Following Huo Yang through many twists and turns, they finally stopped at the back door of the textile factory. Following Huo Yang's gaze, Du Jiang discovered that the scrap station was just across the street. However, perhaps because the sign on the door was not big, it was impossible to find it without careful observation.
The man in charge of the scrap yard was an old man with a bald head and a long white beard, who looked very sage-like. He narrowed his eyes slightly at the arrival of everyone and said with a smile, "Children, come and buy some books."
Huo Yang, the leader, nodded and said, "Grandpa Qian, let's buy some textbooks to pass the time during the winter. I also want to buy some newspapers to paste on the walls."
"Newspapers, that thing can't withstand the wind, so you guys go look for it in the house. I remember collecting a few pieces of tarpaulin a few days ago, but they are not big and they are damaged." After saying that, Mr. Qian ignored everyone and lay on the shabby recliner with his eyes closed, rocking gently.
When walking past Mr. Qian, Du Jiang noticed that the other party's hands were on the armrest, and his fingers were tapping rhythmically. Although no sound came out of his mouth, Du Jiang felt that he was humming something.
But this had nothing to do with her. Du Jiang withdrew her gaze and walked inside. Although it was a dilapidated factory building filled with debris, it was kept very clean. Except for the small hills on both sides, a single door in the middle left a small path that could accommodate two people, and the hills were also classified according to their types.
Du Jiang wanted to find textbooks and notebooks. After browsing around, he went straight to the back where the books were kept.
Various paper newspapers, periodicals, and notebooks were piled together, along with some calligraphy and paintings, as well as burnt and damaged paper. Du Jiang placed the package at his feet, squatted down, and began to sort through it.
When Huo Yang and the others found the rain cloth and came over, there was already a pile of messy books at Du Jiang's feet.
Qian Meili imitated Du Jiang and squatted beside her. She picked up the top third-year textbook. The torn cover and the messy lines on the pages made Qian Meili frown. "Why is it so messy, Du Jiang? Do you really want to buy it? Look at the smears. Some of them have covered the text below. Why don't you think about it again?"
Qian Meili's words were both direct and tactful. Du Jiang knew her good intentions, but the money she had for textbooks was enough to buy a whole bunch of them, so she shook her head and said, "Let's just buy them. The money we'd have for new ones is enough to buy this whole bunch. I heard Aunt Du say that we'll be staying indoors for the winter, so I don't think we'll be assigned much work, so let's save some money."
"Then I'll buy some too," Qian Meili compared the prices of the new and old ones in her mind after hearing what Du Jiang said, and she was immediately tempted.
So when everyone finally came out, almost everyone was holding one or two books in their hands, but Du Jiang was the one who held the most.
"Little girl, you weigh twenty kilograms. Are you sure you want this much?" Old Man Qian couldn't help but remind Du Jiang as he looked at the books on the scale.
Du Jiang nodded affirmatively, "Grandpa Qian, I'm sure."
"Okay, I'll give you 80 cents for this much. There are some rotten pen ends behind the door. You can grab a handful and consider it a gift from me."
Upon hearing what Grandpa Qian said, Du Jiang quickly apologized. When she walked out of the door clutching a handful of broken pen ends, her smile was exceptionally bright, making her originally ordinary face instantly brighten up. "Thank you, Grandpa Qian."
"You're welcome. Reading is a good thing. All other things are inferior except reading." Mr. Qian stroked his beard and smiled particularly happily.
"Thank you, old man."
Only after everyone else's belongings were weighed and paid for did Du Jiang and his group leave the scrap yard.
Unlike the backpack with only a small amount of medicinal herbs when he came, when Du Jiang left, his backpack was full of books, and there was also an extra package on his wrist.
Not only Du Jiang, but everyone else was also covered in stuff.
They came with empty hands, but left with full loads. However, Du Jiang had more textbooks and Huo Yang had the biggest package.
Yes, textbooks. Du Jiang found some other books when she was shopping, and thanks to her shelf, she took the opportunity to collect a few books under the cover of the packages. Those textbooks that were later flipped through by Qian Meili were things she had passed on.
Maybe it was letters and packages from home, or delicious food, or items they had exchanged, everyone was very excited along the way, and even the heavy things on their shoulders did not affect their good mood.
It was already four o'clock in the afternoon when they returned to the educated youth site. There was still work to do in the fields. Du Jiang placed the package and backpack on his bed, then took out the books from the backpack one by one and placed them in the cabinet. Finally, he sat cross-legged on the bed to check the letter from home and the package.
The letter was very thick. In addition to Du's mother Zhuang Xiangqiao's instructions and care for Du Jiang, it also contained Du Ke's worries and concerns. A withdrawal slip was also attached to the letter.
Du Jiang looked at the amount on the withdrawal slip and couldn't help but be shocked. Twenty yuan was almost half of Du's mother's monthly salary, not to mention that Du's mother said in the letter that she would call every three months, saying that she was worried that Du Jiang would be wronged in the countryside.
After reading the letter, Du Jiang felt mixed emotions. Perhaps Du's mother was not as indifferent to the child caught in the middle as she thought. It was just that the gossip of outsiders and the ridicule of family members made her subconsciously ignore this child who had been quiet and sensible since childhood. As expected, no matter when, the crying child gets candy, while the quiet and sensible child is always subconsciously ignored.
Du Jiang had experienced the feeling of being ignored and invisible, so she understood the original body's feelings best. Perhaps this was the reason why the original body gave up after waiting for a long time.
The feeling of relief spread from his heart to his limbs. Du Jiang couldn't help but shiver. Then Du Jiang felt his body relaxed, as if some stubborn illness had been cured.
Looking at the letter in his hand, Du Jiang understood. Perhaps what the original person wanted was the care from his family. Unfortunately, he never got it. He only got the hesitation from his parents when he went to the countryside. Perhaps it was that hesitation that made the original person give up on himself, which led to the arrival of Du Jiang.
In her past life and this life, Du Jiang was not a person who believed in ghosts and gods, but at this moment she believed that it was her past life that gave her the hope to live. Yes, to live, even if she was tortured by illness, even if time passed, even if she didn't like it, but what Du Jiang wanted from beginning to end was to live.
"Thank you, goodbye, Du Jiang," he murmured softly. At this moment, the original body floating in the sky completely dissipated into clouds, drifting in the wind. From then on, there was only one Du Jiang in the world, and those memories of future generations would slowly dissipate to the point that Du Jiang could no longer remember them.
After folding the letter, Du Jiang lowered his head to organize the package. Looking at the cotton-padded clothes piled inside and the national unified food coupons and receipts for daily necessities in the interlayer, Du Jiang suddenly felt that something was wandering out of his mind and something else was coming in.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
