Chapter 77: Accompanying Uncle to Find Qin Xue

“Don’t refuse. Let’s just say it’s settled.  Aren’t you quite close to Xinyan? Just think of it as helping her, okay?”

Peng Zhihua, fearing Qiao Jiangxin would refuse, ran off after speaking.

“Hey, hey,” Qiao Jiangxin reached out towards him.

Liu Afang, with a pregnant belly, came out of the house.  “Jiangxin, what did that comrade want?”

Her tone was a little worried. After the New Year, Jiangxin would turn 17, an age where girls in the countryside are considered marriageable.  A strange man, unexpectedly, came looking for her.

And he was from out of town.  A young girl’s heart is easily swayed, and she feared her daughter had been deceived.

Qiao Jiangxin smiled, “Mom, what are you thinking? He just asked me about something.”

Liu Afang breathed a sigh of relief, embarrassedly saying, “Oh, oh, well then, go back. There are a lot of mosquitoes outside.”

Qiao Jiangxin returned home and looked at the money in her hand: five ten-yuan bills, two two-yuan bills, and some smaller change.

It was clear he’d emptied his pockets and given it all to her.

Qiao Jiangxin thought for a moment and pocketed the money.

Not to mention that Liu Xinyan and Gu Yunzhou were good people, setting aside other considerations, their status alone meant that befriending them wouldn’t hurt a village girl like her.

Moreover, she could empathize with Gu Yunzhou’s pain.

She would work for the money; when she’d sought psychological counseling, she’d paid by the hour.

She slept soundly that night. The next day, Qiao Youfu got up early.

He soaked his head with medicinal powder, looked at himself in the mirror, and meticulously arranged his clothes.

The thin white undershirt was from Qiao Jianguo’s school; wanting to buy a new one, he’d given his old one to Qiao Youfu.

It was Qiao Youfu’s only garment without patches.

His trousers were coarse cloth shorts, and with the sandals Qiao Jiangxin had bought him yesterday, Qiao Youfu stood taller than usual.

Qiao Jiangxin woke up and saw this scene, teasing, “Oh, Uncle, you look quite spirited!”

Qiao Youfu’s face flushed, and he became flustered.

After a simple breakfast, Qiao Jiangxin borrowed a bullock cart from Old Man Cheng and took her uncle to town.

Arriving at the supply and marketing cooperative, they bought two boxes of peach cakes, favored by children and the elderly, and headed towards Xujiadong.

Qiao Youfu was extremely nervous. Although he had met Qin Xue last year, he had never been to Xujiadong.

It was Qin Xue’s former husband’s home, where her father-in-law and mother-in-law still lived.

Entering the village, Qiao Jiangxin stopped the bullock cart and approached a woman darning a sweater under a tree.  “Auntie, could you tell me where Qin Xue’s house is?”

The woman looked up at Qiao Jiangxin, then at Qiao Youfu on the bullock cart, and her eyes lit up with gossip.  “What do you want with Qin Xue?”

Qiao Jiangxin gave a shy expression and stammered,

“To express our gratitude. I encountered something good at the market before, and I was so scared.

Auntie Qin took off her coat and wrapped it around my waist.  I’m here to return the coat and thank her.”

The excitement on the woman’s face faded, and she pointed to a side path.  “Go straight this way, past the pond; the house with a big tree in front is hers.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Qiao Jiangxin thanked her and turned to leave.

A strange bullock cart entering the village attracted a lot of attention.

Before Qiao Jiangxin reached the Xu family’s door, she saw the old woman mending things at the entrance, curiously looking at them.

“Grandma, is this Auntie Qin Xue’s house?”

Qiao Jiangxin glanced at the onlookers and said loudly, “We’re from Gaoshi Village. Auntie Qin helped me a lot at the market before, and we’ve come to thank her.”

Liao Fuzhen, hearing they were from Gaoshi Village, immediately understood and quickly invited them inside.

Entering the house, a boy sitting at the table writing lifted his head.

Recognizing Qiao Youfu, he greeted him with a smile, “Uncle Qiao?”

“Yes, yes! Zhuzi,” Qiao Youfu responded, flustered, his face turning red in front of Liao Fuzhen.

He handed the peach cakes to Zhuzi. “Here, peach cakes, for you.”

Zhuzi’s eyes widened in surprise at the peach cakes, instinctively turning to his grandmother.

Liao Fuzhen waved to Zhuzi.  “Zhuzi, go to the back mountain and call your mother back. She and your grandpa are tilling the land there.”

Zhuzi, not understanding the nuances, was simply excited by the visitors and the peach cakes, and ran off.

Liao Fuzhen saw the smile on her grandson’s face, a flicker of sadness in her eyes.

Quickly regaining her composure, she gestured for Qiao Jiangxin and Qiao Youfu to sit down and poured them water.

“You’re from the Qiao family in Gaoshi Village, right?” she asked cautiously.

Qiao Youfu, now calmer, said, “Yes, the Qiao family, the ones from last year…”

Liao Fuzhen smiled. “Last year, Zhuzi’s grandpa hurt his waist, and Xiaoxue took Zhuzi to deliver the grain alone.  You helped them along the way, thank you so much.”

Qiao Youfu quickly waved his hands.  “No, no, it was… it was nothing.”

Liao Fuzhen looked towards the door.  “Xiaoxue has had a hard life, but she’s also very filial. She’s still young, and if there’s a suitable match, we’ll support her.

But as you can see, Zhuzi is so young…”

Qiao Youfu didn’t know what Liao Fuzhen wanted to say and could only lower his head to drink water.

Qiao Jiangxin also remained silent.

Just then, Qin Xue returned from outside, carrying a hoe, with Zhuzi behind her.

Her face was sunburnt, sweat on her forehead, her black trousers rolled up to her knees, her bare feet covered in mud.

Liao Fuzhen instinctively stepped forward to give her water to wash her hands and feet.

Qiao Jiangxin thought to herself, this old couple of the Xu family seems easy to get along with.

It’s rare to see such a harmonious relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Qiao Jiangxin got up and went outside to play with Zhuzi, while Liao Fuzhen carried her hoe to the side room.

Both subconsciously gave space for Qiao Youfu and Qin Xue to talk alone.

Qin Xue walked in, and Qiao Youfu, stiff and awkward, stood up and pulled out a long bench, gesturing for Qin Xue to sit.

Qin Xue glanced at Qiao Youfu and whispered, “Brother Qiao, why are you here?”

She quickly averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact.

Qiao Youfu was also embarrassed, unable to look at her, but constantly stealing glances.

He stammered, “I… I’ve split from my family. Oh, and I’ve built a new house. Last year I didn’t have the money, but now I’ve saved up, if… if you’re still willing…”

Qiao Youfu’s voice trailed off.

Qin Xue looked up.  “You’ve split from your family?”

“Yes, I’ve moved out. I sold the house I got and built one in the north of the village, with Youcai.

You know, my mother isn’t my real mother. Now we’re separated. If you’re willing, we can start our own life.”

Qin Xue looked at her son talking to Qiao Jiangxin outside, then at Liao Fuzhen, who was absentmindedly drying chili peppers, and remained silent for a long time.

Qiao Youfu’s heart sank.  “You… you’re not willing?”

Qin Xue quickly said, “No, no, I’m willing to be with you.”

Having said that, Qin Xue seemed to summon great courage and asked, “I want to keep the betrothal gifts for my in-laws. Can I take Zhuzi to live with you?

Zhuzi won’t change his surname or household registration.  When he’s older, he can return to Xujiadong.

He’ll just live with us for these few years.”