Chapter 78 Fate's Wish
After receiving bad news from others, Shen Zhenzhu returned home feeling listless and weak.
He couldn't even use his skills to pick green beans, and sat listlessly on a small stool, staring blankly at a large bowl of green beans.
Shen Yuyuan knew that her sixth sister was going to deliver meals to Fu'an Village recently, and she would come back to help when she had fewer classes. She sat side by side with Shen Zhenzhu on the other side of the basin, wishing she could use both her hands and feet.
The eldest sister seemed preoccupied, so Shen Yuyuan didn't disturb her, wanting to wait for her to find her own way out. But Shen Zhenzhu had a natural ability to cheer herself up, a trait she inherited from Shen Liuhe; she became more resilient with each setback, daring to face and solve problems head-on.
Quickly pick the green beans, gently pinch open the pods of the older beans, squeeze out the plump beans, and throw the tough strings and skins into the trash bag, not wasting a single bean.
The restaurant was bustling with activity. Shen Zhenzhu and Shen Yuyuan picked the green beans and carried them to the backyard, where Yuan Jiangxue, wearing rubber gloves, vigorously washed them.
Uncle Lu boiled water in the earthen stove outside and helped Sixth Sister blanch the green beans, so that the poor people suffering from the disaster would not have to eat half-cooked poisonous green beans and suffer.
After several days of delivering meals, Chen Zhenzhu and the others have learned to pre-package the boxed meals and distribute them to everyone as quickly as possible, so that they no longer need to wait in long lines.
In recent days, most of the disaster victims have been resettled elsewhere, but dozens of people are still lingering at the scene, unwilling to give up and searching for their relatives. In addition, the elderly are unwilling to leave their homes. Even though they have been reduced to ruins, they still build temporary shelters and live across the street, sighing as they look at the ruins day and night.
The government has provided a rescue plan, but the arson involved is a very serious offense, and building a new house on the spot cannot be carried out for the time being. They have to contact the rescue station and the street office and other grassroots departments to solve their housing problem first, and then make further plans after the specific cause of the fire is investigated.
Shen Yuyuan followed behind the small motorcycle on her tricycle, while Shen Zhenzhu's tricycle was also loaded with boxed lunches in the back. They encountered the same mounted police officer from that day on the road; he was still patrolling within the Fu'anli area, and they saluted each other without exchanging a word.
When we arrived at Fu'anli, the atmosphere was different from yesterday.
Shen Zhenzhu saw the Criminal Investigation Team 3 of the Municipal Public Security Bureau escorting people to identify the scene and taking photos!
The old neighbors who suffered the disaster attacked Zhou in droves, throwing stones, shoes, and cursing. If Shen Zhenzhu hadn't become familiar with them, the boxed lunches in her and Shen Yuyuan's car would have been thrown at the culprit!
"How could your sister, who's been so stingy her whole life, have such a spendthrift brother like you! You're a beast who only comes to collect debts! You burned down our house, leaving us homeless!"
"You murderer! Shoot him! Shoot him right now!"
"How dare you come back? My wife is still down there, you're the one who killed her!"
"My grandma's 80th birthday is today! You owe my grandma! I'm going to kill you! My grandma is my only family!"
......
Chen Youwei and Kang He from the third team almost lost control of the "enthusiastic" atmosphere at the scene. They ordered other police officers to protect Ye Shengwen, which further enraged the crowd.
Kanghe was punched a few times for no reason. He stood on tiptoe and called out to the police officers who were maintaining order in the distance. He then saw Chen Zhenzhu standing on a tricycle watching the commotion!
Shen Yuyuan helped her peer inside, her head practically sticking out her "curiosity" mark.
"How could it be him?!" Shen Zhenzhu jumped off the tricycle, grabbed Shen Yuyuan's hand and said, "This is the uncle of Xiao Kai that I told you about. His parents both died in this fire. It was his uncle who set the fire!"
This time, Shen Yuyuan stood on the tricycle. She craned her neck to look around, then looked down and said, "Sister, it seems the police over there want you to come over."
Chen Youwei and Kang He were about to reach their limit and shouted to Chen Zhenzhu from the crowd, "Come and help! Don't just stand by and watch!"
