Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 61

Qi Ning was thoroughly satisfied with the stunned expression on Chu Yunjing’s face. She reached out and hooked her finger under Chu Yunjing’s chin, her eyes full of provocation.

“Heh, woman,” she said, delivering a classic line from a CEO romance novel.

Chu Yunjing quickly snapped out of it. Seeing Qi Ning’s smug, triumphant look made her want to tease her back. But just as she caught the hand resting on her chin, a sound drifted in from outside the kitchen. As if they had been caught doing something shameful, both of them reflexively let go of each other and took a step back, looking toward the door.

It was the dull thud of a cane hitting the hollow floor tiles. Soon, Granny Yu appeared at the entrance, leaning on her walking stick.

“Xiao Chu, I have finished tidying the room for you. Will you be staying here tonight?”

“Yes, thank you,” Chu Yunjing replied.

Most of the team members chose to stay in the homes of the families they sponsored. It allowed them to better understand their lives. Although the conditions were harsh, it was far better than sleeping in a car.

The old house had only two rooms. The son’s room was considered a large room for this old building. Previously, when the couple went away for work, their daughter A-Ling lived here. When they returned for the New Year, the three generations would squeeze onto one small bed.

The son had hoped to save enough money working outside to come back and rebuild the house so his mother and child could have their own rooms. Sadly, that dream became even more unreachable after he passed away.

Granny Yu led them to her son’s room. It was tiny, containing only a small bed, a table, and a wooden cabinet with peeling paint. Even the walls were a muddy yellow, and the room remained dim even with the light turned on.

A mattress was already on the bed. Granny Yu opened the wooden cabinet to get the quilt and pillows, but Chu Yunjing stepped forward to stop her. “Granny, we can get them ourselves.”

“That is fine then,” Granny Yu nodded and handed them the quilt covers. Fearing they might find it dirty, she added, “A-Ling took the quilt and pillows out to wash them when she came back last week. They are very clean.”

Qi Ning smiled and said, “It is okay, Granny. We can sleep as long as there is a bed.” As she spoke, she helped pull out a heavy quilt core packed in a gunny sack.

“Granny, you should go rest. We can handle this ourselves.” There were no entertainment activities in the mountains, so people went to bed very early. Chu Yunjing supported the elderly woman and escorted her back to her room.

The “Wedding” Bedding

Qi Ning opened the sack and took out the quilt and pillow cores, examining them under the dim light. Because they had been bought many years ago, the surfaces had yellowed slightly, but overall they were not old, likely because they were rarely used.

The quilt cover was in a red bag. Qi Ning opened it and found that the cover was also red, seemingly with characters embroidered on it. She spread the cover out on the bed. When the full design was revealed, she was stunned. Embroidered right there was a massive character for Double Happiness (囍).

Qi Ning figured this must have been the bedding used for Granny Yu’s son’s wedding. The thought of the two of them sleeping under a bright red quilt printed with Double Happiness felt incredibly strange. It was truly a situation that made her not know whether to laugh or cry.

At that moment, Chu Yunjing returned to the room. She saw Qi Ning holding the quilt cover, standing still as if lost in thought.

“What are you thinking about?” Chu Yunjing walked over and saw the Double Happiness character as well.

Qi Ning snapped out of it and accidentally blurted out her inner thoughts. “Sleeping under this quilt makes it feel like we are having a wedding night.”

It was not just the quilt; even the pillowcases were embroidered with Double Happiness.

Chu Yunjing let out a soft laugh and leaned her face closer, her voice low and alluring. “Then let us have one.” Her voice sounded like a temptress trying to bewitch someone.

Qi Ning turned her head. Under the dim light of the incandescent bulb, Chu Yunjing’s smiling face looked hazy and indistinct against the light. Suddenly, Qi Ning reached out and pinched Chu Yunjing’s chin.

“Jingjing, I think you have been a bit too arrogant lately.” After saying this, Qi Ning noticed that the other woman remained silent and smiling. She felt as though Chu Yunjing had seen through her, but since she did not know what exactly had been seen, she felt a bit annoyed.

