Zhao Chun watched helplessly as those two cowards limped further and further away, cursing under his breath, "Stupid beyond saving. They ran off without even taking with them. What the hell."
Tian Sangsang glanced at him nonchalantly, her hand resting on her hip, too exhausted to keep fighting. "Co on, son, let’s go ho."
The two figures grew smaller and smaller until they vanished from sight. Zhao Chun held his aching arm, his expression complicated. He knew all too well what kind of people Biao’s n were—clear as day. After being threatened by Tian Sangsang, those two wouldn’t tell the truth when they got back, but soone would still have to take the bla. No doubt, they’d pin it all on him.
Ah, now that nobody’s watching him anymore, why stay here a mont longer? Besides, he’d borrowed twenty bucks in advance from Biao, and it was right in his pocket. No worries about money—he just needed to hitch a ride to the city.
"Damn it. Tian Sangsang." Zhao Chun staggered to his feet and began running forward with every bit of strength he had left, muttering through his bloody nose, "At least put my damn arm back in place, dislocated and all. And my nose, this blood is relentless."
...
By evening, Tian Sangsang was counting money at ho when she suddenly rembered she still hadn’t repaid Aunt Zhong for the dicine expenses. Things had been chaotic lately, and she’d sowhat forgotten.
With money in hand, she headed to Aunt Zhong’s house and happened to catch sight of her walking back from afar, holding a bowl and swinging a small palm-leaf fan.
"Auntie," Tian Sangsang called out, saying, "I haven’t paid back the dical costs you covered for that day. I’ve been earning a little money lately, and I brought it to repay you."
Aunt Zhong shook her head quickly when she heard this. "You still rember, huh? It’s okay, no need to pay it back. Just keep the money for yourself and Yanyan—it’ll co in handy for you two. Your grandma and I used to be close; asking you to repay such a little sum feels wrong." Honestly, she’d nearly forgotten about the money herself at the ti—it had been an ergency, and she didn’t expect repaynt, just wanted to save soone’s life. Yet here Tian Sangsang was, every day going to town to sell her pastries, actually making money. The village folk were now curious and nosy, itching to try their hands at selling pastries too, but Aunt Zhong had no interest in following trends. If soone could make skillfully crafted treats, that was their talent; others wouldn’t be able to replicate the taste anyway. Better to stick to farming seriously.
Tian Sangsang firmly shoved the money into her hand and smiled. "No way. Aunt Zhong, you have to take it. It’s precisely because our families are neighbors, and you and my grandma were old friends, that I have to repay you. Yanyan and I have what we need. If you don’t take the money, I’ll feel guilty, and our relationship will only get awkward later."
Talking about money ruins relationships. No point in breaking the friendship between two families for such a small convenience.
Aunt Zhong paused, then thought it over. What Sangsang said made sense. If it had been her own family, and soone had helped pay for dical bills, and later said not to bother repaying, she couldn’t imagine truly not repaying them. It would leave her feeling guilty and create an uneasiness, making interactions awkward. Seeing that this was the case, she finally accepted the money.
After pocketing the money, Aunt Zhong seed to recall sothing, sighing heavily. "Sangsang, it’s a good thing you didn’t marry into that Chen Biao’s family with Yanyan. Did you hear that a young man who owed gambling debts was held at their place recently? I heard that today he tried to escape to town without repaying, and Biao’s n caught him halfway, broke one of his legs, and dumped him at the village entrance."
"What!?" Tian Sangsang was shocked, suddenly thinking of the fight from earlier. "That fair-skinned young man?"
"Yes, that young fellow. A proper-looking guy—why gamble at all?" Aunt Zhong had also gone to the village entrance earlier to take a look. A handso guy, soone you wouldn’t expect to be mixed up in gambling.
Tian Sangsang frowned. "How can they just casually break soone’s leg? Isn’t that against the law?"
Aunt Zhong said, "Around here no one dares to ss with Biao. What law is there? Speaking of which, that young man is quite pitiful, lying at the village entrance. If wild boars co at night, what’ll happen? Nobody dares help him, afraid of repercussions from Biao."
Tian Sangsang lowered her head, suddenly feeling guilty. At the ti that afternoon, she had no choice but to fight back. What was she supposed to do—stand there and let herself get beaten and robbed of her son? But thinking about it now, she bore so responsibility too. His arm was dislocated because of her, and maybe that’s why he couldn’t escape successfully. Who knows what they ant by breaking his leg? Was it severe? Was it cut off or just fractured?
With such thoughts swirling, after Aunt Zhong went inside, Tian Sangsang quickly made her way to the village entrance. By the big stone near the entrance she saw a person lying in tatters. His hair was a tangled ss, dried blood under his nose, his clothes darkened in patches from bloodstains—so black, so red. There was no sign of fresh blood on his foot, but his leg was twisted at an odd angle. He looked every bit like a beggar now, with none of the arrogance and swagger from earlier.
Sensing soone watching him, Zhao Chun slowly opened his eyes and stared at Tian Sangsang, saying sharply, "Get lost."
And then added, "Fat bitch."
He’d been so close to succeeding, but this damn dislocated arm ruined everything. If only his arm hadn’t been injured, he wouldn’t have been caught by Biao’s n and humiliated like this.
Whatever thoughts she’d had about helping him faded entirely after that "fat bitch" comnt. Tian Sangsang wasn’t so saint. Her face blank, she crouched down, grabbed his arm, and with a firm motion, popped the bone back into place. Sweat beads of pain appeared on Zhao Chun’s filthy face.
"Don’t give that look. I’ve fixed your arm. The fact you couldn’t escape isn’t my fault—it’s because you’re useless."
"God damn it," Zhao Chun muttered through gritted teeth behind her.
"Go ahead and curse again, I dare you," Tian Sangsang said, turning back to him with a faint smile.
He said nothing more, his wide-open eyes rimd red. Water misted within them, filled with an overload of emotions—pride, anger, fear, sorrow, defiance...
Tian Sangsang ignored him and walked off on her own.
For the next few days, the village buzzed with rumors about the young man. They said he was surprisingly tough, not taken away by wild boars. He was starving to the point of death, his entire face bruised and swollen. When Li Zhengxiong passed by one day, he kindly gave him a stead bun. But one bun was far from enough—it wouldn’t satisfy his hunger. With no one else willing to help, he had to rely on himself, crawling from the village entrance to within its bounds. So villagers secretly slipped him food, but nobody dared take him ho or treat his injuries, let alone send him to town.
Since the incident, Tian Sangsang never went to town without ng Shuyan. When heading to the back mountains, she insisted on taking him along too. That day, Tian Sangsang went hunting in the mountains again, yielding a good haul. She caught a fish species not available in her space—bass—and while cleaning it in the courtyard, she was startled by the sudden appearance of a fluffy white critter!
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