However, Han Shuo didn’t get the chance to pick up Meng Yuxiu’s mattress after school, as someone else brought him a quilt instead.
During the last self-study class, Han Shuo was daydreaming when Pidan, sitting next to him, nudged him and pointed to the side. Following his gaze, Han Shuo saw the homeroom teacher standing outside, waving at him.
“What’s up, Teacher Yu?” Han Shuo asked.
Teacher Yu told Han Shuo that his brother was here, waiting for him on the playground.
“My brother?” Han Shuo was quite surprised. As he ran downstairs, he was still pondering that it was only Wednesday, and it took quite a bit of time to travel from Xiaoshi Village to Yunxi County. Why would Han Hong come to school at this time? Wouldn’t he have to cook dinner for Han Ting tonight?
When he reached the playground, he was surprised to find that Han Ting had come along too.
The weather was gloomy today, especially with the strong wind on the playground as evening approached. Han Hong stood there holding Han Ting, who was wearing a dirt-yellow woolen hat, with a bulging snakeskin bag at his feet.
Seeing Han Shuo come out, Han Hong immediately put on a smile.
“Brother, why are you here?” Han Shuo asked.
Han Hong pointed to the snakeskin bag and said, “The weather suddenly turned cold, and the quilt in your dormitory must not be enough.”
Han Shuo glanced at the snakeskin bag, estimating it weighed about seven or eight pounds. Even before covering himself with it at night, he already felt warm inside.
“I’ll be home in two days on Friday. Why did you bring Tingting all the way here?” Speaking of Han Ting, Han Shuo was puzzled. Usually, this little guy would call out “Little Uncle” as soon as he saw him, but today he was silent.
He looked over in confusion and saw Han Ting’s little face, red under the woolen hat, leaning weakly against Han Hong. But seeing Han Shuo, he was clearly happy, his eyes curved into crescents, though he didn’t have the energy to call out “Little Uncle.”
Han Shuo’s heart sank for a moment. He grabbed Han Ting’s small hand and asked Han Hong, “What’s wrong with Tingting?”
Han Hong, who was usually full of energy, showed rare signs of fatigue, but he still smiled to reassure Han Shuo. “He caught a cold and has been coughing since Monday. We went to the town’s clinic for two days, but he’s still coughing. I’m worried he might develop pneumonia, so I brought him to the county hospital for a check-up and brought you a quilt along the way.”
Just as he finished speaking, Han Ting coughed twice.
Han Shuo instinctively wanted to take leave to accompany them to the hospital, but Han Hong stopped him.
“There’s no need for you to come. It’s too much trouble going back and forth, and your dormitory locks the iron gate at night. What will you do when you come back?”
To prevent students from sneaking out at night, the school had installed iron gates at the stairways of each dormitory floor. Once the lights were out, the dormitory manager would lock the gates. The county hospital was a bit far from the school, and it would likely be nine or ten o’clock by the time he returned.
“What about you guys?” Han Shuo asked anxiously. “I mean, you’ll definitely be at the hospital tonight, right? Where will you sleep?”
Han Hong laughed, “I’m a grown man. Don’t worry about me. I’ll find a place to sleep. Now, go back to class. I’ll take Tingting to the hospital.”
Han Shuo was still reluctant to leave, so Han Hong had to say that if he went along, they’d have to spend more money on dinner.
With Han Ting coughing again, Han Hong didn’t delay any longer, and Han Shuo had no choice but to give up.
After watching Han Hong and his son leave, Han Shuo carried the snakeskin bag to the iron gate of the dormitory building, planning to take it back to the dormitory after school when the gate opened.
When the school bell rang, Han Shuo went to Class One as usual to wait for Meng Yuxiu so they could go to the canteen together.
Usually, he was the most enthusiastic about eating, not satisfied with just his own food, and would insist on scooping a few spoonfuls from Meng Yuxiu’s cup. Later, the food Meng Yuxiu brought couldn’t last until Friday, so when he returned to school on Sunday, he asked his current mom to cook a bit more.
However, today Han Shuo was preoccupied. Not only did he not take food from Meng Yuxiu, but he also ate his meal listlessly.
