Chapter 33

Zhong Xing originally planned to return to the county town to visit his family at the end of the month, but when his family wrote to him, they mentioned that his grandfather had accidentally fallen while taking a stroll.

Falling was not a trivial matter for an elderly person, and Zhong Xing could not rest easy, so he requested leave to come back early.

After returning to the county town and confirming that his grandfather was not seriously hurt, just having sprained his ankle, Zhong Xing finally felt relieved.

His mother had not seen her son for two or three months and had been thinking about him a lot; she insisted that he stay at home for a few more days before heading back to Dongxi Village.

However, his parents were busy working during the day, and his former classmates were either sent to the countryside for work or were occupied with making a living. Feeling bored at home, Zhong Xing suddenly thought of Jiang Jiang and decided to pay her a visit.

He first stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative. Since he planned to visit her, it wouldn’t be appropriate to go empty-handed, so he bought a bag of tea leaves, two catty of apples, and some egg cakes that children loved to eat.

—o—o—o—

On the day Zhong Xing decided to visit her, it turned out that Jiang Jiang was unwell.

She had been running a fever for a day and a half, feeling groggy and muddled. It wasn’t due to being caught in the rain or getting chilled; it was just a regular fever.

Since her immune system was still developing, exposure to unfamiliar bacteria and viruses could easily lead to infections and fevers. As she grew older, the frequency of her fevers would gradually decrease.

He Guijuan took a day off to care for her at home.

“Take another bite,” she urged, holding a spoonful of congee to Jiang Jiang’s lips.

Jiang Jiang shook her head with a pained expression, “I can’t eat.”

She didn’t want to worry He Guijuan; she truly felt nauseous and couldn’t keep anything down.

“Well then, I’ll keep the congee warm on the stove. You should sleep first, and when you wake up, you can eat,” He Guijuan said.

A worried frown creased her face. A child who wouldn’t eat had no strength to fight off the germs.

Jiang Jiang nodded, her cheeks flushed.

He Guijuan kissed her daughter’s forehead, and as she left, she quietly closed Jiang Jiang’s bedroom door. She went to the kitchen to prepare the leftover celery from yesterday, pondering what to cook for her daughter at noon to help replenish her strength.

Hearing someone knock on the door, He Guijuan opened it and was somewhat surprised to see the visitor.

“Little Zhong, what brings you here?”

Zhong Xing held up the items in his hands. “Doctor He, I came to see Jiang Jiang. Is she home?”

“Yes, she’s here, but Jiang Jiang has been sick these past couple of days. I took the day off to care for her… Come in, you child, you arrived with so much stuff!”

He Guijuan invited Zhong Xing to sit down and got him a clean cup to pour some water.

Zhong Xing was taken aback by her words, a hint of worry creasing his brow. “Jiang Jiang is sick?”

“She has a fever. She’s been dazed and lacking energy for the past couple of days and doesn’t want to eat anything. When she wakes up, she will surely be very happy to see you. Maybe she will eat a little more,” He Guijuan said.

Jiang Jiang had always been close to Zhong Xing when she was in Dongxi Village. Waking up to see him would undoubtedly cheer her up.

“How’s everything in the village lately?” Zhong Xing asked.

“We just finished the planting, so I finally had a chance to come back to the city.” He had gotten quite tanned over the past half month; this time, he returned without making much effort to tidy himself up, wearing the rubber shoes and long sleeves he had used to work in the fields.

“There are vacant houses at the youth point, and Hángyuǎn and I have already moved over there.” He mentioned Lin Youqing’s family was not around, which added a bit of awkwardness and discomfort to their stay.

However, Lin’s family’s Shuanzhu still occasionally asked him about homework.

He Guijuan nodded. “Moving there and living with people your own age isn’t bad… Are you adjusting well to village life?”

Grandma Lin had never been keen on providing accommodations for the educated youth sent to the countryside, so moving out was for the best, sparing them from having to deal with her moods.

Zhong Xing smiled. “It’s going alright.”

“It’s almost noon. I’m going to the market to buy some vegetables. You can stay here for lunch… Jiang Jiang’s dad is out of town for an inspection, and she’s sleeping in there. Keep an eye on her for me. When she wakes up, just tell her I’ve gone out,” He Guijuan said.

Zhong Xing stood up and volunteered to take on the task of buying the vegetables. “Auntie, let me go.”

“Absolutely not! You just sit here; I’ll be back very soon,” she insisted.

After He Guijuan left, Zhong Xing sat on the sofa for a while. It wasn’t until he heard faint sounds coming from the inner room that he got up, knocked on the door, and pushed it open.

Jiang Jiang felt dizzy and disoriented, not knowing how long she had been asleep.

Seeing Zhong Xing, she rubbed her eyes in surprise, unable to believe it. “Brother Zhong Xing?”

