When the refrigerator
“Squeak!”
The chaotic noises were isolated outside and finally quieted down.
Every family has its own problems. Life is full of ups and downs, but there is always a way out.
Even if there is no way, you have to make a way and keep going.
Zhou Xi leaned weakly against the door. The clothes on his body were from yesterday. He had no time to take care of his hair. It had not been washed for several days and was hanging down in a mess.
Sitting down on the ground, he lifted the plastic cover with his numb fingers, and the splashing water flowed over the barbs growing on the edge of his nails.
Going down are the joints with thin calluses left from years of writing, and finally stop at the connection between the index and middle fingers.
Zhou Xi was busy examining Xu Shulan in the morning and had no time to eat breakfast. The noodles he had just bought outside had already clumped together and did not look very good.
"Buzz!"
The phone rang.
Zhou Xi's eyebrows jumped, and he freed one hand: "Hey, Grandpa Zhong, what's wrong? It's Grandma..."
"It's okay, I'm fine, Tongtong, I'll come over later, you go back and rest first."
"good."
Zhou Xi breathed a sigh of relief, quickly filled his stomach, threw the garbage into the trash can, tidied his hair, and climbed up the stairs.
I stayed up all night in the hospital taking care of him, and only learned about the news from school through Xiao Xiaoyu and the others.
During the time Xu Shulan was in the hospital, Xiao Xiaoyu and Gao Yuanyuan visited her once, brought her a lot of things, and chatted with her.
The midterm results did not cause any waves for her, and she knew the answer clearly.
After observing Yuxiu's style for a while, she felt that she could not act as well as those scholars who were born to make a living from acting, so she decided to just go straight to the top and stop playing around.
If you play it too hard, it will be like a bomb, and you will be killed.
"mom!"
A well-maintained woman knocked on the door and came in, her high heels making a clattering sound on the floor.
Zhou Xi was peeling an apple when the long apple peel was cut in half by the sound and fell into the trash can.
What a shame, it could have been a complete work of art.
"Mom." Zhou Xi greeted.
Qin Ting carried the fruit basket and placed it on the bedside: "Tongtong, Mommy is here to see your grandma."
"Xiaoting."
Xu Shulan lay on the bed, her face still pale.
A little girl with a bun on her head came out from behind Qin Ting, ran to Zhou Xi and took her hand.
"Sister! Grandma!"
Zhou Xi calmly looked down at He Min, who looked 70% like Qin Ting and was filled with joy. He pulled his hand out and wiped his palm, which was stained with apple juice, with tissue paper.
"Um."
Feeling it was too cold, he rubbed the girl's furry head with the back of his other clean hand.
Zhou Xi sighed, wishing that this kid didn’t like her so much.
When she was staring at Qin Ting's big belly, she was wondering if there would be some melodramatic plot in the future, with a pampered younger sister or a domineering younger brother fighting against a vicious older sister.
But she was not given any room to perform, which actually improved her acting skills. Her sister loved to smile at her so much, she couldn't just act like a refrigerator and freeze her to death.
"I brought Minmin here to participate in a competition. I wanted to visit you guys after it was over, but then I heard that Mom was sick." Qin Ting sat next to her, "Mom, how are you feeling now?"
Xu Shulan nodded: "That's thoughtful."
Zhou Xi shaved the apple into small pieces, put away the knife, and handed it to Xu Shulan with a toothpick: "Grandma just had surgery. The doctor said you should talk less and rest more."
He then handed another piece to He Min. The child was very happy and kept chewing on it with his little teeth.
Zhou Xi accompanied Qin Ting and her daughter to have lunch together.
Qin Ting handed the menu to Zhou Xi: "Tongtong, take a look at what you want to eat?"
Zhou Xi wiped the table with his right hand without stopping, took it with his left hand and handed it to He Min: "Let Minmin order, I can do it."
Qin Ting smiled and said, "Okay."
"Sister, you order, after I order, Minmin can order!"
Zhou Xi: “…”
Three people are playing around with the menu, right?
