Chapter 39

Sun Zhaodi saw Xie Jinyan through the crowd; her heart tightened, and her mind went blank for a moment. Clutching the vegetables her grandmother had asked her to buy, she nearly turned and ran away.

“Classmate, excuse me, I’m also a student from the county primary school. I didn’t mean to offend you. Could you let me take a look at that red sweater you’re wearing? I just want to confirm something,” Xie Jinyan bent down, panting, and asked.

“I don’t know you. Why are you following me?” Sun Zhaodi took a step back, covering the collar of her sweater, afraid he might notice something amiss.

In fact, not only did she know Xie Jinyan, but she also knew that many girls in their class liked him. Although it was still a bit early for such feelings at their age, every time Xie Jinyan came to the first grade to find Jiang Jiang, several girls would secretly watch him.

She had heard that Xie Jinyan’s father was a cadre in the county committee and that his mother worked in a hospital. His good family background gave him a layer of shining prestige. Xie Jinyan himself had an outstanding appearance, good demeanor, and appropriate manners. In the eyes of both parents and teachers, he was a student they could absolutely trust. It was no surprise that no one disliked such a classmate.

“I’m Lin Jiang Jiang’s neighbor. She lost a sweater about a week ago, and the color and style are very similar to the one you’re wearing. I just want to confirm if this sweater is the same as hers. If I’ve offended you, I apologize.”

Sun Zhaodi pressed her lips tightly together and remained silent, feeling an intense sense of being caught.

That day, she had suddenly gotten the idea to take the red wool sweater as her own. Now, she could no longer recall how she reached into Lin Jiang Jiang’s desk, hid the sweater in her bag, or managed to sneak it home without anyone noticing.

At first, she was very anxious, afraid someone would discover she had stolen the sweater. However, after a few days, Lin Jiang Jiang had already worn a new sweater to school, and the classmates stopped discussing the red sweater. Just then, her grandmother had asked her to go to the market for groceries. As she touched the sweater pressed against the bottom of her box, she boldly brought it out, hiding it in the vegetable basket.

After leaving her home, Sun Zhaodi hurriedly found a secluded alley and took off her patched-up old clothes. She put on the bright red sweater, tidied her hair in the glass of a neighbor’s window, and when she stepped out of the alley, she couldn’t help but lift her head, which she had always kept down. The red sweater felt like a swan’s feathered garment, transforming her from plain to radiant.

Sun Zhaodi forced herself to remain calm; if she didn’t let him see it, it would make her seem guilty. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. My mom bought this sweater for me at the county department store. If you want to see it, I can take it off and show you.”

Sun Zhaodi took off the sweater and tossed it to him as she spoke.

There were no obvious labels on the sweater. Even if Xie Jinyan recognized it as Lin Jiang Jiang’s, she could still stubbornly deny it.

Xie Jinyan hadn’t seen Jiang Jiang wear this sweater many times, so he couldn’t tell just by looking. He flipped the cuff over, revealing the clearly embroidered name “Lin Jiang Jiang” in bold letters.

Sun Zhaodi’s face instantly drained of color. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through her mind. She felt like a rabbit caught by a hunter, panicking, despairing, and wishing she could vanish. She wanted to defend herself again, but no sound came out when she opened her mouth.

Xie Jinyan frowned at the Sun Zhaodi on the ground. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about today’s events. Just take care of yourself from now on.”

As Xie Jinyan walked away, Jiang Jiang’s family was just preparing dinner.

He Guijuan had cooked millet porridge and prepared two cucumbers dressed with sesame oil and vinegar. The vinegar had been brought back by Tang Xiaojun when he went to Shanxi, and it made the cold dishes particularly fragrant. She had also stir-fried some lettuce leaves; the staple food was steamed buns. The family of three sat in the room eating.

He Guijuan opened the door. “Jinyan?”

“Come in and sit. Have you eaten? Is this sweater…”

“Auntie, can you take a look at this sweater and see if it’s Jiang Jiang’s?” Xie Jinyan handed her the sweater he was holding.

He Guijuan was surprised as she examined it. “This is indeed Jiang Jiang’s sweater.”

“Where did you find it? Have you eaten?”

“I’ve already eaten at home. I came by this morning, but no one was there. The story about the sweater is a long one…”

“Then have a bit more to eat. Come in and sit down while we talk.”

