Chapter 6: Feng Yi

Jiang Liyun remembered that in her previous life, after being separated for several years, Feng Yi had become very strong, with muscles all over, and his arms were firm.

During the time she was paralyzed, she weighed around 140 pounds, and Feng Yi could easily lift her.

But now, Feng Yi was really too thin.

Upon closer inspection, Feng Yi had always been small and thin since childhood.

His father passed away when he was less than a year old, and his mother didn’t like him. When he first arrived at the Feng family at the age of four, he looked like he was only two or three.

Feng Lao Tou didn’t lack sons and certainly wouldn’t treat this adopted son well. Feng Yi would be scolded for eating a little extra, and his growth had always been slow.

Despite being only a year younger than her, Feng Yi was shorter than Jiang Liyun throughout her entire childhood. It wasn’t until he entered the brick and tile factory at the age of sixteen that he started growing rapidly. By now, Feng Yi was one of the tallest people in the village.

However, his nutrition clearly didn’t catch up. His arms were particularly thin, and the elbow and knee joints protruded, resembling a thin bamboo pole with a lump.

There wasn’t much flesh on his face either; his eyes were quite large. In short, he looked like a teenager.

“Come over here,” Jiang Liyun called Feng Yi.

Feng Yi immediately ran to Jiang Liyun’s side, following her to an open area nearby.

Jiang Liyun and Feng Yi had grown up together.

When Feng Yi came to the Feng family, he was only four years old, awkward, and small, with legs like chopsticks.

At that time, Feng Lao Da was ten years old, and Feng Lao Er was seven—both at the age where people despise and bully others. They often picked on Feng Yi.

At that time, she was five years old. Back then, Jiang Lihai would run around all day outside, unwilling to take care of her. Seeing her older brother neglecting her, Jiang Liping also refused to play with her, leaving her alone at home.

As young as she was, she longed for a younger brother or sister to play with. When she saw Feng Yi being bullied, she stepped in, not allowing the older Feng siblings to harm him.

Although the older Feng siblings weren’t good kids, they weren’t the kind to harm small children. They treated her, their neighbour’s younger sister, fairly well. Seeing her intervene, they refrained from bullying Feng Yi and went out to play on their own.

Afterwards, Feng Yi became her playmate. She was the one who liked making decisions, and Feng Yi listened to her in everything, making their relationship particularly harmonious.

During that time, her family was poor, and she often went hungry. Feng Yi had an even harder time being content with leftover food. When their stomachs grumbled, they searched for food everywhere.

In spring, they would dig wild vegetables; in summer, they caught fish in ditches; in autumn, they picked rice and soybeans in the fields; and in winter, they dug loaches in the fields.

They would throw rice ears into the fire to make popcorn and roast soybeans in an iron pot, and she would kill the fish, shrimp, and loaches. When cooking at home, she steamed them and shared the meal with Feng Yi.

Although Jiang Wuchun, the limping Wu Xiaochun, didn’t have money, she indulged the children and never tried to take their food. Jiang Lihai felt awkward asking his sister for food. As for Jiang Liping, she did snatch some food from her once, but when she complained to others, Jiang Liping dared not do it again.

Occasionally, Jiang Liping would join them in catching fish and shrimp, steaming them together for a meal. Jiang Liyun reminisced about her childhood and realized that all she could remember were the times when she and Feng Yi gathered food together.

When they went to cut grass and got extremely hungry, they would secretly dig up sweet potatoes and yam stems from the production team to munch on.

The happiest moment was when they found four duck eggs by the river. After she brought them home and steamed them, they sat in a pile of straw, happily sharing and devouring the eggs.

Later, when Jiang Liyu was born, she had to attend to household matters and stopped going out to play with Feng Yi. Subsequently, she worked in a sofa factory, and Feng Yi worked in a brick and tile factory. They rarely met, and when they did, it was just a casual greeting.

“Jie Liyun…” Feng Yi called again.

Jiang Liyun asked him, “What do you usually eat in the brick and tile factory? Can you have enough to eat?”

Feng Yi replied, “Grains are provided by the family; it’s enough. As for vegetables, we usually have tofu soup or pig’s blood soup.”

Money was tight for everyone, and the factory workers were mostly farmers who didn’t like eating vegetables. So, the canteen at the brick and tile factory mainly served tofu soup and pig’s blood soup, costing two Mao per bowl.

As for rice, the factory workers brought their own rice to exchange for meal tickets and then used the tickets to get food at the canteen. Every time Jiang Lihai returned home, it was to carry rice to the factory.

Feng Yi handed in his wages every month, and although Old Man Feng only allowed him to keep ten yuan, there was enough food. However, considering that buying vegetables for a meal cost twenty cents, it added up to six Mao a day, and for a month, it would be eighteen yuan. Jiang Lihai saved about forty to fifty yuan for herself, living quite comfortably, but Feng Yi could only keep ten yuan a month. Could he afford to eat vegetables regularly?

Typically, those who worked in the brick and tile factory and didn’t go home for meals could at least keep twenty yuan. Many, like Jiang Lihai, only handed over half of their wages. The Feng family seemed a bit unreasonable.

