“Song Qing!” Nan Zhi saw him approaching the back door, and couldn’t help but call out.
Song Qing heard the response and almost immediately stopped his wheelchair, turned direction, didn’t bother with those intentionally written big and bold—even though it was a bit far away, still could see clearly—contact information, and returned to Nan Zhi’s side.
Nan Zhi frowned and instructed him, “Don’t run around.”
Her tone was a bit heavy, because she didn’t know whether Song Qing’s action just now was yearning for freedom, or wanted to push his own wheelchair onto the small road to get hit by a car.
The former could be discussed, the latter absolutely not.
“Mm.” Song Qing responded, then really pulled the handbrake, fixed himself beside her, in the place she could see him, and didn’t move anymore.
Even so, Nan Zhi was still a bit uneasy, and asked again, “What were you doing just now?”
Song Qing didn’t hide at all, “I saw that over there there were a lot of small factories, and also handcraft work, I wanted to see if there was something suitable for me.”
Only then did Nan Zhi realize, “You need money?”
Song Qing nodded, “I want to pay back the debts I owe.”
He owed too much, felt a bit uncomfortable inside, he didn’t like owing people money and not repaying.
Once owed, it would always be on his mind; only after repaying would he feel a breath of relief.
Nan Zhi quietly listened.
The few people in front of them in the line had already received their packages; it was her turn. Nan Zhi reported the last digits of her number, and while waiting for the other party to fetch the delivery, she pondered.
She wanted to tell him not to be too hasty, to rest first, but he definitely wouldn’t listen. Someone who insisted on doing housework, upon discovering small factories and small jobs suitable for him, how could he possibly not go?
She couldn’t stop him, could only change tactics in a roundabout way, “Another day I’ll go with you, it’s easy for you to get bullied going alone.”
Song Qing looked up at her. Her appearance was fair and clean, a very pretty young girl, just out of campus, her eyes clear and bright—exactly the type all merchants and vendors most loved to scam. If she went, not only might she fail to prevent him from being deceived, she might also be mistaken for a clueless college student and get scammed herself.
But this bit of her heart…
Song Qing nodded, “Okay.”
Three stinky cobblers can top one Zhuge Liang [三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮 — Chinese idiom, meaning collective wisdom can rival that of a great strategist]; maybe with one more person, those small factory bosses might have scruples?
While the two were talking, the package had already been brought over—it was a large parcel. Nan Zhi said it was a set of clothes inside, outdoor gear.
She saw it while scrolling on Douyin, felt that the model in the promotional video looked quite good wearing it, so she ordered it.
As she spoke, she also complained to him that Douyin ads were really impossible to guard against. She originally planned not to buy clothes this season, yet ended up ordering another set.
Song Qing was not someone good at expressing himself, didn’t know how to pick up her words, could only say “Mm” during her pauses, to indicate that he had heard her.
At first Nan Zhi thought this was just perfunctory, but later, there was once when they were chatting and she ate something, and after eating forgot what she had just said. She paused for a long time, scratching her head and couldn’t recall it at all—he gave her a reminder, and it just happened to be the tail end of what she had said. Only then did Nan Zhi realize, he wasn’t just casually agreeing—he had listened.
There probably won’t be another person in this world like your hua da zi anymore — [话搭子 (hua da zi): literally “conversation buddy”; someone who chats with you regularly, listens to you, and shares dialogue.]
A hua da zi may not like to talk, but will quietly listen to your rambling, and even remembers what you’ve said — isn’t that already one of the happiest things?
This hua da zi is also your fan da zi. [饭搭子 (fan da zi): literally “meal buddy”; someone you eat meals with.]
What you can’t finish, you can give to him.
Usually, Nan Zhi is reluctant to order fruit and milk tea. Not because she can’t afford it, but because she doesn’t want to waste. Milk tea has a minimum order limit — ordering one cup isn’t enough, two cups are too many and won’t be finished, she also doesn’t like the toppings, so sometimes even if she wants to drink, after adding and subtracting and calculating, she gives up the idea.
Fruits are the same. Can’t finish in one go, won’t want to touch it next time. Eating it overnight gives a stomachache. When ordering, all kinds of thoughts come up, and immediately, the mood is gone.
But today, not only were all the sandwiches eaten, even the fruit and milk tea had no leftovers.
Actually there were leftovers — but they were all eaten and drunk by him.
Another big happiness.
He can also be a pei da zi. [陪搭子 (pei da zi): literally “accompaniment buddy”; someone who accompanies you in doing things.]
Often, a person just doesn’t want to move. But with one more person, it’s different. No matter what you do, someone is there to do it with you — how could you not have motivation?
Because of him, Nan Zhi felt that the times when she was in a good mood had become more.
This person is exactly what she needed.
Nan Zhi, bringing him along, also picked up another delivery. While picking it up, another parcel arrived too, so she took them both and placed them below his wheelchair, and then they grandly set out toward the supermarket.
Heading that way, she thought — having a wheelchair is quite convenient, gliding along like this, much faster.
Because there were packages underneath, the wheelchair was heavy, and the chances of tipping over were lower — pretty good.
