“Thank you.” After politely saying it and looking up, Tang Huan glanced toward the back of the bus, thinking more passengers would get on soon. Standing at the door would be in the way.
Seeing quite a few people already standing in the aisle behind her, she quietly tightened her grip on the handrail.
Forget it. This spot is fine. She would move if more people got on.
This was the last bus of the day. The next stop would bring even more passengers. Before the bus even fully stopped, she already saw more than ten people waiting at the stop.
As soon as the bus pulled in, she quickly moved further back. Some passengers got off, so the crowd thinned slightly.
Meng Zeyan also moved back a little and stood beside her.
Tang Huan raised her hand to grab the overhead handrail, but it was too high.
She stood on her tiptoes, trying hard, barely touching it with her fingertips—but she still couldn’t hold on properly.
The bus seats at the time were simple: wooden boards fixed onto iron pipe frames, with wooden backrests and an exposed oval iron bar at the top.
Normally, that exposed bar could be used to hold onto, but the seat next to her was occupied by an older woman sleeping soundly, her head resting right against it, swaying slightly as she dozed.
If Tang Huan wanted to grab the bar, she would either have to wake the woman up—or risk grabbing onto the bar and her hair.
Just then, more than ten passengers crowded into the bus. It was already too packed to move easily unless she was willing to squeeze through the human wall.
While she was hesitating, Meng Zeyan suddenly reached out and tapped the old lady’s shoulder.
“Auntie, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?”
The sleeping woman, suddenly woken up, looked momentarily confused.
“Auntie, I saw you haven’t moved for a long time. Are you alright?” Meng Zeyan asked again with concern.
“I’m fine! I was just sleeping!” the old woman said irritably, glaring at him.
But who in the world can’t tell the difference between someone sleeping and someone fainting?
Seeing the little hand quietly gripping the seat back, Meng Zeyan smiled and said, “Good to hear you’re okay.”
The old woman was so annoyed she couldn’t sleep anymore, glaring at him a few times.
As long as she didn’t keep nodding her head, Tang Huan could now hold the seat back. She looked up and gave Meng Zeyan a small smile, understanding he had helped her.
She wasn’t good at saying thank you too often—it started to feel cheap—but she didn’t know how else to express it.
The old woman got off the bus earlier than them. Before leaving, still annoyed, she glared at Meng Zeyan again. Then she stood up and said to Tang Huan:
“Girl, you sit here!”
She refused to give her seat to that young man!
If anyone else had woken her up, she would have argued with them—but this young man had done it, and she couldn’t even pick a fight properly!
After the old woman left, the seat became available for Tang Huan. She couldn’t help but smile.
If the old lady knew she was actually the “culprit” behind Meng Zeyan waking her up, she might have cursed out loud.
Coincidentally, Meng Zeyan looked down at that moment and saw her smiling expression. She looked much more lively when she smiled than when she didn’t.
From what Aunt Xing had said about her family situation, it was often said that “where there is a stepmother, there is a stepfather too.” Just from her personality, one could imagine how hard her life had been.
She had not been treated well at home. Then, after finally getting married, she became a widow.
Even Xing Cui felt sorry for her—and even Meng Zeyan sometimes couldn’t help but soften toward her. She really had a hard life.
When the bus arrived at their stop, they walked home together, though Tang Huan gradually slowed down.
Partly because her feet hurt, and partly to keep distance.
Once they reached near their home, Meng Zeyan walked straight in without turning back.
Tang Huan slowly made her way home step by step. Once inside the courtyard, she immediately changed into slippers. They were still plastic, but slightly more comfortable than sandals.
Xing Cui was picking vegetables in the yard and immediately noticed her walking posture.
“Xiaohuan, don’t wear sandals anymore. Tomorrow Mom will go to the state-run store and see if she can buy you a pair of leather shoes.”
As she was changing shoes, Tang Huan quickly called out, “No need, Mom! I’ll buy them myself during the weekend break!”
Leather shoes were expensive!
When buying clothes earlier, she had also wanted a pair of leather shoes, but she couldn’t bear the cost, so she only bought sandals.
“It’s still a few days until your break. Don’t worry, I’ll buy them,” Xing Cui insisted, adding confidently, “Don’t worry, I’ve got good taste—they’ll look great!”
What Tang Huan was worried about wasn’t whether they looked good—it was the price.
Seeing she couldn’t persuade her, she changed her request instead.
“Then… just buy me white sneakers. No need for leather shoes.”
Sneakers were at least cheaper than leather shoes.
The old couple were too good to her—so good that she didn’t know how to respond.
“I’ll see tomorrow,” Xing Cui replied vaguely.
There were plenty of ripe tomatoes in the garden, so she picked a few and brought them to the kitchen to wash for Tang Huan.
Their family usually waited until everyone was home before eating, and Old Meng was still at work. Worried Tang Huan might be hungry, Xing Cui brought her something to eat first.
Tang Huan never refused food. She took a tomato and sat with her mother-in-law under the grape trellis, chatting about school.
While the two women talked and ate, Meng Zeyan came out of the house, glanced at them a few times, then went to the kitchen to wash a tomato himself and joined them under the trellis.
Tang Huan had been enthusiastically talking about her new deskmate, but the moment he sat down, it was as if someone had pressed a switch.
She immediately went quiet, focusing on eating tomato bite after bite, listening instead of speaking.
Meng Zeyan placed some meal tickets and tuition receipts on the table.
“The school has a cafeteria. There’s also breakfast. The cafeteria only accepts meal tickets.”
Xing Cui picked up the stack of tickets and glanced at the tuition receipt.
After looking at it, she sighed. “Back then, a semester of school only cost three yuan. Now it’s seven!”
Now was the perfect time to return the money.
Tang Huan quickly ran back to her room, took out two yuan from a box, added her ten yuan, making a total of twelve.
She hurried back and placed the money in front of Meng Zeyan, then sat down across from him.
“Brother, this is for tuition and meal tickets. Thank you for taking me to school.”
Both Meng Zeyan and Xing Cui were surprised by her sudden action.
Seeing the money, Xing Cui immediately objected.
“Xiaohuan, why are you always so clear about money? The family doesn’t lack this little bit. Keep it for yourself!”
“If you do this again, I’ll be upset!”
Meng Zeyan pushed the money back toward her.
“Keep it. Your mother-in-law already paid for your tuition and meal tickets.”
He knew she felt uncomfortable spending his money. His intention had only been to help his parents anyway—this money was effectively for them.
Xing Cui glanced at him and nodded in agreement.
Tang Huan still wanted to give the money to her mother-in-law, but remembering her earlier words, she held back, afraid of upsetting her.