Shen Zhenzhu hurriedly grabbed the mop handle from the tricycle and frantically banged on it, shouting, "The food is here! First come, first served! Sixth Sister personally cooked two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, it's free!!"
What was the most hopeful thing during this period? It was definitely Sixth Sister's cooking, which comforted my wounded soul and filled my cold insides every day.
Chen Youwei was still saying to Kang He, "Will this even work?"
The next second, the crowd of people, who had been shouting and clamoring, dropped their "weapons" and lined up in front of the tricycles with practiced ease. Those who couldn't get to the front ran to the back of the line, not forgetting to point at Ye Shengwen's nose and throw out a sentence: "I'll deal with you after I've eaten my fill!"
Ye Shengwen slumped his shoulders, his face contorted with dejection, and repeatedly apologized, saying, "It was my mistake, I'm guilty."
As Shen Zhenzhu distributed the boxed lunches, she overheard everyone's comments.
It turns out that Ye Shengwen got drunk on the day of the fire. In the middle of the night, he was hungry and vaguely found an alcohol stove to cook hot pot. However, while drinking and waiting, he spilled alcohol and set fire to the cardboard and foam piled up next to the sofa.
"How could there be cardboard and foam?" Shen Yuyuan handed the old woman a small packet of pickled vegetables as a "reward" for asking the question.
The old woman was eating her boxed lunch right next to them. She rolled her cloudy eyes and glared at Ye Shengwen, saying, "His brother-in-law and his sister are both junior high school teachers. They are so frugal that they go out on the street in the middle of the night to collect bottles and cans to sell for money, and they even rummage through trash cans for cardboard and stuff. Do they think we old neighbors don't know? Everyone just pretends not to know because they are teachers."
An uncle who was watching the commotion from next door asked, "Didn't anyone give the teacher a gift? He has to pick up trash. I've never heard of such a thing."
The old woman said, "You're right if you haven't heard of them. I've never seen such a stingy couple. They'd lick the eggshell clean before cracking an egg, and they'd use up cooking oil by rinsing it with water and making it last for half a month. They're not only stingy with themselves, but also with their child. In the summer, I saw their son, Xiao Kai, always wearing shoes that were too small, his toes were all squeezed out of shape! They even forced him to stay up late at night to pick up trash on the street. If he didn't go, you can't even imagine how filthy their words were."
"How can there be such a couple?" Shen Yuyuan couldn't help but complain, "Even when Sixth Sister was poor, she never made such demands of us."
The old woman said, "With a sister like that, it's no wonder there's a robber brother. He served ten years in prison and only a few months later he's caused another big trouble! He used to live at home, but he was always drunk and out of control. Sometimes he would get drunk and make a scene downstairs, making a huge fuss and not being able to find his way home, disturbing the sleep of people in both buildings. I don't believe anyone else would commit arson, but I'd be the first to believe it if you said it was him!"
The old woman spoke with righteous indignation, unaware that the people queuing next to her for their boxed meals were constantly giving her meaningful glances.
Shen Zhenzhu caught sight of Xiao Kai standing outside the crowd through their gazes. She was startled, wondering if Xiao Kai had heard what the old lady had said.
“Uncle…” Xiao Kai stood outside the police cordon. Ye Shengwen saw him from inside, his eyes filled with mixed emotions as he pursed his lips, unable to express his feelings for a moment.
Kang He stood in front of Ye Shengwen, fearing that more people would come and harm the suspect. Arson endangers public safety and is a serious crime that should be tried by law. Any acts of vigilante justice must be stopped.
“Let him say a few words to his uncle.” Shen Zhenzhu walked between them and said to Chen Youwei, “Brother Chen, Xiao Kai’s parents died in the fire. Ye Shengwen is his only relative. This child usually performs very well. Let him say a few words to his uncle.”
Chen Youwei turned to look at Ye Shengwen and asked him, "You've killed their parents. Say what you have to say now, or you might never have another chance."
Ye Shengwen's eyes were bloodshot, his lips were dry and cracked, and his skin was pale and sallow. His not-so-tall figure was now hunched over, his body covered in filth and an indescribable state of disarray from the attacks by the crowd.