The Feng family had always been like this. Jiang Liyun sighed inwardly and handed an enamel cup to Feng Yi, saying, “I brought this for you. Go ahead and eat.”

Feng Yi was stunned, holding the enamel cup, looking at Jiang Liyun in disbelief.

It had been many years since Jiang Liyun had sought him out. Today, she took the initiative to greet him, already making him very happy. Now, she was even giving him food?

Opening the enamel cup and seeing a piece of scrambled egg inside, Feng Yi asked Jiang Liyun, “Jie Liyun, why are you giving me food?”

Jiang Liyun fell silent for a moment.

In her past life, she severed ties with her ungrateful son and wasn’t close to her siblings. After Feng Yi died, she was left alone.

Over the years, she often thought of Feng Yi and missed him deeply. She felt guilty towards him.

In her previous life, she ended up with Feng Yi because she was harassed by Xie Zugen. At that time, she had no emotional attachment to Feng Yi; she did it purely for herself. Later, when she became paralyzed, she knew she needed Feng Yi to take care of her and her son. She tried to keep him close, but she still guarded herself against him.

Due to her paralysis, she couldn’t have a normal marital life with Feng Yi, let alone bear children. Their marriage was not stable. In the 1980s, without the Feng family organizing the marriage, Feng Yi, who couldn’t afford a dowry and wedding banquet, wouldn’t be able to find a wife.

But times changed!

Feng Yi was handsome, intelligent, quick to learn anything, and worked efficiently. He had many ways to make money. Even if unmarried young women didn’t want to marry him, there were divorced women willing to be with him.

As far as Jiang Liyun knew, several women expressed their interest in Feng Yi after she married him.

A man who could work, stay loyal to a paralyzed woman, and make money was always attractive.

At that time, she thought Feng Yi would eventually get tired of staying and leave. She never truly opened up to him. Even when he handed over money to her, she still secretly saved some money for herself.

But Feng Yi never left.

After more than a decade together, she realized that Feng Yi was the best person she had encountered.

However, not long after, Feng Yi fell ill.

She regretted not treating Feng Yi better before. Feng Yi had accompanied her through the toughest times, and when she had money and was willing to spend it, Feng Yi was gone.

In her previous life, Jiang Liyun had talked to Feng Yi about the past and learned that he had liked her for a long time. So, in this reincarnation, she wanted to be with Feng Yi as soon as possible.

Being a decisive person, she came to find Feng Yi right after her rebirth. Originally, she planned to directly ask Feng Yi if he wanted to be in a relationship with her, but when she saw him, the words couldn’t come out.

Feng Yi looked much younger than her son from the previous life and was very innocent.

The intense emotions inside her, boiling like water, seemed to calm down as if someone had added a lot of ice. Feng Yi had genuinely been good to her in the past, even in this one.

While her own siblings let her work in the fields, Feng Yi would secretly help her cut rice and plant seedlings. For her, Feng Yi was closer than her own younger brother.

Oh well, let’s just consider him a younger brother for now.

Jiang Liyun found a reason for herself to bring eggs: “Did you help me cut the rice in my field before? Consider these eggs as thanks.”

“Jie Liyun…” Feng Yi looked at her with a hint of panic on his face. “Who told you?”

“I guessed. Besides you, who else would help me?” She hadn’t figured it out in her previous life because she hadn’t interacted much with Feng Yi in recent years, and he was still quite thin, not seeming capable of doing so much work.

During that time, she genuinely didn’t pay much attention to Feng Yi.

Feng Yi lowered his head, stammering, “I… I…”

“Feng Yi! Get back to work!” someone shouted from afar.

While the workers at the brick and tile factory had some rest time after lunch, it wasn’t long.

Feng Yi glanced at the person who called him and then turned to look at Jiang Liping, showing a reluctance to move.

Seeing someone taller than herself behaving meekly in front of her, Jiang Liping couldn’t help but laugh. “Hurry up, eat the eggs, and get to work. I’m heading back too.”

“Yeah,” Feng Yi responded, stuffing the scrambled eggs into his mouth with his hand. He returned the enamel cup to Jiang Liyun but remained standing still.

Jiang Liyun, worried that Feng Yi might be blamed for going back late, said, “I’ll go back now. I’ll come to find you later in the evening.”

She planned to use her secret savings to buy a chicken to eat, and she would surely bring some for Feng Yi.

“You’ll come back tonight?” Feng Yi was pleasantly surprised, but his voice was muffled due to the eggs in his mouth.

“Yes, wait for me,” Jiang Liyun replied.

After speaking, Jiang Liyun quickly left the brick-and-tile factory. She had many things to do in the afternoon.

Feng Yi stood in place, watching Jiang Liyun leave, then hurried to his work area.

The scrambled eggs had cooled down, but they still smelled delicious, especially with the minced meat and oil residue inside.

Feng Yi savoured the taste slowly, not wanting to chew but just enjoying the flavors.

He thought Jiang Liyun wouldn’t bother with him anymore, but today, not only did she come to see him, but she also brought him food.

Jiang Liyun would come back in the evening!

Feng Yi’s mood was exceptionally good. He quietly joined Jiang Lihai to work together.