Entertainment: A song that brought his deceased wife back to life.

"Is he dead?"

Granny Wang placed the lunchbox on her lap and reached out to lift the lid.

A delicate aroma of luncheon meat mixed with rice wafts out.

This is the good stuff she saved from her own mouth.

"If you're not dead, open your eyes!"

Jiang Yue laboriously moved her eyelids, her gaze searching for the source of the sound in the darkness.

She recognized Wang Po and her lips trembled.

"eat……"

Jiang Yue uttered a single word, her voice so weak it was almost inaudible.

Granny Wang snorted and scooped a spoonful of thick rice porridge from the lunchbox.

She didn't rush to feed him, but instead blew on the food before putting it to her lips.

"What's the rush? I've never seen you this eager to be reincarnated."

She brought the spoon to Jiang Yue's lips with surprisingly steady movements.

Jiang Yue opened her mouth, and the warm rice porridge flowed down her throat into her stomach.

That long-lost feeling of fullness brought her back a little bit of her vitality.

"Drink slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

While feeding the baby, Granny Wang started her rambling incessantly.

"Because of you, this money-losing brat, the dean has covered all the meat and vegetable expenses for this month."

"You're not much to look at, but you're a master at causing trouble."

"If you don't make it this time, I'll bury you behind the pigsty."

Jiang Yue closed her eyes and listened silently to these vicious yet warm curses.

She could feel Wang Po's hands trembling slightly.

That's due to muscle fatigue caused by carrying a heavy aluminum lunchbox for a long time.

"Wang Po..."

Jiang Yue swallowed a mouthful of rice porridge and called out softly.

"Shut up and eat."

Granny Wang shoved another spoonful into her mouth, silencing her.

This patient ate his meal very slowly.

Granny Wang was very patient and scraped away every last bit of rice water.

She stood up and put the lid of the lunchbox back on.

"Alright, I'm going back now."

"Don't die in the house in the middle of the night, so I don't have to come and collect your body tomorrow."

Granny Wang walked out of the storage room carrying an empty lunchbox.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Xu Qing huddled in the corner.

Xu Qing hid in the shadows like a shadow.

Granny Wang glared at him but didn't say anything.

She closed the door again and left the backyard with heavy steps.

Xu Qing emerged from the shadows.

He was clutching a rusty screwdriver tightly in his hand.

He walked to the window of the storage room.

Old Zhang nailed the windows shut with wooden boards, leaving only a few gaps the width of a fingernail.

Xu Qing stood on a half-brick, her body pressed tightly against the wall.

He inserted a screwdriver into the gap in the wooden board and pried it out forcefully.

Because he used too much force, his knuckles got stuck on the wall plaster, scraping off a layer of skin.

The wooden planks emitted a harsh, scraping sound.

Xu Qing stopped what she was doing and glanced warily in the direction of the office building.

He only continued his work after confirming that no one was coming.

A rusty long nail was pried out halfway.

Xu Qing used his fingers to pry the nail head off and pulled it out.

His fingernail was slightly torn open, and red blood beads seeped out.

He threw the nail into the snow without making a sound.

The first plank was pried open.

Cold wind blew into the house through the gap.

Xu Qing used the same trick again and pried open the second wooden board.

The hole was just big enough to fit his small, thin body.

Like a nimble wildcat, he grabbed the window frame with both hands and climbed inside.

When he landed, he stepped on a pile of discarded newspapers.

The rustling sound startled him so much that he held his breath.

The room was eerily quiet.

Jiang Yue lay in a pile of cotton not far away, her breathing short and heavy.

Xu Qing crawled to the bedside and found that Jiang Yue had fainted again.

Her forehead was burning hot.

"cold……"

Jiang Yue closed her eyes, her chapped lips moving slightly.

She cried out for help while unconscious.

Xu Qing's fingers twitched slightly.

In the absolute silence, he heard the sound of Jiang Yue's teeth chattering.

There was no heating equipment in the storage room.

The temperature here is not much different from outside.

That tattered quilt couldn't keep out the chill that seeped into your bones.

