Chapter 11 Cosmos (10) She prayed that this summer would grow...
Two weeks later, Lin Xia's scabs began to fall off naturally. The wound was still very itchy, but she didn't dare scratch it for fear of scarring. After another four or five days, the scabs had mostly fallen off. Although the new flesh that grew out was still lighter in color, she could just take good care of it.
Lin Xia breathed a sigh of relief.
In fact, He Chuan is the same.
After making sure that the scar was basically healed, the first thing Lin Xia did was to take a shower!
During the period of recuperation, although she washed the wound every day, she was afraid of getting the wound wet and did not dare to take a shower. During the hottest days of summer, she was sweating profusely every day without moving. Lin Xia felt that she was about to go rotten!
Finally, after a thorough and refreshing wash in the bathroom, Lin Xia came back to life. She simply cleaned up the water stains on the floor, changed into a set of clean clothes that still smelled of soapberries, and walked out of the bathroom.
He Chuan was folding clothes that were hung out to dry. When he heard the sound, he looked up and saw a little girl wearing slippers and a white cotton skirt. Warm steam was steaming all over her body, and her exposed skin was white and rosy, very tender. Her half-wet hair was still dripping with water, but she didn't care at all. She was humming a song and looked very happy.
He Chuan felt his heart skip a beat for no apparent reason, and he couldn't help but look away, while admonishing, "Dry your hair, otherwise you'll catch a cold."
Lin Xia was unwilling and said with a smile: "No, it's cool this way. It's so hot, I won't catch a cold!"
He Chuan was helpless. He knew that he couldn't control this girl, so he just ignored her and asked her, "Tomorrow is the fifteenth. There's a big market at the roadside. I'm going to buy some vegetables. Will you come with me?"
"Go, go, go!" Lin Xia agreed hurriedly, "I haven't gone out to play in many days!"
"Okay, then you should get up early tomorrow."
"I know. If I don't get up, you must call me!"
.
The next day, Lin Xia was worried that He Chuan didn't call her, so she got up very early because she was worried about something.
On the first and fifteenth day of every month, there was a grand market at the fork in the road near the railway crossing, and all the nearby residents would go to the market. As usual, they had to eat breakfast at the market, so they got up and set off directly. However, the railway crossing was quite far from home, so they had to ride their bikes to get there.
Lin Xia looked at the bicycle in front of her and felt a little confused.
To be honest, she has been a little upset since her last fall.
"I'll ride steady this time and won't fall again," He Chuan said to her, "but if you're really scared, we can just take a motorcycle taxi."
Lin Xia hesitated for a moment, then made up her mind: "It's okay, I'll take it! I trust you more than a motorcycle taxi."
As soon as she sat in the car and it started moving forward, Lin Xia couldn't help but get nervous. Her hand, which was originally holding He Chuan's clothes, reflexively hugged his waist.
With a creaking sound, He Chuan put his foot on the ground and braked. The bicycle stopped before it had gone half a meter. Both of them froze in place for a moment, unable to move.
A hot and restless atmosphere spread silently around.
It was early in the morning and the sun hadn't risen yet, but they all felt like they were sweating.
Lin Xia's face was hot and her heart was pounding, but she still didn't let go. She bit her lip and mustered up the courage to ask in a low voice:
"Um, can I do this..."
Words like hug and embrace are absolutely not allowed to be uttered.
He Chuan didn't look back, but from his back one could see that his exposed ears and neck were also flushed.
He hummed, then whispered:
"Just hold on tight."
As he spoke, he pedaled again and the bike moved forward, heading towards the sunny summer.
.
Because the market is held every two weeks, it attracts not only people from the immediate area but also from villages further down the river. The market sells a wide variety of goods: fruits and vegetables, chicken, duck, fish, meat, grains, oils, rice, noodles, fried goods, cooked food, pots and pans, clothes and shoes, brooms and bamboo baskets, tobacco leaves, rat poison... The market is bustling with activity, packed with people.
Lin Xia and He Chuan ate some large fruit and drank tofu pudding at a small stall, then began to navigate the crowd with full energy. Lin Xia had been to the morning market near her home before, but this was her first time seeing such a large-scale market. She was dazzled by the sight, and everything seemed new to her. She was drawn to the Korean mixed vegetables, the aroma of freshly fried cakes, and the loud sound of popcorn popping. He Chuan, fearing she would lose him, asked her to walk ahead, and he followed behind her, pushing the cart and keeping a close eye on her.
