The train station was bustling with people everywhere, pulling suitcases and carrying bags, all with smiles on their faces as they awaited their journey home.
“Are you just bringing this much?” Wang Chenyu asked, eyeing Shen Er’s not-too-large suitcase.
Shen Er held the handle of his suitcase with one hand, while the other hand held his phone and ticket. He nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be returning to Qingzhou earlier, so I won’t be coming back with you.”
“Excuse me, coming through—”
A woman carrying a lot of bags and holding a child struggled to make her way through the crowd.
Shen Er pulled Wang Chenyu aside, making room for her in the crowded space.
“Got it.” Wang Chenyu didn’t ask further and nodded, “The train is boarding, let’s go.”
They lined up to check their tickets and board the train. As they entered the carriage, Shen Er wrinkled his nose.
The smell in the carriage wasn’t pleasant. There was the smell of cigarettes from people who took the opportunity to smoke during stops, the various aromas of instant noodles, and the spicy snack smell coming from some kid. The mixture of these scents made Shen Er a bit uncomfortable.
He pulled out a disposable mask from his pocket and put it on, leaned his head against the window, and closed his eyes with his headphones on.
The sounds of conversations and children shouting were blocked out by his headphones, replaced by the background music and commentary from a League of Legends game.
He wasn’t watching the screen, just listening to the game. Gradually, he crossed his arms and fell asleep.
The train arrived at the station a little after 7 AM. His phone was out of battery and silent, but the station announcement woke him up.
Shen Er opened his eyes and glanced at Wang Chenyu. They exchanged a look and, in perfect sync, stood up, stretched, and pulled their suitcases from the overhead rack, ready to disembark.
Pingyong City was a county-level city, not very bustling, and Shen Er’s hometown was a village in a nearby town. There was only a fixed schedule for buses running between these places daily.
Shen Er and Wang Chenyu dragged their luggage to a bus parked not far from the train station.
It was peak travel season for the Spring Festival, and this bus line passing through the train station was packed. Only when the bus was crammed full did it finally start moving.
The ticket collector, holding a small notebook, squeezed through the crowded bus from the front to the back, collecting money and noting destinations one by one.
When the collector reached Shen Er, he said, “To Gongkang, two tickets.”
“Gongkang, six yuan each, twelve for two.”
Shen Er, swaying left and right in the crowd, raised his hand to steady himself, then dug into his pocket and handed over a ten-yuan note and two coins to the collector.
The collector marked his notebook and continued squeezing his way through the bus.
“So many people—” Wang Chenyu stretched out a hand to support himself against the window, “I always heard people from my hometown talking about how crowded it gets during the Spring Festival travel rush. It only feels real now that I’m experiencing it myself.”
Shen Er smiled wryly and nodded in agreement.
As the bus slowly moved forward, a light rain began to fall outside, the raindrops hitting the windows and blurring the scenery beyond.
It’s raining.
Shen Er frowned.
There was a section of muddy road on the way home that became particularly difficult and dirty to walk on when it rained. Of course, it had to rain now. Just his luck.
About twenty minutes later, a third of the passengers had already gotten off the bus.
“Gongkang stop, those getting off at Gongkang, please disembark—”
The ticket collector shouted from near the door.
Shen Er gently patted Wang Chenyu, who had been resting his head on Shen Er’s arm with his eyes closed. “Time to get off.”
“Huh? Oh, right.” Wang Chenyu squeezed his eyes shut, then straightened his clothes and got off the bus. He retrieved their luggage from the side storage compartment and closed the door. The bus drove away.
“Eh?” Wang Chenyu stared at the changed road ahead, stunned. “When did they pave this with cement?”
Shen Er was also surprised. In his memory, before he left his hometown after the college entrance exam last summer, this road showed no signs of construction. In just half a year…
He smiled, put on his hat, and said goodbye to Wang Chenyu, then carried his luggage down a winding path. At the end of the path, he reached his home. After dropping off his luggage and taking a short nap, he grabbed an umbrella and took the bus to the hospital.
Even during the New Year, the hospital remained cold and quiet.
He took the elevator upstairs, set down his umbrella, and walked to his mother Yu Lan’s bedside in the ward.
She was napping, and the caregiver beside her was also asleep, leaning against the headboard in a chair.
Shen Er approached and gently tapped the caregiver’s shoulder. “Auntie Wang.”
Auntie Wang rubbed her eyes, furrowing her brows as she turned around, looking surprised when she saw him.
“I’m Shen Er.” He took out a prepared red envelope with 200 yuan from his pocket and handed it to Auntie Wang. “Thank you for your hard work these past six months. You should go home early for the New Year. I’ll stay with my mom these few days.”
Aunt Wang stared at Shen Er for a long moment before recognizing him as the young boy who had approached her six months ago.
