Chapter 39
Sun Zhaodi saw Xie Jinyan across the crowd, her heart tightened, and her mind went blank for a moment. She almost ran away with the vegetables her grandmother asked her to buy.
"Classmate, I'm sorry, I'm also a student of the county primary school. I don't mean to offend you, but can you let me take a look at the red sweater you're wearing? I just want to confirm something." Xie Jinyan asked, bending over and panting.
"I don't know you, why are you following me?" Sun Zhaodi took a step back, covering the collar of her sweater, afraid that he would notice something.
In fact, she not only knew Xie Jinyan, but also knew that many female classmates in the class liked him. Although it is too early to talk about love at this age, every time Xie Jinyan comes to the first grade to find Jiang Jiang, there will be several female classmates secretly looking at him.
I heard that Xie Jinyan's father is a cadre of the county party committee and his mother works in a hospital. His good family background has given him a layer of dazzling light, not to mention that Xie Jinyan himself has outstanding looks, good temperament, and decent manners. No matter in the eyes of his parents or teachers, he is a good student who makes people absolutely trust him. Probably no one would dislike such a classmate.
"I'm Lin Jiangjiang's neighbor. She lost a sweater a week ago. The color and style are very similar to the one you're wearing. I just want to confirm whether this sweater is the same as hers. If I offended you, I apologize."
Sun Zhaodi pursed her lips and said nothing, having a strong feeling of being caught.
It was just a sudden thought that came to her that day that she wanted to take the red sweater for herself. Now she couldn't remember how she reached out to Lin Jiangjiang's desk, how she hid the sweater in her bag, and how she brought the sweater back home without telling anyone.
At first she was also very panicked, fearing that people would find out that she had stolen the sweater. But after a few days, Lin Jiangjiang had already worn a new sweater to school, and her classmates no longer talked about the red sweater. Her grandmother happened to ask her to go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, and she touched the sweater that was pressed at the bottom of the box, and she bravely hid it in the vegetable basket and brought it out.
After leaving home, Sun Zhaodi immediately found a secluded alley, took off her patched old clothes, put on the bright red sweater, and combed her hair with her hands in front of the window glass of someone else's house. When she walked out of the alley, she couldn't help but raise her head which she had always kept lowered. This red sweater was like a swan's feather coat, making her originally ordinary self radiant.
Sun Zhaodi tried to stay calm. If she didn't show him, it would seem like she had something to hide. "I don't know what you are talking about. This dress was bought for me by my mother at the county department store. If you want to see it, I'll take it off and show it to you."
As she spoke, Sun Zhaodi took off her sweater and threw it to him.
There was no obvious logo on the sweater, so even if Xie Jinyan recognized it as Lin Jiangjiang's sweater, she would still deny it.
Xie Jinyan had not seen Jiang Jiang wearing this sweater many times, so he couldn't tell the difference just by looking at the appearance. So he turned the cuffs over with his hands, and the three words "Lin Jiang Jiang" embroidered on it were clear and eye-catching.
Sun Zhaodi's face turned pale instantly, her legs went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind. She was like a rabbit caught by the neck by a hunter, panicked, desperate, and in excruciating pain. She wanted to open her mouth to defend herself again, but no sound came out.
Xie Jinyan frowned and looked at Sun Zhaodi on the ground, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about what happened today. You can take care of yourself from now on."
When Xie Jinyan went over, Jiang Jiang's family was just getting ready for dinner.
He Guijuan cooked millet porridge, smashed two cucumbers, and mixed them with sesame oil and vinegar to make a cold dish. The vinegar was brought back by Tang Xiaojun when he went to Shanxi to transport goods. It was especially delicious when mixed with cold dishes. She also stir-fried some lettuce leaves. The staple food was steamed buns. The family of three sat in the house to eat.
It was He Guijuan who opened the door. "Be careful with your words?"
"Come in and sit down. Have you eaten? This sweater is..."
"Auntie, can you take a look at this sweater? Is it Jiang Jiang's?" Xie Jinyan handed over the sweater in his hand.
He Guijuan flipped through it in surprise and said, "This is indeed Jiang Jiang's sweater."
"Where did you find it? Have you eaten yet?"
