Chapter 51 Chu Zhen's Arrival
My sister and I share the same surname, Lin Dan. Her home is in the mountains, though not here. She was a left-behind child since she was little, so she understands best what children need. Seeing that I was younger than her, she helped me a lot.
"How could Chu Zhen bear to let you come here?" Lin Dan asked as she made my bed.
"I needed to choose topics, so I applied for this position."
"Chu Zhen is quite good; he supports every decision you make. However, things here are not like in the city, so you should be mentally prepared."
"Yeah, it's okay. I grew up in the countryside."
On the first night, I was probably too tired, and I fell asleep very quickly, only waking up when the alarm rang the next day.
Only now do I realize what Lin Dan meant by mental preparation. When I went to wash up, I found there was no hot water at all. I needed to start a fire to boil water. Since I had no experience with this, I gritted my teeth and used cold water directly. Only then did I realize that the water in the mountains was much colder than tap water.
I finally finished washing up. Luckily, there was still some hot water in my thermos. I ate the bread I bought yesterday morning and that was my first breakfast in the mountains.
"Lin Dang, we'll go take some photos first. You'll need to conduct random interviews with some people."
Okay~
With a camera in hand, I began my day's work. This village is almost entirely populated by the elderly and children; the young people have all left the mountain village to work elsewhere. Some return for the Spring Festival to reunite with their families, while others haven't returned for several years. Due to the underdeveloped communication system, they don't even have recent news from the village.
After interviewing several elderly people, the photographer wanted to take some pictures of the scenery. To be honest, it really felt like a paradise, with lush green mountains and clear waters. I followed along to take a look. Although the cell phone signal was very poor, it was still a great place to take some photos.
Surrounded by mountains and with crystal-clear springs, this place would be a huge hit for tourism, potentially transforming the local way of life. However, there are pros and cons; this tranquil lifestyle would be disrupted. I parted ways with the photographer halfway through, as our framing skills differed. I explored the landscape alone, but when I was alone, my mind couldn't settle. A day passed, and I still hadn't heard from Chu Zhen. Besides working on my story, I selfishly wanted to know my place in Chu Zhen's heart. Now I understand completely: I'm not that important to Chu Zhen.
"Sister, are you here to be our teacher?" Just as I was lost in thought, a childish voice pulled me back to reality. A little girl, about six or seven years old, was looking at me with a questioning expression.
What grade are you in?
"First grade, in the school up in the mountains." The little girl pointed in the direction of the school, which was where we stayed last night.
What's your name?
"Li Laidi".
"Li Laidi?"
"Yes, my parents wanted a younger brother, so they named me this, hoping I could bring them a younger brother," the little girl said to me quite naturally.
Do you have a younger brother?
"Yes, later my mother gave birth to my little brother, he's over there." Lai Di pointed ahead, where a little boy was stomping on the mud.
Lai Di is very talkative. She can answer any question without hiding anything. I also learned that she lives with her grandmother at home now, while her parents work away from home and only come back once every year or two. Each time they come back, they don't stay for more than a few days, which makes her impression of her parents very vague. So she wants to study hard so that she can go out and stay with her parents in the future.
This kind of wish is much more realistic than our hope for a promotion and a raise. We study so that we can be with our families and not be separated.
I chatted with Lai Di for a while, and she invited me to her house, so I went with her. Compared to the other families I had interviewed before, Lai Di's family was in worse financial condition, but her grandmother was very hospitable and invited me to stay for a meal. I couldn't refuse her hospitality, and besides, I had only eaten some bread this morning, so I was indeed hungry.
The meal was simple, but Grandma still fried an egg for me. For them, this was something they would only offer to guests, since eggs could be exchanged for everyday items at the market. Seeing my little brother's longing eyes, I finally gave him the egg. Drinking the thin porridge, at least there was something warm, and my stomach felt much better.
"Lin Dang, how was your day?" Lin Dan was boiling water when she returned to the dormitory.
"Sis, can you teach me how to start a fire tomorrow? I washed my face with cold water this morning, and it felt like freezing rain was hitting my face!"
"Okay, this is only the first day. Although it is expected to last half a month, we still need to see how it goes. It looks like it will rain tomorrow, so be careful on the road. Mountain roads are not the same as flat roads."
"Okay, thank you, Sister Dan~"
Finally, in the evening, Dan and I made a simple foot bath using plastic bags. We felt much better and less tired.
The next morning, I woke up before the alarm clock even went off; the crowing of roosters outside jolted me awake. I opened the door, ready to learn how to start a fire and boil water—I couldn't always let Lin Dan do these things.
A tall figure stood with his back to me. In the misty morning light, I wondered if I was seeing things. Was I just missing Chu Zhen too much? I rubbed my eyes. Yes, it was Chu Zhen. Even just seeing his back, I was certain.
"Why are you here?" I asked as I stepped forward. Chu Zhen turned around and looked back.
"Is this how you deal with your feelings, running away?" I didn't expect the first sentence to be an accusation.
"When did you arrive? Are you cold?" I ignored him because I saw that his face was red from the cold and there was a layer of frost on his eyelashes.
"I arrived last night, after you had already gone to sleep," came the cold reply.
"You stood there all night? Are you stupid? Why didn't you call me to open the door? You can't do this in the mountains at night, especially since it's so cold. Wait a minute, I'll go get you some hot water." Luckily, my thermos was full of hot water last night, so I quickly went back inside to get it.
"Hurry up and drink some to warm yourself up." I opened the cup and handed it to him.
Chu Zhen took the cup, but didn't drink it. His eyes were fixed on me, his gaze colder than the temperature.
What brings you here?
"Choosing topics, huh?"
"Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"
"I don't think it's necessary."
Why isn't it necessary?
"Isn't it over between us?" My voice was very soft, so soft that I might have only moved my lips, but Chu Zhen still heard me, or perhaps he understood my lip movements.
Did I tell you?
"I sensed it myself." I always felt somewhat timid in front of Chu Zhen, easily intimidated by his aura.
What if your feeling is wrong?
"No, women have a strong sixth sense, and your attitude makes me feel very oppressed."
"I just want to give each other time. You weren't ready, were you? I'm waiting for you to be ready." Chu Zhen's tone softened, no longer so cold.
"Chu Zhen, I like you, but I don't want us to get along like this. You're sometimes warm and sometimes cold towards me, and I have no way of knowing what you really think. I feel like we might not be a good match." These were the words I thought of when I was alone yesterday, and I never expected to use them this morning.
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