Chapter 26.026. Can family members treat me as family? ...
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and Xia Chan looked at him with an inscrutable expression, her eyebrows twitching slightly.
Shen Zhoudu's gaze swept across everyone's faces before finally landing on Xia Chan. He simply smiled calmly at her, then walked up to his grandmother and showed her his mobile banking balance, saying with a smile, "Grandma, look, I have money. With this, I'm almost broke."
Grandma was shocked and quickly pushed his phone back, "No, no, no... No way! Xiaodu, how could we possibly take your money? This won't do!"
"Yes, Zhoudu, this is inappropriate!"
"You're still a student yourself..."
"This money was given to you by your family, we can't accept it..."
The neighbors around them quickly chimed in. Chen Zhoudu simply squatted down in front of her grandmother, looked up at her, and smiled, her eyes sincere and her smile gentle. "Grandma, please accept my money, even if it's just a loan. And from now on, treat me like family, okay?"
Grandma, tears welling in her eyes, stared at him in astonishment, completely breaking down in sobs. Chen Zhoudu put his arm around her shoulder, gently comforting her, and turned to smile at Xia Chan.
Xia Chan's eyes were slightly moist, but at this moment she couldn't bring herself to say anything to stop him. She silently mouthed "thank you."
After the neighbors had all left, Xia Chan stood at the gate of the courtyard and saw off all the guests. Just as she was about to turn around and go back into the house, she suddenly heard a faint sobbing sound coming from the alley not far from the courtyard.
In early winter, the town was desolate because of the snowfall, and fine snowflakes and thick fog still drifted in the sky.
Xia Chan followed the sound and found Si Yi crying alone at the entrance of the alley steps.
Snowflakes covered her pink down jacket and red hat with a thin layer of snow.
She seemed to hear footsteps and looked up.
Seeing that it was Xia Chan, she paused for a moment with her red eyes, then hurriedly turned her head away.
Xia Chan immediately guessed that she probably knew, sighed inwardly, stepped forward and gently brushed her bangs aside with a smile, "What's wrong?"
She turned her head away even further, as if she didn't really want to pay attention to her.
She sighed, sat down beside her, and tried to cheer her up with a smile, saying, "Children who cry a lot will become ugly~"
"Sister, you don't need to hide it from me anymore!" Siyi suddenly turned around, her face slightly resentful, but her eyes were red and swollen with sadness. "I know everything..."
Xia Chan paused for a moment, then smiled and patted her head. "Now that you know, what are you afraid of? You weren't afraid when you were seven, so we have even less to fear when you're sixteen. Go to the surgery with peace of mind, we'll be fine soon! Grandma Huangmao and I are here waiting for you."
"It's not because of this..." Siyi's tears fell again, and her head drooped. The falling tears melted a small patch of snow.
Xia Chan understood everything, and just smiled and gently stroked her, "Siyi, take care, you don't need to think about anything. You still have me, Grandma, Huangmao and us.
Tears streamed down her face as she sniffled, her little face red from the cold. She gritted her teeth and said to her sister, "Sister, I'm not getting treatment anymore!"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Xia Chan said reproachfully.
“I feel like I’m a burden…” Siyi cried, “I’ve dragged my dad down, I’ve dragged my grandma down, and now I’m dragging you and Grandma Xia down… If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this situation, and I wouldn’t be able to pay all this back…”
The snow fell silently, and when you looked up in the night, it looked like countless stars falling from the sky. Xia Chan looked up and gently chuckled at the snow, saying to her, "Siyi, you know the word 'repay' is usually used to describe someone who owes you something. And the people you feel indebted to are usually not that close to you."
She looked at her and said, “But you and we are family, a whole. We don’t feel that you are ‘dragging us down’; on the contrary, we feel that we are complete because of your existence. We support your health, and you are also supporting our happiness. We support and care for each other, so how can you say that you are ‘dragging us down’? How can we ask you to ‘pay back’?”
Siyi's eyes, already swollen like two small peaches, burst into tears again at her words, her breath steaming in the white mist, "But I really feel so sorry for you all..."
"Then get better." Xia Chan put her arm around her shoulder and patted her gently. "You know that all we want is for you to be healthy, so try your best to get better and fulfill our wishes, right? Don't say you're going to collapse, and don't give up so easily. We've really been waiting for you all along, so please try your best again."
Siyi buried her head in her chest and sobbed softly.
When Chen Zhou arrived, he stood with his hands behind his back. The dim streetlights and snowflakes made him look like a snow-transformed elf boy. His pure white down jacket was exceptionally clean, and his whole body seemed to shimmer with a faint snowy glow.