He stopped his spoon, looking at the open door of the canteen, recalling the scene of Han Hong holding Han Ting as they left in the gray dusk.
He also remembered Han Ting’s pale, fragile face leaning on Han Hong’s shoulder, his eyes still looking at him reluctantly as they left.
Although Han Hong casually mentioned they had a place to stay for the night, Han Shuo knew very well that going to the hospital cost money. He didn’t know the price of staying in a county town hotel in this era, but he guessed it wouldn’t be cheap.
How could someone as frugal as Han Hong bear to spend that money? Han Shuo had seen those melodramatic period dramas, and the thought of Han Hong possibly spending the night in the hospital corridor or on a bench with Han Ting made it hard for him to swallow his food.
Noticing something was off with Han Shuo, Meng Yuxiu asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Han Shuo, brought back to reality, sighed heavily, “I can’t eat.”
He pushed his spoon around the half-full lunchbox and asked Meng Yuxiu, “I haven’t touched this half. Can you eat it?”
Meng Yuxiu glanced at his lunchbox and hesitated.
Han Shuo continued, “I’ll divide it in half for you. It’s clean. I really can’t eat it, and it feels wasteful to throw it away.”
Seeing Han Shuo’s genuinely troubled expression, Meng Yuxiu nodded.
“Thanks.” Han Shuo scooped the untouched half of the rice into Meng Yuxiu’s lunchbox, then took his lunchbox to the sink to wash it.
After washing, he greeted Meng Yuxiu, saying he was going back to the classroom first.
Back at his seat, Han Shuo couldn’t focus on his novel, staring blankly out the window. As classmates returned to the classroom after dinner, the noisy surroundings gradually quieted down. Unable to sit still any longer, he finally went to the office to ask the homeroom teacher for leave as evening self-study began.
By then, it was completely dark. Han Shuo knew the location of the county hospital, having passed by it when he went to the county town with Pidan and Doufu.
It would take about an hour to walk from the school. Han Shuo glanced at the pitch-black dirt road outside the school gate, then turned back to Class One.
Meng Yuxiu was reviewing with his head down when his deskmate tapped his shoulder. He looked up in the direction his deskmate pointed and saw Han Shuo outside the glass window.
He put down his book and went out.
Han Shuo was in a hurry and asked before Meng Yuxiu could close the door, “Meng Yuxiu, can I borrow your bicycle?”
Meng Yuxiu looked at the sky and asked, “Where are you going?”
Han Shuo briefly explained, “My nephew is sick. My brother took him to the county hospital. I’m worried about them and want to check on them.”
Han Shuo thought he might have to say more, but Meng Yuxiu went back into the classroom and quickly returned.
He handed Han Shuo the keys and a flashlight.
Han Shuo took them gratefully, “You’re so thoughtful! Otherwise, I was ready to ride in the dark.”
“The bicycle is in the bike shed. Do you recognize it?”
Han Shuo nodded repeatedly, “I know, it’s black. Thanks, Meng Yuxiu.”
He was about to turn and leave when Meng Yuxiu grabbed his arm.
“What time will you be back?”
Han Shuo replied, “I’m not sure. If my nephew is fine, I’ll probably be back soon.”
“The dormitory locks the door at ten,” Meng Yuxiu reminded.
“I know, I’ll be back before then.”
Meng Yuxiu frowned slightly but said nothing more. He watched Han Shuo run off in a hurry before returning to the classroom.
Han Shuo found Meng Yuxiu’s bicycle in the bike shed. The bike lock was a leather loop, feeling quite sturdy. After unlocking it, he rode out of the school.
He tucked the flashlight under his arm, but the light was unsatisfactory. Han Shuo was almost riding blind on the bumpy dirt road. The night air was even colder, with the chilly wind seeping into his clothes. By the time he reached the hospital, his ears felt like they were about to fall off.
He warmed his ears with his hands and locked the bicycle.
With the sudden change in weather, the hospital was mostly filled with children. Their cries could be heard from outside.
The corridor benches were packed with parents holding children on IV drips. Fortunately, the hospital wasn’t large, and after a quick search, Han Shuo found Han Hong and his son.
Hearing Han Shuo’s voice, Han Hong was startled, “Why are you here?”