Xu Qing looked at Jiang Yue.

He remembered the scene of Jiang Yue being bitten by a black dog in the snow and refusing to let go in order to save him.

He remembered the way Jiang Yue stuffed the only dried sweet potato into his mouth.

Xu Qing began to take off her clothes.

He neatly placed the worn-out cotton-padded coat aside.

Next up is the thermal underwear inside.

He was wearing only a thin vest, and his body was shivering violently in the cold air.

Like a frightened little animal, he burrowed into Jiang Yue's bed.

Jiang Yue's skin was burning hot, like a piece of red-hot charcoal.

Xu Qing hugged her waist with her cold little hands.

The stark temperature difference sent a chill down his spine.

Jiang Yue felt a heat source while she was unconscious.

She instinctively stretched out her arms and hugged Xu Qing's neck tightly.

She was very strong, and Xu Qing was struggling to breathe as she was being pinched.

Xu Qing did not struggle, letting her treat him as a lifeline.

"It's not cold anymore..."

Jiang Yue let out a satisfied groan, her tightly furrowed brows relaxing slightly.

Xu Qing curled herself into a ball, trying to fit as closely as possible to Jiang Yue's body curves.

He used his body heat to warm the cold that seeped into her bones.

The wind outside the window was getting stronger and stronger.

The drafty window made a whistling sound.

This sound is terrifying.

Xu Qing closed his eyes and counted Jiang Yue's heartbeats in his mind.

Once, twice.

The jumps were chaotic, but powerful.

Xu Qing's mind wandered.

He thought that if Jiang Yue really died here, he would set a big fire.

He is a paranoid person.

In his world, there was only Jiang Yue as a ray of light.

If the light goes out, he doesn't need to live in darkness.

This extreme idea spun around in his mind a few times.

Jiang Yue shifted her body slightly.

Her thigh wound was still emitting a foul odor.

That smell filled the small bed.

Xu Qing didn't feel disgusted at all; instead, she brought her nose even closer.

He could smell the distinctive scent of sweat and medicine on Jiang Yue's body.

This is the taste of a living person.

Due to severe exhaustion, Xu Qing also began to feel dizzy.

In his half-awake state, he felt Jiang Yue's hand touch his head.

"The little mute..."

Jiang Yue called out.

Xu Qing couldn't respond, so he could only hug her tightly.

Jiang Yue seemed to regain her senses for a moment.

She touched Xu Qing's smooth back, which was icy cold.

"You're crazy..."

Jiang Yue tried to push him away.

But she has no strength left in her body.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped onto Xu Qing's neck.

The tears were hot, so hot that Xu Qing opened her eyes.

Xu Qing looked up and met Jiang Yue's gaze.

In the darkness, their breaths mingled.

Jiang Yue looked at this child who was usually so quiet he wouldn't utter a sound even if you hit him three times.

His gaze now held a frightening intensity.

"Go back."

Jiang Yue gritted her teeth and said something.

Xu Qing didn't move, but simply buried her head in her shoulder.

His actions made his meaning very clear.

I'd rather die than leave.

Jiang Yue let out a long sigh.

She closed her eyes and stopped chasing him.

Actually, this feeling of warmth is really nice.

It made her feel that she was not alone in this forgotten corner of the world.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Yue actually started sweating.

That's a sign that the medication is taking effect.

Both of them were soaked in sweat.

Xu Qing felt sticky all over, but he dared not move.

He was afraid of disturbing Jiang Yue's sleep.

Gradually, Jiang Yue's breathing became steady.

The gurgling sound in my throat also disappeared.

..........

The morning sun had no warmth at all, and its light on the snow was so dazzling it made one's eyes spin.

The wooden door to the storage room creaked open.

The headmistress stood at the door, holding a new roll of gauze in her hand.

She froze on the spot when she saw the scene on the bed.

Xu Qing, shirtless, was tightly embracing Jiang Yue, who was soaking wet.

The two children's skin was pressed together, and a faint mist was rising from it.

