500 yuan for candied hawthorn

When Jiang Jingshu came over, Xie Zhijin was calculating something.

She didn't disturb him, but quietly sat in the seat behind Xie Zhijin, watching until he had roughly finished calculating, before gently poking Xie Zhijin's back with her pen.

"Jiang Jingshu?" Xie Zhijin paused when he heard someone call him, stopping his packing. Seeing Jiang Jingshu sitting obediently behind him, he couldn't help but ask, "It's so late, why haven't you left yet?"

"I'm here to return your umbrella, thank you." Jiang Jingshu placed the umbrella on Xie Zhijin's table and thanked him.

Afterwards, Jiang Jingshu quietly took something out from behind her back and placed it on the table as well.

"What is this?" Xie Zhijin asked, puzzled, as he watched Jiang Jingshu's actions.

"A gift of thanks." Jiang Jingshu's lips curled slightly as she watched Xie Zhijin open the painting. "I spent a long time drawing it. I wonder if I've captured even a third of your spirit."

Xie Zhijin looked at the painting Jiang Jingshu had placed on the table. The painting depicted a continuous rainy day and his back view.

Beside it is Jiang Jingshu's brushstrokes: "The young master should only see the painting."

I alone know the way here. To write until the water reaches its end and the sky its edge, one must surely not be a person of this mortal realm.

Xie Zhijin was a little embarrassed by the praise. He put the painting in the drawer and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to give me a painting?"

“It shows more sincerity when you draw it yourself.” Jiang Jingshu said a little shyly. She hadn’t given paintings to many people before. Apart from Zhou Mingyuan in the ancient world, Xie Zhijin was the second. Feeling that her painting wasn’t very good, she said a little embarrassedly, “My painting tools aren’t very handy, so it may not look very good.”

"Thank you. Your drawing is beautiful." Xie Zhijin looked at the painting in his hand, and listening to Jiang Jingshu's way of speaking, he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. "Jiang Jingshu, why are you talking so strangely?"

"What! No, there isn't." Jiang Jingshu panicked upon hearing this and took a small step back. "You're overthinking it."

"Have you been sick lately and been staying home reading novels? You talk like someone from ancient times," Xie Zhijin teased her with a laugh. "It's getting late, want to go home together?"

Jiang Jingshu's first reaction was to refuse. She was afraid of revealing her secret again. She was unsure about the relationship between Jiang Jingshu and Xie Zhijin in the past, and she also found Xie Zhijin to be a perceptive person.

Just like when Jiang Jingshu sat behind Xie Zhijin, she clearly felt that Xie Zhijin had noticed her.

However, considering that they both needed to go home soon, and that their neighborhoods were very close, even if they weren't going in the same direction, they would still be traveling together for a long time.

It seems a little awkward if two people are going the same way but don't walk together.

Jiang Jingshu thought for a moment and then nodded.

The weather was quite nice. In November, the weather was gradually turning cooler, especially after the autumn rains. Xie Zhijin saw that she was wearing a thick coat and couldn't help but smile. "Are you cold?"

"It's alright." Jiang Jingshu subconsciously pulled her collar down a little. She didn't feel particularly cold, and in fact, she wasn't afraid of the cold. It was just that she had spent too many cold seasons in the deep palace, and she really liked the feeling of warmth.

As the two were walking side by side, an old man selling candied hawthorns caught Jiang Jingshu's eye.

It was a novel object that Jiang Jingshu had never seen before in the deep palace.

As if on cue, Xie Zhijin asked, "Would you like some candied hawthorns?"

Jiang Jingshu looked up at Xie Zhijin.

Soon, Jiang Jingshu had a string of candied hawthorns in her hand.

"Candied hawthorns?" Jiang Jingshu looked at the strings of hawthorns in her hand, a smile unconsciously curving her lips. "No wonder they're called gourds."

Several hawthorns strung together really do look like gourds.

"Why are you just staring? Oh right, you're not fully recovered yet, so you can't eat too many sweets, can you?" Xie Zhijin asked, noticing Jiang Jingshu staring blankly at the candied hawthorn in her hand.

Jiang Jingshu shook her head, took a bite, and couldn't help but praise, "It's very sweet."

It's really sweet.

—

When she got home, Jiang Jingshu realized that she hadn't given Xie Zhijin the money for the candied hawthorns.

How can we let Xie Zhijin waste his money?

"Help! Help!"

Upon hearing Jiang Jingshu's voice, the system knew she wanted to earn money for Xie Zhijin and patiently said, "Your Highness, just follow the steps I taught you and pay him the silver."

