They hadn't even finished a meal when a voice came from outside. Wenchang ran out to take a look. "Grandfather, grandmother, it's Uncle Lin," he said.
Three people came in from outside, an adult leading two children. The older one was about ten, and the younger was five or six, both boys. "Uncle Xu, auntie, I've been out these past few days, not at home. I didn't know that your daughter Jinghan got seriously ill trying to save my Ziwen. As soon as I came back, I came to see how Jinghan was doing." The man was carrying something in his hand, which he placed on the bed. "Uncle, this is a little token of my gratitude. Please don't think it's too little. If it weren't for Jinghan, my Ziwen might have been washed away by the water. And now, Jinghan has fallen ill because of it. Ziwen, go and thank your sister Jinghan."
The little boy came up to Jinghan. "Sister, thank you. It's my fault you got sick." The little boy sheepishly scratched his head.
Jinghan patted his small head. "In the future, you must never go to the riverbank again." In fact, thinking about it now, Jinghan realized it was quite dangerous. She was just an eight-year-old girl, only slightly taller than her peers. The river wasn't too deep, reaching up to Jinghan's thighs, but for a five-year-old, it would be waist-high. When Jinghan saw the two little ones stumbling into the water, she didn't think twice and jumped in to drag them out.
The larger boy also started to speak. "Sister Jinghan, I'm sorry, Ziwen is too naughty. Thank you for saving him." This boy was quite handsome and spoke politely and gently.
In Jinghan's memory, she certainly remembered him—he was Lin Zixuan, Ziwen's older brother. He had always been good friends with Jinghan's older brother, and the two had always been inseparable, now studying together. "Brother Zixuan, you don't need to be so formal. It was my duty. It's just that I was a bit weak and got a fever," Jinghan said with a smile.
Lin Zixuan was taken aback, feeling that the girl before him seemed different. The Xu Jinghan he remembered was a wild little tomboy, always following them around, up hills and down rivers, like a little boy. Wasn't it her boldness that gave her the courage to jump into the water to save someone? But now she seemed so gentle, probably because she was still recovering from her serious illness, he thought. Zixuan didn't mind, but felt guilty inside. If it weren't for his brother, Jinghan wouldn't have fallen ill. "Oh, Wenhan has been in town for a few days now, why hasn't he come back yet?"
Jinghan really didn't know about this, so she couldn't answer, just glanced at her sister. Jingya, who was listening to their conversation, said, "He should be back soon, the day after tomorrow is Tomb-Sweeping Day, and the fourth uncle and the others will be back too, they might come together."
Zixuan nodded, not saying anything more. Jingya and Jinghan were two different personalities: Jingya had always been quiet since childhood, never joining in their games. But Jinghan was different, always trailing behind Wenhan and Zixuan, irremovable if she decided to stick around. So Zixuan felt a special closeness to Jinghan. "Jinghan, once you're feeling better, I'll take you to raid bird nests. It's the season when birds lay eggs."
"Brother Zixuan, let's not raid bird nests. Those birds are pitiable too. If we take the eggs, they won't have chicks." Climbing trees to raid nests was a common activity for her in her childhood in the previous life, but as she grew older, she seldom did that anymore. Although she had some memories of the original host, they weren't complete, and she was still unsure about the original host's personality. Therefore, she didn't dare to agree too readily, preferring to play it by ear for the time being.
Zixuan was startled again. In the past, Jinghan would have been thrilled at such an invitation—what happened this time? He looked at Jinghan, perplexed.
Seeing Zixuan's probing gaze, Jinghan's heart tightened. Could it be that she had given herself away? That couldn't be, no one else said anything. She pondered and then said, "Brother Zixuan, I'm already eight years old; naturally, I can't act like I used to, playing wildly all day. Mother said I should start learning needlework." It was an explanation of sorts.
Listening, Mrs. Xue laughed. "You girl, when I tell you on regular days, you never listen. Now you're willing on your own. That's good. Tomorrow, you can join your sister and learn some needlework. At eight years old, it really is time."
Zixuan put his doubts to rest for the moment. Yes, as a girl grows up, it's natural for her to change from her younger days. "It's good to learn more; it will always come in handy in the future."
Just then, Lin Zixuan's father and Mr. Xu also finished their chat and prepared to take the children home. "Uncle Xu, it's getting late, and we should all be heading to bed. We'll be leaving now. There's work to do tomorrow, and around this time, we need to build the ginseng sheds. Springtime is a busy time for everyone. Alright, no need to see us out. Zixuan, Ziwen, let's go." After saying this, the father and sons left, with Xu Zhixin seeing them to the gate.
Once the guests had left, Mrs. Xue and Mrs. Wei cleaned up the table, and then everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Jinghan shared a room with Jingya. Having slept a lot during the day, Jinghan was not sleepy and tossed and turned in her bed. Jingya heard it and said, "Little sister, go to sleep quickly. We have to get up early tomorrow."