Chapter 8, Vines

The lingering scent of traditional Chinese medicine made her head feel heavy. After a long while, she realized that it was already biology class, and she had only completed one question on her math test. She let out a long sigh, her heart finally at ease, shedding the continuous sense of grievance. She hid behind the tall stack of books, scribbling disjointed phrases on a piece of scrap paper. She smiled calmly, yet her heart was filled with a subtle sadness.

Bai Cao suddenly felt puzzled. Could Ji Tianmin treat her like Shen Jiacheng treated Churan? She recalled the clear mornings of the past, the kites soaring over the vast fields of rapeseed flowers, and the sweet taste of candy on her tongue. It was both nostalgic and warm. She quietly wondered if this was also what it meant to like someone. Ji Tianmin must like her. She tried her best not to think too much about it, feeling quite embarrassed. If he could always be kind to her, it would also be a form of reliance and support. She liked this feeling, even wishing to fall ill in front of him, to take the medicine he brought, and to be taken to the hospital by him. Ji Tianmin must like her. She tried her best not to think too much about it, feeling quite embarrassed. If he could always be kind to her, it would also be a form of reliance and support. She liked this feeling, even wishing to fall ill in front of him, to take the medicine he brought, and to be taken to the hospital by him

He spoke while coughing violently

The bus to San Zhong has arrived. Just before Ji Tianmin boarded, he suddenly pulled Bai Cao's hand. Bai Cao felt a shiver run through her, recalling the exams in the third year of junior high when their seats were always arranged one in front of the other. During the distribution of test papers, he had also intentionally or unintentionally brushed against her hand, a sensation that felt like an electric current coursing through her body. Now, that feeling has returned. She stood there, staring blankly as the bus drove away, sunlight gently filtering through the leaves of the camphor tree. Suddenly, she turned around and ran swiftly, just like she used to on the playground in the small town. She stood there, staring blankly as the bus drove away, sunlight gently filtering through the leaves of the camphor tree. Suddenly, she turned around and ran swiftly, just like she used to on the playground in the small town.

How could I not be well! Baicao smiled gently, her gaze drifting over to Shen Jiacheng not far away. Before she could manage to conceal the trace of melancholy in her eyes, Churuan came over with a beaming smile, took Baicao's hand, and asked, "Is he your classmate?"

Outside, there is a long street. The magnolia trees sway their lush green leaves, while Baicao and Ji Tianmin stroll slowly in the dappled shadows of the trees. The wind is cold, and the temperature is quite low. The barbershop by the roadside has its glass door tightly shut, with occasional splashes of shampoo water spilling out from inside. In the boutique, a few girls linger, selecting various small items back and forth, laughing and chatting with the shopkeeper. A lazy cat lies on a rattan chair at the entrance of the bookstore, and through the gentle sunlight, the fine veins in the cat's ears can be clearly seen. The barbecue stall emits a persistent aroma of hot oil, which is quite tempting. A long-haired woman riding a tricycle, wrapped in a dark-patterned green scarf, sways her robust hips as she pulls a cart filled with colorful glutinous rice cakes. The small horn on the front of the cart blares out, "Glutinous rice cakes, glutinous rice cakes!"

Yet her mood remained dismal. As autumn deepened day by day, the ginkgo leaves began to fall in large clusters, resembling butterflies collectively heading towards death. Upon arriving at Jin'an and the First High School, she seemed to have lost something, no longer possessing the serene state of mind she once had in Qingmian. She missed Qingmian so much. Looking up at the fluffy clouds in the blue sky, tears unexpectedly filled her eyes. It was then that she realized the loneliness within her heart, longing to return to Qingmian. The chrysanthemums in the yard must have bloomed by now; Grandma must be preparing to embroider chrysanthemum pillows, and Grandpa must also be starting to brew chrysanthemum medicinal wine. Looking up at the fluffy clouds in the blue sky, tears unexpectedly filled her eyes. It was then that she realized the loneliness within her heart, longing to return to Qingmian. The chrysanthemums in the yard must have bloomed by now; Grandma must be preparing to embroider chrysanthemum pillows, and Grandpa must also be starting to brew chrysanthemum medicinal wine. Those colorful and fragrant memories left her entranced. She truly wished to sleep soundly with the sounds of birds and water in Qingmian. Thus, during the Mid-Autumn Festival break, Baicao took the bus back to Qingmian by herself.

