He didn’t understand at first. It took him a long time to realize that a parent’s love for their child might simply come naturally.
Even if the child was crybaby, demanding, their parents still loved him.
Jiang Chengzhou had already outgrown the age of competing for attention with a younger brother. But since he wasn’t Su Li’s parent, he still found Su Li purely annoying.
Why did he end up liking Su Li?
Jiang Chengzhou thought back—maybe it started when Grandma said Su Li took after their uncle.
Jiang Chengzhou began to observe Su Li.
Actually, Su Li did have his good qualities.
He was focused, at least. When he was happy, he could even forget about pain.
A brother like that could be liked, too.
Jiang Chengzhou justified it to himself and quickly came to accept it.
Lin Zhilan and Su Lang had no idea about Jiang Chengzhou’s inner journey. His outward behavior showed nothing unusual.
He just seemed more eager to boss Su Li around now.
Lin Zhilan thought Su Li was a bit like a husky—optimistic, healing to be around, yet also free-spirited and stubborn.
He was also a kid with boundless energy, craving attention.
The more Jiang Chengzhou ordered him around, the more Su Li enjoyed it.
The children had their own way of getting along, and since there were no major fights or conflicts, Lin Zhilan and Su Lang, as parents, didn’t interfere.
But Jiang Chengzhou had never forgotten what Su Lang said to him that night.
Shortly after Deng Jing and Su Jue left, the island weather began to warm up, and the new semester started at school.
After much hesitation, Jiang Chengzhou decided one day after school to have Grandpa take his sister home first while he went alone to the Traditional Chinese Medicine department to find Lin Zhilan.
Lin Zhilan was busy. When she saw him come in, she pointed to the desk in her office.
Jiang Chengzhou nodded, put down his backpack, and started doing his homework.
Lin Zhilan still had several patients to attend to. Seeing him working diligently, she didn’t interrupt.
It wasn’t until Lin Zhilan finished her work that it was almost time to clock out.
“Chengzhou, let’s go. Finish up at home.”
“Okay.” Jiang Chengzhou put his exercise book into his backpack and followed her out.
Once they left the hospital gate, Jiang Chengzhou walked a short way with Lin Zhilan before suddenly realizing something was off.
“Auntie, where are we going?”
Lin Zhilan winked at him. “Not home just yet. Since Linlin and Li Li aren’t around today, Auntie is treating you to ice cream.”
The weather hadn’t fully warmed up yet.
Lin Zhilan was hesitant to let the two younger kids eat cold things, afraid they’d upset their stomachs.
But Jiang Chengzhou was already a growing boy with a strong digestive system, so it wouldn’t be a problem.
The supply co-op wasn’t far from the hospital, and they arrived in no time.
Everyone there knew Lin Zhilan. When they saw her, they greeted her. “Dr. Lin, here to shop? Where are your two little ones?”
Lin Zhilan placed a hand on Jiang Chengzhou’s shoulder. “The little ones are at home. Today, our Chengzhou specially came to pick me up from work.”
In people’s minds, Jiang Chengzhou had been a child just a few years ago, but now he had become a tall, slender teenager.
His frame had lengthened, his shoulders and back not yet fully filled out, carrying that particular lean and sharp quality of youth.
His features took after his uncle—slightly prominent brow bones, bright eyes, and the early definition of a strong jawline, caught between boy and man.
His skin was a light honey tan from outdoor sports all year round. He stood straight-backed, exuding a raw, passionate youthful energy.
The sales attendant chimed in, praising Lin Zhilan for her good fortune and calling Jiang Chengzhou intelligent and well-behaved.
Lin Zhilan accepted it all with a beaming smile.
Surrounded by a group of adults, Jiang Chengzhou’s ears turned red, but he didn’t shy away, staying close behind Lin Zhilan.
They bought the ice cream and found a grassy spot nearby to sit down.
Lin Zhilan patted the spot beside her. “Come on, let’s eat first. We’ll head back after.”
Jiang Chengzhou sat down next to her.
Lin Zhilan took a bite of her ice cream and looked at him. “Chengzhou, is there something you want to tell me?”
Jiang Chengzhou paused mid-bite into his own ice cream and mumbled, “No, nothing.”
Lin Zhilan gave him a probing look. He avoided her gaze. “Really, there’s nothing.”
“Are you secretly dating someone?”
Lin Zhilan’s question came out of nowhere.
Jiang Chengzhou nearly choked. His face flushed red from forehead to neck as he stared at her, startled. “Auntie! What are you talking about!”
Lin Zhilan laughed, her eyes crinkling. “Then is there a girl you like now?”
Jiang Chengzhou sighed in exasperation. “No, there really isn’t.”
Lin Zhilan nodded, not saying whether she believed him or not. She simply felt that Jiang Chengzhou was growing up, and that in a couple of years, it might be time for Su Lang to give him a talk about sex education.
Some mistakes came from ignorance.
Traditional Chinese medicine emphasized prevention—being proactive was the real solution.
Jiang Chengzhou took a few more bites of his popsicle to cool down the heat in his face.
“Auntie, have you noticed I’ve been a little distant from you lately?”
“Huh?” Lin Zhilan was puzzled for a second, then immediately put on a pitiful expression. “A little bit.”
Her acting was hardly convincing, Jiang Chengzhou thought to himself.
Lin Zhilan continued playacting the role of the neglected parent. “You’re already ignoring me at this age. When you go off to school later, I bet you won’t even answer my calls.”
What could Jiang Chengzhou say to that?
He quietly took another bite of his ice cream.
When Lin Zhilan stayed silent, he finally spoke up. “That won’t happen. When I grow up, I’ll still live with you. If you want to see me, you won’t even need to use the phone.”
“What about when you go to university?”
Since last year, the policy of recruiting worker-peasant-soldier students for universities had been widely implemented. Most majors were practical ones like engineering, agriculture, medicine, and education.
Jiang Chengzhou wasn’t interested in any of that. He finished his popsicle in a few bites, stood up, and looked at Lin Zhilan. “I don’t plan to compete for a worker-peasant-soldier university spot. I want to enlist in the military directly. If there’s a chance later, I’ll apply for a military academy.”
They had a radio at home, and Lin Zhilan and Su Lang often bought newspapers.
Having read a lot, Jiang Chengzhou naturally sought out information relevant to his interests.
At the time, military academies didn’t admit students directly, only accepting applications from active officers and outstanding grassroots soldiers through organizational recommendation. There was no channel for ordinary high school graduates to apply to military schools.
Jiang Chengzhou had already figured out the plan.
Hearing that he could think so far ahead about his future, Lin Zhilan felt an immense sense of pride. She reached out to ruffle his hair but realized he had grown as tall as her.
Seeing his aunt pull her hand back, Jiang Chengzhou quickly crouched down and leaned his head toward her.
Lin Zhilan smiled and reached out to pat his head.
Jiang Chengzhou looked up at her, a grin spreading across his face. “Auntie, don’t worry. Even if I get into a military academy, I’ll call you every single day.”
Lin Zhilan just smiled softly, keeping quiet. By the time Jiang Chengzhou graduated high school, the college entrance exam system would be reinstated.
Then he could directly apply for a military academy without taking the long way around.
Still, Lin Zhilan made Jiang Chengzhou write her a written promise: that even if he went away for school, he would call home at least once a week.
