Green walnuts were delicious, but peeling them was a bit of a hassle.
Miao Qing lay with her upper body stretched out beside Tangdou (Sugar Bean) and her lower body dangling off the edge of the kang, crunching on walnuts as she leisurely swung her feet.
She was wearing the old-style high-top cotton shoes that Yang Xiaomei had just finished making for her—warm and snug.
Yang Xiaomei glanced at her with amusement, rubbed the needle against her hair, and continued altering Miao Qing’s cotton jacket.
Miao Qing had grown quite a bit taller. Her old jacket was a little small, while the new one was too big and baggy, looking like it wouldn’t keep her warm at all.
So Yang Xiaomei had taken apart her husband’s jacket to lengthen Miao Qing’s old one.
This girl—maybe it was because she’d been seriously ill—was about to turn seventeen, a grown young woman, yet she had no interest in dressing up.
All she cared about was eating and drinking, running around all day in ill-fitting clothes. Yang Xiaomei wondered if anyone had even bothered to look after her back home.
Yang Xiaomei felt a pang of resentment toward Miao Qing’s family. Dumping a child out here and leaving her to fend for herself—they clearly didn’t care about her.
But if they didn’t, she did. She cherished this girl dearly.
Miao Qing had no idea that Yang Xiaomei was thinking so much just because of a jacket. All she wanted to know right now was when dinner would be ready.
She craved a steaming bowl of cabbage noodle soup, fried eggs, stir-fried pickled mustard greens, and maybe some fried mantou slices on the side.
Too bad Tietui was such a cheapskate—he rarely fried anything, saying it wasted too much oil.
She’d have to wait until after they sold the wild goods. Ideally, she could buy some pork leaf lard—after rendering the oil, they’d have crispy pork cracklings, which were delicious stir-fried with vegetables, mixed into rice, or stuffed into dumplings…
Miao Qing’s mouth watered just thinking about it. She really wanted to eat meat. Once the snow stopped, she’d head up the mountain.
She refused to believe she couldn’t even catch a pheasant!
But Miao Qing never expected that Zhang Jingshan would stop her right at the entrance of the educated youth dormitory and ask to have a heart-to-heart talk.
Miao Qing tucked her hands into her sleeves, sniffled against the cold that made her nose run, and asked Zhang Jingshan with exasperation,
“Do you really think we’re the kind of people who have heart-to-heart talks?”
Zhang Jingshan looked earnest.
“I know you don’t consider me a friend yet, but I really admire you.
You never put on airs—you say what’s on your mind. That’s why I came to ask for your advice.”
With her ego sufficiently flattered, Miao Qing couldn’t bow out and was forced to play the role of a supportive sister.
Zhang Jingshan looked a little shy, but more than that, he seemed at a loss.
“Wei Ran… she, um, confessed to me this afternoon. Said she likes me and wants to be with me.”
Miao Qing perked up. So Wei Ran had abandoned the “green tea” approach and switched to playing direct?
“I don’t think now is the time to be thinking about personal matters. I clearly rejected her, but she said… she said…”
Zhang Jingshan was red-faced and a bit tongue-tied.
Miao Qing grew impatient. She glared at him and urged,
“Spit it out. Be a man—stop dragging it out.”
Zhang Jingshan bit his lip and whispered,
“She said whether she likes me or not is her own business and has nothing to do with me. Even if I reject her, she’ll keep liking me.
She said she wouldn’t bother me, but if one day I do want to consider a relationship, I should tell her first.
I feel like that’s not quite right, but I can’t quite put my finger on why. What do you think?”
Miao Qing couldn’t help but want to laugh. Of course it wasn’t right—she was clearly setting a trap for you, counting on your soft heart and sense of decency to keep you from rejecting her too harshly.
But Zhang Jingshan was exactly that kind of person—he couldn’t be cold and ruthless, couldn’t leave someone with absolutely no hope.
And besides, men tend to be more lenient toward women who confess to them, especially ones they don’t dislike.
After all, from his perspective, Wei Ran just liked him—what was so wrong with that?
Miao Qing thought for a moment and asked Zhang Jingshan directly,
“If you had to marry someone, between Wei Ran and Chang Rufan, who would you choose?”
Zhang Jingshan smiled ruefully.
“You don’t know this, but my family situation is a bit complicated.
My marriage isn’t something I can decide on my own—there are a lot of other factors to consider.
So I’ve never thought about finding someone myself. I was just waiting for my family to introduce someone when the time came.”