Her parents are quite satisfied with her grades. They said that as long as she maintains this performance until her third year of high school, getting into a prestigious university will definitely not be a problem. What girls fear the most is a significant drop in grades during the second year of high school, from which it is difficult to recover.

At that moment, Baicao's heart trembled, and she lowered her head to count the grains of rice in her bowl. However, the aunt had shifted the topic and no longer mentioned the Shen family. Yet, Baicao could not enjoy her meal, constantly trying to conceal her heavy thoughts. The aunt, concerned, asked, "Baicao, is it that my cooking is not as good as your mother's?" Baicao hurriedly shook her head and smiled sweetly.

Upon seeing Baicao, Grandpa and Grandma were taken aback. Baicao hesitated at the threshold, one foot still outside, while the other hurriedly stepped inside. Indeed, the yard was filled with vibrant red and purple chrysanthemums, and freshly cut herbs were drying on bamboo sieves, exuding a pleasant aroma. In the corner, the goji berries had ripened, their juice seemingly ready to burst forth at any moment. Each berry was plump and round, glistening like falling dew, as lovely as agate beads. Baicao's heart instantly relaxed, yet felt a tinge of grievance, gazing at his grandparents with a look of a lost child who had just found his way home. That melancholic and delicate gaze tugged at Grandma's heartstrings. Grandma said, "Oh, Baicao, you came back alone? Did you take a bus? Your parents didn't come back with you? How many days are you on vacation? ... You can sleep at home ..."

Baicao also tried to obtain some information from Churan. She casually asked Churan, "Were you and Shen Jiacheng classmates before?"

And in the turn of a moment, he was right in front of her. With a slightly shy smile, after not seeing each other for half a year, he seemed to have grown taller, and there was even a faint ring of soft fuzz at the corners of his mouth, resembling the delicate down on a chick. He called her, Chen Baicao

Being the representative for the Chinese language subject is indeed quite challenging. There are not many students who take the Chinese assignments seriously, especially the boys, who tend to be rather perfunctory. Collecting the assignments every day has become the most awkward and helpless task for Baicao. Baicao diligently wrote on the blackboard: Please have the group leaders collect today's Chinese assignments.

Class Two, Year One. Churan eagerly said, "You are going to write a letter, right? Hehe, make sure to write letters often!"

Bai Cao saw from the reflection in the glass that Chu Ran obediently drank the fragrant and bitter traditional Chinese medicine under the gentle and tolerant gaze of Jia Cheng. The world fell silent for a moment. Chu Ran held onto the classroom door frame, accepting Jia Cheng's doting and pained gaze. Bai Cao tightly gripped the pen, her nails unknowingly embedding into her flesh. It was only when she felt the pain that she realized Chu Ran had returned to her seat. To Bai Cao, there was a pleasant taste in the shallow and deep coughs of Chu Ran. Bai Cao tightly gripped the pen, her nails unknowingly embedding into her flesh. It was only when she felt the pain that she realized Chu Ran had returned to her seat. To Bai Cao, there was a pleasant taste in the shallow and deep coughs of Chu Ran.

