Chapter 22 Chapter 22 First Meeting
A few days later, Tao Ning held a sack in each hand and prepared to set off.
Part of it was filled with luggage, and the other part was filled with lemons and wild vegetables. Tao Yuan said that he wanted to give them to the rich family surnamed Song, and asked him to thank Mr. Song very much.
She felt bad for Tao Ning carrying such a heavy bag all by herself to town, so she refused to let him carry the backpack. She carried it herself and said with a nonchalant expression, "Hey, I used to carry 50 or 60 kilograms of clothes every day. It's nothing. Let's go! Don't waste Boss Song and the others' time."
The secretary told them that the wealthy family had already driven to the town, but because Huangmeng Village was in the mountains, it was difficult to drive a car on the mountain roads, so they were asked to go to the town first. This time, the secretary still drove the old electric tricycle to pick them up.
But this time, Tao Ning was not being picked up to see off guests, but to be taken to the city to start an unknown and brand new life.
Xiao Meng hugged Tao Ning's calf and cried heartbreakingly: "Uncle - please don't leave -"
Tao Ning stroked his head and soothed him, "I'll be back soon." Xiao Meng, who was clinging to his legs, looked at him with tears in her eyes, "Really?"
"Yeah, really."
But Xiao Meng still held Tao Ning's legs tightly and cried loudly. In the end, Li Xiangdong forcibly took him away and ended this reluctant farce.
It takes more than two hours to get from the mountains to the town. During this time, Tao Yuan kept reminding him of things to pay attention to, especially emphasizing that he should not take off his glasses at any time except to take a bath or go to bed, and he should not be the first to do so in school.
Tao Yuan emphasized a few words: "If you encounter something like that again, you must call your sister, understand? I will rush over at all costs. You must also call more often, once a week, so as not to let my family worry..."
Tao Ning nodded obediently and sat on the tricycle. The breeze blew up his clothes, outlining the young man's thinness and uprightness.
The tricycle was very bumpy, and the few of them staggered all the way to the designated place in the town. After getting off the tricycle, the first thing that caught their eyes was a black low-end sedan with two very wide black squares on the front. Tao Ning didn't recognize it.
Immediately afterwards, a young man in a suit got out of the car. He was about 28 or 29 years old, and his clothes were not wrinkled at all. He had an elegant and gentle face. When he saw the three people coming with large and small bags, he put on a decent smile on his face and even bent down to greet them.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Gao Yu, Director Song's assistant. To show Director Song how much he values Young Master Tao Ning, he's sent me here to greet you." He looked at the silent, bespectacled Tao Ning and smiled, "Hello, Young Master Tao Ning. It's nice to meet you. I've prepared a gift for you in the car. I'm sure you'll like it..."
But before he could finish his words, the dark-skinned woman in front of him wiped her sweat and smiled from ear to ear, revealing two rows of bright teeth: "Oh, these city people are different, Ningning, he calls you little master."
Gao Yu is worthy of being the assistant to the chairman of a listed company. Even when he was interrupted for no reason, he did not feel unhappy at all.
Tao Ning nodded and said politely, "Thank you. I also... brought you gifts."
“I’m very honored and looking forward to it.”
Reluctantly, the thin boy finally got into the black car that was so much bigger than theirs. Gao Yu helped them put the two sacks and backpacks into the trunk.
It was Tao Ning's first time riding in a car, and he felt a little uncomfortably seated in the back seat. Next to him was a beautifully wrapped black gift box tied with an exquisite bow. Even the outer packaging was made of the finest satin.
The car window was tightly grasped by a pair of skinny hands, and Tao Yuan's eyes were red. "Ningning, you must call us to let us know you're safe when you get to the city, okay? Remember to eat the apples and oranges in the bag, otherwise they will go bad. And your favorite fern..." As she spoke, the woman finally burst into tears.
The younger brother she raised since childhood is finally leaving the small village in the mountains and going to the bigger city. Just like a young bird held in the palm of a hand, one day, it will spread its wings and fly to the freedom and boundless sky.
Tao Yuan wiped away her tears and watched the black car go farther and farther away until it completely disappeared from her sight.
Goodbye, my brother.
Go fly, you must fly higher and farther——
As the sun rose and set, Gao Yu took Tao Ning to the nearest small town, bypassed the city center, and went to a hidden private airport. The journey took seven or eight hours, driving from the rural road to the national highway, and finally to the rural road again.
After getting off the car, Tao Ning's face turned pale, and her originally rosy lips became dry and cracked. She reached the side of the road, bent over, holding her abdomen, and vomited quietly for a while, but what she vomited was all water stains.