"Xiao Kai...you...you came to see me?" Ye Shengwen's voice was hoarse, and beneath his slow, weary expression lay an unconcealable grief: "You...you must become a successful person in the future, don't let my sister down. You are her root...take good care of yourself, remember that, you must be well!"
"Yes, I'll be fine." Xiao Kai had no more tears left. The thin boy watched alone as his only relative was escorted into the police car.
Once the police car was out of sight, he sat silently by the ruins, motionless like a stone statue.
As night fell and moonlight streamed over him, he remained unmoved.
Shen Zhenzhu was worried that he would do something foolish, and she was also afraid that the angry disaster victims would hurt him, so she stayed by his side from evening until late at night.
Finally, they returned to the hospital with Xiao Kai, whose soul had been extracted.
"You saw him?" Wu Zhongguo stood downstairs in the hospital building. Xiao Chuan was going to be discharged tomorrow, and while he was relieved, he was also worried about Xiao Kai's condition.
He stood downstairs for several hours, finally waiting for Xiao Kai to return.
"I saw him," Chen Zhenzhu sighed. "We exchanged a few words."
"It's good that we were able to talk. I have no regrets." Wu Zhongguo watched as Xiao Kai went upstairs by himself. He walked upstairs side by side with Shen Zhenzhu and said in a low voice, "If it were me, I wouldn't know how to face Ye Shengwen. He's both an uncle and the culprit of this fire."
"They said it was a cardboard box that was accidentally set on fire. There was a lot of clutter in the building, and it caught fire in the middle of the night," Shen Zhenzhu said.
Wu Zhongguo said, "There are many elderly people in the south building who like to pile up things in the corridor. Sometimes I have to walk sideways when I go there. If there is a fire, there is really no way to escape. Our north building is better. Your aunt is the building manager. She is strict and has a dark face. There is not much clutter in the corridor."
"Thanks to Auntie's good management, everyone managed to escape in time." Shen Zhenzhu walked up the stairs and saw Xiao Kai standing in front of the ward door, lost in thought.
She walked over and saw Xiao Chuan being held and talked to by Li Ying. It seemed that the young boy had had a nightmare and was woken up by it.
After Li Ying's hair was burned, she cut her hair into a buzz cut even shorter than Wu Zhongguo's. From behind, it was indistinguishable between men and women, but in the moonlight, her gentle expression could be clearly seen.
The usually stubborn and cheerful boy quickly fell asleep in his mother's arms. Although a little shy, this warm embrace was his safe haven. No matter how vivid the nightmares, he could sleep peacefully in such an embrace.
“We’re going in, you can go back first.” Wu Zhongguo glanced at his watch: “It’s already 2:30, you must be tired. Tomorrow we’ll stay at his grandparents’ house, no need for Captain Gu to make arrangements.”
"Don't rush off when you're discharged tomorrow. Zheng and the others will come to pick you up," Chen Zhenzhu said. "They can't wait any longer and want to see you. If Zheng hadn't been worried about disturbing Xiao Chuan's rest, he would have come already."
"Okay, slow down."
We didn't tell Xiaochuan's grandparents about the fire at first, because the two elderly people are almost seventy years old and we didn't want them to worry.
On the day of his discharge, everyone from Team Four arrived. Ignoring Xiao Chuan's objections, Lu Ye carried him high on his back, almost causing him to bump into the door frame.
A group of people behind them were not nervous at all; instead, they laughed and joked.
Shen Zhenzhu followed behind them, carrying a basin and a thermos. As they walked through the corridor, she saw many people looking on with envy at this lucky family.
In a disaster, property loss is nothing; when people meet, the most common thing they say is, "It's good that everyone is safe."
Compared to the other families where people died or were injured, Xiao Chuan's family was extremely lucky that he only suffered burns on the back of his foot and that his bones and meridians were not damaged.
And in this city, Fu'an Lane is not their only place to go. For people in their forties, with their parents waiting for them in another warm home, they are undoubtedly much luckier.