Han Shuo squatted down in front of them, replying as he did, “I had nothing to do during evening self-study, so I came to check on you. How’s Tingting?”
Since Han Shuo was already there, Han Hong knew he was concerned about them, so he made room for Han Shuo to sit.
“He’s much better after the IV. The doctor said it’s nothing serious.”
Han Shuo carefully observed Han Ting, who indeed looked better than he did on the playground.
There were three bottles hanging on the IV pole, with more than half of the current one remaining. Han Shuo touched Han Ting’s small hand, which was cold.
With Han Shuo there, Han Hong had a moment to find an empty IV bottle, fill it with hot water, and give it to Han Ting to warm his hands.
“Little Uncle.” Han Ting, feeling more comfortable, reached out to be held by Han Shuo.
Han Shuo quickly lowered his IV hand to prevent blood from flowing back.
He lifted Han Ting onto his lap and asked, “Did you eat dinner?”
Han Ting’s head moved slightly, “Dad bought wontons.”
“One bowl for each of you?”
Han Ting shook his head, “Dad and I shared one bowl.”
Perhaps because he occupied this body, even without previous memories, Han Shuo felt a slight ache in his heart upon hearing Han Ting’s words.
Nearby, a child was eating candy, with a parent helping to unwrap the colorful wrapper. Han Ting was drawn by the sound, turning his head to look.
From Han Shuo’s angle, he could see his nephew’s long eyelashes fluttering, clearly watching with eager eyes.
After a while, Han Ting looked up and said to Han Shuo, “They’re eating candy.”
Children are like that, knowing they can’t have it but still mentioning it.
To ease the awkwardness of not getting candy, Han Ting showed his milky white teeth and smiled at Han Shuo.
Han Shuo had fifty cents in his pocket, which was his fare home on Friday. But he couldn’t bear his nephew’s understanding eyes, so he said to Han Ting, “How about Little Uncle buys you some candy?”
“Okay!” Han Ting was overjoyed.
Just as Han Shuo was about to set him down and get up, Han Hong returned with the hot water-filled IV bottle. Seeing this, he asked, “Xiao Shuo, are you leaving?”
“I’m going to buy some candy for Tingting.”
“Don’t buy it.” Han Hong placed the IV bottle in Han Ting’s hand, “Where do you have money to buy it? Tingting, listen to Dad, you can’t eat candy when you have a cold and cough.”
Hearing Han Hong’s words, Han Ting pouted but didn’t make a sound, just staring at his swinging feet.
Han Shuo felt terrible and told Han Hong, “Brother, I have money. You forgot you give me fifty cents extra every week.”
Han Hong was surprised, “You didn’t spend it?”
Han Shuo lied, “I didn’t spend it. I’m not like Tingting, who loves to eat, right, Tingting?”
Hearing Han Shuo say he had money, Han Ting immediately cheered up, giggling with his eyes curved.
How could Han Hong not feel for his son? After confirming that Han Shuo wasn’t using his fare to buy candy, he agreed.
As Han Shuo left the corridor, he heard Han Hong laughing and talking to his son.
“Your Little Uncle is the best, saving money to buy you candy.”
Han Shuo’s nose tingled, and he suddenly felt ashamed. He couldn’t quite explain why he felt this way. Maybe it was because Han Hong was so frugal, yet he was willing to give him fifty cents.
Maybe it was because he hadn’t saved the fifty cents and had spent the money Han Hong had saved.
Maybe it was because when his nephew was envious of other children, he couldn’t offer more money.
In any case, as Han Shuo walked out of the hospital, the cold wind seemed to pierce his chest, making it hard to breathe.
He didn’t think about how to get home on Friday. As long as Han Hong and Han Ting were happy, that was enough.
He bought some loose candy at a small shop near the hospital, weighing fifty cents worth. When he brought it back, Han Ting seemed to recover half from his illness, chattering happily with Han Shuo.
Han Hong watched the uncle and nephew with a smile, “Xiao Shuo, is it okay for you to skip evening self-study?”
Han Shuo, peeling candy for Han Ting, replied nonchalantly, “Oh, even if I attend evening self-study, I’m just daydreaming. Don’t you know me?”
