“My friend sent a telegram. I may have to return to Beijing earlier than expected. Originally, I wanted to wait until things in Beijing were settled before telling you, but I can’t wait that long. Every moment I spend with you, I can’t control my heartbeat. I clearly realize that I want to build a family with you and spend the rest of my life with you,” Lin Ruihai said seriously.
The kerosene lamp in the room still emitted a faint glow, adding a hazy layer to the night.
Lan Sisi felt as though her whole body was about to burn up. After living through two lifetimes, this was her first time being confessed to.
She looked up at the man in front of her, clearly hearing the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears. She was certain that she liked him. Since she liked him, what was there to hesitate about?
“I also want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
…
At this time, in the Tang family residence in Beijing, Mr. Tang had already obtained the test report. The water contained rich minerals and nutrients, as well as many unknown beneficial substances. What could be confirmed was that drinking this water was very helpful to human health.
“I’ll go to Chaoyang Village again immediately. No matter how much it costs, I’ll buy the water back for our daughter,” Mr. Tang said excitedly.
“Be careful with how you handle things. That young girl has no parents. Possessing something valuable can bring trouble. Don’t cause her any problems,” Madam Tang instructed.
“I understand.” Mr. Tang nodded and strode off.
After Mr. Tang left, Madam Tang held her daughter’s hand. “Nannan, when you get better in the future, we’ll go thank that young girl together.”
The girl nodded lightly.
…
The next morning, after waking up, Lan Sisi still felt somewhat dazed. How was it that after just one night’s sleep, she suddenly had a boyfriend?
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Lin Ruihai standing there grinning foolishly at her door. Lan Sisi burst out laughing, and the slight awkwardness she felt disappeared.
“You’re awake? I made breakfast. Want to eat?” Lin Ruihai scratched his head awkwardly.
In fact, he had not slept all night. Everything felt unreal. At dawn, he got up and sat outside Lan Sisi’s door. From time to time, he would think of something and chuckle, then frown and sigh. He looked like a madman. If anyone had happened to pass by, they might have been frightened.
When Lan Sinian got up, he noticed that the atmosphere between his sister and Brother Ruihai was strange. The two of them would occasionally glance at each other, then quickly look away, their faces flushed with an inexplicable redness.
Why did it feel like he was a bit unnecessary?
“When are you going back to Beijing?” Lan Sisi asked after breakfast.
“In a few days. Once I handle things, I’ll come back. This year, I might not be able to spend the New Year with you,” Lin Ruihai’s smile faded slightly. They had just confirmed their relationship, and now they had to separate, it felt unbearable.
“It’s alright. The matters there are more important. Take care of yourself,” Lan Sisi said.
Lin Ruihai lowered his head to look at her. Taking advantage of Lan Sinian not being around, he quietly held her hand. “Wait for me to come back.”
…
By the time Mr. Tang arrived in town, it was already noon the next day. To avoid causing trouble for Lan Sisi, he deliberately did not drive to Chaoyang Village. Instead, he took the village’s ox cart, which cost five cents per person. The ride was extremely bumpy, and along the way, there was the constant chatter of women gossiping.
For Mr. Tang, this was quite a rare experience.
When he knocked on Lan Sisi’s door, his legs were still somewhat sore and weak.
Lan Sisi opened the door and saw a man she had never met before. Before coming, Mr. Tang had deliberately changed into very ordinary, down-to-earth clothing, but his bearing could not be concealed. Standing there, he did not look like a villager, but rather like an official.
“You are?”
“Hello, my name is Tang Mingde. My wife came here a few days ago to buy some clothes. I wonder if you still remember,” Tang Mingde said.
Lan Sisi thought of the gentle and kind Madam Tang and nodded. “I remember. Please come in first.”
She had already vaguely guessed something. Since she had used the spirit spring water, she had anticipated what might happen.
“Secretary Tang, hello.” Lin Ruihai recognized Tang Mingde at once.
“And you are?” Tang Mingde looked at the young man in surprise. He had met Lin Ruihai once before and quickly recalled, “Mr. Lin’s son? Didn’t your second uncle say you went missing?”
“It’s a long story,” Lin Ruihai said with a bitter smile.
Tang Mingde patted his shoulder and did not pursue the matter further. After all, every family had its own difficulties.
“This time, I’ve come to buy the water you gave my daughter last time. As you know, my daughter is paralyzed. My wife and I have sought medical help everywhere, but nothing worked. Unexpectedly, after drinking the water here, her condition improved greatly. I took the liberty of having the water analyzed without your permission, for which I apologize. However, I did not tell anyone. This water is our only hope now. I hope you can understand,” Tang Mingde said sincerely. Despite his high position, he showed no airs. “You can name any price. I will find a way to gather the money.”
