Lin Jingwan packed up the remaining meat and asked her younger brother and sister, “I’m going to the cowshed. Which of you two wants to come?”
“I do!”
“Me too!”
“Alright. Luoluo, bring thirty steamed buns.”
“Hanhan, go get two bundles of dried noodles and two packs of brown sugar. We’re going to say goodbye to them.”
“Got it!”
The three of them one adult and two children made their way to the cowshed.
It was currently working hours, so there weren’t many people around the village. The cowshed was occupied only by five frail elderly people and three young children.
The old Lin Jingwan had been timid and rarely interacted with others, so aside from Grandpa Lu, she didn’t actually know anyone else at the cowshed.
“Grandpa Lu,” Lin Jingwan called.
Old Master Lu, who had been resting with his eyes closed against a pile of hay, sat up when he heard her voice and looked toward them.
“Oh, it’s Comrade Xiao Lin!”
Lin Jingwan walked over, placed the supplies she was carrying on the ground, and got straight to the point.
“Grandpa Lu, I’m leaving Dalaoba Village this afternoon. Please share these steamed buns and this bowl of meat with everyone.”
“Oh, thank you for thinking of us. I haven’t had steamed buns made from white flour in such a long time!”
“Grandpa Lu, I’ve already spoken with the village chief. Once the weather turns cold next month, the elderly people and children here who are too old or physically weak can move into my house temporarily.
“My courtyard has everything you need pots, bowls, bedding, beds, tables, and chairs. You can simply move in and use whatever you need.
“But remember, you can sleep there at night. During the day, you still need to come back here!”
“Th-this is really true?” Grandpa Lu’s lips trembled slightly.
His health was poor, and in a place where the wind blew in from all four sides, he probably wouldn’t survive the winter.
He had already lived long enough and didn’t fear death anymore.
But his youngest grandson was still so young. He couldn’t bear to leave him behind.
“Of course it’s true.
“Grandpa Lu, I’ll be leaving this time and won’t be returning to the village anytime soon. I’ll have to trouble you to look after that house for me from now on.”
“You silly child. You’re not really asking us to look after your house. You’re clearly worried about a group of elderly, weak, and helpless people like us. You’re afraid we’ll freeze to death, so you’re helping us in a roundabout way.”
The corners of Lin Jingwan’s lips curved upward.
“If that’s how you want to put it, Grandpa Lu, you’re not wrong.
“We’re all villagers from the same place. Helping one another is only natural.”
“What a good child… You truly have a kind heart.”
She wasn’t even afraid that helping them might bring trouble upon herself. People like her were rare in these times!
It wasn’t only Grandpa Lu who was grateful. Another elderly woman beside him also excitedly stood up.
“Comrade Xiao Lin, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
“My husband has always been in poor health. Yesterday, I honestly thought he wouldn’t make it through this winter. With your house for us to stay in, perhaps he’ll be able to live a few more days!”
“Grandma, there are also two packs of brown sugar and some dried noodles among the things I brought. You can divide them among yourselves later. Cook the noodles until they’re soft in some meat broth so everyone can have something nourishing.
“There are also some Chinese herbal medicines my father left behind in the cabinet on the east side of my house.
“They’re all commonly used medicines for everyday headaches, fevers, and minor ailments. If anyone feels unwell, you can go to my house at night and take what you need. The uses of the medicines are marked on them as well.”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
The old woman’s eyes reddened.
It had truly been a very long time since she had felt such kindness.
On the other side, an elderly man lying on the ground sighed emotionally.
“This girl truly has a kind heart.
“People live only once, and good and evil eventually come full circle. With a heart as kind as yours, I’m sure everything will go smoothly for you in the future, and you’ll live a long and peaceful life.”
“I’ll take your blessing, Grandpa. I’m only doing a few things within my abilities.
“There’s one more thing.
“I’m going to Beijing this time. If any of you need me to deliver a letter, I can take it along for you.”
Her words were like a thunderclap out of nowhere, instantly exciting everyone.
