Chapter 38

When Fengzhen came to the city this time, Lin Youqing and his wife bought a new outfit for their niece. It was a yellow floral dress and a pair of green plastic sandals. He Guijuan also styled matching braids for the two sisters, tying the shiny black ponytails with pink hair ties, making them look playful and bright.

Fengzhen stood in front of the mirror, looking back and forth many times, nearly bursting into joyous dance.

“By the way, Jiang Jiang, I have a gift for you,” Fengzhen remembered she hadn’t given her present yet and rummaged through her bag.

It was a colorful bracelet she had made herself. The materials for weaving the bracelet were secretly bought with her New Year’s lucky money. Afraid of being discovered by her family, she could only weave it while collecting pig grass, working a little bit every day. After several days of effort, she finally completed it.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful! Did you make this, Sister Fengzhen?” Jiang Jiang exclaimed.

“Of course!” Fengzhen nodded proudly at the compliment.

“Let me help you put it on.”

Jiang Jiang extended her wrist, and Fengzhen unfastened the bracelet, placing it next to Jiang Jiang’s watch. Jiang Jiang’s slender wrist made the bracelet look particularly lovely on her.

Fengzhen sighed, “Who knows when we’ll see each other next time.”

“When you come to the county to attend junior high school, we can meet often,” Jiang Jiang replied.

No junior high school was in the commune, so students who wanted to continue their studies after finishing elementary school had to go to the county town for junior high.

Fengzhen shrugged her shoulders. “Junior high? I’m not sure if I can pass the entrance exam. Besides, I don’t want to continue studying. Knowing how to read after elementary school is good enough; I don’t want to be a blind fool.”

Fengzhen didn’t like school; she found it much more enjoyable to work in the mountains.

Jiang Jiang became anxious upon hearing this. “How can you not study? You must continue your education! Dad says that education makes people open-minded. The more books you read, the more knowledge you gain; you’ll have different perspectives on problems. That way, you won’t spend your life in confusion.”

“At least you should finish junior high… What if one day you don’t want to work in the village anymore? You could go out and see the world,” Jiang Jiang encouraged.

“Let’s talk about it then. If I can’t pass the exam, there’sI can do nothing about it,” Fengzhen pouted. In her eyes, studying was something optional.

“Well, when you go back, you must study hard,” Jiang Jiang insisted.

“I know,” Fengzhen replied, a mix of amusement and exasperation in her voice. “You’ve really spent too much time with Uncle San and Aunt San; you’ve got all these grand principles. I promise I’ll do my best, but if I really can’t pass, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Zhong Xing and the others are coming,” He Guijuan called out to Fengzhen, carrying a large bag of items. “These are all for everyone. I’ve divided the stuff into three parts: one for your grandmother, one for your sister-in-law, and one for your second sister-in-law. And this egg and pancake are for you to eat on the way back.”

Fengzhen hugged Jiang Jiang. “I had so much fun this time in the county. Aunt San’s noodles and the meals were delicious. It was my first time visiting a department store, my first time riding a bus, and I bought new clothes and ate a lot of snacks… Jiang Jiang, thank you.”

The mood suddenly grew more intense with the feeling of parting. Jiang Jiang’s eyes welled up. “Sister Fengzhen, when I have time, I’ll return to the village to find you. You must continue your studies in the county; I’ll be waiting for you.”

Fengzhen’s voice choked with emotion. After a long moment, she nodded earnestly. “Okay.”

“Let’s stop here,” Fengzhen said, wiping her face with her hand and forcing a smile. “Aunt San, Jiang Jiang, goodbye. I will miss you.”

“You’re a good, honest child. Make sure to study well at home, and remember to balance work and rest. Don’t rush to do all the dirty or heavy work; some tasks aren’t meant for a child like you. Come back to Aunt San’s house to play during your break,” He Guijuan advised.

“Okay.”

He Guijuan and her daughter watched as the three boarded the bus before returning to leave.

In April, the peach blossoms in the mountains across from the county primary school bloomed like fire and clouds. The air was humid, the grass was lush, and the river water was clear, filled with the breath of rejuvenation.