Han Hong shook his head with a smile. As he laughed, he suddenly thought of something and asked Han Shuo, “Xiao Shuo, how did you get here?”
Han Shuo instinctively wanted to say he rode a bicycle, but a sudden realization stopped him.
“Uh… I ran here.”
Han Hong half-believed, “Oh.”
Seeing him stand up, Han Shuo asked, “Where are you going?”
Han Hong patted his jacket pocket, “I’m going out for a smoke. You stay with Tingting.”
“Okay.” Han Shuo didn’t think much of it.
Han Hong went to the hospital entrance but didn’t smoke. He looked around, then slowly wandered to the bike shed, inspecting each bicycle. After finding nothing unusual, he returned to the hospital.
Han Shuo didn’t stay long. When Han Hong saw the clock reach nine, he urged him to return to school.
Seeing that Han Ting was fine and that they weren’t the only ones spending the night in the corridor, plus the doctor had provided thin blankets for the children, Han Shuo felt a bit more at ease.
When leaving the hospital, Han Shuo didn’t let Han Hong see him off. Han Ting was still on an IV, and Han Hong couldn’t leave.
He could only remind Han Shuo to be careful on the way back.
“Don’t worry, I’m leaving now.”
Han Shuo took out the keys from his pocket as he walked to the bike shed. However, when he reached the spot where the bicycle was parked, his eyes widened in shock.
“???”
The bike shed was filled with bicycles. At first, he thought the cold wind had blurred his vision, so he rubbed his eyes and circled the shed several times.
After confirming he wasn’t seeing things, he stood there in confusion, “Where’s my bicycle?…”
“Damn! Where’s my bicycle?!”
At that moment, he noticed something on the ground. Squatting down and shining the flashlight, he saw it was the bicycle’s leather lock, which had been cut by a sharp tool.
Han Shuo’s mind went blank, standing there for a long time, unable to process.
When he finally came to his senses, he realized he was in big trouble!
In this era, bicycles were treasured by every household. Every time Meng Yuxiu rode his in a white shirt from school, it drew envious looks.
The most crucial thing was, when he borrowed the bicycle, Meng Yuxiu didn’t hesitate. If he found out the bicycle was gone…
Han Shuo couldn’t imagine that scene.
Since coming to this world, Han Shuo had never been so panicked.
He checked the bike shed again, confirming the bicycle was truly gone, and his heart sank to the bottom.
He couldn’t ask Han Hong for help, as Han Ting was sick, and he didn’t want to add to his brother’s worries.
He picked up the bicycle lock from the ground and went to the hospital entrance to ask the guard, but with so many people and bicycles coming and going, the guard couldn’t keep track.
Han Shuo had no choice but to search the small hospital alone, then run to the street to look.
He thought that since there was no nightlife in this era, he could take advantage of the empty streets to search the nearby residential areas.
He wandered the streets with a flashlight, searching every nook and cranny near the hospital. Whenever he saw a parked bicycle, he rushed over.
Fortunately, the cold weather made people retire early. Otherwise, his sneaky behavior would have gotten him caught.
He didn’t know how long he searched, as he had no watch to tell the time. He only knew that the lights in the apartment buildings went out one by one.
Meanwhile, in the dormitory, others had finished washing up and were making their beds. Meng Yuxiu returned from the bathroom with a basin, glanced at the time, and frowned as the clock approached ten.
Before the bell rang, he put down the basin and went to Han Shuo’s dormitory.
Han Shuo’s bed was on the upper bunk. Climbing a couple of steps, he saw that Han Shuo’s bed was untouched.
Doufu, with his head poking out of the covers, was about to sleep when someone tapped the end of his bed.
He looked up and, seeing who it was, opened his mouth in surprise.
“Hello.” Meng Yuxiu glanced at Han Shuo’s bed, “Hasn’t Han Shuo returned yet?”
“Yeah.” Doufu replied blankly, “Not back yet.”
Pidan also looked up and said to Doufu, “Yeah, why isn’t he back yet? It’s almost time to lock the door.”
Meng Yuxiu didn’t ask further. After saying thanks, he climbed down the ladder and left.