He Chuan was very skilled in picking out vegetables, bargaining, comparing prices, and planning what to eat for the next three meals a day. Buying groceries and cooking at home is actually not that simple.
In the height of summer, fruits and vegetables are plentiful and fresh. The family had run out of soybean paste, so He Chuan bought a jar of soybean paste and some wild vegetables picked by an old woman who was setting up a stall with a small basket. Lin Xia didn't like the large golden hook, so he bought thick-skinned oil beans. Aunt Hao's relatives were slaughtering a pig, so she brought them a small half of pork ribs, which was stewed with beans and potatoes for a delicious flavor. The new corn had recently arrived, sweet, sticky, and tender. He Chuan found a stall that looked good and squatted down to carefully select it.
"Do you want to boil the corn or roast it? Or stew it with beans and pork ribs? Xia Xia? Xia Xia?"
He Chuan turned his head and found that the person who was supposed to be with him was gone. His heart skipped a beat, and he didn't even want to pick the corn anymore. He stood up quickly.
.
Lin Xia actually didn't go far. She was just watching the fun from a few steps away. She said something to He Chuan before leaving, but He Chuan didn't hear it. Now they were separated by the crowd and missed each other.
They were selling a so-called "fully automatic glass cleaner." They had set up a large piece of glass on the ground, and a palm-sized machine hummed and moved. It was powered by batteries or something, but foam formed all around it, and it cleaned the glass beautifully. A man with a loudspeaker was talking non-stop about the high-tech and huge sales, and the hype drew many people in to watch.
There are always such stalls in the market, selling strange and bizarre things. Most of them are scams, with questionable quality. They are more for show than for practicality. They try to fool as many people as possible, which is similar to the street acrobatics in ancient times.
Lin Xia looked at it for a while and felt bored. She returned to the corn stall and found that He Chuan was gone.
"Uncle, did you see the boy who bought corn here just now?" Lin Xia hurriedly asked the uncle selling corn.
The uncle, with a half-smoked cigarette in his mouth, was holding a bag with both hands while a customer filled it with corn. Without even looking up, he answered her impatiently:
“So many people have walked by, how would I know?”
Lin Xia didn't expect that the two of them would get separated in such a short while, and she felt panicked.
What should she do? Should she stay here and wait for He Chuan to come find her? Or should she continue walking forward to find He Chuan?
While she was thinking, the uncle selling corn waved at her:
"Hey, don't stand there blocking the way, I'm selling things here!"
His tone was very fierce. Lin Xia was a little scared after being scolded by him, so she had to leave.
It’s better to go back to the entrance of the market. I have to go home from that direction anyway, so I will definitely meet He Chuan.
After making up her mind, Lin Xia walked back against the flow of people.
It was a little after 10 a.m., the busiest time of the day. Lin Xia was jostled and trampled in the crowd. She was relatively short, and she strained her neck to find He Chuan. The clamor of hawkers and bargaining filled the air. The heat, the anxiety, the noise, and the clamor soon made Lin Xia feel dizzy, as if she had heatstroke. She felt nauseous and nauseous.
She had to go behind the stall next to her, to a place under the shade of a tree where there were no pedestrians, to take a breath and cool down.
She bent down with her hands on her knees, and was just adjusting her breathing when a figure suddenly appeared on the ground in front of her. She looked up with joy:
"He Chuan!"
But the person who came was not He Chuan, but an unfamiliar man in his twenties, with dyed yellow hair, and looked unserious.
"Little sister, are you looking for someone?"
Lin Xia frowned and turned her head cautiously:
"No."
The yellow-haired man walked around to her again and said with a playful smile:
"Who are you looking for? Let me take you there. It's so hot here. Let me take you to a cooler place."
Lin Xia wasn't a three-year-old child, so how could she possibly walk with a stranger? She quickly took two steps back to avoid him.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Huangmao came over relentlessly:
"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person, I just want to help you."
"Do bad people have bad words written all over their faces? Don't come over here!"
Lin Xia desperately tried to avoid him, but accidentally stepped on a stone and stumbled. The yellow-haired man tried to reach out to help her:
"Be careful, little sister!"
At this moment, Lin Xia suddenly felt a strong force coming from another arm pulling her over and leaning her against a warm chest.
"Don't touch her!"