He Min came close to Zhou Xi, and the little one was really irresistible.
While waiting for the food to be served, He Min played with Qin Ting's mobile phone. Qin Ting drank a sip of steaming boiled water and started a conversation.
"Tongtong, you're in high school now. How's your study going? Are you tired?"
"It's fine. It's normal to feel a little tired in high school." Zhou Xi suddenly remembered something.
"Minmin is still so young, and you're letting her compete?"
Qin Ting also thought of something, and the smile on her lips froze: "Yes, it has been cultivated since she was young. Besides, she likes it very much. Minmin, do you like dancing?"
He Min immediately put down her phone, nodded, and closed her eyes with a smile: "Yes! Minmin likes it. Although it's a bit tiring, Minmin likes to be on the stage!"
"As long as she likes it."
“…”
"Come on, come on, eat!"
"Tongtong, try some of this, it tastes good."
“And this!”
He Min picked up a fish meatball with her chopsticks shakily: "Sister, this is for you!"
"good."
After removing the fish bones, the fish meat is well-beaten and tastes fresh without any fishy smell.
Suddenly, I chewed a little bit of something else, and the spicy taste filled my entire mouth.
Zhou Xi choked, lowered his head, took a mouthful of rice, swallowed it, and then reached out to drink several sips of water.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
"vomit--"
"Cough, cough, cough!"
My stomach was churning and throbbing uncomfortably. The food I had just eaten came up, became pungent after being digested, and made me feel even more nauseous.
"vomit--"
My vision was blurred by the tears, and my ears were buzzing. I could not hear any other sound except the sound of my own vomiting.
"Little girl!"
“Little girl!!”
Zhou Xi took out the remaining tissue from his coat, wiped his mouth, wiped the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand, and relaxed for a moment.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Zhou Xi swallowed, his voice filled with weak gasps.
"Oh my, little girl, what's wrong? I hear you're feeling bad. Did you eat something bad?"
"Yeah, it's okay."
Zhou Xi has been on edge these days taking care of Xu Shulan and dared not relax. As soon as he relaxed and ate something he didn't like, his stomach probably started to act up.
It really works hard for it. After giving it some medicine, it immediately behaved itself.
"Mom, let me take you to the station."
"good."
Qin Ting studied dance. She was tall and had a good figure. When she walked with Zhou Xi, at first glance, you would think they were sisters.
Zhou Xi held He Min's hand. The child's hand was soft, but the temperature was different from her palm. Hers was cold, while He Min's was warm.
"Sister, sister, can I come to play with you during the New Year?" He Min shook Zhou Xi's hand, swaying it back and forth.
"Then do well in your final exam. Your mom said you didn't pass the math test this time. If you pass the final exam, your sister will buy you a gift."
"Great! Sister, Minmin will work hard! Sister has to work hard too. Mom said that studying is tiring for Sister!"
"good."
"Tongtong, how are your ears lately?"
There were not many people at the station, and the cold wind was blowing wildly, as if it wanted to drive everyone away.
Zhou Xi tapped He Min's forehead with his finger: "Same as always, nothing's wrong."
"Okay, Tongtong, Mom will come to see you next time."
"Um."
The car slowly drove out of the station, leaving behind a trail of black exhaust fumes. Zhou Xi rubbed his cold hands.
Instead of taking the high-speed rail, I took a long-distance bus, especially with a small child.
Is it because her mother hasn't been back for a long time and Wencheng has changed a lot, and she misses the scenery along the way, or is it because the little guy He Min is making a fuss and wants to see it?
She doesn't know anyway.
The days in the hospital passed quickly and slowly. There was not much sunlight coming in, and the hospital was always chilly.
Zhou Xi leaned forward and neatly placed the various receipts and medicines that piled up like a stream into his bag. He had gotten used to the smell of disinfectant and the noise, repeating the same thing day after day.
"Tongtong."
Zhou Xi put down his phone and turned around: "Grandma, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Xu Shulan held Zhou Xi's hand and shook her head.
"No, Tongtong, go back and go back to class."