"Xu Qing, what are you doing, kid!"

The dean quickly put down the enamel basin and rushed over to pull Xu Qing out of bed.

Xu Qing was so cold that her whole body turned blue, and the sound of her teeth chattering was louder than the wind outside.

He casually grabbed the tattered cotton-padded coat next to him and draped it over his shoulders.

Jiang Yue slowly opened her eyes at this moment.

Her eyes were much clearer than a few days ago, and the sweat had taken away a lot of heat.

"Headmistress, Mom."

Jiang Yue called out, her voice still faint, but no longer sounding like she was about to die.

The headmistress patted her head, relieved.

"My fever has gone down quite a bit, thank goodness."

Jiang Yue turned her head and glanced at Xu Qing standing next to her.

Xu Qing was looking at her with concern, still holding the pair of worn-out cloth shoes without laces in her hand.

Jiang Yue showed no emotion whatsoever; instead, her face fell.

"What is he doing here?"

Jiang Yue pointed at Xu Qing, her tone full of disgust.

"Did you let him in?"

The headmistress quickly waved her hand.

"He broke in through the window in the middle of the night; that kid is too stubborn."

Jiang Yue sneered and turned her head away from Xu Qing.

"Get him out."

"He is not allowed to enter this room from now on."

Xu Qing froze.

Although he cannot speak, he can understand both good and bad words.

He reached out, wanting to touch Jiang Yue's arm.

"Don't touch me!"

Jiang Yue suddenly screamed, and because she lacked strength, the scream sounded very shrill.

"Look at you, covered in mud, you stink!"

"Little mute, do you feel a great sense of accomplishment for saving me?"

"Go back to your dormitory and stop bothering me."

Xu Qing stood there, her hand frozen in mid-air, looking extremely embarrassed.

The headmistress sensed something was wrong and quickly tried to dissuade her.

"Jiang Yue, Xu Qing stayed with you all night."

"If it weren't for him, you would have frozen solid last night."

Jiang Yue bit her lip tightly.

"Who made him accompany me?"

Did I beg him to save me?

"With him here, I can't even sleep well; there's a sour feeling in my body."

She looked at the headmistress, her eyes filled with an unprecedented despair.

"Headmistress, take him away and lock the door."

"If I ever see him again, I'll smash my head against the wall and die."

The dean sighed heavily as she looked at Jiang Yue's resolute expression.

She pulled Xu Qing's arm.

"Let's go, let her have some peace and quiet first."

Xu Qing was forcibly dragged out of the storage room.

He stood at the door for a long time until the director's wife brought Old Zhang over.

Old Zhang was carrying a hammer and several longer steel nails.

"We need to reinforce it; this little rascal is too quick."

Old Zhang started smashing the wooden planks on the window.

The wooden planks were nailed so tightly that not even light could get through.

The padlock on the door was also replaced with a new one.

Xu Qing stood in the snow, staring blankly like a wooden statue.

Over the next few days, the weather became increasingly strange.

The sky was always dark and gloomy, and the snow stopped for a while before starting to fall again.

The coal reserves at the welfare home were completely depleted.

Li Mazi curses in the yard every day, complaining that the authorities aren't sending relief supplies.

The food in the cafeteria has also been reduced to its lowest standard in history.

Each meal consisted of only a strip of pickled vegetables about the thickness of a finger and half a black steamed bun.

Xu Qing had no appetite.

He spends most of his time squatting against the wall behind the storage room every day.

He wanted to hear what was happening inside.

But it was quiet inside; not even a cough could be heard.

On the afternoon of the third day, Granny Wang passed by carrying a lunchbox.

She saw Xu Qing squatting in the snowdrift and snorted coldly.

"Still not given up?"

"That brat is right, you jinx, stay away from her."

Xu Qing raised her head, her eyes bloodshot.

Looking at his appearance, Granny Wang felt a slight pang of sympathy.

"Alright, stop squatting."

"I just went in and took a look. The person is still alive, but he's not saying a word."

"She had that piece of blue cloth stuck to her face and was just staring blankly at the screen."