Yes, we are from the same class. Oh, let me tell you, he was quite mischievous back then, nothing like he is now. Our head teacher stutters a bit, and although he presides over the flag-raising ceremony, he tends to ramble on, which is really annoying. ... One time, Jia Cheng was giving a speech under the national flag and actually imitated the head teacher's stutter, saying ... ... ... fellow students. ... ... ... teacher ... ... ... . We wanted to laugh so badly, and the head teacher was probably furious, but there was nothing he could do about us. Later on, the head teacher rarely presided over the flag-raising ceremony and wasn't as verbose anymore

Bai Cao suddenly felt a sense of humiliation from being deceived. ... Clearly, she saw Chu Ran being so careless and indifferent, hardly ever taking notes, frequently copying homework, and rarely reviewing ... . ... Yet, she still performed so well on the exam. It seemed she had truly underestimated Chu Ran? Was it that Chu Ran was too clever, or was it that Chu Ran was too hypocritical, secretly putting in effort behind her back? She felt dizzy from thinking about it.

When the first cold wave arrived at Jin'an, Churan fell ill. She had a cough, a fever, and her face was flushed with a dazed expression. Her sickly appearance was heart-wrenching. Baicao bought medicine for her to take. She lazily set the medicine aside and pouted, saying she didn't want to take it. Baicao pretended to be angry, gently patting Churan's face, as a sister would do. Churan buried her icy hands in Baicao's embrace, turning her face away and refusing to take the medicine. Baicao said, "If you continue to be so disobedient, I will definitely tell your mother when she comes back." Churan smiled cheerfully, "I'm not afraid at all."

However, Baicao clearly captured a glimmer of movement at the bottom of the initial dye.

She suddenly had a strong and wonderful premonition. She remembered a person; had he also come? She recalled that he seemed to have been admitted to the Third Middle School, so she looked around, searching for the crowd from the Third Middle School. A sense of almost suffocating tension gripped her tightly as she saw a group of classmates who appeared to be wearing the Third Middle School uniform. However, after examining them several times, she could not find him. Thus, she withdrew her searching gaze and turned away in despair. A sense of almost suffocating tension gripped her tightly as she saw a group of classmates who appeared to be wearing the Third Middle School uniform. However, after examining them several times, she could not find him. Thus, she withdrew her searching gaze and turned away in despair.

Why didn't you send it, Churen? It was originally just the two of us working on it.

She ran in circles on the playground of the school in the small town just as she used to. She spread her arms wide, as if to embrace the vast twilight. Her thoughts were chaotic... She had to return to Jin'an, she had to attend class, she had to face so many classmates... It was truly bothersome. She was afraid, but she could not escape.

In a desolate place, she even exaggeratedly spread her arms wide, as the cold wind rushed in, chillingly penetrating her neck. Yet she still felt that the hand he had pulled over was incredibly warm. She extended her tongue, and the sweetness became increasingly rich and fragrant. She was almost intoxicated, her chest filled with a swelling warmth

There was a cup of steaming traditional Chinese medicine. Baicao quickly detected a familiar scent and identified that it likely contained mulberry leaves, forsythia, bitter apricot, balloon flower, licorice, reed root, and other medicinal ingredients. Clearly, this was a formula for dispelling wind, clearing heat, promoting lung function, and stopping coughs. Baicao knew who had arrived, and she was unwilling to meet them, a faint sense of bitterness rising in her heart. She quietly straightened her posture, turned her head to do her math homework, pretending not to know anything. Meanwhile, Churan had happily run out, Shen Jiacheng!

There must be quite a few boys in the class who like Churan. So when they saw that Churan was sick, they all looked anxious and cautiously glanced this way. Baicao felt both amused and exasperated. At that moment, she sensed that there seemed to be someone outside the window

Within the campus of Yizhong, there exists a vast grove of wintersweet. The grove is situated behind a cluster of ancient ginkgo trees, and at its center lies a long-standing pond. The rockery is covered with thick green moss, resembling an elderly figure sitting in silence for an extended period. The water is a deep green, akin to jade, and often, a few slender red fish gracefully swim by, only to vanish in an instant, leaving one to wonder if they had truly been there. In summer, the water blooms with pure white water lilies, while in winter, only a few dark patches of duckweed remain on the surface. The water is a deep green, akin to jade, and often, a few slender red fish gracefully swim by, only to vanish in an instant, leaving one to wonder if they had truly been there. In summer, the water blooms with pure white water lilies, while in winter, only a few dark patches of duckweed remain on the surface.

