Chapter 35
Chen Jingbai supported He He's swaying body and, at her request, rubbed his face against her skin. "Can you feel it? It's real."
As her face was brushed by hot, hard knuckles, He He grabbed Chen Jingbai's wrist, preventing him from leaving.
She wanted to experience more of the world. She was so happy; she received her admission letter from the Normal University and could go home in glory.
In a daze, she seemed to see herself in the book, looking enviously at them who were near the university, being happily blessed by the brigade leader.
She sat in the corner, a corner where everyone treated her like she was invisible, watching them, full of vigor and confidence.
He He looked up at Chen Jingbai, her eyelashes wet, her amber eyes glistening with tears.
Seeing her like this, Chen Jingbai panicked a little, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell after drinking?"
He shouldn't have let He He drink at the dinner party, since she wanted to try everything. Even a sip wouldn't have been enough; he never imagined she had such a low alcohol tolerance.
He He shook her head, "No, I'm very happy, I'm not drunk at all."
"Are you crying tears of joy? Why are you crying?" Chen Jingbai's tone was very gentle.
He He nodded emphatically, "Yes! Overjoyed and crying tears of joy."
He said he wasn't drunk, but he looked quite sober. Chen Jingbai moved slightly, and He He's hand, which was gripping his wrist, slipped away.
He half-carried her to keep her from losing her balance, saying, "Okay, you're crying tears of joy. I'll help you back to rest."
Chen Jingyi, who was in front, noticed something was wrong with the two of them. She turned around and saw He He being supported by Chen Jingbai. She asked, "Is Xiao He drunk?"
Chen Jingbai said, "He must be drunk."
Chen Jingyi slowed down. "Why didn't you keep a closer eye on her and tell her not to drink?"
Just as Chen Jingbai was about to reply, Cheng Surin, who had noticed that Chen Jingyi was missing, also turned around and saw He He's half-closed eyes, clearly indicating that she was drunk.
He He couldn't hold his liquor and could barely touch any. One year during the Spring Festival, when everyone was in a good mood, they opened a bottle of wine.
Without realizing it, He He poured herself a glass of water, drank it, and then lay down on the table and fell asleep, giving her great-grandparents quite a fright.
Only after learning that he was drunk did the two elders breathe a sigh of relief. For this matter, his grandfather and other uncles were all scolded by his great-grandfather and great-grandmother.
With Chen Jingbai around, Cheng Sulin felt at ease. "My aunt can only hold her liquor for one drink. She'll be fine after a good night's sleep. She's quite well-behaved even when she's drunk. Jingbai, you can just take care of her."
Chen Jingyi glanced at Cheng Surin and said, "You seem to trust my brother quite a bit."
Cheng Surin: "Of course, he has such a good character, I trust him, and he likes his aunt so much, he will take good care of her."
Chen Jingyi didn't know what to say. Cheng Sulin was magnanimous and genuinely trusted her younger brother.
On the way back, He He was very quiet. She leaned her face against Chen Jingbai's shoulder and did not struggle at all as Chen Jingbai supported her. Her legs could still walk on their own, and she followed Chen Jingbai's pace step by step.
Chen Jingbai would occasionally glance down at her. He He had her eyes completely closed, muttering something unintelligible, her lips wrinkled.
He kept an eye on the bumpy road ahead, his brows furrowed. He had a feeling that He He's words were not just a simple expression of joy and tears.
But He He brushed it off lightly, which meant she was unwilling to talk about it.
After the group returned to the educated youth settlement, He He was picked up by Chen Jingyi, and Chen Jingyi and Li Baiyun helped He He back to the girls' dormitory.
Chen Jingyi helped He He take off her outer clothes, then fetched some water to wipe her face and tucked her in with a thin blanket.
He He woke up again in the early hours of the morning.
As dusk settled, she sat up, put on her coat, carefully got out of bed, and opened the dormitory door with a flashlight.
She slept and the alcohol was diluted, but she still can't sleep now.
Realizing that I hadn't brushed my teeth or taken a shower, I busied myself boiling some water to rinse myself off.
After finishing her work, she moved a chair and sat under the eaves, listening to the cicadas chirping and looking up at the twinkling stars overhead.
Tonight's dinner is both a celebration and a farewell party.
They didn't plan to stay too long and intended to head home the day after tomorrow.
She and Chen Jingbai, along with the other three, all came from the provincial capital. The commune had train tickets to the county seat, and the day after they received their admission notices, they rushed to the county seat to buy train tickets to the provincial capital.
The commune also had bus tickets to the provincial capital, but the journey took more than a day. Train tickets, on the other hand, only took half a day.
The thought of going home always felt unreal to her, and she was afraid that it was all just a dream. But the hard work she had put into studying over the past year made it all seem very real.
He He didn't sit outside for long before the sound of a door opening came from the boys' dormitory.
She looked over and saw a blurry black figure, tall and upright. He He recognized him as Chen Jingbai.
Why did you come out?
Chen Jingbai knelt down beside He He. "I vaguely sensed someone outside. I guessed it might be you, so I got up."
"How are you feeling? Are you dizzy now?"
He He smiled and said, "I won't feel dizzy."
Chen Jingbai was relieved. "It's good that you're not dizzy. Why are you sitting here?"
"I can't sleep, I want some fresh air." He He reached out her hand to Chen Jingbai, and Chen Jingbai instinctively placed his hand in hers.
She held his hand with its distinct knuckles, playing with his fingers as if counting them one by one.
Chen Jingbai: "Then I'll sit here with you for a while."
He He asked him to move a chair, because squatting for too long would make his legs go numb.