Xu Qing felt a pang in her heart when she heard the words "broken blue cloth".

That was his most precious possession, and also Jiang Yue's last resort.

On the fourth day, Dr. Liu, the school doctor, came again.

He stayed in the storeroom for a long time.

When he came out, he wiped his hands and shook his head.

The dean's mother followed closely behind.

"Old Liu, what exactly happened?"

Old Liu sighed and closed the medicine box.

"The medicine is fine; she just didn't want to live anymore."

"She won't eat or drink; she vomits as soon as we feed her."

"The wound was healing, but now it's starting to flare up again."

"If this continues, even a god can't save us."

The dean's mother was so anxious that she kept slapping her thigh.

"Why is this child so stubborn!"

"Wasn't her biggest desire before survival?"

Old Liu glanced at Xu Qing in the distance and lowered his voice.

"They're probably scared."

"I'm afraid I'll become lame, and I'm afraid I'll be a burden to the hospital."

"This girl is too thoughtful. She seems carefree and easygoing, but she's actually more sensitive than anyone else."

Xu Qing stood in the cold wind and listened to everything they said.

He wanted to rush in and shake Jiang Yue awake.

He wanted to tell her that even if she was lame, he would carry her on his back for the rest of his life.

But he couldn't speak.

He couldn't even get close to the nailed-down door.

Late night of the fifth day.

The power suddenly went out at the welfare home.

The whole world was plunged into a deathly silence and darkness.

Xu Qing secretly crawled out of bed.

He hadn't slept for two days and was extremely weak.

Instead of going through the main gate, he climbed over the wall and ran to the back of the storage room.

He picked up the screwdriver he had hidden earlier.

He had to pry those nails open again.

The snow was falling so heavily that it felt like being slapped in the face when it hit.

Xu Qing's fingers had long been frozen numb.

He mechanically repeated the actions.

Once, twice.

The steel nails were frozen solid and didn't move an inch.

Xu Qing panicked and used his teeth to bite the rusty screwdriver, pulling it down with his body weight.

His gums were bleeding, and his mouth tasted metallic.

at last.

A snap.

The top plank is broken.

Ignoring the splinter that pricked her fingers, Xu Qing desperately tried to burrow deeper.

The room was as cold as a giant icebox.

Jiang Yue lay quietly in the pile of cotton.

Her breathing was already very weak, almost imperceptible.

Xu Qing crawled to her side and touched her hand with trembling hands.

My hands are cold.

It was even colder than the snow outside.

Xu Qing panicked and quickly crawled into bed.

Just like that night, he warmed her with his own body heat.

But this time, no matter how hard he tried, Jiang Yue's body just wouldn't get warm.

Jiang Yue suddenly opened her eyes.

Her eyes were starting to glaze over, and there was no light in her pupils.

"Who is it...?"

She asked in a low voice.

Xu Qing grabbed her hand and rubbed it against his face.

Jiang Yue touched the tears that covered his face.

She gave a weak smile.

"Little mute, why are you being disobedient again?"

Xu Qing wanted to cry, but no sound came out of his throat; he could only tremble incessantly.

Jiang Yue's fingers twitched.

She pulled the blue scrap of cloth from under her pillow.

She stuffed the strip of cloth into Xu Qing's hand.

"Here you go."

"This thing is too heavy, I can't lift it."

Xu Qing shook her head desperately, trying to stuff the strip of cloth back in.

Jiang Yue pushed his hand away.

"Don't be so stupid in the future."

"If Erlei bullies you again, hit him on the head with a rock."

"Don't always wait for me to come and save you."

"I'm going to see my parents. They're probably waiting for me to eat dumplings over there."

Jiang Yue's breathing became increasingly rapid.

She stared intently at the hole in the roof, moonlight streaming through the crack onto her face.

"Actually... dumplings are quite delicious."

"It's a pity that Granny Wang always makes so little minced meat."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it became an almost inaudible murmur.

"Xu Qing, you need to grow taller quickly!"

"You've grown taller... so no one will dare look down on you anymore."