Chapter 67 Midsummer
Not long after the photos were delivered to everyone, school started for everyone.
Xin Tianyi had questioned Yuan Dabao about Bai Xue, but Yuan Dabao was hesitant and refused to speak directly. Xin Tianyi knew there was something wrong, so she decided to wait until Bai Xue was willing to speak and then tell her herself.
Yuan Dabao and Wei Ran started school later than Xin Tianyi and the others. They went to the high school to take a look and didn't return to school until a few days later.
Then comes spring.
The winter jasmine flowers have bloomed first, filling the eyes with tender yellow. The wind is not so cold at this time, and it is still warm on the face at noon.
It was another weekend. Xin Tianyi had taken off his winter clothes and went to the cotton mill from school early. When he got home, Xie Mei was already waiting for him.
Since the beginning of spring and the weather has gotten warmer, Xin Tianyi has come back every weekend to walk with Xie Mei.
Xie Mei went from winter fatigue to spring fatigue. She always said that she had no strength and was too lazy to walk. She stayed on the sofa all day and didn't want to move at all.
One weekend, when Xin Tianyi came to see her, Xie Mei was still wearing two layers of winter clothes, curled up on the sofa with a hot water bottle at her feet.
Wang Yuxiu looked at her and sighed, and said to Xin Tianyi, "Xie Mei always complains of being tired and refuses to leave the house. Now she is too lazy to even go to the yard and always sits there, so she is cold."
At the time, Xin Tianyi was wearing only a thin shirt and a thick coat; anything more would have made him sweat. But seeing Xie Mei still freezing in her two cotton-padded jackets, still needing a hot water bottle, he tried to persuade her, and after much persuasion, she finally agreed to go out for a walk whenever she returned.
Xin Tianyi ran home, sweating again. As he unbuttoned his coat, he said to Xie Mei, "Grandma, the willow branches outside are getting really long. Can I take you out to see them?"
Xie Mei opened her eyes slightly, and when she saw that it was Xin Tianyi who had returned, she smiled, "It's God's will."
"It's me, grandma."
Xin Tianyi had already sat down next to Xie Mei and took her hand. "A lot of small flowers have bloomed. Grandma, I don't know what they are. Can you tell me?"
"Really?" Xie Mei slowly opened her eyes wide. "Is it time to dig shepherd's purse?"
"Shepherd's purse?" Xin Tianyi turned to look at Wang Yuxiu.
Wang Yuxiu explained, "We often use shepherd's purse to make dumplings. You've never dug it, but you love eating it."
Xin Tianyi asked with an embarrassed smile: "Grandpa, do you have shepherd's purse now?"
"Yes, there's a lot of them in the backyard of the living area. I don't know if they've all been dug up. I saw Dabao's mom digging them up a few days ago."
"Then let's go dig some too," Xin Tianyi said. "Let's go today, Grandma. I'll bring you a small stool. When you get there, sit down in the sun and then tell me which one is shepherd's purse. I'll dig it up and we'll have dumplings for lunch. Okay?"
Xie Mei smiled, "Why not? I've been thinking about this."
After Xin Tianyi finished speaking, he went to the yard to find a shovel and carried a bamboo basket. When he was ready, Xie Mei also came out.
He was still wearing two layers of thick clothes, so Xin Tianyi said, "Take one off first. It's going to get hot if you walk around. If you sweat, you'll catch a cold."
Xie Mei listened to Xin Tianyi very much and used to treat her like a child. But after Wang Fang left, Xie Mei looked at Xin Tianyi differently. It was as if her own daughter had returned, nagging her all day long.
Xin Tianyi carried a small bamboo basket and a stool in one hand, and supported Xie Mei with the other. Both of them said goodbye to Wang Yuxiu happily.
Wang Yuxiu was preparing dough at home, waiting to eat dumplings at noon.
Xie Mei felt lazy and cold. But once outside, the warm sun shone on her, and she felt relaxed. But she didn't walk often, so she stayed at home. After walking with Xin Tianyi for a while, she felt tired as soon as she left the alley. She was a little out of breath and sweating slightly.
"Grandma, do you never go out when I'm not back?" Xin Tianyi asked.
"I feel very lazy and don't want to move," said Xie Mei.
"No, that won't do. You have to go out for a walk every day from now on. If you don't obey, I won't come back on weekends."
"Okay, let's go." Xie Mei said with a smile.
"Then I'll check. I'll call Grandpa before I come back next week. If Grandpa says you're just staying at home, I won't come back."
"Okay, I'll definitely go."
Xie Mei sat in the backyard, directing Xin Tianyi to dig shepherd's purse. There was so much of it, the ground was covered in it. Xin Tianyi didn't have to move much, just squatting there to dig up a small basket full of mustard greens. It was rare for Xie Mei to be so energetic, and it was rare for her to get out for a walk. Now she was feeling better, and so was her mood. She smiled happily.
Xin Tianyi dug up the soil in a short while. He looked up and saw the sweat on his face. When he looked at Xie Mei's smile again, he felt that spring had really arrived.
Thinking back to her previous life, when she attended boarding high school in a distant city and rarely went home, she occasionally heard Wang Fang and Li Zhiye whispering about Xie Mei's illness. Xin Tianyi dismissed it as just a cold. But when summer vacation came and she went back again, she heard the bad news.
The complications caused by a minor cold, coupled with Xie Mei's poor health, led to her going to many hospitals for a long time for treatment, but she eventually died.
In this new life, Xin Tianyi didn't know how to prevent the disease from happening again, but she wanted to take Xie Mei to exercise well. Taking advantage of the best time of spring, walking and moving more, maybe she could avoid the cold.
"Grandma," Xin Tianyi took a bunch of mustard greens and placed them in Xie Mei's hand, "Smell it, it's so fragrant."
Xie Mei put her nose close to it, sniffed deeply, and then said, "That's the taste. After taking a bite, spring has arrived."
…
Spring in the north is always short.
Xin Tianyi felt that he had just taken off his cotton-padded jacket and hadn't worn his coat for a few days, but the weather had already become hot.
There was no need for a coat; just a single layer would suffice. Xin Tianyi also changed from going home every weekend to spend time with Xie Mei. Instead, he would ride his bike back to her grandmother's house every day after school, if he had nothing else to do. He would eat at home, then walk with Xie Mei around the courtyard of the residential complex.
Every time she went out for a walk, she would run into Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang was playing basketball in the yard as usual, but before, he was playing with his eldest son, Wei Ran, but now he was alone.
Seeing Xin Tianyi accompanying Xie Mei out for a walk, Zhang Yang was playing basketball quietly not far away. When Xin Tianyi sent Xie Mei home and rode her bike back before the school gate closed, Zhang Yang was already waiting for her at the gate.
They each had a bicycle, and Xin Tianyi said, "You don't have to go out of your way to give me a ride. It's still early, and the road is crowded."
"I have nothing to do at home." Zhang Yang pedaled slowly beside him, "I'll just consider it as exercise."
Spring passed and summer came, that cursed summer.
This summer in the previous life was gray in Xin Tianyi's memory.
In this life, Xin Tianyi had done his best, calling Wei Ran to remind him not to go swimming in the wild. Every day, whenever he had time, he would go home and take a walk with Xie Mei. Over the course of a spring and summer, Xie Mei's spirits were noticeably better than before.
But Xin Tianyi always felt a tightness in his chest.
As for why, she couldn't say.
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2023-07-03 16:06:31 and 2023-07-05 12:50:03~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 1 bottle of Hurricane Pumpkin Lantern;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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