"Oh, got yourself a new love interest?" Ling Dong teased as he looked at Cheng Hao, who exhibited the same signs every time he fell for someone: humming tunes as he walked and with brows raised in a delighted disposition.
"Not yet," Cheng Hao happily shared that he had found that Little Fairy.
Ling Dong eyed him skeptically.
Gaoliang County wasn’t particularly large, but it wasn’t that small either. Could Cheng Hao really have bumped into that girl again so coincidentally?
"I’m telling the truth—I even know her name, Zou Yaru. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?" Cheng Hao boasted with a look of pride: "Yaru is a music teacher at a primary school. Her voice is as gentle and refreshing as the spring breeze when she speaks. I’m definitely going to win her over!"
Cheng Hao’s face was full of determination. After he spoke with Ling Dong, he went to look for Pei Yicheng, chattering non-stop about his encounter with Zou Yaru that day.
Pei Yicheng held a book in his hands and hadn’t turned a page for a long time, waiting until Cheng Hao had finished talking before he said, "Haozi, you still have to go back to Ningbei."
"That doesn’t conflict with me pursuing her," Cheng Hao suddenly leaned in, grinning, "Cheng Ge, what do you say? If I bring Yaru back home, my parents would be happy, right?"
Cheng Hao’s earnest face made it difficult for Pei Yicheng to burst his bubble.
Pei Yicheng closed the book and asked, "Which of your relationships has lasted three months?"
On the twenty-seventh day of the last lunar month.
Xu Nianhua specially delivered the scarf he had knitted to Pei Yicheng.
"The wind is strong outside. Keeping this on will keep you warm. Next year, I think the Chili Sauce Factory could expand beyond chili sauce and fish chili sauce and also make fermented bean chili sauce and chicken chunk chili sauce. We can enlarge the factory a bit; that way, we can make more money."
Xu Nianhua had high hopes. Earning more at the factory ultimately meant repaying Pei Yicheng’s kindness.
Pei Yicheng held the warm scarf, a thick and cozy black number matching the sweater he was wearing, which fit him perfectly and kept him very warm.
He said, "No rush, next year you have your college entrance exams. You should focus more on your studies. Which university are you planning to apply to?"
"Beining University," Xu Nianhua had long decided, so he didn’t have to ponder.
Wasn’t that in Ningbei Province?
Pei Yicheng’s eyes lit up in an instant, and his lips curved upward, saying, "My family is from Ningbei."
"What a coincidence," Xu Nianhua mused, head tilted to the side. He was from Ningbei Province as well, wasn’t he?
"So, if you need help with anything in the future, you won’t turn it down, right?" Xu Nianhua chimed in right away.
Pei Yicheng replied, "Of course not."
"Are you still using that method to massage your leg? How is it now? Does it feel better? Did Grandfather Du arrange a doctor for you?" Xu Nianhua bombarded him with questions, leaving Pei Yicheng momentarily taken aback.
Pei Yicheng answered each question, mentioning he was planning to visit Xi Province to see a doctor after the New Year, as Grandfather had heard about a highly reputed traditional Chinese medicine practitioner there.
"That’s good. Since the doctor is so renowned, I think your leg will definitely get better," Xu Nianhua said with overflowing confidence, her smile seemingly infectious, brightening the mood.
"It’s especially cold these days; make sure to wear extra clothes and don’t catch a cold."
Xu Nianhua’s non-stop attention gave Pei Yicheng a peculiar feeling, akin to being fussed over by Grandfather.
But, how old was Xu Nianhua really?