The supermarket was nearby, in the B1 underground mall. The slanted elevator, Nan Zhi could push the wheelchair onto it.
He could do it alone too — the bottom of the wheelchair would get stuck in the elevator gap, and would only loosen once it reached flat ground. So it was fine, but still risky. She didn’t suggest Song Qing go alone.
Once back, she would log her secondary card account into his Meituan and Alipay, deposit some money inside, convenient for him to use for groceries and such.
Buying online — then there’s no need to go to physical stores.
After the two of them arrived at the supermarket, the purchased items were very clear in division — Song Qing bought mostly vegetables and fresh items: tofu, winter melon, eggplant and such. Nan Zhi took frozen goods.
Nothing else — she only knew how to cook those. Fish balls, fish roe pouches, add kelp and tofu and it tastes really good.
Add in fatty beef slices and that’s Korean kelp soup, also very savory. Drink a bowl while eating barbecue — it balances the greasiness.
The meat section was also handled by Nan Zhi. She took two to three packs of pork ribs. She didn’t know how to cook them, but Song Qing did. In the future, no need to order those takeout soups that are old and tough — probably Song Qing could make tender pork rib soup for her.
She didn’t know why, she just had this kind of feeling. So the parts she didn’t dare to touch in the past, now she swept them all into her shopping bag.
Beef blood — can be made into beef blood soup.
Pig trotters — stewed until soft and mushy, that’s truly a human world delicacy.
Can even braise a few, usually keep them frozen in the fridge. When hungry, toss into the oven to bake — that’s baked pig trotters.
Nan Zhi looked at all the food in the shopping bag — just thinking about it made her feel like her future days would be too blissful.
No more worries.
Even she could feel her eyes had brightened a lot — so happy.
On the other side, Song Qing was still picking vegetables. He was slower, because he had to compare prices, compare freshness, and pick the parts with the most edible portion, the most value.
This was his daily life — not much money, so he could only try to spend it where it counts the most.
In the past, he always bought vegetables alone. However long he wanted to pick, he could take. Today, with Nan Zhi following behind him, he deliberately restrained himself — but still couldn’t go any faster, at least not comparable to Nan Zhi.
She basically grabbed several bags at once, without looking at the prices, and barely compared products before choosing. People like that should actually be very impatient — but surprisingly, no matter how long he took to choose, she would always wait for him.
She didn’t rush him either. Instead, she would lean over to his side, watch how he picked, what he was doing.
Even though she didn’t ask, Song Qing still told her everything he knew.
Dry and bare, without any interest-stirring phrasing — only some straightforward and quick methods of identification. Among so many kinds of vegetables, which tasted better, what was a substitute for what, etc.
This shopping trip — buying vegetables — took more than an hour to finish. On the way back, Song Qing held two delivery boxes in his arms, a bag of vegetables placed underneath, and each of the two handles behind him had another bag hanging from it.
It could be considered a full load — everything that needed to be bought was bought.
On the road, Nan Zhi even set a rule: one meal must have one vegetable dish, one meat dish, and one soup — must eat till full.
It was set for him, asking him to take care of himself like that tomorrow. She even picked the dishes for him.
One winter melon with shrimp, one pork rib soup, one tomato scrambled egg. After finishing, take a photo to show her — she wanted to check his meals, so he wouldn’t even be able to lie.
This was different from before. Back then, his uncle and aunt also made him take photos — but it was to check whether he was skimping on food for their children. If the food made for them was even slightly lacking, he would be scolded.
Of course, what he ate himself also had to be photographed — but not for him to eat well, it was to check if he had eaten something extra. Fridge photos, steam basket photos — even one less bun would be questioned.
Completely different — a world of difference in treatment.
Around 10 p.m., Nan Zhi didn’t let him do any more work and started putting things beside the fridge, preparing to put them in.
Song Qing went into the small living room. After rummaging in his bag for what he was looking for, he wheeled over to Nan Zhi again. Just as she finished tidying up, he handed the thing in his hand to her.
“Can you help me keep this?”
He extended the thing forward. The distance was so close that Nan Zhi could see clearly what it was.
It was his ID card, graduation certificate, household registration booklet, and so on — all important things.
“I’m afraid I’ll lose them if I keep them myself.”
Actually, he wanted to give Nan Zhi a form of assurance — a peace of mind. After all, what she had taken in was a stranger. It required constant vigilance.
With these, she wouldn’t need to. He couldn’t run away.
Nan Zhi’s first reaction was to refuse — because this was too important to Song Qing.
Even though it wasn’t money, its weight was heavy.
But when the words of refusal reached her lips, she took them back.
Him giving this to me — it’s trust in me.
With all these things in my hands, could he still run?
This way, I can also know when he plans to leave — once he leaves, he’ll come and ask to take these back.
And — another thought.
Him handing this over to her, could it be a preparation to stay long-term?
If he wanted to run, having these things in her hands would be very inconvenient.
No matter what, Nan Zhi still shamelessly accepted them — as if she were detaining him — and carefully carried those things upstairs, solemnly and secretly locking them inside her own safe.
Next to the safe were her property certificate, the dowry her grandma had prepared for her, gold bracelets, and so on.