The chief physician came to see Xiaochuan, gave him a discharge report, and prescribed two kinds of medicine to treat his lung condition.
Xiao Kai seemed to be in better spirits today. Wu Zhongguo had a long talk with him all night and invited Xiao Kai to go back to his grandparents' house to stay today.
Xiao Kai has no parents or relatives. He's being taken in for a while now, but he might be sent to the city's welfare home later. The fifteen-year-old boy will have to wait until he's eighteen to leave the welfare home, but the mark of being an orphan can never be erased from his body.
He was young and recovered quickly; most of his scrapes and abrasions had healed. Ignoring the others' attempts to stop him, he sensibly carried his clothes and slippers, following closely behind as they boarded the bus.
Grandpa Wu and Grandma Wu live in the Municipal Public Security Bureau's residential compound, Chang'an Jiayuan. The compound consists of six newly built buildings, all inhabited by public security personnel and their families who were allocated housing five or six years ago. Even the security guards are retired veterans. Petty thieves won't come knocking on their door, making it much safer than Fu'anli.
"Stand up straight and head held high, don't look like a stray dog." Grandpa Wu was waiting downstairs with his cane. When he saw Wu Zhongguo, who was quite old, still coming to find his parents with a grin, he felt both sorry for him and amused.
They live on the first floor in a two-bedroom, two-living-room house with a small privately cultivated vegetable garden in the back.
Grandma Wu was cooking in the kitchen when she saw Xiao Kai carrying clothes and slippers through the window. Mistaking him for Xiao Chuan, she put down the spatula, turned off the stove, and rushed out of the building, saying, "My dear grandson, you've suffered so much! Why did you have to walk all the way here by yourself?"
Grandma Wu, though old, was still very spry. She picked up the clothes that Xiao Kai was holding and reached for the slippers. Xiao Kai quickly said, "Hello, Grandma Wu. Xiao Chuan is behind me. I am his good friend, Xiao Kai."
Grandma Wu pushed up her reading glasses, squinted at her for a moment, and then she could tell: "Look at my presbyopia, I saw you through the window and you look exactly like my grandson, but I couldn't tell the difference."
Xiao Kai's clothes were all burned, so Wu Zhongguo took Xiao Chuan's clothes from here and dressed him in them. It's understandable that the old man couldn't tell the difference at first.
A neighbor on the second floor greeted him from their balcony: "Chuan'er, you've lost so much weight!"
Xiao Chuan limped out of the car and waved from behind, saying, "Uncle! I'm here! Why do you only recognize the sportswear and not me?"
"Hey, I'll get myself a pair of reading glasses someday." The uncle on the second floor said jokingly from his balcony, "I was wondering how you'd gotten so handsome in the last two months, turns out I mistook you for someone else. When you're all better, let's have a fight."
"Okay!" In the hospital, the atmosphere was heavy. But once he was away from that environment and back at his grandparents' house, Xiao Chuan's mood immediately improved, and he regained his usual liveliness and cheerfulness.
Grandma Wu's cooking was in the style of the Jiangnan water towns—refreshing and nourishing—and she prepared a large feast especially for Xiao Chuan. Shen Zhenzhu, Gu Yanzheng, and the others also enjoyed the heartfelt meal prepared by the old lady.
The old man was well-liked, and neighbors in the public security system, upon hearing that Wu Zhongguo's family had returned, all came over with gifts to offer their condolences and concern. Li Ying dealt with the everyday matters, recounting the fire several times until her mouth was dry.
Taking advantage of an opportunity, Wu Zhongguo took the two elderly people for a walk in the neighborhood. Shen Zhenzhu guessed that he was probably talking to them about Xiao Kai.
When they returned, as expected, the two elderly people were much more affectionate towards Xiao Kai. They didn't give the peeled apple to their own grandson, but gave it to Xiao Kai first: "Just treat this place as your own home, you can stay as long as you want."
“If you hadn’t carried Xiaochuan out, we wouldn’t be alive. You’re a good boy, and we will all be good to you. Tomorrow, Grandma will make chicken soup and give you a big chicken leg.”
Xiao Chuan ignored their conversation in the living room, carried a small stool, and went with Chen Zhenzhu to the yard to bask in the sun.
