Chapter 8

Qin Tang was holding her camera, taking pictures. The children here liked to stare at her camera, which made it easy for her to capture shots.

She lowered the camera, tilted her head back to look at Jiang Chuan, and asked indifferently, “Did you call me?”

Xiao Bai, standing nearby, reminded her, “Brother Jiang asked you to bring him a bottle of water.”

Qin Tang didn’t move.

Ah Qi laughed, looking up. “I’ll go get it.”

Ah Qi ran into the house and quickly returned with a bottle of mineral water, but she didn’t know how to give it to him since the truck was so high, and she couldn’t climb up.

Jiang Chuan supported himself with both hands on the edge of the truck, leapt down to the ground, took the bottle from her, twisted off the cap, and drank a few mouthfuls, all while keeping his eyes on Qin Tang.

Since returning last night, she had become less inclined to engage with him.

Chapter 8

Although Qin Tang usually didn’t pay much attention to him.

Qin Tang was a woman who appeared calm and indifferent on the surface, but deep down, she was soft and passionate.

Jiang Chuan was sure of it.

Ah Qi glanced at Qin Tang, then at Jiang Chuan, her eyes flickering with a touch of melancholy and reluctance.

Xiao Bai came over and pulled her away, “Ah Qi, let’s go help organize the extracurricular books.”

Ah Qi was a little unhappy and said, “What are you doing?”

Xiao Bai knew Ah Qi had feelings for Jiang Chuan. She glanced back and lowered her voice, “Ah Qi, men like Brother Jiang are charismatic, but you’re still a student. You’re about ten years younger than him, right? Age isn’t everything, but the main issue is... can you control him?”

Ah Qi frowned and said, “I’m not trying to control him. I like him.”

Xiao Bai replied, “I don’t know how to explain this, but listen to me—don’t fall too deep.”

When it comes to relationships, it’s about mutual feelings. A man like Jiang Chuan can’t be controlled by anyone.

Unless he’s willing to be controlled.

It was clear that he wouldn’t like Ah Qi.

Qin Tang lifted her camera. Suddenly, Jiang Chuan walked into her frame. His tough, handsome face was facing the dark camera lens. “Later, Xiaocheng and I will split into two groups. Which one are you going with?”

Qin Tang put down her camera and asked, “Where are you going?”

Jiang Chuan replied, “I’m going to Sheepfold Mountain.”

Sheepfold Mountain was the poorest area in Jia County, and it was especially short on water.

Qin Tang had planned to go to Sheepfold Mountain too. If they weren’t going, she’d go with the villagers into the village, take the photos, and then return.

“I’ll go to Sheepfold Mountain too.”

Jiang Chuan finished a bottle of water, threw it smoothly into the trash bin in the corner, and said, “Then pack up. We’ll leave in half an hour.”

Qin Tang gave a simple “Mm.”

...

It was time to leave. Jiang Chuan was riding the same motorcycle from last night. With his feet on the ground, his palms facing down, he motioned for Qin Tang to come over with a gesture of his fingers.

Qin Tang packed two bottles of mineral water into her bag, moved the camera to the side, and walked over to get on the back seat.

Jiang Chuan handed her the helmet, and she accepted it, putting it on.

Ah Qi ran over, “Brother Jiang, I want to go to Sheepfold Mountain too.”

Jiang Chuan pointed to the small truck piled with supplies for Sheepfold Mountain. “See if there’s room in the truck. If not, you’ll stay behind.”

Ah Qi glanced at Qin Tang, who was sitting on the motorcycle, bit her lip, and ran to ask the villagers driving the truck.

The motorcycle sped down the mountain road, Sheepfold Mountain was situated in the mountains, and the terrain on both sides became more rugged, causing the vehicle to slow down as the road conditions worsened.

Qin Tang was light, and with each bump, she was thrown off the seat, only to fall back down heavily. After a stretch, her body felt nearly rattled apart, especially her buttocks, which were sore and numb, as if she had been hit with a paddle several times.

Jiang Chuan, tall and strong, a man, naturally didn’t feel her discomfort. However, her soft chest pressed against his back with each movement of her body.

