Chapter 22 The Resilient Jiang Chao
At Jiangcheng Middle School, in the junior high section, Yunxia circled around but couldn't even spot a trace of someone.
Although Jiang Chao has a stern face and often argues with people, he is very responsible. Taking his younger sister home was a task that Wu Lifang had repeatedly told him to do.
Therefore, Yunxia was certain that the boy was still here.
Beside the fence, there was a poplar grove, the ground covered with fallen leaves, and the bare branches with a few bird nests hanging from them.
"Hey, there are footprints. Could they have gone into the woods?"
Yunxia's eyelashes trembled slightly. After thinking for a moment, she straightened her schoolbag and followed the footprints into the grove.
"Jiang Chao, are you alright?"
The boy, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, leaned against a tree stump. Yellowed cotton wafted out from the holes in his clothes, and his trouser legs were covered in shoe prints and decaying leaves.
"Ahem, Yunxia, you... how did you get here? Did you run into..."
"You're so capable at home, what are you doing with your fists? You... doesn't it hurt!"
Seeing him in such a miserable state, I felt a lump in my throat and couldn't bring myself to say anything sarcastic.
"Ha, throw a punch! They... don't deserve it!"
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he leaned against the tree stump, slowly got up, bent down to brush off the fallen leaves and dirt from his body, and then stuffed cotton into his cotton-padded coat little by little.
He picked up the books scattered on the ground, tidied them up and put them in his schoolbag, and then... took out a needle and thread and slowly began to sew his clothes.
Suddenly feeling a touch on her head, the boy holding a needle and thread turned to look at Yun Xia, who was pursing her lips. "What's wrong? Wait a little longer. We'll go home after I finish sewing the clothes. The factory just started operating, Mom won't be off work that early."
Tai, Jiang Chao, what kind of life does he lead outside? It's strange... it's heartbreaking.
"There are broken leaves in your hair, let me pick them out for you. Lower your head, I can't reach them."
The boy snorted coldly, but instead of bowing his head, he squatted down, making it much easier for the little girl to pick the fallen leaves.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, in the quiet grove, a little girl in a red coat diligently removed the trinkets from the boy's clothes, like a chick pecking at rice.
The young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes was concentrating on sewing a tattered cotton-padded jacket. His hands moved swiftly and skillfully, turning the rotten into the miraculous. If you didn't take it apart and look closely, you couldn't see any trace of the stitching at all.
Wow, could this guy have developed his sewing skills like this?
Yunxia, whose wrists were aching and whose legs were sore from standing, simply squatted down, tilted her head, and silently watched him sew clothes.
As darkness fell, Jiang Chao had just finished sewing. He put his cotton-padded coat back on, slung his schoolbag over his shoulder, and took a few steps when he noticed the little girl hadn't followed. He turned around and said, "What are you standing there for? The road won't be easy to walk on after dark."
"My legs are numb, let me rest for a few minutes, hey... what are you doing? Put me down!"
Suddenly lifted into the air, even though her destination was someone's back, Yunxia was still startled.
"In winter, it gets dark very quickly. If you're even a few minutes late, you might get lost in the woods. Just a heads-up, there are wolves around here!"
"Hmph, wolves? Believe it or not... I can take down three of them with one punch!"
"Ha!" His reply was concise and full of sarcasm.
If you were to say he could take down three little puppies, I might believe it to some extent.
Although Jiang Chao limped, his steps were very steady and large. For a moment, the sound of his footsteps rustling through the fallen leaves echoed in the grove.
"Jiang Chao, phew, it's good that you're... alright!"
Feng Jingling, with beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, was panting heavily, as if he had just run 800 meters.
"I don't need your fake concern. Move aside, don't block my way."
"Jiang Chao, put me down quickly! I'm easily embarrassed. If someone sees me like this, how am I supposed to go out tomorrow?"
"Wow, it's as thick as a city wall, and you call that thin?"
Despite his sharp tongue, he still half-squatted down and put her down.
