LAVW – Chapter 104 Immature

Shi Qian’s mind, while sighing to himself, automatically recalled some memories of being put in a chokehold by Chen Niu.

Chen Niu had always been a strong guy!

It was just that the simple and honest image he usually showed made Shi Qian forget how good this fellow’s skills actually were.

Shi Qian didn’t know how he had trained, but whenever he looked at Chen Niu, he always felt the youngster had some secrets.

But Chen Niu wasn’t paying attention to the little cow. He kept staring at the old lady, as if doing so could speed up the passage of time and make Zhang Peyue suddenly get better.

But his gaze didn’t have that sort of power.

After taking the medicine, Zhang Peyue woke up. Her condition improved, but only a little.

She could now eat a bit more, but she was still extremely weak.

Through his “walls have ears” talent, Shi Qian managed to overhear the doctor updating Chen Niu on her condition. He learned that the imported medicine couldn’t be said to be useless—at least it had dragged the old lady back from the edge of death to a state as fragile as paper. But saying it would quickly cure her—that was far from reality.

Chen Niu pressed on, “Doctor, can we keep using more of the medicine? If she takes more, will she get better?”

“You can finish the medicine you brought, but this is likely the extent of its effect. The old lady’s current condition is because her body was overdrawn too severely back then—her health is just too poor.”

Overdrawn too severely?

Chen Niu remembered those days of starvation.

He had nearly starved himself to death—how could that not damage the body?

In the village, it wasn’t as if only the elderly died; younger people had died too, and everyone said it was “their body being too weak.” In the past, Chen Niu simply felt sad at such loss of life. But now, he could truly feel the pain and bitterness of being on the brink.

He covered his face with one hand, trying to hide the anguish on his expression.

Shi Qian turned around as well, not wanting to listen anymore.

He crouched outside the ward, not daring to enter. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions, and that Zhang Peyue would realize something was wrong and become upset.

When Chen Niu returned, another figure crouched beside him.

Shi Qian leaned his head toward Chen Niu and saw his reddened eyes.

Shi Qian lowered his voice: “Moo…”

I want to cry too.

Then big tears rolled out of Shi Qian’s big eyes, dripping down.

Chen Niu froze as he watched, and his already red eyes grew even wetter.

He reached out and wiped the tears off Shi Qian’s face.

“You found out.”

Chen Niu’s voice was low, sounding both like a sigh and like he was murmuring to himself.

Unable to hold back his emotions, Chen Niu hugged the cow and cried too.

Hearing the muffled crying, Lin Nanyin came out and saw the scene. Her heart twisted in a way that was hard to describe.

She wiped the corners of her eyes and thought of the many books she had read. She realized they were far too shallow—enough to make her think she understood many things, but at a moment like this, she was powerless.

A sudden, strong desire to study further rose in her. She didn’t want… to continue being shaped and molded like this.

She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life farming in Victory Village.

Working on the frontlines of grain production was honorable, yes—but she was clearly not suited for farm work.

Lin Nanyin thought about many things, and after holding herself together until Chen Niu finished resting and returned to take over caring for the old lady, she went to call her mother.

She said she no longer needed money—Chen Niu had figured out a way to get some. She also talked about her pain and her thoughts at this moment.

After listening, Mother Lin fell silent for a long moment before offering weak comfort: “Nanyin, keep studying. As long as we have books, we can keep learning. Just do what you’ve always done—keep studying.”

“Look at our country—it really needs many knowledgeable people to help make society better.”

“Just hold on a little longer. Mom believes things will get better.”

Zhang Peyue stayed in the hospital for another two days. She drank bitter medicine and had many long and short needles inserted in her scalp and in her leg that had partially lost sensation.

On the third day again, the old lady was no longer willing to stay in the hospital.

She half-reclined against the pillow and said proactively, “Take me back.”

She looked at Chen Niu, who lowered his head.

Then she looked at Shi Qian.

