Chapter 36
Meng Yuxiu naturally couldn't come up with the money. He was angry, sad, and embarrassed. Faced with Han Shuo's aggressive questioning, he could only grit his teeth and let his face turn red.
Han Shuo was even more annoyed. In fact, if Meng Yuxiu had softened his stance at this time, he could have given him a way out.
As a result, Meng Yuxiu stared at him intently, leaving him with no way to back down. So he simply went even further, displaying the image of a shameless scumbag who demanded every penny after a fight.
"Give me back the money!" Han Shuo grabbed Meng Yuxiu's arm fiercely and wouldn't let go. "Heh, I also paid two yuan for the hotel room that day. I lent it to you, you know? Don't tell me you've completely forgotten about it now."
Meng Yuxiu was so angry that his chest ached. After taking a deep breath, he gritted his teeth and said, "I will pay you back!"
Han Shuo raised an eyebrow and snorted, "When are you going to pay me back? It's almost Chinese New Year, and I'm waiting for the money to buy firecrackers for my nephew."
"I said I would pay you back!"
"When?"
"Speak!"
Han Shuo wouldn't stop, so Meng Yuxiu awkwardly pulled Han Shuo's hand off his arm. After pulling it off, Han Shuo angrily chased after him and pushed him again.
The two, who had fallen out, were pulling and tugging at each other downstairs in front of the teaching building until a patrolling teacher saw them and loudly reprimanded them for not attending evening self-study and what they were doing there. Only then did the fight end.
Later, when Han Shuo returned to the classroom, he felt disgusted with himself for his behavior. How could he have said those things to Meng Yuxiu?
If Meng Yuxiu hadn't pieced together that note, and he had been number 1, wouldn't he have had to pay the bulk of the room fee himself? At least Meng Yuxiu could have found a way to earn six yuan. If it were him, he probably would have taken Meng Yuxiu somewhere for some random hookup.
Han Shuo felt increasingly nauseous, but things had already come to this point, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything now that he had already made a lot of harsh statements.
And so, after the final exams, he and Meng Yuxiu never spoke a word to each other, nor did they go to and from school together again. Even when they bumped into each other in the cafeteria, they treated each other like air.
As soon as the final exams ended and the proctors collected the papers and left the classroom, the students erupted in cheers. No matter how close the college entrance exam was to be, they still had to keep up with their studies; at least this semester was a relief.
The classroom was bustling with activity, with students chatting and tidying their desks. The hallway was even more lively, as most students lived in remote mountainous areas, and their parents were worried that they wouldn't be able to carry all their luggage back home, so almost every student had a parent present.
When Han Hong went home last week, he asked Han Shuo when the final exams would end, but Han Shuo forgot how Han Hong responded.
Han Shuo didn't intend to call Han Hong. He figured that no matter how much stuff there was, he was a strong and healthy young man who could transport it to the station. As long as it got to the station, that was enough.
Only after Han Shuo started organizing did he realize that there was far more stuff than he had imagined.
In the morning, Pan Xiaodong brought Han Shuo two snakeskin bags. Han Shuo was too lazy to arrange the books neatly before putting them in. He scraped all the books off the table and out of the drawer and dumped them all into the snakeskin bags.
With just a quick shovel, more than half of the snakeskin bag was gone. Next, he still had to go to the cafeteria to get lunch boxes, teacups, rice bags, as well as blankets, washbasins, and thermos flasks from the dormitory. Perhaps these two snakeskin bags wouldn't be enough to hold them all.
Just as Han Shuo was busy with his head down, he heard someone call his name. He turned his head to look at the classroom door and rushed over with delight.
"Brother, what brings you here?!"
Han Hong, holding a long carrying pole with a snakeskin bag wrapped around it, laughed and said, "I happened to have nothing to do today, so I came to pick you up."
Han Shuo was originally worried about having to go back to the dormitory to sort out all the miscellaneous things, but now that Han Hong has arrived, his hands are instantly freed. He only needs to follow behind and point out to Han Hong which things belong to him.
