When She Stops Being Dramatic

"Once the hens lay some eggs, my granny will make you something tasty and bring it over every so often..."

"My granny can make all sorts of things, like sponge cakes, egg rolls, egg crepes..."

Chi Yun’er was taken aback and shook her head repeatedly. "Oh, no, I couldn’t. I haven’t done anything to deserve it. It doesn’t matter if it’s from Brother Hua or raised by your granny—I can’t accept it!"

The little girl grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. "Chi, it was all Uncle Jiang’s idea."

"My granny is a stubborn old woman, and she’s set in her ways. If you don’t eat them, she’ll let the eggs spoil before she lets anyone else touch them."

"How about this: you accept them for now, and you can pay Uncle Jiang back when you see him?"

’Granny said that to build a good relationship, you have to interact often.’

’Jiang Yihua was a great guy in every respect; he just needed a thoughtful, caring person by his side.’

If he were just some ordinary village boy, Fourth Granny Bian would have had no qualms about playing matchmaker for him.

The problem was that Jiang Yihua was from the Capital City and a graduate of the nation’s top university. He had a bright future ahead of him. In all the villages for miles around, besides Chi—who was strikingly beautiful and also from the Capital City—no one was a match for him!

The old woman had too much time on her hands. Unlike many her age, simply looking after the children and cooking wasn’t enough to satisfy the industrious spirit of a woman who had worked hard her entire life.

So she began plotting how to bring the young couple together. She sent a younger member of the family out at the crack of dawn with a bamboo basket to find Jiang Yihua. The story was that they had a celebration coming up that required butchering chickens, so she wanted to raise a couple more laying hens to have on hand.

Jiang Yihua didn’t even ask questions. He just showed up with two hens from who-knows-where, along with a burlap sack of wheat bran.

The old woman, in turn, attributed the hens to Chi Yun’er, effectively helping Jiang Yihua provide for his future wife.

As the saying goes, accepting gifts makes you indebted. After accepting two or three times, Chi Yun’er would surely feel obliged to return the favor in some other way.

And who do you thank? The original benefactor, of course.

Jiang Yihua was a generous man; if he received a thank-you gift, he would feel the need to give back something double in value next time.

With the two of them going back and forth like that, wouldn’t their relationship inevitably grow closer?

Chi Yun’er had no experience refusing this sort of kindness, so she could only smile and nod. "In that case, I’ll have to make something delicious for you all to try sometime."

She didn’t have many clothes, and her summer outfits were washed daily, so she finished quickly. She was about to help Little Hemiao with her laundry.

The little girl quickly grabbed her hand, smiling. "I’ll be done in a jiffy too, Chi! I’m going to catch some river shrimp with my friends afterward."

Chi Yun’er didn’t press the issue, simply reminding her not to play in the deep water.

Just as she returned to the courtyard, she saw Jiang Zishi in the kitchen washing his hands and feet.

There was no one else in the courtyard, so Jiang Zishi used a more intimate form of address.

"Yun’er, you’re back? Just leave your laundry by the door; I can wash it. You’re not that strong. Can you really handle the cold river water?"

Chi Yun’er chuckled and shook her head. "That might have been fine in the past, but you have a girlfriend now, Brother Zishu. Besides, I’m not your real sister. There are some things I should be doing for myself, and I’m perfectly capable."

’To everyone else, it looked like she was the one shamelessly clinging to him, casting aside all maidenly reserve, and brazenly using her parents’ money and coupons to support him.’

’But in private, Jiang Zishi took care of nearly everything for her.’

’Feeling indebted, Chi Yun’er could only find other ways to be good to him.’

’And what she had to give was money, coupons, and her blind devotion!’

’What normal girl could have resisted the advances of a man who was handsome, a smooth talker, and decent in every other way?’

’Moreover, people in that era were reserved about their feelings, but their passions ran deep and burned hot. Once a young woman fell, it was hard to climb back out. And she was a stubborn one, to boot!’

Jiang Zishi’s expression darkened. Gazing at her stunning, peerless beauty, he suddenly recalled that this girl—the one he had come to label as foolish and spoiled—was actually slow to warm up to people. He remembered how long he’d had to coax her before she finally let her guard down around him.

But now, he could feel her slowly reverting to her initial state, an irreparable rift forming between them. A sharp pang of pain shot through his heart.

He felt a wave of uncertainty. ’Is all this... really what I want?’

’Will there come a day when I regret this decision?’

Chi Yun’er turned to hang her clothes. "You’re back just in time, Brother Zishu. I made a large pot of mung bean soup. Have some to cool down, and take some for the others, too."

Jiang Zishi stepped forward to help her, but she moved away, avoiding his touch.

His lips formed a tight line, his face turning ashen.

"Yun’er, do we have to be so distant? I’ve always thought of you as a little sister. That hasn’t changed, and it won’t."