Chapter 38 Hard Life

Ling Yao took out a bottle of medicine from her pocket and handed it to Li Ling, "Please apply it. This medicine is very effective in reducing swelling."

Li Ling shook her head and smiled gratefully at Ling Yao, "Thank you! No need, it will go away soon." She was used to it.

"Just take it. My family runs a medical clinic and we don't lack medicine." Ling Yao smiled and stuffed the medicine bottle into Li Ling's hand, "I'm going back. See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!" Li Ling looked at Ling Yao's back, her eyes gradually reddened. After a long time, she retracted her gaze and looked at the medicine in her hand, "Ling Yao, thank you!"

Ling Yao returned to the village, and it was already dark.

Ling Xuemei stood at the entrance of the village, looking around anxiously. When she saw Ling Yao coming back, she finally let go of her worries. "Yaoyao, why did you come back so late today? Did something happen?"

She looked at Ling Yao worriedly.

"Something happened at school, and I missed the bus. I'm sorry to have worried you!" Ling Yao took Ling Xuemei's arm and walked towards home with her.

"I'm glad you're okay. You must be hungry. Let's go back and have dinner."

"I've been hungry for a long time. You can hear me growling."

The mother and daughter talked and laughed, and their sweet laughter echoed in the quiet village.

When Li Ling returned home and pushed open the shabby door, she heard her mother coughing continuously. She quickly quickened her pace and walked into the house.

"Sister, you are back. The meal is ready." The little girl, wearing patched clothes and with a dirty face, saw Li Ling coming back and immediately ran up to her happily.

Li Ling reached out and touched the little girl's head. "Have you and your brother eaten?"

The little girl pursed her lips and nodded gently. "Already eaten."

Li Ling felt bitter in her heart, sighed deeply, and walked towards the room inside.

When she opened the door, a strong smell of medicine came in. On the bed, a middle-aged woman with a haggard and gray face and skinny body was coughing non-stop.

Li Ling ran up and gently patted her back.

After a long time, Li's mother finally stopped coughing. She looked at Li Ling with a lifeless look, her eyes full of guilt, "Lingling... Mommy is a burden to you..." If she was in better health, Lingling wouldn't have to suffer so much, going to school and washing dishes for people in the hotel.

Li Ling shook her head and reached out to hold Li's mother's thin, withered hand, "Mom, don't think too much, I bought some medicine and you will get better soon after taking it, you sleep for a while, I will go to make medicine for you."

She helped Li's mother lie down, covered her with a quilt, and walked towards the kitchen with the medicine. They only had this room left now, and everything that could be lost in the house had been lost.

Arriving at the kitchen, Li Ling put the medicine into the medicine pot to cook. She sat aside and looked at the medicine and the flickering firelight, her eyes gradually moistened.

"Sister, you eat." The younger sister came over with a broken bowl and handed the bowl to Li Ling.

Li Ling took the bowl and saw that it was a bowl of porridge that was so thin that the bottom could be seen. However, this was already very good for their family.

"Sister is not hungry, you and your brother can eat." Li Ling handed the bowl back to her sister. At the same time, she made a decision in her heart. She decided not to take the college entrance examination. She would go out to find a job tomorrow. She must cure her mother's illness and let her younger brother and sister go to college in the future.

The next day at school, Ling Yao did not see Li Ling, but she did not care too much. She had heard about Li Ling's family situation from her classmates and knew that her family was in great difficulty. Li Ling must have been away from school because of something.

It was not until a week later that Ling Yao heard that Li Ling had dropped out of school. This surprised her.

Li Ling's academic performance was very good and she was always among the top students in her grade. If she had taken the college entrance examination, she would definitely be able to get into a good university. It was a pity that she dropped out now, but everyone has their own choices.

On Sunday, Ling Yao received a call from Zhao Kun, who asked her to have dinner at the state-owned hotel and said that he had something to discuss with her.

Ling Yao came to the state-owned hotel and found a seat by the window and sat down. She wanted to wait for Zhao Kun to come before going to the private room with him.

Just after sitting down, a waiter came over, "Excuse me, what would you like to order?"

Ling Yao heard the other party's voice was somewhat familiar, looked up, and saw that the other party was a little surprised, "Li Ling."

Li Ling saw that it was Ling Yao, a little flustered, and quickly turned around and left. She didn't expect to meet Ling Yao here.

Because she walked too fast, Li Ling bumped into a middle-aged woman who was walking towards her.

"Ouch! How do you walk? It hurts so much." The middle-aged woman rubbed her chest angrily and glared at Li Ling.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it." Li Ling apologized quickly. She had fought hard to get this job, and she must not lose it.

"Go and call your director over." The middle-aged woman was relentless.

"Please don't look for our director. I apologize to you. I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry..." Li Ling was about to cry. The salary of a waiter was much higher than her job as a dishwasher. She couldn't lose this job.

Ling Yao stood up, walked in front of Li Ling, and blocked her. "She has already apologized to you. What else do you want?"

"This matter has nothing to do with you. How can she just say sorry after bumping into me? Look, she has stained my clothes. Shouldn't she compensate me?" The middle-aged woman pointed to her clothes. She and her husband came to see Director Zhao today. Now her clothes were stained with oil by this waiter. How could she meet Director Zhao?

Ling Yao looked in the direction of her finger and saw that there was indeed a small oil stain there. If you didn't look carefully, you wouldn't notice it at all.

"I didn't mean to do that. I'll help you wash it off." Li Ling walked out from behind Ling Yao with red eyes. This matter was her responsibility, and she couldn't implicate Ling Yao.

"This is real silk. Can you afford to pay for it if it's damaged?" The middle-aged woman snorted sarcastically. "

Then how much do you want to pay?" Ling Yao didn't want to talk too much with the middle-aged woman.

"I bought this dress at a department store. It cost more than a hundred yuan. I don't want more. Just give me fifty."

Li Ling was so scared that her face changed, and she staggered and almost fell. She only gets 30 yuan a month working in a state-owned hotel, how can she afford to pay the other party 50 yuan? She

bit her lip and said slowly: "Can I owe you the money first and pay you back after I get my salary?"

The middle-aged woman sneered and said, "Either pay the money or your director comes over."

"Please, I really can't lose this job." Li Ling begged.

"This is your business, what does it have to do with me." The middle-aged woman held her head high.

Ling Yao took out fifty yuan and handed it to the middle-aged woman, "Fifty yuan for you."

"Ling Yao, I can't take your money." Li Ling reached out and grabbed Ling Yao. Ling Yao had helped her a lot, she couldn't owe Ling Yao anymore.

The middle-aged woman grabbed the money, snorted coldly, and walked towards the private room on the second floor with her head held high.