Room: Jiang Xu, Are You Cold?

Jiang Daguo's temper had completely gotten out of hand, and his kicks weren't just for show. Liang Xiaoqing was stunned, but even more than that, she was afraid Jiang Xu might get seriously hurt. She couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she argued with Jiang Daguo, nearly coming to blows. If Wang Cai hadn't stepped in, Liang Xiaoqing would have come off worse.

Wang Cai had no choice but to cry from the sidelines, wiping her tears as she pulled Jiang Daguo away, averting a disaster. To calm Jiang Daguo down, she begged Liang Xiaoqing to look after Jiang Xu, especially after that kick Jiang Daguo had landed on her chest.

Liang Xiaoqing was worried too. Her temper had gotten the better of her. She should have known what kind of man Jiang Daguo was by now; normally, she wouldn't have been so reckless. But this time, Jiang Daguo had gone too far—even laying such heavy hands on his own daughter.

Her heart still hadn't settled. Afterwards, she felt she'd been too impulsive, and that wasn't a good thing. Jiang Xu lay in her arms, eyes closed.

She shook Jiang Xu gently. "Jiang Xu, are you alright?"

Her voice was still hoarse from the argument. Jiang Xu didn't move. Liang Xiaoqing scooped her up and headed for the door, thinking Jiang Xu must be hurt and needed to go down the mountain to see a doctor.

But the moment Liang Xiaoqing lifted her, Jiang Xu stirred, struggling to get down. Liang Xiaoqing couldn't hold on, so she set her down.

The room was cluttered with odds and ends, with nothing but a dining table by way of furnishings. Even the lightbulb hung dim and dusty.

Liang Xiaoqing tightened her grip on Jiang Xu's hand. "Jiang Xu, come down the mountain with me to get checked out. Your father is absolutely despicable!"

Her tone was furious.

But Jiang Xu shook her head. "Teacher Liang, it doesn't hurt anymore now."

Being beaten like this wasn't new to her. Over time, Jiang Xu had found ways to make the pain more bearable—curling her body up as tight as possible, or just fainting outright so she couldn't feel it anymore.

Her chest no longer ached as badly as before. She rubbed it, her small face scrunching up, then brushed the dirt off her clothes. Looking down at the denim jacket she wore, she said softly, "It's just that, Teacher Liang, I think I've gotten your clothes dirty."

Liang Xiaoqing quickly replied, "That's alright, they can be washed." She crouched down to Jiang Xu's eye level and asked, "Are you really okay?"

Jiang Xu looked at the face that had suddenly come so close—dazzlingly fair—and her head spun inexplicably. She quickly looked away, fixing her gaze elsewhere. "I'm fine, Teacher Liang."

Then she remembered she'd heated up a big pot of hot water. "Teacher Liang, I boiled some hot water. Would you like to wash up?"

Liang Xiaoqing was taken aback. Too much had happened today, and she hadn't even thought about it. Looking down, she saw herself covered in mud, even on her arms. And although the day had been overcast, she'd climbed up the mountain, followed Wang Cai to the fields, and worked up a sweat, then gotten drenched in the rain. Her skin felt sticky and uncomfortable. She nodded and said she'd like to wash up.

The bathing area was next to the outhouse, with only a tattered white curtain hanging in front. Beside it was the pigpen—the family kept two pigs, which would bring in some income when sold at year's end.

The air was thick with a damp, pungent stench. The electric light was just barely enough to see by, dimmer than the bulb outside, making things hard to make out.

The rain-soaked earthen walls felt clammy to the touch. Liang Xiaoqing was led by Jiang Xu to the outhouse. She stood there awkwardly, watching Jiang Xu bustle back and forth, struggling to haul in a white plastic bucket and set it inside.

When she was done, Jiang Xu turned to her and said, "Teacher Liang, this bucket's for washing clothes, so it's clean. I've rinsed it inside and out just now, so you can wash without worry."

Honestly, looking at the surroundings, Liang Xiaoqing didn't want to wash at all. But Jiang Xu huffed and puffed as she carried pot after pot of water into the bucket, and when it was full enough, she looked over with an expectant expression.

Liang Xiaoqing didn't know how to explain herself.

Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Jiang Xu didn't leave after pouring the water. "Teacher Liang, go ahead and wash. I'll keep watch outside for you. Don't worry."

