Chapter 89
Childhood Sweetheart 3

The boy who reached out was stunned, and so was Gu Shaozhen beside him. Seeing Lin Qiao and the boy in conflict, she mustered up the courage to try to stand in front of Lin Qiao, but just as she lifted her leg, Lin Qiao had already fallen. This left her little foot hanging in mid-air, unsure whether to put it down or not, even doubting if she had seen it correctly.

But there was still half a foot of distance, it shouldn’t have been possible to touch her…

The boy who pushed was even more confused, and Lin Qiao’s earth-shattering cry had already attracted many people who were coming home from work or school. He instinctively pulled his hand back, “You, you stop playing tricks…”

Before he could finish, he was pushed hard from behind. “She’s just a little girl, and you’re bullying her?” Young Ji Duo’s face was as cold as ice. He couldn’t believe he had just gone to school and come back to see this scene.

Ji Duo was tall and strong, and before the boy could react, he was already face down in the dirt. When he opened his mouth, a front tooth, the one Lin Qiao had hit with the top, fell out with blood, and he cried out in pain, “I, I didn’t even touch her!”

His older brother, who looked about thirteen or fourteen, was with him. Seeing this, a few of them immediately surrounded Ji Duo, “What are you doing? Did you see clearly before hitting?”

“He didn’t touch her, so did Qiao Qiao fall by herself?” Ji Duo didn’t believe it and wasn’t intimidated by these younger boys who weren’t even as tall as him.

Then Gu Shaozhen watched as Ji Duo chased and beat several of them, driving them all away.

Especially the boy, who ran back crying with a gap in his teeth, “I’m going to tell my parents, you, you bully!”

“If you dare to bully her again, I’ll hit you again,” Ji Duo coldly said before squatting down to check on the little one on the ground, “Qiao Qiao, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Lin Qiao had already stopped crying and sat up, removing her hands from her face.

Ji Duo wanted to comfort her, but when he looked, he was stunned. The little girl’s face was clean, without any tears, and her eyes weren’t even red. Was she just pretending to cry?

Ji Duo’s emotions were all over the place. After a moment, he lowered his voice, “You’re okay?”

Lin Qiao nodded, her big eyes blinking innocently.

This made Ji Duo’s expression even more weird, “So did he actually hit you or not?”

Lin Qiao didn’t say anything. She just looked up at him, curious about his reaction.

So, they stared at each other for a moment before Ji Duo picked her up, pressing her little face against his chest, “Qiao Qiao, don’t be afraid. I chased them all away.” He patted the dust off her clothes and raised his voice, “Let’s see who dares to bully you again!”

It was clear that even as a child, Ji Duo wasn’t one to be easily fooled. He quickly adapted and even played along with her.

Lin Qiao smiled, but she tightened her grip around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder as if she were really scared.

Gu Shaozhen, who witnessed the whole scene, was left speechless. What surprised her even more was that after this whole act, they went back and reported the incident themselves.

As soon as Ji Duo entered the house, he stood in his usual punishment spot, holding Lin Qiao, his face cold and stern. He knew that someone might come to complain soon, so he punished himself first, but he had no intention of apologizing.

Lin Qiao, meanwhile, clung to his neck, refusing to let go no matter who tried to coax her. Her earlier cry had been so loud that even if people hadn’t heard it, they would have found out with a little inquiry.

Xu Li had no choice but to softly ask Gu Shaozhen if Lin Qiao had been bullied just now.

Gu Shaozhen instinctively looked at the two of them. Ji Duo and Lin Qiao, one with dark eyes and the other with bright eyes, were both looking at her. She tugged at her clothes, then lowered her head, afraid that the two of them would be punished. After all, if it weren’t for her, this wouldn’t have happened today.

Not long after, the parents of the boy with the missing front tooth came to their door, demanding an explanation from Xu Li.

Usually reasonable, Xu Li firmly asked why they would hit a three-year-old child.

Three-year-old child?

The boy’s parents looked suspiciously at Lin Qiao in Ji Duo’s arms. With her mouth pouting timidly, the little girl turned her head and clung tightly to Ji Duo. One was a well-behaved, soft little three-year-old, and the other was their own mischievous brat. The boy’s parents didn’t get what they wanted and left, poking their son’s forehead, “Look at you, bullying a little kid. If you’re so tough, don’t come home crying.”

“I really didn’t hit her!” The boy was almost in tears from frustration, but no one believed him, “If you didn’t hit her, why was she crying like that?”

All the way home, he was scolded, and thinking about his injuries and missing tooth, he couldn’t help but cry again.

Meanwhile, being justified this time, Ji Duo didn’t get punishment. He watched as Xu Li, feeling sorry for Lin Qiao, picked her up and patted her, placing her on her lap and peeling chestnuts for her to eat.

The little girl sat obediently, and when the chestnut kernels were fed into her mouth, she sweetly said thank you, enjoying it immensely.

Ji Duo couldn’t help but hum when he watched this.

Lin Qiao looked up, met his gaze, slid down from Xu Li’s lap, and grabbed a chestnut.

