Chapter 43: Fortune Favors the Kind

After Anchen’s mother left, Grandma Li leaned against the wall beside the kang, covering her face with both hands, weighed down by heavy thoughts.

The mood had been wrong all along, and Li Jixiang didn’t dare ask Grandma Li what had happened. Limping, she went to the store, found a Hami melon, sliced it, placed it on a plate, and carried it to her grandmother.

“Grandma, have some melon. Troubles always pass in time.”

The sweet scent of the fruit lifted the spirits. Grandma Li released her hands from her face, her damp eyes lingering on her granddaughter’s lovely features, and sighed softly.

Grandma Li had taken the long-distance bus to the provincial capital, unwilling to pay for a cab, and walked all the way to where she remembered her second sister’s home to be. But her sister’s family had already moved. A huge “demolish” character was scrawled on the wall. The surrounding houses all awaited demolition, and there was not a soul to ask where her sister’s family had gone.

By then, dusk had fallen. She went to a roadside bun shop, hoping to buy two buns before deciding whether to continue her search or to catch the early bus home the next day. Only then did she find her money sewn into her waistband had been stolen.

Grandma Li broke down in tears on the spot. The kindly bun-shop owner gave her free buns and suggested she seek help from the police to find her relatives.

With the police’s help, she found her second sister’s “new home” that night.

But Grandma Li’s second sister had passed away seven years ago. The news struck like a bolt from the blue, shattering her completely. She had resented her sister for shunning her out of pride, only to discover she’d wronged her all along...

“So how did you get back?” Grandma Li finally spoke to her. Li Jixiang listened anxiously, worried about what her grandmother had suffered these past few days—she seemed to have aged a dozen years overnight, her hair almost entirely white.

“I was so foolish. My second sister had no other family but me. Her husband and children died in a car accident nine years ago. She knew I was struggling, so when she fell gravely ill, she didn’t tell me—she didn’t want to trouble me...”

Grandma Li broke down in tears again. It took all of Li Jixiang’s effort to comfort her, guiding her back to bed, making her promise to go to the public bathhouse together the next day.

“We’ll stay in the hot bath until we’re steaming from head to toe before we come out.”

Grandma Li nodded, wiping her eyes. Seeing her granddaughter’s efforts to cheer her up, her eyes reddened once more.

So many conflicts between people are born of misunderstanding, and misunderstandings are mostly due to a lack of timely, honest communication.

Grandma Li’s regret is a common one. Once siblings grow up, they slowly drift apart; it is ever harder to remain close and loving.

Lying on the hard, cold kang, it no longer felt as unbearable as it had at first. The thirteen-year-old body and twenty-five-year-old soul had melded perfectly—everything was falling into place.

What should she do next? It was inevitable that Li Jixiang would excel academically and get into a prestigious school. But could she bear to leave Grandma Li alone in their hometown to pursue her studies?

“Liguo can help people grow as they wish, keep them youthful and brimming with energy.”

Without warning, a line of tiny words flashed before her eyes. By the time Li Jixiang reacted, the characters had vanished into the darkness.

The three Liguo berries she’d exchanged for with ten thousand points had been sitting in her backpack all along—now, at last, she understood their use. Li Jixiang felt a surge of excitement. She wanted nothing more than to give one to Grandma Li. Even if it didn’t restore her youth, at least it could keep her energetic and halt her decline.

She rummaged through her bag and out rolled two berries. Her bag had no compartments—inside and out, she found only two berries. Where had the third gone?

The school bag had never left her side—no one could have stolen it. That morning, before the field trip, she’d checked: all three berries were there.

Could it be...

Suddenly she remembered handing her bag to Ma Hongmei to watch over while she searched for Xiaobao in the woods. Had Ma Hongmei stolen and eaten one of the berries?

Li Jixiang lay awake, unable to sleep.

If Ma Hongmei really had swallowed one of her berries, what could she do? Even if she forced her to spit it back out, it would do no good.

She couldn’t let this become known, either. If anyone discovered her secret about the wealth system, she might be dragged off to a research institute and dissected...

At the thought, she shuddered, goosebumps rising on her arms.

Heavens, let me complete my mission in this world safely and return to my old life as soon as possible! She wondered if, by now, Chen Haoan had repented and was ready to beg for forgiveness.

How she longed to see his imposing figure humbled on his knees, to hear his once-proud voice—once used to boast of his company’s stock-market listing—now pleading for her mercy.

But Ma Hongmei had lucked out! Who knew what she’d wish to become? If she accidentally blossomed into a world-class beauty, it would certainly be explosive news in their small town.

The next morning, Anchen and Anning, acting on their mother’s orders, each brought a bowl of dumplings to visit Li Jixiang and Grandma Li. Anchen insisted Li Jixiang roll up her pant leg to check her injury, while Anning watched on with concern. Embarrassed, Li Jixiang assured them she was fine and urged them off to school. But Anchen refused to leave without a look.

“Go ahead, take a look,” she relented, pulling up her pant leg briefly before quickly rolling it down again.

In that fleeting glance, they saw the swelling on her ankle had nearly vanished.

Anchen nodded with satisfaction.

Anning averted her gaze, pretending not to care.

These brothers truly were opposites in temperament!

“I’ll bring your bicycle back at noon,” Anning said, turning back at the store entrance.

“No rush,” Li Jixiang replied.

For her, attending classes and reviewing lessons now felt like a waste of time. She’d ace the exams, get into the elite class, then apply to skip grades and finish middle and high school early, aiming to take the university entrance exam before she turned sixteen. Once admitted to a top university’s youth program, she could establish herself in society quickly and ensure Grandma Li a happy, comfortable life.

After lunch, she found her twisted ankle was almost back to normal. Li Jixiang planned a trip to the public bathhouse.

Grandma Li, after spending three days at her second sister’s grave, was eager to wash away her gloom as well.

Who knew whether things redeemed in this world could be taken to another? She might as well use up both berries at once.

She handed one Liguo berry to Grandma Li and took one for herself, nibbling as they walked.

“What kind of fruit is this?” Grandma Li asked, sniffing the very ordinary berry, which had little scent. She didn’t recognize it and, reluctant to eat it, kept turning it in her hand.

Just then, Anchen’s mother emerged from the tofu shop, greeted Grandma Li with a smile, and, spotting the berry in her hand, asked curiously what fruit it was.

Seeing Grandma Li about to offer the berry to Anchen’s mother, Li Jixiang quickly snatched it and popped it into her grandmother’s mouth.

“You child!”

Grandma Li pulled the berry out and laughed together with Anchen’s mother.