His body stiffened again and again.

After a while, he said, “Qin Tang, don’t move.”

Qin Tang was about to be thrown up, “I’m not moving, just slow down.”

Jiang Chuan pressed his lips tight and flicked his teeth, then glanced at her, “Sit up straight.”

Qin Tang felt a moment of speechlessness. It wasn’t as if she could just sit up straight when she wanted to. Another jolt threw her forward, and then she was lifted up and dropped again. Her chest hit his solid back.

In that instant, she suddenly understood. Her face flushed red instantly.

After a few seconds, she said, “Pull over.”

Jiang Chuan turned his head to look at her. “Why?”

“Pull over.”

Jiang Chuan seemed to think for a few seconds, then slowed down and stopped.

Qin Tang got off the motorcycle and grabbed his shirt. “Get off.”

Jiang Chuan didn’t understand what she wanted to do, but he cooperated and got off, watching her with interest.

Qin Tang climbed into the seat he had just occupied and turned to look at him. “Get on.”

Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow, incredulously looking at her. “You know how?”

She replied, “You’ll know when you try.”

Most people would probably curse or refuse to get on.

But Jiang Chuan smiled. With one long leg, he straddled the motorcycle. His large frame made the back seat slope downward, almost enveloping her in his arms.

Qin Tang’s expression was serious as she twisted her wrist and the bike started moving.

It was still relatively stable.

Jiang Chuan laughed, “When did you learn this?”

Qin Tang replied, “What’s it to you?”

When she got angry, she was like a porcupine.

Jiang Chuan wasn’t bothered. His gaze rested on her slightly flushed face and ears. He leaned in to her ear and asked, “Why are you blushing?”

Qin Tang’s face flushed even more. She pursed her lips and said, “It’s from the sun.”

Jiang Chuan chuckled and didn’t ask further. He simply said, “Drive steady. The road ahead is rough.”

Qin Tang knew how to ride a motorcycle. It was taught to her by Chen Jingsheng when he was into racing. She played around with it and eventually got the hang of it. Though she wasn’t as skilled as a professional racer, her skills were still pretty good.

She hadn’t ridden in years and never on such a rugged mountain road.

Ahead, a large rock lay across the road. Qin Tang was distracted and was about to crash into it. Jiang Chuan’s tall body loomed over, and his big hand grabbed hers, steering the bike around the rock.

Qin Tang looked up at the road ahead. “Thanks.”

Jiang Chuan sat up straight, still close, and whispered in her ear, “Focus.”

Behind them, Xiao Bai, on the small truck, watched with some envy and said, “Qin Tang can ride a motorcycle? So cool.”

Ah Qi had also seen. She had noticed Jiang Chuan and Qin Tang switch places. Everyone on the truck was curious. The beautiful photographer could ride a motorcycle? They all stared at them. Ah Qi secretly hoped she’d mess up, but to her surprise, Qin Tang actually knew how to ride.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, it was pretty impressive.

Jiang Chuan was so tall that when he sat on the back seat, Qin Tang’s figure was almost completely hidden, except for her long black hair blowing in the wind.

The motorcycle stopped outside the Sheepfold Mountain Primary School. Two young female teachers from the volunteer teaching program stood at the door with the children, waiting.

Qin Tang felt sore all over and got off the motorcycle, stretching a few times to ease the discomfort.

Clearly, this wasn’t Jiang Chuan’s first visit.

Two boys ran over, standing in front of them, excitedly shouting, “Uncle Jiang!”

Jiang Chuan got off the motorcycle and bent down to pat one of the boys on the head. “You remember me?”

The past two years had kept him busy, so he couldn’t visit as many places. Sometimes, the truck driver would deliver supplies directly from the volunteer station, and he wouldn’t make the trip. The last time he came to Sheepfold Mountain was over a year ago.

“Remember! Dongdong remembers too!”

The boy named Dongdong glanced at Qin Tang before looking up at Jiang Chuan. “Uncle Jiang, how long are you staying this time?”

Jiang Chuan said, “We’ll leave soon.”

Dongdong’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. “So soon...?”