Seeing her gnawing at it with her little baby teeth, Xu Li laughed, “Qiao Qiao, haven’t you had enough? If not, Grandma will peel more for you.”

Lin Qiao didn’t say anything. She struggled to bite open the chestnut shell and used her little finger to peel off the red skin.

After Xu Li fed her a few more, worried it might affect her lunch, she stopped feeding her. Lin Qiao finally managed to peel one and ran to find Ji Duo.

Xu Li watched as the little girl approached Ji Duo, holding out her hand, “For you, brother.”

“So it was for him,” she couldn’t help but laugh, glancing at Ji Duo.

Ji Duo felt a bit uncomfortable being watched, glanced at the chestnut in Lin Qiao’s hand, and looked even more disdainful, “Did you bite this open?”

Lin Qiao’s peeling was indeed messy, with the chestnut surface uneven and missing pieces. But she was small and not very strong, and her fingers weren’t very nimble, so this was the best she could do. Lin Qiao looked at it, feeling a bit embarrassed. She was about to eat it herself when Ji Duo reached out, took the chestnut from her hand, and said, “Just this once.”

Just this once, yeah right. The next day, Lin Qiao brought a candied hawthorn stick that Grandpa had bought and asked him to try it. He kept a cold face but eventually took a bite.

However, because of that cry, those mischievous kids nicknamed Lin Qiao “Sticky Crybaby.”

Since she lived with the Ji family, she only played with Ji Duo and his friends. Now, many people know about her and also know she is Ji Duo’s child bride.

Lin Qiao didn’t know what was happening on Ji Duo’s side, but she guessed that anyone who dared to mention it would get beaten up. On her side, when Ji Duo went to school, she played with Gu Shaozhen and occasionally ran into that group of kids again.

Kids might not understand what a child bride is, but that didn’t stop them from using it to tease Lin Qiao—especially that boy from that day, who kept calling her a child bride and a sticky crybaby.

Lin Qiao thought he probably hadn’t been beaten enough to learn his lesson. This time, before the boy could even come over, she ran up to him, timed it perfectly, and lay down on the ground, “Brother Ji Duo, he hit me again!”

Honestly, no matter how mischievous, those kids probably didn’t expect her to come up and play the victim again.

As expected, Ji Duo gave them another good beating. By the third encounter, before the other side could even speak, Lin Qiao moved to rush over, and the group of kids immediately scattered.

Gu Shaozhen was completely stunned. She had always avoided them, but now she saw them avoiding someone else.

Seeing the little girl’s wide eyes, Lin Qiao kept a serious face and said, “If kids don’t listen, just give them a beating. If one beating doesn’t work, give them two.”

She probably didn’t realize how cute she looked saying that. Who could be more childlike than her?

Gu Shaozhen couldn’t help but laugh, but then she looked worried, “Won’t this cause trouble for Brother Ji Duo?”

Sometimes, she was too sensible, timid, and self-conscious, making her endure all kinds of grievances without speaking up. But the more you endure, the more people think you’re an easy target. On the contrary, if you show you’re not to be messed with, people will think twice before bothering you again.

Lin Qiao boldly said, “But if I’m bullied, Brother Ji Duo will feel sorry for me.”

This was a perspective Gu Shaozhen hadn’t considered, and she was visibly taken aback.

Lin Qiao counted on her fingers, “Not just Brother Ji Duo, Grandpa, Grandma, and Brother Dawei will all feel sorry for me.”

Her counting was a bit messy, but she was doing it to make a point to Gu Shaozhen: “Now it’s good. They won’t dare to bully me anymore, and Brother Ji Duo, Grandpa, Grandma, and Brother Dawei won’t have to worry about me.”

It was clearly the beginning of those ten years. To be honest, Lin Qiao was a bit scared. She didn’t know how long she could stay here or what she could do to change Shaoping and Shaozhen’s fate. All she could do was teach Shaozhen not to stay silent.

Don’t stay silent, don’t let people think you’re an easy target.

Don’t stay silent, Gu Shaoping is willing to stand up for her, and so are Ji Duo and Su Zheng.

If anyone dares to touch her, make sure they get hurt first so they won’t dare to mess with her again.

Lin Qiao didn’t know if Shaozhen could understand, but as long as she was around, no one would dare to bully her or take advantage of them. She shook her little whip, “If Brother Ji Duo isn’t around next time and they come again, sister, you help me whip them!”

The little girl’s eyes were big and bright, full of trust. Gu Shaozhen, feeling a sense of responsibility, said, “Okay, okay.”

But Lin Qiao’s words seemed prophetic because Ji Duo fell ill a few days later.

That day, it had just snowed in Yandu, covering the rooftops and treetops with a layer of white. Lin Qiao had to wear thick mittens tied with a string around her neck and a cotton coat, scarf, and hat. When she followed Ji Duo outside, she almost couldn’t keep up.

“Can you manage?” Ji Duo saw her struggling and simply turned around and picked her up.

