Chapter 11: Going to the County

Doctor Yang was the village clinic’s doctor. Whenever someone in the village felt unwell, they would go to him for medicine and injections.

“Got it. I’ll take her there in a bit!” Jiang Cheng nodded in agreement, then picked up his bowl and chopsticks to continue eating.

“Manman, don’t take your sister-in-law too seriously. She just has a sharp tongue!” Jiang Shi comforted her daughter-in-law.

Qin Man smiled and nodded. She wouldn’t bother arguing with Song Mei, a petty woman. As long as she made it clear that she wasn’t an easy target, that was enough.

After finishing their meal, Jiang Cheng took the crying Niu Niu to Doctor Yang to get some anti-inflammatory medicine. Meanwhile, Qin Man boiled a large pot of hot water to personally bathe the children.

The family used a large wooden tub for bathing. She bathed Jiang Yu first, then Jiang Li.

For the first time in days, the children felt the warmth of a mother’s love. Their mother used to only play with them but never helped them bathe or spoke up for them.

Now, they liked their mother even more.

“Mommy, Jiang Li likes you!”

Jiang Li suddenly stretched out his little arms, hugged his mother’s neck, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Qin Man felt a sudden sting in her nose—an urge to cry.

She kissed Jiang Li on the cheek in return.

“Mommy loves you too!”

Jiang Li was a quiet child, calm and steady, while Jiang Yu was more lively and outgoing. Their personalities complemented each other well.

The children had always slept with their grandparents since they were little. But that night, Jiang Yu suddenly asked to sleep with their parents.

Qin Man agreed right away.

Jiang Cong was busy writing under the lamplight when he saw Qin Man enter with the two children.

“The kids want to sleep with us tonight,” Qin Man explained.

“Alright, you take them to bed first,” Jiang Cong replied with a gentle smile.

Qin Man also took a bath since she had sweated quite a bit that day.

She lay on the inner side of the bed, with the children in the middle. After Jiang Cong finished washing up, he lay down on the outer side and turned off the light.

The bed was a bit small, and with the four of them squeezed together, it was a little crowded—but the warmth and happiness were overwhelming.

In the middle of the night, while the mother and children slept soundly, a few pesky mosquitoes buzzed around, disturbing their rest.

Jiang Cong got up to shoo the mosquitoes away. Seeing Qin Man sweating, he picked up a palm fan and gently fanned her.

…

Early the next morning, before the sun was up, Jiang Cong got up to load the persimmons into a basket. He noticed his sister-in-law packing her things and taking Niu Niu out.

It looked like she was heading back to her parents’ home. Last night, he had vaguely heard arguing from his elder brother’s room.

Jiang Shi knew they were going to the county to sell persimmons, so she also got up early to prepare food for them, cooking a bowl of noodles for each person.

Qin Man was still sleeping soundly when Jiang Cong finished preparing everything and came into the room to wake her up.

He gently nudged her over the two children sprawled out in their sleep.

Qin Man groggily opened her eyes and was met with a handsome face filled with a warm smile. She was instantly mesmerized.

Damn, this face was perfectly carved to her liking—so handsome.

Jiang Cong made a silent gesture, signaling her not to wake the children, then softly said:

“Get up and eat.”

Qin Man nodded, stretched lazily, then carefully climbed over the children to get up.

After a quick wash, she ate the noodles. Jiang Shi had even fried an egg for her with the few eggs she had saved over the past couple of days.

It wasn’t favoritism—she treated both daughters-in-law equally. But it was clear that the younger one was more considerate than the elder one. Naturally, elders preferred those who were more thoughtful.

Jiang Cong lifted the carrying pole, balancing a hundred persimmons on each side—about a hundred pounds in total. Yet he showed no signs of strain. Jiang Shi covered the baskets with two pieces of cloth.

“The sun will be strong later. Don’t let them get sunburned!”

In reality, it was also to avoid drawing attention. After all, these wild persimmons weren’t from their own trees, and if the villagers saw, there might be gossip.

Once everything was ready, the couple headed to the village entrance to wait for the bus. The bus arrived on time, and they had to buy tickets before boarding.

The fare to the county was ten cents per person. Jiang Cong paid twenty cents for both of them. There were only about seven or eight passengers on the bus. Qin Man found a seat by the window.

The driver honked and waited for a couple more minutes. Just as he was about to start the bus, the ticket collector called out,

“Wait! There’s one more person!”

Moments later, Zhang Lanlan ran up, panting heavily.

She immediately spotted Jiang Cong and Qin Man, but her eyes seemed to only see Jiang Cong, lighting up with excitement.

After paying for her ticket, she sat down right next to him.

“Jiang Cong, you’re going to the county too?”

Jiang Cong didn’t even glance at her. His voice was indifferent.

“Does this bus go anywhere else?”

Qin Man almost laughed out loud. She turned to look out the window, holding back her laughter.

This old-fashioned bus definitely had an old-fashioned feel—bumping along the road, making the whole vehicle shake.

The seats were worn, the road wasn’t smooth, and it felt like the bus might fall apart at any moment.

Zhang Lanlan’s face stiffened, but she forced a smile.

“Jiang Cong, I went to the county for an interview yesterday. I’ll be working at a restaurant there now, earning thirty yuan a month!” She tried to continue the conversation.

However, Jiang Cong had no interest in talking to her.