When Juhua saw that Zhang Huai was holding her basket with no intention of giving it back, she stared at him, stunned. ’Is he going to walk ho?’
’Oh, brother! Kid, if you’re not interested in her, how can you act so carelessly and stir up suspicion? No wonder the original Juhua was so head-over-heels for him. A young girl’s world is so simple; you’ve cared for her like this since you were little, who else would she grow attached to if not you?’
’Sigh! Even if you an well, good intentions can still lead to bad outcos. It’s even worse when good intentions end up hurting soone!’
Juhua thought, ’Fortunately, I see things clearly. I’m determined not to be influenced by you.’
This was a baseless thought, of course. He and her brother were good friends who had grown up together. Was he supposed to just play with her brother and ignore the little sister? Besides, in her mories, Zhang Huai had doted on Juhua just as much as Qingmu did. He was practically another older brother to her.
Juhua didn’t want Zhang Huai to walk ho with her, but when she glanced at the small basket of beef on the riverbank, she couldn’t bring herself to send him away. ’He brought you a gift, you can’t just not let him in the door, right?’
So she could only trail behind him like a ek little wife, heading for ho.
Looking at Zhang Huai’s tall figure ahead, Juhua secretly compared him to her brother, wondering which of them was more handso and dashing. The conclusion, of course, was that her brother, Qingmu, was a bit more dashing. No reason!
Zhang Huai seed to sense her staring at him and grew self-conscious, his gait becoming awkward.
When Juhua saw this, she couldn’t help but smile and shifted her gaze elsewhere.
When Zheng Changhe saw his daughter return, he was just about to ask if she was cold when he noticed Zhang Huai walking beside her, carrying a basket of washed bedsheets in his left hand and a small basket of at in his right. He looked at them in surprise. ’How did these two run into each other?’
Not wanting her father to get the wrong idea, Juhua naturally stepped forward, took the basket from Zhang Huai’s hand, and said to Zheng Changhe, "Dad, Brother Huai Zi brought us so beef!"
She didn’t really want to ntion that Zhang Huai had helped her wash the bedsheets.
But just because she didn’t want to ntion it didn’t an others would let it go. Gou Dan’s mother and izi were sitting in her yard—they were the two people they had seen on the road earlier.
Gou Dan’s mother’s broad face was wreathed in smiles as she said, "I was wonderin’ who was washin’ clothes down by the river. Couldn’t see clearly from a distance, thought it was Qingmu, but it turned out to be Huai Zi!"
Juhua stared at her coldly. "Brother Huai Zi saw I couldn’t wring out the bedsheets, so he lent a hand!"
Seeing Juhua’s expressionless face, Gou Dan’s mother’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly forced a smile. "Well, that’s as it should be, boys are stronger! Juhua, my izi wanted to co find you to do so sewing. I happened to have made a pair of shoes for you, not sure if they’ll fit, so I had her bring ’em for you to try!"
Juhua froze. ’Why would she make shoes for out of the blue?’
’Oh! It must be because her son, Gou Dan, ca over with Little Shitou to eat a few tis, and I also packed so pork offal for him to take back. This is her way of returning the favor. Reciprocating kindness is taken very seriously in the countryside!’
Juhua was actually quite pleased—she was in dire need of shoes but had no ti to make any. She pressed her lips into a small smile and said, "Then thank you very much, Auntie. You really shouldn’t have!"
Seeing Juhua was happy, Gou Dan’s mother knew she’d made the right move with the shoes. She chuckled, "It was no trouble! My needlework is clumsy, and they aren’t much to look at. Just wear ’em as you see fit. izi, you play here and don’t get into any trouble. I’m gonna go check on the wheat fields up the mountain!"
izi was already running over with a grin to help Juhua hang the bedsheets. Hearing her mother, she replied in a bright voice, "Got it, Mom!"
Gou Dan’s mother then walked off, her plump bottom swaying.
While making conversation with Zhang Huai, Zheng Changhe hobbled on his crutch to the kitchen to find sothing to put the beef in, so he could empty the basket and return it. The two of them went into the kitchen together.
As Juhua and izi shook out the bedsheets and hung them on the line, Juhua asked, "Are you making shoes, too?"
She hadn’t actually been very familiar with izi before. But izi was a simple-hearted girl who, when they t, would greet her and chat without any awkwardness, which made Juhua like her very much. izi had tried the spicy pickled cabbage that Gou Dan brought ho, loved the sour and spicy flavor, and had even run over specifically to ask Juhua for more. That was how the two beca familiar.
izi shook her head with a laugh. "The soles are so thick, and I don’t have the patience to stitch them. That’s why I hate making shoes the most. I’m just making insoles!"
Looking at her lively, bright smile, Juhua thought that she seed much happier than Liu’er. ’Gou Dan’s mother might look plain, but she’s actually quite discerning. She knows how to run a household and raise her children well. As a result, izi is a rarity in the countryside—a genuinely happy young woman, innocent and carefree, who hasn’t had to suffer much hardship!’
As the two were chatting, Zheng Changhe called out loudly from the kitchen doorway, "Juhua, find a small jar and pack so spicy pickled cabbage for Huai Zi!"
"Okay!" Juhua called back. She straightened the freshly hung bedsheets before walking into the kitchen, where she found a small earthenware pot, filled it with spicy pickled cabbage, and handed it to Zhang Huai.
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