Chapter 83: Heavy Rain, A Missed Appointment

She was very happy that someone recognized her designs and aesthetic, so she didn’t mind much about the details. After bidding the girl farewell, she suddenly realized that they hadn’t exchanged names yet.

She locked the door and decided not to worry about it for now. Tomorrow would take care of itself, and it was the weekend, so she planned to go shopping with Xie Zhi. With both of them together, she felt like they wouldn’t be easily taken advantage of.

Sitting on the bus back to the village, her mood was much better than when she had arrived. Despite having great confidence in her work, she still felt uneasy since it hadn’t been tested in the market yet.

By the time they finished dinner, Xu Jiaojiao was incredibly excited. She even dragged Xie Zhi to the riverbank in the village to play. They went to a spot upstream, where the water was clearer, and they could see the stones at the bottom of the river.

Xie Zhi threw stones into the water while the girl leaned on his shoulder, the coolness feeling really nice. “I’m so happy today,” she said, her face radiating joy as she shook his arm. “I think I’m going to make my first sale. A girl really liked my clothes, but I still haven’t decided on the price.”

“If it’s 18 yuan for a full set with some accessories, it’s not too expensive, but also not cheap,” Xie Zhi said.

The clothes she made with better fabric cost about 8-9 yuan, while some cheaper ones only cost one or two yuan, or even a few cents for scrap fabric.

He reaffirmed, “Your design is valuable, Jiaojiao.”

“I’m also designing some pretty packaging bags. If anyone orders them, we’ll charge accordingly,” she said, nodding vigorously, fully confident in the idea.

The two of them laughed and played in the water, but there were so many mosquitoes. Even though they burned mugwort to keep them away, it didn’t work well, and the girl’s soft legs got bitten several times, making her whine in frustration.

Xie Zhi pressed his hands on her bites, taking her back to wash with floral lotion. Her legs and arms were covered in swollen red marks, looking a little frightening.

After the floral lotion treatment, the itching stopped. The two hadn’t been intimate in almost a week, as the girl had been running back and forth, looking tired. Xie Zhi couldn’t bring himself to say anything, let alone have other thoughts.

But tonight, they were both a little restless. Xie Zhi looked at her with eyes full of desire, and before they knew it, they kissed and embraced each other tightly.

Outside, a loud thunder crackled, and the long-awaited rainstorm began. Soon, a torrential downpour covered the small village, darkening the skies. The wind and rain knocked down many branches.

In the city, heavy rain also fell. Lin Lin closed her windows, but the sound of the rain hitting the glass was clear. She rested her head on her desk, lost in thought.

That person had come by car, and with the heavy rain, the roads were bad. There was only one bus. Would she still come tomorrow?

She closed her dictionary, deciding to go check on her, to avoid disappointing her.

The two of them remained undisturbed by the storm, becoming more engrossed in their own world. The sound of rain outside felt like an accompaniment to their intimate moments.

After what seemed like endless days, Sheng Jie finally returned home. This time, no one came to see him off. He had barely held on, walking through the rain for half the night to get back. The road was slippery, and he wasn’t sure how many times he had fallen.

At that moment, he almost wished he had died along the way, but the thought of reaching home kept him going. The rain washed off the mud, leaving just faint marks on his clothes and pants.

The sound of knocking on the door was especially clear in the heavy rain. His mother opened the door, startled at first, but then recognized her long-lost son. She quickly pulled him inside, and the door slammed shut behind them.

“My son, what happened to you? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?” she cried.

Sheng Jie gave a hollow smile, his eyes vacant and numb. “Mom, I killed people. I killed so many.”

All he could see were the bloodstains—the blood of those men. The exhilaration from the killings was overshadowed by the deep exhaustion from the long journey. Tears finally fell.

“Did anyone see you?”

“No… but I killed people.”

His mother was also frightened, but she kept her composure. She quickly stripped off his wet clothes, her hands trembling as she touched his pale body, which was covered with alarming scars. She cursed, “Those bastards got what they deserved.”

“Don’t worry. They were beggars. Nobody will know. Even if they saw you, it was raining. No one will figure it out.”

“It was raining,” Sheng Jie whispered, the rain outside seemed to match his inner turmoil.

His mother sighed in relief, “It’s alright. It’s alright. Nobody saw you. They deserved to die.”

Sheng Jie forced a bitter smile. The rain was coming down in torrents, and it might last for a while. He was certain they wouldn’t be discovered.

…

Xie Zhi took an umbrella and headed to the village entrance early in the morning. When he arrived, the car wasn’t there, and the driver was explaining that the roads were too slippery and the car might fall into a ditch, so they wouldn’t be heading into the city.

After hearing this news, Xie Zhi quickly returned home. The rain was heavy, but people were still rushing to harvest wheat, bundling it and putting it in the barn. They quickly finished, and next, they would harvest peanuts.

He left his umbrella outside, shook off the water from his clothes, and entered the house. He saw the girl still asleep and kissed her forehead without waking her.

He picked up a book from the table and glanced at the time. He planned to go next door for breakfast and brought Jiaojiao a few steamed buns and a bowl of spicy tofu pudding.

“Jiaojiao, breakfast is ready.”

She turned over, groggy, and mumbled, “Wait, I’ll sleep for another ten minutes.”

Xie Zhi adjusted his watch and placed the fragrant tofu pudding and buns on her left side. He waved his hand, counting silently for three seconds.

As expected, the girl sniffed and sat up, still dazed. “It smells so good.”

“Go wash up, Jiaojiao.”

“Okay.”

When she came back, looking much more refreshed, she wore a headband that revealed her soft, fair face, with little fluffy hairs visible.

The tofu pudding tasted amazing, and she closed her eyes in comfort. “Hubby, it’s so good. You should have a bite.”

Though she had already eaten a bowl, she still ate more to please him. “Jiaojiao makes it even better.”

“I wonder if that girl will come to find me. I’m sure she won’t be able to make it these days,” she said with a disappointed tone.

Xie Zhi comforted her, gently rubbing her cheek. “It’s okay, next time just send her a small gift. It can’t be helped.”