“Exactly! Just look at her eyes and her figure. If her skin were a little fairer, she’d be prettier than the girls in the performing troupe!” Aunt Li chimed in.
Then she quickly added, “Though she is a bit tanned, you can tell she’s a hardworking country girl. She’s definitely capable!”
“I’d say the young bachelors in our family compound are in luck. They’ll get to see such a pretty girl every day from now on. It’ll probably make them train even harder!” Old Man Wang said with a grin, puffing on his pipe as he chatted with Aunt Li.
The breeze carried their conversation straight to Qin Ruan’s ears. Embarrassed, she quickened her pace and thought to herself, The gossip in this military family compound is even livelier than back in my home village.
Qin Ruofeng’s family residence was a detached courtyard house.
The yard was spotless, and in one corner was a small vegetable patch planted with lettuce, scallions, and tomatoes. Everything was lush and green, making the little garden look especially inviting.
The moment Shen Jianing saw the people Qin Ruofeng had brought home, she hurried forward with a bright smile.
“Mom, Ruanruan is here! Come inside and have a seat. You must be exhausted from the trip. I’ll get you both some honey water.”
Qin Ruan set down her cloth bag. Looking at Shen Jianing, who was only a few years older than herself, she remembered her grandmother’s instructions during the journey and sweetly called out,
“Aunt!”
The enamel mug in Shen Jianing’s hand clanged loudly against the table.
She spun around awkwardly.
“Y-You don’t have to call me Aunt! I’m only five years older than you. It sounds so strange!”
Qin Ruan was stunned.
She turned to look at her grandmother, who was drinking water and nearly spat it out.
Hurriedly smoothing things over, Hu Yufen said,
“This child kept talking about making sure she addressed everyone properly during the trip. Jianing, if it feels awkward to you, she can just call you Sister Jianing instead. You two are close in age, so it’ll be more comfortable that way.”
Qin Ruofeng laughed as well.
“That’s right, Ruanruan. From now on, just call her Sister Jianing. Don’t make her sound so old.”
Qin Ruan quickly nodded and gave Shen Jianing a sweet smile.
“Sister Jianing!”
Only then did Shen Jianing finally relax.
“That’s much better! Come on, I’ll show you the backyard. I’ve got some cucumbers growing back there. They just started producing, and they’re nice and tender.”
Holding Qin Ruan’s hand, Shen Jianing led her into the backyard.
The vegetable garden was indeed thriving.
The cucumber vines climbed high along the trellis, with several tiny cucumbers hanging beneath bright yellow blossoms, making them look especially tempting.
“Look, I planted these last month. It took a lot of effort to get them to survive,” Shen Jianing said proudly.
“Back home, I couldn’t even keep flowers alive. I never imagined I’d be able to grow vegetables after coming here.”
Her cheerful smile was contagious.
Qin Ruan crouched down and gently examined one of the cucumber vines.
“Sister Jianing, you’ve done a great job. These cucumbers already look delicious. But this patch is a little crowded—you should thin the plants out a bit. Otherwise, they won’t get enough nutrients, and the cucumbers won’t grow very big.”
“You know about this?” Shen Jianing asked in surprise. “I thought you grew up in the city, so I figured you wouldn’t know anything about farm work.”
Qin Ruan smiled shyly.
“I didn’t grow up in the city. I was raised by my grandmother in the countryside, so I know how to do all kinds of farm work.”
“That’s wonderful! Then I’ll leave this vegetable garden to you. I’ve been worrying because I didn’t know how to take care of it.”
As she spoke, Shen Jianing gratefully clasped Qin Ruan’s hands.
“No problem, Sister Jianing. I grew up in the village with my grandmother. Planting vegetables, feeding pigs, chopping firewood—I know how to do all of it.”
Qin Ruan nodded in agreement.
After a brief pause, as if finally opening up to someone her own age, her voice softened.
