Chapter 29

He Xianqiu sat sipping her sweet water as she waited for Ji Chen Zhou to return.

The sugar water was pleasantly sweet, and it lifted her mood without her even realizing it.

By the time she finished her drink, Ji Chen Zhou finally came back.

Hearing the sounds outside, He Xianqiu stood up and walked to the doorway. She immediately spotted Ji Chen Zhou standing there.

The bicycle was a Phoenix brand 26-inch men’s bike. For women, this kind was a bit troublesome to ride—and more importantly, He Xianqiu couldn’t ride a bike at all. She looked at it, feeling awkward.

Ji Chen Zhou noticed her hesitation and spoke:
“This is a 26-inch bike. It’s difficult for women to ride. Since I don’t have anything else going on today, I’ll take you there.”

He’d borrowed this bike from Er Niu, a friend he got along with very well. Er Niu was generous—once Ji Chen Zhou asked, he immediately pushed the bike out for him to use.

He Xianqiu’s eyes lit up. She nodded quickly.
“All right—thank you, Classmate Ji.”

Ji Chen Zhou’s eyes glimmered with a smile.
“No need to thank me. Just be careful sitting on the back rack.”

The back rack was made of iron with open slots. Worried she’d be uncomfortable, Ji Chen Zhou had even brought an old shirt he no longer wore to lay over the rack so she could sit more comfortably.

He Xianqiu nodded. When Ji Chen Zhou climbed onto the front seat, she hurried to get on the back.

Before they left, they first let Grandpa Zhong know, then set off.

He Xianqiu clutched the side of the rack tightly. The dirt road was bumpy, and every jolt made her feel like she might fall off.

Seeing her wobble, Ji Chen Zhou said in a low voice,
“Comrade He, you can hold onto my coat if you need to. The road is too uneven.”

He Xianqiu nodded.
“Okay.”

Then she remembered he kept calling her Comrade He, and she pursed her lips.
“Classmate Ji, don’t always call me Comrade He. Just call me Xianqiu.”

Ji Chen Zhou was silent for a moment. Then he nodded slowly.
“Got it. Xian…Xianqiu.”

When he said her name, he stumbled over it, because it felt so intimate it made him a little embarrassed.

He Xianqiu smiled, her eyes curving.
“Mm, that’s better.”

She didn’t notice that his ears had quietly turned red.

As Ji Chen Zhou pedaled along, he tried his best to avoid the worst potholes, but the bike still shook a lot.

He Xianqiu was staring off absentmindedly, clutching his coat, when the bike suddenly bumped forward. She pitched straight into Ji Chen Zhou’s back with a little cry of alarm.

Startled, she instinctively wrapped both arms around his waist to steady herself.

Ji Chen Zhou heard her and asked worriedly,
“Xian…Xianqiu, are you okay?”

Snapping out of it, she quickly said,
“I’m fine.”

But her arms were still around his waist. Ji Chen Zhou had broad shoulders and a slim waist—holding onto him like this felt strangely secure, and the warmth of his body seeped into her palms.

Realizing she was still hugging him, He Xianqiu felt awkward and hurried to pull her arms away as if nothing had happened—pretending he wouldn’t notice.

The commune was pretty far, usually about two hours by bike. Even riding fast, it took over an hour.

He Xianqiu just sat on the back the whole time, hands clutching his coat, watching the flowers and trees by the roadside.

The road remained uneven, and several times she accidentally toppled against his back again.

After this happened a few times, she simply gave up resisting. Resolute, she put her arms around his waist and thought, Whatever. If I have to hold onto someone, at least he’s a handsome guy.

Ji Chen Zhou was momentarily stunned when she suddenly hugged him. He nearly lost control of the bike but quickly steadied himself and kept pedaling forward.

After two hours, they finally arrived at the commune. He Xianqiu’s legs were numb just from sitting. Ji Chen Zhou, who had been pedaling the whole time, had sweat dripping down from his forehead to his jaw.

Seeing this, He Xianqiu pulled out a handkerchief and held it out.
“Here—wipe your sweat.”

Ji Chen Zhou shook his head.
“No need.”

Saying this, he tried to lift his sleeve to wipe it instead.

He Xianqiu quickly stuffed the handkerchief into his hand.
“I haven’t used this one. Just use it.”

Ji Chen Zhou pursed his lips.
“That’s not what I meant—”

“I know, I know. Just hurry up and wipe,” she insisted.

Seeing she wouldn’t relent, he gave in, nodding slightly. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and jaw.

The handkerchief was embroidered with little bamboo stalks and carried a faint, fresh fragrance.

When he finished, he said softly,
“I’ll wash this and give it back.”

He Xianqiu shook her head.
“I have lots of handkerchiefs. Just keep this one.”

“…All right,” Ji Chen Zhou said quietly.

The handkerchief felt nice to the touch—soft and good quality. Since she didn’t want it back, it would be wasteful to throw it out, so he accepted it.

Carefully, he folded it into a neat little square and tucked it into his pocket so he wouldn’t accidentally ruin it.

