Chapter 174: Chapter 172: City People Are So High-Class
The old lady was startled by the man’s words. ’Is that what the doctor meant?’
’"Eat whatever you want" means my days are numbered?’
She frowned in thought. She’d always heard that old people get a premonition before they die, but aside from her arm hurting, she didn’t feel anything else.
Just then, a nurse came to change the dressing for the patient in the next bed. The old lady spoke up, "Miss, what illness do I have?"
The nurse remembered this old lady. She had been expecting some drama, but to her surprise, the family was unexpectedly reasonable. They even gave the kind person who helped a big red envelope with several thousand yuan.
The nurse said with a smile, "You’re not sick. You can go home after some good rest."
The old lady breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this, and she grumbled to herself about Xue Rui.
’What does he mean, "eat and drink well"? Sounds like he’s talking about a village banquet for guests.’
The man in the next bed heaved a deep sigh. ’It’s come to this,’ he thought. ’Everyone around her is telling "white lies."’
Lin Ruoxi relaxed upon hearing the nurse’s answer. She said timidly, "Grandma, please be more careful in the future. I was so worried, and Xue Rui will be angry too."
The old lady smiled and patted Lin Ruoxi’s cheek. This granddaughter of hers had gotten a bit braver and her personality had improved since moving to the city.
’It’s just... she’s always talking about Xue Rui. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing...’
Just then, Xue Rui saw the visitors off and walked into the ward, shooting his grandmother a harsh glare.
’Another case of being penny-wise and pound-foolish. She really knows how to cause trouble.’ The old lady had landed herself in the hospital over a piece of clothing.
The old lady met Xue Rui’s gaze. Knowing she was in the wrong, she turned her head away and ignored him.
As Xue Rui looked at his grandmother lying in the hospital bed, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
’This incident isn’t entirely without its benefits. I can use this as an excuse to send her to a nursing home.’
This was also something his grandmother wanted.
Yu Minlan came in with some washed fruit. Xue Rui stopped her and said, "There will probably be a lot of people visiting soon. I’ll have to trouble you to look after things here."
The middle-aged woman Xue Rui had just seen off was from Hua Village. Based on his understanding of older women, the news of his grandmother’s hospitalization would spread throughout the entire village in no time.
Lin Ruoxi had just donated money for a new road in the village this year. Even if the villagers didn’t have a good impression of his grandmother, they would come to visit for Lin Ruoxi’s sake.
Fortunately, Lin Ruoxi was very familiar with the villagers, so she wouldn’t be nervous to the point of being flustered.
Still, it was best to have Yu Minlan keep an eye on things, as he had to go back to school for classes.
Yu Minlan said solemnly, "I guarantee the task will be completed."
Ever since she met Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi, she hadn’t spent any time at her desk at the bank. Whenever she went to the office, she was bombarded with questions. She even overheard someone in the bathroom saying she was being kept by Xue Rui, that she was a rich man’s mistress...
Many people were jealous of her luck and made up a lot of nasty rumors behind her back.
And the bank director and her manager didn’t assign her any work, either. They just told her to serve Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi well, so she didn’t need to go to the office.
But Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi were at school most of the time, so they didn’t need her for anything. The car she’d bought was just gathering dust...
This idle life made her feel insecure and anxious, as if she were living off ill-gotten gains.
Only when Xue Rui gave her a task did she feel like she could find her own sense of worth...
"It’s already May. When are you going back to school?" Xue Rui asked.
Now that Xue Rui had found a reason to start a conversation, his mood improved, and he chatted a bit more with Yu Minlan.
He wasn’t very familiar with the graduation season for finance majors, but he figured the time was about right. Yu Minlan would probably have to leave Hedong for a while.
"I didn’t fail any classes, and my thesis has been done for a while. I only need to go back to school for a few days," Yu Minlan said.
She was a little surprised. Xue Rui was clearly just a high school student, so how did he seem to know so much about university life?
"Good students are just different," Xue Rui said with a laugh. ’Back then, it took me a ton of effort.’
’Makeup exams, the final project, the thesis, graduation procedures...’
"I’ve already told my academic advisor about my situation. The professor said they’re going to name me an outstanding graduate," Yu Minlan said with a smile.
Xue Rui gave a faint smile. ’Resources always flow to those who don’t lack them.’ Yu Minlan probably got the outstanding graduate spot because her job position was confirmed early.
’But... Yu Minlan is already employed. What’s the use of an outstanding graduate title?’
"Let me know when you’re leaving Hedong. I’m heading back to school now." Xue Rui turned and walked towards the elevator.
Yu Minlan watched respectfully as Xue Rui left, her gaze lingering in the distance as she zoned out for a moment.
In the blink of an eye, she was about to graduate from college. During her internship last year, she had been so worried about the future...
But now? Just because she had met Xue Rui, not only did she have a secure job, but she could also drive her own car back to school.
She wasn’t the type to show off, but when she thought about being able to drive her roommates around, she felt a little excited...
"Sister Yu, where’s Xue Rui?" Lin Ruoxi asked.
"He went back to school," Yu Minlan said. She felt that Lin Ruoxi was a bit too clingy with Xue Rui.
"Oh." Lin Ruoxi leaned on the side of the bed, staring blankly out the window.
...
「The next day, during the lunch break」
Xue Rui woke up from a nap on his dorm bed to find his slippers missing. In their place were Qiu Mengze’s.
He and Qiu Mengze had bunk beds. He sat on Qiu Mengze’s bed to collect himself for a moment, then suddenly saw Qiu Mengze walk into the dorm carrying a washbasin, wearing his slippers.
