Chapter 17

Her husband had disappeared without saying anything, and when He Guijuan returned from the commune, she learned that Zhong Xing had taken her daughter out to search for him.

“Doctor He, don’t worry. My classmate is a reliable person. If he can’t find Secretary Lin, he’ll bring Jiang Jiang back…”

Yu Hangyuan tried to reassure her, but he couldn’t help cursing in his heart. Taking someone else’s child out in the middle of the night—what if something happened? Would he be able to take responsibility if there were any serious consequences?

He Guijuan closed her eyes, feeling as though all the strength had drained from her body. Her husband was missing, and now her daughter was gone too. Where could they go in this freezing weather? Where would she even begin to look? And what if something went wrong?

“Third Brother’s wife, this is my fault. I didn’t keep a close enough watch on Jiang Jiang. Just now, Mother rushed into the kitchen, scolded, and even hit the child, saying some very harsh things. The child must not have been able to bear it and decided to go find her father.” Zhang Yueju explained.

He Guijuan turned her head sharply. “She hit and scolded Jiang Jiang?”

Zhang Yueju swallowed and gave a reluctant nod. “Yes.”

He Guijuan let out a cold laugh. “Even if she hates me, I can accept that. But she couldn’t tolerate a child? Jiang Jiang ran out into the freezing cold because of her, and yet she sleeps soundly in the warm kiln bed. Even if Jiang Jiang isn’t her biological granddaughter, she shouldn’t treat a child this way, right?”

They waited well into the middle of the night, but there was still no sign of Zhong Xing bringing Jiang Jiang back.

He Guijuan was exhausted, yet her mind was fully alert. Suddenly, she heard the rapid sound of footsteps from outside. She rushed out the door and saw Zhong Xing and Jiang Jiang, supporting her husband, making their way back.

“Guijuan…” Lin Youqing managed a pale, weak smile.

The surprise hit her so suddenly that she wanted to say something, but she found her voice had failed her. She opened her mouth, and tears uncontrollably began to flow.

“What are you standing there for? Help him inside, and bring blankets quickly!” Eldest Brother Lin reminded everyone urgently.

Lin Youqing forced himself to change out of his snow-soaked clothes. Zhong Xing and Jiang Jiang were in better shape, having spent less time in the snow.

Zhong Xing had taken great care of Jiang Jiang—aside from her outermost layer being a bit damp and her hair slightly messy, she was largely unharmed.

He Guijuan, being a doctor, always carried a medical kit with her, stocked with essential medicines.

She administered a tablet to Lin Youqing to ease his condition, handing it to him with warm water. Jiang Jiang watched closely, and after her father took the medicine, his face visibly improved.

Zhang Yueju brought over a pot of porridge she had prepared, serving each of them a bowl. The warm, comforting ginger, brown sugar, and millet porridge brought much-needed warmth to their bodies.

As the hot towel touched her face, Jiang Jiang finally felt the sting of her injuries and couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.

He Guijuan gently pressed a warm towel to her daughter’s wounds and applied a cooling ointment to reduce swelling and pain, which brought Jiang Jiang soothing relief.

Jiang Jiang’s hair was a tangled mess, so He Guijuan decided to undo her hair, carefully combing it through by hand. She then loosely tied it up in a bun to avoid any strands from sticking to the ointment on her face.

While she treated Jiang Jiang’s wounds, Zhong Xing recounted their harrowing journey—how they had walked down that dark, overgrown path, searching for hours in the snow. Just when they were about to lose hope, they finally found Lin Youqing.

He Guijuan glanced at her husband and said, “Today, we are truly grateful to you, Xiao Zhong. My husband and I will be sure to prepare a small gift and visit you soon.”

Zhong Xing scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. “You’re too kind, Doctor He. It’s nothing, just what we should do. If there’s nothing else, Hangyuan and I will head back to rest.”

Tomorrow was Lunar New Year’s Eve. Both Zhong Xing and Yu Hangyuan were from families in the county seat. Had it not been for the snowstorm, they would probably have returned home to share a meal with their families. But under the circumstances, they’d likely spend New Year’s Day sleeping in and then, maybe in the next few days, find a chance to visit home.

“Alright.”

“Third Brother, Sister-in-law, we’ll head back now too,” Zhang Yueju yawned. After being up and about for most of the night, dawn was nearly breaking, and they could still catch a bit of sleep if they left now.

“Thank you so much, Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law.”

“We’re family—no need to be so formal.”

After closing the door, He Guijuan noticed Jiang Jiang had already fallen asleep from exhaustion. She gently touched her daughter’s forehead and, reassured there was no fever, finally felt some peace of mind.

He Guijuan lay down on the heated brick bed between her daughter on the left and her husband on the right. The moment she rested her head, tears began to flow uncontrollably. Lin Youqing held her close, whispering gently, “Don’t cry. I’m here, safe and sound, aren’t I?”

“Today, I felt like my whole world was collapsing.”

“I’m so sorry for making you worry.”

He Guijuan pinched him lightly. “You know you scared me. Don’t let this happen again.”

“I won’t,” Lin Youqing promised to comfort her.

—o—o—o—

The next day, Jiang Jiang didn’t wake until almost noon. When she saw the bright sunlight outside, she froze, suddenly anxious. Had she really slept this late?

Had Sister Fengzhen already fed the pigs and swept the courtyard? Was she out gathering pig fodder on the mountain by now?

Anxious, Jiang Jiang hurriedly dressed, not even noticing she had put her shoes on the wrong feet in her haste.

Just as she was about to climb down from the bed, she saw He Guijuan carrying in a basin of warm water. “What’s got you in such a rush?”

“Mom.” Jiang Jiang called out. After applying the ointment, she fell asleep again, and her face no longer hurt at all.

“You’re awake? I saved some breakfast for you. Go wash up, and I’ll bring it over,” He Guijuan said. When they woke up, Jiang Jiang was still asleep, so they didn’t call her. He Guijuan had also instructed Shuanzhu and the others not to play in the yard, afraid they might wake their daughter.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Jiang Jiang found a bowl of hand-pulled noodles waiting for her. On top, there was a fried egg drizzled with sesame oil and sprinkled with chopped scallions, giving off a delicious aroma.

“Eat up!”

Jiang Jiang was already starving and dug in eagerly. The noodles were fragrant and soft, and biting into the fried egg was heavenly. With each mouthful of noodles, Jiang Jiang felt this was truly the happiest moment of her life.

“Your dad is out in the yard chopping firewood. Today is New Year’s Eve, and we’re setting off firecrackers. After you finish breakfast, you can go out and play with Brother Shuanzhu for a while.”

After finishing her noodles, Jiang Jiang watched as He Guijuan took the bowl to the kitchen.

Just as she was about to head out to find Shuanzhu, she was called to stop by Grandma Lin.

Grandma Lin had learned that Jiang Jiang and Zhong Xing were the ones who had rescued Lin Youqing from the snow, and for once, she treated Jiang Jiang with a bit of kindness. She handed her a handful of the cheapest red double happiness fruit candies.

Grandma Lin maintained a stern expression. If it hadn’t been for Lin Youqing talking to her that morning, she wouldn’t have even considered giving her this candy.

The candy was a bit damp and had stuck together in a gooey lump in her hand. Jiang Jiang accepted the candy and politely said, “Thank you, Grandma.”

Grandma Lin was taken aback; the children in her household never said “thank you.” This wild girl actually knew how to express gratitude, and her soft voice warmed Grandma Lin’s heart a little despite her dislike for the child.

In an uncharacteristically gentle tone, she said, “Alright, it’s New Year’s Eve today. Go play.”