Chapter 4

That's the key point. In this environment where everyone is insecure and sinking into despair, why would he extend a helping hand to another troublesome person?

Xie Qingyan seemed to have anticipated this question. He straightened his back, and the air of a scholar with a thousand-year-old tradition inadvertently emanated from him, yet his words were simple and powerful:

"Because I can see that you, Jiang, are not one to give up so easily. Helping me may be a simple matter for you, but for me, it is a lifeline, the beginning of a change in my circumstances. As the Book of Rites says, 'A gentleman values ​​others and belittles himself, putting others before himself.' I dare not call myself a gentleman, but I firmly believe that true talent, like a pearl, though temporarily covered in dust, does not diminish its brilliance, and will eventually be wiped clean to illuminate others. Jiang, are you willing to be the one to wipe away the dust?"

After he finished speaking, the small space fell silent.

Jiang Ci stared intently at him, at his deskmate who spoke in classical Chinese, expressing his most realistic request, at the undisguised trust and longing in his eyes. Those words were like a pebble thrown into the still lake of his heart. He wasn't a pearl; he felt more like a shard of glass thrown into a swamp. But this man firmly believed he could illuminate others.

Absurd. Yet, it also caused a slight crack to appear in his cold and hardened heart.

Perhaps it's because that past achievement of being number one in the grade was mentioned so calmly, rather than as a weapon of ridicule.

Perhaps it was because the other person saw the difference he was trying so hard to hide and saw it as hope, not as a freak.

Or perhaps, it's simply because for far too long, no one has needed him so earnestly, not to have his disheveled state as fodder for conversation, but to have his help.

After a long while, Jiang Ci looked away, his voice still flat, but no longer a refusal:

"I can help you."

Before Xie Qingyan's eyes could light up with surprise, he continued, his tone carrying an almost transactional calm:

"condition."

He looked up, his gaze falling on Xie Qingyan, and clearly stated his request:

"Breakfast and dinner. You're in charge."

Xie Qingyan instantly recalled the man in the hospital who had berated Jiang Ci. That man was Jiang Ci's father, yet he didn't treat Jiang Ci like a son at all, as if Jiang Ci was just a nuisance. A complex mix of emotions welled up inside her—sympathy, and a sense of shared misfortune.

Without the slightest hesitation, he nodded solemnly, as if fulfilling an important promise:

"Okay. It's a deal."

The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows of the two people onto the cold ground.

"Let's go, I'm hungry." Jiang Ci slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom.

——

“Jiang…”

Halfway through his sentence, Xie Qingyan subconsciously touched his school uniform pocket. His original memories told him that his parents usually gave him some pocket money, but at this moment, his fingertips only touched a few thin banknotes and a few cold coins. Based on his rudimentary understanding of prices in this era, this amount of money was probably insufficient to treat someone to a decent meal at a restaurant.

A barely perceptible sense of embarrassment swept through him. To think that he, a top scholar, would ever struggle with money.

Jiang Ci turned around, taking in Xie Qingyan's subtle movements and pauses. He showed no expression, simply picking up his bag and standing up: "Follow me."

The two walked out of the school gate in silence, one after the other, and turned into the food street just across the alley from the bustling main street. The place was full of lively atmosphere, with the aroma of various foods wafting through the air, and the shouts of vendors and the sizzling of iron plates filling the air.

Xie Qingyan curiously looked at the dazzling array of stalls on both sides, the snacks he couldn't name emitting an enticing aroma. He was calculating what he could buy with his limited money when he suddenly noticed something strange about the person next to him.

Jiang Ci suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His face instantly tightened, the color draining from his skin at a visible speed. His sharp eyes fixed on a certain stall ahead, and fear and disgust suddenly surged in Jiang Ci's eyes.

Xie Qingyan followed his gaze and saw several boys wearing a different blue and white school uniform, chatting and laughing around a barbecue stall, acting arrogantly.

The next second, Xie Qingyan's wrist was suddenly grabbed by a cold and forceful hand!