"I'm just a little inexperienced. Luckily, you're here with me in this unfamiliar world, my helper." Jiang Jingshu lay on the bed, and although she wasn't very skilled, she still transferred the money quickly. "Helper, this is my first time eating candied hawthorns."

"Your Highness can still experience many new things here."

The system voice came through, and Jiang Jingshu turned over. "It's so sweet, you know what? I've never eaten anything so sweet in my life."

"Doesn't Your Highness dislike sweets?"

After a long silence, the system's voice came through.

Jiang Jingshu sat up in bed. "It's just that I haven't eaten it before."

I've never eaten it, so I've never liked it.

A new message appeared in the message box.

Xie Zhijin: How did you share so many?

Jiang Jingshu was a little embarrassed. "Help, how much is a string of candied hawthorns?"

"Five dollars, Your Highness, you didn't spend too much, did you?"

Jiang Jingshu glanced at her 500 yuan transfer record and quickly shook her head.

"Sorry, I accidentally added two extra zeros." After sending the message, Jiang Jingshu transferred another five yuan.

Xie Zhijin sent a laughing emoji, followed by a message: "It's just a string of candied hawthorns, no need to transfer money."

Soon, both transfer records were returned.

Jiang Jingshu turned off her phone, glanced at her desk, and then spent another two hours drawing.

A knock sounded at the door, and Jiang Jingshu put away her painting and happily ran out.

Almost every day, Jiang Yuan would knock on her door at the exact time. Every time she sat down at the dining table, she would see her favorite dishes.

Today, while sitting at the dinner table, Jiang Yuan served her rice and said, "Dad is going on a business trip the day after tomorrow, so I've hired a nanny to take care of you."

Hearing this, Jiang Jingshu looked up and said, "Okay." She thought for a moment, then picked up a chicken leg from the plate and gave it to Jiang Yuan. "Have a good day at work."

Jiang Yuan smiled and placed one on Jiang Jingshu's plate. "The flowerpot you asked me to find the other day has been bought. Go take a look after dinner."

Jiang Jingshu paused in her chopsticks and silently hummed in agreement.

It started raining again outside, and the weather seemed to be getting cooler. Jiang Yuan would be away on a business trip for about half a month, during which time she would need to stay home alone. However, with a housekeeper to take care of her, it wouldn't make much of a difference.

She looked at the flowerpot Jiang Yuan had prepared, which still contained soft soil. Jiang Jingshu picked up the agave seeds given to her by the system, but did not immediately put them into the soil.

"Your Highness, are you hesitating?" The system's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she immediately buried the seed in the soil.

"Your Highness, if you don't want to go back, you don't have to plant it. You don't have to go back." The system suddenly spoke, pulling Jiang Jingshu back to reality.

"That's not the case. I'm just thinking about how to plant it."

She's not from this world after all, so why should she hesitate? Besides, she has more important things to do when she goes back.

—

The next morning, Jiang Jingshu arrived at school and placed the painting on Xie Zhijin's desk.

Su Xiaoyue brought two eggs for Jiang Jingshu, and Jiang Jingshu also placed a painting on Su Xiaoyue's table.

When Su Xiaoyue arrived, she saw the painting on the table and rushed over to hug Jiang Jingshu tightly.

Jiang Jingshu smiled and hugged her back, "With so many people here, you're just hugging me like this?"

"Your drawing is so beautiful, Jiang Jiang. How come I never noticed your talent for drawing before?"

Jiang Jingshu watched her reaction with a light laugh. The girl held the painting and said confidently that she would frame it. As she was smiling, her gaze suddenly met Xie Zhijin's.

Xie Zhijin mouthed something to him, and Jiang Jingshu could tell that he meant, "Very good-looking."

A surge of inexplicable joy welled up within her. Su Xiaoyue hooked her hand under Jiang Jingshu's chin and said, "You drew so beautifully, I'll reward you with eggs tomorrow. Or I'll bring you my mom's specialty steamed buns tomorrow."

Jiang Jingshu took Su Xiaoyue's hand and said, "Then I'll draw you another picture."

A harsh voice came from the side, "Jiang Jingshu, you're like a completely different person. Your drawings are usually so ugly, how could this be something you drew?"

Jiang Jingshu sensed the hostility in just one second. The speaker was a short, chubby man with a dense freckle under his eyes. His expression towards Jiang Jingshu was one of contempt and disdain.

"Wang Shengli, do you want to get slapped again?" Su Xiaoyue leaned over and slammed her hand on Wang Shengli's table. "Did you forget to brush your teeth again today?"

Su Xiaoyue held Jiang Jingshu's hand, protecting her behind her in a protective posture.

