Chapter 2: I can't let her suffer
Zhou Lin looked back at Su Hexi, who was lying on the bed wrapped in gauze and in a miserable state. In those deep eyes, there was no anger, no resentment, not even a trace of ripples, only an unfathomable fatigue and... numbness.
He turned to Aunt Wang in a hoarse, low voice, filled with a sense of resigned fatigue: "Aunt Wang, give me two more days. I... will go borrow it."
"Borrow? What can you borrow?" Aunt Wang pointed at Zhou Lin's nose, spit flying, "Who would dare to lend you money now? Your reputation has been dragged down by this bitch—"
"She's not a slut!"
Aunt Wang was interrupted by Zhou Lin's voice before she could finish her words. "She is an innocent girl. She is just young and naive. It is normal for her to make mistakes."
"She's cheating on me and you're still innocent? Fine!" Aunt Wang didn't want to waste any more words. "I don't care about your family's affairs, but today! Today! If I don't see the money, you move out immediately!"
Zhou Lin's voice was low and pleading, "Aunt Wang, I'm sorry, but please give me one more day, just one day! Tomorrow, I will definitely collect the rent and send it to you."
"Grace? No way!" Aunt Wang's voice was even louder, her finger almost poking Zhou Lin's nose, "You must pay today! Otherwise, get out! There are plenty of people who want to rent my house!"
Zhou Lin's jawline was tense, and veins bulged slightly at his forehead, but he still suppressed his temper, his tone even carrying a hint of humble pleading: "Aunt Wang, please. Just for the sake of... for the sake of me helping you fix your roof and unclog your sewers, and never failing to pay your utility bills, please give me another day. Just one day! I, Zhou Lin, keep my word. If you still can't pay the rent by this time tomorrow, we will move out immediately and not stay a moment longer!"
He spoke with extreme sincerity, even with a hint of oath. Aunt Wang looked at his face, roughened by life's hardships but still capable of concealing his righteousness, and remembered that he was indeed diligent and had helped her with all the heavy work in the past. Her expression softened slightly, but she still spoke harshly:
"Hmph! Just one day! Zhou Lin, I'm only doing this because you're honest! I'll come again at this time tomorrow! If you don't see the money, both of you will pack up and get out right now! Don't blame me for turning my back on you then!"
After saying these harsh words, Aunt Wang twisted her waist and walked away cursing.
There were only two people left in the room.
Zhou Lin stood there silently, his tall figure stretched out in the dim light and cast on the mottled earthen wall, revealing a heavy sense of depression.
Su Hexi awkwardly tried to sit up, but Zhou Lin heard the noise behind her and immediately turned around to support her, "Lie down and don't move."
His voice was hoarse and clumsy, slowed down deliberately, as if he was afraid of disturbing the horrible wound on her forehead.
Zhou Lin was wearing a white vest and smelled of soap. It was obvious that he had just taken a shower.
Su Hexi looked at the layers of worn and scabbed flesh on his shoulders, and the touch of his rough palms on her arms was clear, with a scorching temperature that burned her conscience.
"I……"
She wanted to apologize, but found out that these were all done by the original owner, not her, and had nothing to do with her. Why should she apologize?
"Don't worry about the rent, I'll figure it out."
But how could he get the rent in one day? With his current reputation, who would dare to lend him money?
Suddenly, he seemed to have made up his mind. His eyes swept across the wound on her forehead, and a trace of extreme reluctance and helplessness flashed across the depths of his eyes. He whispered to Su Hexi, "I'm going out for a while and will be back soon. You... stay well."
Su Hexi opened her mouth, wanting to say, "I'll work with you to find a solution," but swallowed it back. She was now a rat crossing the street, what solution could she come up with? It would only cause him more trouble.
She watched Zhou Lin change into a slightly cleaner but equally washed-out set of old work clothes and hurriedly leave the house.
Zhou Lin went to find his younger brother Zhou Zhisheng.
Zhou Zhisheng had just come out of the workshop, smelling of engine oil and looking a little haggard.
"Brother? Why are you here?" Zhou Zhisheng was a little surprised to see Zhou Lin, and then he noticed the heavy look between his brows. "What happened?"
Zhou Lin spoke with difficulty, finding it difficult to speak: "Zhisheng, are you...free? Can you... lend me some money first? I can't pay the rent...."
He spoke haltingly, his cheeks burning. As an older brother, he should have been helping his younger brother, but now he was asking his younger brother for money...
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhisheng's face suddenly showed an expression even more bitter than Zhou Lin's. He sighed heavily, "Brother! It's not that I don't want to help you! I... I haven't received my salary in half a year!"
"What?" Zhou Lin raised his head suddenly, his pupils shrinking. "Half a year? How could that be?"
Didn't that mean the workers didn't get paid once he left the steel mill? So when he left...
"The factory warehouse is full, the goods can't be sold, and the wages are delayed again and again." Zhou Zhisheng's face was full of worry. "Brother, you... aren't you at the construction site? Why..."
Zhou Lin's heart sank completely. With a hoarse voice, he briefly talked about the rent, omitting the details of Su Hexi's cheating and being beaten. He only said that she was sick and needed money.
Zhou Zhisheng's brows furrowed as he heard this. He rubbed his hands together and paced a few steps before suddenly stopping. "Brother, this is it! I really don't have any money, but my dormitory at the factory can't be taken away for a while! You guys should move in with me first! At least there's a place to stay, so let's get through this difficult time first!"
"How can that be?" Zhou Lin immediately refused. "That's allocated to you by the factory. Where will you live when we get there?"
"I'm a grown man, so I can make do with anything. I can just squeeze in with my coworkers! I can't let my sister-in-law live on the streets with you, can I? Besides, I can go home and live with my parents now."
Zhou Lin couldn't bear it for a moment. Back then, Zhou Zhisheng couldn't stand Su Hexi's fussing, so the factory allocated him a dormitory, and he moved in alone. Now, as the eldest brother, he came to occupy his younger brother's dormitory.
Zhou Zhisheng said firmly, "Brother, stop wasting time! It's settled! Hurry back and pack your things, and move in tonight! I'll go back and clear the place first!"
After he finished speaking, without waiting for Zhou Lin to object, he turned around and ran towards the dormitory building in a hurry.
Zhou Lin watched his brother's hurried back, his throat clogged, unable to utter a word. He was such a failure as a brother... In the end, all the frustration and bitterness melted into a heavy sigh.
When he returned, it was already dark. Su Hexi was struggling to sit up, and the wound on his forehead was bleeding again due to the movement.
Zhou Lin took a few steps forward, supported her, and said in a low voice: "Don't move."
He looked at her with a complicated expression, and finally spoke with difficulty: "I couldn't borrow the rent. As for Zhisheng... the factory hasn't paid him for half a year."
Su Hexi's heart suddenly tightened. Without money to pay the rent, where would they live in the future?
"But it's okay," Zhou Lin immediately changed his tone, trying to sound more relaxed, with a clumsy soothing tone, "Zhisheng lent us his dormitory allocated by the factory. It's a little small and a little old, but at least it's a brick building and it's drafty. We'll move in tonight."
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