The two sat side by side, with He He resting her head on Chen Jingbai's shoulder and playing with his hand in hers.
He He: "I'm going home the day after tomorrow. I'm so happy. Do you and Sister Jingyi want to come to my house for dinner? I'll introduce you to my grandparents."
Chen Jingbai's eyes lit up with surprise, and his tone revealed a hint of barely concealed excitement, "He Bao, are you going to introduce me to your parents?"
He He didn't think about it that way at all; she just wanted her grandparents to know that she had made good friends in the countryside.
However, seeing that Chen Jingbai was a little excited, He He didn't want him to get excited for nothing, "Meeting the parents? That's fine too."
Chen Jingbai tapped his kneecap with his other hand, which was resting on his thigh. "Then, will you marry me?"
He He sat up straight and moved away from Chen Jingbai. "Ah, marriage? So soon? I'm only twenty-one."
Chen Jingbai: "Yes, I'm also twenty-three. We've both reached the legal age and can register for marriage."
He He's eyes flickered. She had never thought about marrying Chen Jingbai before, and the sudden mention of marriage left her feeling somewhat lost.
"So fast? But I don't think I'm ready yet."
"I'll wait until you're ready. Tell me when you're ready." A soft light shone in Chen Jingbai's obsidian-like eyes.
He only mentioned it briefly to give He He some time to prepare herself, in case he brought it up suddenly in the future and she couldn't accept it.
He didn't intend to lure her into marriage before she even went to university, and he hadn't even saved up enough money to ask He He for her wedding.
He didn't want to rush into marrying He He; he wanted to give her a dignified wedding.
He He let out a breath, "Okay, I'll tell you when I've thought it through, but I'm not so easy to marry."
Her tone became playful.
Chen Jingbai looked at He He with gentle eyes, tilting his head to look directly at her. "Of course, I will make all the necessary preparations."
He He leaned back on Chen Jingbai's shoulder, and the two of them stayed there quietly, their eyes fixed on the night sky lit up by the stars.
Day and night alternated, and the two days passed quickly, almost in the blink of an eye.
On the day they were to go home, everyone got up very early. Zhao Dechuan and Li Baiyun were not from this province, and they also took the train home. Their train was earlier than He He's and the others, but not by much. The group agreed to set off together for the commune station.
The group of people, carrying their luggage, bid farewell to the educated youth settlement where they had lived for several years. The brigade leader called Uncle Liu, who drove the cattle, to see them off, and he himself rode his bicycle to take them to the commune station.
At the train station, the captain watched Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi part with reluctance, not knowing when they would see each other again.
He He and the others were put on the train. They had bought hard seats, and their tickets were issued together, with their seats next to each other.
He He's luggage was carried by Chen Jingbai. She carried a small bag and walked in front. She quickly found a spot and then beckoned to the other three.
She sat down by the window. Relationships between men and women on the train were strictly monitored. Chen Jingyi sat next to her, and Chen Jingbai and Cheng Sulin sat opposite her.
The train swayed and rattled along, quickly passing the mountains on both sides of the tracks.
He He gazed intently at the scenery outside the window, inhaling the scent of home; even the breeze on her way home carried a fragrance.
Chen Jingbai called He He several times, but she didn't respond. Her gaze was fixed on the mountains outside, as if she were mesmerized.
He handed the pancake to He He, "Little He, would you like some pancakes?"
He He's nose twitched as she took a deep sniff. It smelled like a biscuit. She looked down and found a ghee biscuit not far from her mouth.
She looked up at the other side and saw that it was Chen Jingbai who had handed it to her.
"I noticed you haven't eaten much this morning. Are you hungry? Have some biscuits to tide you over, and I'll buy you a meal when the train lets out lunch at noon."
He He lowered her head and took a bite of the ghee cake.
The ghee cake smelled delicious, crispy and soft; she was indeed hungry.
Chen Jingbai said he would buy her lunch, and He He chewed on the sesame seed cake, mumbling happily, "Okay."
Chen Jingbai glanced outside; all he saw were mountains, nothing much to see. "Is it really that nice outside? I called you so many times and you didn't respond."
Cheng Surin affirmed Chen Jingbai's words, "Exactly, exactly, is it really that good-looking!"
He He pouted and said to Cheng Surin, "It's just beautiful."
Then she smiled sweetly at Chen Jingbai and said, "It looks good."
Before noon, the train conductor arrived with the dining cart. Chen Jingbai paid and ordered four meals.
Cheng Surin wanted to show off in front of Chen Jingyi and tried to pay the bill, but she couldn't outrun Chen Jingbai's speed.
Everyone was hungry, and lunch included meat—stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers. The green peppers and shredded pork were placed equally in the middle of the rice, soaked in the sauce, and all four of them ate with great relish.
After noon, the sun began to set, and sunlight streamed in from where He He was sitting.
The sun was blazing, so Chen Jingbai took out his jacket from his bag and used it to shield He He and Chen Jingyi from the sun.
After passing one mountain after another, the terrain gradually flattens out, and as we enter the city, the buildings of the provincial capital come into view.
He He looked at the street scene excitedly, "Ahhh, we're here, almost here!"
Chen Jingbai smiled and said, "I know, no need to get so excited."
He was also very excited after being away from home for five years, but He He was so excited that they all seemed less excited.
Someone from He He and Cheng Surin's family came to pick them up. It was He He's maternal grandfather, a soldier, who arrived in a jeep.
Cheng Surin, taking advantage of He He's presence, also got into the jeep. Even Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi, who couldn't refuse, were pulled into the car by He He, who said she would take them home.
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