"Let's talk about it after you are discharged from the hospital. There's no rush." Zhou Xi breathed a sigh of relief and tucked in the quilt for Xu Shulan.
"What do you mean no rush? You've taken so many days off. I have your Grandpa Zhong and the others here. You..." Grandma Xu pretended to get angry.
"Okay, okay, I promise you, don't worry."
The doctor repeatedly warned Xu Shulan not to get excited as she had just undergone surgery.
"Don't worry about me, just study hard." Xu Shulan sighed, "I know my body well, so that's it."
Zhou Xi interrupted her and continued: "You should have a good rest and don't talk."
Xu Shulan nodded and closed her eyes: "Okay."
Zhou Xi had been worried and frightened for the past half month and hadn't slept much. When he did finally fall asleep, he was always woken up by nightmares.
In the middle of the night, she sat upright, sweating and freezing cold, staring blankly at the few lights that were still sparsely lit in the hospital late at night.
The hands of the mechanical watch keep rotating clockwise, ticking, ticking, half a beat slower than the heartbeat, making people feel upset and breathless.
"Uncle Zhang, open the door." Zhou Xi took out the leave note.
An orange kitten ran out of the guard room and curled around Uncle Zhang's feet, its thin tail wagging gently. It also looked at Zhou Xi quietly with its big eyes.
"Meow~"
"I remember you. I'm glad you're back. Have you eaten?" Uncle Zhang opened the gate, let the person in, and squatted on the ground again.
"I've eaten. I'm leaving now."
Zhou Xi caught a glimpse of the kitten in a hurry that day. It looked pitiful at that time, but now it is well taken care of by Uncle Zhang and has become a little plump.
"Okay!"
Zhou Xi shielded his eyes from the sun with his hands and walked forward. Behind him, he heard Uncle Zhang chatting with a kitten.
"Oh, it's raining heavily. Didn't I tell you to take a nap? Why, you couldn't sleep and just ran out to join in the fun when you heard some noise—"
During lunch break, the class was very quiet. Most of the students were lying on their desks trying to catch up on their sleep. Zhou Xi sneaked in through the back door.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" Zhou Xi asked in a low voice when he saw Gao Liyang half lying on the table, supporting his head with his hands and reading a book.
Gao Liyang looked up, his eyes fixed for a moment, then he suddenly smiled and said, "Why are you back? Have you dealt with the family affairs?"
"Yeah, it's okay. Did you take a lot of new classes?"
Zhou Xi put down his bag, bent down and checked the table. The books were as neatly arranged as usual, and the things on the table were all put away in the table.
Gao Liyang lowered his voice, his face full of emotion.
"Well, after we finished talking about the test paper, we moved on to the new class. You didn't do well on the midterm exam, and the teacher was furious. He assigned a lot of homework, but we were so angry that we couldn't say anything. As for you, you still owed a lot of homework, and there were a lot of blank test papers piled up in your drawer."
"By the way, Old Tang misses you so much. When you're not here, the student council member is temporarily filling in for you. He always counts the test papers incorrectly or forgets to collect the homework."
"Thanks." Zhou Xi turned to the midterm paper. Apart from her own handwriting, there was also the boy's casual handwriting, but it was obvious that he had put a lot of effort into it.
"You're welcome. You should have a good rest. You still have classes in the afternoon." Gao Liyang looked at Zhou Xi and pointed his finger at the present.
Zhou Xi's face showed unconcealable fatigue, with dark circles under his eyes. It seemed that he was really tired these past few days.
Zhou Xi opened his mouth slightly and understood.
"By the way, the new book is in your bookcase."
Zhou Xi remembered that he had paid the money to order new books for the second semester of high school before the mid-term, and the first semester of high school was just finished during the mid-term.
"Where's the new class?"
"I've basically finished teaching an entire unit. Can you handle it? Don't fall behind."
"Sure, I watched it during the summer vacation."
During the summer vacation, Zhong Yinan helped her find all the high school textbooks and taught her.
One on one, tricky, loves to attack, and has great results.
