Chapter 2
Our new home had almost nothing in it.
Mom brought in the bed and wardrobe, brought in the table and stools, and even packed up a lot of useless odds and ends. But in the snakeskin bag, there just wasn’t any salt for cooking.
The meat was already in the pot, and the stove fire couldn’t be left unattended.
After washing her hands, Mom took a big red apple and placed it in my arms, patting my shoulder: “Yueer, help Mom go borrow some salt from the neighbors.”
I nodded and went to knock on the neighbor’s door.
The door was opened by a pale, delicate woman. The little boy who had just been peeking at us was now standing behind her, watching me.
I held up the apple and smiled at her.
“Auntie, we just moved in next door. Could I borrow some salt? I’ll trade you this apple for it.”
Qi Zheng’s Mother was taken aback, looking a bit flustered. “Ah? Oh, okay.”
She turned and went to the kitchen. When she came back out, she was holding a full bowl of salt, but she firmly refused to take my apple. “We’re neighbors, it’s just a little salt. No need to be so polite.”
“Auntie, if I’m holding the apple, I don’t have a hand free for the bowl of salt.”
I kept holding out the apple, not taking the salt. “My mom doesn’t like to trouble others. Please, just accept it.”
Qi Zheng’s Mother had no choice but to take the apple.
She handed the apple to Qi Zheng, gently stroking his head. “Ah Zheng, say thank you.”
Qi Zheng glanced at her, then looked at me and said, “Thank you.”
I held the bowl of salt and said goodbye. “Auntie, I’ll bring the bowl back in a little while.”
In the end, it was Mom who returned the bowl.
Because of this, she and Qi Zheng’s Mother gradually became more familiar with each other. When they learned that Qi Zheng and I would soon be in the same first-grade class at the same elementary school, they grew even closer.
Qi Zheng’s Mother was very happy, but Qi Zheng wasn’t so pleased.
His attitude toward me was strange. He was always secretly watching me, and though his eyes didn’t show dislike, they didn’t show much fondness either.
But that was fine-I didn’t like him much, either.
I liked Mom the most.