The Healing Sunshine (一厘米的阳光)

Chapter 2.1 - Hazy Memories (1)

When Jì Chengyang carried Jǐ Yi, who was in a muddled, half-conscious state from the fever, into his own home, his second sister-in-law happened to be walking out from the kitchen, and the instant she saw him, she laughed. With his personality, he was not even willing to give his own niece a hug, so this picture was truly very much worth storing away.

"She's running a fever. I wanted to bring her to the hospital, but no matter what, she wouldn't go. Since there's no one in her home, I decided to carry her back here first." Jì Chengyang carried her into his own room and gently set her onto the bed.

Then, stretching out two fingers, he tested her temperature again.

"It's normal for no one to be in Xixi's home." Second Sister-in-Law did not really think anything of this. "In their household, their policy towards children is to give them a lot of psychological pressure but let them go free-range when it comes to life." While Second Sister-In-Law spoke, she began helping him get some medication.

"Xixi" was Jǐ Yi's childhood pet name. Second Sister-In-Law was the principal of the primary school for the children of the compound. Furthermore, the homes of the two families were one above the other, so they could not be any more familiar with each other.

Jǐ Yi was afraid of the dark, and hence it was a common occurrence for her to come upstairs and sleep with Jì Nuannuan sometimes when there was no one in her home.

<>Please support this translation at hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com only instead

"Psychological pressure? Free-range when it comes to life?"

"It's hard to explain clearly in just two or three words. I'll just give you an example. 'Psychological pressure,' as it would be called, means that they care completely about the way the child is cultivated. Xixi started primary school when she was four and half years old, so even though she's younger than Nuannuan, they're actually classmates. In the beginning, she couldn't keep up, which showed in her grades, and she even once got only fifty on a math exam. Later, she bit by bit began catching up, and very soon her grades became the top of the class, which she has maintained to date. In regard to this, Nuannuan truly cannot compare to her."

Four and a half? That was a little early, indeed.

"But when it comes to the child's everyday life, they aren't really particular and don't put much attention into it." Bringing over some warm water and the medicine, Second Sister-In-Law handed them to him.

He tried feeding them to Jǐ Yi. Though the little girl's mind was muddled, she was very easy to take care of.

Whatever was fed to her, she would eat it...

"For instance, during the school's spring outing, the kids of other families at least have water and an apple, right? In her family, they just put fifty kuai on the table and that was it. I don't even know what they were thinking. You say, you're on the road for two hours. If a kid doesn't have anything to eat or drink, what good is it even if you pack more money than that? Good thing I was on the vehicle and gave some of Nuanuan's food to her."

After listening to a few sentences, he recalled how the little girl had taken the medication this afternoon.

And then he thought of his little niece, who seemed to be very good friends with her. Every time Jì Nuannuan mentioned Jǐ Yi on the phone, her voice would brim only with idolization.

"My Jǐ Yi started primary school when she was four and a half. She's younger than me by two years, but she's always been the top of our class."

"Little Uncle, did you know? Her dance, calligraphy, and Chinese painting are all really awesome! Why am I so dumb?"