For the next few days, Xu Songyuan stayed at home doing farm work.
He's almost fully recovered, but he's been refraining from drinking water every day. His lips are cracked, his back is hunched, and he speaks weakly. It's clear that he hasn't recovered from the side effects of the drug trial.
Xu Xue only verbally expressed concern for Xu Songyuan two or three times, and then stopped caring about him. She never cooked a single meal, and Xu Songyuan had to do it despite his illness.
Xu Xue visited Xu Zhongtang's home privately a few times.
Xu Zhongtang and his wife Sun Xiumin had three children.
The eldest son is Xu Xue, the second son died young, and the third son is Xu Peng.
After giving birth to Xu Xue, Sun Xiumin's belly remained empty for two or three years. Xu Zhongtang's father, who was also the second uncle of Xu Songyuan and his sister, insisted that Sun Xiumin have another son.
When Xu Xue gave birth to her second son, she was four years old. Her family couldn't support two children, so they gave Xu Xue to Xu Songyuan to raise.
When my second son was three years old, he went to play in the river and drowned.
The following year, she gave birth to Xu Peng.
Xu Xue learned about her background when she was twelve years old. Sun Xiumin told her secretly that Xu Xue should not treat Xu Songyuan as her real father, and that she should just ask for money regularly, since her real parents were next door.
Xu Xue listened to Xu Zhongtang and his wife, and not only asked Xu Songyuan for money, but also wanted to give the money to Xu Zhongtang.
Even Xu Zhongtang's family did not expect the side effects of the drug trial to be so severe.
Xu Xue worriedly said, "Could it be that the old man is going to die this time? I don't have enough money for my dowry yet."
Although Xu Peng was young, he liked to play with the young people in town. He was only ten years old and already owed a lot of gambling debts. He was still hoping that Xu Songyuan would go and try the drug again to pay off the debts!
Xu Zhongtang narrowed his eyes. He hadn't tested the drug and wasn't sure if it was real.
Sun Xiumin has triangular eyes and droopy eyelids, giving her a sinister look.
"Why don't we take him to the hospital for a checkup? Just in case it's a scam, Xu Songyuan is probably wary of us."
Xu Xue muttered, "Forget it, he wouldn't have guessed. He still treats me like his own daughter. Nobody told him, so how could he possibly know?"
Xu Zhongtang nodded, agreeing with Xu Xue's words.
"Xiaoxue is right. Xu Songyuan is slow-witted and can't understand things. He definitely doesn't know."
Seeing their certainty, Sun Xiumin didn't say anything more.
Xu Zhongtang added, "If Xu Songyuan is really gone, then you should come home."
Xu Xue thought so too.
Let that old geezer save up enough money before he dies.
On the other side, Xu Songyuan silently cooked with a dark expression. He had just seen Xu Xue go next door.
The two families live in a small grove of trees and have only recently started seeing each other. The grass in the grove has grown very tall.
Xu Xue thought she was being mysterious and could keep it a secret from everyone. When she returned home, she saw Xu Songyuan still coughing while cooking.
Xu Xue frowned, afraid that Xu Songyuan's cough would infect her.
"Dad, I'm not hungry right now, so I won't eat. You eat. I'll cook noodles for you if I get hungry tonight."
Xu Songyuan's voice was extremely weak.
"Okay, remember to eat when you're hungry, don't starve yourself."
"I see."
After Xu Xue left, Xu Songyuan sat on a bench, his hands limply resting on his lap, his palms covered with thick layers of calluses.
The daughter I raised for so many years turned out to be a heartless and ungrateful wretch.
When Xu Xue was thirteen, she saw that the skirts of the girls in her class were pretty and insisted on buying one. The skirts cost twenty yuan! Xu Songyuan temporarily filled in for someone to haul coal, working from five in the morning until midnight.
I only slept for four or five hours, and in the end I earned twenty yuan to buy a skirt.
Not long after, a parent-teacher conference was held. It turned out that the girl's father was a coal mine owner. After Xu Songyuan entered the classroom, Xu Xue pushed him out, saying all the way that Xu Songyuan was a relative of hers, not her father.
Xu Songyuan came back from working in the fields, took a shower, and then came to school. He washed his fingernails again and again, thinking he was being very presentable, but his daughter kicked him out of the classroom.
Xu Songyuan was waiting for her outside the school after school.
On the way back, Xu Xue kept crying, saying that Xu Songyuan had embarrassed her and that her family was the worst off.
Xu Songyuan could only listen in silence, his back bent over again and again. He tried to reason with Xu Xue, but she wouldn't listen. She covered her ears and ran away. When Xu Songyuan got home, Xu Xue was all smiles again, as if the argument had never happened.
Xu Songyuan stared at the flames in the stove and pressed his sore eyes.
Meanwhile, Song Yun took the opportunity to tell Song Xiaoxiao about Mo Hong.
It happened to be Friday, and Song Xiaoxiao had dinner at her maternal grandparents' house that evening. Song Yun didn't return from the shop until after 7 p.m.
Song Yun went into her daughter's bedroom and waited until Song Xiaoxiao finished her homework before she spoke up about how she had recently met an uncle.
Song Xiaoxiao quickly figured it out.
"Mom...who is that person?" Song Xiaoxiao's eyes showed no rejection, only curiosity and a hint of worry.
Song Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and sat down, holding her daughter's hand.
"Xiaoxiao, you've met him before too."
Song Xiaoxiao thought and thought, her brows furrowing higher and higher. "Who is it? I can't remember any of them."
The next second, Song Yun said Mo Hong's name.
Song Xiaoxiao's eyes widened suddenly, she stood up, and called out "Mom!"
Song Yun was startled by her, "Xiaoxiao?"
Song Xiaoxiao was extremely shocked. She had to do something. She rushed out of the room and paced back and forth in the yard. The room was too small, which hindered her performance.
Song Xiaoxiao's eyes and mouth widened in disbelief. "Mom, is it that Officer Mo from last time???"
Song Yun exclaimed and stepped forward, saying, "Keep your voice down, the neighbors can hear you!"
Song Xiaoxiao was only worried that her mother would be deceived. "Mom, do you know him? Although he is a policeman, but... but we haven't known each other for long, and we don't know his background. What if he is like Zhuang Pinghua or a pervert like Yu Fang?"
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