Chapter 8

As Li Hehua walked home, her stomach growled with hunger, but she felt genuinely happy. She would soon be earning money.

If she could just get this first deal right, she wouldn’t have to worry about finding more business. She trusted the villagers’ knack for spreading news.

With that in mind, could she treat herself to a small reward?

Well, truth be told, she was simply tired of eating coarse rice porridge. It was making her feel weak.

She still had about thirty copper coins left. She could buy some rice and flour to eat. The Wang Family’s banquet was in ten days anyway, so the money should last until then.

No sooner had she decided than Li Hehua, fighting off her intense hunger, by passed the village and headed straight to town.

By the time she arrived, many street vendors had already packed up, but some food stalls were still open.

Li Hehua rubbed her stomach, longing for a bowl of noodles. But even a plain bowl cost three wen—far too expensive for her current situation.

After a long struggle, Li Hehua finally overcame her craving and walked away in anguish.

Forget it, she thought. I’ll make my own noodles at home. They’ll taste a hundred times better than anything here.

Having consoled herself, Li Hehua went straight to a grain and oil shop. She bought some rice and flour, spending twenty-five coins in total. Now she had only five coins left in her pocket.

Li Hehua sighed and turned back toward the village.

When she arrived home, the sun was nearing four in the afternoon. Many villagers were still working in the fields. Li Hehua didn’t see Zhang Tieshan, Zhang Qingshan, or Zhang Tieshan’s mother, but the front gate stood wide open, suggesting they hadn’t gone far.

After storing the rice in the wood shed, Li Hehua carried the flour straight to the kitchen. Just as she was about to start cooking, the child from yesterday flashed into her mind. Compelled by an inexplicable impulse, she walked behind the stove and found him there again.

He sat in the same position as before, silent and still.

Li Hehua’s heart clenched with a sharp, aching tenderness. An overwhelming emotion surged through her, making her desperately want to hold him, kiss him, and give him the best of everything—to make him smile, to make him happy.

But she knew she couldn’t. The child clearly rejected her, and any attempt to approach him would only hurt him.

Forcing down her emotions, Li Hehua addressed the boy: “Bao Bei, hello. I’m going to make noodles now—fragrant, delicious noodles. Would you like a bowl too?”

As expected, the child didn’t respond. Undeterred, Li Hehua turned and began preparing the noodles.

With no other ingredients in the house, Li Hehua could only make a simple bowl of vegetarian noodles for herself.

Making noodles was easy for her; she finished in less than ten minutes. She deliberately made extra, filling a large bowl more than halfway. She placed the bowl on a stool in the kitchen, then carried the stool and bowl to the back of the stove, where the little boy sat. Softly, she said, “Bao Bei, this is noodles. They smell delicious. Why don’t you try some?”

When the child remained motionless and unresponsive, Li Hehua pursed her lips, sighed, and said, “Alright, Bao Bei, I won’t bother you. You can eat by yourself, okay? Be careful not to burn yourself. I’m leaving now.” She quickly rinsed the pot, then slowly carried her own bowl of noodles back to the wood shed.

As she ate, Li Hehua couldn’t stop thinking about the little boy in the kitchen. Had he eaten the noodles? Had he burned himself?

Halfway through her meal, her worry got the better of her. She set down her bowl and went to check on the child. But as she approached the kitchen door, she heard a woman’s voice—Madam Zhang’s.

Li Hehua froze in her tracks.

Inside, Madam Zhang exclaimed in surprise, “Where did these noodles come from, Shulin?”

No one answered.

Li Hehua quietly retreated to the wood shed.

Just as Li Hehua closed the door of the firewood shed, she heard two voices outside—Zhang Tieshan and Zhang Qingshan had returned.

Li Hehua lowered her head and continued eating her noodles.

Finding neither their mother nor Shulin, Zhang Tieshan and Zhang Qingshan set down their things and went to the kitchen. There they saw Madam Zhang bending over the stove, muttering to herself. When she noticed her sons, she straightened up. “You’re back.”

Zhang Qingshan asked curiously, “Mother, what are you doing? Were you talking to Shulin?”

Madam Zhang frowned slightly. “I went to the stream to wash clothes. When I returned, I found a bowl of noodles in front of Shulin. I don’t know where it came from. I asked him, but he wouldn’t answer.”

Zhang Qingshan hurried over to investigate. Sure enough, there was a small stool beside Shulin, topped with a steaming bowl of noodles. A rich, enticing aroma filled the air.

“These noodles smell amazing! Where did they come from?” Zhang Qingshan wondered aloud, glancing at his brother.

Zhang Tieshan had also noticed the bowl. He remained silent, his gaze fixed on it for a moment before shaking his head. His voice was calm. “It’s nothing. I’ll carry Shulin outside. Everyone, let’s go.” He walked to the firewood pile, scooped Shulin into his arms, and carried him out.

Zhang Qingshan looked at the noodles on the stool, hesitated for a moment, then picked them up and followed his brother out of the kitchen. The noodles smelled incredibly fragrant. Whoever had left them for Shulin must have meant well, and it would be a waste not to eat them. He decided to give them to Shulin.

Zhang Qingshan placed the bowl on the table and handed his brother a pair of chopsticks. “Brother, these noodles smell amazing! It must be the same person who gave Shulin the buns yesterday. Their cooking skills are incredible. You should feed them to Shulin.”

Madam Zhang, who was washing clothes nearby, said confused, “That’s strange. I was right outside the door and didn’t see anyone come in to give Shulin food. And why wouldn’t someone from the village announce themselves when delivering something?”

Zhang Qingshan shook his head, equally puzzled. “I don’t know. Maybe they didn’t want us to find out. As long as it’s good for Shulin, that’s all that matters.”