Liang Xiaoqing paused, then instinctively reached out and patted Jiang Xu's head. "Thank you."

Compared to the option of not washing, the sticky, damp feeling on her skin was far harder to endure. With Jiang Xu keeping watch outside, she felt much more at ease.

She warily glanced outside—a blurry figure was reflected on the gray-white curtain, shifting slightly. Then she heard a voice: "It's slippery in there, Teacher Liang. Be careful."

"Mm." Liang Xiaoqing responded, planning to make it quick.

The water in the bucket was warmer than body temperature, just right for her. She pinned her hair up and took a fast shower.

After washing, she put today's clothes back on as a stopgap. She felt much fresher. When she pushed aside the curtain, she saw Jiang Xu leaning against the earthen wall, facing her.

Before she could react, Jiang Xu came over and tugged at her arm. "Teacher Liang."

Liang Xiaoqing thanked her again and asked, "Jiang Xu, do you want to wash up too?"

Jiang Xu said yes.

So Liang Xiaoqing stood guard outside for her in turn—but what she really wanted was to check Jiang Xu's chest.

That unrestrained force would have been too much even for an adult, let alone a frail little girl like Jiang Xu. How cruel could Jiang Daguo be to strike so mercilessly?

Actually, Jiang Xu hadn't left much of an impression on her before. The only thing she remembered was a colleague mentioning that Jiang Xu had decent grades but unfortunately couldn't continue her studies. That had prompted Liang Xiaoqing to look into Jiang Xu's family situation and decide to talk with her parents. She did this often—sometimes she managed to persuade families to let students return to school; other times she didn't. She'd come to Jiang Xu's home many times but failed to convince her parents.

Other teachers said she was too stubborn, earning a salary of a few hundred yuan while going out of her way to cause herself trouble.

Some said that for kids in the mountains, whether they got to study was a matter of fate. There were unavoidable reasons for dropping out. She'd just transferred from the city and didn't yet understand the basics of Shuiqing Town. Once she'd been here longer, she'd realize Jiang Xu's case wasn't unique.

But Liang Xiaoqing thought, some things only succeed because someone stubbornly refuses to give up.

While waiting outside, she called in, asking if she could come in for a moment. Before Jiang Xu even answered, she was already inside.

The outhouse was cramped—adding even one more person made it crowded. Liang Xiaoqing knew it was a bit rude to barge in, but she was far more concerned about the spot where Jiang Daguo had kicked Jiang Xu.

"Jiang Xu, I—"

Before she could finish, she was abruptly pushed, nearly tumbling to the ground.

Jiang Xu came out right behind her, the fright still on her face. "Sorry, I thought..."

Jiang Xu's hair was wet, strands plastered to her neck. Her face was slick with moisture and looked a bit better than it had that morning. Liang Xiaoqing steadied herself against the earthen wall behind her and shook her head.

"It's fine."

Jiang Xu had already thrown on an oversized T-shirt—mud-colored, faded from washing, its hem reaching her knees like it was hanging on her. The collar was too wide, and Liang Xiaoqing immediately saw the red mark on Jiang Xu's chest.

"Does it hurt?" Liang Xiaoqing stepped closer, squatting down to look at Jiang Xu eye to eye. Her fingers trembled, reaching out as if to touch, but then pulled back.

Faced with this, Liang Xiaoqing didn't know what to do.

Jiang Xu lifted her head slightly to look at her, dark eyes shifting.

"Teacher is here. If it really hurts, I can take you to the clinic to have it looked at."

"..."

After a moment's hesitation, Jiang Xu finally spoke to her.

"Teacher Liang, this isn't the first time. Jiang Daguo not only kicks me, he beats my mom too. So I don't blame my mom for not helping me—because if she helped me, she'd get hit too. And when Jiang Daguo's in a good mood, he doesn't hit us at all."

Jiang Xu's voice was still raspy, flat and oddly calm, without any obvious emotional ups and downs.

A girl from an ordinary family would surely be crying and terrified by now.

Liang Xiaoqing froze, a chill running through her.

She'd only meant to check Jiang Xu's chest, but hearing that, she grabbed Jiang Xu's arm.

Jiang Xu was pitifully thin. Liang Xiaoqing wrapped her fingers around her arm and felt bone right beneath the skin, weightless in her palm. She hadn't noticed it that morning, but now, under the dim light of the old bulb with its cobweb-covered shade, the faint yellow glow fell across Jiang Xu's arm.

