Longing from afar, sending pastries as tokens of affection

That night, Jing Qingxin lay on the soft bed, unable to sleep, tossing and turning throughout the evening. Her right hand gripped the ancient ink jade pendant tightly, her mind awash with countless thoughts.

She had no idea what had happened. Why couldn’t she cross over tonight? Had the ancient ink jade pendant lost its power? Or was there trouble on the other side of the time stream, with Gao Shen? Jing Qingxin considered countless possibilities, yet none could be confirmed, leaving her heart heavy with frustration.

At this moment, her anxiety over being unable to cross over was eclipsed by deeper concern for Gao Shen’s safety. She wondered if something had gone wrong on his side, making it impossible for her to rest, her eyes wide open as she waited for dawn.

After Jing Qingxin left, Gao Shen’s life returned to its solitary quiet. Now that he had a kitchen and food was more plentiful, he no longer wished to trouble the neighboring Li family.

The next morning, Gao Shen washed up and prepared a simple meal for himself. He then applied medicine to his leg and, following Jing Qingxin’s instructions, took his pills on time.

Living alone was endlessly lonely. Gao Shen took out the books Jing Qingxin had given him, and even though he had already read them, his enthusiasm remained undiminished. Perhaps only when immersed in the sea of books did time seem to pass more quickly.

For the first time, Gao Shen felt that when he was alone, time stretched unbearably long.

He read in the morning, ate a simple lunch without much thought for anything fancy—so long as it filled his stomach, it sufficed. In the afternoon, he followed Jing Qingxin’s advice: he basked in the sun for a while and exercised his legs in the small courtyard.

“Brother Gao, where’s Sister Jing?” Li Xiaomei, carrying a bamboo basket on her wrist, walked into the courtyard and saw Gao Shen strolling slowly. She didn’t see Jing Qingxin and couldn’t help but ask, curious.

Gao Shen stopped in his tracks and replied coolly, “She had something to attend to and went back.”

Li Xiaomei’s eyes widened, her voice full of agitation. “She went back?! But I didn’t hear she was leaving! When did she go? Will she come again?”

Gao Shen’s words were a shock to Li Xiaomei, leaving her more disappointed and sad. Her family was poor, living in a remote corner of the village, and she had few close friends. Often, she felt lonely. She had a brother, but since men and women were different, there were many things she couldn’t talk about with him—and besides, her brother was a bit of a dullard.

But Sister Jing’s arrival had brought her joy and warmth; she was the first friend Li Xiaomei truly accepted in her heart. She liked Sister Jing, so lovely in appearance and gentle in character.

To suddenly learn that Sister Jing had left quietly, Li Xiaomei felt indescribable sadness. Was she to return to her old, lonely life?

“Don’t worry, it was an urgent matter, so she left in a hurry. She’ll be back in a few days,” Gao Shen explained.

Seeing Li Xiaomei’s anxious and disappointed expression, Gao Shen felt a blockage in his own chest. But as a soldier, hardened by eight years in the army, he’d learned not to show his true emotions before others.

Yet Jing Qingxin was an exception. Though their time together had been brief, he always found himself unable to control his emotions in her presence. There was an indescribable feeling—being with her made him feel unprecedented relaxation.

“Oh, that’s good! I’ll wait for Sister Jing to return! Brother Gao, I just picked these wild vegetables for you and Sister Jing.” Hearing that Sister Jing would return, Li Xiaomei’s mood brightened instantly. Without waiting for Gao Shen to say more, she carried her bamboo basket into the kitchen, poured the cleaned wild vegetables into a porcelain basin, and left.

Walking out from the kitchen, Li Xiaomei suddenly remembered Gao Shen’s injured leg and inquired, “Brother Gao, since Sister Jing isn’t here, my mother can cook dinner and bring it over for you!”

Gao Shen replied directly, “No need. My leg is much better, I can manage myself. Later, could you ask your brother to come by? I need his help with something.”

Li Xiaomei didn’t dare delay when she heard he needed something, quickly agreeing and running off to find her brother in the fields.

Gao Shen walked around the yard for a while. His left foot gradually regained strength, and he started to walk more normally. He restrained the excitement in his heart and remembered Jing Qingxin’s words: rehabilitation mustn’t be rushed—he should tailor his training to his recovery.

Feeling he’d exercised enough for the day, Gao Shen sat on a wooden bench in the courtyard to rest. Looking up at the blue sky, his mind drifted to yesterday’s scene—in this very spot, Jing Qingxin had embraced him, filling him with boundless warmth. Even now, he seemed to feel the lingering warmth of her embrace.

“Gao Shen, you called for me?” Li Dahuo wiped the sweat from his brow and hurried into the courtyard.

“Don’t rush, sit and rest for a bit,” Gao Shen said, pointing to the bench.

Li Dahuo and Gao Shen were only a few months apart in age; both were twenty-five this year. In the countryside, that made them older bachelors—many young men their age already had children who could help in the fields.

Gao Shen remained unmarried because he’d dedicated himself to the army, never having the time or inclination, and he hadn’t met a woman he truly cared for, so the years slipped by.

Li Dahuo wasn’t unattractive—his features were decent, and years of hard work had made him strong. He was honest and industrious. In theory, such a young man shouldn’t lack admirers in the village. But the Li family belonged to the production team, notorious for poverty; no one wanted to marry their daughter into such a household, preferring to trade their daughters for more grain.

Times were hard, and most people had survived famine. Fear of hunger lingered, and in rural areas, the preference for sons over daughters was strong. Girls were married off at fifteen or sixteen to bring grain into the family, and families like the Li’s simply didn’t have spare grain to afford a bride.

Li Yougen’s mother hadn’t lived through the famine years, and his elderly father, plagued by illness, passed away two years ago. The family’s finances had been just barely manageable, but the cost of medicine and treatment for the old man drove them into poverty, even accruing some debts. This was why Li Dahuo, at twenty-five, still hadn’t married.

After sitting together for a while, Gao Shen finally spoke to Li Dahuo about what he needed. Last night, he and Jing Qingxin had prepared the pastries, and originally Jing Qingxin was supposed to deliver them as a gift today. But since she was gone, and the pastries couldn’t be kept long, Gao Shen decided to ask Li Dahuo to help deliver them.

—Extra Notes—

PS: Many readers in the bookstore have been asking for extra updates. Here’s a unified response. As the novel is currently in the public period, we’re waiting for the platform to arrange recommendations and official release, so for now updates are kept at two thousand words a day. Some authors do one thousand per chapter, but although I only post one update, the word count is the same.

Before official release, there are three cases for extra updates: 1) every Friday, 2) when the platform recommends the book, 3) when rewarded for extra updates.

Once officially released, daily updates will be four thousand words or more!

Thank you for following this story, and I hope you continue to support both the novel and my writing—much love!

This book is first published by Xiaoxiang Academy. Please do not repost.