For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 3
by Little PandaAuntie Xiao, Your Fingers Are So Slender and Pretty
After Zhou Qin left, Lin Xian followed Xiao Wanqing back into her bedroom, slowly unpacking her luggage and transferring her belongings from the suitcase to the wardrobe and desk.
Xiao Wanqing knelt down and reached out to unzip the suitcase to help her unpack, but Lin Xian declined, feeling a bit self-conscious. “It’s fine, Auntie Xiao, I can do it myself.” She kept her mother’s words in mind—she had to be self-reliant.
Xiao Wanqing smiled at her words. Seeing how earnest she was, she didn’t insist. She stepped back, sat down on the small sofa nearby, and quietly watched her tidy up.
In truth, Lin Xian had absolutely no experience with organizing clothes. After unzipping the suitcase, she stared at the large stack of garments, feeling a little lost. The wardrobe was quite spacious, so surely she could just put them in however she liked?
And so, she took the clothes out of the suitcase a few pieces at a time and moved them directly into the wardrobe just as they were. She didn’t separate tops from bottoms, summer from autumn wear, or outerwear from underwear. It was as if shoving everything into the wardrobe in one go meant the job was done.
Xiao Wanqing watched her every move from the side, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
She stood up, pulled out a couple of tissues, gently rested her hand on Lin Xian’s shoulder, and helped wipe away the sweat covering her face. Only then did she say softly, “While putting them in like that is fine, I have a better suggestion. Would you like to hear it?”
Lin Xian paused her movements, tilting her head up slightly to look at Xiao Wanqing’s gentle face, her eyes unblinking. After a few seconds, she looked away toward the wardrobe and said sheepishly, “Actually, I know putting them in like this probably isn’t right.” She paused, then turned back to Xiao Wanqing, saying earnestly, “Auntie Xiao, it looks like I’ll have to trouble you to help me tidy up after all.”
The corners of Xiao Wanqing’s lips curled up, and she replied cheerfully, “Sure.” With that, she reached into the wardrobe to take out a hanger. Bending down slightly, she picked up a trench coat from the bottom of the wardrobe and explained to Lin Xian, “As for clothes, you can categorize them a bit. Current-season clothes should be put in places that are easy to reach. Items like trench coats, overcoats, and shirts—which easily lose their shape and wrinkle—are best hung up if there’s space. Underwear, on the other hand, is best separated from outerwear and kept in a different spot. As for…”
Xiao Wanqing’s voice was lovely to listen to, every word sounding like the pleasant babbling of a clear spring. Lin Xian thought, slightly dazed: Auntie Xiao seems even better suited to be a teacher than Mom.
By the time everything was neatly organized, the sun was already setting.
Xiao Wanqing sat on the edge of the bed, looking out at the crimson-flushed sky before turning her gaze to Lin Xian, who was sprawled out on the bed. She asked with a smile, “Are you hungry? Before we knew it, we ended up tidying until this hour.”
Lin Xian patted her stomach, smiling as she shook her head. “I’m okay, probably because I had a big lunch.”
Xiao Wanqing stood up and nodded. “That’s perfect, then. Let’s head to the supermarket together. We can buy some groceries for dinner and pick up a few daily necessities for you.”
Lin Xian readily agreed. “Okay. But I don’t think I have anything to buy. I brought my toothbrush and towel.”
Xiao Wanqing’s eyes crinkled in amusement, her usually gentle smile suddenly holding a rare touch of playfulness. “I didn’t know which brand you usually use…” She winked at Lin Xian and continued, “So I didn’t prepare any. Did you bring yours?”
Lin Xian froze for a moment before realizing that Xiao Wanqing was referring to sanitary pads. A rosy blush slowly crept onto her pretty face, but she forced herself to remain composed as she answered, “I really didn’t bring any.”
Xiao Wanqing’s smile widened. She added, “We also need to buy you a pair of slippers for the house, and a cup.”
Lin Xian scooted toward the edge of the bed, her legs dangling down, and lightly slipped her feet into the slippers she had been wearing. She looked up at Xiao Wanqing in confusion. “I already have slippers though.”
Xiao Wanqing smiled faintly. “These are just shared slippers for guests. Nobody wears guest slippers in their own home.” With that, she pointed diagonally across from the bedroom door. “The bathroom is over there. You sweated quite a bit earlier, so if you feel uncomfortable, you can go wash your face first. I’ll change my clothes, and we’ll head out to the supermarket when I’m done.”
Lin Xian nodded, picking up the towel that was neatly folded on the bed, and replied, “Then I’ll go wash my face.”
She watched Xiao Wanqing turn and leave the bedroom. Clutching the towel with both hands, her mind was filled with Xiao Wanqing’s words, “your own home,” which kept echoing back and forth. After a moment, a bright smile broke across her face, and she got out of bed.
Xiao Wanqing changed very quickly. By the time Lin Xian washed her face, combed her hair, and came out of the bathroom, Xiao Wanqing was already standing by the entryway, looking fully ready to head out, holding her bag and car keys as she waited for her.
Hearing the footsteps, Xiao Wanqing turned slightly, looked at Lin Xian, and smiled. “All set?”
She had changed into an elegant, simple dress with a black-and-white Chinese ink wash pattern, paired with slender-heeled sandals. It was the simplest of outfits, yet with her bright eyes, white teeth, and picture-perfect features, the moment she turned around almost dazzled Lin Xian.
Lin Xian couldn’t help but think: If one day I reach Xiao Wanqing’s age, it would be wonderful if I could have her grace and elegance.
“All set! Just let me put on my shoes and we can go,” she replied. She walked quickly over to Xiao Wanqing and squatted down, speaking as she put on her shoes.