Liang Xiaoqing saw purple and blue bruises scattered across the thin limb—some faded, some fresh. She couldn't believe it. She rolled up Jiang Xu's sleeve, all the way to the shoulder, and the higher she went, the more alarmed she became. The arm was covered in bruises.

She looked closely, leaning in further and further, dropping lower and lower until she was crouching in front of Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu didn't move.

It took a long moment before Liang Xiaoqing slowly lowered Jiang Xu's sleeve. She tightened her grip on Jiang Xu's hand, her bright, tear-glossed eyes behind her glasses fixed on Jiang Xu.

She heard her own furious voice: "How could your father beat you like this!"

Jiang Xu looked back at her with a placid expression, as if she'd long since grown used to it.

"This is abuse of a minor!"

Liang Xiaoqing's face flushed red with anger. She stood up abruptly without letting go of Jiang Xu's hand. Jiang Xu lost her footing, stumbled, and lurched forward into Liang Xiaoqing's arms.

Luckily Jiang Xu was so thin—Liang Xiaoqing caught her, and the two of them didn't both go down.

"Are you okay?" Liang Xiaoqing steadied her promptly.

Jiang Xu used the soft body to brace herself upright, her feet in a pair of ragged, broken flip-flops, toes wiggling. She lingered only a moment, then pulled back from Liang Xiaoqing.

She shook her head, a faint scent still lingering at the tip of her nose. "I'm fine, Teacher Liang."

When she looked up, her large eyes were glistening. Slowly, she rolled up the hem of her shirt, revealing the clear marks on her stomach. "Teacher Liang, actually, there's some here too."

The large bruises made the ones on her arms look like a drizzle by comparison. Liang Xiaoqing's breath hitched. She gripped Jiang Xu's hand tightly, angrier than before, yet at a loss for how to vent it.

All she could do was hold Jiang Xu and say, "Jiang Xu, you have to keep studying."

Liang Xiaoqing sighed and let Jiang Xu finish washing up, waiting outside.

When Jiang Xu came out, Liang Xiaoqing helped wash her hair for her. The conditions were crude—aside from a bottle of cheap, heavily scented shampoo in the corner, there was no other option. And there wasn't even a cloth to dry her hair with.

It was autumn, and the weather was cold. If she didn't dry her hair after washing, she'd easily catch a cold.

Back then, hairdryers weren't yet common; they were a novelty. Liang Xiaoqing had saved up several months' salary to buy hers.

Thinking it over, she couldn't let Jiang Xu freeze like that, so she used her own jacket to dry Jiang Xu's hair.

"It's been cold these days. If you catch a cold, it won't be good."

Jiang Xu, malnourished, was shorter than other kids her age. Liang Xiaoqing crouched slightly as she dried the girl's hair. She talked, and Jiang Xu listened, nodding to show she'd heard.

The cramped space was thick with rising steam. It was a small hut built of stones, old and weathered—the rocks softened when wet, as if they might collapse. A chill wind whistled through gaps the size of fingernails.

Afraid Jiang Xu would get cold, Liang Xiaoqing drew her a little closer.

Water dripped through the cracks, drop by drop.

Drip, drop.

Liang Xiaoqing herself seemed to be covered in mist. She dried Jiang Xu's hair carefully for a long while, not minding the trouble. Face to face like this, she noticed that a cleaned-up Jiang Xu was actually a very pretty girl—her features delicately defined, her brows faintly deep-set.

It was probably just that she'd been too thin and her hair messy, which made her easy to overlook.

She smiled and couldn't resist pinching Jiang Xu's cheek. "Looks like our Jiang Xu has been a beauty since she was little!"

Liang Xiaoqing had been in Shuiqing Town for over a year, taught plenty of students, and seen all kinds of children—the obedient, the disobedient, the mischievous, the quiet. But Jiang Xu was so well-behaved it was almost heartbreaking. Just one compliment and she was already blushing shyly. At such a young age, not continuing her education—one could only imagine what fate awaited her.

Back then, people's legal awareness was still faint. The saying "spare the rod, spoil the child" was held as gospel truth. Jiang Daguo beating Jiang Xu was at most considered disciplining his children, and he wouldn't face any legal consequences. Outsiders couldn't interfere either.

After all, no one wanted to drag trouble onto themselves.