The last time Jiang Chuan was here, he stayed for nearly half a month, setting up new desks, installing a new blackboard, and even taking a few of the boys out to play. The boys all liked Jiang Chuan and were always looking forward to his visits.

Jiang Chuan patted Dongdong’s shoulder, and the two teachers, with the children, walked over. Jiang Chuan nodded toward Qin Tang and said, “This is Qin Tang, the photographer. She’ll take some photos of the kids and brought some gifts.”

The two teachers expressed their gratitude, and Qin Tang smiled, “It’s nothing. You don’t need to thank me; it’s part of my job.”

Over the past two years, Qin Tang had traveled to many places for work. She was planning a photography exhibition about poverty-stricken areas.

But it wasn’t just for work.

The An Yi Charity Foundation was established by her parents when she was three, and it was created for her. As a child, she had visited many impoverished areas with her parents and seen countless children who were different from her. They were born into poverty and thought that just having enough food to eat each day was happiness. Their faces were pale, cracked, and their eyes were innocent and pure, their smiles bright and untainted. They looked beautiful.

But they were still poor, and no one was there to help them. They might spend their entire lives stuck in these mountain villages.

Her parents had worked on this for twenty years, and it almost fell apart because of her.

“Big sister…”

A little girl came over and tugged at her hand. Her face was rosy, with the characteristic highland flush, looking up at her with a bright, beaming smile.

Qin Tang looked down and gently patted the girl’s head, asking softly, “What’s your name?”

The little girl said, “My name is Yueyue.”

Qin Tang smiled. “What’s your full name?”

The little girl seemed a little embarrassed. After a few seconds, she replied, “Zhao Yue Liang.”

Qin Tang guessed that perhaps the other kids had made fun of her name.

“Your name is beautiful.”

The little girl’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Qin Tang nodded. “Really.”

Yueyue ran off happily. After a while, she came back and pointed at Qin Tang’s dress. “Sister, your dress is so pretty. It’s the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen.”

Qin Tang looked down at her red dress. When she looked up, she saw Jiang Chuan motioning for her to come over with a finger curl.

The truck had just arrived. Ah Qi and Xiao Bai jumped down from the vehicle. Xiao Bai twisted her waist, saying, “Oh my god, I feel like I’ve been shaken to pieces.”

Ah Qi, with a bitter face, said, “My bones feel like they’re falling apart.”

Qin Tang walked over to Jiang Chuan and asked, “What’s going on?”

Jiang Chuan replied, “Yueyue’s grandmother turned 80 today. Her father just came by and asked if you could take a family photo for them.”

Qin Tang nodded. “Sure.”

Jiang Chuan nodded back. “After we finish here, I’ll go with you.”

Qin Tang lowered her head to check her camera. “Mm.”

Everyone started getting busy. Jiang Chuan and the villagers began unloading supplies from the truck, while the children gathered around them. Only Yueyue’s eyes were fixed on Qin Tang.

Qin Tang walked up to her. “Can I take a picture of you?”

Yueyue nodded. “Okay.”

The truck was rusty, and Qin Tang asked her to stand next to it. Qin Tang positioned herself a few meters away, holding up her camera to frame the shot.

“Yueyue, smile, like you always do.”

The little girl obediently grinned, showing a row of uneven teeth.

On top of the truck, Ah Qi was standing, passing wooden boards to Xiao Bai. “Hurry up! This is so heavy!”

Xiao Bai quickly went over to catch them. “I told you not to be so showy, come down already. It’s too heavy.”

Qin Tang walked over to Yueyue and adjusted her hair.

Suddenly, a loud scream came from the truck, followed by two more.

Ah Qi shouted, “Ah…”

Xiao Bai looked in horror as the wooden board slipped from their hands and was about to fall onto Yueyue and Qin Tang. “Ah! Qin Tang, watch out!”

Qin Tang looked up and didn’t have time to react in shock. She immediately grabbed Yueyue, pulling her to the side.

It was too late.

The sharp corner of the wooden board slammed down, and the little girl’s piercing, tragic scream echoed through the peaceful mountain village.