But the root cause was that Jiang Chengzhou felt he had been too full of himself lately.
When his aunt first became pregnant, he already disliked that child.
After talking with Yan Yuan, his aunt's reaction made him reluctantly accept the baby.
But afterward, Jiang Chengzhou saw how hard the pregnancy was on his aunt.
The free clinic had only lasted a month when Lin Zhilan had to stop going to the countryside due to her health.
Lin Zhilan never complained, but Jiang Chengzhou could see it.
She got tired more easily than before, dozed off often, and recently her feet had swollen, and she couldn’t sleep well.
He saw it, and Su Lang saw it too.
Because his wife was pregnant, Su Lang took over all the household chores, not letting Lin Zhilan lift a finger.
In the evenings, he would soak and massage Lin Zhilan’s feet.
As a husband, he was doing well.
But Jiang Chengzhou felt that because of this child, both his uncle and aunt were exhausted, and Linlin was getting less attention.
In his view, no one in the family was benefiting.
In his darkest moments, he even thought it would be better if his aunt hadn’t gotten pregnant.
The family already had his sister and him—that was enough.
But everyone was happy about the pregnancy.
His uncle and aunt were happy, his grandparents were happy, Grandma Lotus and Auntie Chunhua were happy.
Everyone was happy, even the teachers at school offered their congratulations.
Jiang Chengzhou was not happy.
Until one day, when he went to play with Li Xuan, Li Xuan also congratulated him. Jiang Chengzhou couldn’t help but punch him in the shoulder.
Li Xuan noticed he was unhappy and asked why.
Knowing Li Xuan could keep a secret, Jiang Chengzhou told him the truth.
Li Xuan was straightforward and said bluntly, “You’re jealous of this kid.”
“I am NOT!” Jiang Chengzhou shouted in protest.
But the louder he got, the more Li Xuan was sure.
“Having a child is your uncle and aunt’s business. If they’re happy, why do you need to approve it?”
“I…”
Jiang Chengzhou was momentarily speechless.
He knew why.
When other parents had more children—second or third—they never asked the older kids for their opinion.
Except for Yan Yuan and Li Xuan, all of Jiang Chengzhou’s friends had younger siblings at home.
No one cared what the eldest thought.
But Jiang Chengzhou knew his aunt cared.
That was why she wrote him that promise letter and agreed to his requests.
Jiang Chengzhou asked himself: Was he really jealous?
Maybe he was.
He seemed carefree, but deep down, he was a sensitive child.
He was sure his aunt loved him.
From her very first day on Sea Island, she had always been good to him.
In his heart, he regarded Lin Zhilan as his mother.
But “regarding” wasn’t the same as reality.
His household had no father or mother—his uncle and aunt filled that role in his heart.
Everything had been fine before, and Jiang Chengzhou basked in that happiness.
Until his aunt got pregnant.
He had refused to admit it, until Li Xuan tore through that paper screen.
Maybe it wasn’t full-on jealousy, but Jiang Chengzhou truly envied this child.
He turned his head away, not wanting Li Xuan to see his reddened eyes. “But my aunt is really suffering.”
Li Xuan nodded. “Yes, she’s suffering. But it’s her decision. Just like your uncle, you can see she’s struggling and should help her more.”
“I will!” Jiang Chengzhou was defiant and gave him another punch. “Can’t you be a little more tactful when you talk?”
Li Xuan stared at him blankly.
“Forget it,” Jiang Chengzhou sighed. “You just don’t get it. Grandma Lotus was right—your brain’s been dulled by too much reading.”
Li Xuan looked up, sat back at his desk, and returned to his book.
As Jiang Chengzhou left, Li Xuan drawled, “Jiang Chengzhou, find something useful to do instead of brooding over nonsense. You’ve just had it too easy.”
Jiang Chengzhou raised his hoe and slammed it into the soil.
Li Xuan was right.
He had been living too comfortably.
Because his aunt and uncle treated him like their own child, he had developed possessiveness.
More than feeling sorry for his aunt, maybe he was afraid that the new child would steal his uncle and aunt’s attention and love away from him.
That afternoon, Jiang Chengzhou dug sweet potatoes in earnest, never once complaining about the fatigue.
By evening, when work was done, his palms were covered in several blisters.
Even so, he didn’t forget to say to Wang Xiuzhi, “Auntie, I stacked the broken sweet potatoes in a pile. Let me pay you for them.”
Wang Xiuzhi quickly replied, “No need, no need. The broken ones are still edible. You worked hard today—I’ll have your Uncle Han choose a load for you to take home.”
“No, it’s fine as long as you don’t blame me for ruining your sweet potatoes. I’ll head back now.”
With that, Jiang Chengzhou washed his hands in the ditch, picked up his little stool, and led Linlin home.
That evening, Su Lang was off work late, so he brought food from the cafeteria.
While eating, Lin Zhilan noticed something off about Jiang Chengzhou’s hands. Her eyes lingered on his face for a moment before looking away.
After dinner, Su Lang got up to clear the dishes.
Just as Jiang Chengzhou was about to help, Su Lang called out, “Chengzhou, come here.”
“Aunt, what’s up?” Jiang Chengzhou stood still.
“Come here.” Lin Zhilan patted the chair beside her.
Hesitating, Jiang Chengzhou shuffled over and sat down next to her, hands shoved in his pockets like he was trying to look cool.
“Show me your hands.”
“No.”
“Now!” Lin Zhilan scolded him.
“Alright, alright. What’s so interesting about hands?” He reluctantly held out his fists.
Lin Zhilan pried his fingers open.
When his palms were flat, four bright blisters shone in the light.
They had already burst, with flaps of skin lifting to reveal pink, tender flesh underneath.
Pregnant and emotionally sensitive, Lin Zhilan’s eyes instantly reddened at the sight.
Flustered, Jiang Chengzhou quickly said, “Aunt, please don’t cry. I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”
“Of course, it hurts,” Lin Zhilan said, glaring at him with red-rimmed eyes. “Sit still. Let me get the first aid kit.”
Jiang Chengzhou didn’t dare move.
He sat on the chair, his heart both sour and warm.
Lin Zhilan fetched the medical kit, carefully disinfecting and applying ointment to his wounds.
Linlin came over too, staring at her brother’s injured hands, her face scrunching up like a little old lady’s.
Jiang Chengzhou laughed. “It’s okay. It really doesn’t hurt.”
“Ouch!” The moment he said that, Lin Zhilan pressed the cotton swab just a little harder on his wound.
“Does it hurt now?”
Jiang Chengzhou grinned through the pain. “Yeah!”
Lin Zhilan treated the blisters on his other hand while muttering, “Maybe you should skip the farmwork tomorrow.”
Jiang Chengzhou chuckled softly. “Aunt, didn’t you say we should stick to things?”
Lin Zhilan put the ointment back in the kit and shot him a look. “You stuck with it for a day. Now I’m not sticking with it. I’m going back on my word—I’m not letting you go.”
