What do you need this for?
Zhou Qiqi took another sip, looked up at him, and a mischievous smile played on her lips.
"Could it be that you're craving this yourself? You didn't get enough of it when you were a kid, and you're still thinking about it now that you're all grown up?"
She deliberately dragged out the tone, with the final note rising in pitch.
"He likes it so much, yet he's so eager to give it all to others... It seems Comrade Shen Huaichuan has always been a sentimental soul who knows how to cherish others."
She swirled the glass, a hint of coquettishness in her voice.
"I'm different from others; I don't like drinking this sour stuff."
As she spoke, she put the cup down on the table, turned her head away, and pretended to continue drawing, but her eyes were still glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
Shen Huaichuan put down the towel, quickly moved closer, and put his arm around her shoulder with a slightly helpless smile:
"If you don't like it, then don't drink it. I brought in a pot of warm water, but..."
He paused, his voice becoming more serious.
"Qiqi, I've never really had a liking or disliking attitude towards this sour plum powder."
Zhou Qiqi was held in his arms, neither struggling nor trying to escape, just leaning against him, waiting for him to continue.
"The reason I bought so much candy when I was a child,"
Shen Huaichuan's gaze drifted to the window, as if he were seeing scenes from many years ago through the night.
"The boys in the compound all loved collecting colorful candy wrappers, folding them into paper ingots, and putting them in their books. I started buying them too. I bought a whole bunch, but I didn't like candy; it was too sweet. If I bought too much, my mom would definitely say I was wasting money."
It just so happened that Lin Yao lived in the building next door. Her family was more lenient, and she herself craved candy, so I just gave her all the candies I'd peeled off without pretty wrappers. That way, my mom wouldn't nag, and it cleared out my 'stockpile' too.
Zhou Qiqi snorted through her nose, her chin slightly raised:
"What about plum powder? It can't be candy wrappers too, can it?"
"That's even more unfair."
Shen Huaichuan burst out laughing at her words.
"I bought the sour plum powder mainly for the little plastic spoon that came with it. The handle of the spoon has various patterns pressed on it, such as those from Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms..."
Back then, I was obsessed with Sun Wukong and wanted to collect a "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" spoon. But they only gave one spoon with every pack of sour plum powder, and the design was random. My mom wouldn't let me buy so much sour plum powder just for a spoon and have it piled up at home.
He recalled those little "schemes" from his childhood, his tone carrying a touch of childlike cunning:
"I had no choice but to use Lin Yao as a cover. I told my mom that Lin Yao liked to drink this, so I bought some and sent it to her. Actually, I opened every single pack, took out the spoon inside, and then delivered it to her. I remember that month, I bought almost twenty or thirty packs before I finally opened one with the Monkey King on it."
When he spoke the name "Sun Wukong," a pure, distant joy shone in his eyes, and his whole demeanor softened and brightened.
"I was so happy back then. I carried that spoon around like it was a treasure and showed it off to my two older brothers for days."
Zhou Qiqi listened quietly, watching his rare, warm expression as he immersed himself in his memories.
The little knot in my heart melted away without me even realizing it.
She reached out and gently touched his arm: "Really? You're not lying to me?"
Although it was a question, the tone at the end was slightly raised, clearly indicating that the speaker was trying to get him to talk more.
"Of course it's true!"
Shen Huaichuan seemed to have his interest ignited, and suddenly stood up. "I still have that spoon!"
He walked quickly to the bedside, bent down and pulled out an old tin biscuit box covered in a thin layer of dust from under the bed.
The box looked quite old; the edges were worn smooth and shiny, and the three characters "Peony Brand" printed on it had faded.
Shen Huaichuan carefully pried open the metal clasp on the side. With a soft "click," the lid popped open, raising a few specks of fine dust.
The contents were neatly arranged, with small items categorized into small boxes and old envelopes.
Even the corners of the envelopes were neatly trimmed.
He rummaged around for a bit and quickly pulled out a small, light yellow plastic spoon. When he turned around, his face was filled with undisguised pride, like a child holding a precious treasure, and he handed the spoon to Zhou Qiqi.
At the top of the spoon handle, the simple-lined Sun Wukong is still holding the golden cudgel, although the red paint has faded to white and the golden cudgel has also faded to light yellow.
The pattern is very clear, showing that it has been carefully kept over the years, without any bumps or scratches, and is in excellent condition.
The plastic spoon had become somewhat brittle and hard over time.
Here, this is it.
Zhou Qiqi took it, gently stroking the tiny Monkey King with her fingertips, feeling a warm glow in her heart.
Her gaze fell on the open tin box, where, besides the spoon, there was a thick stack of colorful glass candy wrappers tied with rubber bands.
Red, green, and gold, pressed flat and neat, gleaming with a warm, old-time luster under the light.
Scattered below were a few glass marbles with rounded edges, a small tin frog with peeling paint, and several black-and-white or yellowed photos with slightly curled edges.
Zhou Qiqi's gaze lingered on the photos.
Most of them are group photos, with the background either an old-fashioned courtyard house or a patterned backdrop from a photo studio.
The photo shows Shen Huaichuan growing up step by step, from a chubby baby wearing open-crotch pants and drooling to a young boy wearing a sailor shirt and with a serious face.
The photos always include two boys who are taller than him, with similar features and cheerful smiles.
There was also a middle-aged couple dressed in old-fashioned military uniforms, with resolute yet gentle faces.
The last photo shows Shen Huaichuan at around fourteen or fifteen years old. At that time, he had begun to grow taller, his baby fat had faded, and his eyes showed a stubbornness and precociousness unique to teenagers.
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