On a whim, she opened her mouth and bit down on Chu Yunjing’s chin. Applying just a bit of pressure, she left two rows of shallow tooth marks before letting go.

“Stop laughing,” she said fiercely.

In the end, the two of them finished putting on the quilt and pillowcases and made the bed. Their luggage was still in the car, so they had to go retrieve it.

A Moment with Xiao Bao

They lingered for a moment before leaving. The elderly sleep early, and Granny Yu was already in bed. Xiao Bao was in the main hall, hunched over a small wooden table, writing with a pencil. The child was working hard. The two of them slowed their pace as they walked over. They saw him clumsily holding the pen, writing the number 6 in his notebook. The numbers one through five were already written crookedly above it.

Seeing them approach, Xiao Bao looked up and called out “Sister” twice.

“Are you writing?” Qi Ning squatted down to look closely at the notebook. The top of the page had neatly written numbers done in ballpoint pen. Xiao Bao was following those examples to learn.

Xiao Bao nodded. “Sister told me to write when she went to school. She said it is homework.”

Qi Ning looked up at Chu Yunjing, who said, “Xiao Bao is almost at the age to start school.”

“It is late now. Xiao Bao, go to sleep. Sister will teach you how to write tomorrow.” Qi Ning patted his head. She felt the child was truly pitiful and felt a surge of compassion, causing her voice to soften.

Xiao Bao looked at them and then nodded firmly. He obediently climbed down from his stool and went to his grandmother’s room to sleep.

They closed the front door on their way out. In reality, it made little difference whether the door was closed in this village; the house was so empty that no one would come in to steal anything. However, out of habit, they pulled the door shut.

Reflections on the Mountains

As they walked along the small path, Qi Ning linked her arm with Chu Yunjing’s, feeling that doing so would make her a bit warmer. She let out a long breath.

“Xiao Bao’s family is so pitiful.” This was followed by a soft sigh.

Chu Yunjing gave a soft hum of agreement. “Studying is their only way out of the mountains. But because the conditions here are poor, very few people are willing to come here for volunteer teaching anymore. I am afraid that in another two years, even this final exit will be gone.”

Chu Yunjing could certainly bring this family to live in the city, but ethically speaking, she had no obligation to do so, and emotionally, it was not necessary. A person can only walk steadily by taking one step at a time. In recent years, reality television shows have blossomed, and eye-catching media outlets have turned their gaze toward poor children.

They allow these children to enjoy a city person life for a short time, which is a life they have never experienced and would never dare to dream of. However, extremes produce opposite results. Many poor children who left the mountains this way were unwilling to return to mountain life after their brief dream ended. She found it hard to imagine what would become of these children in the future.

Back then, she had seen a stubborn refusal to give in within A-Ling, a desire to leave the mountains and escape a fate of poverty. That was why she chose to sponsor this child.

As it turned out, her decision was correct. A-Ling got into the county middle school. She studied very hard and was at the top of her class. Every time they were in contact, she would report good news. Chu Yunjing thought that in the future, A-Ling would surely be able to walk out of the mountains and fulfill her father’s unfinished dream.

Retrieving the Luggage

The car was parked in the open space in front of the village chief’s house. Several men were still chatting at the dinner table. They had not been drinking, yet they seemed drunk because they were talking so enthusiastically, their faces flushed with smiles.

Just before entering, they ran into two women coming out. They had their hands in their pockets and were holding car keys, likely going to get luggage.

“Are you sleeping at Granny Yu’s house tonight?” Qingqing greeted them proactively.

“Yes,” Chu Yunjing nodded. “Where are you sleeping?”

The four of them stood at the door chatting until Luo Yun came out to use the bathroom and saw them. Luo Yun opened the car trunk and helped them take out their suitcases.

“You should rest early today,” he said. “The village chief said he will take us to see the primary school tomorrow morning. Oh, by the way, you are sleeping at Granny Yu’s house, right? I told He Hao to sleep on the floor at the village chief’s house to save you from any inconvenience.”

