The boy's breath was clean and clear, like deeply buried ice and snow. Bei Yao ran out of the hospital for some time, covering her hot cheeks, and grumbled in annoyance.
What exactly was she doing?
Although there were no such exaggerated emotions like on the Internet, her pounding heart still felt very alarming.
She ran far away, her face flushed. She stood in the snow for two minutes, the snow falling on her silky hair and long lashes, but she couldn't reduce her burning temperature. Bei Yao squatted down and buried her head between her knees, like a little ostrich.
After calming down for a while, Bei Yao suddenly felt that she seemed to have forgotten something.
"..." Her brother Bei Jun was still in the hospital!
She accepted her fate and had to go back. Ay, what if she just disowned this brother for a day?
Pei Chuan's room was next to Bei Jun's. Her brother had still been there when she had run away, should she still go back now? Bei Yao's cheeks were burning. She walked back to the ground floor, hesitated for a while, and went upstairs.
Bei Yao's face was red and her steps were very light.
Bei Jun was in room 312. She was afraid that Pei Chuan was inside, and thought if she should dig a hole to bury herself in.
Bei Yao took a peek. Bei Jun was still inside. There were dried tears on his cheeks, and he was sleeping soundly without a care in the world. She breathed a sigh of relief and went to pinch his chubby cheeks to wake him up.
"Jiejie…"
"Shh." She put her finger on her lips and carried Xiao Bei Jun downstairs.
Xiao Bei Jun didn't understand why they had to be extremely silent. "Are we going home?"
"En."
"Where is that Gege?"
Bei Yao's cheeks were red from embarrassment. "Don't ask about it today, okay? Jiejie will take you to thank him someday."
Bei Jun had also been frightened by his uncle today, so he shut up obediently.
Bei Yao went into the car with Bei Jun in her arms. She was sixteen this year, a teenage girl full of innocence and youthfulness. It was as if there were a small hole pried open her ignorance, and her mind was messed up.
She had been gone for quite a while now, but Pei Chuan still couldn’t calm his heartbeat down.
His whole body was stiff and his heartbeat was so intense that he could die. When he calmed down and went to the next room, the siblings were long gone.
The emotions that Bei Yao had failed to confirm had been completely felt by him.
He leaned against the cold windowsill and watched the heavy December snow. After a long time, his fingers touched the right side of his face. It had obviously happened a long time ago, but felt as if it was just a second ago.
It was soft, like a dragonfly touching the water lightly, landing on the surface.
~
It continued to snow when Christmas Eve came. This year, winter in C City was exceptionally beautiful; it had even been featured in the news. Bei Jun was watching a cartoon after his meal. At this time, his friend was shouting for him from outside, but he didn't go out.
After the incident with his uncle, the little boy who didn’t fear heaven nor earth finally learned how to be afraid.
Zhao Zhilan was glad that her son was no longer a fool, but she was afraid that Zhao Xing would’ve left a physiological shadow on the two siblings.
Zhao Xing was still in police custody. After examination, it had been found out that he had been on drugs. If he had taken Bie Jun away, the result would be unimaginable. Fortunately, Zhao Xing could not wait to attack Bei Jun on the street, otherwise, if he had waited until Bei Jun had gone to the kindergarten, the situation would have been much worse.
Bei Licai said, "We don't expect to get the money back. With this kind of trash who harms their nephew, it's better to break off relations."
Zhao Xing had been brought up by Zhao Zhilan. She was like a mother towards him; it would be a lie to say there were no feelings left. But there was no mother under the sun who’d dare use her children's safety to accommodate her younger brother. She decided to call Bei Yao's grandmother. "Mom, you can call me heartless or sympathetic. Zhao Xing, this brother, I do not acknowledge. No matter how the police deal with it, let them do it."
The old woman on the other side covered her face with tears, but she didn't force it. Her family’s possessions had all been given to her son. Because of Zhao Xing, it had not been easy for Zhao Zhilan these past few years. No one had to use their entire life for other people. Although grandma was patriarchal, she knew Zhao Xing had crossed on Zhao Zhilan's bottom line this time, otherwise Zhao Zhilan would not have said such words.
Zhao Zhilan asked Bei Yao, "Who saved you and Didi?"
Before Bei Yao could say anything, Bei Jun said, "It was Pei Gege! "Pei Chuan had saved him twice, like a hero. Bei Jun wasn't as mature as the other child or the adults in the neighborhood. He also didn't know that this fierce brother didn’t have legs.
It was too powerful to hit bad guys with one hand.
Zhao Zhilan frowned a little. "It's Pei Chuan again, ah…" The favors owed were getting bigger and bigger.
Bei Yao didn't say a word, only clasping her fingers. She was still shy and annoyed. A light kiss that day had made her heart beat so fast. Saying that she would take Bei Jun to thank him, but her shyness was like an ivy flower climbing a wall, making her want to cover her head with the quilt.
