Shen Yunfang was somewhat bewildered, her mind couldn't quite keep up, so she didn't really know just how close she had become with this young girl. She could only vaguely respond, "It's okay, the fever has subsided, I'm mostly better now."
Shen Yingxue looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she patted her chest, "Phew, that's a relief. You have no idea, my mom said you haven't been sending pig forage to our house for several days now. I've been so worried, Yunfang. It's too hard for you to be on your own. Maybe I should stop going to school and come back to help you."
Shen Yunfang arched an eyebrow, what was that supposed to mean? She still had to deliver pig forage to this little girl's family, but why? She closed her eyes, searching through her memories for any past interactions with this girl. When she opened her eyes, a flicker of scorn was evident.
What kind of system did the girl she had crossed into belong to? In this era, not only were her parents deceased, but even making friends meant dealing with backbiting and heartless people.
Shen Yunfang was the same age as Shen Yingxue, so naturally, since elementary school, the two had gone to school and returned home together. Their relationship had become good naturally. However, Shen Yunfang was an honest child, without many friends, therefore she was especially good to Shen Yingxue, her only companion, beyond words.
The Shen Family was poor, but Yunfang's mom was still very good to her. The Shen Yingxue's family was not poor, but they favored boys over girls. So, often at lunchtime during school, it would be Shen Yingxue eating Shen Yunfang's food while Yunfang went hungry until they could eat together at home in the evening. Whenever Shen Yunfang got anything nice, it was guaranteed to be coaxed away by Shen Yingxue within a few days.
When Shen Yunfang's mother passed away, both girls were just starting high school. The Shen Yingxue's family was adamant about her not going, telling her to stay home and work, to help her mother Liu Zhaozhi raise pigs so they could earn a bit more money by the end of the year to save for her brother's future wedding.
But Shen Yingxue was a rural girl with thoughts and aspirations. She fought tears and her family, determined to attend high school. She didn't want to remain in the countryside; she aimed to be a city dweller. Going to high school was her first step out of farm life. Shen Yunfang saw Shen Yingxue crying and pleading with her parents every day and felt deeply sympathetic, so she silently stood behind Shen Yingxue, supporting her to go to high school. Later, Shen Yingxue conceded to the condition set by her family and achieved her wish to attend high school, only that she had to work every week when she went home, responsible for filling the only big fat pig's belly.
As good friends, of course, Yunfang had to help. So, in their first year of high school, during the holidays, it was both of them getting up early and working late to gather pig forage for the Shen Yingxue's family. This arrangement, due to Shen Yingxue's intentional concealment, wasn't widely known in the village; Yunfang still had the reputation of being a lazy girl who did nothing all day.
Later, when Shen Yunfang's mother died, naturally Yunfang dropped out of school, and gradually what used to be both girls gathering pig forage on holidays became just Yunfang doing it every day. Shen Yingxue's only responsibility was to come and collect the pig forage from Yunfang after school.
It could be said that Shen Yingxue's pig was reared by Shen Yunfang. Of course, in such a small village, secrets couldn't be concealed for long. Because Yunfang was seen delivering pig forage to Shen Yingxue's house every day, the villagers gradually figured out what was going on. However, the villagers' perception of Yunfang did not improve; she even earned the nickname "foolish girl." Indeed, she went through the trouble of cutting pig forage for someone else's pigs daily, while neglecting her own family's pig—a real act of foolishness.
"That's how it is. Then you should come back first. My health is failing, and my strength is gone. I really can't help you anymore," Shen Yunfang, having understood everything, wanted to simply tell the girl in front of her to drop out and tend to her own family's pig. However, abruptly burning bridges with her past friend could draw unwanted attention from others. After all, she was now a different person inside. Even if her personality had changed, she couldn't make such a drastic shift immediately; there had to be a gradual change.
Shen Yingxue looked incredulous, "Yun, Yunfang, you... you..." This wasn't following the script. Weren't you supposed to comfort me, encourage me, and proactively take over the chore of collecting pig forage?
