Dapi (Big Fart) said, “The apples grown in my family’s orchard, of course!”
“Brother Sheng, did I never tell you about them?”
Chen Jingsheng paused, then scoffed, “Can’t remember. Can’t expect important people to remember every little thing, right?”
Dapi (Big Fart) gave a simple, honest grin. “It’s nothing important anyway, no need to keep track.”
Still, he looked a little troubled. “It’s just a waste if no one buys them. I could get seven or eight cents for them if I sold them.”
“……”
Chen Jingsheng rubbed the base of his thumb with his fingers, eyes darting away as he mumbled, “So… you’re stuck selling them all?”
“C-Could I buy… ten or twenty pounds?”
“?! ” Dapi (Big Fart)’s eyes went wide. “T-Ten or twenty pounds?!”
“Brother Sheng, are you planning to make canned apples to sell?”
“Why would I do that? Just tell me if it’s possible!”
Chen Jingsheng shut his eyes, sounding flustered and irritable.
It wasn’t for any other reason—just for his own foolish, soft-hearted impulse that he didn’t even want to think too hard about.
Around five o’clock, thin smoke curled up from the Chen family’s courtyard.
Chen Jingsheng crept over with a burlap sack slung over his shoulder. He peered around cautiously for a long time before slipping quietly into the yard and hurrying straight into the house.
Once inside, he shut the door without a moment’s delay and finally let out a long breath.
“…Jingsheng?”
You Sanmei had woken from another nap. She rubbed her eyes and propped herself up, her voice soft and drowsy.
Chen Jingsheng swallowed hard several times before turning around.
In an instant, he met her hazy, misty eyes—looking lost and pure, like a little fawn separated from its herd in the woods.
His heart raced. He instinctively stepped back until his back pressed against the door. “…Why’d you fall asleep again?”
“Did drawing that turtle on your forehead turn you into one too?”
You Sanmei came fully awake, her attention immediately caught by the huge sack at his feet.
She didn’t even mind his teasing. “What did you bring back? Why’s it so big?”
“…Someone gave it to me,” he said awkwardly, dragging the sack further inside.
You Sanmei slipped on her shoes and followed him curiously to the corner. “Who gives someone a whole sack of something?”
Chen Jingsheng lied straight-faced. “I didn’t look. No idea.”
“They were just throwing it away and insisted on giving it to me—why would I go opening it up to see what it was?”
As he finished speaking, he dropped the sack like it was burning hot, straightened up from his hunch, and turned around—
Right into her embrace.
Chen Jingsheng’s face burned bright red. He threw his hands up instinctively, looking comically like he was surrendering.
You Sanmei was too stunned by his reaction to feel shy herself.
“…What are you doing?”
“…M-My arms hurt. Just stretching them out,” he stammered.
He rolled his eyes up to stare at the ceiling beams, then made a show of curling his lip. “Helped someone settle a fight today. Took that guy down in no time, and he insisted on giving me something as thanks.”
“Thought you might like it, so… here. People give me gifts all the time anyway, I’m used to it.”
You Sanmei bit her lip to stop herself from laughing—she could smell the apples already!
What a fool he was, acting all high and mighty. Who’d believe he didn’t know what was inside, or that someone really forced it on him?
Just then, Chen Jingsheng suddenly lowered his gaze.
Her heart skipped a beat. She threw her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his chest—
“!!”
Chen Jingsheng froze completely.
His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his throat.
You Sanmei could hear the thumping loud and clear through his chest—strong, fast, and wild.
His whole body trembled slightly against her, sending a warm tingle through her.
She smiled quietly to herself, then said softly, sounding genuinely touched, “Jingsheng, you’re so good to me… You thought of me even with something someone else gave you.”
“I really did marry the right person.”
“……”
Chen Jingsheng thought Dapi (Big Fart) might be right after all.
Maybe he really had caught a fever.
A high, burning fever that had addled his brain.
Otherwise, why would he suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to pluck the sun and moon from the sky just to give them to her?
Dinner was noodles again.
Yang Cuilian had mixed the dough early that morning—enough for the whole day, convenient and easy. She’d just changed up the sauce this time.
Chen Yuanyuan had also come home. She’d been running around all day and was starving, watching eagerly as her aunt dished out noodles for her.
Chen Haobei and Chen Haonan, however, were nothing like how eager they’d been at lunch. They sat side by side, gnawing at the ends of their chopsticks, eyes drifting nervously toward the door.
Ge Zhaodi knew exactly what was scaring them. She let out a snort at Yang Cuilian. “You really are something. Fine if the kids don’t know any better—but you’re a grown woman, still believing all that nonsense?”
“Besides—have you ever heard of a ghost as weak and sickly as she is?”
Xu Linghua frowned. “What are you talking about? What ghosts?”
Ge Zhaodi laughed. “Your two grandsons think their new auntie’s been possessed! She’s not scared of us anymore, and she’s all smiles and laughter now—so they say she’s got a ghost in her that charms people with her smile!”
Chen Jingsheng, who’d just stepped through the door, nearly tripped and fell flat on his face. He grabbed the frame just in time to steady himself.
He stood frozen, dazed and pale.
Chen Haonan said, “See? It’s not just kids! Uncle Sheng believes it too—look how spooked he is!”
Xu Linghua spoke firmly. “Enough of this foolish talk. It’s all feudal superstition—if the commune hears you, you’ll be sent for political education.”
“Your auntie has always been frail. She fell ill soon after marrying into this family—any girl would be unsettled and afraid at first.”
“…She’s just gotten used to us these past few days, that’s all. It’s only natural she’s acting differently.”
Right as she finished speaking, You Sanmei came in to eat.
Seeing Chen Jingsheng blocking the doorway, she tapped him lightly on the shoulder—
“AH!” Chen Jingsheng jumped as if burned. “You… you sneak up like a cat?! How do you walk without making a sound?!”
Xu Linghua snapped, “That’s enough, Jingsheng! Even Haobei and Haonan aren’t acting this ridiculous!”
Chen Jingsheng froze. He’d not eaten a bite yet, but suddenly he felt like he’d lost his appetite entirely.
You Sanmei quickly looped her arm through his, grinning. “Mom, don’t scold him—he was just distracted, that’s all. We were whispering in the room earlier, he must’ve been thinking about something else… not because of any ghosts.”
“Jingsheng, let’s sit together by the wall again? Look, I brought another stool from the kitchen.”
She smiled broadly, showing her bright white teeth.
Chen Jingsheng swallowed the words “I’m not hungry” before they could leave his mouth. For all his size and toughness, he let the tiny, delicate You Sanmei pull him gently over to sit down.