"Walk!"

Jiang Ci's voice was extremely low, carrying an undeniable urgency, even a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. He practically dragged Xie Qingyan, who hadn't yet reacted, around abruptly, quickly squeezing into the bustling crowd behind them, and fled in panic.

He was incredibly strong, and his fingers gripped Xie Qingyan's wrist so tightly it hurt.

Xie Qingyan was pulled along by him, staggering through the crowd, only able to see Jiang Ci's taut jawline and resolute yet vulnerable back.

They ran all the way to the end of the snack street and turned into a quiet, deserted alley before Jiang Ci abruptly shook off his hand, as if throwing away something hot. He leaned against the mottled wall with one hand, his back to Xie Qingyan, his shoulders rising and falling slightly, as if trying to calm his rapid breathing.

The hustle and bustle outside the alley and the silence here seem like two different worlds.

"Jiang, you're clearly not right?" Xie Qingyan frowned, her heart filled with questions and worry, noticing his obviously strange behavior. "Those people just now..."

"It's nothing," Jiang Ci interrupted him, his voice regaining its usual coldness, but with a hint of hoarseness from surviving a close call. He turned around, his face now back under that cold mask, though the lingering fear in his eyes hadn't completely faded. "I'm not eating, I have no appetite."

Xie Qingyan stared at him. He could tell that this was far more than just "lack of appetite." The reaction was one of deep-seated fear, a panic at being recognized. He remembered Jiang Ci transferring schools halfway through, the scar on his forehead, and his aloof demeanor; he already understood seven or eight parts of the story—those people wearing different school uniforms were probably closely related to Jiang Ci's past.

Xie Qingyan did not press the matter further.

After a moment of silence, Xie Qingyan changed the subject, his tone gentle and sincere: "Since that's the case, if you don't mind, why don't you come home with me for dinner? My mother's cooking is quite good, although it's just a simple home-cooked meal..."

“No need.” Jiang Ci refused again curtly, even subconsciously taking a half step back, as if the word “home” was some kind of monster. He turned his head away, avoiding Xie Qingyan’s concerned gaze, and quickly said, “Tomorrow is Saturday, the city library, nine o’clock in the morning. Don’t be late.”

After saying that, he left almost without a moment, picked up his schoolbag, and strode out of the alley without looking back. His thin figure quickly disappeared into the deepening twilight, as if he was eager to hide in a safe corner.

Xie Qingyan stood alone in the empty alley, the cold and forceful touch still lingering on her wrist.

A cool evening breeze blew by, carrying the chill of late autumn.

For the first time, he clearly felt that what his deskmate carried was far heavier than he had imagined. It wasn't just the loneliness of being abandoned, but also a bloody past that he desperately needed to escape.

He seemed to have inadvertently glimpsed a corner beneath the surface of the iceberg.

——

At three o'clock the next morning, Xie Qingyan went to the vegetable garden with her parents.

Being a vegetable farmer is inherently a tough job; they earn their money through hard work. Every day, they have to go to the fields early in the morning to harvest, clean, and pack the vegetables, and then transport the freshest produce to the market.

Originally, Xie's parents didn't allow Xie Qingyan to come to the vegetable garden. They said that he was at the age where he was growing and didn't get enough sleep during the week because he was in school. They said that he should sleep in at home and catch up on his sleep on the weekend.

Xie Qingyan has always had the habit of going to bed early and getting up early. During his time studying at the academy, he got up even earlier every day than he does now. If you ask him to sleep in, he simply cannot do it.

His parents couldn't dissuade him, so they had no choice but to bring him along.

Dew dampened my trouser legs, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and plants.

Today's harvest is chives.

Although autumn chives are not as tender and juicy as spring chives, they have a stronger spiciness, making them perfect for making chive sauce.

Looking at the large patch of chives, Xie Qingyan could almost smell the aroma of chive dumplings.