Meanwhile, He Xianqiu was looking around the commune. Even though she’d already been here once, her curiosity still got the better of her.

The commune was bustling with people, though not exactly crowded. Most folks wore dark clothes, but now and then a young girl would appear in something bright.

He Xianqiu herself wore an orange dress. With her pretty face and fair skin, she stood out in the crowd. People kept turning to look at her—she was like a bright splash of color.

As they walked down the street, He Xianqiu thought that since they’d come all this way, they ought to eat first before picking up her parcel.

Just as she was about to say so, Ji Chen Zhou spoke first.
“Should we get lunch first?”

She nodded.
“Sure.”

Ji Chen Zhou led her to the state-run restaurant, and they found a table.

A server came over right away, her voice warm and polite—not at all like the rumors that said state-run places treated customers poorly.

He Xianqiu glanced at the menu and ordered braised pork with cabbage over rice. Ji Chen Zhou ordered rice with pig’s trotters and vermicelli.

After taking their order, the server left.

A while later, the server called out from the pickup window:
“One cabbage braised pork rice and one pig trotter vermicelli rice!”

Ji Chen Zhou stood up, went over to get the dishes, and paid with money and ration coupons.

He Xianqiu waited at the table. Soon, Ji Chen Zhou came back carrying the bowls and set them down.

They began to eat.

He Xianqiu picked up a piece of braised pork. The meat was sweet, mostly lean, and not greasy. Glazed with sauce, it glistened temptingly.

The pork was so tender it practically melted in her mouth, like ice cream.

She tried the cabbage next—naturally grown and free of pesticides, crisp and sweet with plenty of juice.

Every bite was delicious. After days of eating coarse grains, having proper white rice again felt wonderful. Even though the rice was mixed with some red sorghum, it was still sweet and satisfying.

He Xianqiu ended up eating the entire big bowl, though she was stuffed by the end.

Rubbing her belly, she stood up and told Ji Chen Zhou she was ready.

He’d finished ages ago—he always ate quickly—and had been waiting patiently.

Once she was done, they decided to head to the post office.

He Xianqiu didn’t know where it was, so Ji Chen Zhou pushed the bicycle and led the way, the two of them walking side by side.

Remembering he’d paid for lunch, she asked,
“Classmate Ji, how much was it? I’ll pay you back.”

Ji Chen Zhou shook his head.
“No need.”

“That won’t do,” she insisted. “I have to repay you.”

She couldn’t just freeload off him. His money and ration coupons were limited—spending them on her meant he’d have less himself.

Seeing she was so determined, Ji Chen Zhou sighed.
“Really, it’s fine. If it bothers you, just treat me next time we come to the commune.”

He Xianqiu considered this and nodded.
“All right.”

They chatted a bit as they walked. Before long, they reached the post office.

He Xianqiu went inside while Ji Chen Zhou waited outside.

She approached the window and said,
“Hello, I’m here to pick up a parcel.”

The woman behind the counter, without looking up, asked,
“Where was it sent? What’s the name?”

“Qinggang Brigade, He Xianqiu,” she replied.

The postal worker stood up to fetch the package. When she turned around and finally saw He Xianqiu, she paused in surprise—she hadn’t expected such a beautiful young woman. Easily the prettiest she’d ever seen at the commune. She felt a twinge of envy.

Biting her lip, she passed the parcel over.
“Your package.”

It was large, wrapped securely in dark blue floral cloth.

He Xianqiu nodded. Then she remembered the post office had collectible stamps. Over time, they’d become more valuable—she once attended an auction where a set sold for millions.

She asked,
“Do you have any stamps for sale?”

The woman nodded.
“Yes.”

She pulled out several sheets and laid them on the counter.

He Xianqiu looked them over—beautifully designed—and chose the latest issue plus a few others.

After paying, the worker wrapped them up in a little bag.

He Xianqiu thanked her, placed the stamps on her parcel, and picked it up. It was heavy, and she had to struggle to carry it out.

Ji Chen Zhou saw her and hurried over, lifting the bundle effortlessly and tying it securely to the bike’s rear rack.

With the weight off her arms, He Xianqiu let out a relieved sigh.

She still wanted to buy some things at the supply store, so they headed over.

The store was crowded and packed tight. He Xianqiu figured she wouldn’t be able to squeeze in and planned to wait until it thinned out.

Seeing her hesitation, Ji Chen Zhou said,
“There’s not much stock. If we wait, it’ll all be gone. I’ll go in for you—what do you need?”

He had a point. She thought for a moment.
“Five jin of white flour, three jin of pork, three jin of pastries—any kind is fine—and three bars of soap.”

She handed over the money and ration coupons. Ji Chen Zhou took them and plunged into the crowd.

He Xianqiu watched in amazement as he slipped through the throng like an eel.

Because he was tall, she could still see the top of his head as he maneuvered to the counter. He’d already started buying everything.

He Xianqiu stared, wide-eyed in astonishment.