Miao Qing paused. That made things a bit more complicated. In that case, she’d just let things take their natural course.
“She said whether she likes you or not is her own business—so just pretend nothing happened.
Since you don’t like her and don’t want to be in a relationship anyway, just act the same as before.”
Zhang Jingshan rubbed his face, looking troubled.
“But I can’t do that. This isn’t like school—we see each other every single day. It feels so awkward.”
He suddenly thought of something and asked Miao Qing with bright, eager eyes,
“Could I go eat at your relative’s place too?
I think living like you do would be great—maybe a bit less united with the group, but how nice it must be to come and go freely—”
“Stop right there!”
Miao Qing’s head was spinning the moment she heard that. So this was where he was leading all along—the dagger finally revealed!
She cut him off immediately and flatly refused.
“Don’t even think about it. No way. Absolutely not.”
Zhang Jingshan wouldn’t give up. He held onto Miao Qing and wouldn’t let go.
“My family sent me some canned food—braised pork. Don’t you want some?
And malted milk—it’s delicious, really sweet. You’ve never had it, have you?
Just let me join you, please. I’m begging you.
I really don’t know how to act around her anymore. It’s so awkward, you know…”
Miao Qing had a headache. She didn’t understand—why did she have to understand?
Don’t drag her into this melodrama!
The two of them were still going back and forth when a “firecracker” came charging over.
Chang Rufan saw Zhang Jingshan holding onto Miao Qing’s arm and her eyes went wide. She opened her mouth to yell.
Miao Qing was quick—she clamped her hand over Chang Rufan’s mouth.
Then she unceremoniously pushed her toward Zhang Jingshan and threatened with a dark face,
“Handle your own problems yourself. Don’t bother me anymore. Or else—”
She raised her thumb and made a throat-slitting gesture, thinking she looked fierce, completely oblivious to how absurd that expression looked on her face.
But after she let go and walked off, Chang Rufan and Zhang Jingshan exchanged a glance and both couldn’t help but laugh.
“Is there something wrong with her?”
Chang Rufan tapped her own head, gossiping about Miao Qing.
Zhang Jingshan swatted Chang Rufan’s hand away, but he couldn’t help smiling either.
“She’s just… a bit unique.”
Chang Rufan pursed her lips.
“Unique? She’s a barbarian, that’s what she is.”
Remembering the real issue, she immediately glared at Zhang Jingshan and demanded,
“What’s going on between you and Wei Ran? I feel like you two have been acting weird today.
And why were you looking for Miao Qing? Do you like her?”
Zhang Jingshan couldn’t laugh anymore. Inside, he was screaming for help.
Here it comes again. Here it comes again.
He really didn’t want to be in a relationship—his father would break his legs!
No, he had to find a way to eat at Miao Qing’s relative’s place. If this kept up, he’d go crazy.
The snow fell all night. When Miao Qing stepped out in the morning, her entire foot sank into the snow.
She wanted to play in the snow with Chang Rufan and the others, but it was too cold. She stood at the door with her hands tucked in her sleeves for a while, then decided to go back inside and get on the kang.
On a day this cold, she’d just lie on the kang all day.
Cultivate until she got sleepy, sleep, then cultivate again. Tietui would bring her food anyway—what was wrong with being a lazy bum for a day?
But Zhang Jingshan came running over to her and stuffed a few White Rabbit creamy candies into her hand, flashing a fawning smile.
“Let’s talk about that meal arrangement again, shall we? You’re my best friend here—you wouldn’t just leave me to die, would you?”
Miao Qing was absolutely speechless. Who’s your best friend? We’re not even close!
Seeing Wei Ran and Chang Rufan both looking over, and even Wang Haiyan and Fang Mingyuan seeming to notice them, Miao Qing turned and left immediately.
If she couldn’t win, she’d avoid them. Starting today, she’d stay at Tietui’s place all day and only come back at night to sleep.
But Zhang Jingshan shamelessly chased after her, calling Yang Xiaomei “Auntie” over and over, making Yang Xiaomei beam with delight—which only made Miao Qing grind her back teeth in frustration.
“I’m going out for a bit.”
Miao Qing said and strode out the door.
Yang Xiaomei quickly told Tietui to follow her. Tietui raced down the slope but couldn’t find her anywhere, so he took another path to look elsewhere.
What he didn’t know was that Miao Qing had fallen into a ditch and was still trying to collect herself.