The commotion outside was so loud that Su Yian, who had been asleep the whole time, was finally awakened. His leg made it difficult for him to move, and getting down from the bed took considerable effort.
Song Shixu stepped forward to steady him. “What did the hospital say?”
Su Yian gave a faint smile. “Not much hope.”
He spoke lightly, as if it were someone else’s leg they were discussing.
Even with a thousand yuan, whether the leg could be cured was still unknown. And even if it healed, he would never again endure the high-intensity training and missions he once carried out.
Song Shixu fell silent for a moment. “Is it money?”
Su Yian glanced at Su Jinle and said softly, “Lele, could you help your brother pour our guest a cup of tea?”
Su Jinle nodded quickly. “O-okay.”
Once she had gone farther away, Su Yian lowered his eyes. There was nothing to hide from his friend. “My allowance is almost used up. Continuing treatment doesn’t mean much. I can’t leave a pile of debt for my family. Lele is still young—she still has to get married.”
Truthfully, eight hundred yuan in allowances was already a lot—Song Shixu had fought hard to secure it for him. But no matter how much money one had, it disappeared quickly in a hospital.
Song Shixu frowned. “If it’s money, I can figure something out when I get home. I still have some savings in my passbook. I can borrow more—”
“No need.” Su Yian interrupted him. “Shixu, borrowed money has to be repaid. If my leg heals, that’s one thing. But what if it doesn’t?”
Even the doctor had said there was only a thirty percent chance.
Song Shixu couldn’t stand his lifeless tone. “So you’re just going to stay like this? Do you know what happened outside just now? Your sister’s rabbit was bullied to death. Can you even stand up for her like this?”
“What happened to Lele?” Su Yian’s expression immediately darkened.
Song Shixu drew in a breath. “A dog bit her. It’s not serious. If you can’t stand up for yourself, being bullied is normal. Even a rabbit will bite when it’s cornered.”
On the surface, Su Yian seemed mild-tempered, but he was fiercely protective of his sister. His voice sharpened. “Lele is not a rabbit.”
Song Shixu let out a short laugh. “You were the one who called her that back in the army.”
He had only ever seen Su Jinle from afar once before—small and pale. If you put two ears on her head, wouldn’t she look exactly like a rabbit? Honestly, he found the comparison fitting.
Clearly unwilling to discuss his sister further, Su Yian changed the subject. “Why did you come?”
Song Shixu’s face grew more serious. “There’s progress in the matter we were investigating. Even though you’ve withdrawn from the mission, you still need to be careful.”
Su Yian was silent for a moment. “I understand.”
At that moment, Su Jinle came in carefully holding two ceramic cups. She smiled shyly at Song Shixu. “P-please… drink.”
Song Shixu frowned slightly. She looked as if he were terrifying. Were women naturally this timid? And just now when he’d steadied her by the waist, it had felt so slender—thinner than his thigh.
Yian’s sister was far too delicate. When bullied, she only knew how to turn red-eyed. He disliked women’s tears—actually, he detested them. To him, they were useless.
Su Jinle clearly didn’t like him much either. After setting down the cups, she left immediately, uninterested in listening to two grown men talk. She returned to her room and quietly sketched clothing designs. Only after Song Shixu had left did she cautiously poke her head out.
Su Yian was sitting by the doorway, his crutch set aside. Seeing her like that, he couldn’t help smiling. “Shixu only looks fierce. He’s not a bad person.”
“I… know.” Remembering he had just helped her, Su Jinle felt embarrassed. “He’s a good person.”
Su Yian raised a brow, then recalled what Song Shixu had said earlier. His tone grew slightly heavier. “Lele, did Gu Jingxiu come just now?”
She nodded and quickly added, “I-I’m fine.”
She didn’t want her brother to worry. At worst, she’d just keep the door closed from now on. If that didn’t work, she’d raise a big wolfdog. Let it bite any bad person who came—then see if they dared show up again!
Although her eyes were a little red, there were no traces of tears. Only then did Su Yian relax slightly. But sadness inevitably lingered in his heart. If his leg were still fine, would Gu Jingxiu have dared come and bully them?
Now he truly was useless—unable even to protect his own sister.
A small hand hooked around his little finger. Su Jinle’s dimples appeared sweetly. “Brother, tomorrow… I’ll go earn big money again!”
Although she had been furious earlier when Yang Muqing tried to snatch her dress, it also strengthened her confidence that the dress would sell well. Otherwise, Yang Muqing wouldn’t have taken interest. With her wealthy family and closet full of clothes, Yang Muqing had always been picky.
In a way, it was a validation of her design.
That night, Su Jinle folded the dress neatly and placed it at the head of her bed. On top, she scattered a layer of dried flower petals. Dresses were meant for girls, she thought. If they smelled sweet, surely they’d be liked even more.
Perhaps because she was so eager for tomorrow’s “business,” Su Jinle even had a dream. In it, she turned into a rabbit selling carrots and earned piles and piles of money…
When she woke up, she laughed at herself. Her body had grown younger—her dreams had become childish too.
The next day was bright and sunny again. After May, the weather grew hotter. Yet in the 1980s, clothing styles were still mostly gray and muted, caught between conservatism and change.
Most girls wore dacron shirts with black trousers. Even the more fashionable city girls favored simple pencil skirts.
The clothes Su Jinle wore were her own creations. Sensible and thrifty, she had altered one of her brother’s old white shirts—taking in the waist, shortening the sleeves, and extending the hem just enough to tie a bow at the waist.
An ordinary white shirt suddenly carried a touch of feminine softness. She was slender and fair-skinned. As soon as she reached yesterday’s selling spot, the auntie who sold eggs grabbed her arm to take a closer look.
“Girl, your outfit is so pretty! Why didn’t they sell things like this when I was young?”
Su Jinle smiled shyly. “A-auntie, yours is pretty too…”
“Pretty? Look how thick my waist is!” The auntie’s personality was exuberant. Sitting cross-legged on a woven sack, she pulled Su Jinle down beside her. “Do you have a boyfriend yet? Want me to introduce you to someone?”
Su Jinle’s little face flushed bright red. “N-no need.”
The auntie had only been joking. Warm-hearted as she was, her eyes lit up when she saw the dress Su Jinle brought. “This is what you’re selling today? My goodness, it’s gorgeous! What fabric is this? Why does it smell so nice? Oh my, the belt’s braided like a plait! How did you come up with that in your little head?”
Su Jinle could only smile foolishly. The auntie spoke so fast and energetically that she couldn’t get a word in at all.