The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead-Chapter 22 - Awareness

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Awareness

Chapter 22 -22: Awareness

Although she wanted to go out, Jingqiu eventually stayed in the house and made a quilt with her mother through many trials and errors all afternoon.

While they were putting the quilt away, Zhou Lanping gave another reminder, “Use the lighter one when the weather gets a bit cool and the thicker one for winter. We have two thick ones and a light one in our bedroom. We take them apart and wash them once a season. Your dad, being a man, usually doesn’t care about these things. He leaves everything to me. When the time comes, you’ll have to remind your dad whenever the season changes.”

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Lu Jingqiu, helping her mother with the quilt, laughed and said, “Mom, I understand. When you two are old, I’ll take care of everything. You don’t need to tell me, I’ll learn it gradually.”

Zhou Lanping was deeply troubled. Now that it came down to it, she realized there was so much she needed to teach her daughter that she didn’t even know where to start. She wished she could cram all her worries into her daughter’s mind in one day.

“Some things still require a mother to tell you how. When you get married, have children, these are all important events. Oh, right, the garlic sprouts I pickled early in the summer are under the kitchen cabinet. Your dad loves them, so make sure he gets them in the fall. And our food ration book, I’ll take you to the grain station one of these days to show you how to exchange the food for grain coupons so you won’t get cheated.”

Before Lu Jingqiu could object, a cheerful laugh from her aunt came from outside the door, and she walked in while talking, “Sis, I heard you giving instructions from the doorstep. These trivial matters, what’s there to explain, it’s as if you’re arranging your last affairs.”

Arranging her last affairs! A loud buzz sounded in Jingqiu’s head, and everything went dark before her eyes!

“Why is Lanqin back at this time?”

Zhou Lanqin placed the fresh chives she had brought for her elder sister on the table, saying, “I’m off this afternoon. I got these fresh chives from the farm that supplies us. I thought I’d bring you some, they’re good for making dumplings.”

As she noticed the cotton quilt in their hands, she added, “Why are you making a cotton quilt in such hot weather?”

Zhou Lanping glanced at her stunned daughter and said somewhat unnaturally, “Just passing the time while resting at home, and I thought it’s a good opportunity to teach Qiuqiu. I don’t even know if she knows how to take apart and wash quilts while being away for all those years.”

Zhou Lanqin laughed, “Qiuqiu is so clean, she would figure it out on her own or ask the villagers for help. Right, Qiuqiu? Qiuqiu?”

“Ah, Auntie.”

Zhou Lanping cast a glance at her daughter, “Your aunt is talking to you. What’s the matter with you, child?”

Lu Jingqiu quickly regained composure and smiled, “Auntie, I had our dorm mates help me wash them twice. You must be tired. Have a seat and chat with my mom, and I will cut some melon for you. Mom and I bought sweet melons at the farmers market today.”

Zhou Lanqin, watching Jingqiu’s busy figure and listening to Zhou Lanping’s praise, said, “Sis, Qiuqiu has become a lot more sensible since she came back this time.”

“Yes, the more sensible she is, the more we pity her.”

“How’s the situation with your work, any prospects?”

“I applied at the children’s publishing house last week; they told me to come for a written test tomorrow.”

Lu Jingqiu carried the quilt inside, where her aunt and mother’s voices were all around, but she heard none of it; her mind was engulfed with confusion all afternoon.

After dinner, Lu Jingqiu went upstairs early.

Zhou Lanping’s symptoms weren’t too severe these past few days. Before she knew what it was, it didn’t seem too serious.

It was only later that it began to worsen, which she believed was due to psychological pressure.

Lu Xianrun watched helplessly as his wife suffered, feeling ants crawling in his heart, both distressed and anxious.

“Are you still in pain?”

“The medicine keeps it in check for a while; I just took it and it will take some time to work. It’s really all psychological for me; I might have been better off without knowing about the disease.”

Lu Xianrun said, “What are you talking about? My leave will be approved in a few days. With your condition, how can we afford the travel fatigue?”

Zhou Lanping was determined to get out and about; she didn’t want to just sit at home waiting to die, “We can’t go; I feel fine. Don’t burden yourselves with my situation.”

