The person who had vanished after the phone call suddenly appeared before him like a gift from the heavens. Li Wu didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling.
It might no longer be just gratitude—more emotions were surging and swelling inside him, so much so that his face flushed red in an instant, and a faint sweat began to seep from his back.
His impression of the benefactors wasn’t very deep. He only remembered them as a young couple, highly educated and somewhat aloof. After completing the procedures, they never returned to the mountains. The only reminder of their connection was the sum of money deposited into his grandfather’s account every six months, a constant reminder that he must study hard and repay their kindness in full.
But to repay that kindness, he first had to leave these mountains.
If he stayed here forever, he would be buried under the earth, never able to sprout or see the light.
Li Wu’s chest heaved as he stared fixedly at the woman in the doorway. Under the dim light, she seemed enveloped in a soft glow, and he urgently needed to confirm whether she was real or just an illusion.
His aunt’s loud voice snapped him out of his daze: “What are you standing there for? Call her ‘Jie’!”
Li Wu’s lips parted slightly, but no sound came out for a long while. In their two meetings, they had never exchanged a single word, let alone addressed each other so intimately.
On the day of the procedures, he had been dragged around like a puppet by Director Yuan, only answering a few simple questions. In the end, there were thank-yous and a group photo. Throughout it all, only her husband had spoken to him kindly, while she had seemed disinterested and never interjected.
Seeing Li Wu remain silent, his aunt grew impatient and scolded him: “What’s wrong with you, kid? Have you forgotten how to speak?”
Her sharp tone startled the child he had been feeding, who began wailing loudly from his stool.
Surrounded by adults, yet ignored by all, the child seized the opportunity to make his presence known, screaming at the top of his lungs without pause.
Aunt Li stepped forward as if to strike him, but the child only cried louder, plunging the room into chaos.
Cen Jin’s already exhausted mind felt on the verge of splitting. Her temples throbbed with intense, sharp pain.
Thankfully, Cheng Lixue’s decisive shout restored order to the room.
Thank you. Cen Jin felt genuine gratitude. If she hadn’t met this girl, she might have met her end today—either stuck in the mud along the way or driven to a heart attack by the noise.
Aunt Li picked up the child and forced a smile. “Ah, kids will be kids. Sorry for disturbing you.”
Cen Jin’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Is he your child? How old is he?”
“Eight,” the aunt replied.
Cen Jin glanced at the bowl on the stove, her voice soft but laced with implication. “And he still needs to be fed at eight years old?”
The aunt bristled but didn’t dare show it, offering an excuse instead: “This child is stubborn and never eats properly. His brother is the only one who can handle him.”
Cen Jin didn’t press further and turned her attention back to Li Wu.
She walked straight toward him, stopping in front of the teenager. Like a long-lost elder, she remarked, “You’ve grown taller.”
Indeed, up close, he was nearly a head taller than her. Cen Jin couldn’t help but marvel at the power of growth.
Yet—there was none of the youthful vitality one would expect at his age. His cheeks were slightly sunken, and his height only made him appear thinner and more impoverished.
For Cen Jin, eye contact was a social courtesy, but Li Wu couldn’t meet her gaze. He quickly lowered his eyes, his thick lashes veiling his dark pupils.
Cen Jin made no mention of the phone call. “You don’t remember me, do you?”Li Wu’s brow tightened slightly. “I remember.”
Cen Jin smiled, her eyes curving. “Have you eaten?”
Li Wu said, “No.”
Cen Jin asked, “Would you mind stepping outside with me for a moment?”
Li Wu nodded.
Aunt Li’s expression shifted immediately. She released the hand covering the child’s mouth and, despite her stout build, nimbly squeezed in front of them like a sturdy low wall. “We’re all family here. What could be so inconvenient to say? I’ll go serve the porridge. You can eat here, and we can talk while we eat.”
Cen Jin gave a faint smile. “Just a few words alone.” With that, she stepped around her and walked away.
Aunt Li called out, “Hey!” and tried to stop her, but Cen Jin paid no attention, merely turning slightly to signal for Li Wu to follow.
The two walked out the door one after the other and into the courtyard.
It was already evening, and a mist had risen in the mountains, spreading like a sea tide. The humble houses and solitary peaks were suddenly beautified, transformed into a fairyland among the clouds.
The vegetable leaves at their feet were damp, glistening with a vibrant green. Cen Jin glanced down at them before turning back to ask, “Have you finished your homework?”
Li Wu, who had intended to respond with solemn respect, was caught off guard by such a casual opening. He paused for a moment before replying, “Not yet.”
Cen Jin asked, “No time to write, or no desire to?”
Li Wu stood quietly for a moment. “No time.”
“Because you have to feed the child?” What she had seen inside had already given Cen Jin a clear understanding of his current situation. His plea for help was indeed, as he had said, a last resort. She continued, “Are there other household or farm chores taking up your time after school?”
Li Wu pressed his lips together and nodded in acknowledgment.
Cen Jin asked again, “When did you move here?”
Li Wu replied, “This month.”
“Was it Director Yan’s arrangement?”
Li Wu nodded.
“What about your old house? Why aren’t you living there anymore?”
Li Wu said, “The village head said it’s a dangerous building and wouldn’t let me stay. My guardianship was transferred to my uncle.”
Cen Jin paused. “How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“Second year of high school?”
“…”
Li Wu suddenly fell silent, his gaze shifting to something behind her.