After the bell rang for the third period’s end, the teacher had just stepped out of the classroom when the students in the class immediately became restless. They started to play and chase each other in the corridor. After more than a month of getting to know each other, the classmates were already quite familiar with one another.

Jiang Jiang was studying the bracelet that Fengzhen had made for her when her deskmate, Chen Qian Nan, suddenly commented, “Where did you buy that outfit? It looks really nice.”

“This one? I bought it at the county department store,” Jiang Jiang replied. It was the first time she had worn this piece of clothing to school. She had worn it two or three times before, but only at home. It was too inappropriate to wear a cotton coat in March or April, yet it wasn’t warm enough for short sleeves either, so this outfit was just right.

“I think it looks good too, so bright red! It makes people happy just looking at it,” Chen Qian Nan said.

“Is this made of wool? It feels so soft,” another girl chimed in.

A few other girls gathered around to discuss Jiang Jiang’s red sweater.

“How much did this sweater cost?” one of them asked.

“It was about six yuan,” Jiang Jiang replied, feeling a twinge of regret as she remembered. During winter, vegetables were cheap; a catty of cabbage was two cents, and a catty of radishes was just one cent. She couldn’t help but think how many catties of cabbage and radishes she could have bought for six yuan.

“That’s so expensive!” the girls exclaimed, their eyes wide. That was nearly equivalent to what their family spent in a month.

In the afternoon, the school had a unified labor class, and each class had its assigned area to clean. Jiang Jiang glanced at her red sweater and then at the bustling scene outside, where dust was flying everywhere. After a moment’s thought, she took off the sweater and carefully folded it before placing it in her desk drawer.

Since Jiang Jiang started attending the county elementary school, Xie Jinyan would always wait for her to go home together unless there was another reason. That afternoon, he waited about ten minutes under the elm tree at the school entrance but didn’t see Jiang Jiang. Initially, he thought about heading home directly, but then he changed his mind and decided to go inside the school to look for her.

Xie Jinyan first went to the first-grade classroom, but it was empty, and not a single person was in sight. He then went to the teacher’s office. When Teacher Tian saw him, she asked, “Xie Jinyan? Isn’t it time to go home already? Why are you still here?”

“Teacher Tian, I’m looking for Lin Jiang Jiang,” he said.

“Lin Jiang Jiang? She left school right after class ended,” Teacher Tian replied.

“I understand, thank you, Teacher.”

The county elementary school was not far from the county party committee compound, and it took about ten minutes to walk back. Before heading home, Xie Jinyan decided to stop by Lin Youqing’s house to take a look. It didn’t seem like anyone had returned home there, so where could Jiang Jiang be?

His expression turned worried. Once he returned home, he tossed his backpack onto a chair and rushed back out the door.

He searched several places where Jiang Jiang might have gone but didn’t find her. Just as he was starting to feel puzzled, he noticed a crowd gathered near the yellow earthen steps, seemingly engaged in something.

An elderly lady was trying to comfort someone, saying, “Little girl, don’t cry. If something is bothering you, feel free to share it with us. We can see if there’s anything we can do to help…”

Xie Jinyan’s heart sank. He quickly jumped down the steps and rushed over. Sure enough, the person in the crowd was Jiang Jiang.

“Jiang Jiang,” he said softly, gently tapping her shoulder.

Jiang Jiang looked up, her eyes swollen like a rabbit’s. Her ears, neck, and face were red from crying, and her gaze was dazed. “Jinyan Gege?” she murmured.

Xie Jinyan felt a weight lift off his heart upon seeing her. He glanced around at the crowd, his voice calm and gentle, “Thank you, everyone, for your help. My sister seems to be in a bit of trouble. I’ll take her home now. Thank you all for your concern.”

Hearing this, the crowd began to disperse, returning to their own business—some went back to work while others headed home.

Only the two of them remained at the steps. Seeing her tears streaming down her face, Xie Jinyan hesitated for a moment before pulling a sleeve from his shirt to wipe her tears.

Jiang Jiang struggled to compose herself. Just as she was about to speak, tears began to flow uncontrollably again. Xie Jinyan steadied her shoulders, and she cried for a long time before finally choking out, “Wuwu… Jinyan Gege, my sweater, my sweater is missing.”

