At the brigade leader’s house, Song Wei unloaded her firewood.
“Song Zhiqing, why don’t you take this wood back with you? My son and daughter-in-law can deliver some to Lin Zhen’s place,” said Aunt Xinghua.
Song Wei shook her head. “No need, Auntie. I’ve already got enough firewood to last through the winter.”
“Look, Auntie!” Heidan eagerly pulled out the wild chicken they had caught.
“Oh my, what a big wild chicken!”
The brigade leader’s grandchildren ran over excitedly.
“Brother Heidan, can I see the chicken? Let me see it!”
Heidan, feeling proud, handed the chicken over generously, his little chin held high. A wild chicken might be a big deal to them, but he had seen wolves and wild goats before.
“Grandma, Grandma, can we have chicken for dinner tonight?”
The two kids stared at the chicken, their mouths watering even though it was still uncooked.
“This chicken belongs to Song Zhiqing, doesn’t it?”
Song Wei waved her hand. “We caught it together, and I can’t cook. I’ll have to trouble you to prepare it, Auntie.”
Aunt Xinghua laughed heartily. “What trouble? Eating meat is no trouble at all! Song Zhiqing, stay for dinner. Don’t leave.”
“I’ll need to head back first, but I’ll bring something with me when I come back.”
“Don’t you dare bring anything!” Aunt Xinghua scolded lightly. “Otherwise, I’ll be upset.”
“I’ll bring some dried bamboo fungus. It’s great for chicken soup—it makes it taste even better.”
“Bamboo fungus? You’ve got that? It’s not easy to find!”
“I just got lucky. Alright, Auntie, I’ll head off first. Heidan, you can stay here and play. I’ll be back soon.”
Heidan nodded obediently. He liked playing at the brigade leader’s house.
After Song Wei left, Aunt Xinghua and her daughter-in-law busied themselves preparing the chicken while her sons took the firewood to Lin Zhen’s house.
“Song Zhiqing is so thoughtful. None of us even thought about Lin Zhen running out of firewood,” Aunt Xinghua said, smiling.
Her daughter-in-law nodded. “Exactly. She’s generous too. Who else would share a wild chicken like that? And she’s taking such good care of Heidan. Honestly, none of us thought she’d manage to keep him.”
Back when Song Wei took Heidan in, many in the village had doubted she could handle it. A young girl supporting herself was already challenging, let alone raising a child.
People speculated that she’d give up eventually and send Heidan back to the Lin family.
But to everyone’s surprise, not only did she manage, but she also fattened Heidan up. The once-skinny child now looked entirely different, full of life and energy.
“Do you think Lin Zhen and Song Zhiqing would be a good match?” Aunt Xinghua asked conspiratorially. “Song Zhiqing is such a good girl, and Lin Zhen’s a fine young man. They look great together.”
Aunt Xinghua had always been a bit of a sucker for good looks. She married the brigade leader partly because of his sturdy build and sharp features.
Her daughter-in-law paused in surprise. “Now that you mention it, they do seem like a good pair.”
“Right? Maybe we should give them a little push,” Aunt Xinghua suggested, her tone full of mischief.
“But what if Song Zhiqing doesn’t like the idea and Lin Zhen gets upset? That’d be awkward,” her daughter-in-law hesitated.
“True. Maybe we should wait a bit and let them get to know each other more,” Aunt Xinghua agreed. “Heidan is bound to return to Lin Zhen eventually. They’re not blood-related, so her raising him long-term isn’t ideal. If they end up together, Heidan would be much happier.”
As the two women chatted and cooked, they didn’t notice the little figure sneaking away outside.
Heidan and the brigade leader’s grandson, Fu Wa, quietly slipped out, avoiding the adults’ attention. Heidan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
He hadn’t thought about it before, but if Sister Song and his brother got together, he’d never have to leave her!
They could all live together, and she’d truly be like a real sister to him.
But he didn’t know if Sister Song liked his brother.
Heidan mulled it over and decided to go with Jiang Wenyong and Jiang Wenwu when they delivered firewood to his brother.
“Fu Wa, don’t tell anyone about this, okay? I’ll bring you some candied hawthorn later.”
Hearing about candy, Fu Wa’s eyes lit up. “Okay, I won’t tell!”
Meanwhile, at Lin Zhen’s house, he stood in his yard staring at the pile of firewood with a goofy grin.
Jiang Wenyong had mentioned that it was Song Zhiqing’s idea to gather and deliver the firewood, knowing he was running low.
Even if she’d done it for Heidan’s sake, it warmed his heart.
“Song Zhiqing is so thoughtful,” he muttered, his grin widening.
“Brother! I’m here to see you!” Heidan’s excited voice interrupted his thoughts as the boy dashed into the yard.
Lin Zhen gave him a light slap on the head. “What’s with that look? Want me to spank you?”
Heidan rubbed his head, mumbling, “So rough. If you’re like this, how can you deserve Sister Song?”
Though he said it quietly, Lin Zhen’s sharp ears caught every word. He stood up so fast he nearly stepped on his injured foot.
“What did you just say? Say that again, you little brat!”
Heidan blinked at him, looking worried. “Your leg’s still injured. What if it never heals properly? People might laugh at Sister Song if you walk with a limp…”
He completely forgot he was talking to his brother—his thoughts were entirely focused on Song Wei.
Lin Zhen’s face darkened. “What do you mean, ‘walk with a limp’? Can’t you phrase it better?”
Jiang Wenyong interrupted, “Lin Zhen, we’ve delivered the firewood. Come to my house for dinner. We caught a wild chicken today.”
Lin Zhen shook his head. “No, I didn’t catch it, so I won’t go.”
“Come on, it’s just a chicken,” Jiang Wenyong insisted. “You can at least have some soup.”
Lin Zhen remained firm. “You all eat it. I’ll stay here.”
Jiang Wenwu chimed in, “We’ll have chicken soup with flatbread. You sure you’re not coming?”
Lin Zhen waved them off. “Enjoy it yourselves. I’m good here.”
“Alright, then. Heidan, when are you coming? Song Zhiqing will probably be there soon.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhen stumbled slightly, barely catching himself.
“Song Zhiqing is going too?”
“Of course. She helped us catch the chicken,” Jiang Wenyong replied.
Lin Zhen: …
Would it be too late to change my mind now? Why didn’t they say so earlier? If he’d known, he would’ve gone—and even brought something with him!
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