The boy's tense emotions finally relaxed after returning to his grandparents' house. With a lollipop in his mouth, he gave one to Chen Zhenzhu, and the two of them drowsily basked in the autumn sun.
After Lu Ye and Zhou Chuanxi finished eating in the living room, Xiao Kai thoughtfully got up to help clear the table and then went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Grandma Wu was reluctant to let such a child help, but Xiao Kai just kept working.
Wu Zhongguo pulled Grandma Wu back to the living room: "Mom, just let him do it. This child is too sensible. Letting him live at home for free might make him feel indebted, so he has to do some work."
Thinking of Xiao Kai's experience, Li Ying looked at Xiao Kai busy in the kitchen, and then at Xiao Chuan basking in the sun outside, seemingly carefree and oblivious to the world's troubles, and shook her head.
After eating and drinking their fill and resting for a while, Shen Zhenzhu and the others were about to say goodbye to the elderly.
Grandma Wu held Chen Zhenzhu's hand and said, "My dear girl, don't rush off. Grandma is asking if you have a boyfriend yet."
Li Ying said, half-laughing and half-crying, "Mom, don't introduce her to anyone. He—" She didn't know what Wu Zhongguo had said to her after get off work, but she glanced at Gu Yanzheng, who was putting on his shoes, and said, "He's focused on his career right now, and he's not that old. Let's not think about that for now."
Grandma Wu regretfully let go of Chen Zhenzhu's hand, took out a thick phone book from her pocket and showed it to Chen Zhenzhu: "They are all excellent young men, all with jobs, and all good-looking and tall. If you want to find a partner, remember to contact Grandma. You are so pretty, Grandma doesn't want your money, just ten red eggs to bring you good luck."
Shen Zhenzhu couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Okay, Grandma, I'll remember."
Grandma Wu, pinching the temple of her glasses, turned her gaze to Gu Yanzheng again. He had already put on his leather shoes and was standing at the door waiting for the slow-moving Chen Zhenzhu to come out. Noticing the old lady's gaze, he tried to look away, but she grabbed his wrist first: "Such a strong pulse, you must be in great shape. Young man, do you have a girlfriend?"
Wu Zhongguo, not wanting to retire early, quickly came over and grabbed Grandma Wu's shoulders, saying, "The Story of the Editorial Department is being rebroadcast, do you want to watch it?"
Grandma Wu didn't want to watch, but her son was stronger than her, so she was pushed onto the sofa and forced to sit down by her shoulders. She muttered resentfully, "I didn't say I would introduce him to anyone. With his wolf-like physique, what young girl could stand him?"
"Mom, don't talk nonsense if you don't know idioms!" Li Ying blushed and put a piece of brown sugar cake into the old woman's mouth, saying, "Chew slowly."
Brother Zheng is as fierce as a wolf; Sister-in-law Zheng will be happy from now on.
Shen Zhenzhu wanted to laugh but dared not. She bit her lower lip with her big teeth, trying to suppress her laughter, because her brother Zheng was standing guard at the door.
She pursed her lips tightly, her face flushed red. When she looked up, she saw Gu Yanzheng staring at her with a half-smile, propping himself up on his arm and refusing to move aside from the doorway. It seemed like even laughing at him was illegal.
Shen Zhenzhu covered her mouth and bent down, nimbly slipping under his arm. She ran and jumped outside, laughing wildly with Lu Ye and the others. Her playful voice imitated Grandma Wu's words, "Such a strong pulse, like a wolf or a tiger!" and "Brother Zheng is like a wolf or a tiger, hahaha."
Gu Yanzheng walked silently behind, his face a little hot, but fortunately his wheat-colored skin didn't show any color, allowing him to maintain his composure.
It's only been two short years.
Gu Yanzheng thought to himself, when will he, who has the final say in the fourth team, be openly laughed at by everyone?
Upon careful consideration, all of these events occurred after Shen Zhenzhu joined the fourth team.
Previously, everyone had a clear superior-subordinate relationship with him, but without realizing it, they often ate together, worked overtime together, and helped each other with family matters, and had become like half-siblings.
