The few teenagers looked at one another as though they could not believe it, then shoved and jostled each other as they made their way toward Song Ziyao.
Once they got close, however, they still did not dare raise their heads and take another look at her.
Their awkward, bashful manner bore none of their usual delinquent swagger.
“Wh-what did you call us over for?” Tan Xuesong was pushed to the front by the others and had no choice but to speak.
Tan Xuesong was Tan Jinhe’s nephew, so in Song Ziyao’s eyes, he was also her nephew. Coupled with the thought of what Tan Xuesong would eventually go through, her gaze toward him could not help carrying the affection of an elder toward a junior.
To avoid ending up hungry and suffering from low blood sugar, Song Ziyao always kept a handful of White Rabbit milk candies in her clothing pocket.
She took them out and counted them. There were six candies in total.
There were three teenagers standing before her, just enough for two candies each.
Song Ziyao placed the White Rabbit candies into each of their hands. “These are for you.”
This was exactly the age when they could never get enough to eat. As for candy, such things were kept securely locked away by the adults at home. They could only drink a bowl of sweetened water when they were sick or during the New Year and festivals.
Among the three of them, only Tan Xuesong had ever eaten White Rabbit milk candy at his aunt’s house.
That delicious taste was second only to pork!
Tan Xuesong’s mouth watered uncontrollably. Before he even realized it, he had accepted the candy and unwrapped one.
The others immediately followed his example.
Before long, all of them wore expressions of extreme enjoyment. The youngest one even licked the candy wrapper twice.
Only after finishing one candy and smacking his lips while savoring the aftertaste did Tan Xuesong say to Song Ziyao: “Go ahead and tell us, what do you want us to help you do?”
Song Ziyao was taken aback and laughed. “Nothing at all. They’re only a few candies. I just wanted to treat you.”
“Nothing at all?” Tan Xuesong looked suspicious. “My Fourth Uncle said that there are no free pies falling from the sky!”
Song Ziyao laughed, then thought for a moment before saying: “Since you insist, then help me pull weeds.”
Tan Xuesong glanced at the peanut field Song Ziyao was pointing to, and his expression relaxed. “Alright!”
While they worked, Song Ziyao chatted with the boys and gradually grew closer to them.
Her voice was gentle and her expression warm. It did not take much effort before she had become familiar with them.
“How old are you?” Song Ziyao asked Tan Xuesong.
“We count full years here. I’m seventeen.”
That meant there were still two years before the incident would happen to him. She could slowly become familiar with him before bringing it up.
Tan Xuesong asked in return: “How old are you?”
Song Ziyao slightly straightened her chest and said: “Eighteen.”
Tan Xuesong gave Song Ziyao a strange look, then nodded. “Then all of us should call you Older Sister.”
Song Ziyao remained silent.
She would have preferred for Tan Xuesong to call her Auntie.
At last, the morning passed.
Although Tan Xuesong and the others were usually playful and only worked when the adults kicked them into action, they were actually quite efficient when they got serious.
The day’s work assigned to Song Ziyao was completed by them in just a little over an hour.
Of course, the field itself was not very large. An experienced worker would have needed at most half a day.
After Tan Xuesong and the others left, Song Ziyao also supported her aching back as she walked toward the dormitory.
Having worked all morning, she had absolutely no desire to make breakfast anymore.
Song Ziyao borrowed some hot water from Liu Qingping, mixed herself a bowl of malted milk essence, and ate it with biscuits as her breakfast.
Liao Hongmei poked her head around the doorway of Song Ziyao’s room. “Ziyao, can you lend me a can of malted milk essence? I had too many things to carry when I left, so it wasn’t convenient to bring it. When my mother sends some next month, I’ll return it to you.”
Although Liao Hongmei’s parents were both wage earners, she was not valued at all at home. Having food to eat and clothes to wear was already considered good enough. Anything extra was out of the question.
Because of that, Liao Hongmei often borrowed things from her, ranging from hair ties and pencils to money and ration coupons, but she had never returned any of them.
