"It’s sold out," she uncovered the pan, there was still half a pancake in it, and there was some batter left because of the drizzle, so there were leftovers she intended to sell, but it wasn’t meant to be, today it seems they couldn’t be sold, Jian Zhiqing’s temperament is like the clothes on his body.
Calm, yet persistent.
She thought, if she kept selling, he would stay here too, but this place wasn’t meant for conversation, the light rain was slightly cold, it would be better to go back.
She took the pancake out of the pan, was about to pack it up, but then seemed to remember something, lifted her face again, and gazed directly at the man’s clear brows before her.
"Brother Jian, do you want to eat it?"
She pointed to the pancake on the table, "If you don’t eat it, it will get cold on the way back."
Jian Zhiqing lowered his head, his gaze lingered on the remaining Conghua pancake for quite a while, but in the end, he shook his head,
"I want to eat the noodles."
Qin Xiangnuan instantly felt as if her throat was blocked, suddenly overcome by a feeling of powerlessness.
"Let’s go," Jian Zhiqing handed his umbrella to Qin Xiangnuan, then started to take down the large umbrella mounted on the tricycle, only then did he realize that the umbrella was unexpectedly heavy. He didn’t know how Qin Xiangnuan, a little girl, managed to bring it out, and then put it back again.
He swiftly packed the umbrella and placed it on the tricycle, not minding the light rain that fell on his head.
Qin Xiangnuan moved the umbrella over his head, the man was really too tall; her arm holding the umbrella felt sore.
"Take care of yourself," Jian Zhiqing extended his hand to block her umbrella, already climbing onto the tricycle, "Get on, let’s go."
Qin Xiangnuan stood with the umbrella for a while, ultimately she could only sigh quietly to herself. She moved the things on the tricycle to make space for a person to sit; the stove was still warm, so she didn’t feel cold. But standing here for so long, the light rain still fell on her, dampening her clothes. A gust of wind carrying rain blew over, and that’s when she felt a bit cold. She lifted the umbrella as high as she could over the man’s head to shield him from the wind and rain, enclosing them in a not-so-warm space that at least was free from the rain.
Yes, the man, the boy from before had already grown up, twenty-two years old, which might seem young, but it was enough for him. A hint of a general’s presence was faintly discernible in him, mature, steady, and at times stern. Sometimes she wondered, in a few years, he might become even sharper.
Although they didn’t meet often, just a fleeting few times, from when she was six and he was twelve, it turns out that ten years have already passed.
Such a long ten years.
Jian Zhiqing knew where she lived; it wasn’t far from here because if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have been able to buy the small Siheyuan.
The key, the man stretched out his hand and placed it in front of Qin Xiangnuan, Qin Xiangnuan blinked, some droplets from the spring rain fell from her eyelashes.
She took out the key from her pocket, the man held it, seeming to like the little cloth doll attached to the key, made from scraps of fabric, but it was a very cute little doll. He pinched the doll’s face, his gaze then encircled Qin Xiangnuan’s face, "Looks quite like you."
Qin Xiangnuan’s face unknowingly grew hot.
Yes, quite like her, it really does look like her, because she had made it modeled after herself.