He really picked her up, holding her under his arm. Lin Qiao was stunned for a few seconds before she started kicking, “Put me down!”

Xu Li saw this and couldn’t help but say, “Don’t drop Qiao Qiao.”

“Got it,” Ji Duo replied, switching from holding her under his arm to carrying her properly. As they left the courtyard, he still slipped a bit.

At first, Lin Qiao didn’t notice anything wrong, but Ji Duo’s grip on her started to loosen after walking a short distance.

Feeling herself slipping, Lin Qiao instinctively hugged his neck, pressing her little face against his, and realized his face was hot. Worried she might be mistaken, she pulled off her mittens and put her small hand on Ji Duo’s neck.

Even his reaction was slower than usual, “What are you doing?”

“Brother, you’re sick,” Lin Qiao said, “You’re running a fever.”

“That’s because your hand is cold,” Ji Duo still didn’t believe it. Lin Qiao turned and called out to Gu Shaoping, “Brother Shaoping, come quickly. Is Brother Ji Duo sick?”

Gu Shaoping came over to check and confirmed that Ji Duo had a fever. With his good eyesight, he also noticed new blisters on Ji Duo’s neck.

Playtime was over. They retraced their steps back home, and Xu Li frowned as soon as she saw him, “He’s got chickenpox.”

Unlike decades later, there wasn’t much treatment for chickenpox in those days. People could only wait for it to heal on its own.

Because Lin Qiao was young and at an age where she was more susceptible to infections, and since she hadn’t had chickenpox yet, she was isolated from Ji Duo.

Ji Duo lay alone in his room, suddenly feeling a sense of emptiness.

It wasn’t that Lin Qiao was noisy. Most of the time, she was very quiet, quietly eating snacks, quietly sleeping, and quietly playing marbles beside him. He could always see her sitting there obediently whenever he looked up from his homework. This made him feel a bit uneasy. He curled up with a comic book under the covers but couldn’t help looking up to find that small figure after a while.

When he looked up, he saw a familiar little face peeking over the window sill. He couldn’t help but glare at her, “Isn’t it cold outside? Why are you leaning on the window?”

Of course, it was cold outside. Lin Qiao, being small, had to stand on tiptoe to see inside. But she was worried about him. After all, when she knew Ji Duo, he was already very strong and seemed never to get sick. Now, Ji Duo was just a boy who could get chickenpox.

She was still young, and even standing by the window briefly made her feet tired.

Lin Qiao took a break and was about to look again when Ji Duo’s hand knocked on the window glass, “Go back inside.” He hit so loudly that it seemed there was nothing wrong. Lin Qiao felt relieved and walked away.

Within a couple of days, she also became infected. When she woke up in the morning, she felt dizzy and itchy all over, even under her clothes, where she couldn’t scratch.

With the soul of an adult, Lin Qiao immediately realized that she probably had chickenpox, too. So she thought about it, and when Ji Duo came over for breakfast, she pulled him aside and said, “I have good news. We don’t need to be isolated anymore.”

Lin Qiao could guarantee that Ji Duo’s expression was absolutely stunned at that moment, and his face turned completely dark.

Lin Qiao also had chickenpox, which raised the question of how to take care of her at night. Since she considered herself to have the soul of an adult and didn’t want to inconvenience anyone, she had insisted on having her own room since she moved in, not sleeping with Xu Li and Grandpa Ji.

Now that she was sick, if she continued to sleep alone at night, Xu Li and Grandpa Ji would not allow it. But Lin Qiao didn’t want to sleep with her grandparents either.

“Let her sleep in my room. I’m almost better anyway,” Ji Duo suggested.

Xu Li and Grandpa Ji wanted to object, but Ji Duo had already taken Lin Qiao’s small pillow and blanket to his room. At bedtime, he even prepared a basin of warm water, sat the little girl on the edge of the bed, and washed her feet. That was the first time outside of any intimate context that Lin Qiao had her ankle held by him. Although her feet were small and her legs short, she instinctively pulled back when Ji Duo came to pull off her little socks.

Ji Duo’s hands were still slender at this time, not yet as strong as they would become, but he held her firmly enough and even looked at her impatiently, “Don’t move.”

Unlike with Nian Nian, even if he got kicked, he was always very patient and would even kiss Nian Nian’s little feet. But in doing so, wasn’t he just treating her like his own daughter, as he had once said?

Lin Qiao didn’t move again, letting Ji Duo put her little feet into the water basin while he looked disgusted, “Why do they smell so bad?”

Lin Qiao wasn’t having it, “Your feet don’t smell?”

How could he be so rude? Even the old cadre at the beginning would only say she wasn’t ugly.

Ji Duo considered it and realized he couldn’t honestly say his feet didn’t smell. He stopped talking, quickly washed Lin Qiao’s feet, and tucked her into bed.

He didn’t tuck her in gently, but when Lin Qiao started to feel feverish in the middle of the night and instinctively sought warmth, he muttered about how troublesome it was, yet without any hesitation, he pulled Lin Qiao into his arms.