“I only visited my father’s home in the city a few times when I was little. After he had his son, Chen Xiaofan, I never set foot in that house again.”
Shen Jianing froze for a moment.
Instinctively, she tightened her grip on Qin Ruan’s hand, the coolness of her palm carrying a quiet sense of sympathy.
Qin Ruan squeezed Shen Jianing’s hand back, looking as though she didn’t mind.
“It’s really okay. My dad still comes back to see me once in a while and brings me food and clothes. But he has his own family now. Chen Xiaofan is ten this year, and Chen Xiaofang is twelve. The four of them are living a pretty good life.”
“My dad actually treats me fairly well,” she said, as if trying to convince herself as much as she was explaining it to Shen Jianing. “He always says he’s sorry and wants to make it up to me. But there are some things that can’t be restored just by making up for them.”
A gentle breeze drifted through the courtyard, carrying the fresh scent of vegetables.
Looking toward the distant courtyard wall, Qin Ruan said softly,
“After all… I don’t carry his surname anymore. My name is Qin Ruan, not Chen Ruan.”
Shen Jianing’s heart ached. She pulled Qin Ruan into a tight embrace.
“From now on, this is your home. You don’t have to worry about anything. We’ll always care about you.”
Leaning against Shen Jianing’s shoulder, Qin Ruan felt her eyes grow warm.
She quietly answered,
“Mm.”
“Aunt… thank you,” Qin Ruan whispered into Shen Jianing’s ear.
This time, Shen Jianing didn’t object to the way she addressed her.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves overhead, scattering patches of light and shadow across the two of them, warm and bright.
Qin Ruan knew that the sadness in her heart originally belonged to the body’s previous owner.
Yet the current Qin Ruan felt just as heartbroken.
Because their lives were so similar.
In her modern life, Qin Ruan’s father had abandoned her as well. He divorced her mother, who eventually died of cancer. Her father never raised her, and she had grown up almost like an orphan, slowly learning the culinary arts on her own.
She had never imagined she would one day experience something like this.
Stepping out of Shen Jianing’s embrace, she said seriously,
“Sister Jianing, when we’re alone, I’ll call you Sister. But in public, I’ll still call you Aunt. The Qin family’s rules shouldn’t be broken, or people will start talking.”
Shen Jianing quickly nodded.
“Whatever you think is best! You and Grandma should just stay here without worrying about anything. This courtyard is so spacious. It’ll be much livelier with everyone living together.”
Qin Ruan smiled and looked toward her grandmother, who had just come out of the main room.
“Then we’ll have to see what Grandma thinks.”
Hu Yufen was carrying a bamboo tray filled with freshly shelled peanuts. Hearing them, she laughed.
“I’ve got no objections. As long as you young people don’t mind an old woman like me talking too much!”
Their laughter echoed through the courtyard, carried far away by the sound of the Jialing River.
The setting sun painted the skies above the mountain city a warm orange-red.
Qin Ruofeng returned from the logistics office carrying half a slab of pork belly. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he caught the faint aroma of cooking oil.
“Ruanruan, what are you making?”
Setting the pork on the square dining table in the main room, he smiled and walked into the kitchen.
Qin Ruan stood at the stove with a spatula in hand, stir-frying something in a large iron wok.
Hearing her uncle’s voice, she turned and smiled.
“Uncle, I’m stir-frying some vegetables. Later I’ll make braised pork, twice-cooked pork, and an egg drop soup with vegetables.”
Watching her skillful movements, Qin Ruofeng said in surprise,
“I never expected you to know how to cook so many dishes! I thought you only knew how to grow vegetables.”
Still stir-frying, Qin Ruan replied,
“I learned to cook from Grandma when I was little. She taught me all these dishes. Grandma always said that children should learn how to cook so they can take care of themselves in the future.”
Qin Ruofeng nodded, his eyes filled with approval.
“She was right. Children should learn to look after themselves. Looks like we’re in for a delicious dinner tonight.”