The "culprit" even knew to stand next to the passenger seat of the Cherokee, leaning against the door, with his other hand covering his stomach, laughing so hard he was doubled over, completely losing his image management as "Section Chief Shen".
Gu Yanzheng walked over indifferently, sat in the car, and quietly ground his teeth where Shen Zhenzhu couldn't see.
As the Cherokee slowly drove away, Chen Zhenzhu glanced back and saw Xiao Chuan, who was lazily waving goodbye in the yard, and Xiao Kai, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, standing in stark contrast to Wu Zhongguo and Li Ying, who were seeing her off.
Former best friends are now worlds apart.
***
"This is Deputy Director Zhao from the District Education Commission Office, and these are Teacher Xu and Teacher Li from the Provincial Competition Committee."
Principal Liang Zhijian of No. 6 Middle School visited Xiao Kai, an outstanding student at Chang'an Jiayuan. He introduced Xiao Kai to the leaders and teachers, and held Xiao Kai's hand to express his heartfelt greetings.
When Grandpa Wu and Grandma Wu saw that a leader had come to visit Xiao Kai, they gave up the sofa in the living room and sat in the dining room watching from afar.
Li Ying whispered to them, "They know what happened to Xiao Kai and came here specifically to offer their condolences."
Grandma Wu sighed, "There are still so many good people in the world."
Grandpa Wu walked to the side, picked up a newspaper, and pretended to read it, his eyes constantly glancing in that direction.
"You are the youngest informatics Olympiad contestant in our district. Considering your programming and algorithm skills last year, the competition organizing committee has agreed to make an exception and exempt you from the first round of the competition this year."
Principal Liang looked at the talented students from the junior high school of No. 6 Middle School with satisfaction, as if he could see them being admitted to Tsinghua and Peking Universities without taking the entrance exam, becoming national Olympiad contestants in Informatics, and bringing great honor to the school.
Xiao Kai wept bitterly amidst everyone's care and concern. Everyone refrained from mentioning his uncle who had committed arson, instead offering heartfelt condolences and presenting Xiao Kai with donations and clothing from the entire school.
Grandpa Wu and Grandma Wu had often heard Wu Zhongguo say that Xiao Kai had good grades, but they only truly understood it after seeing the leaders of the Education Commission and the principal personally visit their home.
Grandpa Wu was furious when he saw Xiao Chuan wiping the soccer ball on the side: "Look at you, you're all in school together, how come all you know is how to play soccer, while others are busy bringing glory to the school?"
Xiao Chuan focused on wiping the ball: "Playing good football can bring glory to the school. You have no idea how terrible the men's soccer team is. Wait until I get into the provincial team—"
"Stop dreaming about that. When you're my age, all you'll know is to rely on the men's football team. It's better to hope you get into Tsinghua or Peking University." Grandpa Wu interrupted him, put down the newspaper, and saw the leaders were about to leave, so he got up to see them off.
"We are grateful to the two elderly comrades for taking in this child. He is intelligent, sensible, and gets along well with his classmates. He has always been a role model for our school's teachers and students. Knowing that he also saved another classmate from the fire, we will definitely give him a good reward later."
Principal Liang opened the car door for the leaders of the district education commission and the competition organizing committee, and said to Grandpa Wu who was seeing them off, "He is a rare talent, with high intelligence and a willingness to learn. Let him take good care of himself at your home, and I will come back to thank you both later."
Grandpa Wu had only ever been criticized by teachers before, and this was the first time he had encountered something so glorious for his family. He said seriously, "Don't worry, leaders, we will definitely take good care of him."
Director Zhao of the district education commission agreed with Principal Liang's statement. After getting in the car, he said to Principal Liang, "Old Liang, hasn't he always wanted to study this abroad? This kid has potential. Maybe one day he can really go abroad to compete. When that happens, you can apply to join a competition team and win a team honor. Then your school won't have to worry about anything. By the way, tuition and fees must be waived completely, and the school should also cover the food and living expenses."
"That's what I mean. We plan to do everything you suggested."
"How's Sun Feifei, who competed with him for a spot in the competition, doing? Is she in the same building too?"
