Chapter 27

Uncle Xie was probably in his early thirties, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He appeared to be a very gentle and cultured person, handsome in a refined way, unlike Lin Youqing, who was unkempt. Aunt Huang was a beautiful woman with shoulder-length hair gathered up in a green tie. She wore a blue-gray uniform coat, and her attire looked appropriate, elegant, and simple.

The Xie family’s courtyard layout was very similar to theirs, featuring four cave houses, with the kitchen on the west side of the yard. When they arrived, a young woman in glasses and a yellow coat was also in the Xie family’s living room.

Aunt Huang warmly welcomed them inside. “This must be Jiang Jiang, right? Such a pretty girl!”

“Jinyan, come over here.”

At Aunt Huang’s call, a six- or seven-year-old child came out of the room. He had bright, clear features, with evenly toned skin on his neck, a clean face, and deep, dark eyes.

“This is your Uncle Lin and Aunt He’s daughter, Jiang Jiang. She’s a year younger than you, so you should call her sister.”

“Little sister Jiang Jiang.”

Upon hearing Aunt Huang call her, Jiang Jiang nodded and replied, “Brother Jinyan.”

The two children, under the suggestion of their elders, shook hands like adults, but they quickly released each other’s hands after just a brief moment.

“Let me introduce you. This is Teacher Tian from the county primary school, my classmate from middle school.”

Teacher Tian looked up, smiled slightly, greeted them, and then continued to lower her head to read the book in her hands.

“I brought some fresh milk biscuits that I bought in the provincial capital a while ago. You should try them.”

Jiang Jiang tasted a piece of the fresh milk biscuit. It was a round, large biscuit with a rich, milky flavor and a pure wheat aroma. It was very crisp, but after finishing one piece, Jiang Jiang did not eat anymore. Although she did not show it on the surface, she felt a bit nervous inside.

“There’s also canned oranges. This can is especially sweet. Auntie will get you a spoon,” Huang Shuhua said as she handed Jiang Jiang the opened can of oranges along with a spoon.

“Thank you, Auntie.”

After expressing her gratitude, Jiang Jiang took the can of oranges with both hands. She looked at the food called canned oranges in front of her, feeling a bit curious. She scooped out a segment and put it in her mouth, and indeed, just as Huang Shuhua had said, it was particularly sweet and refreshing.

“Jiang Jiang can come over to play at Auntie’s house whenever you have time. Look, it’s not far at all; we’re in the same big courtyard, just a few steps away,” Huang Shuhua remarked.

She had always wanted another daughter, but she hadn’t been able to for various reasons. Jiang Jiang was a beautiful child, polite, and spoke gently; she just liked looking at her.

Huang Shuhua’s kind and gentle demeanor made Jiang Jiang feel much more relaxed.

“What does Jinyan usually do at home?” Huang Shuhua asked.

“Oh, he reads and writes. Sometimes he goes out to play with kids his age or helps his grandma with some chores,” came the reply.

“And Jiang Jiang?”

“About the same. I just started teaching her to recognize characters in the last couple of days.”

“Speaking of which, Jinyan has some unused workbooks. Maybe Jiang Jiang could use them?”

“That would be helpful. I was planning to find time to buy some new workbooks for Jiang Jiang anyway, so this saves me the trouble.”

While the adults talked, Jiang Jiang quietly ate her canned oranges, occasionally glancing at the boy in the corner.

He seemed to be concentrating on some puzzle, with sunlight streaming in from the window and casting a gentle glow on him, giving him an air of tranquility and tenderness.

Noticing Jiang Jiang’s gaze, Xie Jinyan looked up and smiled slightly at his newly met sister.

Jiang Jiang paused for a moment, and after a while, she responded with a smile of her own.

—o—o—o—

After leaving the Xie family home, He Guijuan took Jiang Jiang to the county’s department store.

There was only one department store in Qingjian Province, located in the most bustling area of the county. The grain shop was just in front of the store, where the monthly supply of thirty catty staple grains was sold.

Jiang Jiang held He Guijuan’s hand as they stepped into what felt like a new world to her.

The county department store was much larger than the supply cooperative Lin Youqing and He Guijuan had taken her to. It was filled with a wide variety of goods, with shelves behind the counters overflowing with products that sparkled with abundance.

There were even distinct sections, including stationery, daily necessities, and fabric.

He Guijuan first led Jiang Jiang to the fabric counter.

Her main reason for coming this time was to buy fabric to make a few new outfits for her daughter.

Before entering the city, He Guijuan had left all of Jiang Jiang’s tattered clothes back in Dongxi Village, bringing only the newly made maroon cotton jacket and a set of beige cotton shirts, along with a few old clothes given by Zhang Yueju.

As spring approached and the weather gradually warmed up, wearing winter clothes became less suitable. Moreover, with enrollment for the spring semester starting in March, Jiang Jiang will soon be going to primary school.

He Guijuan planned to buy some fabric to sew her daughter a couple of light and cheerful spring shirts.

“Jiang Jiang, do you like this one?”

He Guijuan held up a piece of fabric with a white base and pink floral patterns in front of the child.

“Mm-hmm, I like it,” Jiang Jiang nodded in agreement.

She liked such fresh and vibrant colors.

“What about this one?” He Guijuan picked up a piece of white fabric.

“Like it,” Jiang Jiang replied.

He Guijuan handed the two pieces of fabric to the sales clerk. “Comrade, please cut a length of this pink floral fabric and another of this white one.”

Over the past few years, she and her husband had hardly made any new clothes. They had saved up the fabric coupons distributed by their work unit and those given by others. After accounting for what they had brought home, there were still quite a few left, enough to make several new outfits for Jiang Jiang.

The sales clerk was a round-faced girl in her twenties. “We just received two red cardigans from the provincial capital, which would be perfect for children of her age. Would you like to take a look?”

“These cardigans are open-fronted and can be worn as outerwear. When the weather gets warmer, wearing a cotton jacket will feel bulky. If she wears this cardigan over a spring shirt, it will look stylish and modern.”

“Then please show them to me.”

The sales clerk retrieved two cardigans from the shelves beneath the counter and handed them to He Guijuan.

These were handmade wool sweaters, soft to the touch and feeling very nice. He Guijuan held the clothes up to Jiang Jiang for comparison; the size was just right, and Jiang Jiang would look beautiful wearing them.

“They really are pretty. How much are they each?”

“This is a bit expensive, six yuan each.”

Upon hearing the price, Jiang Jiang quickly tugged at He Guijuan’s shirt hem. “Mom, I don’t want the cardigan anymore.”

“It’s okay,” He Guijuan said, patting the child’s head. She and her husband had only this one child, so naturally, they wanted to give her the best of everything.

“Comrade, please get me one,” He Guijuan instructed the clerk.

“Sure! I’ll pack it up for you. Do you still want one piece of that fabric and one piece of the white one?”

“Yes,” she confirmed.

After leaving the fabric section with the newly purchased cardigan and fabric, He Guijuan took Jiang Jiang to the stationery area, where they bought new pencils, erasers, and writing notebooks. Jiang Jiang had been using a half-used pencil left by Lin Youqing for her writing practice over the past few days.

He Guijuan decided to buy two new ones to have on hand for when the half-used one was finished.

Finally, He Guijuan went to the daily necessities section to restock on bottled soy sauce and salt.

She also picked up a pack of peach crisp cookies on a whim. These cookies had a rich flavor, with a sweet taste complemented by a hint of saltiness, making them quite unique.