He walked towards the two of them through the swirling snowflakes, smiled when he met Xia Chan's gaze, and then turned to Si Yi, "What's wrong?"
Siyi looked up at him, sobbing. He smiled mysteriously and handed her an egg burger.
The egg burger looked brand new, fresh out of the oven, still steaming hot.
When Siyi saw the egg burger, she cried even harder. She caught it with a "waaa" and held the warm egg burger, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Waaaaah..."
"Whose kettle is boiling water?" asked the blond-haired man, who was carrying three more egg burgers.
Her thoughts faltered for a moment, then she grabbed a handful of snow and flung it at him, her tears turning into a smile.
Holding the steaming hot egg burger, she couldn't resist taking a bite; the rich aroma of the food was comforting. Siyi sniffed, then suddenly remembered something and said to Xia Chan, "Hmm? Sister... wait a minute! But, but Brother Zhoudu also contributed money, and he's not family with us. It's over ten thousand... I can't pay him back..."
Xia Chan raised an eyebrow with an ambiguous expression and glanced at Chen Zhoudu. Chen Zhoudu lowered his eyes and muttered very softly, "That's not necessarily true."
"What?"
The sound was softer than snowflakes, and Si Yi couldn't hear it clearly. Xia Chan, however, was already making a move to kick him.
Huang Mao stood between the two, looking at Xia Chan and then at him as if he understood something. He then looked at Chen Zhoudu and couldn't help but frown strangely.
"Hey! What are you doing here? Aren't you cold?"
When Lala and Panghu ran over, the snowflakes had already fallen quite heavily. It was Grandma and Aunt Chao who had sent them to look for them since they hadn't returned yet. The two of them huddled together, stomping their feet and making a crunching sound as they stepped on the snow.
When Lala saw the egg burger in Siyi's hand, she got hungry and her eyes lit up instantly. "Oh, there are egg burgers? Are there any for me? I want to eat some too!"
"Why are you fighting with a kid for food..." the blond-haired man complained, already opening the bag in his hand to share with the two of them. Siyi grabbed a handful of snow, stood up, and poured it down the blond-haired man's collar, "You're the kid!" The blond-haired man yelped in surprise.
They only bought four egg burgers in total, and someone was bound to miss out. Huang Mao, carrying the last egg burger, was thinking about going to buy two more with Shen Zhoudu.
"Oh, no need, no need!" Spicy munched on a steaming hot egg burger, shoving the others back into the house. "Come on, come on! It's too cold, let's go inside... I'll ask my mom to make us a few more!"
"Does Aunt Chao know how to make it?"
"Yes, my mom makes it much better than what you buy at the street stalls! You'll have to try it later!"
...
The snow fell silently, and the winter night was still.
The world is pure and boundless.
-
In mid-December, Siyi's surgical plan was finalized. This time, her maternal grandmother and doctors from Tongcheng Hospital would accompany Siyi to the capital for surgery.
Before Siyi set off, her school, Qingshui Junior High School, organized a fundraising event. They eventually raised about 20,000 yuan, which filled some of the gaps.
Xia Chan and Shen Zhoudu also asked Vice Principal Liu if they could hold a fundraising event at the Experimental Middle School. They didn't have to do anything special, just give a little something. In the end, they managed to raise several thousand yuan.
Chen Zhoudu learned from a friend that a new fundraising platform called Shuihua Chou had emerged this year, where almost all the patients with serious illnesses were asking netizens for donations. Chen Zhoudu posted Siyi's experience and medical records on the platform, and within a few weeks, she actually raised nearly 10,000 yuan. All things considered, she finally managed to raise enough money for the surgery.
During the time when Siyi and her grandmother went to the capital, almost all the affairs of "Du" were handed over to Xia Chan, Chen Zhoudu and Huang Mao.
Although Aunt Chao would occasionally come to help out, the two of them were still quite overwhelmed with going to and from school, studying, and running the inn. Coincidentally, it was also the second mock exam for the Experimental Middle School, and the two of them were almost completely exhausted from working non-stop.
Fortunately, as expected, Siyi's surgery went smoothly. Just before the exam, her grandmother sent word that the surgery was successful and she only needed to stay in the hospital for observation for a while longer. This finally put everyone's minds at ease.
Xia Chan's performance this time was truly remarkable, with her total score soaring to over 490, placing her among the top 20 in her class.
The day the results came out, the entire class was stunned, almost wondering if Xia Chan had been possessed.