Madam Zhang nodded in agreement. “If they brought food for Shulin, they must care about him. Let’s give him the noodles and not waste their kindness.”

Zhang Qingshan’s eyes subtly glanced at the tightly closed door of the woodshed. He didn’t say anything, but took the chopsticks from his brother, picked up a strand of noodles, and put it in his own mouth first.

The moment the noodle touched his tongue, Zhang Qingshan froze. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. After a few moments, he began to chew slowly, then swallowed deliberately.

Zhang Qingshan watched his brother’s actions with deep admiration. He realized he had been too simplistic, while his brother had considered everything thoroughly. He had only thought of giving Shulin something good to eat, without considering potential problems or the need to test it first. If there were issues, he would have harmed Shulin.

Feeling guilty, Zhang Qingshan took the chopsticks from his brother and picked up a mouthful of noodles. He wanted to help Shulin by sharing the risk, not letting his brother be the only one to “test the poison.”

The moment the noodles touched his tongue, his eyes widened involuntarily. He quickly chewed and swallowed, exclaiming, “Who made this? It’s just plain noodles, but how can they taste so good? They’re even better than what they sell in town!”

Hearing her younger son’s praise, Madam Zhang grew curious and took a bite herself. She was equally astonished. She never imagined a simple bowl of vegetarian noodles could be so delicious.

Zhang Tieshan remained silent.

After a moment, seeing no ill effects, Zhang Tieshan picked up a mouthful of noodles and held them to Shulin’s lips. “Shulin, eat your noodles. Open your mouth nicely.”

Shulin’s eyes flickered, fixed on the noodles for a moment before finally opening his mouth.

Zhang Tieshan slowly fed Shulin until every last noodle in the bowl was gone.

Zhang Qingshan watched in astonishment. “Brother, Shulin actually finished a whole bowl of noodles? He hasn’t been able to eat anything properly lately.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Zhang Tieshan’s eyes as well.

Ever since his return, Shulin had been like this—unable to eat, often vomiting up even small amounts of food. Though his condition had improved slightly recently, he still ate very little. When they took him to the doctor, they were told it was a heart ailment caused by prolonged starvation, and that medicine could only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. This had kept Zhang Tieshan awake at night with worry. Now, Shulin had finished an entire bowl of noodles. How could he not be astonished?

Could it be that Shulin…

Zhang Tieshan glanced once more toward the woodshed, an unreadable emotion swirling in his eyes.

…….

Meanwhile, Li Hehua remained unaware of the commotion outside. She quietly finished her noodles and, hearing the Zhang family’s voices, decided to stay put until they left before going to wash the dishes.

Having just finished eating, Li Hehua knew she shouldn’t lie down immediately. She stood up and slowly began practicing yoga, hoping to aid digestion while accelerating her weight loss.

But her current body was so overweight that even basic yoga poses felt impossibly difficult. Movements she once performed effortlessly now seemed as challenging as climbing to the heavens. She couldn’t even cross her legs properly, and a simple forward bend left her breathless.

By the end of her routine, Li Hehua was drenched in sweat, as if she’d just been pulled from a pool, her body too exhausted to move.

Li Hehua collapsed onto the bed, gasping for air. She stared down at the excess flesh on her body and clenched her fist tightly. She had to persevere; she had to lose weight.

Outside, the sky darkened rapidly. She faintly heard the sounds of cooking from the kitchen, followed by the family’s dinner chatter. Hours later, the noises gradually faded into silence.

Li Hehua quietly opened the firewood shed door, confirming that the outside was indeed quiet. She then took her bowl to the kitchen, washing the dishes by the moonlight.

After that, she secretly heated a pot of water, carried it back to the shed, bathed, and changed into clean clothes before finally lying down comfortably. As she drifted off to sleep, she planned to wake up early the next morning, before anyone else, to make mantou for the day. This way, she could avoid encountering others and secure her meals for the day.

With her plan settled, Li Hehua fell into a peaceful slumber.

…….

The next morning, as soon as the rooster crowed, Li Hehua’s eyes snapped open. Remembering her plan, she fought off her drowsiness, sat up, dressed quickly, and carried the flour she had bought to the kitchen to begin making the mantou.

The buns were simple to make and soon ready for steaming. Just as she was about to place them in the steamer, a basket filled with nearly half a basket of chives caught her eye. Her eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but think of the child.

A little bit of chives shouldn’t hurt, right? she thought. Just a tiny amount. I want to make some fried dumplings for that child. He’s so weak, he needs something nourishing.

What if someone found out? Would they think she was stealing from their family and get angry?

Li Hehua was torn. She knew it was best not to overstep, but somehow, she desperately wanted to make something delicious for the child. Perhaps it was out of a guilt she didn’t want to admit. Though this wasn’t her true self, right now, she was Li Hehua.

In the end, she secretly took a small handful of chives from the basket, chopped them into filling, seasoned it, wrapped it in dough, and pan-fried it. A bowl of fried dumplings was ready.

After tasting one, Li Hehua was pleased with the flavor. She covered the rest with a bowl and left them on the stove, waiting for Little boy.

She knew this would inevitably arouse suspicion, but she had no intention of pretending to be anonymous. She simply wanted to be kind to the child. With nothing else to offer, making him food was all she could do. But she couldn’t keep sneaking around forever. If others found out, so be it. She wasn’t looking for praise anyway.

With these thoughts, Li Hehua picked up the steamed buns and turned to return to the woodshed. But as she turned, she saw a tall figure standing in the kitchen doorway, watching her. The sudden appearance startled her so badly she nearly dropped the bowl.