Gong Fan. “I’ll go first. Let’s talk when we have time.”

I had only taken a few steps when Gong Fan called out to me. He quickly took two white boxes from the trunk of the car parked in the courtyard and stuffed them into my hands.

“Xiaomai, these are seafood I just bought from the seafood market. It’s very fresh. I’ll come visit Great-Grandma personally another day.”

I pushed the heavy boxes back to him. “How could I? I haven’t visited your parents personally yet. How can I accept gifts from you upon meeting?”

“It’s not for you, it’s for your Great-Grandma.” He looked up towards the end of the alley. “If you don’t take them, your friend will walk away.”

I bit the bullet and accepted them, saying “thank you” several times, and carried the two boxes to chase after Wen Ye.

The boxes were very heavy, and the water inside sloshed back and forth. I chased after him for a few steps, but the distance not only didn’t shorten, but I felt his shadow getting farther and farther away.

This guy must be using magic! Couldn’t he help me carry a box? What a social imbecile!

It was already past five in the afternoon when I got home. I started the stove and prepared to cook.

Besides the installed kitchen set, my family’s kitchen still retained the large cooking stove. After the northern countryside banned burning firewood, it was rarely used.

But there was a super-large lobster in the box, and I didn’t have a pot big enough to steam it, so I had to restart the earthen stove.

There were also many abalones and flower clams. Wen Ye had been clamoring for seafood noodles for lunch. Now the ingredients have arrived.

Whenever I was home, Great-Grandma was like a landlord, leaving all the work to me.

She sat in her old rocking chair, watching me busily working, and asked me about the situation at the middle-aged woman’s house.

I told her that there was a problem with the bangle and that we had to go again at night.

“Old woman, didn’t you say you were going to give me all your jewelry? I want to wear it now.”

“A woman pleases her man, so you begin to dress up to please that little fox spirit?” She squinted at me, exhaling smoke.