Happiness Community, home before sinking.
The atmosphere in the living room was somewhat oppressive.
Wang Xiaojuan lay reclining on the sofa, her face pale and haggard, with faint tear stains.
Shen Liang sat by the window, far from the living room. A plastic bottle, cut in half and filled with water, served as a makeshift ashtray, already stuffed with several cigarette butts.
"Say something! How are we going to live from now on?" Seeing that Shen Liang hadn't responded for a long time, Wang Xiaojuan grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him.
...This cigarette seems a bit moldy, it's really hard to smoke!
Shen Liang snapped out of his daze, his face grave as he stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in his hand. Instead of throwing it into the plastic bottle, he wrapped it in paper and stuffed it back into the crumpled cigarette pack.
"How can we get through this... Haven't we been doing this all these years?" Shen Liang comforted him.
“The medical expenses alone are close to eight thousand a month. Don’t we need to eat? Don’t we need to pay the water and electricity bills? Don’t we need to give our son his allowance? He’s at the age where he’s growing. We can cut back on everything, but his food can’t be bad…”
As Wang Xiaojuan spoke, she choked up again.
Shen Liang also fell silent for a moment.
His monthly salary is less than six thousand yuan, which is the result of frequent overtime work. Wang Xiaojuan can only do some light part-time jobs due to health reasons, with an unstable income of about one or two thousand yuan per month.
Previously, Wang Xiaojuan's monthly medical expenses could be roughly covered by Shen Liang's salary. Fortunately, meat was cheap these days, and tuition and fees at public schools were also very low, which allowed the family to barely make ends meet and even save some money to support Shen Qian's university education.
But now, after the accident, Wang Xiaojuan's monthly medical expenses have skyrocketed. With one expense rising as the other falls, it's easy to foresee how difficult the days ahead will be.
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have believed those street ads and taken all that medicine. Maybe... maybe I shouldn't get treatment, and you can take care of our son and live a good life from now on..."
As Wang Xiaojuan spoke, tears streamed down her face.
"What nonsense are you spouting again?" Shen Liang scolded, then walked to the sofa and gently hugged Wang Xiaojuan. "There's always a way out. What's a problem if it can be solved with money? The most important thing is to live well."
"At worst, we can sell this house and rent one on the next street. I checked it out the other day; it's only a little over a thousand yuan a month, a big three-bedroom house, much more spacious than the one we live in now!"
Seeing that Wang Xiaojuan was still wallowing in self-pity, Shen Liang hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, took out an envelope from his inner pocket, and stuffed it into Wang Xiaojuan's hand.
"Take it, I'll figure something out after these two months."
"This is……"
Wang Xiaojuan was taken aback. She opened the envelope, glanced at it, and then exclaimed in surprise, "Where did this 10,000 yuan come from?"
"Our factory's semi-annual bonus was just issued yesterday. I was thinking of giving you a little surprise, but I forgot just now."
Shen Liang said it lightly, but felt very ashamed.
My son had worked so hard to borrow money, and I actually kept 10,000 yuan for myself... I am truly ashamed to be a father and a husband!
The unexpected windfall eased Wang Xiaojuan's grief, and with Shen Liang's comforting words, Wang Xiaojuan's emotions finally stabilized.
She glanced up at the clock hanging in the living room, and hurriedly tried to stand up. "Ah, my son should be back soon. I need to hurry up and cook."
Just then, the sound of a key turning came from the doorway. As the door was pushed open, Shen Qian walked in carrying two bags of fruit.
"Dad, Mom, I'm home... Mom, are you alright?"
As he spoke, Chen Qian walked into the living room and placed the fruit on the table.
Wang Xiaojuan was about to speak when she suddenly paused, exclaiming in surprise, "You bought durian? And... what kind of grapes are these? I've never seen them before?"
Inside the open food bag, the sky-blue grapes were not only round and plump, but each one was as big as an ordinary lychee. They were still covered with water droplets, crystal clear, and looked very tempting.
“Oh, this is called ‘Desert Rose.’ The lady at the fruit shop said it’s a foreign variety, her shop’s prized possession, and it’s even limited in quantity,” Shen Qian explained.
"Durian costs over two hundred yuan a pound, right? Where did you get the money?" Sensing something amiss, Wang Xiaojuan's expression changed, and she pressed, "And how much is this rose?"
"The durian was alright, there was a discount, it was 198 yuan per catty. This 'Desert Rose' was quite expensive, just this bag cost almost 1,000 yuan," Shen Qian told the truth.
Wang Xiaojuan was speechless for a long time.
Shen Liang was also taken aback. Durian, as the king of everyday fruits, is naturally expensive in this era where fruits and vegetables are considered luxury items. But this "desert rose" is just too outrageous. There are only two bunches in this bag, and each bunch has only about thirty or forty grapes. It costs a thousand yuan?
Seeing his startled parents, Shen Qian couldn't help but think to himself, "Thank goodness I didn't tell the truth, or you would have fainted from fright."
The real price of a desert rose is not just one thousand, but close to three thousand...
Shen Qian didn't originally intend to be so extravagant, but when he heard that the desert rose also had the effects of beautifying the skin, refreshing the mind, and promoting blood circulation, he immediately bought it.
Wang Xiaojuan has just been discharged from the hospital and is weak; she needs to replenish her energy.
"Xiao Qian..."
It was Shen Liang who came to his senses first. Seeing Wang Xiaojuan's furrowed brows, Shen Qian quickly spoke first.
"Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you."
Wang Xiaojuan wanted to say something, but Shen Liang stopped her. He knew Shen Qian's personality and figured that what he was about to say would also be related to the fruit.
Before sinking, he took out a badge from his pocket and pushed it in front of his parents.
Shen Liang picked up the badge and his pupils contracted when he saw the character "武" (martial arts).
Although he himself is not a martial artist, the society is full of martial arts enthusiasts, and there are also martial artists in his factory, so he is no stranger to such badges.
"I am already a beginner martial artist."
Shen Qian's voice wasn't loud, but it left Shen Liang and Wang Xiaojuan speechless for a long time.
"I don't know if you're aware, but the Martial Arts Department has strict welfare targets for young martial artists. Novice martial artists under the age of eighteen can receive a cash subsidy of 10,000 yuan per month. Oh, I heard from the staff of the Martial Arts Bureau today that there are actually some other benefits."
"For example, I'll be able to ride buses and trams for free, use public restrooms for free, and most parks and attractions will be free. Also, I'll get discounts on certain brands of cars and houses..."
Shen Qian recounted everything he had learned that day.
Throughout this process, Shen Liang and Wang Xiaojuan stared blankly at him, neither speaking nor making any movement.
Shen Qian's voice gradually faded, and he looked at his parents with some worry... Had they really been scared out of their wits?
"Dad? Mom?" Shen Qian asked tentatively.
Shen Liang and Wang Xiaojuan seemed to finally return to reality. They looked at each other and stood up at the same time.
"I'll go get the thermometer..."
"Hmm, there should still be some fever medicine at home. I'll go find it."
Chen Qian: "..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
