Zhang Wanqing puffed up with a hint of pride. “Let’s just say if there’s something going on in that market, I know about it—whether others do or not. Ma San cheated me once, so I made it my business to tail him. And let me tell you, he was sneaky. Every time he went to see his mistress, he’d ride his bike in huge circles to throw people off.”

Zhou Xiaocheng looked at her seriously. “Don’t take risks like that again. If he’d caught you, it could have been dangerous.”

She shrugged. “If someone scams me or pushes me around, I pay them back. Why should I be the one who loses?”

He couldn’t help but smile. “You certainly don’t let yourself get shortchanged.”

Talking about Ma San’s case had pulled her out of her earlier shyness, but as they stepped out of the cafeteria, the memory of her dream suddenly rushed back.

For a second, she almost tripped over her own feet. Flustered, she waved quickly. “Well, that’s everything I know. I’d better go!”

Zhou Xiaocheng nodded, but before he could respond, she darted away like a startled rabbit.

He shook his head in amusement before turning to leave the campus.

Zhang Wanqing found Lin Xiaoxiao in the library. Seeing her friend’s knowing look, she waved a hand. “Don’t get the wrong idea—he only wanted to ask about Ma San.”

Lin Xiaoxiao grinned. “See? It’s fate. You should really think about it.”

Zhang Wanqing remembered her dream and the way her heart raced around him. She propped her chin on her hand, considering. “If he comes to see me two more times, I’ll go for it. I won’t hold back.” She paused. “Unless he tells me himself he’s already interested in someone. Then I’ll back off.”

Lin Xiaoxiao laughed. “When it comes to love, just follow your heart. You know what they say—some people won’t change their mind until they hit a wall.”

“I’m not like that,” Zhang Wanqing declared. “I won’t change my mind even after I hit the wall.”

Just then, Meng Xiaona joined them, beaming with happiness. She greeted both girls cheerfully.

Lin Xiaoxiao watched her sit down. Lately, Meng Xiaona had been less confrontational, so there was no reason to be cold.

Meng Xiaona didn’t waste any time. “I heard you and Dai Xueming are from the same hometown? How come you never mentioned it before?”

Lin Xiaoxiao stiffened. She really didn’t want to hear that name. “We didn’t know each other. There was nothing to say.”

“Oh.” Meng Xiaona looked disappointed. “Dai Xueming said the same thing. I was hoping you could tell me if he had someone back home… or if he was married. He’s twenty-six. Most men in the countryside are married by that age, right?”

Surprised that Meng Xiaona still had some sense left, Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. “I really don’t know. Wouldn’t it be in his school records?”

She honestly had no idea. She’d never been close to him and certainly never paid attention to his personal life.

Meng Xiaona sighed. “It says he’s unmarried. But some of the girls from the countryside said lots of people there get married without registering—they just have a banquet. And even if he were married, he could just say he wasn’.
Nobody would know.”

Zhang Wanqing couldn’t take it anymore. “If you’re suspicious, just break it off. Or ask him directly.”

“I can’t do that!” Meng Xiaona exclaimed. “He’d think I don’t trust him! Besides, he told me I’m his first girlfriend. He said he was too busy before.”

Lin Xiaoxiao highly doubted that. In this day and age, after a day’s work, there wasn’t much to do—no TV, no phones, no bars. It wasn’t like people were too busy to fall in love.

Zhang Wanqing rolled her eyes. “Then just keep dating him and marry him after graduation. Or break up now and find someone you actually know. But are you really going to move to the countryside with him? Could you handle that?”

Meng Xiaona immediately became defensive. “Don’t look down on country people! I think the countryside is nice.”

Zhang Wanqing shrugged. “Well, as long as you’re happy.”

Lin Xiaoxiao listened to them bicker. Meng Xiaona could be proud and stubborn, but she wasn’t malicious. At least she was straightforward—much easier to deal with than those who hid their schemes behind smiles.

…

That afternoon, as soon as Lin Xiaoxiao stepped through the door, she heard Duoduo crying.

She parked her bike quickly and hurried inside. Zhou Liyun was pacing with the boy in her arms, trying to soothe him. She looked relieved to see Lin Xiaoxiao. “Thank goodness you’re back. Duoduo started having diarrhea this afternoon, and now it looks like dysentery.”

Dysentery was highly contagious.

Lin Xiaoxiao took Duoduo into her arms. He was fussing miserably. “I’d better take him to the hospital. Are Qianqian and the others okay?”

“They’re fine,” Zhou Liyun assured her. “As soon as we noticed, we sterilized all the bottles and bowls. We kept the children separated this afternoon.”

Lin Xiaoxiao patted Duoduo’s back gently. “Don’t cry, sweetie. We’re going to see the doctor.”

Zhou Liyun still looked worried. “The clinic doctor came by and gave him some medicine, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. You should take him quickly.”

Li Yunlan came out of the kitchen holding An’an. “Yes, go now. This season is bad for stomach bugs and dysentery.”

Without even changing, Lin Xiaoxiao carried Duoduo out. Zhou Hongyun helped her fix the child’s seat onto the bike frame, and she cycled to the hospital with Duoduo.

They made it just before the doctor’s shift ended. After examining Duoduo and feeling his abdomen, the doctor prescribed several colored tablets and reminded her to keep the children’s dishes and diapers separate to avoid cross-infection.

As she held Duoduo and collected the medicine, Lin Xiaoxiao noticed the blood lab nearby. Almost on impulse, she decided to have his blood type tested.

She asked the doctor for a requisition, then took Duoduo for a finger prick. As he wailed, a drop of blood was collected for testing.

She held him while they waited, comforting him as he babbled indignantly about his sore finger, speaking in upset baby gibberish.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” she murmured. “This might help us find your mom and dad.”

The test took nearly an hour. When the result came back, Lin Xiaoxiao stared at the paper in disbelief.

Rh negative.

Her mind went completely blank.