Arriving at a thatched cottage with an open gate, Wang Qingsong walked into the courtyard and called out toward the main room, “Xiao Zao, Xiao Zao!”

After a while, a young girl opened the door and stepped out.

“Qingsong! What brings you here?”

“Oh, I need to discuss something with your mother. Is she home?”

It was a redundant question. Where else would she be?

Feng Xiaozao hesitated for a moment before replying, “My mother is sick. She’s inside.”

Hearing this, Wang Qingsong nodded. “Alright, I’ll go talk to her. It won’t take long.”

With that, he walked inside, and Feng Xiaozao followed him.

The stove in the main room was still burning, heating the kang bed.

Entering the left room, they saw the frail and haggard Widow Feng lying weakly on the bed. She was dressed in a patched blue-gray cotton-padded jacket, her once-pretty face now swollen and unrecognizable, almost as severe as his sister’s condition, though not quite as bad.

“Auntie~”

Wang Qingsong called out softly as he looked at her.

The two of them were notorious in the village, but he wasn’t afraid. He had never offended them, and his relationship with Feng Xiaozao was quite good. They had gone to school together, and he had often helped her with her studies since he was a decent student.

Being outsiders in the village, they naturally felt closer to each other. When his mother was still alive, she had been on good terms with Widow Feng. However, after his mother passed away and his father remarried, their connection had gradually faded.

Widow Feng looked at him and nodded gently. “Qingsong, what brings you here?”

Wang Qingsong glanced at the two of them and got straight to the point. “Auntie, I came to ask you for a favor. My sister and I…”

He then briefly explained the situation.

“After the New Year, I’ll be going back to school in the county town, and it’s inconvenient to take my sister with me. Auntie, could you look after her? Don’t worry, she can wash her own clothes. You’d just need to help with cooking and let her stay here at night. I’ll give you three catties of grain each month. How does that sound?”

If things were settled, he planned to go to the city to borrow some grain from his eldest or second brother to get through the month. Once school started, he could use his meal tickets to buy some dried food from the canteen and bring it back. Some of the rural students at school did the same.

Besides, he still had a backup plan.

Widow Feng smiled bitterly at his request. “Qingsong, look at me. How can I take care of her? I can’t even help myself.”

Wang Qingsong smiled and said, “Auntie, I know about your condition. It’s just malnutrition. The city hospital says it’s edema. If you get some soybeans or eggs and eat them for a while, you’ll recover.”

The prices of soybeans and eggs on the market had skyrocketed, but those from the hospital were still affordable—soybeans at 0.18 yuan per catty and eggs at 0.76 yuan per catty, the same as before the supply shortage. They hadn’t risen to exorbitant prices.

Feng Xiaozao, standing nearby, burst into tears. “Mom, I told you! You’re not eating enough. You keep giving everything to me. It’s all my fault.”

Widow Feng shook her head dismissively. “Don’t listen to Qingsong. I’m just sick. It has nothing to do with eating.”

She turned to Wang Qingsong with a bitter smile. “The problem is, where would I get the money? These days, no one’s lending money.”

Wang Qingsong replied, “Auntie, my sister is in the same condition—badly swollen. I plan to take her to the hospital tomorrow morning. Why don’t you come with us? I’ll lend you the money. If you recover, you can help look after Xiaomai for a while. It won’t be for long. I’ll figure something out as soon as possible.”

The reason he came to her was because of something his mother had once said: Widow Feng was a kind-hearted woman, despite her hardships. He trusted his mother’s judgment. Even if he was wrong, it wouldn’t be a big deal. He could always find another solution. Life would just be harder, that’s all.

“Ah…”

Widow Feng hesitated, her face filled with uncertainty.

Wang Qingsong pressed on, “Auntie, to be blunt, if you keep delaying, what if something happens? What will Xiaozao do then?”

He was confident she would agree. The only question was whether she would treat Xiaomai as poorly as Sun Xiuhe had.

Sure enough, Widow Feng glanced at her daughter and hesitated. No one wanted to die, especially when they had a child to care for.

Finally, she nodded. “Alright, we’ll go tomorrow morning. If my condition improves, you don’t need to give me extra grain. Just make sure Xiaomai has enough to eat. I don’t have much grain at home anyway. As for washing clothes, that’s just a small thing.”

In these times, lending her money for treatment was already a tremendous kindness—one that would be hard to repay.

Wang Qingsong nodded without further politeness. This had been his goal all along. If possible, he would help out, but he still needed to find another solution soon. Relying on others wasn’t a long-term plan.

“Alright, thank you, Auntie. We’ll leave early tomorrow morning. Can you get out of bed? It’s about three or four li to the main road. If not, I can borrow a donkey cart from the team leader.”

The city was about thirty to forty li away. Normally, they could walk there in five or six hours, but not now. Neither his sister nor Widow Feng, both swollen from edema, could manage it. Even he couldn’t. After just a little thin soup, his heart was racing, and his hands were trembling. The doctors at the county hospital called it hypoglycemia. If not handled properly, it could be fatal.

They would have to walk the four li to the main road and take a long-distance bus to the city. Walking slowly, they could manage the four li.

Widow Feng adjusted her quilt and smiled. “I can get out of bed, but I’ll walk slowly.”

Wang Qingsong nodded and grinned. “That’s fine. Auntie, make sure to eat well tomorrow morning, or walking will be a problem.”

He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Auntie, can Xiaomai sleep with Xiaozao tonight? It might take a few days to sort out the housing.”

Sleeping arrangements were still an issue. As for himself, it would be inconvenient since Xiaozao was no longer a child.

“Sure, you can come over.”

When she invited him to stay as well, Wang Qingsong didn’t refuse. If other plans fell through, he’d have no choice but to sleep here. He couldn’t freeze outside, after all. It was best not to rule anything out.

“Then it’s settled, Auntie. I’ll head back now to take care of some things.”

With the matter resolved, Wang Qingsong bid farewell and left.