Chapter 10: That Girl

Chapter 10: That Girl

Mother Cheng chuckled at that, "Take off your socks too, and set them by the fire to warm up. They'll be nice and toasty when you put them back on."

After taking off their socks, she took them to wash their hands. Lu Yu sat on the heated brick bed, feeling the warmth beneath him. He curiously examined the bed, while on the stove beside them, steaming dishes were scooped into a big basin and placed on the bed table. The steamed buns were bigger than his hands and tough to grip, so he and Cheng Miao ended up sharing one.

Cheng Miao leaned close to him, kept piling food onto his plate. "This is called braised mixed vegetables, it's really tasty. The meatballs and crispy pork inside are only eaten during New Year. And this is fried frozen tofu—the little holes inside are filled with soup. One bite and it's super savory."

Lu Yu ate with real focus. It really was delicious. He took a bite of the soft steamed bun and chewed slowly, the wheaty aroma filling his mouth.

Cheng's father and mother also came over to sit. Mother Cheng looked at the well-behaved Lu Yu and felt a lump in her throat. Such a good kid, how could he... ugh!

She picked up a few pieces of meat for Lu Yu and Cheng Miao, saying, "Lu Yu, eat more! You're too thin! From now on, just come stay at your auntie's place and keep Miaomiao company. He's lonely all by himself."

Lu Yu didn't refuse this time. He nodded and said sincerely, "Thank you, Auntie. Thank you, Uncle."

Cheng Miao looked all huffy next to him and whispered, "What about thanking me?!"

Lu Yu picked up a piece of tofu and placed it in Cheng Miao's bowl, leaning in and saying real seriously, "Thank you, Miaomiao!"

Cheng Miao's ears went red. He just grunted and lowered his head to eat the tofu as if nothing had happened.

After lunch, everyone got all sluggish. Mother Cheng cleared the leftovers and the table, then rolled up the oilcloth on the bed, revealing the sheets that had been warmed underneath.

"Time for a nap. Cheng Jianguo, take off their coats. You never notice what needs doing around here," Mother Cheng directed.

Cheng Jianguo first took off Cheng Miao's coat and laid him in the middle, then took Lu Yu's coat. The second he touched it, he knew something was off—the coat was too light. In the dead of winter, this kid was just wearing a thin jacket. He carried Lu Yu over and felt his pants—no fleece lining either.

Looking at the frostbite on his hands, Cheng Jianguo, a big northern guy, 180 centimeters of solid build, felt his eyes get hot. He looked away, gave Lu Yu a gentle hug, and patted his head. "Alright, kiddo, go to sleep!"

Lu Yu lay down next to Cheng Miao and finally figured out where this family's habit of crying and hugging came from—father and son were quite alike.

Cheng Miao's hand snuck over under the blanket and grasped Lu Yu's. "Finally not cold anymore."

The little hand felt rough and bumpy under his fingers. Cheng Miao suddenly thought, "Does it itch? When I used to get frostbite, it would itch once it got warm."

"Have you never had frostbite before? It can't be that cold down south." Cheng Miao was a bit worried Lu Yu might be uncomfortable.

"If it itches, just get some meds from my mom!" He yawned as he spoke.

Kids only had so much energy, after all, and Cheng Miao was already dozing off mid-sentence.

Lu Yu answered silently in his head—he had gotten frostbite before. He wasn't actually afraid of the cold. He could build his own fire, cook his own meals. He'd been doing just fine on his own for over ten years.

He thought of Cheng Miao's young face—how even when he was yelling at someone, he looked more upset than they did. He said, why should anybody have to suffer for no reason? He said, here you've only got me, so I'll freeze to death with you. He said they were friends.

Lu Yu's feelings were all tangled up. A lot of people in this world are born to suffer, no reason at all. If you had to find one, it was probably just bad luck. If you make it through, you're tough; if you don't, it's a release.

In winter, school started at two-thirty in the afternoon. After waking both boys up, Mother Cheng took out a coat and put it on Lu Yu while discussing, "Xiao Yu, I'm gonna do laundry this afternoon. Take off your pants too, and I'll wash them together."

She handed him another pair of pants. "These are Cheng Miao's clothes. He's been eating a lot lately and gained weight, so these should fit you just right. Don't mind them—just wear them for now. It's supposed to get colder tonight."

Lu Yu nodded. "Thank you, Auntie."

Feeling the noticeably thicker clothes, he didn't refuse and quietly put them on. The socks, warm from the fire, had the hole patched up.

After he was dressed, Mother Cheng pulled Lu Yu over to the heated brick bed and took out a tube of ointment. "Come, warm your hands by the fire first. The medicine works better when your hands are warm."

Soon, Lu Yu's hands, now coated with ointment, were rubbed until they were warm and red. Then the two boys were bundled up and sent off to school.

Cheng Miao grinned at Lu Yu. "So? Not a bad deal coming to my house, right?"

Lu Yu said nothing.

Cheng Miao pressed on. "My parents are great, aren't they?"

Lu Yu was silent for a long moment before saying, "Very."

Seeing Lu Yu's ears turn red, Cheng Miao found it amusing. He was about to tease him when he suddenly spotted a figure walking past.

Cheng Miao stared intently, then something clicked, and his face turned pale. If he wasn't mistaken, that person was...

His hand clenched tightly around Lu Yu's, squeezing his wrist so hard it hurt.

Lu Yu looked at him strangely and noticed his expression was off. "Are you okay?"

He followed Cheng Miao's gaze to a group of chattering, playful little girls.

Cheng Miao watched from afar. Among those lively, cheerful girls, one figure stood out as out of place.

She looked timid and hesitant, her hands nervously fumbling with the hem of her faded school uniform. She was very thin, with a small face dominated by large, bright eyes. She studied hard—always first in class. She was also very timid, never daring to fight back against the others' exclusion, just following along step by step, always hoping to earn some acceptance.

Cheng Miao looked at her, so vividly alive, and his gaze seemed to cross the long years. That face finally merged with the black-and-white smiling portrait framed among the colorful funeral wreaths.

That was the first time Cheng Miao had encountered death in any meaningful sense. He knew his classmate would never appear again.

He knew the girl who always got first place was gone, but there would always be a new first place to take her spot. He knew her parents were devastated, but later they had a new child. He knew the desk in the middle of the first row was hers, but that desk was thrown away because it was considered unlucky.

A person's traces were slowly erased like that, but Cheng Miao always remembered. He remembered that black-and-white memorial photo—she was smiling so brightly that when he just saw that timid little girl, he was momentarily stunned.