“Oh, you’re Yu Lan’s son, right? I remember now,” Aunt Wang said, pushing herself up from the bedside table. “You’re back?”
“Yes,” Shen Er nodded, pressing the red envelope into her palm and helping her up. “I’m back.”
Aunt Wang wasn’t much for words. She accepted the envelope and patted Shen Er’s hand reassuringly. “Then I’ll head home for now. Call me if you need me to come back.”
“Okay.”
After seeing Aunt Wang off, Shen Er sat down on the still-warm chair and watched his mother’s sleeping face.
When Yu Lan woke up, Shen Er’s hands were resting on her blanket, and he was leaning over, half-asleep.
“Xiao Er,” Yu Lan reached out from under the blanket and gently ruffled Shen Er’s hair.
Shen Er sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. “Mom.”
Yu Lan sat up, and the blanket slipped down. Shen Er stood and tucked it back around her.
“You’ve lost weight,” Yu Lan said softly, touching his cheek. “It’s all my fault. If I weren’t sick, you’d be in college right now.” She sighed. “Old Li’s son next door is in college and has a girlfriend. She’s beautiful and graceful. If you were in school like him…”
“Mom,” Shen Er interrupted her at the right moment. “Let’s not talk about that. It’s New Year’s today. What do you want to eat? I’ll go buy some groceries and cook something for you in the small kitchen.”
Yu Lan looked at him apologetically and shook her head. “Anything is fine.”
“I’ll just get something random then. I’ve gotten pretty good at cooking,” Shen Er smiled, sitting by her bedside and chatting with her.
The mother and son hadn’t seen each other for half a year. They avoided talking about college and illness, instead laughing and chatting, making time pass quickly.
“Yu Lan—” The sound of high heels clicking on the floor made Shen Er turn his head instinctively. It was his aunt, carrying a box of milk and a bag of fruit.
“Big sister, happy New Year,” Yu Lan held Shen Er’s hand and turned to smile at her.
“Xiao Er is back,” his aunt walked to the bedside, ruffling Shen Er’s hair before sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Mom, you two chat. I’ll go buy the groceries now?” Shen Er pointed outside. The winter sky darkened early, casting a gray hue over everything.
“Wait, Xiao Er. I need to talk to you,” his aunt quickly stood up, grabbed his arm, and gestured for him to follow her out of the room. “Let’s talk outside.”
Shen Er glanced at Yu Lan, then followed his aunt out of the hospital room.
“Xiao Er, happy New Year,” his aunt said, pulling a red envelope from her pocket and stuffing it into his.
“You don’t have to give me a red envelope, Auntie. I’m an adult now,” Shen Er protested.
“Take it, and listen to me,” his aunt said, looking troubled. “Last time when your mom got sick, you borrowed 40,000 yuan from me…”
Shen Er’s heart sank. He nodded, “Yes, I’ll do my best to pay it back.”
“I didn’t want to pressure you for the money. Yu Lan is my sister, and I’m worried about her too. But my son, your cousin…” Auntie bit her lip. “He’s getting married soon, and I’m short by twenty thousand. I really have no other option but to ask you.”
“I understand, Auntie. I’ll try to get it to you by next month, okay?” Shen Er forced a smile, though it didn’t look quite right.
“That’s fine, that’s fine,” Auntie nodded. “I’m really sorry, Xiao Er. I wouldn’t ask if I had another way.”
“It’s okay. You go chat with my mom. Don’t mention the money, alright?” Shen Er said. “I’ll go buy some groceries.”
Leaving the hospital, Shen Er looked up at the gray sky. Raindrops fell on his face, blurring his vision.
Twenty thousand yuan.
He had a little over four thousand in his WeChat wallet. After accounting for the high internet fees, he could spare about two thousand.
At home, he had two VIP tickets for League of Legends, along with some merch and a signed mouse pad. If he sold them, he might get a few thousand yuan, if he was lucky.
Though he hated to part with them, he had no other choice.
He sighed and headed to the supermarket near the hospital.
The New Year’s Eve dinner would be just him and Yu Lan. Shen Er didn’t buy much. After paying, he took the groceries to a small self-service kitchen near the hospital and began cooking.
When he returned to the hospital room with the meal, Auntie had already left.
The smell of disinfectant lingered in the air as Shen Er set up a folding table on the bed, opened the food containers, and handed Yu Lan a clean bowl and chopsticks.
The meal was simple and not very visually appealing, but Yu Lan still praised him generously.
After eating, Shen Er handed Yu Lan a couple of tissues. She wiped her mouth and looked at him cautiously.
“Did Auntie ask you for the money earlier?” Yu Lan asked.
Shen Er frowned and clicked his tongue softly. “I told her not to bring up the money.”
