Chapter 50: Sun-drying Books

Wan Qing smiled as she looked at Bai An, feeling more and more that Lu Demin was right. Bai An shouldn’t be confined to this small village, nor should she be trapped in marriage. She should go out and find her own future.

Bai An, who looked confused, didn’t understand why her mother kept staring at her. After Wan Qing finished her meal, she got up and began cleaning the table.

When Lu Jin’an came out, Bai An was standing by the sink, washing the dishes.

“Bai An is being so obedient today,” Lu Jin’an commented.

Upon hearing the praise, Bai An nodded a little proudly and worked harder at washing the dishes.

Noticing Bai An’s little gestures, Lu Jin’an affectionately patted her on the shoulder and stood behind her, watching her wash.

Under Lu Jin’an’s gaze, Bai An cleaned each dish carefully. After placing the last dish in the cupboard, she deliberately slowed her pace and glanced at Lu Jin’an, who was standing beside her.

Lu Jin’an understood the hint and, rubbing Bai An’s head, complimented her, “Bai An is so amazing. These dishes are the cleanest in our house.”

Bai An nodded and elbowed Lu Jin’an’s hand off her head, saying proudly, “No need to say it out loud, everyone knows that.”

Lu Jin’an watched Bai An happily skip into the house after drying her hands, shaking his head in affection.

Instead of going straight into her room, Bai An walked to the door of Lu Jin’an’s room.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Jin’an asked, noticing Bai An standing dumbfounded at the door.

Bai An pointed to the room.

Lu Jin’an nodded. “If you want to go in, just go ahead. It’s fine.”

Upon hearing Lu Jin’an’s permission, Bai An felt reassured and boldly stepped inside.

Looking at the pile of books on the table, Bai An immediately turned to Lu Jin’an and said, “I bought these books from an old lady. They were probably going to be sold as waste. It’s such a shame to treat them like that.”

“If it’s sunny tomorrow, we should take them outside and sun-dry them, and we can do the same for Dad’s books.”

Lu Jin’an stared at the books on the table for a moment, considering Bai An’s suggestion. He thought she had a point. “Tomorrow should be sunny, so let’s dry the books then.”

“You should go to sleep now,” Lu Jin’an said, gently guiding Bai An to her room. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Bai An nodded and said softly, “Good night.”

“Good night.”

The next morning, Bai An woke up groggily, squinting at the bright sunlight outside. Frowning, she got out of bed in her pajamas and walked straight to the door.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Lu Jin’an organizing books in the yard.

“Brother.”

Hearing Bai An’s voice, Lu Jin’an turned around and saw her in her pajamas, still a bit sleepy. “Why are you awake? Go back and sleep a bit more.”

Bai An didn’t go back to bed. Instead, she walked over to Lu Jin’an and started helping him organize the books, a little annoyed as she said, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“It’s just a small thing. I’ll finish it up soon,” Lu Jin’an replied casually.

Looking at Lu Jin’an’s nonchalant attitude, Bai An lifted her head and saw that all the books in the yard were neatly arranged. She wondered how long he had been working on this.

“It’s not a small thing! There are so many books here. How long did it take to organize all of them?” Bai An pointed at his arm and said, “Next time something like this happens, you have to call me to help.”

Lu Jin’an looked at Bai An and smiled affectionately. “Got it. Now, Bai An, go get me a glass of water.”

Bai An nodded and said, “Alright, but you stop for now. After you drink the water, we’ll organize everything together.”

Lu Jin’an nodded.

Seeing Lu Jin’an’s response, Bai An felt reassured and went to fetch him some water.

“Brother!” When Bai An returned, Lu Jin’an had already finished organizing everything. Looking at the neat yard, Bai An, somewhat annoyed, handed him the water and said, “Why didn’t you wait for me to help?”

Lu Jin’an took the water from Bai An’s hands and smiled, “I’ll definitely ask you to help next time.”

“Yeah, right,” Bai An muttered as she walked beside him, speaking softly, “I don’t believe you.”

Lu Jin’an didn’t reply, taking a sip of the water Bai An had given him, but suddenly he seemed to remember something. “By the way, Cui Ju is looking for you.”

“Cui Ju is looking for me?” Bai An asked in confusion. “I’ll change clothes and then go look for her.”

After Bai An finished changing and freshening up, she grabbed her backpack and was about to head out when Lu Jin’an stopped her, placing an egg, a bottle of milk, and an apple into her bag. “You haven’t had breakfast. Take these and eat something to fill your stomach.”

Bai An looked at the milk in her bag, then cautiously glanced up at Lu Jin’an.

Seeing Bai An’s eyes, which were wandering back and forth, Lu Jin’an immediately guessed what she was thinking. “You have to finish the milk. That’s how you’ll grow taller.”

At these words, Bai An slumped her shoulders.

Lu Jin’an patted her slumped back, saying, “Don’t hunch.”

“I know,” Bai An replied, adjusting her little backpack and waving at Lu Jin’an. “I’m leaving now.”

“Go ahead,” Lu Jin’an said, watching Bai An’s figure disappear around the corner before he turned and walked back into the house.

Before long, Bai An arrived at Cui Ju’s house and stood in front of the tightly closed door. Feeling a bit awkward, she remembered how things had been a bit messy before. If she ran into Cui Ju’s parents, it would be rather embarrassing.

Before Cui Ju came out, however, she encountered Lin Zhixia.

Lin Zhixia looked down at Bai An, who was playing with stones at the doorstep, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

“Cui Ju.”

Upon hearing Cui Ju’s name, Bai An suddenly looked up, but didn’t see Cui Ju. Instead, she saw Lin Zhixia standing at the door, arms crossed, looking at her.

Realizing she had been tricked, Bai An wasn’t upset. She walked up to Lin Zhixia and said, “Could you please call Cui Ju out?”

Lin Zhixia stood a step higher on the stairs, looking down at Bai An. The morning light fell on Bai An’s delicate face, which was even fairer than the porcelain he had seen. He wondered to himself if he pinched her cheek, would it turn red, and if she cried, how would he comfort her.

Bai An, not receiving an answer, felt confused and touched her cheek, following his gaze.

“Nothing’s dirty,” Lin Zhixia said, stepping aside. “Come on in. I’ll take you to find Cui Ju.”

Bai An, a little suspicious, was about to step inside through the small crack in the door. Just as she passed by Lin Zhixia, she felt something brush against her cheek.

Startled, Bai An instinctively covered her face and looked at Lin Zhixia. “What are you doing?”

Lin Zhixia casually turned his hand away and began rubbing his fingers as if recalling the soft sensation.

“There was a mosquito near your face. I helped you get rid of it.”

Bai An rubbed her cheek, still somewhat doubtful. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” Lin Zhixia replied.