With her days spent running the snack stall, time flew by. Jiang Lianyue, apart from noticing her steadily growing wallet, paid little attention to anything else.
She had taken some time to get a full-body checkup. The doctor said she was healthy, no illnesses at all, just a little hypoglycemia and mild malnutrition.
In these times, just having enough to eat was already a blessing; hoping for perfect nutrition would be greedy. The doctor didn’t prescribe any medicine, only advising her to eat more eggs, lean meat, and fish, and to avoid letting herself get hungry, as low blood sugar could be life-threatening.
Hearing this, Jiang Lianyue guessed that perhaps the original girl had had an accident because of low blood sugar.
With her health confirmed, she felt relieved. She would never let herself go hungry, after all, she didn’t have many years to live. Why would she mistreat herself?
According to the original timeline, she only had four years left. If she could make it to that point, that would be enough. Other things could wait.
Time passed, rainy days became fewer, and the sun grew brighter each day. Jiang Lianyue’s mood brightened as well, she finally had a bicycle!
One day, while out shopping, she stopped by the state-run department store and saw that the curly-haired man wasn’t around. With a mischievous thought of giving him a bit of trouble, she bought herself a 28-inch Phoenix brand bicycle.
Now, traveling anywhere was convenient. Jiang Lianyue felt like her activity range had more than doubled, and her spirits soared.
…
That day, Jiang Lianyue was at her usual spot, busy steaming rolled rice noodles for customers, when a tall figure appeared in front of her cart. She looked up and greeted cheerfully, “Want some rolled rice noodles? What filling would you like, pure meat, green beans, wood ear fungus, or pickled vegetables? Prices are on the blackboard. And there’s also the rich…”
Her voice caught mid-sentence. The man before her had a square face framed by thick brows, it was her family’s second brother, the one who had always doted on the original girl.
Jiang Lianyue froze for a moment, her heart pounding, but she forced a look of delight and exclaimed, “Second Brother! What are you doing here?”
Jiang Xuejun smiled broadly, his voice booming. “I went to the machinery factory’s residential area to find you. The gatekeeper said you were here selling noodles, so I came over.”
“Sit down and try my cooking,” Jiang Lianyue said, pointing to a nearby folding stool.
Jiang Xuejun set a snake-skin bag full of goods beside the cart. Seeing the stack of dirty bowls, he rolled up his sleeves. “I had breakfast before coming, not hungry. I’ll help wash these bowls first.”
Business had been good today, and Jiang Lianyue hadn’t had time to clean up, leaving quite a pile of dishes.
Embarrassed, she smiled. “Then I’ll make you two extra-large meat-filled rolls afterward.”
“Sure.”
Squatting by the bucket, washing dishes, Jiang Xuejun observed his sister. Her complexion was as rosy as before her marriage, her face carried a gentle smile, and her hands and face were unscarred. His worry eased.
Back when she insisted on marrying that clerk, he had disagreed. But when she was determined, their eldest brother said that moving to the city meant she wouldn’t need to toil in the fields like a farmer, it wasn’t so bad. So he reluctantly agreed.
While working, Jiang Lianyue recalled the original girl’s memories and asked, “Second Brother, how are Uncle and Mom?”
“They’re fine,” Jiang Xuejun nodded. “Though Mom has the habit of boiling an egg every morning. Today she boiled it before remembering that you got married.”
At home, the original mother always cooked an egg in the rice for the original girl, exclusively for her. No matter how tight things were, that egg had never been missing.
Hearing this, Jiang Lianyue remembered the large jar of eggs in the original girl’s dowry, her eyes slightly misting.
“In a few days, on the third day of March, I’ll go home to pay respects at the family graves,” she said.
She had been worried about revealing herself after returning home and had been busy, so she hadn’t visited or sent any messages. Now she felt guilty, how could she avoid her family who had always doted on the original girl?
Though girls married off in Lingnan could return home for ancestral rituals, many found it inconvenient. Jiang Lianyue’s plan to go pleased Jiang Xuejun.
“Good. We’ll slaughter the big hen at home for you to get some nourishment.”
Mentioning nourishment reminded Jiang Lianyue of her earlier guess. She planned to ask her mother and also inform her she was healthy after her checkup, to put her mind at ease.
“Great! And I want drumsticks,” Jiang Lianyue teased. “The ones raised at home taste the best.”
Seeing his sister still as lively as before her marriage, Jiang Xuejun felt even more reassured. She hadn’t suffered any grievances after marrying.
“No one will take them from you. You can have both drumsticks,” he said.
Nearby, a little boy in a sailor shirt, overhearing their conversation, said to the woman with him, “Mom, see, the big sister is still eating drumsticks. I want to eat drumsticks too.”
The woman looked at Jiang Lianyue, then at Jiang Xuejun. “Sisters are girls, they can eat drumsticks. See? Big brother doesn’t eat them; he leaves them for his sister. You’re a boy, so you should also be like him and leave drumsticks for your sister.”
The boy glanced at Jiang Lianyue and Jiang Xuejun and sighed in disappointment. “Then I’ll leave the drumsticks for my sister too, so she can get some nourishment.”
The woman patted his head. “Once your sister is healthy, you can eat drumsticks too.”
She smiled awkwardly at Jiang Lianyue. “His sister has been weak since childhood. Anything tasty goes to her first, and he’s always been a bit resentful.”
Jiang Lianyue smiled at the boy. “You’re so considerate of your sister. How about I reward you with a bowl of soy milk?”
“Thank you, Auntie!” the boy exclaimed happily. “I’ll make sure to leave good food for my sister, just like my brother does.”
Jiang Lianyue laughed. “Such a sensible child.”