Shi Qian did not lower his head or avert his eyes. He mooed twice.

But he looked so blank and dazed that Zhang Peyue couldn’t guess what he meant. After thinking a bit, she suspected he still didn’t agree with her request.

Zhang Peyue sighed. “Didn’t the doctor say I could go back, take my medicine properly, and come back every three days for acupuncture? It’s the same.”

Her cough had stopped. This was thanks to a new prescription that Lin Nanyin and the doctor had worked out together—it was quite effective.

Her appetite had also improved a bit, enough that people wouldn’t be too worried.

But since Chen Niu was the one taking care of her closely, and Shi Qian was observant too, how could they not know she still had dizziness, and that her leg still lacked sensation? The major underlying issue hadn’t disappeared.

Because of this worry, Chen Niu was unwilling to leave the hospital, even though it wasn’t like there was much they could do here.

He was terrified that even the smallest accident might happen, and he felt he wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences.

Shi Qian was just as timid—just as afraid.

He had even considered taking Zhang Peyue to the city hospital or the provincial hospital to get checked.

If the doctor hadn’t said she couldn’t endure bumps or fatigue, and if transportation wasn’t so difficult right now, he and Chen Niu might have already done it.

Faced with two disobedient grandsons, and knowing the pressure and sadness they had been under lately, Zhang Peyue didn’t have the heart to resist too harshly.

She simply had the thought in her heart, and the pain was truly hard to bear; she couldn’t help sighing, and her mood grew heavy.

On the fourth day, Chen Niu finally nodded in agreement and brought the old lady home.

As long as she was happy, that was enough.

That day, Xu Aigang brought Shi Qian over, and Shi Qian was strapped into the most stable cart in the village.

As they left the hospital, Zhang Peyue visibly relaxed.

Staying in a hospital actually brought a great deal of pressure to a patient—she would rather go home, where familiar surroundings gave her peace of mind.

As for the rest—they had already done their best.

At her age, Zhang Peyue saw things quite clearly.

She didn’t treat life lightly, nor did she cling to it excessively. Just as she had told Shi Qian: life and death were fate. When the time truly came, there was nothing anyone could do.

Xu Aigang wanted to compete with Chen Niu for the job of driving the cart, believing he was Victory Village’s best ox-car driver.

Chen Niu let him have it, making Xu Aigang experience what it felt like to be “absolutely useless.”

Shi Qian: …

Your eyesight isn’t as good as mine.

After entering the village, many people greeted them, all asking how Zhang Peyue was doing.

Zhang Peyue smiled. “I’m alright. See, I’m back.”

“At my age, illness just comes with the territory.”

By the time they reached home, the cart Shi Qian was pulling had accumulated gifts—eggs, small fish, red dates, and other foods good for recovery.

Chen Niu’s second aunt, Du Chunlai, helped light the fire and cooked red date porridge for the old lady. Since Chen Niu had bought flour, she could also make soft steamed buns.

Chen Niu went to tidy up the old lady’s room.

Having money and ration tickets had its perks — it meant they could replace all the things in Grandma’s room with better ones.

A new quilt, a rare hot-water bottle, enamel cups… all brand-new.

As for Shi Qian, his job was to keep the bored old lady company.

Since cleaning the room kicked up dust, Chen Niu didn’t let Grandma go inside. Right now she was sitting on Chen Niu’s bed.

Shi Qian carried over a miscellaneous book in his mouth. “Moo-moo.”

Grandma, want to read?

This book was a rare item; they had borrowed it from Xie Guoan. Rumor said it was a popular read outside. Of course, it was Shi Qian who had told Chen Niu to borrow it from Teacher Xie — he wanted to read it.

One must study; how could you skip extracurricular reading?

Grandma now had a bit of strength in her hands, and she was bored, so she opened the book.

But the moment she flipped it open, she remembered something and said, “Qian Niuhua, go check if my notebook is still in the bed.”