Cen Jin turned to look and saw Aunt Li clinging to the doorframe, craning her neck to peer at them with narrowed eyes, unconcerned about whether her behavior was appropriate.
Cen Jin sighed softly and offered a resigned smile.
Aunt Li chuckled awkwardly in response, then turned back and complained to Cheng Lixue in a voice just loud enough to carry, “Talking for so long—couldn’t they have spoken inside? What’s so important that they have to stand out in the heavy fog? What’s so secretive that they have to hide it from me, his own aunt?”
Though it sounded like a complaint, it was clearly a jab, deliberately spoken for their ears.
Cheng Lixue pursed her lips and didn’t respond.
Aunt Li lowered her voice. “Secretary Cheng, do you know what this woman is here for today?”
Cheng Lixue shook her head and simply pulled her inside.
Seeing that they had gone back inside, Cen Jin turned back and resumed their conversation. “You’re in your second year at Nongxi High School, right?”
Li Wu seemed somewhat surprised and finally looked up at her.
Reading his confusion, Cen Jin smiled gently. “I heard it from the young woman at the village committee.”
Li Wu fell silent again.
Having grasped the basic situation, Cen Jin got to the point. “Is your grandfather’s card still in your possession?”
Li Wu shook his head.
Cen Jin’s patience was wearing thin. Irritated by his unresponsive demeanor, she commanded directly, “Use your words.”
Li Wu flinched inwardly. “No.”
“Is it with your aunt?”
“Mm.”
“How are your grades now? What was your class ranking in the most recent exam?”
“Second.”
“Why not first?” Cen Jin instinctively pressed further."……" Li Wu's Adam's apple bobbed as he murmured softly, "Didn't do well on the exam."
Only then did Cen Jin realize she had been overly critical. She pressed her lips together and asked, "Aside from taking up your after-school study time, has your aunt ever interfered with your studies in other ways or tried to make you drop out?"
Li Wu's jaw tightened for a moment before he finally spoke the longest sentence since they'd met: "She told me not to continue after this semester and said my uncle would find me a job in Shenzhen."
Cen Jin fell silent. The mist drifted slowly, faintly brushing against people's skin like tobacco-scented wood. The entire mountain village was enveloped in a weightless veil of gauze.
After a long pause, the woman took a deep breath of the chilly air, her eyes sharpening. "Come inside with me."
—
Cen Jin scheduled the temporary negotiation for after dinner. She had eaten an extra bowl of rice porridge to help raise her blood sugar and keep her alert.
Since no one was on duty at the village committee office, Cheng Lixue worried that villagers might come looking for help. Not daring to stay long, she left after offering a few words of advice without even eating dinner.
Throughout the meal, Cen Jin repeatedly observed Li Wu. The teenager kept his head down, focused on eating, hardly touching the dishes, let alone asking for more food. No wonder he looked so sallow and thin—his rapid growth spurt in such a short time was likely solely due to the genetic advantages inherited from his parents.
After the meal, he stood up to clear the dishes.
Cen Jin stopped him, her voice gentle. "Go do your homework."
Li Wu's hand paused, but he didn't put down the bowl, standing motionless with his head lowered.
His stifled demeanor was genuinely irritating, stirring some annoyance in Cen Jin. Just as she was about to urge him again, his aunt cut in impatiently, "Leave it here. If she tells you to do homework, then go do it."
Li Wu remained silent but finally set down the bowl and chopsticks, turning to walk into the inner room.
"This kid has a terrible personality, so gloomy..." Once he was out of earshot, the aunt shook her head disdainfully at Cen Jin. "No flexibility at all. I really don't know who he takes after—my brother and sister-in-law weren't like this."
Cen Jin didn't agree but leaned back and looked directly at Li Gugu. "You don't want Li Wu to continue his studies, is that right?"
As if a scar had been exposed, the aunt's voice rose sharply. "Did he tell you that? Just said he's inflexible, but he sure knows how to tattle."
"Let's set that aside for now," Cen Jin said calmly. "Can you tell me the reason?"
"What reason could there be? We have no money! The old man's dead, and this Li Wu—" The aunt spoke with self-righteous indignation, her grievances pouring out in a torrent. "He was passed to us, eating our food, drinking our water. Isn't my husband suffering, working outside? Don't I suffer, taking care of the kid and tending the fields? And Li Wu? Now that the old man doesn't need looking after, he gets to comfortably go to school? What kind of easy life is that?"
Cen Jin frowned, resting her hand casually on the edge of the table. "From what I know, Li Wu's grandfather's inheritance is in your hands."
"I'm his daughter—who else would it go to?" the woman snapped.
Cen Jin felt they were having communication issues. "I don't want to stop supporting Li Wu, so I hope you'll let him continue his studies. He excels academically, and if he focuses on his education, he'll definitely get into a good school. Once he succeeds, what he gives back to you will only increase, not decrease."
The aunt shook her head resolutely, refusing outright.
Some people, having grown up in the mountain hollows, are like frogs at the bottom of a well—their perspectives limited to what they know. Cen Jin wasn't angered by this and simply said, "In that case, I may have to stop funding Li Wu."
The aunt's eyebrows nearly knotted together as she retorted sharply, "Suit yourself! He's not going to school anyway! The sooner he earns money, the sooner I can have peace!"Cen Jin's expression remained unchanged, and her tone that followed was less of a discussion and more of an announcement: "I will take him to Yishi for his studies until he gets into university."
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