Chapter 24: Meeting Shen Yi

Qin Ju smiled as she discovered some scrap wood in the attic. Eager to put it to use, she asked her father, Qin Zhonghui, to help her build a simple bookshelf. He agreed without hesitation.

Su Lei felt a wave of relief as he observed the happy family of four. Though he had initially invited them over for dinner, Su Yun declined, feeling that his second brother had already extended enough help. "We still need to clean up a bit," Su Yun explained. "If you have other plans, go ahead. We'll come by later when everything is sorted."

Before Su Lei left, Qin Ju handed him a bag of mushrooms. "Uncle, please take these mushrooms and enjoy them," she said.

Su Lei accepted the bag with a nod and finally departed.

Once the house was nearly cleaned, Su Yun gave Qin Ju five dollars and asked her to go downstairs and buy something for dinner. Qin Ju, intending to check out the local terrain and sell the wild vegetables and mushrooms she had collected, agreed without hesitation.

Xiao Shi, eager to accompany her sister, joined Qin Ju. "That's great! Let's walk around your school first!" she said with a cheerful smile. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

When Xiao Shi was seven, she had to start school. However, because she was shorter than her peers and faced discouraging comments from the aunts in her community—who deemed education unnecessary for girls—she felt disheartened. They said, "Look at your sister. What's the point of her studying so hard? She still can't get into college. It's a waste of money!"

At that time, Xiao Shi wanted to argue that education was valuable and that she too would make it to university. But she was too timid to speak up.

Now that she had finally left that environment, she looked up at her sister with earnest eyes and said, "Sister, you can get into college, right?"

"I can, and so can our Xiao Shi in the future!" Qin Ju reassured her.

"I don't know if I can... but I promise I'll study hard!" Xiao Shi vowed.

For children from poor families, like these two, higher education represents a significant opportunity for a better future. Though not a guaranteed path to success, it certainly opens doors.

Qin Ju took Xiao Shi for a walk around the Experimental Primary School. Although it was a bit far from Ping An Middle School, it was manageable by bike. She was quite familiar with the area after having lived there for several years.

Qin Ju was contemplating buying a bicycle and moving off-campus to focus intensely on her final year. She also planned to sell wild vegetables at a nearby small vegetable market, seeing it as a starting point. She hoped that eventually, with some savings, her parents could open a small shop rather than just pushing a cart and selling buns.

Lost in her thoughts, Qin Ju didn't notice the approaching wheelchair until it came to a stop right in front of them.

Mr. Du greeted her with a warm smile. "Xiao Qin, isn't it? Do you live nearby?"

Qin Ju looked up to see the amiable Mr. Du, then her gaze shifted to the young man pushing his wheelchair. The boy, though still somewhat thin and dressed in a plain white shirt and black pants, had an icy demeanor, his attention seemingly impervious to anything around him.

Yet, as Qin Ju observed him closely, she noticed an unusual spark in his dark eyes. It was odd to see such an expression on Shen Yi's face.

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Qin Ju had already greeted Grandpa Du politely and, at the same time, nudged her sister to say hello as well. Xiao Shi, still a bit shy, followed her sister's lead and greeted Grandpa Du with a respectful nod.

Qin Ju explained, "We just moved here. My sister will start primary school in September, so I brought her for a walk around the area."

As she spoke, Qin Ju recalled why this place felt so familiar. In her previous life, she had been married to Shen Yi, and they had lived in this neighborhood before Mr. Du's passing.

Complicated emotions swirled within her.

Shen Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise but remained silent. Grandpa Du, with a gentle smile, said, "Last time, I thought the grapes at home were about to ripen, so I asked Xiao Yi to invite you over. He mentioned you were away for the summer vacation, but it's fortunate you live nearby now. Come on, girl, take your time to get acquainted with the area. You're always welcome to visit Grandpa's house."

Shen Yi sighed softly beside him. If anyone else heard his grandfather's casual invitation, they might think he was begging. Yet, unexpectedly, Qin Ju nodded and took her sister's hand, following along.

In her previous life, Qin Ju had held a deep sense of gratitude and respect for Mr. Du, hoping only for his long life and good health. In this life, she thought that if her spring water truly had health benefits, she would find a way to let Mr. Du try it.

As Qin Ju saw Mr. Du instructing Shen Yi to pick and wash grapes, she immediately offered, "Let me wash them."

Although she had barely interacted with Shen Yi moments earlier, her offer brought her close to him.

Shen Yi's lips pressed into a thin line, but Qin Ju was already at the sink, carrying the basin.

Qin Ju reminded herself to stay away from Shen Yi. She hoped their paths would not cross in this life, believing it would be better for both of them.

Shen Yi observed her profile with dimmed eyes, unsure of what she was thinking.

Qin Ju felt Shen Yi's gaze and remembered the tense stares from their previous life—sometimes a silent, unsettling look. Initially, it made her uneasy, and later, it fueled her anger.

Two people who clash and blame each other never converse kindly. The only thing Qin Ju was thankful for was that Shen Yi had never physically harmed her during their tumultuous times. Had he done so, she would have resisted fiercely.

At worst, both sides would be destroyed. But now, the past was behind them.

Qin Ju carefully washed the grapes and, when no one was watching, sprinkled a little spring water on them. It wasn't much, but it was worth a try.

Mr. Du then inquired about the Qin sisters' schooling and chatted about family matters.

After a while, Qin Ju said her goodbyes, "My mom and the others haven't had dinner yet. Xiao Shi and I need to buy a few things. We'll come back to visit Grandpa's house another day."

Grandpa Du looked at the well-behaved children with satisfaction. "Xiao Yi, get a box of each of the cakes and candies your mother brought last time. And pick two more bunches of grapes to put in the bag."

"Okay," Shen Yi agreed cheerfully and went to gather the items.

Qin Ju quickly added, "There's no need, Grandpa. We've already had plenty of grapes. We don't want to trouble you."

"You've had some grapes, but your parents haven't, right? Besides, there are plenty of grapes in my yard. Xiao Yi and I can't finish them all, so they'll just go to waste. Don't worry about bothering me. I'm old and don't mind the company of kids."

(End of this chapter)