Hearing the content of their conversation, Lin Ruihai realized this involved Lan Sisi’s secret and intended to step away, but Lan Sisi stopped him. A trace of joy rose in his heart. Did this mean she was opening her heart to him?
“It’s alright. I can understand how you and Madam Tang feel as parents,” Lan Sisi said. “This water is just ordinary well water. I really don’t know if it has any special effects. If you need it, just take as much as you want. As for the money, just give whatever you think is appropriate.”
Lan Sisi pretended to know nothing.
Tang Mingde was very pleased upon hearing this. He stood up and went outside. Not long after, two men in black uniforms entered, carrying a large barrel as tall as a person.
Lin Ruihai took the barrel to the well to fill it with water. No matter how he looked at it, he could not see anything special about the well water, but that did not stop him from thinking his girlfriend was amazing.
After the water was filled, Lan Sisi took the opportunity while handling it to add quite a few drops of spirit spring water. The marks of water droplets on her hand immediately dimmed by half.
The men in black quietly carried the water out to the car while no one was watching. Tang Mingde took out a thick package wrapped in newspaper and handed it to Lan Sisi. “Thank you. If there is a chance in the future, my wife and daughter will come personally to thank you. Here is my private contact information. If you encounter any problems in the future that you cannot resolve, you can contact me.”
This was a promise from Tang Mingde.
In the end, he still left by taking the village’s ox cart, then returned to Beijing by car from the town.
A few days later, Lin Ruihai also prepared to leave. Before departing, he went to the town once. When he returned, he gave Lan Sisi a wooden box. Inside was a set of jade jewelry, clearly of considerable value.
“This was passed from my grandmother to my mother, and then to me. She said she hoped I would give it to the girl I like,” Lin Ruihai said in a low, gentle voice.
At that moment, Lan Sisi suddenly understood the feeling of parting. Even before they separated, she had already begun to miss him. “Alright, I’ll accept it. Go early and come back soon.”
“I’ll write to you.”
Lin Ruihai lowered his head to look at her. The tenderness and reluctance in his eyes seemed tangible, wrapping tightly around her. Suddenly, Lan Sisi stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss onto his face, then quickly fled the scene, returning to her room and shutting the door. Her heart pounded incessantly.
Lin Ruihai stood there stunned. The soft sensation on his face had yet to fade. He raised his hand and touched his cheek. After a long moment, he let out a silly laugh.
Early the next morning, Lin Ruihai boarded the train back to Beijing, carrying a large bundle of dry rations that Lan Sisi had prepared for him.
Lan Sisi and Lan Sinian saw him off at the platform, watching as the train gradually moved farther away until it became a small black dot.
“Sis, let’s go back.”
Lan Sisi let out a breath. “Alright.”
…
In Beijing, Tang Wanwan had been drinking the spirit spring water for a month. Now, aside from her legs being stiff from sitting too long and still unable to walk for extended periods, everything else had mostly recovered.
Madam Tang pushed her outside. She was still wearing the cashmere coat bought from Lan Sisi, and her complexion had improved significantly.
“Ah Qing, Wanwan is already better? Thank heavens, you’ve finally made it through the hardship,” said an elegant and refined woman from another villa.
Madam Tang’s given name was Du Qing. The woman opposite her was her good friend Zhou Li. The two had been close friends since their school days.
“Aunt Zhou, hello,” Tang Wanwan said, her voice still slightly hoarse.
“Ah, good, good. Seeing that you’ve mostly recovered, in a while you won’t even need the wheelchair anymore. It seems you really did find a miracle doctor this time,” Zhou Li said with emotion.
“How is Old Madam? Has her health improved?” Du Qing did not wish to say more about Lan Sisi, so she changed the subject.
“It’s still the same. It’s a matter of the heart. She keeps thinking about my long lost sister in law. Old Chen has been searching everywhere for years, but there’s still no news. Who knows if we’ll ever find her?” Zhou Li sighed.
After sitting for a while, Du Qing went inside to visit Madam Chen. Looking at the old woman’s wise and gentle face, a flash of realization crossed her mind. She suddenly understood why that young girl had seemed so familiar. The girl’s eyes were almost identical to Madam Chen’s.
“Ah Li, do you have a photo of your sister-in-law?” Du Qing’s heart pounded. She felt it could not be such a coincidence, yet her intuition told her it might truly be.
“Yes, wait a moment.” Zhou Li did not understand why her expression had changed, but their long-standing tacit understanding made her refrain from asking further. She directly took out the old photograph that the old madam kept and looked at every day.
When Du Qing saw the young and beautiful woman in the photo, a sense of certainty arose in her heart.
The girl she had met resembled the woman in the photo by sixty percent. Judging by age, that girl should be her daughter. She remembered the girl had said her parents were both deceased…
She did not know whether this was good news or bad news.
“What’s wrong, Ah Qing?” Zhou Li asked, confused.
“I think… I may have met her daughter.”