Chapter 55.1

Jiang Leyun hurriedly carried the enamel cup, and Jiang Suihan took it from him. The strong fishy smell hit her nose, and she had forgotten to wash her hands, so she had to scrub them with soap three times before stopping.

“Sister, let’s go to the hospital. If my Brother-in-law finds out I didn’t take good care of you, he’ll definitely make me run an extra lap every morning.” Jiang Leyun said, his small eyebrows furrowed in worry. Running two laps around the compound was already his limit, and another lap would be unbearable.

During this month while his brother-in-law was away on a mission, he had been quite happy. Although he had to get up early for school every day, it was better than running. Compared to that, going to school was not so hard.

“We have some medicine for stomach issues at home, on the second shelf of the living room cabinet. Please go get it for me.” Jiang Suihan instructed her brother to fetch the medicine.

There was a military hospital on the base that family members could use, but the doctors were not skilled in obstetrics and gynecology, and most were male. Some traditional-minded sisters-in-law would endure rather than see a male doctor. They will only go if the pain was unbearable.

She must have eaten something that upset her stomach. This minor issue didn’t require a hospital visit. The base hospital had limited doctors and resources, which were prioritized for sick and injured soldiers.

After taking the medicine, Jiang Suihan felt somewhat better, though it might have been a psychological effect. She rested a bit more, then used a towel to cover her nose, blocking out the smell, and managed to finish preparing the small fish and shrimp despite the lingering nausea.

Jiang Suihan had a poor appetite and only made a simple dish of tomato and egg noodles. The tomatoes were picked from Sister Wu’s garden—large, red, and juicy, with plenty of liquid. They were tangy and sweet, making the dish very appetizing.

Jiang Leyun also liked the noodles. After playing outside all afternoon, he was so hungry that he practically buried his face in the bowl, eating without looking up.

Seeing the child eat was reassuring, and Jiang Suihan suddenly felt a bit hungry herself. To avoid making too much food, she cooked two-thirds of her usual portion. Surprisingly, she ended up finishing it all. Looking at the bowl with only a bit of soup left, she was slightly surprised.

“Are you full?”

“I’m full.” Jiang Leyun rubbed his full stomach. The tomato and egg noodles were to his liking, and he still had fried small fish and shrimp to look forward to, so he needed to save some room.

“You like tomatoes so much? Next year, we’ll grow tomatoes at our place. If we get the chance, I’ll make you tomato beef brisket.” Jiang Suihan leaned back in her chair, feeling relaxed, and while blowing in the breeze, she was daydreaming about cooking for her brother.

Tomato beef brisket? He had never tried it before.

“Is it good?” Jiang Leyun swallowed instinctively. Even though he had just eaten, he seemed to be hungry again.

“It’s incredibly delicious. The broth is rich and tangy with a salty flavor, and the beef brisket is tender and flavorful. I could eat two bowls of rice with it. Just talking about it makes me want to eat it, but unfortunately, we don’t have any beef brisket at home.” Jiang Suihan unconsciously swallowed, even though she was already full; talking about it made her crave it more.

Since she couldn’t have tomato beef brisket, she’d have to satisfy her craving with tomato and egg noodles. Tomorrow, she would ask Sister Wu for more tomatoes.

“Yeah, it’s such a pity. I really want to try tomato beef brisket. I don’t even know what it tastes like.” Jiang Leyun propped his chin up, looking regretful.

Without tomato beef brisket, there were still the fried small fish snacks. The child went to the kitchen to fetch the fried fish and shrimp. After finishing dinner, there were still some snacks left.

“Hold it further away.” With the wind blowing, Jiang Suihan felt the fishy smell returning, which made her feel nauseous. She quickly waved her hand, telling her brother to stay away.

“It doesn’t smell bad. It actually smells good.” Jiang Leyun stayed at a distance, not daring to come closer. He was startled by his sister’s sudden reaction.

His sister had been feeling nauseous all day, specifically reacting to the smell of fish. It didn’t seem like she had an upset stomach from bad food.

“Are you feeling better, sister? Do you want to go to the hospital?” Jiang Leyun was still worried. His sister looked thin and weak. Although he didn’t like the smell of hospitals, if his sister was ill, they had to go.

“I just suddenly can’t stand the smell of fish. If you keep it away from me, I’ll be fine. You go eat over there. After eating, brush your teeth and wash your face before coming back.” Jiang Suihan’s face was a bit pale. Besides feeling nauseous, she didn’t have any other discomfort.

“Okay.” Jiang Leyun noticed his sister’s clear aversion to him and moved a small bamboo stool several meters away, his little face looking a bit unhappy.

Fortunately, eating the small fish snacks provided some comfort to his wounded soul. The fried shrimp was also delicious. The child ate slowly, regretting not catching more, and reluctantly finished them slowly, even though he wanted to savor them longer.

“Wash the plate clean and put it away.” Jiang Suihan didn’t indulge her brother. At seven or eight years old, he was old enough to help with simple household chores. If they lived in a village, he would already be helping older kids cut pig grass.

Children shouldn’t be too pampered. Otherwise, they won’t withstand the hardships of the outside world when they grow up.

Actually, she just didn’t want to wash it because the plate had held small fish and smelled fishy.