But Liang Xiaoqing thought to herself, if only she'd noticed Jiang Xu sooner, maybe the girl wouldn't have dropped out.

Once the hair was mostly dry, Liang Xiaoqing took Jiang Xu's hand and led her out of the outhouse, past the pigpen, and into the main hall of the house. In the stove in the middle, some firewood still burned amid the leftover ashes, bringing a trace of warmth to their bodies.

Liang Xiaoqing pricked up her ears, listening to the sounds in the house. Jiang Daguo and Wang Cai had gone quiet. She finally let out a breath.

Humans instinctively gravitate toward warmth. Her jacket had gone to dry Jiang Xu's hair, leaving her in just a fitted white T-shirt.

She stepped closer to the stove, spotted a small stool on the ground, and sat down. Rubbing her arms, she warmed herself by the fire.

Jiang Xu dragged over another stool and sat beside her, the faint flames casting light across her face. Sitting up straight, she asked, "Teacher Liang, are you cold?"

"I'm alright."

The whole house let in no light; outside was pitch black, with only a warm glow by the fire. Liang Xiaoqing replied gently, then turned her head to look at the dark shadow sitting beside her.

Jiang Xu's home was up in the mountains. Climbing up that morning had taken Liang Xiaoqing considerable effort. Now, in the dead of night, only the sparks from the stove flickered faintly by their cheeks. A light rain pattered against the tiled roof outside.

Liang Xiaoqing smiled and laid her left hand gently on Jiang Xu's shoulder. "Are you cold?"

For Jiang Xu, living in such an environment was second nature. Or rather, she'd gained deep experience in resisting the cold.

The trick was to keep her hands and feet icy until they went completely numb—then she wouldn't feel the cold anymore. It was a method she'd devised after enduring two winters.

It worked well.

From then on, even when she saw other students in thick cotton jackets at school, she never envied them.

But there was one downside to this method: her hands and feet would often suffer frostbite or injuries, and if scars formed, they'd only heal on their own. As a result, Jiang Xu's hands were frequently chapped, and compared to other kids her age, they always looked much rougher.

The teacher who always showed such concern for her classmates had suddenly shown up at her home and was now sitting beside her, asking if she was cold. Jiang Xu found it a bit strange. She'd only ever listened quietly as her classmates talked about Liang Xiaoqing, never joining in, but that didn't stop the name from leaving a deep impression on her.

Her classmates always said she was a good teacher, gentle and kind.

She shook her head at the first person who'd ever asked if she was cold. Liang Xiaoqing seemed to draw her a little closer, and Jiang Xu felt herself leaning against the woman's body.

It was warm and soft.

She felt a hand touch her hair. "Your hair's just about dry."

Then Liang Xiaoqing took her hand and asked where her room was.

Since it was too late to head back, Wang Cai had told Jiang Xu to let Liang Xiaoqing share her bed for the night.

Actually, a girl from a family like hers didn't have her own room. She'd always slept in Wang Cai and Jiang Daguo's room. When Jiang Xu got a bit older, Wang Cai used a broken door panel to partition off a small space for her.

The family was poor; Jiang Xu couldn't have a room of her own.

But Jiang Xu always knew the second floor had two rooms—the biggest one, with the best light, no leaks, and the only television in the house, belonged to her older brother, Jiang Lun.

Jiang Daguo was always saying his son had promise, that he was capable and could study. As long as Jiang Lun was willing, he'd support his education for a lifetime.

In contrast, he never mentioned any of that for Jiang Xu—couldn't even spare a single room for her.

Jiang Xu remembered that she had her own room thanks to Wang Cai. Wang Cai, who was always timid and submissive, had made that one request for her sake. She never expected it would cost her a beating from Jiang Daguo, who felt that giving Jiang Xu a single meal was already more than enough charity, and that begging for a room was just greed.

Jiang Xu remembered Wang Cai's face swollen from the blows. She'd thought her mother would give up, but to her surprise, Wang Cai still managed to set up a room for her—on the second floor, far from Jiang Lun's.

That room had been used for storing junk before, but Wang Cai worked all day to fix it up neatly for her.

It couldn't compare to Jiang Lun's room, but that night when Jiang Xu moved in, she was still happy.

At least she could sleep without being disturbed.

Jiang Xu led Liang Xiaoqing toward her room. Liang Xiaoqing held her hand.

Together, they climbed the creaking, groaning stairs and reached Jiang Xu's room.