Chapter 25 Old Ginger

When Huang Hanwen entered the institute's dormitory courtyard, carrying two large packages, Teacher Gong and Hang Liumei had just changed Yingying's diaper. Hang Liumei was the first to spot him from the window and whispered to Teacher Gong, "Here comes the weasel."

Teacher Gong poked her on the waist and said, "Don't call her nicknames in front of others." Then she picked up the child and softened her voice and said, "Dad is here to see our little Yingying."

Qi Xiuchun struggled to get up from the bed. Huang Hanwen came in and quickly helped his wife sit up straight. He took out a bag of yellow millet and a bag of country eggs wrapped in rice bran as if presenting a treasure.

"Xiuchun, thank you for your hard work. Look at this! Such delicious millet, eggs, and brown sugar. I wanted to carry them all along the way. They are all for your nutrition. There are also shoes, hats, clothes, and diapers for the child. Mom is not feeling well and cannot come to take care of you during the confinement period, but I have already prepared everything for you."

Seeing her husband's fussing, Qi Xiuchun told him to sit down and rest. Huang Hanwen wiped the sweat off his face with one hand and reached into his trouser pocket with the other. "Are you still able to handle this? If you don't have enough money, I have more." Qi Xiuchun stopped him, saying that she was at the station all day and didn't have much money to spend. With everyone helping out, she wasn't that tired. Huang Hanwen said that was good, took his hand out of his pocket, and reached for the water cup.

Hang Liumei was furious after hearing this. She opened her mouth to say, "Hey, I'm going to say...", but Teacher Gong interrupted and pulled her out: "Come on, let's go make millet porridge for the confinement lady, so that the family can have a good chat."

After leaving the house, Hang Liumei angrily said, "He's a father, and he took so long to give birth, yet he still has the nerve to brag about such a small amount. If he really wanted to help Sister Xiuchun, he should have prepared the money and given it to her directly. He even pretended to hide his hand in his pocket and only took it out after Sister Xiuchun refused! Teacher Gong, why didn't you let me scold him directly? How could someone be so shameless and heartless!"

Teacher Gong also had a look of worry on her face. If they had known Qi Xiuchun would find such a husband, they should have stopped her from the beginning, but now they couldn't add fuel to the fire. She reasoned with Hang Liumei, "A grudge for postpartum care can be remembered for a lifetime, but after this grudge is remembered, who will truly suffer? Xiuchun herself. Look, Xiuchun has been in a bad mood for the past two days. Although he came and only used sweet words to coax her, she was happy. The most important thing now is for her to recover. The rest can be dealt with later. As long as she is happy, there is nothing we can't endure. Women suffer, and each has her own suffering."

Hang Liumei was deflated and went into the kitchen with Teacher Gong to cook for Qi Xiuchun.

Huang Hanwen was busy learning to hold his daughter. Qi Xiuchun asked him to give the child a full name. Huang Hanwen said, "Didn't you give the child the nickname Yingying? Then let's name her Huangying. It's a good name for a girl."

Qi Xiuchun was unhappy: "Your family is in the Yun generation. You thought of so many names before, why can't you use any of them?"

"Those are all given to boys. How can a girl have a family tree?" Huang Hanwen said, seeing Qi Xiuchun was unhappy, and immediately changed his words: "If you want to arrange it, then do it. It's not a big deal. You've worked hard to give birth to the child, so you can choose the name. I'll listen to you."

"Then let's call her Huang Xinyun. From northern Shaanxi to Dunhuang, everywhere is so dry and rainy. I just need a daughter. She is a cloud in my heart."

Huang Hanwen said, "Look, you've already made up your mind, so let's go with this one." He stayed with her for two or three days and then left in a hurry.

Qi Xiuchun's current work had to be put on hold for a while, as the preservation of the grottoes was urgent. Fortunately, the director's long-standing appeals finally led to the arrival of a group of professionals to Dunhuang to inspect and assist with the work. It was said that they included experts in hydrology, geology, ancient architecture, and cultural relics preservation.

The institute was bustling with activity, but Qi Xiuchun fell ill. Perhaps she had caught a cold, but one night she suddenly developed a cough and a runny nose, followed by a low-grade fever. After several days, she didn't seem to be getting better, and no one dared to leave their children in the same room with her.

Unexpectedly, Qi Xiuchun's low-grade fever suddenly escalated to a high, and she could no longer breastfeed. The child cried with hunger outside, only being fed millet oil. Qi Xiuchun, overhearing from inside, burst into tears. Hang Liumei, unable to bear the pain, rode her bicycle into town to buy her medicine, returning after dark.