Xiao Wanqing reassured her gently, “It’s fine, take your time.” She bent down, helping Lin Xian pull the strap of her overalls that had slipped down back onto her shoulder.
Feeling Xiao Wanqing’s movement, Lin Xian didn’t stop tying her shoelaces, but she turned her head and smiled radiantly at her. Seeing her eyes shining brightly and looking incredibly cute, Xiao Wanqing couldn’t help but gently tap the tip of her nose.
The supermarket wasn’t far from the residential complex where Xiao Wanqing lived, taking barely five minutes by car. Along the way, Xiao Wanqing introduced the neighborhood to Lin Xian. Fifty meters past the entrance was a bus stop, where taking Route 791 for seven stops would bring her directly to Jingnan University. Three hundred meters down the road was a stationery store, and another two hundred meters past that was a Xinhua Bookstore. There were also various other bookstores of all sizes scattered around the area…
Xiao Wanqing explained everything in detail, and Lin Xian listened carefully.
Only when the car pulled into the supermarket parking lot did Lin Xian suddenly realize they had missed something. She asked Xiao Wanqing, “Auntie Xiao, are there no breakfast shops or stalls near the bus stop?”
While backing the car into a parking space, Xiao Wanqing asked in return, “Why are you asking about breakfast shops?”
Lin Xian admitted, “If there’s a breakfast shop nearby, I can save some time on buying breakfast. Usually, the breakfast places near schools are really crowded, and you have to wait in line for a long time during the morning rush hour.”
Xiao Wanqing smoothly parked the car, turned to look at Lin Xian, and smiled. “Don’t you want to eat the breakfast I make? My cooking is actually pretty good.”
Hearing this, Lin Xian froze for a moment in surprise, her expression a bit dazed.
Xiao Wanqing let out a soft chuckle, opened the car door, and said gently, “Come on, let’s get out of the car.”
Lin Xian had no choice but to follow her out of the car, running up to Xiao Wanqing in a few quick strides. After a moment’s thought, she still said to Xiao Wanqing, “Auntie Xiao, if I have a lot of morning classes, the start times will be quite early. It would be too tiring for you to get up and make breakfast. Really, it’s fine for me to just buy breakfast outside.”
Xiao Wanqing smiled and replied, “I don’t sleep in on normal days anyway. Breakfast from outside isn’t as hygienic or nutritious as what we eat at home. You’re still growing, so breakfast is very important. You can’t be careless about it.”
Lin Xian hesitated and suggested, “Then how about we buy a box of milk and some bread to take back? In the mornings, I can just have some milk with a piece of bread.”
Xiao Wanqing stopped in her tracks, standing directly in front of Lin Xian with a faint smile on her beautiful face. She reached out to lightly measure Lin Xian’s height, which reached up to her forehead, and teased, “Lin Xian, do you just not want to grow any taller?”
Lin Xian was taken aback for a second before firing back defensively, “I’ll surpass you very soon!” She leveled her hand off at her chin and said proudly, “When that time comes, Auntie Xiao, you’ll only reach up to here on me.”
Xiao Wanqing chuckled softly and replied, “Then you’d better eat well. I’ll be waiting.” After taking a few steps, she thought about it, felt it wasn’t quite right, and added, “Would that be a bit too tall? Why don’t you consider growing to be just three centimeters taller than me?”
Lin Xian gave it some serious thought. She was currently 164 centimeters tall, while Xiao Wanqing was probably around 167. Being three centimeters taller than Xiao Wanqing would put her at 170. If she only reached her chin, that indeed seemed a bit too tall. On second thought, she realized that growing taller wasn’t something she could control at will anyway. She couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Forgetting her shyness, she stepped closer, took Xiao Wanqing’s hand, and joked, “Then once I grow to be three centimeters taller than you, Auntie Xiao, you can stop feeding me to help me press the pause button.”
She didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but the moment she reached out and grabbed Xiao Wanqing’s hand, Xiao Wanqing seemed to stiffen slightly. She turned her head to look at Xiao Wanqing in confusion, but the smile on her face was as warm as ever. Probably just an illusion? Lin Xian thought to herself.
She discreetly looked down at the hand she was holding. Xiao Wanqing’s fingers were as pale and slender as green scallions, with each nail trimmed neat and round, clean and showing a healthy, pretty pink hue. Lin Xian couldn’t help but think of her mother’s multi-colored, flashy nails. In an instant, she deeply understood the common saying: “Natural beauty is true beauty.”
She declared that from today on, she was not only a face-con, but a hand-con as well.
Xiao Wanqing turned her head to look at Lin Xian, discovering that she seemed to be studying her hand. She bit her lip, feeling a touch of inexplicable embarrassment. Just then, Lin Xian raised her head to look at her, their eyes meeting directly.
“Auntie Xiao, your fingers are so slender and pretty,” Lin Xian praised her openly. As she spoke, she used her thumb and index finger to gently stroke Xiao Wanqing’s fingers.
And so, right before Lin Xian’s eyes, a lovely crimson blush spread across Xiao Wanqing’s pale face, all the way to the tips of her ears.
Oh, is Auntie Xiao so easily embarrassed?
Xiao Wanqing felt the hand that Lin Xian was holding grow damp with sweat. She gave a faint smile and urged Lin Xian as if nothing were wrong, “It’s almost dark, let’s walk a bit faster.” With that, she took large strides, heading quickly toward the supermarket.
As soon as they arrived at the supermarket entrance and saw the shopping baskets, Xiao Wanqing let out a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Acting as naturally as possible, she slipped her hand from Lin Xian’s grasp and reached out to pick up a basket.
Lin Xian watched Xiao Wanqing carry the basket with her left hand in a slightly awkward motion, feeling a bit puzzled.
Is Auntie Xiao left-handed?
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