Only then did he realize that he was carsick.
This feeling was very uncomfortable, so Tao Ning only ate a few bites of food on the way. After just a few hours, he seemed to be dehydrated and his face was full of fatigue.
Gao Yu looked at this frail, taciturn young man, and a complex thought welled up in his mind: With a body like that, could he really be an Olympiad winner? If he hadn't seen the certificate of honor with his own eyes, he wouldn't have even glanced at such an ordinary boy.
But Gao Yu's professionalism prevented him from asking any more questions, nor did he show any disdain or disdain. He handed over the mineral water and said a few words of concern as usual: "We'll be there soon, please hold on a little longer."
“…Yes, thank you.”
Tao Ning took the water and washed away the bitterness in her mouth. After drinking a few sips, her complexion looked a little better, but still very pale.
Until they arrived in front of the private plane, the boy looked at the huge aircraft in front of him and the strong sound of wind caused by the rotation of the propeller, and finally felt dazed.
He had never been on a plane, only seen it in books... So this was the real thing? Tao Ning silently gazed at the private jet, marveling at its construction while pondering the chemical elements of its materials. He had just recently read a book on the exterior structure of airplanes.
Seeing him staring at the plane in a daze, Gao Yu thought Tao Ning was shocked. The sense of superiority that belongs to the upper class inevitably emerged. "This is a McDonnell Douglas 500E from Country M. It is the most convenient means of transportation from remote areas to the city. Mr. Tao, please--"
Tao Ning blinked, said "thank you", and boarded this behemoth. After entering, he put on noise-canceling headphones and fastened his seat belt as required, and sat in his seat somewhat awkwardly.
To ease his nervousness, Gao Yu smiled and said to him, "This plane can reach a speed of about 280 kilometers per hour. Don't be nervous. We will arrive in Haizhou soon."
"Thank you." Tao Ning lowered her head and said in a low voice. Her face was pale and she murmured softly: "...two hours."
"Mr. Tao? What do you mean two hours?"
"From here to Haizhou City...it only takes about two hours."
Gao Yu smiled and nodded, "Yes, you are right, Master Tao has a very keen sense for numbers."
As the helicopter roared loudly, Tao Ning's ears hurt more and more as time went on, and he had trouble breathing. He forced himself to endure the dizziness and closed his eyes uncomfortably.
At this moment, this unknown journey becomes very long every minute and every second.
The sound of the propellers grew quieter, and two hours finally passed. However, before he could get off the plane, the young man's legs went limp as he reached the door, and he fainted. Gao Yu was so frightened that he almost fainted. "Quick! Call an ambulance!"
In fact, Mr. Song did not attach much importance to this matter of picking up people. After all, the purpose of sponsoring poor students in the mountains and then bringing them home for training was to cultivate the image of a philanthropist and to pave the way for his son, who was about to be promoted to the Chief Prosecutor of the Provincial Supreme People's Procuratorate. That was all.
But the necessary face-saving projects still need to be done well, such as sending an ambulance to take the boy to Haizhou's best People's Hospital. Reporters are already secretly taking pictures outside. I guess tomorrow's Haizhou Morning News will be covered in traditional Chinese characters all over the streets -
"The Song Group took back students from remote rural areas, and they went to the hospital on the first day!"
"What is the purpose of the Song Group taking the impoverished students it supports into the hospital?"
Gao Yu didn't have time to take care of Tao Ning because he was responsible for dealing with these reporters and public relations matters. He simply told the doctors and nurses to treat the patients in the VIP ward well. After answering a few calls, he hurried away.
Because on the other end of the line was the Song family's housekeeper, who was practically scolding him in Cantonese: "Gao Yu, how are you going to pick him up? If this gets out, do you know how much of a ripple it will have on Song?"
…
When Tao Ning woke up again, what she saw was a ceiling that was paler than snow, but the light lines were softened and not glaring.
As soon as he opened his eyes, the nurse next to him said in surprise, "Are you awake? Do you feel anything wrong?" Her voice was clear and pleasant, but she spoke standard Cantonese.
Tao Ning didn't understand, and just looked at her with his clear and sparkling eyes. He pursed his thin lips, and confusion appeared on his beautiful and delicate face.
“…”
The nurse blushed and her heart beat faster when she saw him looking at her. She exclaimed that the boy was so handsome that it almost caused a sensation in the entire hospital. She said that a male star had been admitted to the VIP ward, and that he was even more handsome than the male stars in the movies, with long arms and legs, a thin figure but still showing the power of youth, and when he closed his eyes and fell asleep, he looked like someone in a painting.