Then Han Hong nimbly climbed onto the bed and used the thin strips of cloth he had brought to tie up the quilt and pillow and put them into the snakeskin bag.
Then they tied two bulging snakeskin bags to both ends of the carrying pole, and then put Han Shuo's washbasin, thermos, lunchbox and other odds and ends into a net bag.
After they finished tidying up, the two brothers, one carrying a load on a shoulder pole and the other carrying a net bag, walked out of the dormitory building chatting and laughing.
As you walk out of the dormitory building, there is a bicycle shed to the right of the steps.
As Han Shuo was chatting with his brother, he suddenly noticed Meng Yuxiu standing in the bike shed. Next to him was a man who looked to be under forty. Meng Yuxiu looked a lot like him, but while Meng Yuxiu appeared aloof, this man had a serious expression on his face. He was the kind of man who could scare a child into silence with just a glare on the street.
Without a doubt, it must be the father that Meng Yuxiu mentioned, the one who was exceptionally strict with him.
Meng's father came to pick up his son today, and the two of them each rode a bicycle. He tied Meng Yuxiu's quilt to the back seat of the bicycle while talking to his son.
From Han Shuo's perspective, he could see Meng Yuxiu standing sideways beside the bicycle, with the indigo scarf he had knitted around his neck, and above the scarf was his fair face.
Just a few days ago, he could still give Han Shuo a cold shoulder and throw a tantrum, but now he was incredibly obedient in front of his father in this world. Every time Meng's father said something, Han Shuo would see him nod.
Even though it was almost time for the holidays, Han Shuo still couldn't help but want to say something to Meng Yuxiu, even though they would run into each other in the teaching building and the cafeteria every day. After all, the winter break was a month long, which wasn't too long or too short.
But he couldn't bring himself to back down, and he was also unwilling to be the one to back down first, so he simply looked away.
However, Han Hong, with his sharp eyes, spotted him. As soon as he stepped out of the dormitory building carrying his load, he saw a tall, fair-skinned, and handsome young man in the bicycle shed who looked very familiar. He frowned and began to think about where he had seen this person before.
"Brother, let's go." Han Shuo urged Han Hong, who was still standing on the steps with his load on his shoulders.
As Han Hong slowly walked down the steps, he stared at the bicycle shed, deep in thought.
Just then, Meng Yuxiu suddenly turned his head. He first saw Han Shuo walking down the steps, but when his eyes met Han Shuo's, he frowned slightly.
The next second he saw Han Hong next to Han Shuo, and he quickly turned his head away, not even standing sideways anymore, but turning his back to Han Shuo and the others.
After Han Hong saw Meng Yuxiu's face clearly, he suddenly remembered something. He pointed over there and asked Han Shuo, "Shuo, isn't that Meng?"
Seeing Meng Yuxiu's ghost-like reaction, Han Shuo felt a tightness in his chest, so he answered Han Hong with a stiff expression, "I don't know!"
Han Hong stammered, "This is Xiao Meng who came to our house the other day. How can you say you don't know her?"
Then, he asked Han Shuo suspiciously, "Have you broken up with him?"
Han Shuo said irritably, "Of course it's over! Didn't you see he didn't even say goodbye to me? Alright, I'm leaving."
Seeing his younger brother's reaction, Han Hong thought that it must be over. It was good that it was over, so that Han Shuo could focus on his studies after the New Year and in the next semester. Although he didn't have high hopes for his younger brother's studies, he still hoped that Han Shuo could focus on the college entrance examination in the final stage. Even if he didn't pass the exam in the end, he would have done his best.
During the holiday, the train station was even more crowded than usual. The luggage storage space under the train was already full, but in order to get home as soon as possible, everyone still squeezed their luggage into the carriage.
Looking at the swarms of students and parents frantically boarding the train like a flood, Han Shuo thought with lingering fear, "Luckily, my brother had the foresight. Otherwise, even if I moved all my belongings to the station, I might not have been able to get them on the train."
A minibus packed with people and luggage swayed and rattled up the winding mountain road of the town. When the two brothers were almost squeezed into meat patties, they finally arrived.