Xie's mother originally only wanted Xie Qingyan to watch from the side, but he rolled up his sleeves, got down to the ground, grabbed the knife, and started harvesting. Although his movements were a little clumsy at first, they became clean and efficient after he got the hang of it, and his posture was not like that of a novice.

"Xiao Yan, you..." Xie's mother was somewhat surprised.

"I've seen it a lot before, so naturally I know a bit," Xie Qingyan said calmly. He naturally wouldn't mention that he had helped with farm work at home when he was young in Dajing.

The mother and son worked together seamlessly and quickly bundled up the tender chives. Meanwhile, Xie's father was also busy. A large area of ​​vegetable fields on the outskirts of the city was cultivated by individual farmers. Xie's father had stable customers, so other vegetable farmers also asked him to help sell their vegetables, and he earned a little extra for his hard work.

They worked like this until the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon.

The Xie family's chives, along with vegetables from other farmers, were loaded onto a truck and transported to the market.

These vegetables were all pre-ordered by customers, so as soon as the truck arrived at the market, the waiting customers flocked to it and quickly bought up all the vegetables on the truck.

Xie's mother stuffed fifty yuan into Xie Qingyan's hand and urged, "There's nothing for you to do here. Go and eat something, then go home and read! Your father and I have to go back to weed and fertilize the fields after we're done with this."

Xie Qingyan held the light banknote in her hand and walked through the bustling market as instructed.

As dawn broke through the clouds, casting a golden glow, the market was alive with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and customers haggling over prices, creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere.

Xie Qingyan felt a sense of warmth seeing the steaming buns and mantou in the steamer, the bubbling soy milk in the pot, and the golden fried dough sticks. He was about to buy breakfast when he suddenly remembered his promise to Jiang Ci.

He has to go to the library to study at nine o'clock today, and he also has to bring Jiang Ci a breakfast.

——

The library was so quiet on Saturday morning that you could hear the dust motes dancing in the sunlight. Xie Qingyan arrived early and chose a secluded corner by the window, carefully placing his belongings there.

When Jiang Ci walked in as the clock struck nine, bringing with it the crisp, fresh air of the outdoors, this was the scene that greeted him: Xie Qingyan sat upright at the table, his posture as straight as a pine tree. Neatly laid out in front of him were textbooks and workbooks for five subjects: mathematics, physics, chemistry, English, and biology. It was as if he wasn't there for tutoring, but rather to preside over a scientific examination review.

Jiang Ci paused almost imperceptibly.

He walked over silently and sat down opposite Xie Qingyan. His gaze swept over the textbooks that almost filled the table, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

"You..." He had just opened his mouth when Xie Qingyan seemed to remember something and pushed a thermal lunchbox with a simple pattern and a plastic bag with a cartoon pattern in front of him, her movements as solemn as if she were presenting some important document.

"Jiang Ci, as agreed, this is your breakfast." Xie Qingyan said seriously, "I didn't know your preferences, so I bought a bowl of millet porridge, an egg, and a ham, and also some fruit. In addition, I noticed that you seemed to have a cough and wheezing yesterday, so I took the liberty of asking my mother for advice and made you a cup of monk fruit tea."

The insulated lunchbox contained warm, fragrant millet porridge and fried eggs with ham, while the plastic bag held sliced ​​fruit. The monk fruit tea in the insulated cup showed thoughtful attention to detail.

Jiang Ci looked at the steaming breakfast in front of him, tightened his grip on his backpack strap, his Adam's apple bobbed, and finally he only gave a low "hmm" as a thank you. He didn't eat breakfast immediately, but instead turned his gaze back to the pile of textbooks that gave him a headache.

If he could do it all over again, he might seriously consider whether or not to tutor Xie Qingyan.

"Which subject should I take?" he asked succinctly, trying to steer the conversation back onto the topic of the transaction.

Xie Qingyan immediately said seriously, "Except for Chinese, Jiang will have to take care of everything else."

"Are you kidding me?" Jiang Ci couldn't believe what he was hearing.