When the wintersweet blossoms were in full bloom, the preliminary round of the provincial high school mathematics competition was held as scheduled. The examination venue was set at the First High School. Many students participated in the preliminary round, making the First High School quite lively that day. Students from various schools, dressed in different uniforms, stood in front of the teaching building, basking in the sun and chatting casually. Occasionally, some would pass by, warmly calling out to old classmates. The broadcast was playing "Those Flowers." The hoarse and melancholic melody gradually spread in the gentle winter sunlight. Many students participated in the preliminary round, making the First High School quite lively that day. Students from various schools, dressed in different uniforms, stood in front of the teaching building, basking in the sun and chatting casually. Occasionally, some would pass by, warmly calling out to old classmates. The broadcast was playing "Those Flowers." The hoarse and melancholic melody gradually spread in the gentle winter sunlight. Baicao and Churuan were waiting outside the examination room with their stationery and admission tickets. When Shen Jiacheng came from the stairs, Churuan greeted him with a smile, leaving Baicao alone leaning against the balcony, gazing at the distant cluster of wintersweet.

Churan's mother has been away these days, and before leaving, she specifically instructed Baicao to take good care of Churan

No one paid any attention. Baicao had no choice but to walk up to each group leader and speak. The group leaders hesitated and reluctantly moved aside, symbolically taking a stroll, collecting a few scattered assignments. The group leaders felt helpless, and so did Baicao. She could not find the words, merely standing there, concealing the grievance in her eyes. Some boys laughed and said, "Chen Baicao, just forget it, don't collect the assignments. Who did the Chinese homework anyway?" Others chimed in, "Exactly, who is going to do the Chinese homework?" Some boys laughed and said, "Chen Baicao, just forget it, don't collect the assignments. Who did the Chinese homework anyway?" Others chimed in, "Exactly, who is going to do the Chinese homework?"

Bai Cao nodded. Ji Tianmin suddenly hesitated and asked, "Bai Cao, which class are you in"

Thus, the conversation continued in a rambling manner. Meanwhile, Grandpa was busy pouring tea and bringing out oranges. The oranges were freshly picked from their own tree, with the skin not yet fully transformed into a delightful golden hue, still exhibiting a vibrant green. However, Baicao knew that those oranges were already very sweet.

As night falls, the small town wearily prepares for slumber, the encroaching darkness resembling spilled ink. The lights behind the curtains flicker on for the first time, akin to gentle eyes. Grandma has already made the bed, and Baicao lies on her soft bed just like when she was a child, her fingers gliding back and forth over the carved railings of the old wooden bed. The silver bed hooks gently tap against the edge of the bed, with delicate tassels hanging gracefully. Grandma is peeling lilies by the bedside. The lilies bloom petal by petal, softening Baicao's heart. Grandma says, "Child, I will make you lily and lotus seed porridge tomorrow." Baicao curls up under the covers and nods. Grandma says, "Child, you are tired, go to sleep quickly." Baicao nods again and soon falls into a deep slumber.

Ji Tianmin bought two pieces of glutinous rice cake for Baicao. It was commendable that he remembered Baicao's love for these sweet and sticky snacks. However, the glutinous rice cake was surprisingly hard and had already lost its warmth. As soon as Baicao took a bite, she laughed, saying it was so hard to eat! Ji Tianmin was extremely nervous, holding his forehead, unsure of what to do. Baicao took small licks of the cake, reassuring him, it's okay, it's okay, I'm just teasing you to make you happy. She bit into the glutinous rice cake with force, chewed vigorously, and swallowed hard, which finally eased Ji Tianmin's worries. Baicao continued to lick the cake, repeating, it's okay, it's okay, I'm just teasing you to make you happy. She bit into the glutinous rice cake with force, chewed vigorously, and swallowed hard, which finally eased Ji Tianmin's worries. Baicao then used Ji Tianmin's smile to alleviate the fiery pain stuck in her throat. They chatted about some trivial matters, inquiring about each other's course progress and sharing stories from their new school. Fortunately, these topics were hard to tire of, and their conversation was filled with laughter as they walked together without any awkwardness.