Communication was extremely difficult in those days. For people like them, who had been sent down and labeled as members of the “stinking Ninth Category,” contacting their families was practically impossible.
“Yes! I have a letter to send!”
An elderly man with white hair immediately stood up, so excited that his voice trembled.
“Comrade Xiao Lin, could you wait for me a moment? I want to write a letter to my son who lives far away in Beijing!”
“No problem.”
She even took out paper and a pen that she had prepared beforehand from her small bag and placed them on the table.
At once, everyone became even more eager. They all came forward, hoping to take advantage of this rare opportunity.
Among them, an elegant and scholarly-looking woman appeared hesitant.
“Comrade Xiao Lin, I want to send a letter to my daughter in Inner Mongolia, but I really can’t afford the postage.”
Lin Jingwan looked at the woman, whose refined appearance was unmistakably scholarly, and smiled faintly.
“Don’t worry. The postage doesn’t cost much. I’ll pay for it.”
“Thank you so much! We’ll remember this kindness for the rest of our lives!”
After everything was finished, she collected seven letters in total: five addressed to Beijing, one to Shanghai, and one to Inner Mongolia.
She carefully put the letters away, left the house keys with Grandpa Gu, and said goodbye to everyone.
As they walked back, Hanhan finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity.
“Sister, why are you so good to them?”
“Grandpa Lu is one thing, but the others in the cowshed aren’t related to us at all. We hardly ever interacted with them before. Why are you going to such lengths to help them?”
“Hanhan, nothing anyone gives in this world is ever truly wasted.
“If it turns out to be wasted, that’s fine too.
“Just think of it as gaining a little more knowledge and accumulating another life experience.”
Lin Yihan frowned slightly, seeming to understand but not quite.
In his young mind, giving something should naturally lead to receiving something in return. The idea of suffering a loss for nothing was something he found very difficult to understand.
Lin Jingwan wasn’t in a hurry. She patiently gave him an example.
“Imagine you plant a sapling in the mountains and water it and loosen the soil around it every day. Perhaps a natural disaster comes and it never gets the chance to grow. Perhaps wild animals chew it up or break it, and it never becomes a towering tree.
“But during the time you spent caring for it, you learned patience and came to understand how plants grow. That kind of gain is something no one can ever take away from you.”
“It’s the same when we help the people living in the cowshed.
“We aren’t giving them that much. Even if we never receive anything in return, we’ve still remained true to our principles.
“Besides, kindness is like a spring breeze. Wherever it blows, it always leaves behind a little warmth.”
“These things may be insignificant to us, but to people struggling through hardship, they’re like charcoal in the snow a timely helping hand that may even save their lives.
“They’ll remember this warmth for the rest of their lives.”
Hanhan pondered her words and quietly guessed, “Sis, are you making plans for the future?”
“I wouldn’t call it deliberate planning. I’m simply doing what I can to leave us with a little more security.”
“I understand now.” Hanhan nodded. “Today, we offer kindness. If we receive something in return, that’s wonderful. If we don’t, we shouldn’t dwell on it.”
“That’s right. Hanhan is very smart.
“But there’s one more important thing. You must engrave this in your heart.”
Lin Jingwan slowed her speech, making every word clear.
“Kindness needs boundaries, and when helping others, you must always stay within your own abilities. Never force yourself to help someone just because your heart is soft. Otherwise, you’ll end up losing more than you gain.”
Nearby, Luoluo swayed her little head. She only understood part of what she was hearing, but she obediently remembered her sister’s words.
From a distance, Li Zhaoye had heard every word of the siblings’ conversation.
There was a little more admiration in his eyes as he looked at Lin Jingwan.
She had foresight, understood right from wrong, and even took the time to teach her younger siblings.
A woman like this was his wife.
Not bad at all.
What Lin Jingwan didn’t know was that the kindness she planted today would eventually bring tremendous help to her life and career in the future.
But that was a story for later.
For now, the two adults and two children bought their train tickets and then headed to the Public Security Bureau.