Xia Chan remained calm and composed, seemingly keeping her achievements hidden. Chen Zhoudu listened to the discussions about her and couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he looked at her.
Some students attributed this to being desk mates with Shen Zhoudu, and they all asked Shen Zhoudu if he could sit with them next time.
Unfortunately, during the next seating arrangement, Chen Zhoudu once again reserved the seats for Xia Chan, leaving the other students disappointed and forced to sit next to them as a second choice. The homeroom teacher, Fang Jiayuan, was overjoyed to see Xia Chan's grades soaring and the class's enthusiasm for learning also rising, and decided to continue this seating arrangement.
Another person who was practically grinning from ear to ear was Vice Principal Liu.
On the day he received Xia Chan's report card, Vice Principal Liu was beaming with joy. He not only called Xia Chan and Shen Zhoudu to his office to praise them, but also encouraged them to continue their efforts.
"Hey~ Lao Liu." Xia Chan teased casually, arms crossed, "Aren't you afraid that if I get too close to him, he'll be influenced by his company? Aren't you afraid I'll 'bother' him? Aren't you afraid we'll have a bad influence at school? Aren't you afraid..."
"...I'm afraid if you give me a little sunshine, you'll shine to the heavens!" Vice Principal Liu paused for a moment, then raised the report card in his hand to hit her. Xia Chan giggled and dodged. Chen Zhoudu, however, saw Xia Chan tilting her head and slightly curving her lips.
But when she thought about the difference between her past and present, Vice Principal Liu couldn't help but remind her to guard against arrogance and complacency.
A week after New Year's Day in January, Grandma returned with Siyi.
Siyi's prognosis is good, but she still needs careful daily care for some time. For a while, everyone treated her like a fragile baby, holding her in their hands and keeping her in their mouths, not letting her do anything.
Winters in the north get cold early, so schools also start their winter break early. The final exams are over and the break begins not long after mid-January.
During this holiday, Shen Zhoudu did not return to Shanghai. Instead, he stayed at the "Du" hotel, eating, sleeping, and studying every day. Occasionally, he would help out at the hotel or tutor Xia Chan.
Grandma asked about the reason for Chen Zhoudu at the dinner table. After all, the New Year was just around the corner, and he didn't usually go home. How many Chinese people don't go home for the New Year?
Chenzhoudu only said that he didn't want to make trouble and wanted to save his energy and time for studying.
Xia Chan listened silently during the meal without making a sound. But after the meal, she blocked his door and teased him playfully, "Young Master, have you turned into a little beggar? How does it feel?"
Chen Zhoudu couldn't help but laugh, his expression helpless.
In fact, Shen Zhoudu didn't know whether Shen Jinghai had forgotten or did it on purpose, but he hadn't received any living expenses since November.
He had already given away all of his 120,000 yuan when he performed emergency surgery on Siyi last time.
Although his grandmother no longer charges him rent or meal fees, this sudden financial strain is still troubling him, though he's never told them. Xia Chan only guessed that he was still asking her for tutoring after accidentally seeing some translation jobs on his computer.
Xia Chan couldn't help but smile slightly and look at him teasingly for a while before taking out her phone to do something.
Soon, Chenzhoudu's phone rang.
He took out his phone and looked down, only to find that she had transferred him a thousand yuan.
When she looked up again, her expression changed. "What's wrong with you...?"
"If you have difficulties, you should speak up. Even a beggar has to shout for food!" Xia Chan teased him. "Besides, you're like this because of us. Grandma and I can't possibly owe you money. We'll pay you back the 120,000 yuan slowly, but... it definitely won't be all at once. Keep this money for now. It's not much, but it can at least help in an emergency. Our family doesn't have much money, but we won't let you starve to death."
Chen Zhoudu pursed his lips, his expression turning indifferent, and lowered his head to transfer the money back. Xia Chan, however, preemptively opened a mobile phone screen and leisurely showed it to him.
The moment he turned his head, she could immediately press the "add to blacklist" button. Shen Zhoudu's fingertips froze, unable to move.
She smirked smugly, twirled her phone in her hand, tossed it into her pocket, and turned to leave.
"Xia Chan..." Chen Zhoudu called out to her softly.
Xia Chan turned her head.
He looked at her, pursed his lips as if considering his words, and after a moment said, "I'm thinking of taking a part-time job at a bar."
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Author's Note: Thank you Xiaobao "月漾财来" for the nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers] Thank you "55931805" for the landmine!
Goodnight everyone [blue heart] Tomorrow's October, see you tomorrow [red heart]
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