During the winter break, Han Shuo temporarily put aside the unpleasantness between him and Meng Yuxiu. Although he was just passing the time at school, it was still different from being at home.
At school, he had to get up early and go to bed late, which was tough even in the dead of winter. But at home, he could sleep until he naturally woke up and eat as soon as he opened his mouth. For several days in a row after returning home, he indulged himself to the fullest.
When Han Hong worried that it would snow in the days leading up to New Year's Eve and needed to clean the house in advance, Han Shuo lazily followed him to air out the quilts and wash the clothes.
The two brothers spent the whole day there, and when they finally rested in the evening, the house, which always seemed cramped, suddenly felt much brighter.
The next day, Han Hong took his younger brother and son to the town market to buy New Year's goods. The market was very crowded before the New Year. Like Han Hong, everyone was worried that it would snow later, so they arrived early.
This was Han Shuo's first time celebrating the New Year in this world. He was worried that with his family's circumstances, they would have to eat sweet potatoes like in the TV dramas during the New Year. Plus, he had spent all the money he earned on hotel rooms, so he was afraid that this New Year would be very difficult for his family.
However, after following Han Hong to the market, he realized that he had worried too much. Because Han Hong had made some money building houses for the villagers in the second half of the year, he was still buying the New Year's goods as usual. On the contrary, Han Shuo felt a pang of pain when he saw Han Hong taking money out of his pocket, and kept telling him to be more frugal.
Han Hong laughed nonchalantly, "Isn't the money I earn all year just enough to have a proper New Year? If I'm stingy even during the New Year, then what's the point of making money, right?"
However, Han Hong was aware of the situation and only bought fish, meat, and quail eggs, which Han Shuo and Han Ting both loved. Then he took his younger brother and son for a stroll on the street.
In the 21st century, the festive atmosphere of the New Year has long since faded in cities. But in rural markets, in this era, everyone is full of energy and vitality.
The town has only one main street, but it is lined with stalls selling all sorts of things.
Looking at the bustling crowds on the street, listening to the lively shouts, and feeling the strong festive atmosphere, Han Shuo felt a sense of joy in his heart. For a moment, he felt that this world was not so boring after all.
Han Hong carried a cloth bag full of vegetables, while Han Shuo led Han Ting from one end of the street to the other. Han Hong was in a good mood today, and Han Ting couldn't take his eyes off the colorful firecrackers on the roadside stalls. He insisted on buying some, so Han Ting took out his money and bought a box of firecrackers and a skyrocket.
After buying all the New Year's goods, all that's left is to relax and wait for New Year's Eve.
After the initial excitement of winter vacation wore off, Han Shuo started to feel bored after staying at home for a few more days. This was mainly because Han Hong had predicted that it would snow a couple of days later. In those days, snow could easily fall heavily, and when it snowed heavily, everyone had nothing to do and could only stay indoors.
Looking out the window at the white expanse, Han Shuo felt not only bored but also uncomfortable. He felt a sense of emptiness in his heart, which he couldn't quite put his finger on. He thought it might be because he had become accustomed to life at school, and therefore found the house too quiet.
"Uncle!" Han Ting called out, peeking his head out from under the covers.
Han Shuo closed the window, shivering in his thermal underwear, and ran back to bed. Then he deliberately stuffed his hands into Han Ting's arms, saying, "Oh, it's snowing heavily! Quickly warm up your uncle."
Han Ting was both itchy and cold, and giggled in bed.
After Han Shuo had had his fill of fussing, he hugged Han Ting's small body and tucked the blanket around his neck to prevent the cold air from seeping in.
Now that it's holiday time, Han Ting sleeps in the same bed as Han Shuo. The uncle and nephew sleep until almost noon, and even after waking up, they refuse to get out of bed. Han Hong has no choice but to cook breakfast and lunch, then carry a bowl in each hand upstairs so the uncle and nephew can eat in bed.
Han Shuo didn't pick up any books after returning home, which worried Han Hong. He looked at Han Shuo sitting on the bed eating and said worriedly, "Xiao Shuo, you should still read some books even though you're on vacation at home. The college entrance exam is only a few months away."