Song Ziyao had originally been raised by Feng Shihui to be introverted and timid. She had always had very few friends, so she treasured Liao Hongmei, who had taken the initiative to approach her. Material possessions had never mattered much to her, and who knew how many things had slipped through her fingers because of it…
Those memories had already become extremely vague, but Liao Hongmei’s behavior brought them back once more.
Borrow malted milk essence?
There was a one hundred percent chance that it would never be returned.
Song Ziyao could not even be bothered to make up an excuse. She directly replied: “No.”
Liao Hongmei had been rejected so bluntly that her expression stiffened for a moment. Then she continued: “Then lend me two pairs of gloves and a bar of soap. I left the labor protection supplies the factory issued me at home.”
“No.”
Liao Hongmei could barely keep her composure anymore. “Song Ziyao, I already told you that I didn’t do that on purpose. Is it really necessary for you to cut ties with me over it?”
“Oh right, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t even have remembered.” Song Ziyao said, blinking as she looked over. “I hereby officially announce that we’re no longer friends. Don’t come bothering me anymore.”
After saying that, Song Ziyao turned her head away and ignored her.
Liao Hongmei’s face completely collapsed. Furious, she stormed back to her room.
Wen Xue was also drinking malted milk essence, and its fragrance filled the entire room.
Meanwhile, Liao Hongmei still had no breakfast and was starving.
Feeling irritated, she stomped her foot hard and deliberately raised her voice. “Don’t ever come begging me to be your friend again!”
Whether Song Ziyao next door heard it or not was unknown, but Wen Xue let out a mocking laugh. “What an inflated ego.”
Liao Hongmei was furious but dared not say anything. Coupled with her exhaustion and hunger, she finally burst into tears from grievance. “Everyone’s bullying me, boo hoo hoo hoo hoo…”
Her crying attracted the others.
When they learned that it was because of breakfast, everyone was rendered speechless.
In the end, Wang Yiguang, as the team leader, still served her a bowl of cornmeal porridge.
Although Song Ziyao had already completed all of her farm work for the day, she still went to the fields that morning. She found a shady spot, rested there while reading a book, and did not return until the signal horn announcing the end of work sounded.
The only food she had was the small amount of coarse grain advanced to her by the production brigade, so she did not plan on cooking lunch either. After locking the door and entering her space to eat something, she went to the Production Brigade Leader’s house to request leave.
Since she had completed her work ahead of schedule, had only just arrived, and still needed to purchase many necessities, obtaining leave was relatively easy.
However, Tan Jinshui was somewhat suspicious of her claim that she had already finished her work. Only after sending someone to inspect it did he approve her leave.
When Song Ziyao arrived at the Brigade Office, Tan Jinhe was leaning against the tractor driver’s seat with his eyes closed, seemingly dozing.
His arms were folded across his chest, and one long leg was braced against the ground.
His senses were sharp. Even though Song Ziyao had deliberately softened her footsteps, he still opened his eyes the moment she approached.
Song Ziyao called out: “Tan Jinhe.”
Song Ziyao’s voice was soft and gentle. When she said the name “Tan Jinhe.” the ending sound was slightly indistinct, creating a particularly unique feeling.
It was as though… it was as though her voice had transformed into a feather and lightly brushed across the tip of Tan Jinhe’s heart.
It was itchy.
Tan Jinhe gave a light cough and took a deep breath before finally responding with a low: “Mm.”
Song Ziyao climbed into the truck bed and sat all the way inside, in the spot closest to the driver’s seat. Excitedly, she said: “Let’s go.”
The thought of the two of them spending several hours alone together made her unable to suppress her happiness.
Yet Tan Jinhe said: “There are still people who haven’t arrived.”
?
At that moment, two elderly women appeared together. After climbing into the truck bed, they patted the front and said: “Jinhe, let’s go.”
The tractor rumbled to life.
Song Ziyao: “……”
So it wasn’t a world for just the two of them after all.