Jiang Jingshu looked down at her hand, which was being held by Su Xiaoyue.

In the past, in the deep palace, Jiang Jingshu's paintings were trampled underfoot by palace servants more than once.

At that moment, how she longed for a pair of hands to hold her and protect her from behind.

At that time, only Jiang Jingshu was there. The young girl stood in front with her small body, angrily rebuking the palace servants who did not take her seriously.

After the palace servants finished laughing and joking, she was the only one left, awkwardly picking up her painting.

As her memory returned, she saw the boy in front of her still using harsh language to criticize her work, and using contemptuous words to personally attack the friend who was protecting her. At that moment, she clenched her fists.

Soon, Wang Shengli's noisy voice came to an abrupt end, replaced by a crisp slap and the incredulous faces of many classmates.

Jiang Jingshu didn't know what the original Jiang Jingshu's personality was like, or whether she would suddenly slap someone.

But at that moment, when she heard those filthy words, and when those words were spoken to the person who loved her, none of that mattered anymore.

At this moment, I feel like I'm overlapping with her when she was young.

Both the young her and the current her are fiercely fighting back against those who bullied them.

Wang Shengli covered his cheek, having been slapped in front of everyone. Enraged, he swung his fat hand at Jiang Jingshu.

Jiang Jingshu realized the other party's intention and turned around to dodge, but unexpectedly bumped into an acquaintance's embrace.

She turned around and looked back, but the scene she had expected did not happen.

The plump hand that should have reached her face was tightly gripped by another hand with distinct knuckles.

"Xie Zhijin, what's it to you? Mind your own business." Wang Shengli felt the resistance on his wrist and glared fiercely at Xie Zhijin.

Xie Zhijin quickly put his hand down and shook it off in disgust.

Taking the opportunity, Su Xiaoyue shoved Wang Shengli, "You want to hit someone again? What did Jiang Jiang do to you? If you keep talking so foul, you'll regret it."

Jiang Jingshu tugged at Su Xiaoyue, then slowly walked towards Wang Shengli, each step exuding an aura of authority. She asked, "Have we ever had a grudge?"

"Can't I just not like you? You think you're so great just because you draw a few lousy pictures? I despise people like you the most." Wang Shengli continued to rant from the side.

Jiang Jingshu found him even more inexplicable than the palace servants. Not wanting to waste any more words, she went straight back to her seat. Su Xiaoxiao made a face at Wang Shengli and also went back to her seat.

The bad mood from the morning lasted all day, and Jiang Jingshu didn't smile when she got home.

The malice between people always comes out of nowhere. Jiang Jingshu couldn't help but wonder if the original Jiang Jingshu had done something that made Wang Shengli hate her.

In autumn, the season of falling leaves, Jiang Jingshu stepped on the leaves, which made a crisp sound. Jiang Jingshu thought that if she could lie directly on the fallen leaves, it would be very comfortable and pleasant.

As her thoughts wandered, the warmth from her forehead pulled Jiang Jingshu back to reality.

Just then, the wind blew, and Jiang Jingshu heard her own name called.

The warmth from her forehead transferred to her hands. Jiang Jingshu held the warm milk tea in her hands and looked at Xie Zhijin.

"It's you. Thank you for today."

“It’s nothing. He doesn’t appreciate art, so don’t worry about him,” Xie Zhijin said carefully. “He’s a rather extreme person, and after what happened, he’s a bit emotionally unstable.”

Sensing the crucial information, Jiang Jingshu pressed further, "That kind of thing?"

"You don't know?" Seemingly surprised by Jiang Jingshu's reaction, Jiang Jingshu was also unsure of her attitude, wondering if the Jiang Jingshu from the original world knew.

To avoid giving herself away, she shook her head, pretending she knew, and said, "You've helped me twice today, so I'm going to give you two more paintings."

“Your paintings are the most unique I’ve ever seen.” Xie Zhijin’s expression turned serious. “They make people feel better when they look at them.”

"So, has your mood improved because of my painting?" Jiang Jingshu asked him with a smile.

Xie Zhijin felt as if something had stunned him. After a two-second silence, he said, "Yes."

As if she had heard the answer she wanted, Jiang Jingshu's bad mood, which had been gloomy all day, suddenly improved. She quickly walked up to Xie Zhijin, tilted her head and looked at him, saying, "Thank you."

Xie Zhijin was somewhat puzzled, "Thank me for what?"

"My mood has improved because of what you said."

A gentle breeze blew by, and the tips of their hair danced in the wind.

The two walked side by side, further and further away.

All that remained was Jiang Jingshu's pink pendant. It stayed there for a long time before someone picked it up and threw it in the trash.