"She was unlucky. She could have escaped, but her door was blocked by someone else's bicycle. She suffered extensive burns all over her body, and her parents transferred her to Shanghai."
......
Xiao Chuan's foot wasn't fully healed, and after being bothered by the distinguished guests all morning, he limped along, carrying a soccer ball, intending to go to the activity square to watch others play.
Before leaving, her grandparents nagged her a few more times, and she left with a sullen face, clutching the ball.
“Grandpa Wu, please don’t talk about him anymore.” Xiao Kai was about to go out as well, carrying two large bags of used clothes donated by teachers and students. He said to them, “He has a burn on his foot and it’s very painful to change the dressing every time. Let him have a change of mood.”
Li Ying thought of Xiao Chuan's wound, which had been reopened after the gauze was removed, and sighed with heartache. She looked at Xiao Kai and said, "What are you going to do with all this stuff?"
Xiao Kai lowered his head and said, "Xiao Chuan's clothes are enough for me. There are still many people at the fire site who don't have clean clothes. I want to send the donated clothes to them. You won't mind if I take it upon myself to do this, will you?"
"This is a good thing, how could I blame you?" Li Ying patted Xiao Kai's head and said, "Wait here, I'll get the monthly pass and go with you."
"No, no, Xiao Chuan will need to take his medicine when he comes back later, and I'm afraid Grandpa Wu and Grandma Wu will forget," Xiao Kai said softly. "I'll go and come back by myself."
"This child is so sensible, it breaks my heart." Grandpa Wu stuffed five yuan into his pocket and said, "If you're tired, take a taxi. Don't call me Grandpa Wu or Grandma Wu anymore, it's too formal. Just call me Grandpa and Grandma like Xiao Chuan does."
"Thank you, Grandpa. I'll bring you some glutinous rice wine from the alleyway. The grapes are ready; you and Grandma can eat them at home first." Xiao Kai struggled out the door carrying large and small bags, his stubborn figure endearing him to the old man.
After exiting the west gate of Chang'an Jiayuan, Xiao Kai waited at the entrance for about ten minutes with his bag. Passersby, unaware of the child's ordeal, hurriedly searched for a restaurant that suited their tastes during their lunch break.
A Shenlong sedan with "China Life Insurance Company" on it stopped in front of him, and an insurance agent got out: "Didn't I tell you to wait at home? Why did you come out? If we hadn't run into you, we would have made a wasted trip."
Xiao Kai said politely, "Uncle Qian, I thought you would come by this intersection, so I waited for you."
The salesman, carrying a briefcase, saw his pitiful state and pulled him to a cement block by the roadside, putting down his bag and saying, "I've asked about what you told me about. The company leaders all said that the operation wouldn't work."
Xiao Kai's heart sank. He lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying, "But my parents are both dead. My uncle is the policyholder and beneficiary of the insurance policy. He has no children, so shouldn't I inherit my parents' insurance money? Can't it just be given to me directly?"
There were things that had to be said, the salesman whispered, “But it’s been confirmed that your uncle started the fire. He’s been criminally detained, hasn’t he? Arson doesn’t pay out, especially since he was the beneficiary. We reasonably suspect that he killed your parents to collect insurance money! Silly child, you need to understand the situation. Don’t blame me; these are all company regulations. If you want to hate someone, hate your uncle.”
"No more insurance money..." Xiao Kai lost all strength and leaned against the tree for a long time, unable to recover. He hung his head and couldn't help but punch the tree trunk heavily a few times, cursing, "It's all gone, I have nothing left!"
The salesman felt extremely sorry for Xiao Kai because of his appearance. He took out fifty yuan from his wallet and stuffed it into Xiao Kai's pocket, saying, "Even if I compensate you, you won't get it. You're only fifteen years old this year and you're not a fully capable adult. This money will eventually end up in the hands of your guardian."
Xiao Kai covered his face with one hand and said, "Anyone who can be a guardian should be shot! Why can't I have it? I can inherit it."
Seeing that he was stuck in a rut, the salesman sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Son, take it easy."
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Author's note: See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming up!
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