“This money is reserved for Qiuqiu’s education. I’ll hold onto it for now, but if you urgently need anything, just let me know, and I’ll send it to you.”

The compensation funds for her son were also the last security for her granddaughter. She could see that her daughter-in-law’s intention to support Qiuqiu was sincere, but as an elderly grandmother, she couldn’t leave her granddaughter without a ^[1]“safety net” refers to a system of support or resources designed to provide assistance in times of need or difficulty. This can include financial aid, social services, or personal support … Continue readingsafety net.

“Okay, that sounds good.”

Fang Aihua accepted the savings book, and Ji Meng breathed a sigh of relief in response.

After a moment, she looked at Fang Aihua again. The old lady was holding the savings book, her eyes lowered, lost in thought, and her mood was obviously low.

The pain of losing her son and another illness had aged the old lady by more than ten years. A woman in her fifties now looked like she was in her sixties or seventies, her hair completely white, her face wrinkled and creased. Ji Meng felt a pang in her heart and couldn’t help but say:

“Mom, once I settle down over there, I’ll come back to bring you with me.”

Fang Aihua was taken aback, she didn’t expect Ji Meng to say such a thing. She was touched, and her eyes reddened but smiled:

“Why would you want to take me? It’s enough for you to bring Qiuqiu back to visit me when you have the time. I’m doing well in the village, I have food and drink, and the neighbors look after me.”

“Earlier when I went out, I heard people in the village say that the village seems to have decided to follow the example of some place in Feng County and contract the land to each household. If I can still work for a few more years, I might even be able to save up some dowry for our Qiuqiu.”

“Alright, it’s not reassuring with things happening over there. You should hurry and pack up, buy a ticket to go back tomorrow. I’ll go to Manman’s house to bring Qiuqiu back and cook something for you to take on the journey.”

—

The matter of returning to the city was settled, and Ji Meng also began to pack and prepare.

There wasn’t much to pack, the original body had already cleared out the items needed for the return to the city.

Ji Meng just needed to put the clothes taken out of the box back in and pack some of Qiuqiu’s clothes and pants.

Qiuqiu had very few clothes, the original body didn’t take much care of her and had never bought her any outfits—everything was managed by Fang Aihua.

However, since her son got married, Fang Aihua hadn’t touched the money her son sent back. As a rural old woman, the fabric coupons she could save were limited. Being able to buy two sets of clothes for Qiuqiu in a year was already her greatest ability.

Ji Meng picked out two relatively good lightweight winter outfits for Qiuqiu and two sets of decent spring clothes to pack, planning to buy more clothes for her in the provincial city.

Although the clothes didn’t seem like a lot, with the lightweight cotton jacket, thick autumn pants, and sweaters, they took up quite a bit of space.

The original body’s old-fashioned suitcase wasn’t enough, so Ji Meng found a thick military-green woven bag to store them in.

Once the clothes were packed, Ji Meng saw Fang Aihua preparing food for their journey in the kitchen and went out again.

Since she and Qiuqiu would be away from the village for a while and Fang Aihua was just recovering from a serious illness, Ji Meng felt uneasy about leaving her there alone and needed to find someone to help take care of her.

First, Ji Meng went to Manman’s house to find her parents and gave them some money, asking them to occasionally bring the old lady some meat, vegetables, and rice.

Then she went to find Shi Feng, asking him to check in on the old lady when he had time and to contact her promptly if there were any issues.

An elderly person who had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage needed to be monitored regularly to prevent a second occurrence.

Aside from selfish people like Wu Kaifen, the villagers were generally supportive and helped one another. When Manman’s family and Shi Feng learned that Ji Meng was taking Qiuqiu back to the city, they readily agreed to help with the tasks Ji Meng asked of them.

Ji Meng finally felt a bit more at ease.

Given the worrying content of the telegram, Ji Meng made the necessary arrangements and asked Su Youqing to rewrite her and Qiuqiu’s introduction letter. The next morning, she set out with Qiuqiu on their journey back to the city.

Fang Aihua had just recovered but insisted on sending Ji Meng and Qiuqiu to the town.

“Qiuqiu, remember to hold on to your mom tightly when you get on the bus, okay? If a stranger tries to take you anywhere, you mustn’t go. And when you get to your grandpa’s house, you have to listen to your mom and grandpa,”

As her granddaughter was about to leave, Fang Aihua felt a deep sense of reluctance, not knowing if she would ever see her again. She didn’t dare to cry, fearing that if she did, she wouldn’t want her granddaughter to leave.