"Sure, that's a stunt! They've finally passed the high school entrance exam and are having fun, but you rush off to study!"
"I have nothing to do."
Zhou Xi has indeed been quite idle since she was a child. Because she learns quickly, Zhong Yinan couldn't stand it, so he always tinkered with this and that himself, and then taught her.
Gao Liyang: “…”
I worried for nothing. The nerd is indeed a nerd. He is different from those people who only think about playing every day.
When Zhang Lixia and Yang Wen were carrying things to Xu Shulan's ward, Zhang Lixia saw through the glass that Xu Shulan's head turned to the tree outside the window, and her white hair was particularly eye-catching.
It's winter now, the trees are bare, with only a small bird's nest on a branch.
Empty.
"Dear teachers, here we come!"
Xu Shulan wanted to get up, but was stopped by Zhong Yinan, who was holding a book in his hand: "Just lie down and rest, why are you in such a hurry?"
"oh."
The wrinkles at the corners of Xu Shulan's eyes moved: "Come, come, sit down quickly."
Yang Wen put his things down and rubbed his hands: "Teacher, how do you feel today?"
"well."
A few people talked for a while. Zhang Lixia was afraid that Xu Shulan was thirsty, so she wanted to pour her a glass of water. However, when she picked up the kettle, it was empty.
"Teacher, I'll get you some water."
"Yang Wen, come on, go with me!"
"Okay." Yang Wen took the kettle from Zhang Lixia.
Zhong Yinan shook his head helplessly: "How old are you two? You still have to be so affectionate and show off your love even when you're just fetching water!"
"Hey, always eighteen."
Zhang Lixia closed the door gently and her expression changed suddenly.
"What's wrong?" Yang Wen took Zhang Lixia's arm and walked away.
"Lao Wen, that's right. I feel so miserable for the teacher, so lonely."
"Aren't we still here?" Yang Wen sighed. He knew that Zhang Lixia would not drag him out for no reason.
"The difference is the loneliness of having an empty room under your knees, the helplessness of the passage of time, and the helplessness of the disease."
Yang Wen laughed: "Wow, our Director Zhang even managed to rhyme."
"snort!"
Zhang Lixia's eyes were hot and her nose was sore, but after Yang Wen interrupted her, she no longer felt sad.
Zhang Lixia thought for a moment and took a deep breath. "That's right. In the past, although I was in a relationship, I refused to get married because of my parents' experience. My mom..."
"Even though my mother had experienced a failed marriage, she still wanted me to get married and have my own family. At the time, I didn't understand and was angry at her, but now I think I understand."
Yang Wen helped Zhang Lixia wipe away her tears: "Don't cry, people are always learning to grow up. Although the teacher and Tongtong are unlucky, we have tried our best. I believe that Lao Zhou will be at ease."
"Well, I just miss my mom. If only I had been less angry with her before. She raised me up alone, and she left before I could even enjoy anything..."
"Zhou Xi, Zhou Xi..."
Zhou Xi was sleeping soundly, his head was in a mess, and he heard a lot of noise around him.
"Hmm..." When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a bright light that was so dazzling.
"You're back!" Gao Yuanyuan couldn't hide her surprise in her tone. She fell asleep during her lunch break and didn't hear Zhou Xi coming back.
Zhou Xi just woke up, his head hurt, and he lay back on the table weakly: "Yeah."
"Sister Zhou!" Xiao Xiaoyu rushed over and gave her a big hug.
"Hahaha, you're finally back. Why didn't you send us a message? I was so worried..."
Xiao Xiaoyu kept blabbering out words that she had been holding back for a long time. She was really suffocating. These days, she didn't dare to send too many messages to disturb Zhou Xi, for fear of distracting her from taking care of her grandmother.
"Well, I'm back. I'm sorry for making you worry." Zhou Xi stood up and hugged back, "Thank you."
The three girls were chattering about what had happened in the past two days. Gao Liyang, who was lying in the back, was woken up by the noise. He felt like his ears were about to explode and he didn't know whether to be angry or laugh.
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