Chapter 3: Staying Out All Night

Wang Jing was taken aback. Shen Jiang quickly explained, “You misunderstood. We are not husband and wife.”

The doctor sized them up and asked, “Who is the child’s relative?”

“I’m the child’s mother,” Wang Jing replied.

“The child’s condition is serious. She needs to be admitted. Please go to the front window to pay the fees.”

“All right, all right, I’ll go now,” Wang Jing said repeatedly. Shen Jiang went ahead to pay first.

Wang Jing felt a little embarrassed and asked how much it cost—she wanted to pay him back.

Shen Jiang refused, watching Wang Jing closely. She was still beautiful, but life had humbled her; the fatigue and wear of her experiences showed on her face, making him frown.

“I have money. Mo-mo is my daughter. You shouldn’t take this money,” Wang Jing insisted, placing the money Xu Qingmo had painstakingly gotten back into Shen Jiang’s hands.

Shen Jiang’s voice was hoarse. “Wang Jing, I want an explanation.”

Wang Jing’s hand trembled, and the money slipped to the ground. She scrambled to pick it up, too flustered to meet Shen Jiang’s gaze.

Now he was like the midday sun—bright, radiant, and blinding.

They were no longer on the same path in life.

…

Xu Qingmo woke up early the next morning. Her long hair had been cut, and the doctor had treated the wound on the back of her head and bandaged it.

She touched her hair, expressionless. After all, this wasn’t the first time her hair had been cut; she was used to it.

Footsteps came down the corridor. Xu Qingmo looked toward the door as it opened. Wang Jing entered, carrying a hat in one hand and a net bag in the other, filled with malt milk powder, White Rabbit candies, and some fruit.

Seeing Xu Qingmo awake, a faint smile appeared on Wang Jing’s face.

She set the hat on the bed. Knowing children cared about appearances, she hadn’t yet found a reason to cheer Xu Qingmo up.

Hesitating on how to start, she took some spiritual spring water from her space and used it to make a cup of malt milk powder, bringing it to Xu Qingmo’s lips.

So much had happened these past two days, she almost forgot about her space. Especially the spring water in it—it could greatly improve one’s health.

“These were all bought by Uncle Shen Jiang. He first sent the barefoot doctor back to the village and will return this afternoon,” Wang Jing explained.

Ever since the incident in the cowshed, Xu Qingmo had changed a lot. Although she had never spoken much before, she now showed a courage and calmness beyond her age.

But this was her daughter’s body—Wang Jing could see it clearly.

She didn’t dare think too much; as long as Xu Qingmo survived, she could accept anything.

Wang Jing assumed Xu Qingmo’s changes were due to the head injury.

After all, Wang Jing herself had changed greatly from the past.

Xu Qingmo took the cup and drank the malt milk powder. She could feel her body changing—the pain at the back of her head subsided, and her injuries were healing quickly.

She handed the empty cup back. “Can I have another one?”

Wang Jing’s eyes brightened. She quickly made another cup with the spring water and handed it to Xu Qingmo. After two cups, Xu Qingmo still wanted more, but her stomach was already full.

“You can’t drink more now, Mo-mo. Eat some food first. I’ll make you more at noon, okay?” Wang Jing said.

Xu Qingmo could feel her strength returning. She nodded, glancing at the hat. “Why did you buy this? Waste of money.”

After finally recovering a few coins, Xu Qingmo felt they should be spent carefully.

Wang Jing lowered her head in guilt. “I’m sorry, Mo-mo. My money and ration tickets were all taken by the Xu family. It caused you and me to suffer.”

Xu Qingmo frowned. She disliked weakness most, but she couldn’t blame Wang Jing’s vulnerability.

Once she drank a few more cups of malt milk powder and regained her strength, she could go and take back what was lost.

“Don’t say sorry. I don’t like hearing it.” As mother and daughter, they shouldn’t feel so distant. Xu Qingmo stared at Wang Jing for a few moments, opened her mouth, but couldn’t bring herself to call out “Mom.”

By noon, Wang Jing made Xu Qingmo two more cups of malt milk powder. After drinking them, Xu Qingmo felt her strength had returned significantly.

She jumped off the bed, feeling light as a swallow, and bounced to the door, colliding with a pair of long legs.

“Mo-mo, why are you out of bed?” a pleasant voice called from above. Xu Qingmo looked up and met Shen Jiang’s eyes for a few seconds.

He looked righteous and handsome.

Before Xu Qingmo could react, her body was suddenly lifted into the air. When she came to, she was sitting in the man’s arms.

She frowned, uncomfortable with such closeness, and raised her hand to slap him.

Wang Jing, entering a few seconds later, was shocked.

“Mo-mo! Don’t hit Uncle Shen Jiang. Apologize immediately,” Wang Jing said, scooping Xu Qingmo into her arms and apologizing to Shen Jiang. “I’m sorry. She doesn’t know you yet and thought you were a bad person…”

Shen Jiang laughed and said it was fine. He didn’t scold Xu Qingmo and even praised her for being cautious.

Bored at the hospital, Xu Qingmo demanded to be discharged.

The doctor checked her and found her recovery excellent. She met the discharge standards. He marveled at her progress and wrote a prescription for Wang Jing to get medicine.

“I won’t take medicine. Just make me more malt milk powder,” Xu Qingmo insisted, so Wang Jing didn’t go to the pharmacy.

Seeing Xu Qingmo enjoyed the malt milk powder, Shen Jiang bought several more bags from the supply store. He also wanted to take the mother and daughter shopping for clothes, but Wang Jing firmly refused.

Xu Qingmo silently noted all this.

The three rode in Shen Jiang’s car back to the village. In the 1970s, cars were rare. A single vehicle drew a lot of attention.

Especially since all three of them were strikingly attractive, gossip spread quickly.

Xu Yuanlong had lost money again, was in a bad mood, and returned home to find Wang Xiuzhi’s hands injured. She vividly recounted how Xu Qingmo and her mother had taken their money.

Outside came the sound of the car and village gossip. Xu Yuanlong hadn’t yet gone out, but Wang Xiuzhi’s youngest daughter, Xu Yuanyuan, rushed to open the door.

She was ready to vent her anger on Wang Xiuzhi. But seeing the tall, handsome Shen Jiang, she swallowed her words.

Behind Shen Jiang, Wang Jing held Xu Qingmo. Xu Yuanyuan remembered her purpose and yelled at the mother and daughter, “Shameless brats! Everyone in the village says you went to the county town with a man and stayed out all night. How dare you come back?”

Shen Jiang glared at Xu Yuanyuan. “Who spread these rumors? Recklessly fabricating lies about a soldier is punishable by detention and ideological correction!”

Xu Yuanyuan was too scared to respond.

Wang Jing stepped into the yard. Xu Yuanlong also came out of the main room. Wang Xiuzhi, thinking about the twelve yuan she had foolishly given away, felt a sharp pang.

Realizing Xu Qingmo’s power, Wang Xiuzhi refused to let this mother and daughter stay in their home.

Relying on the number of people in her family, Wang Xiuzhi urged Xu Yuanlong to divorce.

Wang Jing spoke up, “I came today to cut ties with Xu Yuanlong once and for all. From now on, we’ll stay out of each other’s way!”