Many young nurses rushed to see the boy named Tao Ning, but due to the privacy of the VIP ward and the cordon, they were all stopped outside the elevator and could not even enter the elevator door.
This nurse was the head nurse of the hospital and was specially assigned to take care of Tao Ning. The nurse was sure that such a beautiful man was definitely not a male celebrity. It was said that he was the son of the Song family, but she had no idea what his identity was.
Seeing the boy's confused look, the nurse realized that this beautiful "doll" didn't understand Cantonese and might be a distinguished guest from out of town, so she repeated it in Mandarin, "I mean, are you feeling any worse?"
The nurse frowned, a look of worry and pity on her face. "Are you aware that you have aplastic anemia? Although the problem is mild, there's no guarantee it will get worse in the future."
Tao Ning was a little confused, and her already fair complexion became even paler. "Hello, what is... aplastic anemia?"
The nurse felt even more sorry for him, but she still gave a brief explanation. She meant that Tao Ning's bone marrow could not produce blood normally, so if he bleeds on a normal day, the bleeding will not stop. He also occasionally feels weak all over, often feels dizzy and tired, and has low immunity. A slightly strong wind will cause colds, fevers and other diseases.
"If the condition worsens subsequently, a bone marrow transplant will be required."
His slender fingers couldn't help but tighten the corner of the quilt, and the boy's face turned even paler. Seeing how frightened he was, the nurse hurried to comfort him, "Don't worry, this disease is curable, and your condition isn't serious right now. As long as you follow the doctor's orders, take your medication and get checkups on time, and make sure you get enough rest and take good care of yourself, your condition will be manageable."
Tao Ning lowered his eyes, nodded, and said nothing more. He didn't even dare to ask how much the bone marrow transplant and medication would cost. He couldn't afford such high fees, so he didn't call Tao Yuan.
During his hospital stay, he received unprecedented, top-notch treatment. The entire hospital treated him like a fragile white porcelain doll, fearing he might accidentally bump into something or fall. Everything he ate, used, and wore was the finest, and there were even many things Tao Ning had never tasted before, such as sea cucumbers and abalone.
Tao Ning looked at the exquisitely presented dishes and suddenly felt a little inferior in his heart, but soon, this inferiority was replaced by reading, because every afternoon he would find a sunny place to read.
The young man sat quietly in a chair, beside a fountain. The light shone upon him, revealing his red lips and white teeth, his skin almost transparent, even the faintest cyan of his veins visible. He lowered his head slightly, revealing the soft, white back of his neck. His slender fingers rested on a book, beautiful as a painting.
What he didn't know was that many nurses were crowded behind the door, staring at him and screaming in their ears, "This is the most handsome man I've ever seen in this department!"
"So beautiful, how could someone in the world look like this??"
“…”
Some people even secretly took photos of Tao Ning reading.
Time passed quickly in the blink of an eye. It was not until the day of discharge that Gao Yu showed up to pick Tao Ning up, and he did not ask about his condition.
The boy still wore the rustic black-framed glasses, with long bangs hanging down in front of his forehead. He was still wearing the same old clothes that had been washed to the point of being white, which was out of tune with the bright and beautiful surroundings.
With her head down, Tao Ning stood at the hospital door feeling a little awkward.
Gao Yu was actually satisfied with his rustic appearance and deliberately did not buy new clothes for Tao Ning.
Because he needed the young man to appear in this image, and after returning home, he would take photos with Mr. Song and Mr. Song, and post them in newspapers and on the Internet for public relations.
A low-key car was parked at the hospital entrance. This time it was white, with several rows of window-like signs on the front. The whole car looked like a van. The door opened automatically, but Gao Yu still bowed politely, "Please—"
The luggage had already been delivered to the villa. Tao Ning whispered her thanks and got into the soft and comfortable vehicle.
Gao Yu was driving in front. "This is the Alpha nanny car that Director Song specially arranged for you. There will be someone to pick you up and drop you off at school in the future."
"……Thanks."
The young man's voice was light and soft. As the drizzle fell outside the window, the car sped along. The scenery slowly changed from the bustling downtown to a remote path, but the road surface was still asphalt. Soon, Alpha drove into the mountain road until a seven or eight meter wide black rose iron gate on the side of the road came into view.
Before getting out of the car, just as the front window rolled down, Tao Ning, who was sitting in the back seat, heard a magnetic but extremely impatient voice, "What on earth is the old man thinking? Asking me to pick up that country bumpkin? Didn't he pave the way for Song Heng? Asking me to pick him up at the door, what the hell is going on..."
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