The man chattered away. After moving the luggage, he even offered to walk them back; he was very enthusiastic. However, because the distance was a bit far, they did not let him go through the trouble. The two of them took their luggage and walked back toward Granny Yu’s house.

The Shower Dilemma

Back at the house, Qi Ning took out her toiletries and skincare products. The temperature in the mountains was low and the wind was strong, making her face feel very dry. She could skip anything else, but skincare was absolutely mandatory.

Taking her clothes from the suitcase, Qi Ning habitually prepared to take a shower. She turned and asked Chu Yunjing, “Where is the bathroom?”

Chu Yunjing was already sitting on the bed. Looking at Qi Ning’s posture, she asked, “Do you want to take a shower?”

“Yes,” Qi Ning replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

Chu Yunjing thought for a moment and showed a conflicted expression. After a while, she got off the bed. “I think you will definitely not want to take a shower.”

Qi Ning did not understand what she meant until she followed Chu Yunjing into the kitchen. “Why are you bringing me to the kitchen if I want to shower?”

Chu Yunjing walked forward a few steps to a corner. A wall made of cement had been built in the corner, forming a small rectangular stall. The side facing outward had a curtain hanging over it. She pulled back the curtain. The inside was the same as the outside, made of dark gray cement. The kitchen light was not very bright to begin with, and it was even worse in the corner. It was truly pitch black. It actually looked a bit scary.

Qi Ning’s eyes widened. “You… you are not suggesting this is the bathroom, are you?” She looked down. The only thing in the small stall that was not dark gray was the drainage hole in the floor.

“The toilet is outside,” Chu Yunjing said. “This is for showering.”

Qi Ning took a sharp breath. If she showered here, she would have psychological scars. Not only was the stall so small that even opening her arms was restricted, but the top was open and completely drafty. There was no door, and anyone could see in if the curtain was lifted. It made her think of certain scenes from horror movies.

“Mainly it is too cold. Taking a shower requires courage. You should just wipe yourself down with a towel,” Chu Yunjing suggested. To make a person who must shower before bed give up their insistence, it was clear just how bad the conditions were.

Qi Ning struggled internally for a long time. In the end, she was defeated by this shower stall. Even if the weather were not cold, showering in this place required significant courage.

A Helping Hand

Chu Yunjing brought her a basin of hot water. After testing the temperature with her hand, she said, “It is ready. You can wash up.” She was about to leave when Qi Ning grabbed her sleeve.

“Are you going already?”

“I will come back after you are finished wiping down. You go first.”

“That is not what I mean,” Qi Ning’s voice was very small. Her hand clutching Chu Yunjing’s was trembling slightly. She frowned and said, “I am afraid to be alone.”

Chu Yunjing understood her meaning. “Then I will wait for you right here.”

Only then did Qi Ning feel at ease. She lowered the curtain, carefully washed her face, and then began to wipe her body. In the kitchen, there was no sound except for her wringing the towel and the rustling of her clothes.

After a minute, the sound of water from the towel stopped, and it became silent. Qi Ning felt a bit nervous and tentatively called out, “Yunjing?”

“I am here,” the person outside replied.

Only then did she feel slightly relieved. Two minutes later, she called out again, “Yunjing?”

“I am here,” the person outside replied patiently.

Chu Yunjing could hear the anxiety in the other woman’s voice. It was no wonder; with the curtain down, it was very dark inside. One could only see the outline of the basin and the shadow of the towel. Compared to a brightly lit bathroom, the contrast was massive. When she first came here years ago, she had been very uncomfortable, but now she had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

After a while longer, she heard Qi Ning call her name again. This time, Chu Yunjing did not answer directly. Instead, she pulled the curtain open slightly so that Qi Ning could see her back.

“I am right here with you. I will not leave. You can wash up with peace of mind.”

“Oh,” seeing Chu Yunjing’s back, she was finally able to feel completely at ease.

Qi Ning wiped herself down simply. She did not take off her thick sweater. Her movements were restricted, and there were some spots on her back she could not reach. After thinking for a few seconds, she spoke to the person outside.

“Can you help me wipe my back?”

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