Old Master Xiao had already made up his mind. If all else failed, he would take some of the cotton batting out of his own padded jacket, add a little straw, and somehow piece together two warm coats for the grandfather and granddaughter.
Old Chen opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Old Master Xiao cut him off again.
“If you keep arguing, don’t blame me for losing my temper.”
With that, he reached for the box in Xiao Mandong’s hands, intending to return it to Old Chen.
Old Chen hurriedly dodged him. “Big Brother, what are you doing? I know I went too far just now and put the child in a difficult position, but this is a gift for meeting her for the first time. How could I take it back? How about I take a step back? I won’t ask for anything else. I only want you to get my granddaughter one padded coat. Would that be acceptable?”
Old Master Xiao made as if to take off his shoe. Old Chen immediately stood up and waved his hands with a broad grin.
“All right, all right, I won’t bring it up again. This is simply a little token of affection from an elder to our granddaughter. It has nothing to do with whether you help me or not. No matter what, I won’t take it back. Once I give something away, I never take it back.”
With that, Old Chen gently pushed open the door and tiptoed out.
Only after he had left did Xiao Mandong open the box. She was nearly stunned by Old Chen’s generosity.
Nestled quietly inside was a piece of Hetian white jade. The jade was as fine and warm as condensed cream, without a trace of discoloration. There was no elaborate carving on the pendant—only the two simple characters “Peace.”
When Old Master Xiao saw the jade pendant, his pupils contracted sharply. It was the keepsake Chen Min had worn close to her body since childhood.
Old Master Xiao looked away, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor. “Put it away. It’s the Chen family’s heirloom.”
Xiao Mandong understood. In that case, she would keep it safe for now. Once the family was rehabilitated in the future, she could return it to Grandpa Chen. She would simply be safeguarding it for him.
Xiao Mandong knew that after the family was rehabilitated, none of the people here would be ordinary. She might as well build a connection and do a good deed. It could only benefit her in the future.
The next time she came, she would bring another quilt from her space. She could also have a few more padded coats made. She had no shortage of cotton anyway. As for whether to give one to Old Chen, that would be up to her grandfather. She would stay out of it.
She glanced at the time. It was already very late.
“Grandpa, Grandma, I’ll be able to come at least once a month from now on. I have my own way of managing things. I’ve never been one to let myself suffer, and Grandpa knows me best, so don’t worry about me.”
“It’s too late tonight, and you both have to work tomorrow morning. Get some rest early. Everyone in the family has to eat some of those two jars of canned food. I’ll bring more next time.”
Grandma’s eyes grew slightly red as she held on to her hand, unwilling to let go. “Mandong, take good care of yourself.”
Reluctant to part, Xiao Mandong returned to the room where she was temporarily staying. After locking the door, she entered her space to rest. Perhaps she was too excited—she was almost unable to sleep the entire night.
Early the next morning, Shen Linzhou came knocking on her door.
“You didn’t sleep well? Your eyes are swollen.” Shen Linzhou already knew the answer, yet he asked anyway.
Xiao Mandong replied coolly, “Would you be able to sleep well in an environment like this?” She was grateful to Shen Linzhou, but she showed none of it on her face.
“True. The conditions here are far too poor. I definitely won’t let you stay somewhere like this next time.”
Xiao Mandong’s heart gave a small jolt. She felt as though Shen Linzhou knew something, but then again, that seemed impossible.
Shen Linzhou carried the quilt and straw mat ahead of her, while Xiao Mandong followed behind. Inside the house, the Xiao family listened to the sounds outside. Xiao Jingping’s heart was in turmoil.
How had this girl ended up with an unfamiliar man? He was certain this man wasn’t Lu Jianguo.
He believed his daughter would never do anything improper, but why had a man come to fetch her? Who was he?
Xiao Mandong was also worried that her family might misunderstand or become concerned. Just as Shen Linzhou was about to walk out of the courtyard, she immediately raised her voice.
“Deputy Commander Shen, has the army vehicle arrived? How is the wounded soldier?”
Only after hearing Xiao Mandong’s words did the Xiao family finally relax.
Old Master Xiao thought to himself, Just as I expected. This granddaughter is the one I’ve always favored. She is the most gifted of all the children. He had taken her with him since she was little and focused on nurturing her talents.
Xiao Jingping, however, felt that this daughter of his was simply too stubborn. He had warned her countless times not to reveal her medical skills so easily, worried that it would bring trouble upon her.
He actually knew why their family had been sent down to the countryside. Someone wanted to obtain their family’s secret ancestral remedies and had used despicable methods to frame them, reducing the entire family to their current state.
After Xiao Mandong finished speaking, she jogged to catch up with Shen Linzhou. Shen Linzhou saw through her little ploy and found himself admiring her cleverness and perceptiveness more and more.
The moment they reached the entrance of the village, several inquisitive gazes swept toward them.
The village women huddled together and whispered, their eyes shifting back and forth between Xiao Mandong and Shen Linzhou. Their curiosity was practically spilling over.
“So that’s the woman the Shen family’s second son carried down from the mountain yesterday? I have to say, she’s quite pretty. Very proper-looking.”
“What good is being proper-looking? Look how thin she is. Her hips aren’t very wide either. She’ll probably have trouble bearing children in the future.”
“The second son isn’t young anymore. I heard the Shens’ third son is getting married soon, but the second son still isn’t in a hurry.”
“Not in a hurry? Didn’t you see how he carried her back? Tsk, tsk…”
The voices weren’t loud, but the words still drifted into their ears from time to time.
Xiao Mandong’s face flushed. She understood why these people were talking like this.
Having lived through another lifetime, she naturally knew how much people in this era valued a woman’s reputation.
Yesterday, people had seen Shen Linzhou carrying her down the mountain. Now the two of them had appeared together again, so it was inevitable that the villagers would gossip.
Shen Linzhou cast Xiao Mandong an apologetic look and coughed awkwardly.
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t think it through yesterday…”
That morning, he had already heard that the story of him carrying a woman down the mountain had spread throughout the village. Some people had even come to ask him who the woman was and whether she was his girlfriend.
One of his childhood friends had also come over to ask whether the woman had felt soft and whether she was heavy.
His face had gone red on the spot. At the time, he had only wanted to get away quickly and avoid the wild animals. He hadn’t thought about anything else. But after his friend teased him, he suddenly realized that he really had been too forward yesterday.
“It’s fine. I’m a twice-married woman, so I don’t care much about reputation. If anyone should apologize, it’s me. I’m the one who dragged you into this.”
Under the villagers’ strange looks, the two finally reached the jeep. Before they could even open the door, a shrill, angry voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
“Stop right there, Shen Linzhou! You unfilial son! You come back to the village without even going home to see your parents?”
Xiao Mandong stopped and turned around, only to see that the person approaching was Shen Linzhou’s mother.
(To all my dear readers, Happy New Year! May your wealth flow in, and may the Year of the Horse bring you great luck! I’m sending you blessings in abundance, so please send me a five-star review in return—haha! It’s New Year’s! Let’s all get rich!)
