Chapter 70 Still Marrying Far Away "Brother, you're so good to me."...

At first, Jiang Yueming felt like it was all a dream. She didn't even dare to sleep the night before, afraid that if she closed her eyes and opened them again, it really would be a dream. A large part of the reason was that she couldn't sleep at all, tossing and turning, afraid to close her eyes. That's when her cell phone came in handy.

Jiang Yueming's hand hovered over the keypad, and just as he thought of what to say, he felt it was inappropriate. One call cost one cent, and ten calls would cost one dollar. It would be better to go straight to Li Leshan's house tomorrow.

But I really can't sleep. Who can sleep like this? His heart is far too heavy!

After much deliberation, Jiang Yueming still sent a message.

Jiang Yueming: Lele, are you...asleep? I can't sleep, it feels like I'm dreaming. Could I really be dreaming? But I pinched myself, and it hurts quite a bit. I will definitely admit it, I won't have kissed you for nothing, I will definitely treat you well.

He spoke as if Li Leshan had married into the family.

She still married far away.

The kind that involves trekking through mountains and rivers.

He guessed that Li Leshan was probably not asleep either, because the message came back very quickly.

There's nothing I can do; it's my first time dating and I have no experience.

Li Leshan: Don't pinch yourself, come pinch me tomorrow.

Jiang Yueming was about to explain that it didn't actually hurt that much. Before he could reply, Li Leshan sent another message.

Li Leshan: I kissed you too.

Jiang Yueming recalled the scene on the bridge just now and instantly felt a little embarrassed.

He sat bolt upright in bed, touched his face, and felt it was burning hot—around 40 degrees Celsius! An egg placed on it would cook instantly. He made up his mind to work hard and earn money, all of it to pay…phone bills. Then he wouldn't mind sending a hundred or so messages a day.

After that night, their relationship progressed at an astonishing pace. There was no need to avoid suspicion, or perhaps there was no need to; after all, in this small, obscure county, no one suspected anything, and no one dared to speculate. They were inseparable, spending every day and night together.

"Lele," as soon as Sister Xiuli left, Jiang Yueming couldn't help but go up to her, "You take a break, I'm clearing out my stock."

Li Leshan held the bill in his hand, with a lot more piled up in front of him. He squeezed Jiang Yueming's palm and said, "No, go eat."

Jiang Yueming felt a little numb in her palms, and the spot where Li Leshan had just pinched her was a little hot. "I don't want to, you just finish my work."

When it comes to competing for work, Jiang Yueming can't beat Li Leshan. He's at a disadvantage in all mental tasks; Li Leshan doesn't even need a calculator for reconciliation—he's practically a human calculator, faster and more accurate than any machine.

"Brother, you're amazing!" Jiang Yueming praised him.

Li Leshan felt as if a string in his brain had suddenly snapped; the calculation he had just made—171×4＋29×5＋36×3…—was completely wrong. Such a mistake was unusual, unless Jiang Yueming was present.

He smiled at Jiang Yueming, not angry at all, "Don't cause trouble, I've forgotten."

"No way," Jiang Yueming said, a little unconvinced. He squatted down and obediently tapped on the calculator. "I really mean it. And you need to change this. Everyone calls you 'brother,' how can you act like this?"

Li Leshan truly had a bitter pill to swallow. Clearly, only Jiang Yueming's shouts had any effect.

It's been like that since I was little.

The two of them huddled together, calculating the accounts for a long time, and finally finished all the goods. Jiang Yueming excitedly brought out the boxed lunches.

"Let's go home for dinner another day," Jiang Yueming said with a smile, "so we can have a better meal."

Although I have to clock in and out on time every day, I simply don't have the time.

"Never mind, I'll ask my aunt to make two portions tomorrow." Jiang Yueming decisively changed her mind, "I'll improve things tomorrow."

Li Leshan waved his hand, "It's too much trouble for Auntie. Besides, the food isn't bad."

Actually, Sister Xiuli is very kind-hearted. After all, most summer jobs don't include meals and they don't care about your well-being at all.

"I just wanted you to eat better, didn't I?" Jiang Yueming frowned. "I felt sorry for you, but you don't appreciate it."

Li Leshan's lips curled up slightly, and he imitated Jiang Yueming, saying, "Brother, you're so good to me."

Now it was Jiang Yueming's turn to feel embarrassed. His ears visibly turned red. He'd never experienced anything like this before. Li Leshan had never called him that before, even though he was indeed two months older, but this... this really was...

"Fuck you..." Jiang Yueming was stunned for a long time, "You...you've gone bad."

Although I learned it from him.

But can these be the same?

Li Leshan didn't seem to think it was a bad thing at all. He was in a particularly good mood and found it amusing to watch Jiang Yueming stammering, hesitant, and unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Han Jiang and Xu Qing hadn't seen these two people for a while. When they found out that the two were working part-time at the Zhonghua Market, they rushed to the Zhonghua Market at a speed that was like a 100-meter sprint (actually, even if they did sprint, they weren't very fast).

After all, Han Jiang had truly lost a close buddy who used to go fishing and swimming with him, and he had to check on what this buddy was up to. It had been over a month since they last met; the only time they'd seen each other was the last one. Han Jiang had almost forgotten what Jiang Yueming looked like.

"Dude—" Han Jiang made a dazzling entrance.

