If his family hadn't gone bankrupt, Zhou Shanhuai probably would never have set foot in Shanghai in his entire life.
"Shanhuai is back! Oh my, you brought medicine back for Madam? I think Xiaowen should have started taking medicine a long time ago. He's always coughing and it just won't get better."
The speaker was an elderly neighbor whom Zhou Shanhuai had met after moving here. Although the old lady had bound feet, she was kind and warm-hearted, and she was also efficient in her work.
When they first moved here, Song Xiaowen, a wealthy woman who had never lifted a finger, had no idea how to live in a lane. Zhou Shanhuai, on the other hand, found a job as an accountant and was busy from dawn till dusk every day. The old lady couldn't bear to see this and not only helped him a lot but also taught Song Xiaowen a lot of life experience.
Therefore, Zhou Shanhuai and the others were very grateful to the old lady and affectionately called her Aunt Liu whenever they met her.
"Aunt Liu, have you eaten? Here, I bought some cooked meat. Take it home and we'll add it to our meal." The family hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and since Zhou Shanhuai had already withdrawn the money, he wanted to generously improve their lives.
Anyway, that ingrate Chen Ke had taken a lot of his money, so he felt perfectly justified in using it.
"Oh my, did you get your monthly pay today? You're even willing to buy meat? You should take this home and eat it. Look how fair and handsome Chen Zhuo was when he first came. Now he's losing weight so much. Look at his face, it's going to get sunken. Let him eat more!"
Old Mrs. Liu's words made Zhou Shanhuai feel a little ashamed. He thought to himself that his family hadn't been eating much meat since moving into the alley, and with Chen Zhuo having to go out to work every day, the young man who was still growing was bound to get thinner.
"It's alright, Aunt Liu, I bought a lot, enough for Chen Zhuo to eat. This is for you." Zhou Shanhuai put the oil paper package he was carrying into Aunt Liu's arms and hurried home, afraid that Aunt Liu would refuse him again. He really couldn't handle this kind of situation.
When he got home, Song Xiaowen was sewing socks for him by the window. She was wearing a plain white cotton cheongsam and was as gentle and beautiful as ever, but her face was pale and she coughed occasionally, looking a little sick.
Hearing the door open, Song Xiaowen looked up and smiled, her eyes crinkling. "I just heard your voice. Why didn't you come in?"
When Zhou Shanhuai saw Song Xiaowen, he couldn't help but lower his voice as well. "I bought some cooked meat for the old lady next door. I refused it a couple of times at the door, but then I quickly put it in her arms and came in, afraid that she would return it to me."
Listening to her husband's playful teasing, Song Xiaowen felt warm and comforted, even though she was feeling unwell.
Then she realized that it wasn't time to settle the monthly allowance yet, so where would her husband get the money to buy cooked meat?
Thinking this way, Song Xiaowen asked directly.
Zhou Shanhuai never hid anything from Song Xiaowen. He smiled and lifted the oil paper package in his hand, "I not only bought some for the old lady, but we also have quite a few for ourselves. I also got some medicine for you. The doctor said it would be best to take you to see a doctor. I was thinking of asking the shopkeeper for half a day off tomorrow. You wait for me at home this afternoon, and I'll take you to see a doctor."
"What I'm asking is—"
Before Song Xiaowen could finish speaking, Zhou Shanhuai interrupted her, "I know, I know. I don't want to hide from you where the money came from, but don't think your husband is spineless after you hear it."
"Oh, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me already."
"...It was remitted by Chen Ke, and it was quite a lot, 1,000 silver dollars."
"so much?"
"Yes, I took out 500. Considering how he took all our remaining assets without a second thought, I don't feel guilty using this money."
Song Xiaowen glanced at her husband and couldn't help but burst out laughing. Then, as she laughed, she choked up.
"Hey, what's wrong? If you feel uncomfortable using this money, I'll just deposit it back into his account after I get my monthly salary. Don't cry, don't cry."
Song Xiaowen wiped away her tears. "I'm not crying because of this. I was very angry at the time, and I felt that I would curse him as an ingrate if I saw him. But now that things have settled down, although it's not as good as before, the three of us live more like a happy family of three. Now I don't hate him as much anymore."
Zhou Shanhuai knew that Song Xiaowen's words were meant to comfort him. It was not easy to say that he did not hate them. At that time, the business went bankrupt and money was needed everywhere. In the end, even the house was sold to pay off the debts, and the three of them were so poor that they almost ended up on the streets.
"Don't overthink it. Why shouldn't we use the money he gave us? We should use it; it's ours to begin with!"
"Mom, who sent the money?" Chen Zhuo suddenly pushed the door open and walked in.
The sixteen-year-old boy had a handsome face, broad shoulders, and long legs. He was wearing a special Western restaurant doorman's uniform and had a tall and slender figure. At first glance, he was still the same handsome rich young master he used to be.
However, the lingering gloom in his eyes gave him a melancholy and dejected air.
Song Xiaowen and Zhou Shanhuai suddenly stopped. In this family, if you were to say who harbored the most hatred for Chen Ke, it would undoubtedly be Chen Zhuo.
Chen Zhuo's hatred for Chen Ke once reached the point where he couldn't even mention his name.
Seeing that the two remained silent, a barely perceptible hint of gloom flashed in Chen Zhuo's eyes, who was still a boy. But the moment he looked at them, a smile appeared on his face, and he asked in a slightly coquettish tone, "What? You don't welcome me home?"
Song Xiaowen realized what was happening, her expression remained unchanged, and she smiled gently, "How could that be? Welcome home, young master. You've come home earlier than usual today."
Zhou Shanhuai also said, "It's good that you came back early. The cooked meat is still hot, and it tastes best when eaten hot."
Chen Zhuo stepped forward and discovered that they had bought cooked meat at home. He looked at Zhou Shanhuai and asked, "Dad, did you buy Mom's medicine?"
"I bought it, I bought it. I'm taking her to see a doctor tomorrow afternoon."
Chen Zhuo seemed relieved and nodded, saying, "Yes, it's better to go and take a look. Don't worry about the money. I can ask the foreman for an advance on my salary. If I perform well, the foreman should agree."
"No need, no need. Dad has some money here, enough for your mother's medical treatment."
"Dad, where did you get the money?"
Zhou Shanhuai knew that Chen Zhuo was sensitive and quick-witted, and that if he lied casually, Chen Zhuo would likely be discovered. However, if he directly mentioned Chen Ke, he was worried that Chen Zhuo would be stubborn and unwilling to use the money his brother had transferred back.
After thinking for a moment, he could only say, "Today I pawned the pocket watch I had on me. It was a pretty good watch; I got 100 silver dollars, which is more than enough for my son and me to last until payday."
This tone, which sounded both self-deprecating and somewhat bittersweet, did not arouse Chen Zhuo's suspicion.
A determined look flashed across his face as he frowned. "Dad, don't be sad. I will definitely redeem that watch for you!"
Zhou Shanhuai: ......
"Good son! Dad believes in you!"
"Alright, alright, stop talking and eat. I've been cooking the porridge for a while now, just waiting for you two to come back."
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