These past days, since Shen Yunfang was sick with a fever and couldn't work, she naturally could not gather pig forage. With no wild greens to feed it, the pig at Shen Yingxue's house was starving and crying out. Liu Zhaozhi refused to let Shen Yingxue go to school, so Shen Yingxue had no choice but to seek out Shen Yunfang for help.
"Yingxue, I understand your kindness. You're worried about me, knowing I'm unwell, and you don't want me to overexert myself. I know all that," Shen Yunfang said with an expression of deep understanding. "Sigh, don't you think people's thoughts change when they are about to die? You don't know, the fever I had this time was so severe, at night, I even dreamed that my mom came to take me away."
Shen Yingxue suddenly became alarmed—dreaming of the deceased coming for you was a sign of impending death, wasn't it?
"Maybe my mother still can't bear to part with me, and I woke up the next day. However, I've also come to realize many things. Yingxue, honestly, nothing matters much when you're alive except for your health. I definitely can't abuse my body just because I'm young; do you understand?" Shen Yunfang spoke earnestly.
"Ah?" Shen Yingxue wore a look of utter confusion.
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"Ah, I'm too tired. Every day, it's just me taking care of everything inside and out, and I still have to work for food and drink. I simply don't have the strength to do anything else. Yunfang, I'm really sorry, I can't help you anymore," Shen Yunfang said, shaking her head with a sigh as she walked past her towards her home.
Shen Yingxue didn't process her words until Shen Yunfang had walked down the hill, "Ah, Yunfang?"
Shen Yunfang, ahead of her, didn't turn back; she just waved her hand and quickened her pace, hoping to walk away from the person behind her and slip back to her own home.
A friend like this, one must cut ties with as soon as possible; she was no longer the fool she used to be.
But things did not go as she wanted. Shen Yingxue quickly caught on and followed Shen Yunfang right into the Shen family's home.
Now there was no way to drive her out, so Shen Yunfang pretended she didn't exist and started to briskly wash pans and prepare food after entering the house.
Shen Yingxue followed her around and then said in a hesitant voice, "Yunfang, why do I feel like you've changed?"
"Changed? How have I changed?" Shen Yunfang picked up a flour sack and scooped out a small bowl of cornmeal, mixed it with water, and thought about the cornmeal porridge she had had that morning. Although she had two and a half bowls, it hardly kept her full, and she was hungry again after just a short while.
Shen Yunfang ignored the person behind her and went down to the cellar to check on the family's stores, then frowned. The family really was poor. The only grain they had was the small half bag of cornmeal they had brought up that morning. Soybeans, rice beans, and mung beans couldn't be made into meals, only millet could be used to steam buns, but she didn't know how to make them. There were also less than a basketful of sweet potatoes and about ten potato-sized tubers in the cellar.
"I can't quite put my finger on it." Could Shen Yingxue say it was because she didn't help her pick pigweed that she's changed? The real thoughts in her heart couldn't be spoken out loud, so she had to grasp at other reasons, "What... what are you doing in the cellar?" How could she just walk away while talking, it was rude.
"There's nothing left to eat at home, I'm checking to see if there's anything that can fill our stomachs," Shen Yunfang's muffled voice came from the cellar.
"If there's nothing to eat, you could just go eat at your uncle's," Shen Yingxue said as if it was the most natural thing.
"No, it's better to eat what's mine," Shen Yunfang said as she climbed out of the cellar with two big sweet potatoes.
Shen Yingxue, very observant, took the sweet potatoes from her hands, "Let me help you."
"Oh, that's great, I'm feeling weak. Going up and down like this makes me so dizzy, please wash the sweet potatoes clean," Shen Yunfang ordered naturally after climbing out, furiously dusting off her clothes.
Seeing that there was no space left on the stove to place the sweet potatoes, Shen Yingxue, watching Shen Yunfang touch her head and complain of dizziness, had no choice but to go out to the backyard to fetch water and wash the sweet potatoes.
Shen Yunfang hummed softly and didn't bother with her anymore, seeing that the water in the pot had started to boil, she began to stir and put the cornmeal in, "Quick, the pot is boiling."
"Okay," Shen Yingxue's voice came from behind the house.
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