“Your mom went out to buy some vegetables,” he replied.

Jiang Jiang acknowledged him and pointed to the stool by the bed. “You can sit here, brother.”

After sleeping for a while, she felt much more energetic. She pulled back the covers, intending to get out of bed to get a glass of water.

Zhong Xing stopped her. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m thirsty,” Jiang Jiang said, coughing a little. Her throat felt dry and uncomfortable.

“I’ll pour it for you,” he offered.

After Zhong Xing brought her a glass of warm water, Jiang Jiang sighed contentedly as it soothed her throat. She nestled back under the covers, shifting to make room for him. “You can sit here, brother.”

Zhong Xing checked her forehead; it was no longer hot. “Do you still feel that bad?”

“Much better now,” she replied.

“How are you adjusting to life in the village?” Zhong Xing asked.

“It’s pretty good. At first, I felt a bit out of place, but now I’ve adjusted quite a bit,” Jiang Jiang replied. Zhong Xing’s family consisted of workers. During school, he took labor classes, but only when he worked in the fields did he realize how much knowledge was involved in farming.

Noticing her cup was empty, Zhong Xing poured her another glass of water. “What about you? How is school? Is it tough?”

“I’m keeping up with the pace, and my classmates are all really nice to me,” Jiang Jiang said, taking a big gulp of water.

“Are you hungry?”

Initially, she didn’t feel anything, but after Zhong Xing asked, she really did feel a bit hungry. “A little. I remember my mom said she warmed some congee in the kitchen.”

“I’ll go get it,” he said.

Zhong Xing went to the kitchen to bring the congee to her. He noticed there were some pickled vegetables in the kitchen to accompany the congee, so he grabbed a few. The congee was thick and creamy, and as Jiang Jiang opened her mouth, he fed her a spoonful, and she ate eagerly.

“Brother Zhong Xing, how many days will you stay in the city this time?” Jiang Jiang asked. Since he had helped their family so much last time, she wanted to buy him a gift to show her gratitude.

“Maybe a day or two. I’ll go back to my parents’ place tonight. Tomorrow is Saturday, so you won’t have class, right?”

Spring had fully arrived, the weather was nice, and many wildflowers were blooming on the mountain, making it perfect for a walk.

After buying things from the supply and marketing cooperative, he still had some money left. He thought he could buy a small gift for Jiang Jiang when passing by the shop.

Jiang Jiang felt the same way and suggested, “Then let’s go for a walk tomorrow?”

Zhong Xing rubbed her head affectionately. “I’ll come to find you tomorrow morning. If you feel better, we’ll go out for a stroll.”

At noon, He Guijuan prepared four dishes and a soup: stir-fried pork with celery, cold-dressed sweet woodruff, scrambled eggs, and seaweed egg drop soup, along with a plate of pig’s head meat bought from the state-run canteen. The staple food was steamed white flour buns. Considering that Jiang Jiang was still sick, He Guijuan only added a little salt for flavor, keeping the dishes light.

Zhong Xing accepted the soup that He Guijuan handed him. “Thank you, Auntie.”

“Don’t be so polite. Treat this place like your own home. Feel free to take whatever you want,” she encouraged.

“I was in a hurry today, so I just made a few quick dishes. Next time you come to our house, Auntie will let you have a taste of my cooking skills,” she added.

“You’re too kind; this is already quite a feast,” Zhong Xing replied.

Jiang Jiang glanced at the bowl of congee and took a big sip. “Mom, can I go out shopping with Brother Zhong Xing tomorrow?”

“Sure, you two can have a good time. Your dad and I have been so busy with work that we haven’t had much time to spend with you,” He Guijuan said.

“Sorry to trouble you, Little Zhong,” she added.

“It’s no trouble at all. I haven’t had much to do these past couple of days. It’s like Jiang Jiang is keeping me company; Auntie, please don’t mention it,” Zhong Xing said gently.

The afternoon in March was still a bit sultry, but a cool breeze swept by, rustling the willow branches on the street and adding a bit of life to the afternoon.

Children’s illnesses come and go quickly. Once Jiang Jiang’s fever subsided, she felt much better.

After lunch, Jiang Jiang returned to her room and counted her New Year’s money.

During the New Year, Grandma Lin gave her five cents in a red envelope, her Aunt Zhang Yueju gave her twenty cents, her Father Lin Youqing gave her five yuan, Zhong Xing gave her two yuan, and Uncle Tang Xiaojun Yuanjiang County gave her three yuan and fifty cents. In total, Jiang Jiang had ten yuan and seventy-five cents.

Since Brother Zhong Xing was so good to her, she naturally wanted to reciprocate.

Jiang Jiang took out five yuan from her stash, folded it neatly, and tucked it into her pocket.