She understood that it was best for Qiuqiu to go back to the city with her mom, so she held back her emotions and continued to advise Qiuqiu.

Ji Meng had already explained to Qiuqiu the urgency of their return to the city the night before, assuring her that they would visit Fang Aihua whenever they could and that one day, they would bring her to live in the city.

However, when it was time to say goodbye to her grandma, Qiuqiu couldn’t help but feel sad and reluctant. She pouted and wanted to cry, but after a while, she held back her tears and nodded obediently:

“I understand, Grandma. Qiuqiu will listen to Mom and Grandpa.”

The sight of the little girl trying so hard to be sensible but wanting to cry but holding it back, was pitiful.

Fang Aihua felt even worse inside, she turned her head away to avoid looking and handed a large bag of food she had prepared to Ji Meng.

“Once you get to the city, write me a letter to let me know you’re safe. If anything happens, remember to write to tell me. Even though I’m just an old woman and can’t be of much help, I can still do a little,” Fang Aihua said.

“Mom, I know. Don’t worry, I’ll send you a telegram as soon as I arrive. Take care of yourself at home, don’t overwork, and if you feel unwell, go see Uncle Shi,” Ji Meng replied.

“Ah, I know,” Fang Aihua said, her heart warming at her daughter-in-law’s newfound thoughtfulness. She smiled and added, glancing at Qiuqiu, “Don’t worry about me, I want to see our Qiuqiu grow up and go to college.”

As they were talking, the bus to the county town arrived.

“The bus is here! You all hurry up and take care of Qiuqiu. When there are a lot of people, be sure not to let go of her hand. Also, once you reach the train station in the county, please contact Station Master Wu. It would be best if he can arrange for someone to escort you,” she urged.

With the recent incident involving Su Dazhi still fresh in her mind, the boldness of human traffickers lingered in Fang Aihua’s heart, leaving her feeling uneasy.

Watching her daughter-in-law deliberately conceal her still eye-catching figure and appearance, Fang Aihua urged them to board the bus while suppressing her own anxiety with repeated reminders.

“Okay, Mom, don’t worry. Everything will be fine. You should head back and rest early,”

Ji Meng replied. She greeted the elderly man from their village who had driven them and asked him to help ensure Fang Aihua gets home safely, then quickly led Qiuqiu onto the bus.

Qiuqiu felt very reluctant to leave her grandma. Once on the bus, the feeling of parting reached its peak. As the bus started moving, she suddenly rushed to the window, her small hands gripping the edge as she cried out to Fang Aihua:

“Grandma! Qiuqiu will miss you… Grandma, you have to wait for me to come back!”

“Ah! Grandma will wait! I’ll wait for Qiuqiu to come back!”

Fang Aihua waved her hand and jogged out to chase after the bus. As the vehicle drove away, it quickly disappeared from view. This time, she couldn’t hold back any longer and covered her mouth, bursting into tears.

—

After sending off her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Fang Aihua’s already empty heart felt even emptier, as if all her spirit had been drained away. Her legs felt heavy, as if filled with lead, and she couldn’t muster any strength. Tears streamed down her face the entire way back home.

Upon returning, she didn’t even close the courtyard gate. She slumped onto the rattan chair in the living room, feeling lost.

As March began, the two large peach trees in the yard had already bloomed, but it was still cold in the countryside, and the wind was strong. The rain mixed with the wind had battered all night, and the flower petals had scattered to the ground. The baskets placed under the eaves had been blown over and were now covered in mud.

She had left in such a hurry that the yard hadn’t been swept and looked messy and desolate.

Fang Aihua was a person who valued cleanliness, usually, she wouldn’t be able to resist grabbing a broom to tidy up. But at this moment, she felt indifferent, not even glancing at the mess.

Her mind was filled with the image of Qiuqiu crying as she pressed her face against the bus window, feeling so reluctant to part. If only she hadn’t fallen ill and aged so quickly, she would have wanted to keep her granddaughter by her side.

Fang Aihua looked up at the roof, where a spider web had formed, and wiped away her tears.

She had to pull herself together.

She still wanted to see her granddaughter grow up into an adult.

As she thought this, Fang Aihua pushed herself up from the armrest of the rattan chair. Just as she stood up, she heard someone calling for her from outside. The village captain, Su Youqing, rushed in, looking excited.

“Sister-in-law, big sister! Chengzi… your Chengzi is still alive!”