The woman cast a grateful glance at Jiang Lianyue.
Her son often quarreled over this matter. She hadn’t expected that a simple visit for rolled rice noodles could make him understand. She decided she should bring him more often for a little “lesson” from the boss.
…
Customers came and went without pause. Jiang Xuejun washed bowls, cleaned tables, and handled money, busy from one task to another.
When the rice batter bucket ran low, they finally got a break. Jiang Lianyue hurriedly told him to sit and try some noodles before continuing.
Jiang Xuejun declined. “The more you sell, the more you earn. We live far from Hengzhou, and have no relatives there. Having more money will help.”
“Second Brother, don’t you want to try my cooking?” Jiang Lianyue asked, lifting her chin proudly. “Many customers say my rolled noodles are really good.”
He was intrigued. He knew her cooking better than anyone, she could even stir-fry hollowed-out vegetables better than others cooked pork.
He hadn’t tried rolled rice noodles yet, would they be as good as her usual dishes?
Jiang Lianyue quickly made a meat-filled roll, adding yellow bean paste, and placed it on a folding table.
“Second Brother, eat while it’s hot. I made an extra meaty roll just for you, it’s full of meat, definitely delicious.”
Jiang Xuejun finally put down the unfinished bowls, washed his hands, and sat. “Then I’ll try your cooking.”
Picking up his chopsticks, he grabbed a piece and marveled at the thin, delicate dough. “Sis, your skill is really impressive.”
Jiang Lianyue laughed. “Eat quickly. This much meat could make four rolls, don’t let the customers see.”
He immediately took a big bite. His eyes lit up, and after half the roll, he smiled. “Your cooking has improved a lot. I’ve never had anything this tasty.”
“I’ll save some batter and make a few rolls to take home for Uncle and Mom,” she said.
“Good.”
Deciding to make a few for her second brother, Jiang Lianyue stopped selling and began packing up.
With so many young men at home, all doing farm work, the portions needed to be large, ten rolls or more.
After eating, Jiang Xuejun joined in, and together, the siblings packed up quickly.
He placed the snake-skin bag on the cart, took over pushing, and walked with her back to the residential area.
“Second Brother, what’s in the bag?” she asked curiously.
It was heavy, so much that even a strong young man like him needed both hands to lift it.
“Some rice, soybeans, peanuts… and a slaughtered chicken.”
Rice, soybeans, peanuts made sense, but a slaughtered chicken?
“Why is it already slaughtered?” she asked.
Jiang Xuejun explained, “Mom said you wouldn’t know how to butcher a chicken. If your husband didn’t either, there’d be nothing to eat. So she told Big Brother to do it this morning and have me bring it over.”
Warmth surged in Jiang Lianyue’s chest, her eyes misting.
Her mother truly adored the original girl to the bone.
“Then later we’ll eat poached chicken. Home-raised chicken tastes the best,” she said, holding back tears, brimming with joy.
Seeing her happy, Jiang Xuejun’s own face lit up. “Good!”
The siblings chatted and laughed all the way back, bringing the cart into the residential area. Jiang Lianyue introduced him to Old Meng, asking him to let Zhou Jiajing know that her second brother had arrived and he should return quickly.
Since returning from Grandma Huang’s place, Zhou Jiajing didn’t seem as busy as before. He came home for lunch daily. Though he brought his meals from the factory canteen and Jiang Lianyue cooked for herself, their interactions at home had increased significantly.
Jiang Lianyue worried that Zhou Jiajing wouldn’t know her second brother had come, so she asked Old Meng to pass the message.
Old Meng smiled and agreed.
Seeing Jiang Lianyue so familiar with the gatekeeper, Jiang Xuejun felt even more reassured.
On the way upstairs, he asked, “You’ve only been here a few days and already so familiar with the gatekeeper?”
Jiang Lianyue replied, “I paid him to watch my stuff. After a few interactions, we became familiar.”
“My sister is so good, no wonder everyone likes her,” Jiang Xuejun said proudly.
Jiang Lianyue twitched at the corner of her mouth, such a doting brother!
She didn’t know if the original girl was liked in the residential area. In Jiang Xiang Village, she had no friends because she was spoiled and headstrong. People wouldn’t bother with her unless she appeared with her family.
“Aunt Zhou, a guest’s here?” asked a woman who always greeted her with a smile, poking her head out.
Jiang Lianyue nodded. “Aunt Liang, my second brother is visiting.”
Aunt Liang sized up Jiang Xuejun. Tall, broad, handsome, she smiled. “Your family has such good fortune. The children you raise are either beautiful girls or handsome boys.”
Jiang Xuejun said, “My sister is the prettiest girl in the village. I’m nothing compared to her.”
Wherever there’s self-praise for family, Aunt Liang couldn’t help laughing. “You’re good-looking too.”
Embarrassed, Jiang Xuejun scratched his head. “Aunt Liang, I brought some rice from home, I’ll give you some later.”
So honest, compliment him a bit, and he wants to give you rice?
Aunt Liang laughed. “No, leave it for Aunt Zhou. She’s newly married; the new home needs supplies.”
Realizing the gifts were for his sister, Jiang Xuejun was momentarily speechless.
Jiang Lianyue quickly explained, “I’ll make rolled noodles for Second Brother to take home. I’ll send you two rolls too.”
He nodded repeatedly. “My sister makes the best rolled noodles.”
Aunt Liang, having heard about Jiang Lianyue selling noodles but never having tried them, laughed when she learned she’d get a taste. “All right, I’ll try Aunt Zhou’s cooking.”
With the sister’s gift secured, Jiang Xuejun finally relaxed.
Aunt Liang laughed heartily. Smart and capable, who would have guessed she had such an honest, simple brother?