The vast Gobi Desert seemed boundless. She rode along, flashlight in hand, the faint beam of light wavering and swaying, seemingly easily swallowed by the darkness. She wished the wind could whistle louder, so that the surroundings wouldn't be so eerie and quiet.

There was a sound of sand and gravel being crushed behind her, "clacking", and Hang Liumei remembered the ghost stories she heard when she was a child. They said that you should not look back when a ghost pats your shoulder, and you should not respond when your name is called. She scared herself and broke into a cold sweat.

The mysterious footsteps came and went. Hang Liumei told herself that she must be a staunch atheist and that it must be just animals appearing after sunset.

But encountering a wolf would be a disaster, as wolves are known for their patience in stalking their prey. Hang Liumei, fearing the bright light might attract something unwelcome, turned off the flashlight and couldn't help but glance back. The sight terrified her soul. Not far behind her was a pair of gleaming green eyes.

She turned around and began to pedal furiously, almost sending sparks flying from the bicycle chain, when she heard a strong male voice shouting, "Wait! Wait! Girl in front, please wait a moment!"

Is there someone there? Hang Liumei stopped the car and shone her flashlight behind her. It turned out the green-eyed figure was a donkey, with a young man on its back.

"Excuse me, are you going to the Dunhuang Cultural Relics Research Institute? I was sent here by the Water Conservancy Bureau, but something unexpected happened and I couldn't keep up with the main group. I'm unfamiliar with the place, so could I travel with you?"

He wore the same white shirt and grey trousers as the other "experts" at the institute. He was tall and strong, with a bright smile on his face, and he exuded an inexplicable sense of righteousness.

Hang Liumei nodded suspiciously and said that she was indeed going back to the research institute. It wasn't far anyway, so let's go together.

"Thank you. My name is Jiang Shan, and my colleagues call me Lao Jiang. I study hydrogeology and engineering geology. Do you work in the research institute? What's your name? We can be colleagues from now on." Seeing that Hang Liumei looked wary, Lao Jiang introduced himself.

It seemed like this was another scheming man. Just like Huang Hanwen had done before, he had already started to get close to her before anything happened. Hang Liumei sneered inwardly, "I won't be fooled." Then she lied confidently, "My name is Li Hongyan, and I'm in charge of logistics at the institute."

After bringing Lao Jiang to the research institute, Hang Liumei went back to the courtyard to take care of Sister Xiuchun, completely unaware that Lao Jiang had been looking for the kind comrade "Li Hongyan".

The mural copying work in Cave 103 was nearly finished, and Hang Liumei, once again carrying her belongings, entered the caves to work. Looking up, she saw what looked like a group of people gathered in Cave 257, seemingly experts from outside conducting research. She suddenly remembered the young man she'd found that day and wondered if he was among them. Since these experts had entered the Mogao Grottoes, she hadn't seen anything extraordinary about them. Curious, she felt compelled to listen in.

When Hang Liumei appeared at the entrance of the cave with the light behind her, Lao Jiang even thought he was hallucinating. Everyone in the institute said that there was no such person as "Li Hongyan", and that he had encountered a ghost while walking at night, or that it was the incarnation of the Bodhisattva who led the way. But now this living person was standing in front of him, and everyone could see it! He raised his arm and waved at her vigorously: "Li Hongyan! It's really you, we meet again."

Hang Liumei raised her hand woodenly to greet him back. Her colleagues at the institute were a little puzzled to see that she recognized the name.

"What Li Hongyan? Her name is Hang Liumei!" Xiaofang happened to be there and took the opportunity to make a joke about Lao Jiang, "We can't find our new colleague. It turns out we remembered her name wrong!"

Old Jiang saw Hang Liumei's eyes rolling around, her eyes drifting to the side, her mouth tightly shut. He understood about 60% of what was going on, so he didn't ask any more questions. Everyone continued to work, and when most of the people had left, Old Jiang walked over to Hang Liumei with his arms folded. More free novels on the official account: Ale Resource Library

Before he could open his mouth, Hang Liumei explained, "I was afraid you might be a bad person that night, so I lied to you."

After hearing this, Lao Jiang smiled gently, with a rather casual attitude: "So now you are sure that I am not a bad person, right?"

That's hard to say, Hang Liumei thought to herself. She might look nice, but lust can be a dangerous thing. She replied ambiguously, "For us at the institute, anyone who can protect the grottoes is a revolutionary comrade. Will this grotto be your responsibility from now on?"

Lao Jiang shook his head: "There is no division of labor yet. I don't understand art. It doesn't matter to me which cave I go to."