This morning, Jiang Suihan had classes. She first went to Jiang Leyun’s room to wake him up, then went downstairs to wash up. By the time she finished washing her face, Jiang Leyun came downstairs, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

After they were ready, Jiang Suihan took her bicycle outside, locked the door, and rode to the cafeteria for breakfast.

If she didn’t have classes in the morning, she would still get up at this time. With a child going to school, adults had to adjust their schedules to fit the child’s. She would first make breakfast for her brother and then go back to bed for a nap.

Among the days of the week, Jiang Suihan looked forward to the weekends the most, as they allowed her two days to sleep in. Jiang Leyun also felt the same, though he went to bed early and usually woke up around seven in the morning. After waking, he would make himself a cup of malt milk and eat some biscuits to fill his stomach, waiting for his sister to wake up so they could have breakfast together and delay lunch a bit.

The bicycle whizzed by, stirring up a breeze.

Chen Xiaohong looked enviously at Jiang Suihan’s stylish and graceful figure riding the bicycle. “Xiao Jiang and her brother are going to the cafeteria for breakfast again. Having a bicycle is so convenient. T hey get there in no time without having to walk.”

Being a woman, Chen Xiaohong wondered why Jiang Suihan was so fortunate—free from the troubles of in-laws, not having to care for children, and not having to cook if she didn’t want to, while also receiving a monthly salary. She wondered how many people in the family compound envied and resented her lifestyle.

Chen Xiaohong touched her face and silently sighed. It was all her parents’ fault for giving her an average appearance. Women either needed skills or beauty, and she had neither. What could she do but endure?

“Too flashy. The cafeteria isn’t far from home. There’s no need to ride a bicycle every day. The children will cause a fuss at home when they see the bicycle.” Chen Xiuni narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

Her own children were in elementary school. They saw Jiang Suihan riding her bicycle to school every day and were particularly envious. When they asked their parents if they could have a bicycle, their father said the family couldn’t afford it and didn’t have a bicycle ticket, rejecting them outright. Chen Xiuni felt a bit heartbroken and unfair after seeing her children’s disappointed expressions.

In the family compound, only a few families had bicycles. Jiang Suihan was the only one who rode a bicycle to and from work every day, which seemed a bit ostentatious. Before she arrived, everyone’s living conditions were similar, and no one envied each other too much. Now that someone with significantly better circumstances had come, it was inevitable that people felt a sense of disparity and spoke enviously behind her back.

On the day of registration, Chen Xiuni naturally heard about Aunt Li’s attempt to extort money. Aunt Li was indeed in the wrong, but given her old age, some leniency was warranted. However, Jiang Suihan was relentless and even injured someone.

Chen Xiuni looked down on Jiang Suihan. She had money to eat at the cafeteria every day and a new bicycle. It was obvious she wasn’t short on cash. In a compound where everyone knew each other, it wouldn’t have hurt to lend a bit of money for tuition, just over a yuan. If she felt it was unfair, she could have privately asked Aunt Li’s son to return it, rather than making such a fuss publicly.

Jiang Suihan was quite selfish, only thinking about herself, with no spirit of solidarity or friendship. She used to think Xu Zhao was quite decent, but now she saw that both were cut from the same cloth, sharing the same faults. She didn’t feel sorry for Xu Zhao at all.

“I also want a bicycle, let alone those kids. But what can be done? Poor people don’t have extra money for such expensive items. It’s more practical to spend money on food to fill their stomachs.”

Chen Xiaohong shrugged, speaking candidly. Although she envied the bicycle, she wasn’t jealous. Who wouldn’t want a bicycle? She had only touched other people’s bikes a couple of times.

“That’s true, but having money doesn’t mean you should flaunt it. It’s bad for the image. In a remote area like this, people are focused on their own lives and don’t care much about others. If this were in the city, someone like Xiao Jiang would be criticized for their bourgeois behavior.”

Chen Xiuni thought that Jiang Suihan’s father was likely a university professor, possibly with experience abroad. Families like that would probably be labeled as “old-fashioned scholars” outside, attracting criticism from everyone. If she spread this information, it would be interesting to see how Jiang Suihan would manage to act so arrogantly in the future.

But then she reconsidered—what difference would it make if she spread the word? Jiang Suihan’s father was gone, and the Xu family was powerful and influential. With the Xu family as her backing, Jiang Suihan’s background was not an issue. It was just a matter of what the Xu family decided.

“Hey, I’ve been calling you for a while. What are you doing? Thinking about your old man early in the morning?” Chen Xiaohong waved her hand in front of Chen Xiuni with a teasing expression.

“You’re such a joker. I heard that Xiao Jiang’s dad is a university teacher. What exactly does her family do? Her father is so knowledgeable, and she’s a university student too,” Chen Xiuni came back to herself and gave a forced smile.

“They’re probably a scholarly family. The father teaches university students, and the daughter is a university student too. They’re quite impressive. However, compared to her father, Xiao Jiang is still a bit lacking. She teaches elementary school students,” Chen Xiaohong casually remarked, then started to walk faster. “Stop chatting and hurry up.”

Someone from the family compound worked in the cafeteria and came back saying that there would be meat pies for breakfast. Chen Xiaohong was thrilled and had made an early appointment with Chen Xiuni to come to the cafeteria together.

In the grand scheme of things, eating was the top priority; gossip could wait.