Bai Cao scratched her nose, so does that mean she doesn't want to give it to me

Everyone was surprised; the usually gentle and lovely Chen Baicao could actually speak so sternly. A boy stuck out his tongue and obediently submitted his homework. Baicao felt a slight dizziness—she never thought she would say such words. Her face turned a bit red, and as she turned around, she saw Churan smiling sweetly at her, which made her smile secretly as well

Many years later, she could still recall the inexplicable tenderness and melancholy of those times. As she thought about it, tears welled up in her eyes

Bai Cao was momentarily taken aback, suddenly turning around to see him waiting silently outside the classroom. She averted her gaze, still smiling as she said, "Then I can rest assured"

Churan squinted her eyes, immersing herself in beautiful memories. It was a period of time that Baicao had never experienced or understood, yet it resembled a piece of satin with a blurred shadow, deeply captivating Baicao. Baicao suppressed the impulse to pull out this entire piece of satin, patiently waiting for Churan to slowly draw it out.

She felt a bit tired from thinking. So she withdrew her thoughts and quietly watched her grandfather write the prescription. Her grandfather's handwriting was truly beautiful, and the ancient medicinal paper was also quite lovely. The header even had faint characters: Chen's Pharmacy

Bai Cao raised her hand, smiling as she covered half of her cheek, displaying a girlish demeanor. Ji Tianmin, are you doing well

Churan began to pack her backpack. Baicao, remember not to pack my Chinese homework. She smiled charmingly, I went to the hospital

Bai Cao suddenly had a strange thought: what if she stopped studying and learned medicine from her grandfather, living in this ancestral old house and helping the world with her skills? Wouldn't that be wonderful? As she pondered, she quietly smiled, realizing how foolish she was. Living such a life for too long would inevitably lead to loneliness; could she endure it? Moreover, her parents would definitely not allow her to choose such a life. They had repeatedly told her, "Bai Cao, you must be a good child, study hard, get into a good university, and secure a good job." As she thought about it, she quietly smiled again, realizing how foolish she was. Living such a life for too long would inevitably lead to loneliness; could she endure it? Moreover, her parents would definitely not allow her to choose such a life. They had repeatedly told her, "Bai Cao, you must be a good child, study hard, get into a good university, and secure a good job."

Churang smiled sweetly, ignoring him, as he was just pretending to be profound. Hmph

He blushed intensely and smiled with pursed lips. Baicao felt somewhat displeased and secretly pinched Churan.

He is still somewhat shy, swaying slightly, I am doing well. And you

Bai Cao was taken aback; indeed, the two were together making flower jam. However, Jia Cheng would never see her.

Gently peeling apart the strands of orange pulp, carefully biting into it, the juice is cool and sweet, causing Baicao to squint slightly. Grandma is cooking red bean rice in the kitchen. The aroma of pork ribs stewing with yam wafts from the pot. Grandpa seems to have aged quite a bit, with deepening wrinkles. Baicao reaches out to stroke Grandpa's palm, which carries the fragrance of traditional Chinese medicine. Grandpa's hand is soft and gentle, the kind that has never touched farm work in his life. Baicao feels a sense of peace, just like when she was a child, obediently resting beside Grandpa. The extremely old cat, Xiaonuan, also shuffles over with a slow gait. The light of dusk flows gently through the room. Time is a wide river, yet within this room, its flow is imperceptible.

