Chapter 21

From behind a few trees, Jiang Jiang spotted Fengzhen squatting by a patch of low pines, her eyes red and puffy, as if she had just been crying.

“Sister Fengzhen!”

Fengzhen hadn’t expected someone to come here suddenly.

She looked a bit startled, frozen in place as she watched Jiang Jiang hurriedly approach her.

“I woke up and didn’t see you. The basket for gathering pig fodder is missing, so I guessed you must have come up the mountain…”

Jiang Jiang paused for a moment, then pulled a small handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped Fengzhen’s tears. “Sister Fengzhen, are you okay?”

“Wuwu…”

Fengzhen couldn’t help but cry as she hugged Jiang Jiang.

It wasn’t until her stomach let out a loud growl from hunger that Fengzhen blushed and released her.

She hadn’t eaten much at lunch.

At her maternal grandmother’s house, the food was bland and watery, and with so many people, all she managed to eat was a bowl of thin porridge and a cornmeal steamed bun.

By the time she wanted more, the basket was already empty.

“Here, eat this,” Jiang Jiang said as she opened the paper wrap and held out an oil cake to her.

The two girls each took a piece of oil cake and found a clean spot to sit down and eat. The oil cake was fried and filled with brown sugar filling; taking a bite was both fragrant and sweet.

“It’s delicious,” Jiang Jiang exclaimed happily after biting into her oil cake.

Fengzhen stared at the little girl beside her, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Jiang Jiang, why do you want to play with me? Don’t you think I’m stupid?”

“You’ve never looked down on me, either, Sister Fengzhen.”

In this family, apart from her parents, she spent most of her time with Fengzhen, who was the first person in the household to truly accept her. She was her first friend.

Jiang Jiang hugged her tightly and said earnestly, “Sister Fengzhen, you are a simple and down-to-earth person with a kind heart.”

“Thank you, Jiang Jiang.”

—o—o—o—

After finishing their oil cakes, Jiang Jiang and Fengzhen filled the basket with pig fodder before heading back together.

When Li Hongmei saw Fengzhen with Jiang Jiang, anger boiled inside her.

If it weren’t for Jiang Jiang, Fengyin would have been the daughter of the third couple by now. She sneered, “Look how close you are with that wild child! If this cursed star brings us misfortune, I won’t spare you!”

Seeing Jiang Jiang bow her head, Fengzhen suddenly found a surge of courage. She straightened her back and said firmly, “Mom, Jiang Jiang is not a wild child. She is the adopted daughter of Third Uncle and Third Aunt, my cousin, and my friend.”

“You…” Li Hongmei glared at her defiant daughter, furious, and moved as if she would hit her.

“Oh, in this cold winter, you’ve still managed to fill a basket with pig fodder! You two hurry and get the pig feed bucket to feed the pigs.” Zhang Yueju intervened, coming to the children’s aid.

Li Hongmei suspected that Zhang Yueju had overheard her insulting Jiang Jiang earlier, and she didn’t want to escalate things in front of her.

She wouldn’t gain anything if it became a big deal, so she reluctantly let it go.

After Fengzhen and Jiang Jiang fed the pigs, they went to the kitchen to help the adults start the fire.

They had steamed white buns for dinner, braised pork and cabbage with vermicelli, braised spare ribs with radish, and a plate of pickled radish sprouts.

Halfway through the meal, they suddenly realized that a child was missing from the family.

Fengyin had been injured by a trap in the mountains, and by the time the villagers helped look for her, she was close to losing consciousness and had bled quite a bit.

In the cold winter, some people in the countryside set traps to catch weasels, skinning them to sell the pelts on the black market. Weasel pelts were valuable, but it had become a secretive operation in recent years due to stricter regulations.

These traps were often hidden in piles of grass, and it was unfortunate for those who fell victim to them.

After the family hurriedly ate a little on the afternoon of the second day of the New Year, Grandma Lin prepared a pot of thin porridge.

She felt sorry for her son and placed a fried egg, some leftover white buns from breakfast, and a few chopsticks of pickled cabbage on top of the porridge.

