Chapter 31: Qu Hui
Su Ning, who was already far away in Xiangnan, had no idea that the “good show” she sent to the old fox had far exceeded expectations due to Old Master Fu’s strong cooperation and even super performance.
At this moment, she was on the bumpy bus heading to Gu City.
She vomited again and again, not even keeping the good things she had just eaten along with bile.
Powerless, she sat in the back row, gazing at the rugged, seemingly endless mountain road with its eighteen bends outside the window.
Smelling the overpowering stench of diesel, sweat, and foot odor combined, Su Ning’s pale face turned even paler.
“Ning Ning, come drink some water to wash away the taste in your mouth!”
Zhang Ze took off the J water bottle hanging on his back and handed it to her, comforting her again, “Cough, we’re almost there. Ning Ning, just persevere a bit longer.”
Meeting those clear, bright eyes, which practically screamed ‘don’t fool me anymore,’ Zhang Ze touched his nose tip with his hand to hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Right!”
Mao Jinqian, sitting on the other side and equally worried about her, suddenly thought of something and rummaged through the pile of luggage at his feet.
On the way to the restaurant to wait for the two, he had passed the supply and marketing cooperative and spotted small oranges on the counter, buying a few on a whim.
With his slow brain, he only now remembered the words his mother had used to coax him as a child.
“Found them! Quick, Ning Ning, peel this and smell the orange peel—it’ll make you feel much better. If you suck on a piece, it’ll work immediately against nausea and vomiting!”
His dark arm reached straight over, with two or three small oranges the size of eggs in his broad palm.
The skin was green and shiny, not a bit yellow, still hard.
This… they’re probably not ripe yet, right?
Just looking at them made her mouth water involuntarily. Su Ning took them dubiously, peeled off a piece, and held it close to her nose.
As the unique fresh scent of orange peel entered her nostrils, the nauseous feeling in her chest instantly dissipated a lot. “It really works!”
“Hahaha, of course. Your Brother Mao doesn’t lie. Quick, suck on another piece and try.”
“Okay.”
The small segment like a finger knuckle was stuffed into her mouth without hesitation, and immediately that sour tang…
Her facial features scrunched up uncontrollably, even the silly strand of hair sticking up on her head trembled along with her like she was shivering.
“Pfft, hahaha!”
“Hahahaha!”
“You… Ning Ning, just hold it in your mouth… don’t bite, hahaha. Now you’re good—your teeth aren’t numb anymore, right?”
“Haha, I think the person is about to go numb!”
Su Ning, who had finally recovered, saw the two gasping with laughter and quickly divided the remaining orange in half, stuffing it ruthlessly straight into their wide-open mouths.
Only until they both wore the same sour face as hers did she feel satisfied.
Several people in the same row saw their trio’s successive “funny faces” and laughed along heartily, letting out waves of kind chuckles.
Among them, a grandparent-grandchild pair—the old man hunched over, smiling as he rummaged in the back basket in front of him and pulled out two yellow-orange early-ripening apricots. “Girl, eat this—not sour!”
“Thank you, no need, no need.”
Su Ning waved her hands repeatedly to refuse the old man’s kindness. Her teeth felt numb when clenched together, so she probably couldn’t chew even soft ones right now.
Besides, fruit was scarcer and more expensive than grain. Judging by the old man and his little grandson’s clothes, their family was poor.
These apricots were probably picked by him in the mountains to exchange for grain and money—how could she accept them for free.
“Sister, try it. This apricot isn’t sour at all—it’s sweet!”
The boy was about one meter tall, around seven or eight years old, wearing a patched jacket with cute hand-stitched designs on the patches.
His hair was sparse and yellowish, his sallow face lit up with sparkling eyes that curved up slightly when he smiled, making people can’t help but like him.
“What’s your name?”
“Qu Hui, sister. I’m called Qu Hui.”
“Then… how about sister trades with you?”
Reaching into her slanted canvas bag, Su Ning pulled out a handful of White Rabbit Milk Candy and stuffed them all into his arms amid his astonished gaze.
“Oh no, this won’t do, we can’t…”
“Grandma, why not? This isn’t business—it’s an exchange where we each get what we need. I think these two apricots are worth this much candy.”
Seeing the little one obey the old woman and try to push them back to her, Su Ning quickly took the two apricots and bit into one without hesitation.
For a moment she forgot about the tooth numbness and nearly cried out in pain, making everyone laugh again at her expression.
The old man saw the longing in his little grandson’s eyes and thought of his son whose fate was unknown, his bedridden husband…
She touched with her hand the eyes of her grandson, who had been sensible since childhood and worked hard to help her, never asking for candy or food like other kids—her eyes moistened, and her already blurry vision became completely obscured.
Unable to say no more, she could only thicken her face and accept.
“Hui’er, quickly thank sister.”
“Thank you, sister.”
“You’re welcome. You’re called Hui’er?” Su Ning waved at him while asking softly.
Seeing grandma nod, Qu Hui stuffed all the candy into her hands, then crouched down a bit to help support her against the seat and come to the back.
“Sister, it’s Qu Hui—the ‘return’ in ‘return’.”
So it wasn’t the ‘hui’ in ‘will.’
The ‘return’ in ‘return’…
Thinking of the scene she had foreseen from accidentally touching the little one’s hand earlier, Su Ning couldn’t help but touch his head, making a decision in her heart.
At this moment, she somewhat understood the purpose of the special ability heaven gave her.
If within her ability, while guaranteeing her own safety without exposure, she wanted to willingly and generously help kind-hearted people.
……
The bus rocked and swayed into Gu City, where night had completely fallen.
The entire Gu City was surrounded by mountains, bisected by the Li River, known as the mother river.
Nestled against mountains and river, even the hot weather felt in Star City seemed to have dropped a lot here—no more that stifling heat, and the evening breeze even brought a touch of coolness.
After getting off the bus, Su Ning bid farewell to little Qu Hui. Amid the little one’s reluctant gaze, she and Zhang Ze headed to the guesthouse near the bus station.
“Comrade, hello. Two rooms.”
Showing the proof from the Neighborhood Committee to the front desk staff, two rooms were quickly prepared.
The front desk was a female comrade in her twenties, wearing a rose-red polyester shirt, plastic sandals, and an ear-length student bob.
After giving Zhang Ze the keys, she bent down to retrieve two enamel basins and two hot water bottles from under the counter.
After thanking her and ignoring her odd look, the three, full of fatigue, headed to the second floor.
“Brother Zhang, Brother Mao, I want to rest for a bit. You two don’t need to wait—go eat first.”
Putting down her things, Zhang Ze thought of her motion sickness the whole way and figured she had no appetite from feeling so bad.
Glancing at the ‘big rice bucket’ who got uncomfortable without eating, Zhang Ze nodded. “Then Ning Ning, you rest first. We’ll bring food back later.”
“Okay.”
The two picked up their things, planning to first put them in the third-floor room, then go out to see what food was available.
Softly closing the door and locking it, only until their footsteps faded did Su Ning turn to open the only window in the room.
Second floor—not too high.
If climbing out the window and jumping down, with her 1.6-meter height, as long as she found a good landing spot, it wouldn’t be hard.
Thanks to all the big and small cuties who voted. New book sets sail—writing is not easy. With you, I know I’m not alone, full of motivation. Pear will keep working hard. Please don’t abandon me, big and small cuties~ Heart heart