"Don't understand? This cave is so beautiful! Look at this mural: 'The Story of the Deer King'. It's like reading a comic strip. Just follow the order of my fingers and you'll understand..."

Hang Liumei, pointing her sword as she introduced the murals, truly looked like a peerless master, each move carrying the wind of the cliff. Old Jiang had seen Hang Liumei anxious, afraid, and guilty, and now he witnessed her unwavering focus.

He discovered that everyone at the institute shared this same energy. Their daily lives were so hard, even grimy, but the mere mention of the murals transformed them. Their secrets were woven together in vibrant lines, their journey here a pilgrimage, a journey of self-cultivation. Old Jiang himself lacked this spirit, but over the past few days, he had sensed it. Through Hang Liumei, he understood the stories told in the murals and finally truly entered the Mogao Grottoes.

Hang Liumei realized that she had been here for a long time. She picked up her brushes, paints, and reflectors and prepared to leave. "Take your time to look at it. I'm leaving now. We'll have a chance to exchange ideas and learn from each other later."

"Hang Liumei, please wait a moment," Lao Jiang caught up with her, but he didn't know what to say, so he pointed at what Hang Liumei was carrying and asked, "What is this wooden board for?"

"It's dark in the cave. Put it at the door to reflect light and make it brighter inside. I'm leaving now." Hang Liumei left and saw Lao Jiang still standing there, contemplating the Deer King's Jataka. After today, both of them found the other quite interesting.

After a while, Hang Liumei noticed that Lao Jiang was working with a truly assiduous approach. For the first month, he went from cave to cave, searching for hollows, peelings, and rust. If she encountered him in a cave, Hang Liumei would tell him the stories and artistic value of the murals.

As they met more often, they became friends. Hang Liumei asked him how long it would take for him to continue his exploration. Lao Jiang smiled and replied that he needed to have a general and comprehensive understanding of the Mogao Grottoes. Sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of wood.

That day, Hang Liumei was immersed in her painting when Lao Jiang stumbled into the doorway. He didn't see who was inside, and immediately squatted on the ground, holding his head with one hand and his chest with the other, looking very uncomfortable.

Hang Liumei quickly put down her paintbrush, squatted beside him and asked softly, "Lao Jiang? What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Hang Liumei? Is that you? It's okay. I was just squatting next door checking the corner. I stood up too quickly and felt a little dizzy."

"It's just because I'm excited, it's not like this, how do you feel now?"

"I just feel a little chest tightness and nausea. Go ahead and do your work. I'll be fine sitting here and taking it easy."

Hang Liumei saw the sweat on his forehead and thought about how it was over 40 degrees outside, but only in the 20s in the cave. Lao Jiang had no experience and lacked the necessary buffer to get in and out. He must have had heatstroke. She decisively held onto one of his arms and pulled him up. "There's no ventilation in here. Come on, I'll take you out."

She settled Lao Jiang in a shady place outside the cave, let him lie down and close his eyes to rest, and then left. Lao Jiang thought she would never come back, but she ran back to get him a water bottle.

"Thank you. I have been causing you trouble and delaying your work again today. You can go back first. I am fine now." Lao Jiang sat up with his hands on the ground. His eyes went dark and he almost fell down again.

"Don't worry about it. I've almost finished my work this morning. It won't interfere with my work if I sit here with you for a while. But you can't even sit still. What if you faint again? Let me ask you a question. You're obviously not old, so why do they call you Old Ginger?"

"A colleague once said I worry like an old man, so he called me Lao Jiang. Later, I started calling him that. Actually, I feel quite embarrassed."

Lao Jiang is truly a kindhearted man, down-to-earth and good-tempered. Not only do their colleagues who joined them, but even people from the research institute still frequently turn to him. From small tasks like moving and repairing furniture to large ones like organizing events and coordinating work, Lao Jiang's involvement always brings a sense of confidence. Hang Liumei believes Lao Jiang lives up to this saying: "Keep your word and keep your promise."

Hang Liumei went home in the evening and told Qi Xiuchun about Lao Jiang. Qi Xiuchun lowered his head to pat Yingying to put her to sleep, then looked up at Hang Liumei and smiled meaningfully.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You're making me feel uneasy."

"You look a bit like me when I first met Han Wen."

After hearing this, Hang Liumei immediately raised her voice and denied it: "I didn't!"

Qi Xiuchun raised a finger to her lips and whispered in the smallest voice: "Be careful not to wake the children. Okay, okay, if there is no, then we can ride the donkey and watch the opera."