Chapter 63 Seemingly Cold But Actually Warm
Jane was not in good health when she was a child. Like her mother, she had a weak body, and was easy to feel cold, which usually had few effects on her daily life. But since she started her periods at the age of 12, she had so bad pains every time that she wanted to save money to change her gender.
Her parents took her to the hospital several times, and the doctor only said that she needed to take care of herself, and there was no cure for it. Her aunt heard the remedies from somewhere that jujube cake and hawthorn and brown sugar juice could relieve the period pain. She just wanted to give it a try, but she didn't expect it to work.
Twelve years passed. She had become accustomed to eating these on her period per month. If no one made it for her, she would make it herself.
After resting at home for a day on Sunday, she routinely went to the Smith's house on Monday. When she came to Justin's room, he was propping himself up on one elbow, eyes closed, and he didn't look like he wanted to get up.
Jane asked, "Are you awake or sleepwalking?"
Justin took a deep breath and said with his eyes closed, "You sing a song, and I'll be awake."
Jane said, "A few days off from you, I don't feel well these days. I'm afraid I won't be able to sing."
Justin opened his eyes to look at Jane and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Jane answered, "Probably I ran a lot the day before yesterday, and my legs hurt."
Justin gave her a contemptuous glance and sneered.
Jane said, "Get up and get dressed. I'll wait for you."
She sat at the table, took out a thermos from her bag, and opened it which was still hot inside. However, Jane had been here for almost a month, and she always drank ice water. It was more than 30 degrees outside. Justin wondered why she suddenly drank something hot.
"What are you drinking?" he couldn't help asking.
Jane took a small sip, and replied, "The soup of immortality."
Justin rolled his eyes in anger, and said after a few seconds, "Believe it or not, if you propagate superstition to me again, I will tell Uncle Edward."
When it comes to Edward, something suddenly crossed Jane's mind. She asked sideways, "Do you know what brand of shirt your Uncle Edward often wears?"
Sitting on the bed with hair in a mess, Justin said, "What do you want to do?"
Jane said, "I stained his clothes the day before yesterday, and he wouldn't accept the washed ones. I want to buy him a new one."
Justin said, "Forget it."
Jane said, "I owe him, so I have to pay it back. Money doesn't grow on trees, and no need to be generous to others."
Justin's kindness went to waste, and he immediately said with a blank face, "Uncle Edward has his own designer, and what he wears can't be bought outside. You can ask his private tailor to sew another one."
Jane guessed that it might be a handmade shirt from a major brand, but she didn't expect it to be a privately designed one, so there was really no way.
Justin got out of bed. When he passed by Jane, he saw the thick red liquid in the thermos and asked with a slight frown, "What is it?"
Jane said, "Would you like to try some?"
Justin didn't even think about it and said, "I'm afraid I'll be poisoned."
After that, he swaggered past her.
After class in the morning, Jane and Justin went downstairs together. Sam said with a smile, "Dinner is ready."
Jane smiled, "Sam, I want to go to the kitchen. I brought some dessert today, and I want to heat it up."
Sam immediately replied, "Please give it to me. I'll help you."
Jane knew that she could not refuse, so she took out a box from her bag. "Please heat it in the microwave oven for two minutes. Thank you, Sam."
"You're welcome. Please go to eat first. Mr. Smith is already waiting."
Edward sat in the seat of the host in the dining room with a six-inch cake in front of him. Jane and Justin greeted him successively and took their seats.
"Let's eat." Edward picked up the spoon.
Justin started to eat, while Jane, facing the table full of dishes, had no appetite at all, so she just took a few bites to be polite. Fortunately, Sam came back quickly and brought her the lunch box.
Jane thanked him, opened the lid, and the strong jujube aroma wafted out immediately. Justin glanced at it quickly and then looked away. Edward was calm, only his cake in his eyes.
Jane took a piece of jujube cake and handed it to Justin. "Try it."
Justin asked, "What's this?"
"Jujube cake."
"Is it sweet?"
"A little."
Although he said no, he still reached out to take it.
Jane glanced at Edward, and asked politely, "Mr. Smith, do you want to have one?"
Edward said, "No."
Seeing Jane failed to flatter Edward, Justin secretly gave her a sneering look. Jane thought that it would be better if he didn't eat. With his appetite, the cakes in the box were not enough for him.
Eating jujube cakes and drinking hawthorn and brown sugar juice made Jane feel very secure. Justin on the other side took a sip and asked suspiciously, "Why no jujube in it?"
Jane said, "It's crushed, and you can't see the whole one."
Justin said, "It's not pretty and not sweet. Why do you eat it?"
Jane said, "It nourishes qi and blood."
Justin said disapprovingly, "Why not just fly a kite?"
Jane agreed, "I'm getting old, and the future of our country depends on you. Have more."
Justin said, "You are two years younger than Uncle Edward. If you are old, how about him?"
Jane immediately replied, "Really? I thought we were the same age."
Justin sneered, feeling speechless. Turning grief and anger into appetite, he ate up the jujube cake in his hand in a few bites, and said, "I want more."
Jane brought a total of four pieces in the box. She originally wanted to reserve some to share with Justin, so now she didn't even think about it, and gave him another piece.
Just as Justin was about to reach out, Edward said, "Ask the chef to cook it for you if you want."
Justin froze, and so did Jane, then she said, "It's okay. I can't eat them all anyway."
Edward didn't look at her, instead of glancing at Justin. "Don't grab things from women, especially food."
Justin withdrew his hand. Jane looked back and forth, wondering why he was so strict with Justin since it was just a piece of cake,
Withdrawing her hand, Jane looked the same and said with a smile, "If you like it, I'll make more for you tomorrow."
Justin said, "No need, it's not very delicious."
After the meal, Justin went upstairs. When Jane said goodbye, Edward said, "You can rest for a few days."
Jane got a little surprised, and then said, "It doesn't matter. I'm okay..."
Edward said, "I forgot that you would have several special days every month, and if you want to ask for leave, you can say. You didn't sell yourself to us, and I'm not a bully."
Jane said, "It really doesn't matter. If I'm really uncomfortable, I will ask for leave."
Edward didn't speak anymore, and Jane left in a car. That night, Jane received a call from a courier who delivered several large boxes of things to her home, asking her to unpack and sign for them in person.
Jane didn't buy anything by herself, so she opened them curiously. There were boxes of edible bird nests, ginseng, Chinese angelica, and astragalus.
The courier asked her at the door, "You usually love regimen, right?"
Jane twisted her mouth and continued to unpack the box. When she saw the donkey-hide gelatin, black Chinese wolfberry, and very big jujube, her first thought was that the delivery was wrong. Before she spoke out, the courier understood again and said, "These all benefit qi and blood, which are good for girls' health."
Jane suddenly thought of the Smith family and Edward.
Apart from herself, there should be only Edward knowing that she was on her period.