"I've already eaten at home. No one was home when I came here in the morning. It's a long story about the sweater..."
"Then eat a little more, come in and sit down and talk slowly."
He Guijuan pulled him in without explanation and brought him a set of bowls and chopsticks. Jiang Jiang was very surprised to see the lost sweater, "Brother Jinyan, how did you help me find it?"
"I went to the market with my grandma to buy groceries today, and I saw a classmate from your class wearing a sweater that was very similar to yours, so I ran after her and asked her to show me the sweater. I didn't expect it was really yours." Seeing her bright eyes, Xie Jinyan couldn't help but reach out and touch her head, but he felt embarrassed after touching her and quickly withdrew his hand. Fortunately, they didn't notice his abnormality. "I promised your classmate that I wouldn't tell this matter to anyone, and I would like to trouble you to keep it a secret."
"Okay, as long as the clothes can be found, I won't worry about other things."
Lin Youqing also nodded in agreement. "After all, if this matter gets out, it will have a great impact on that girl. Such impact may be beyond her ability to bear at her age. It is normal for her to make mistakes due to bad intentions. She should have a chance to be forgiven."
"I'm glad that you have this idea." Lin Youqing patted the two children's shoulders with satisfaction.
Sun Zhaodi returned home in a restless mood and didn't even hear her grandmother calling her several times to go out for dinner.
"You stupid girl, you didn't even respond when I told you to eat. You might as well starve to death!" Old Mrs. Sun slammed the table with an unpleasant look on her face.
"I don't know what I did after going out. It's like I lost my soul."
Sun Zhaodi came back to her senses and looked at the food on the table that had been almost cleared away, and her grandmother's scolding voice, "Eat quickly, and wash the dishes after you finish eating."
She scraped the bottom of the pot with a spoon and scooped out half a bowl of porridge. There was still half a cornmeal bun left in the bowl of steamed buns. She broke it into pieces and mixed it with the porridge, added two pickles, and finished her dinner with a tasteless taste.
After eating, Sun Zhaodi numbly washed the dishes. Her brother was crying loudly in the kiln, and her grandmother was scolding about something. Her grandmother’s favorite thing to do was to scold people, and she could scold for half a day even at the threshold of the house.
As soon as she lay down, her second sister Pan Di came over and asked, "Sister, can you lend me your hair ornament for two days?"
She pursed her pale lips and said, "Well, take it."
Sun Pandi was a little surprised. Her sister usually treasured her hair ornaments the most and no one was allowed to touch them. But today she actually agreed to lend them to her?
"Sister, do you really agree to lend it to me?"
"It's in the bag that I'm carrying. You can take it yourself tomorrow." Sun Zhaodi felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
At this moment, Sun Zhaodi was like a prisoner sentenced to be executed in the autumn, just waiting for the moment when the guillotine fell.
Sun Zhaodi did not sleep all night. She felt that as soon as she closed her eyes, she would see the disappointed eyes of her teachers and classmates, as well as their ridicule, contempt, pointing and questioning.
She wandered around the school gate for a long time with her schoolbag on her back, and finally walked into the school.
She didn't know what would greet her.
Sun Zhaodi entered the classroom. There was still some time before class started and some classmates were still joking and playing. She sat down in her seat and no classmates looked at her strangely.
Her heart was beating fast. She glanced at Lin Jiangjiang in front of her. She was sharpening a pencil. She was wearing that light yellow sweater. Her black hair was tied into two ponytails, hanging softly on her shoulders.
Chen Qiannan asked her, "What did your mother prepare for you for lunch today?"
“Fried meatballs and steamed buns.”
"I brought braised pork ribs today. Let me try your fried meatballs at noon, and I'll give you half of the braised pork ribs."
"OK."
A normal conversation.
A bold thought couldn't help but pop up in her mind: Didn't Lin Jiangjiang tell anyone that she stole the sweater?
Sun Zhaodi finished the morning class nervously. It was not until noon when the girls in the class asked her to play games as usual that she was sure that Lin Jiangjiang had not told anyone about her stealing the sweater.
She looked at Lin Jiangjiang's back in the front row, and suddenly felt relieved for having survived the disaster.
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