Lin Youqing took it upon himself to deliver food to Second Brother Lin, grabbing the food container and heading out the door with his daughter.

He pushed the black “Yongjiu” bicycle out of the courtyard, down a small slope, and onto the road. The moon had risen from the direction of Junfeng Mountain, casting a dim light over the blurred outlines of the village and the earth.

This bicycle had been purchased by Lin Youqing and was usually kept at home, but whenever he wasn’t around, Eldest Brother Lin and Second Brother Lin took turns riding it.

Lin Youqing hugged his daughter as he got on the bike. “Are you seated securely?”

“Secured.”

Fengyin was receiving treatment at the hospital in the commune, and Jiang Jiang held onto the food container with one hand.

Lin Youqing was worried that it would be dark on their way back and they wouldn’t be able to see the road, so he made sure to bring a flashlight and had his daughter carry it.

It was cold outside. He Guijuan, feeling sorry for her child, took out her own wool scarf and wrapped it around Jiang Jiang. She hadn’t initially wanted Jiang Jiang to accompany them, but since Jiang Jiang insisted on going with her father, she had no choice but to agree.

With his daughter with him and the cold weather, Lin Youqing didn’t dare ride too fast. The ten-kilometer journey took them nearly twenty minutes to cycle before they finally arrived at the commune hospital.

The hospital was a single-story building and appeared rather simple, with a sign at the entrance reading “Luling Commune Hospital.”

“Comrade, hello. I’d like to ask which ward Lin Fengyin is in,” Lin Youqing inquired.

The nurse on duty was a short, chubby woman. She glanced at them and asked, “Are you the family of the little girl injured by a trap?”

“Yes.”

“She’s in ward 103.”

“Thank you, Comrade.” After expressing his gratitude, Lin Youqing carried the food container and took his daughter to Ward 103.

Second, Brother Lin looked at Lin Youqing, his face tired. “Why are you here?”

“I brought you some food. How’s Fengyin doing?”

Second Brother Lin was extremely hungry and quickly grabbed a white bun from the bowl on top of the food container. He bit into it forcefully, swallowing without much chewing.

“The wound has been treated and is fine now, but we still need to observe her for a while. The medical and hospitalization fees aren’t cheap…”

What a money-losing situation this was! This child couldn’t contribute anything and was still required to spend money.

He chewed on the bun as he spoke, casting a complex look at Jiang Jiang, who stood next to Lin Youqing. Why had the third brother decided to adopt this wild child?

If they had adopted Fengyin, he would have lost a burden and secured a house and money left by the third couple for Fengyin’s future.

If Fengyin were really adopted, who knew? Maybe she could even become an official one day, and he would then be the father of someone important.

“Good to hear she’s fine. Money can be earned again. You should eat your meal now. Jiang Jiang and I will head back first. Even though we have a flashlight, the road is still hard to navigate in the dark…”

“Alright, I’ll head back early tomorrow morning.”

Jiang Jiang sat on the back seat of the bicycle, pulled out a big White Rabbit milk candy from her pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.

The candy was sweet and creamy, much better than fruit candies.

However, it was also much more expensive than fruit candy. He Guijuan hadn’t been willing to buy too many, so when they returned home, she had shared a few pieces with the neighboring children and split half with her two sisters-in-law, saving the rest for Jiang Jiang.

—o—o—o—

When father and daughter arrived home, He Guijuan was already starting to pack things to take back to the city.

“Tomorrow, we’ll sort out Jiang Jiang’s old things. Once we’re back in the city, we’ll use a fence to enclose a small piece of land in the yard and then go to the town market to have a carpenter custom-make a chicken coop to keep the old hen in the yard.”

“Okay.” Jiang Jiang hadn’t expected Lin Youqing and He Guijuan to agree to her bringing the old hen to the city.

“We won’t need the old clothes anymore; they’re all tattered and worn out. That cotton jacket isn’t warm at all and can’t be worn. Once we get to the city, we can make a few new sets. Just gather up the items Jiang Jiang’s parents left and take them along.”

Jiang Jiang nodded, “Mhm, I’ll listen to Mom.”