Chapter 116: The God of Peach Preserves

Qiu Yinuo pinched the soft flesh at Qiu Qianjin’s waist, and he couldn’t hold back the pain, letting out a loud “Ow!”

Immediately, the little boy in the next bed called out with concern, “Brother Jin, what happened?”

With tears in his eyes, Qiu Qianjin whimpered, “It hurts!”

His sister had been ruthless. He was sure his waist would be covered in bruises.

The other kids came rushing over too, crowding around him with concern. “Brother Jin, where does it hurt? I’ll massage it for you.”

“N-no need…”

But no one listened to his refusal. They all wanted to make a good impression, at least to let their Brother Jin know who they were.

The world of children can be quite tricky, as they all wanted to be the number one little brother in the eyes of the big brother.

So, a group of children surrounded Qiu Qianjin, ignoring his discomfort. They were all eager to help: “I’ll rub here, I’ll touch there.” Qiu Qianjin was starting to feel overwhelmed by this swarm of little kids.

He quickly made a stop gesture. “Stop, stop! Just go back to your beds and lie down. The doctor will be here soon. Do you want them to think we’re fighting?”

A few parents who saw this couldn’t help but chuckle and tease, “Little sis, what kind of magic did your brother use? In such a short time, he’s got all these kids following him so obediently.”

Qiu Yinuo awkwardly smiled. “Kids like to play with older ones. It’s normal.”

The little kids obediently returned to their beds, watching Qiu Qianjin with wide eyes. Their expressions seemed to say: Brother Jin, you have to hang in there! Please don’t die!

Qiu Qianjin: “…” He really didn’t want to understand their expressions.

Qiu Yinuo patted her brother’s head. “Jinzi, I know you’re not feeling well, so I brought you some of our hometown’s special peach preserves. Look, I just went home and got it for you. Let’s open it and eat, and once you finish them, you’ll feel better.”

Qiu Qianjin forced a smile. “Sis, you’re so good to me. How did you know I was craving this?”

If it weren’t for the fear of his sister pinching him again, he couldn’t have kept up the act.

As he watched her shake the jar in front of all the other children, he realized that what had happened earlier wasn’t even the most embarrassing moment. Now, this was the real embarrassing part.

Back then, people didn’t really understand the concept of advertising. They just thought Qiu Yinuo was a little odd. Some even thought she was just showing off.

Still, a few were curious.

“Hey, sister, what’s that peach preserve thing? Is it as tasty as the hawthorn ones?”

As expected, there’s always someone bold enough to ask.

That question was the perfect cue.

Qiu Yinuo jumped right in, eagerly promoting the Jinxiu Peach Preserves. “Our peaches come straight from Taolin Village’s well-known orchards, harvested at their peak and preserved in luscious syrup. Whether you like them crisp or soft, these peaches are made to please every palate, young or old…”

“Just one bite!” she continued. “It tastes just like summer. In our village, there’s a legend: any sick child who eats a bite of peach preserves will be blessed by the God of Yellow Peaches and recover quickly.”

A little voice piped up curiously, “Sister Jin, what about really serious illnesses? Will eating those make them better too?”

Everyone assumed that since Qiu Qianjin’s name was Jin, his sister’s surname must also be Jin, and without hesitation, they began calling her Sister Jin.

Qiu Yinuo didn’t correct them and let them continue calling her that.

After all, when making up stories, it was inconvenient to reveal her real surname.

Qiu Yinuo shook her head and responded seriously, “They aren’t that miraculous. If it’s a serious illness, you still need to see a doctor. But eating the peach preserves might help ease the pain, who knows?”

After all, people from this era had been through hardship. Eating something sweet could truly warm one’s heart. When your mindset is better, it’s naturally easier to overcome illness.

Qiu Qianjin was really afraid that if his sister kept going, she would start making up more wild stories.

He quickly urged her, “Hurry up and open the jar, I want to eat one.”

Qiu Yinuo nodded repeatedly, agreeing that some things, no matter how much you praise them, are better experienced firsthand.

She effortlessly opened the jar and scooped out half of a peach, handing it to him. “Hurry up and eat!”

She whispered under her breath, only loud enough for the two of them to hear, “Eat it more deliciously.”

Qiu Qianjin might not have had many talents, but when it came to eating, he could make it look irresistible.

He picked up the half peach with chopsticks, the pale pink peach petals glistening. As he took a bite, the crisp sound echoed.

With each bite…

The crisp sound of him biting into the peach made everyone unconsciously salivate. Qianjin slurped the sweet syrup and couldn’t help but sigh. “Sis, our hometown’s Jinxiu peach preserves are really too good.”

From the neighboring bed, a little boy’s voice broke through with a cry, “Waaah! Grandma, I want Jinxiu peach preserves too! I’m sick too! If I eat some, I’ll get better soon!”

His cry set off a chain reaction in the other kids’ beds, and soon they were all wailing loudly.

It smelled so good, the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of peaches.

Who could resist? Even adults would salivate, let alone little kids who had no self-control.

“Good boy, don’t cry. If you cry, it’ll break Grandma’s heart. Don’t worry, I’ll buy it for you. If you want to eat it, Grandma will get it for you.”

“Mom, I want some too! I’ll get better after eating them!”

“Dad, buy me some too!”

Several kids in the room were sobbing, their eyes nearly falling into Qiu Qianjin’s bowl.

Children with a small issue would often end up in the hospital, and they were usually the parents’ precious little ones. Moreover, their families didn’t lack money, so a jar of peach preserves was nothing to them.

Soon, someone asked Qiu Yinuo, “Sister, is that only sold in your hometown? Is it available in the provincial capital?”

“I heard that the South China Supply and Marketing Cooperative has stocked a lot of peach preserves. I’m not sure if they have it there though,” she said, then added, “But it’s late now, and the cooperative has probably already closed. Even if you go, it’s probably a wasted trip. There’s still a lot left in this jar, and my little brother can’t finish it all himself, so I’ll share the rest with you and let the kids have a taste.”

“That’s too kind of you.”

“It’s our fault, my brother and I. We made the other kids cry from craving it. They’re just children, so of course they’d want to try something when they see someone else eating it. It’s normal.”

After hearing Qiu Yinuo’s explanation, everyone who had felt a little uncomfortable before now felt embarrassed.

Such delicious peach preserves, and she was just giving it away?

They had suspected earlier that this woman might be trying to sell them something, but now it was clear that she wasn’t selling anything. She was just giving it away.

There really were still good people in the world.

The other seven children each got a small taste of the peach preserves. Even though it was just a small bite, the sweet and tangy taste…

Made them want to cry even more. It was just too delicious!