"Big brother, he just has a sharp tongue. Please don't take what he said to heart."
Upon seeing the little girl in the red coat, Feng Jingling's expression suddenly changed. "Little Butterfly, did they... touch you?"
Uh, them?
Are they people who bully the Jiang Dynasty?
Yun Xia shook her head slightly, "Big brother, who are the people you're talking about?"
“Oh, a bunch of…” someone replied instinctively.
"Feng Jingling, that's enough. Why are you talking to a child like this? Yunxia, come home with me now, or else... I'll give you a slipper."
Having spent so much time together, Yunxia could tell at a glance whether the boy was truly angry.
He winked and frantically tried to signal to the boy in the white coat, but before he could establish a communication signal, Jiang Chao noticed and punished him by making him drag the mop around.
Even so, she didn't forget to gesture with her hands. Feng Jingling chuckled and moved her fingers slightly to indicate that she had successfully received the signal.
"Huang Chengcheng, you really didn't take my advice to heart at all last time. It seems... I was too kind."
When they got home, just as Jiang Chao had said, Aunt Wu was working overtime and hadn't come back yet.
The two exchanged a glance, put down their schoolbags in perfect unison, went to the kitchen, and began to divide the work.
One person tended the fire, while another cooked. Wu Lifang returned under the moonlight and had just parked her bicycle when she smelled the aroma of food wafting from the main room.
"Aunt Wu, you must be exhausted after a long day at work. The food is all set out. You can start eating as soon as you wash your hands."
"Girls are so good, look how thoughtful they are!" Wu Lifang said happily while washing her hands.
"Hey, without fire, how can the rice cook?"
Tai, you have a really bad temper!
Yunxia grabbed his hand, her doe eyes shining, "Actually, Jiang Chao deserves the most credit for this meal. He's like an ox plowing the field, working hard silently..."
Praise poured out like it was free. Jiang Chao sneered, gently pushed her chubby little hand away, picked up his chopsticks, and piled a bunch of meat into the little drama queen's bowl.
"Hey, Ah Chao, what's wrong with your mouth? Turn around and let Mom take a look."
Jiang Chao subconsciously turned his head away, not wanting her to see the injury, his eyes flickering slightly, "Xiaxia was playing on the way, and after I scolded her a few times, she started hitting me. I would never tolerate that. After that, her mouth..."
Yunxia: ...
So, you're just trying to shift the blame, aren't you?
Do you think you're being fair to my desire to avenge you?
"Ah Chao, what kind of older brother are you? Don't you give in to your younger sister? It's her first day at school, she's bound to be curious about everything. What's wrong with being a little playful? Xiaxia, are you hurt anywhere? If you tell your aunt, I guarantee Jiang Chao will get a good spanking."
Jiang Chao: ...Famous for double standards, no wonder she's my mother!
“Aunt Wu, don’t listen to his nonsense. There was no fighting at all. He insisted on carrying me on his back, and I accidentally poked his mouth with my fingernail.”
"Oh, is that so? Ah Chao, you silly child, why are you lying? Here, drink some more chicken soup to nourish yourself!"
The boy lowered his eyes, staring darkly at the chicken soup with a layer of butter floating on top. He picked up the bowl, his brows furrowed, and gulped down the soup in large mouthfuls. Then he picked up a green chili pepper and stuffed it into his mouth.
Ugh, delicious chicken soup, but to him it tastes like bitter medicine!
"Good, good boy, Ah Chao, give me the bowl, Mom will scoop you another bowl."
Jiang Chao gripped the bowl tightly, looked up at the chicken soup, and said, "No, chicken soup is very nourishing. Yunxia is weak, so... give her the rest!"
After saying that, he snatched the bowl from Yunxia's side, filled it with chicken soup, and then put it back on the spot.
Yunxia: ...What's going on?
"Sigh, you still are such a picky eater, Xiaxia, just ignore him!"
"It's alright, Aunt Wu, I like chicken soup."
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