“She didn’t,” Yu Lan shook her head. “She chatted about everyday things and mentioned that her son is getting married. With her son’s wedding coming up, and Auntie suddenly visiting me so warmly… I figured she must have asked you for the money, right?”
“Yes, I borrowed forty thousand from Auntie. She asked me to return twenty thousand first. Auntie’s family isn’t wealthy either.” Shen Er gently touched Yu Lan’s hand, which had an IV drip, “It’s okay, I’ll find a way.”
“Xiao Er, I’ve never dared to ask you. What job do you have in Qingzhou, and where do you live? It’s hard to make a living in a big city, and you still send money to the hospital and Aunt Wang every month. How much do you need to earn to sustain this?” Yu Lan said, “Xiao Er, maybe… I should stop my treatment?”
Shen Er’s brows furrowed tightly, and his tone was uncharacteristically firm, “No.”
“But…”
“I found a really good job in Qingzhou. The pay is high, and my boss is great,” Shen Er said. “Within half a year, I should be able to bring you to a big hospital in Qingzhou. Mom, just keep a positive mindset and cooperate with the treatment. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”
Yu Lan looked at him skeptically. “But you didn’t even go to college. I’ve heard that even college graduates are having a hard time finding jobs these days. Where did you find such a high-paying job? Are you sure you haven’t been scammed?”
“There’s no way I’ve been scammed,” Shen Er said with a helpless smile.
Yu Lan remained silent, her expression still filled with doubt and concern.
Shen Er, feeling frustrated under her gaze, said, “I’m going to the restroom.”
He walked out of the hospital room, bypassed the restroom, and entered an empty corridor.
He wasn’t sure if this habit was something he picked up from the book or if he brought it into the book himself. Whenever faced with a difficult problem, he liked to stay alone in the stairwell.
Yu Lan’s every glance was filled with fear—afraid he’d be scammed, afraid he’d go astray.
Shen Er took out his phone and opened WeChat, absentmindedly opening Yan Sheng’s chat.
[Owl: Yan]
[Yan: ?]
[Yan: Weren’t you going home for New Year’s?]
[Owl: Yes, I already had New Year’s dinner]
[Yan: I just finished my dinner too. Now waiting for my sister to set off her fireworks]
Shen Er bit his lower lip, his fingers hovering over the screen, carefully considering his words.
[Owl: I have a favor to ask… Can you help me with something?]
[Yan: Go ahead]
Shen Er sighed and briefly explained his current situation.
Yan Sheng read the long message Shen Er sent, pursing his lips. Most of the people around him came from well-off families, so reading about Shen Er’s circumstances made him feel a pang of heartache.
“Yan Man, you go set off the fireworks in the garden by yourself first. I need to make a call.” Yan Sheng took a lighter from his pocket and tossed it to Yan Man before heading upstairs.
“Hey?! You’re not going to light the fireworks for me?” Yan Man fumbled to catch the lighter, shouting after him.
“Play with the sparklers for now. I’ll be there in a bit,” Yan Sheng replied. “I have something to take care of.”
“Fine—”
Yan Sheng went upstairs, entered Yan Lijun’s study, and made a video call to Shen Er.
He adjusted the camera, revealing the luxurious study and a wall of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
The call was quickly answered, and a delicate face filled the screen.
“Shen Er?” Yan Sheng called out, his voice lifting at the end.
“It’s me, Boss.” Shen Er glanced at the camera, his lips curving into a smile.
Shen Er was very good-looking, pale but thin, with long eyelashes that weren’t curled. When he lowered his gaze, they formed a curtain, veiling his beautiful eyes.
“Mom, look, this is my boss, Mr. Yan.” Shen Er shifted the camera to show the screen’s center where a face marked by illness and time appeared. “I’m his… secretary.”
“Hello, Auntie,” Yan Sheng nodded politely.
“Oh, oh, hello.” Yu Lan nodded in surprise, staring at the opulent study on the screen.
Yan Sheng chatted with Yu Lan for a while, watching as her expression gradually softened. He then skillfully brought the conversation to a close.
“Auntie, I need to discuss something with Shen Er. Could you let him take the call?”
“Ah, sure, sure. Sorry for talking so much. You go ahead and talk to Xiao Er.” Yu Lan handed the phone back to Shen Er. “Xiao Er, you must work hard and not let down your boss’s trust.”
Shen Er took the phone and nodded with a smile. “I know, Mom.”
Yan Sheng sat in the chair, resting his chin in his hand, and casually exchanged a few “work-related” words with Shen Er before ending the call.
“Our Xiao Er is lucky to have met such a good boss,” Yu Lan said, rubbing Shen Er’s hand.
“He really is,” Shen Er nodded. “He’s really good.”
As his words faded, his WeChat notification chimed.
[Yan transferred you 50,000 yuan]
[Yan: For savings]
[Yan: Don’t run off with someone else, my little secretary]
Thank you for reading! 
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