He Guijuan unceremoniously pulled him inside and handed him a pair of chopsticks and a bowl. Jiang Jiang, seeing her beloved sweater returned, was delighted. “Brother Jinyan, how did you help me find it?”

“I went to the market with my grandma today and saw one of your classmates wearing a sweater very similar to yours. I chased her to ask if I could see it, and it turned out to be yours,” Xie Jinyan said. Seeing the brightness in her eyes, he couldn’t help but reach out to pat her head. But after he did, he felt embarrassed and quickly withdrew his hand, thankful they didn’t notice his awkwardness. “I promised your classmate I wouldn’t tell anyone about this, so I’ll need you to help keep it a secret, too.”

“Okay, as long as the sweater is back, I won’t worry too much about the other things,” Jiang Jiang replied.

Lin Youqing nodded in agreement. “After all, if this matter gets out, it could greatly affect that girl. Those consequences might be too much for her to bear at this age. It’s normal for someone to make a mistake when they’re not thinking clearly; she deserves a chance to be forgiven.”

“I’m glad to see you both think this way.” Lin Youqing gently patted the shoulders of the two children.

Sun Zhaodi returned home, her mind restless, not even hearing her grandmother call her several times for dinner.

“Stupid girl, can’t you respond when I call you for dinner? Might as well starve!” Old Lady Sun slammed her hand on the table, her face dark with anger.

“You go out once, and who knows what you did? It’s like your soul’s gone.”

Sun Zhaodi snapped back to reality, glancing at the nearly empty dishes on the table and hearing her grandmother’s scolding voice. “Hurry up and eat. Finish your bowl and wash it.”

She scraped the bottom of the pot with a spoon, scooping out half a bowl of porridge. Half a cornbread was left in the bowl, which she broke into pieces and mixed with the porridge, adding two pieces of pickled vegetables. She finished her dinner, finding it tasteless and dull.

After finishing her meal, Sun Zhaodi numbly washed her bowl clean. Inside the house, her younger brother was crying loudly while her grandmother scolded him for some unknown reason. Scolding was her grandmother’s favorite pastime; she could go on for half a day, even directing her anger at the house’s threshold.

Just as she lay down, her second sister, Sun Pandi, crept over. “Sister, can I borrow your hairpin for a couple of days?”

Sun Zhaodi pressed her pale lips together. “Hmm, you can take it.”

Sun Pandi was somewhat surprised. Usually, her sister treasured that hairpin, never letting anyone touch it, yet today, she agreed to lend it to her.

“Sister, you really mean it?”

“It’s in the bundle where I keep my books. You can take it tomorrow,” Sun Zhaodi replied, feeling completely drained of energy.

At that moment, Sun Zhaodi felt like a prisoner waiting for the executioner, just waiting for the guillotine to drop.

She didn’t sleep all night, feeling that as soon as she closed her eyes, she would see the disappointed gazes of her teachers and classmates, along with their mocking, disdainful looks and their pointed questions.

Carrying her backpack, she lingered at the school gate for a long time but ultimately walked inside.

She didn’t know what awaited her.

Sun Zhaodi entered the classroom, and with a little time left before class, some classmates were still joking and playing around. She sat down in her seat, and no one cast her any strange looks.

Her heart raced as she glanced at Lin Jiang Jiang in front of her. Jiang Jiang was sharpening a pencil, wearing a light yellow sweater, her black hair tied into two ponytails that softly fell over her shoulders.

“Hey, what did your mom prepare for lunch today?” Chen Qiannan asked her.

“Fried meatballs and steamed buns.”

“I brought braised ribs today. Let me taste your fried meatballs at lunch, and I’ll share half of my braised ribs with you.”

“Sure.”

It was a perfectly normal conversation.

A bold thought sprang to her mind. Could Lin Jiang Jiang haven’t told anyone about her stealing the sweater?

Sun Zhaodi anxiously finished her morning classes, and it wasn’t until noo,n when the girls inthe  class, as usual, invited her to join in their game,s that she confirmed Lin Jiang Jiang really hadn’t mentioned anything about her stealing the sweater.

As she looked at Lin Jiang Jiang’s back in front of her, she suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if she had survived a disaster.