Chiang Xiao and her grandfather were returning when Director Ding and his daughter just happened to be leaving the Old Chiang Family’s home, ready to leave. Chiang Baoguo was the only one seeing them off, and all three of them had somewhat gloomy expressions.
Director Ding walked ahead for a few steps while his daughter, pushing her bicycle, lagged behind a bit, shoulder to shoulder with Chiang Baoguo.
"Brother Baoguo, then I’ll wait for your response," she said.
"Yeah," Chiang Baoguo replied, stopping in his tracks and turning around to look at her, his gaze falling on her injured half face, he asked softly, "Mei, Meifen, shall I come find you in town tomorrow?"
Ding Meifen’s face flushed slightly, then she nodded her head and hurried to catch up with her father.
As the two rode away on their bicycles, Chiang Baoguo turned his head to see Chiang Songhai and Chiang Xiao standing to the side, his reluctance immediately faded, and he looked indifferent.
"Uncle," he called out, then turned to go inside.
Chiang Songhai quickly called after him, "Baoguo, who were those guests? Everything okay?"
As his uncle, he really cared about Chiang Baoguo.
Chiang Baoguo, however, couldn’t be bothered to say much, "It’s nothing." He finished speaking and, ignoring him, went inside.
As if he hadn’t even seen Chiang Xiao at all.
"It’s fine." Even though Chiang Baoguo had already gone inside, Chiang Songhai still breathed a sigh of relief and said just that.
Chiang Xiao was somewhat speechless.
"Grandpa, why do you still care about him when Big Uncle is so cold to you?" she asked.
"It’s just his nature, he’s not intentionally being distant," Chiang Songhai subconsciously defended his nephew.
Chiang Xiao felt powerless all of a sudden.
She once thought her grandfather had changed, but it seemed the road to change was still long. She couldn’t be impatient, after all, those were habits formed over decades, decades of kinship; it wasn’t so easy to change everything all at once. One step at a time, then.
Ge Liutao had already prepared dinner. Tonight, there was an added dish of stir-fried Tianxiang Green and another of scallions fried with mushrooms, and the family of three ate with great joy.
The three wild rabbits were temporarily kept in the main room. Ge Liutao laid a hemp sack on the ground covered by an overturned bamboo basket, threw in some sweet potato leaves, chopped a couple of potato pieces, not knowing if they would eat them.
They did not have carrots at home.
However, after the Elders of the Chiang family had fallen asleep, Chiang Xiao took the three wild rabbits into the Space.
With abundant Spiritual Energy and strong medicinal qualities here, staying overnight would ensure they were as vigorous as dragons the next day.
The air was lush with greenness.
Chiang Xiao was excited that the air was filled with a faint floral scent, neutralizing the medicinal fragrance and blending into a unique aroma that made one feel serene and exceptionally peaceful.
The golden-yellow camellia bloomed profusely, the branches filled with buttery blooms that shone with an intoxicating glossy luster, a truly breathtaking sight.
There was also a pile of plucked tender shoots of Tianxiang Green on the ground. Chiang Xiao brought in a small stool, tidied up these shoots, and tied them up with grass rope, roughly a pound each bundle.
Counting them, she was startled to find there were eleven bundles.
She had plucked so many?
She planned to sell these in town the next evening.
Looking at the thriving scene in the Space, Chiang Xiao had an exceptionally peaceful and sweet sleep that night.
The next day, as soon as the sky was faintly illuminated, Chiang Xiao got up.
She did a set of yoga in the house, reviewed the acupoints on her body, and then hurriedly took the wild rabbits back to the main room.
Ge Liutao soon got up to make breakfast.
This was Chiang Xiao’s last semester in the village primary school; next term, she would move to the school in town.
With her schoolbag on her back, Chiang Xiao walked towards the school she had not attended for decades, bathing in the morning sun, mentally preparing herself all the while.
How old was she inside? And yet, she had to go and mingle with those young boys and girls, oh heavens.