Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Hearing Zhao Nuanyue’s comforting words, she nodded. ”Yes, let’s just wish her well.”

”Heh, at least you still have the three of us to keep you company,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. ”Look, I got a letter from Hua Yusen saying he can’t break off his engagement with Guo Dongmei just yet, and I’m not upset. There’s no reason for you to feel down.”

”What?” Li Qiong grew anxious as soon as she heard. ”Why isn’t Hua Yusen breaking it off immediately? Is he trying to two-time you? That’s just awful.”

Zhao Nuanyue shook her head. ”No, it’s not like that. The time just isn’t right yet.”

”You... you just trust him that much?” Li Qiong looked at Zhao Nuanyue in disbelief. ”Are you just being big-hearted, or do you not even care about Hua Yusen?”

”I do. I’m not being overly generous, and I care very much about Hua Yusen, but I’m here in Nianqiao Village, and he’s in Jincheng City. The fact that he’d write me a letter from a thousand miles away is proof enough that he cares for me,” Zhao Nuanyue replied. ”He has critical work assignments and is facing an even more difficult situation, so I can’t demand that he do anything for my sake. If he loves me and wants to be with me, he will eventually resolve these issues. I just have to wait patiently. Besides, I’m young. I can afford to wait.”

Zhao Nuanyue looked relaxed, but inwardly, she wasn’t as calm as she appeared. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Hua Yusen; she was worried for his safety.

’I just hope Hua Yusen is safe!’ This was Zhao Nuanyue’s most fervent wish.

Li Qiong was astounded by Zhao Nuanyue’s words. She couldn’t believe Zhao Nuanyue could be so calm and composed, so magnanimous. Even though she was older than Zhao Nuanyue, she had to admit she couldn’t compare.

”Nuanyue, I really admire you,” Li Qiong said. ”I’ve learned so much from you—things that will benefit me for the rest of my life.”

”Heh, you’re flattering me,” Zhao Nuanyue said humbly. ”I just trust myself and my own judgment. We have our own two hands, we’re independent people, and we can make something of ourselves on our own. A man’s love can make life vibrant and colorful, but if it’s not meant to be, at least we still have light and life in our world...”

”You’re right.” Li Qiong nodded. It was a good metaphor, and she understood perfectly. ”You’re absolutely right.”

After her talk with Zhao Nuanyue, Li Qiong’s gloominess vanished. She started to see things from a new perspective, and both her outlook and her world seemed to expand.

Yang Guanghui arrived. Though still a bit subdued, he wasn’t sighing constantly like he had last year. His spirits were decent.

When he learned that Wang Yuan was staying in the city, Yang Guanghui gave a wry smile. ”That’s for the best. I hope she can forget the past and start fresh. As for the three of us, we’ll have to stay here for a while longer! But over the New Year, I visited one of my old teachers. He’s been reinstated at his job. He can’t teach anymore, but he’s organizing the school library. He gave me a lot of books and told me in no uncertain terms to study hard and not waste my time.”

Li Qiong’s eyes lit up. ”A lot of people with foresight and knowledge are saying the same thing. We really have to study hard, then. After all, we have such learned people as Uncle Qian and Auntie Qian right here with us. They seem to know everything about every subject.”

”Heh, that’s right. We have an inside track,” Yang Guanghui laughed. ”I brought a lot of books, too. We can trade them around. If we study for two years, we might actually be able to test into a university. Then we could return to the city without having to pull any strings. If my grades are good enough, I want to test into a school in Jincheng City.”

Excited, Li Qiong turned to Zhao Nuanyue. ”Nuanyue, if you could go to university, where would you want to go?”

”Haha, Li Qiong, you can be so dense,” Yang Guanghui chuckled. ”Have you forgotten that Nuanyue is from Jincheng City? She even has a house there. Of course she’d go back to Jincheng City. Besides, there are so many good schools there.”

Hearing Yang Guanghui, Li Qiong slapped her forehead. ”Oh, man, I really am dense. I completely forgot. Yang Guanghui, if you start studying now and really master all the high school material, you might actually get into a good university in Jincheng City. Nuanyue is going to Jincheng City, so I’ll try for Jincheng City too! That way, I’ll have some close friends with me. I’ve been away from home for so long, and... there’s no warmth for me in that house anymore. I don’t want to go back.”

”That sounds great!” Zhao Nuanyue smiled. ”When you get into a university in Jincheng City, you can come over to my place for dinner all the time.”

”Mhm!” Li Qiong nodded eagerly. ”Yes, yes! Let’s hurry and make dinner. We can hit the books as soon as we’re done.”

After dinner, they moved the table into the main hall. There, they studied while warming themselves by the fire. Whenever they got stuck, they would ask Old Sir Qian or Old Madam Qian for help. He Qiang, though not great at math, was excellent at classical Chinese and literature, so he could also offer insightful answers when the other volunteers asked for his help.

Just as they were engrossed in their studies, they heard a knock at the door.

Li Qiong had just come out of the latrine. Hearing the knock, she called out, ”Who is it?”

With Yang Guanghui, He Qiang, and Zhao Nuanyang around, Li Qiong felt brave and wasn’t afraid of who might be outside.

”It’s me, Li Jianjun,” the man outside replied, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Li Qiong, curious at the sound of his voice, went to open the door. Seeing that it was indeed Li Jianjun, she asked in surprise, ”Li Jianjun? What are you doing here so late? Shouldn’t you be at home?”

”I came across a few difficult problems that I couldn’t solve, so I was hoping to ask Teacher Qian for help.” Li Jianjun glanced around, and seeing no one, he lowered his voice. ”Don’t worry. No one saw me with my books, and no one knows I came to ask questions.”

”Oh, you’re here for help with your studies.” Li Qiong nodded. Li Jianjun was Li Guihua’s son, so he could be trusted. She invited him in. ”Well, come on in.”

When he entered the main hall, Li Jianjun was a bit surprised to see Yang Guanghui, Zhao Nuanyue, and Zhao Nuanyang all studying. But then he remembered Zhao Nuanyue and Li Qiong mentioning before the New Year that they were also studying their high school textbooks, and it all made sense.

’He wasn’t the only smart one.’ These volunteers had seen the world. They had more contact with the outside and access to more information, so of course they understood the importance of studying.

”Hey, Jianjun, you’re here!” Yang Guanghui said with a laugh when he saw Li Jianjun pull a book from his bag. ”Heh, let me take a look at the problems first. See if I can figure them out.”

”Sure!” Li Jianjun smiled and sat down before Old Sir Qian and Old Madam Qian. He knew the elderly couple from his time on the livestock team, as he had often gone to them with questions. ”Uncle Qian, are you and Auntie Qian in good health?”