Lu Xianrun said, “How can we not feel burdened? Has Qiuqiu noticed anything?”

“No, these past few days she’s been thinking about finding a traditional Chinese doctor to treat my stomach.”

Lu Xianrun sighed deeply, his brow furrowed, “I’ve also asked Old Tan from the army; he’s an experienced doctor in our military hospital, but even he has no solution for liver cancer. The best option would be hospitalization and surgery; there might still be hope.”

Zhou Lanping shook her head, “I’ve seen too many surgeries, and while it helps for a while, it only lasts for a short period. The suffering in between is worse than just dying sooner.”

“Lanping…”

Zhou Lanping, being a medical professional, was relatively rational, but when it came to her dearest ones, she couldn’t bear it either. Lu Xianrun dared not contemplate what life without his wife would be like.

“Alright, can’t you just let me be happy in my last days? I’m not working now and can finally rest. It’d be even better if you could make me as happy as Qiuqiu does all day.”

“Qiuqiu doesn’t know.”

“To keep it from her for even one day is a day’s gain. She’s looking for a job right now, has an exam tomorrow, and can’t be distracted.”

“I know.”

Lu Xianrun hugged her tightly into his arms, cheek to cheek, and the tears of the couple in the room mingled together, scalding hot, yet indistinguishable as to whose were whose.

The words just spoken had all been overheard by Lu Jingqiu, who was hiding outside the window. At that moment, her tears had been flowing for who knows how long. She covered her mouth to keep from making noise, crouching there for an unknowable amount of time.

The house was already devoid of light, shrouded in darkness, and the chill of summer invaded unabashedly with the coming of night, assaulting Lu Jingqiu’s body.

She returned to her room in a daze, not even knowing how she managed to fall asleep.

That night, her mind was filled with images of her mother’s death from years ago, every memory tinted with greyness.

They say a child without a mother is like a blade of grass. Even though she still had her father’s love, her mother’s absence could not be filled by any other affection.

In her previous life, she had lost her mother, and in this life, she thought it was a new beginning. Yet, some things just can’t be avoided.

…

“Qiuqiu, Qiuqiu? Why are you so hot? The child has a fever.”

Lu Jingqiu heard her mother’s anxious voice in a groggy state and then she was gone again.

Thinking about the exam she had to take today, she got out of bed in her confused state, quickly freshened up, grabbed her bag, and went downstairs.

“Mom. Mom?”

After calling out a few times without a response, she hurried out the door to save time.

The Children’s Publishing House was just a ten-minute bus ride from the compound’s entrance.

The exam took place in the publishing house’s courtyard. When Lu Jingqiu arrived, the seats that were set out were almost full.

There were roughly fifty tables, with an additional dozen set up on the ground floor. With over two hundred candidates registered, it was first come, first served. Once a group finished, the next would start their exams. Those who hadn’t taken it yet waited their turn, with the goal of finishing up by noon.

Communication in between was not allowed.

Although there was still a chance of cheating, this wasn’t all about the liberal arts. The main focus was on drawing skills.

The literature test involved understanding and guiding children’s growth, where you primarily expressed your own viewpoints.

The drawing section required creating illustrations for a catchy rhyme.

For Lu Jingqiu, who had been in the field for decades, the task was incredibly easy. She completed it in an hour and a half, despite having two hours at her disposal. To avoid people outside looking for her to ask about the questions, she intended to wait until the end to leave, but unexpectedly fell asleep right there at the table.

In the meantime, Zhang Miao from the editorial department came by and was amazed to see she had finished so quickly and drawn so well.

Yang Ting saw it too, but she also noticed Lu Jingqiu’s reddened eyes and her listless spirit. She was the first person they had ever seen fall asleep in the middle of an exam.

Lu Jingqiu was woken up when the exam ended. After inquiring about when the results would be notified, she headed straight back home.

Due to the persistent high fever, Lu Jingqiu barely reached the bus stop when a wave of dizziness swept over her. The world around her turned pitch black. In panic, she flailed her arms, desperately trying to steady herself by grabbing onto something, but she didn’t know what. Right before she fainted, she saw a green figure step into her view.