Lin Xia looked up and only saw He Chuan's profile. His expression was very serious. He pursed his lips and stared at the person in front of him. A drop of sweat slid down from his temple and flowed onto his chin.
The yellow-haired guy was just an ordinary thug who only dared to take advantage of others but didn't have the guts to cause any real trouble. When he saw someone coming, he gave up the fight and said sarcastically:
"Hey, your date is here? Don't get me wrong, I saw the little girl alone here and wanted to help her. She was the one who lost her balance and was about to fall."
He Chuan glared at him, then turned and walked away with Lin Xia without saying a word. The yellow-haired man was still shouting behind him:
"Ask your partner, did I touch her? I took your kindness for granted!"
Lin Xia followed He Chuan, being pulled by him and walking with her head held high. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly stopped. Lin Xia was caught off guard and bumped into his back hard, causing her nose to hurt. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly.
When He Chuan turned around, he saw the little girl's nose and eyes were red, and she apologized to him aggrievedly:
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get separated from you, please don't be angry..."
The little anger and anxiety that He Chuan had just felt vanished like that. He was truly terrified at that moment, and his mind was filled with thoughts of what he would do if she was really lost.
He sighed deeply:
"I'm not angry. It's my fault. I lost you and let you meet some bad people. Are you scared?"
Lin Xia couldn't help but be stunned, staring blankly at the boy before her. She had never met anyone with such a good temper, such a gentle heart. Her parents did indeed dote on her and love her, but Zhao Qianyi had a quick temper and was always the first to lose her temper and curse. Lin Xuedong, while not as quick-tempered, would definitely scold her with a stern face if something like this happened. Putting herself in danger was absolutely her fault, and she had to apologize. This was a matter of course in Lin Xia's mind. She hadn't expected that someone, filled with remorse, would come to comfort her in such a situation.
Seeing her stagnant and silent, He Chuan thought she was really frightened, and he couldn't help but reach out and touch her head, combing her sweat-soaked bangs with his fingers, and whispered:
"Don't be afraid, just follow me closely this time and I won't get lost again."
Then he held out his hand and opened his palm in front of her.
Lin Xia lowered her head and stared at his slender fingers and the fine lines on his palm, and it took her a while to react.
He was going to hold her hand...
Is holding hands too intimate?
No, it should be more intimate to hug his waist on the back of the bicycle, right?
But that was just because I was afraid of falling off the bike again and wanted to sit still.
What about now? Is it just to prevent her from getting lost in the crowd again?
Well, this is all for a reason and is reasonable.
Lin Xia blushed, slowly placed her hand in his palm, and answered softly:
"good......"
The two people's wet palms were placed together. He Chuan put his fingertips together and gently wrapped her small hand. He felt his face getting a little hot. He cleared his throat and asked:
"What else do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you."
"peach!"
Lin Xia raised her head, smiled sweetly, and revealed a small canine tooth.
"I just passed by a peach market and saw some big, red hairy peaches. I want to eat some!"
He Chuan laughed: "Okay, let's go buy it."
So the two of them walked towards the peach stall. There was a huge crowd, but they always held hands and were no longer afraid of getting separated.
Lin Xia was also wondering where He Chuan's bicycle had gone. It turned out that in order to find her, He Chuan had temporarily left the vegetables and bicycle with the old lady who sold wild vegetables and asked her to help look after them. The two of them walked the entire market, making a big circle, and then returned to the old lady to thank her sincerely.
He Chuan bought a bag of peaches for the old lady. The old lady refused for a long time before reluctantly accepting it. She smiled from ear to ear and kept praising the brother and sister for being sensible.
On the way back, Lin Xia sat on the back seat of the bicycle, holding the boy's thin waist tightly with one hand, and chewing a peach that the old lady had washed for her in the other hand.
The peaches were not the soft peaches she liked, but crisp peaches, a little hard, but very sweet. She had never eaten peaches so sweet.
A gentle warm breeze blew by her side, and the air was filled with the fragrance of cosmos flowers. Lin Xia looked up at the blue sky and thick white clouds. The sun shone on her cheeks. She couldn't help but close her eyes and use the touch of her skin to feel the brightness and splendor of this sunny summer day.
At this moment, she seemed to have completely forgotten how reluctant she was to come to the forest farm in the beginning and how much she wanted to go home.
At this moment, the girl made a wish, praying that this summer would be longer and longer.
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