Han Shuo nodded as he ate: "Okay, I'll watch it this afternoon."
Han Hong sensed his perfunctory tone and said, "If you can't concentrate, why don't you go to the next village for tutoring?"
Upon hearing the word "tutoring," Han Shuo paused, seemingly taken aback. He put down his chopsticks, looked up at Han Hong, and asked, "Tutoring in the next village?"
“Yes, I heard from the villagers that there’s a high school senior in the neighboring Gutang Village who’s running a tutoring class. It costs 50 cents a day. If you can’t keep up with your studies at home, you can go to Gutang Village too. I’ll pay your tuition…”
Han Shuo didn't listen to what Han Hong said next; he held the bowl with a vacant look in his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
The snow fell all night and gradually subsided the next day. After lunch, taking advantage of the light snowfall, Han Shuo decided to go out and stretch his muscles, as he had been lying in bed for two days straight.
He closed the door and walked to the path behind the house. In fact, the path was no longer visible. Apart from the tree trunks that were faintly visible on the mountaintop, the rest of the place was a vast expanse of white.
Han Shuo stood in the snow, took a deep breath of the cold air, and his gaze wandered aimlessly, but he paused when it landed on a certain spot on the path.
He was wondering who would drag a bicycle out in such heavy snow, but at almost the same time, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.
Sometimes people are really strange; what they feel unintentionally becomes what it is.
Han Shuo inadvertently thought that the person was Meng Yuxiu, and when he looked closely, the person really was Meng Yuxiu.
Meng Yuxiu stood next to the bicycle, wearing a black raincoat. There weren't many snowflakes on the raincoat, so it was obviously freshly dusted off. However, the tire tracks on the path were not very clear, indicating that he had been standing there for quite some time.
Han Shuo noticed that his nose and lips were very red, and the red stood out even more against his fair skin.
"Damn!" Han Shuo was genuinely shocked, and at the same time felt it was outrageous.
At this moment, he completely forgot about the argument he had with Meng Yuxiu. Almost in shock, he ran over through the snow and stared at Meng Yuxiu, asking, "What the hell are you doing?"
Meng Yuxiu didn't reply immediately. Han Shuo noticed that his hand inside the raincoat moved. Then, he suddenly grabbed Han Shuo's hand and stuffed something into it.
Han Shuo didn't have time to look at it; he just noticed that Meng Yuxiu's hands were as cold as ice.
"What's this?" Han Shuo opened his palm and saw a few loose banknotes.
"I'll return your money," Meng Yuxiu said.
"..." Han Shuo really didn't expect Meng Yuxiu to come, let alone that he would come to return the money in such snowy weather.
For a moment, he felt anxious and angry, but he didn't know why he suddenly felt angry.
He squeezed the banknotes tightly in his hand, the not-so-soft paper digging into his palm. He stared intently at Meng Yuxiu, almost wanting to curse him out, but considering that Han Hong and Han Ting were in the house not far away, he could only grit his teeth and lower his voice, "Are you sick?!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he clearly restrained his emotions, but his heart was pounding so hard that he felt as if he suddenly had shortness of breath in his throat, and a feeling of suffocation mixed with a faint sourness followed.
"Coming to return money in this heavy snow? Have you lost your mind?"
"You told me to pay you back." Meng Yuxiu stared at Han Shuo's face as well, his tone revealing a hint of stubbornness.
Han Shuo suddenly felt a lump in his throat. He paused for several seconds before gritting his teeth and saying, "Did I say you had to pay me back now? Did I say you had to come and pay me back in the snow?"
Meng Yuxiu lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling for a moment. He silently pursed his lips and said, "You said that money was a loan to me, and I don't want to take advantage of you or bully you."
In fact, Meng Yuxiu was telling the truth, and Han Shuo had indeed said those things, but hearing Meng Yuxiu say it still made him inexplicably angry.