Soon, the dormitory lights-out bell rang. Meng Yuxiu’s bed was on the first floor by the window, next to the corridor.
After lights out, he listened quietly for a long time, but there were no footsteps in the corridor. As time passed, he unknowingly fell asleep.
When he woke again, it was to the faint sound of movement by the glass window. Though the noise was minimal, it was enough to wake Meng Yuxiu.
He saw Han Shuo outside the glass window and was momentarily stunned.
“Meng Yuxiu.”
The other students in the dormitory were still asleep. After coming to his senses, Meng Yuxiu quietly put on his clothes and pants, then opened the dormitory door.
Outside, the sky was still dark, with a hint of pale light on the horizon, indicating a night had passed. Han Shuo’s clothes and hair were damp with the cold dew.
Meng Yuxiu checked the time: 5:30.
He asked in surprise, “You just got back?”
Han Shuo’s expression showed a hint of embarrassment as he nodded, “Yeah, I just got back.”
“How did you get in?”
Han Shuo pointed to the nearby wall, “Climbed over.”
“…”
Meng Yuxiu noticed Han Shuo’s slightly evasive gaze, feeling puzzled.
“Um…” Han Shuo awkwardly scratched his neck, “Meng Yuxiu, I need to tell you something. Please don’t get mad.”
“What is it?”
“Well…” Han Shuo briefly prepared himself mentally, then blurted out, “I’m really sorry. You kindly lent me your bicycle, and I should have taken care of it. But I parked it in the hospital bike shed, and when I came out, it was gone…”
He handed the bicycle lock to Meng Yuxiu, forcing a stiff smile, “This is all I found…”
Perhaps due to lack of sleep, when Han Shuo told him the bicycle was lost, Meng Yuxiu was only a bit dazed, without any other feelings.
He just listened to Han Shuo’s rambling.
“It’s really embarrassing. You lent me something, and I didn’t take care of it. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely compensate you…”
“It’s just that I don’t have money now… My family doesn’t have money either, and I can’t ask my brother, you know my nephew is sick… Sigh, actually, my brother doesn’t have money either…”
“But don’t worry, I’ll work after graduation, and when I earn money…”
To make it convenient for students to use the restroom, the dormitory corridor lights stayed on at night. In the dim light, Meng Yuxiu saw Han Shuo’s nose, red from the cold, and the fresh, damp mud on his shoes.
Suddenly, he interrupted Han Shuo’s rambling, asking, “Did you search all night?”
“Huh?” Han Shuo was taken aback, not expecting Meng Yuxiu’s reaction. He stammered, “I don’t have a watch, so I don’t know the time. I just searched around.”
Hearing this, Meng Yuxiu’s brow slowly furrowed.
Seeing him silent for a long time, Han Shuo asked anxiously, “Hey, what do you say? How about this, I’ll fetch hot water for you every day, wash your lunchbox, steam your rice, and of course, I’ll definitely compensate you with a new bicycle.”
However, Meng Yuxiu silently took the bicycle lock. The more he acted this way, the more anxious Han Shuo became, fearing that if Meng Yuxiu cried over the lost bicycle, he wouldn’t know how to handle it.
“Han Shuo.” Meng Yuxiu finally spoke.
“Yeah.”
Meng Yuxiu looked at his face and spoke slowly, “If it’s lost, it’s lost. There’s no need to search all night.”
“… ” Han Shuo asked in surprise, “How will you explain to your parents?”
“We’ll see when the time comes.”
Han Shuo opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. On the way back, he had imagined various reactions from Meng Yuxiu, even preparing to beg for forgiveness. But Meng Yuxiu’s current reaction was beyond his expectations, leaving him at a loss.
Then he heard Meng Yuxiu ask, “Are you attending class during the day?”
Han Shuo replied blankly, “I’ll probably take the morning off and sleep first.”
“Do you still need the mattress?”
“Uh…” With Meng Yuxiu being like this, Han Shuo felt even more ashamed, “My brother brought me a thick quilt… Thanks.”
Meng Yuxiu nodded and turned to enter the dormitory.
Han Shuo stood there, scratching his head, when he saw Meng Yuxiu come out again to say something.
“Han Shuo, let’s do the task together tonight.”