“Missing? Is it the red sweater you wore this morning when you left?” he asked, glancing at her. She was now only wearing a white spring shirt.

“Don’t be sad. Please tell me how it went missing,” he encouraged gently.

“During the afternoon labor class, I removed my sweater and put it in the desk drawer so it wouldn’t get dirty. When I came back, it was already gone. They all helped me look for it, but we couldn’t find it anywhere.” The more Jiang Jiang thought about it, the sadder she became. The sweater wasn’t cheap; her mother had bought it for her. She didn’t know how she could forgive herself if it was lost just like that.

“Is it possible that a classmate is playing a prank on you?” Xie Jinyan asked.

Jiang Jiang shook her head. “No, the kids in our class wouldn’t joke around like that.”

Clothes didn’t grow wings, so how could it just vanish? It was likely taken by another student. Xie Jinyan continued to ask Jiang Jiang, “Does your sweater have any distinguishing features?”

“It’s a red wool sweater, and my name is sewn on the cuffs,” she replied.

“Let’s go home first. I’ll help you look for it again tomorrow. They’ll worry if Uncle Lin and Aunt He comes home and sees you’re not back yet. We can discuss it properly when we’re home.”

Jiang Jiang thought for a moment, then nodded and got up to follow Xie Jinyan back.

When they arrived at the entrance of the courtyard, they saw Lin Youqing and He Guijuan, who had just gotten off work. The two were surprised to see the children returning so late. Jiang Jiang’s eyes were swollen like walnuts. He Guijuan stepped forward in shock, asking, “Jiang Jiang, what happened? Did a classmate bully you at school?”

“Aunt He, Jiang Jiang lost her sweater. I’ll go to school tomorrow to help her look for it. She’s really upset, so please don’t blame her,” Xie Jinyan explained.

He Guijuan sighed in relief upon hearing this. “I thought something serious happened. If it’s lost, it’s lost. Mom will buy you a new one another day.”

Lin Youqing nodded in agreement. “Your mom is right. It’s just a piece of clothing. We can buy a new one another day. As long as you’re safe, that’s what matters.”

“Thank you for today, Jinyan,” he added.

Xie Jinyan scratched his head modestly. “Uncle, Auntie, you’re too polite. I’ll be heading back now.”

Lin Youqing and his wife then took their daughter home.

That night, Jiang Jiang couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning all night as thoughts of the red sweater filled her mind, still making her feel sad.

The next afternoon, since He Guijuan wasn’t on duty, she went to the county department store to buy new outerwear for Jiang Jiang. The original red wool sweater was no longer in stock, so He Guijuan had to settle for a light yellow knit sweater for her daughter. The new sweater felt nice to the touch, and its fresh, simple color was just right for the season.

However, the new clothes weren’t cheap, which made Jiang Jiang feel even more guilty. She no longer dared to leave her clothes in the classroom.

After Xie Jinyan had gone to school and searched for the sweater for two days, he still couldn’t find it. There were no other students wearing a red sweater at school either.

Days went by, and it seemed there was little hope of finding Jiang Jiang’s wool sweater. She had to accept this fact.

One weekend, when there were no classes, Xie Jinyan accompanied his grandmother to the market to buy vegetables. The market was crowded, and while his grandmother was picking out carrots at one stall, he stood by waiting. Suddenly, he caught sight of a flash of red. His heart skipped a beat as he looked up to see a girl about seven or eight years old wearing a bright red sweater, one hand handing over money and the other receiving vegetables.

“Thank you, Auntie,” the girl said cheerfully.

“You have such a sweet mouth, little girl! That red sweater you’re wearing is beautiful. It’s so bright and cheerful!” a woman commented nearby.

Upon hearing the compliment, the girl lifted her chin slightly, a joyful smile spreading across her lips. “My mom bought it for me at the county department store. It was six yuan.”

“Wow, that’s quite expensive!” the woman exclaimed.

Xie Jinyan felt as if he had seen this girl somewhere before. Realizing that she was about to leave with her vegetables, he hurriedly followed her without thinking too much.