The hundred herbs suddenly appear solemn and dignified, whether to accept or not is your own business, take care of yourself. Whether to collect or not is also my concern, you have no say in it. Even if I can only receive one assignment, I will still collect it

The next evening at dusk, Mother called to ask Baicao to return home early. Despite the reluctance in her heart, she had to leave. She looked up at the dark blue evening clouds, with clusters of white reeds blooming on the ancient wall, her heart entwined with melancholy until it ached. She breathed deeply, wanting to remember the unique atmosphere of the small town. She was about to leave

It has only been a few months, yet there is a sense of the vicissitudes of life. Baicao gazed at the strange yet familiar small town with a hint of melancholy, and her heart felt grounded. She took a deep breath of the moist and pleasant air of the town, suddenly spread her arms, and ran vigorously along the bluestone path. It was rare for her to indulge in such a run, as if she had returned to her youthful days. Large sycamore leaves fell, landing on her face, tickling her thoughts. In front of a small courtyard sat a young woman who had just washed her hair, her damp black hair cascading gently. The young woman smiled, "Oh, it's the Chen family's girl returning!" Feeling shy, she smiled slightly and quickly ran away. A few colorful dogs curiously followed her; she ran, and the dogs ran too. When she stopped, the dogs also stopped. She wasn't particularly fond of dogs, finding them somewhat bothersome, so she pretended to be fierce and said to the dogs, "Go away!" But the dogs did not leave, wagging their tails at her instead. This made her feel warm, and she couldn't help but smile at the dogs. In the green cotton, dogs are also lovely. There was a delightful aroma of pastries. That was as she passed by the door of the Xi Ai family. Baicao asked Aunt Feng, who was sunning the steamer cloth at the door, "Is Xi Ai at home?" Aunt Feng replied, "Oh, it's the Chen family's girl. Xi Ai is at her master's place, only returning once every half month. Come and have some green ai glutinous rice cake, freshly made." Baicao smiled and declined, then ran off again.

Bai Cao smiled gently and helped her pack her things, preparing to send her off. She held Bai Cao's hand and said, "It's alright, Jia Cheng will accompany me."

The wintersweet is about to bloom. Churan has prepared a glass jar, mysteriously claiming that she intends to collect wintersweet buds to make wintersweet jam. In autumn, she also prepared a glass jar to gather osmanthus flowers to make osmanthus candy. Baicao secretly accompanied her to the school garden to pick osmanthus flowers, experiencing several close calls with sudden interruptions—there were always security guards or classmates passing by, yet they managed to fill a large bottle. In Qingmian, Grandma also made osmanthus candy, so Baicao followed her grandmother's method, washing the osmanthus flowers, adding sugar, and sealing them... However, somewhere along the process, something went wrong. One day, filled with anticipation, they opened the jar only to find many wriggling transparent maggots. Baicao, feeling disgusted, dropped the bottle in shock, her face turning pale. But Churan, being braver, laughed and said it was fine, they could just try again next year.

She asked, why has Cheng Shen from the Shen family become so serious and mature now? He doesn't resemble a first-year high school student at all

Churang leaned close to Baicao's ear and said, "In the past, when I visited the Jia family, Jia's mother made delicious rose fluff, and I was completely enchanted! ... I believe Jia must also really like sauces made from flowers ... . ... When I manage to make it one day, I will give it to him to try"

It is unclear when Baicao began to be curious about the details concerning Shen Jiacheng and his past with Churan. However, she could not bring herself to ask directly. Thus, she collected those fragmented snippets of memory. During family dinners, the aunt across the table would chat, saying that my Lanlan and Shen Jiacheng grew up together like siblings. Despite Shen Jiacheng's cold demeanor, he certainly has his own thoughts. While saying this, she would tease Song Lan, saying, "You should learn from him." During family dinners, the aunt across the table would chat, saying that my Lanlan and Shen Jiacheng grew up together like siblings. Despite Shen Jiacheng's cold demeanor, he certainly has his own thoughts. While saying this, she would tease Song Lan, saying, "You should learn from him."