"I said it, I said it..." Han Shuo's chest heaved heavily, his mind a complete mess. He suddenly didn't know what to say at this moment, and he almost stammered, "You remember what I said so clearly? What about when I said nice things to you? Why don't you remember? What bullying me and taking advantage of me, damn it! Why the hell would I need you to take advantage of me?"
The more Han Shuo spoke, the more agitated and upset he became, as if the pent-up frustration of a long period of time had finally turned into an unspeakable grievance.
He sniffed hard and said fiercely, "We're all doing missions together, we're partners, don't talk to me like that."
Meng Yuxiu raised his eyes and saw that the corners of his mouth were slightly curved, with a hint of bitterness in his smile. He nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. I'm leaving."
As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed the handlebars of the bicycle and turned it around.
Han Shuo was trembling with rage. He rushed forward and grabbed Meng Yuxiu's arm hard.
Meng Yuxiu stopped and looked at him.
"You're leaving, huh? Fine." Han Shuo pulled out a few bills from his hand, then stuffed the rest into the pocket inside Meng Yuxiu's raincoat. As he stuffed them in, he said, "Since you don't like to take advantage of others, I don't like to take advantage of others either. I'll lend you two yuan, you don't need to give me any more, take it back!"
"Go on!"
Meng Yuxiu didn't move, and Han Shuo didn't leave either.
The snow gradually intensified. Meng Yuxiu looked at Han Shuo's trembling lips, which were shaking with emotion, and lowered his eyes to say slowly, "The extra money is for buying firecrackers for your nephew."
"You said you wanted to save some money to buy firecrackers for your nephew during the Chinese New Year..."
Meng Yuxiu spoke very softly, so softly that it could even be drowned out by the rustling of falling snowflakes, yet even so, it still resounded loudly in Han Shuo's heart.
He opened his mouth slightly, but no sound came out.
He watched as Meng Yuxiu reached into his raincoat and took out money again. After glancing at him, he squatted down and placed a few banknotes on the snow, then dragged his bicycle forward step by step.
As Han Shuo watched Meng Yuxiu's receding figure amidst the swirling snowflakes, his chest churned with turmoil. At a certain point, amidst the turmoil, he realized that it was his own heart that was aching, and the pain throbbed with each passing moment as Meng Yuxiu's figure grew increasingly distant and blurred.
Watching that lonely figure walk away alone in the wind and snow.
Han Shuo felt another sharp pain in his heart. He couldn't hold back any longer, grabbed the banknotes from the snow, and ran after them.
Meng Yuxiu heard the sound of shoes stepping on the snow. Before he could turn around, he was bumped hard. Before he could even see Han Shuo's face, Han Shuo had already pulled him into his arms.
Han Shuo hugged Meng Yuxiu tightly, pressing his face against his, and choked out, "Silly boy."
Until the moment of the embrace, a feeling of soreness accompanied by a deep sense of satisfaction, Han Shuo seemed to understand why he had been feeling uncomfortable all this time.
He was straight, at least that's what he thought, and he never entertained any thoughts beyond that of a straight man, not even kissing or sleeping with Meng Yuxiu, not even pampering or coaxing him. In his subconscious mind, all of that was within the scope of their mission.
Now, belatedly, he realized that those once intimate habits had changed without him even noticing. At this moment, he truly understood the reason for that stifling, aching feeling in his heart.
Han Shuo hugged Meng Yuxiu tightly for a long time. After a long while, he raised his head and gazed at Meng Yuxiu's face. "I still want to say that I like you. Even though you said you couldn't see the liking in my eyes..."
Han Shuo sighed heavily, looking somewhat troubled, and said, "I really don't know what kind of 'liking' you're talking about is... I really want to be the kind of 'liking' that you can see in someone's eyes, but I really don't know how to do it..."
After Han Shuo finished speaking, he seemed completely exhausted.
However, Meng Yuxiu quietly looked into Han Shuo's eyes and said, "I have already seen it."
"What?" Han Shuo was taken aback.
A deep smile slowly appeared in Meng Yuxiu's eyes. He had already seen it. Even though Han Shuo's pupils reflected the icy snow, in the faintly shimmering light, his figure was the only one that stood out.
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