Shi Qian had forgotten about it — he only remembered when he heard the words “in the bed”: the notebook with the pressed flower between its pages.

“Moo-moo.”

Don’t worry, I’ll go look.

By coincidence—

When Chen Niu pulled Grandma’s old notebook out from under the blanket, it flipped open and spread out onto the floor. The page that opened happened to be the one with the pressed flower. The very page Shi Qian had seen.

So when Shi Qian trotted into Grandma’s room, he saw Chen Niu staring silently at the notebook.

Shi Qian went closer and peeked at the dried flower.

Seriously — speak of the devil.

“Moo-moo.”

Don’t look, it’s impolite.

Shi Qian lifted a hoof to help Grandma protect her private matters.

Chen Niu only looked at that single page before closing the notebook following the little cow’s gesture.

But the way he looked at Shi Qian held something… unusual.

Shi Qian didn’t notice it yet. He carried the notebook back in his mouth and returned it to Grandma.

Chen Niu said nothing. He just continued tidying up the room, replacing everything with the best he could buy.

After finishing, he went to carry Grandma over to this room so she could rest.

Shi Qian didn’t tell Grandma that Chen Niu had seen the contents of the notebook, so Zhang Peyue simply stuffed the notebook under her pillow and lay down to rest, reassured.

The only thing she could do was rest well and enjoy this comfort.

That way the children would have peace of mind, and so would she.

Chen Niu went out again to boil herbal medicine and answer Second Aunt Du Chun’s questions about Grandma and the hospital.

But his mind was drifting. He couldn’t stop thinking—

So even his serious, sharp, disciplined grandma had once been a lively young girl who secretly stole flowers from her sisters at night.

“Night thief” — those three words circled endlessly in his head.

Who knew she once had such youthful days? Not just the unlucky, broken-legged woman outsiders said his good-for-nothing grandfather had stumbled into by luck.

Chen Niu knew his grandfather was considered a bum by the older generation. Back then he went away to pull carts, spent three years without saving two yuan. In the end, other people from their hometown died in the turmoil, yet he came back lucky — with a woman in tow.

Because his grandfather liked to drink and fool around, never cared for the home, Chen Niu’s father lived a hard life, stewing for years until he turned half-simple, not sharp at all.

Then came the long era of war and famine. The useless man died early. Grandma Zhang Peyue raised the child alone.

She had originally planned to raise her half-simple son and just get by as mother and child.

But who expected even a “simpleton” could have his springtime? Chen Niu’s mother, helpless and unwelcome in her own family, couldn’t survive there anymore. She spent her life’s savings to snatch him away and formed a household of “one disabled, one half-simple, and one sullen blockhead.”

Later it became a family of four.

Then came the famine. Only the grandma and grandson survived — and now, today…

Chen Niu finished boiling the medicine and forced the thoughts away, showing nothing in front of the old lady.

Zhang Peyue tried her best to eat and drink, even tried on the new clothes Du Chun had made for her, then went to rest once she got tired.

After watching Grandma fall asleep, Chen Niu went to tidy up his own room and handle some work in the vegetable patch.

Shi Qian followed him, munching on weeds in the field.

While eating, he suddenly heard Chen Niu look at him curiously and call out, “Hey… are you… Grandpa Qiao?”

Shi Qian: ???

The little yellow cow shook his head decisively. “Moo-moo.”

No, I’m not. Don’t talk nonsense.

Chen Niu: “Just admit it openly. I don’t mind you and my grandma…”

Staring at his meaningful gaze, Shi Qian was utterly speechless.

No wonder his look had been so weird earlier — turns out he thought Shi Qian was Grandma’s old lover.

But I’m really not!!

Shi Qian lifted a hoof. “Moooo—”

Idiot. Take my kick.

Chen Niu jumped away at once. “Okay, okay, I know you’re not. It’s all just coincidence. I overthought it.”

Internally, he muttered: His grandma would never like someone this immature.