Simply calling him "bro" felt a bit disrespectful to Li Leshan, since he had copied Li Leshan's homework so many times since they were kids that it was almost as much as his meals. So he added "bros" to the end.

The man was wearing a pair of brightly colored, patterned shorts, and on his feet were the same style of slippers that Jiang Yueming had bought for him a few years ago. The original ones were too small for him, so he bought new ones, hoping to salvage some of their brotherly bond.

This outfit makes him look like a gangster's underling. And the most cowardly one at that. He'd be cannon fodder the moment he appears.

Xu Qing was still wearing her little white dress, black leather shoes, and a bun hairstyle. She looked completely out of place in the Zhonghua Market area, like a pampered young lady who had come to the countryside.

"Why do I hear Han Jiang's voice?" Jiang Yueming asked, a little puzzled. He and Li Leshan exchanged a glance.

Li Leshan said he heard it too.

“I know he has a loud voice, but we’re practically miles apart… Damn Han Jiang!” Jiang Yueming hurriedly withdrew his hand from Li Leshan’s shoulder.

When they were friends, it didn't seem like a big deal, but when they were dating, he felt inexplicably guilty. He didn't plan to tell Han Jiang about this, and he certainly didn't plan to tell Xu Qing. It wasn't that he was being disloyal; it was just that he genuinely couldn't tell her.

"What are you two doing?" Han Jiang asked. "We're 800 meters apart."

"Can you stop exaggerating like that?" Jiang Yueming moved even closer to Li Leshan.

He sized up the two people in front of him, narrowing his eyes.

"Are they here to cause trouble?" Jiang Yueming asked.

"Can't we come if there's nothing wrong?" Han Jiang was very indignant, as if he had ruined something good for Jiang Yueming because of his attitude.

"Alright, you can't leave without spending some money today. Consider it supporting our business." Jiang Yueming said, "There's a minimum charge, twenty per person."

Xu Qing's gaze lingered on Li Leshan's face. She ignored Han Jiang's shouting beside her and said softly, "Then I'll put it on Li Leshan's tab."

"It doesn't matter if you both end up on Li Leshan's tab."

This was exactly what Jiang Yueming wanted.

Before leaving, Jiang Yueming pulled Han Jiang aside when no one was looking. Han Jiang understood and called out towards the supermarket, "Xu Qing, I'm going to buy you some food to take back. Wait for me!"

In a corner of the China Market, the surrounding noise of vendors kept everyone from paying attention to the two people.

"Are you sure you want to go to Shigao High School?" Jiang Yueming asked.

Han Jiang scratched his head and nodded firmly. "Don't worry, brother. Li Leshan is your brother, so he's my brother too. If I get some food, Li Leshan won't be left out. Besides, even putting you aside, we've been classmates for years, how could I not look after him?"

Jiang Yueming patted Han Jiang on the shoulder and said sincerely, "Thank you. I was afraid that something might happen to him and he wouldn't tell me. So you must tell me."

Han Jiang assured him, "Leave it to me."

“Xu Qing…” Jiang Yueming thought of that girl. He had always thought that Xu Qing’s feelings for Li Leshan were longing, a kind of admiration. “She…”

But Jiang Yueming felt that if she asked Han Jiang, he would probably be frustrated, so she stopped herself from asking.

"I'll also ask Lele to help you more," Jiang Yueming said. Actually, even if he didn't say it, Li Leshan would definitely help if there was anything needed.

He and Han Jiang had been brothers for ten years. They'd been together since kindergarten, then went to elementary and middle school together. A full ten years—that's a deep bond.

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Jiang became very emotional and his eyes welled up with tears. "Dude, will you blame me? I went to pursue Xu Qing, leaving you all alone."

...

?

Jiang Yueming then realized what was wrong with Han Jiang's thought process that made him so peculiar.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Yueming put her arm around his shoulder and smiled. "It's like I'm bullying you."

Although Han Jiang may seem like a typical straight man, he is actually quite sentimental, like a little girl, and always thinks things through.

"Besides, who else would you chase if not Xu Qing? You've been following her around since you were little, I know you well enough," Jiang Yueming laughed. He thought to himself, "You should still go after Xu Qing. If you do, it will really be a big help to me."

“Yes,” Han Jiang wiped his eyes, “Xu Qing needs my care. I’m afraid someone will bully her.”

Jiang Yueming hummed in agreement and patted his shoulder as a gesture of comfort.

"I'll definitely take good care of them. You stay here and do well. I'll always be your good buddy," Han Jiang said solemnly.

Jiang Yueming inexplicably felt his eyes well up with tears. In the sweltering heat of the Zhonghua Market, looking at the tall boy in front of him, he recalled the times when he and Han Jiang spent every day together as children, skipping classes together, standing in the corner as punishment together, and writing self-criticisms together.

However, everyone has their own path to walk. Some people will inevitably part ways at a crossroads, going their separate ways, even in opposite directions. But fate likes to play tricks; it sometimes shows you mercy, sometimes gives you hope, and perhaps at the next crossroads, those who have parted will be reunited.

Perhaps in the next one, or perhaps in the one after that.

So you have to keep going, no matter how painful, how tiring, or how difficult it is.

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Author's note: I feel really unwell (crying)

I haven't read the text much; it was automatically posted from my archives. Please feel free to point out any issues in the comments! I'll revise it when I have time.