Chapter 4: The Way You Came Is the Way You Go Back
She stuffed the bottle into Qin Xiangnuan’s arms, "It’s too hot. Take this with you. It’s filled with water—a big bottle like this, don’t be reluctant to drink it."
Qin Xiangnuan lowered her head, forcing the sour tears welling up in her eyes back down. When she raised her face again, her not-so-pretty features were strained with an uncomfortably pained smile.
"Auntie, thank you."
It was just a bottle of water, nothing to thank for. Aunt Hua waved her hand dismissively, aware of Qin Xiangnuan’s temperament—a child who had always been somewhat insecure yet fiercely proud. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so eager to leave. At the very least, she could have had a meal, waited for the sun to set a little before setting off. Traveling in this scorching heat was sheer torment.
Qin Xiangnuan put the bottle in her bag. After thanking Aunt Hua, she finally turned and walked towards the cemetery at the entrance of the village.
The people from the village were all buried there, still practicing earth burials to this day. Her elder brother was also buried there—over twenty years ago. Too long ago, it had truly been too long. She had forgotten what her brother looked like. It was a pity that at the time, her brother didn’t even leave behind a single photograph, dying of sickness before reaching the age of nine. In reality, it wasn’t a serious illness, just a fever and a cold which today would pass with a few days of injections.
Back then, her brother, not yet ten years old, was already doing all the farm work, his health compromised from the labor. The illness struck fiercely, but even so, had he been taken to the hospital, he wouldn’t have died. Their father, listening to their stepmother, and how could the stepmother possibly spend such an amount of money to treat her brother? At that time, the treatment cost only a trifling sum, 30 yuan. Yes, 30 yuan—that was all a human life was worth.
Despite nearly a year since she last returned, she still knew where her brother was buried. There were quite a few new graves here now; twenty or so. She didn’t know how many people laid in eternal slumber here.
She squatted down in front of a solitary grave.