’Ever since this kid started chasing Qin Tong, he’d been brushing his teeth three times a day and washing his hair twice. He must have put on the wrong slippers in a hurry...’
Xue Rui said casually, "Don’t wear my slippers. I have athlete’s foot."
He didn’t actually have athlete’s foot, but if you wanted to refuse someone, it was best to bring up something that affected their interests. That would leave a lasting impression.
Qiu Mengze froze for a second. He and Xue Rui had been roommates for so many years; how could he not know whether Xue Rui had athlete’s foot?
So he didn’t take it seriously at all. Instead, he said nonchalantly, "It’s fine. I have athlete’s foot too. I’m not afraid of catching it."
"???" Xue Rui’s eyes narrowed. He strode over barefoot and pinned Qiu Mengze onto the bed. "Are you sick in the head, kid? You have athlete’s foot and you’re still wearing my damn slippers?"
When Lin Ruoxi was at home, she often wore the wrong shoes too. The little girl would run and bounce around the room in his slippers. If he caught athlete’s foot, Lin Ruoxi probably wouldn’t escape it either.
The thought made him furious, and he applied more force.
"I was just kidding... I don’t, I really don’t!" With his arm twisted behind his back by Xue Rui, Qiu Mengze could only beg for mercy.
Qiu Mengze felt that Xue Rui had changed. ’Didn’t they used to wear each other’s slippers all the time? Why is he making such a big deal out of it?’
Xue Rui knew Qiu Mengze. His loud denial had to be the truth.
"I don’t believe you. Unless you lick it to prove it."
"What the hell, you’re disgusting." Qiu Mengze’s face instantly darkened. He hadn’t expected Xue Rui to be so twisted.
"Then how do you propose to prove it?" Xue Rui asked with a grin.
Qiu Mengze gritted his teeth. "Let go of me first, and I’ll prove it to you."
Xue Rui let go, slightly surprised. ’What on earth is this kid going to do?’
Under Xue Rui’s astonished gaze, Qiu Mengze picked up the slipper from the floor and rubbed it on his own hand. "Is this good enough?"
Xue Rui grinned. "Not very convincing. How about you stuff the slipper down your pants?"
"HOLY SHIT?" Qiu Mengze was shocked by Xue Rui’s shamelessness.
"Not gonna do it, huh? Then I’ll do it for you." Xue Rui smiled, picked up a slipper, and pretended he was about to shove it down Qiu Mengze’s pants.
Yi Bing jumped in to join the fun, grabbing Qiu Mengze’s arms. "Brother Rui, quick!"
The commotion in the dorm attracted a crowd of onlookers. A few good friends also joined the fray.
Just then, however, Xue Rui’s phone rang. It was a call from Lin Ruoxi.
Xue Rui lost his playful mood, tossing the slipper aside. "Yo, what’s up?"
"You need to come to the hospital, quick." The old lady’s aged voice came through the phone, her tone panicked and even a little desolate.
Xue Rui’s brows furrowed. He had just been at the hospital yesterday. What could have happened overnight?
"Grandma, don’t worry. I’m on my way." Xue Rui’s voice softened. From the sound of it, something serious had happened.
「The hospital’s inpatient ward.」
The old lady lay on her bed, looking at the piles of fruit and fresh flowers all around her, and sighed deeply.
So many people had come to visit her this morning. It was just too abnormal.
Given her reputation in the village, there was no way this many people should be visiting her. When she was hospitalized a few years ago, none of these people had shown up.
But today, even the village chief had come.
’I’m just a lonely old woman with no one to depend on. Why am I worthy of all these visits?’
If it was because of Xue Rui’s connections, that would be one thing, but even her relatives had come...
Relatives she hadn’t spoken to in decades had suddenly appeared at the hospital.
This couldn’t help but make her recall what the man in the next bed had said. She might really be on her last legs...
’That’s right. When a person is about to die, all grudges are written off.’
’No matter what, we’re still blood relatives from the same family.’
’The relatives I cut ties with when I was young are all coming to see me before I die.’
’As for the village chief’s visit? I’ve figured that out, too. He’s probably preparing to take me back to the village to wait for death.’
The village committee is responsible for the funerals of lonely, helpless old people.
She looked out the window at the sky and let out a long sigh. Her body felt much lighter, and her arm didn’t even hurt anymore.
She now felt an indescribable sense of relief.
’Maybe... this is the premonition people get before they die?’
The person the old lady was most worried about was Lin Ruoxi. She had wanted to live a few more years to see her granddaughter get married and have children, but now it seemed she wouldn’t get the chance.
She subconsciously searched through her mind and realized the only person she could confide in was that rascal Xue Rui. And only Xue Rui was worthy of her trust.
’This granddaughter of mine... if I let her go out into the world on her own, there’s no telling how much she’ll suffer. The best outcome for her is to stay by Xue Rui’s side.’
’She might be wronged a little? But it doesn’t matter anymore. At least Xue Rui has a conscience...’
Looking at the colorful flowers by her bed, the old lady let out a wry laugh. ’City folks really are fancy,’ she thought. ’For funerals in the village, people send paper wreaths. In the city, they send real flowers.’
There were two cloth banners hanging next to the flower basket with words written on them, but she couldn’t read...
’But why aren’t the banners black and white? Are the customs different in the city?’
She remembered how in the village, the great-grandchildren’s generation would wear red sashes...
’It’s come to this, why am I worrying about such things? I should be thinking about how to arrange my affairs...’
The old lady gazed into the distance, imagining the doorway of her old mud-brick house in the village, probably already piled high with wreaths...