However, in the end, she was concerned about Pei Chuan's injury, and her love line had not fully sprouted, so she had to ask her mother. "Should I take Bei Jun to thank him?"
Zhao Zhilan looked at Bei Yao. It was not known what she was thinking, but she finally said, "You and Bei Jun don't have to go, I'll go with your father."
Bei Yao was stunned. "Why?"
"Listen to your mother. Your uncle has been locked up, there is no danger anymore. The final exam is coming, you study hard, don't worry about these. You said his hand was injured? Will he get well if you go? Last time we owed him an earnest apology, this time we have to see him in person."
Zhao Zhilan was not a stubborn person, but she was very determined on this matter.
When they went to bed at night, Bei Licai suggested, "Just let Yaoyao and Bei Jun go say thanks. Pei Chuan doesn't like to talk much, it will be awkward if we go."
Zhao Zhilan knew her husband didn’t like to interact with people, so she wrung his hand. "You're just lazy and letting Yaoyao go! They’re not little kids anymore. Pei Chuan is almost an adult and your daughter will be 17 after the new year. Do you think Pei Chuan looks like someone who’d meddle in things, huh? He saved Xiao Jun twice!"
Zhao Zhilan started to compare one to two, and her husband's expression changed slightly. Zhao Zhilan sighed, "Whether he treats Yaoyao with… anyway, favors must be repaid. I, I’m not looking down on him, but Yaoyao can’t be with him.”
Bei Licai said, "Could it be you're just thinking too much?"
Zhao Zhilan replied, "You said it yourself, when you were young, did you have the courage to block a knife?! You even refused to carry me when we crossed the mountain."
Bei Licai blushed and coughed. "Those days, it was because I didn’t have enough to eat and was too hungry, so I couldn’t carry you."
However, once this was said, Bei Licai also understood.
This was not a trivial matter like crossing a mountain. The boy had been betting his life on two occasions.
Silent, but overwhelming. Bei Licai was also a little frightened.
As a passerby, he was sharper than the ignorant and naive Bei Yao. Bei Licai said, "Take out all of our savings tomorrow."
Zhao Zhilan was in pain.
Bei Licai said, "For our son and daughter, anything is worth it." I only hope the young boy will stop thinking about it.
After the light went out, Bei Licai sighed in his heart.
Sincerity couldn’t withstand the world. Pei Chuan had done nothing wrong. He was just physically disabled.
Bei Licai and Zhao Zhilan would feel uncomfortable doing such things. But as parents, they could walk through mountains full of thorns and knives. How could they be willing to let their daughter… be together with that kind of person.
~
At the end of 2007, all of the Zhao family's savings were only 40,000 yuan.
However, it was not a small amount. The money was taken out heavily and was cautiously packed in a bag, just like Zhao Zhilan’s and Bei Licai's states of mind.
The gate of Third High School was covered with ice and snow. The winter wind blowing on their face was a little cold.
Zhao Zhilan asked about Pei Chuan's class from Cao Li and dragged Bei Licai to class 9.
Bei Yao was about to take her final exam. The second grade of high school was harder than the first. Zhao Zhilan told her that she was going to thank him in person and she thought they were just thanking him.
However, Bei Yao didn't know that 40,000 yuan, all of the Bei family’s savings over the past few years, were being used for this "thank you".
Pei Chuan was writing a quest with his head down, while Jin Ziyang was playing a game and openly smoking a cigarette in his mouth. The math class representative was handing out papers.
They sat together, and the class representative handed out the papers to Ji Wei.
When the class representative turned to Pei Chuan, his face changed.
He hesitantly glanced at Pei Chuan. Copied? Had he copied?
Ji Wei took it, closing his eyes with his hands nervously. "God bless, pass, pass, I must pass!"
Once the hand was removed, the bright red 69 stung Ji Wei's heart. He held back his tears and slapped himself.
Jin Ziyang laughed. "It's okay, Wei Ge, don't abuse yourself. Do you have to do this every time they hand out the papers? Just do it a little bit better in the next exam."
Ji Wei handed over the other paper.
When he looked over the last paper of Pei Chuan's, he thought he had read wrong.
The math full score was 150 and the passing grade was 90, and how much had Pei Chuan gotten?
150!
Ji Wei's hand was trembling, turning over and over to look at the paper. On the paper, the young man's handwriting was strong and steady, the numbers written showed full understanding, and the full score seemed to shine.
For more than a year, their math had always been on the passing line. This full score made Ji Wei suspect that he was dreaming.
He turned back. "Chuan, Chuan Ge, your paper…"
Pei Chuan took it and glanced it over.
Jin Ziyang caught a glimpse from the corner of his vision and was stunned. "No, no way, how many was it again?"
Zheng Hang turned his head, stopping his game, and the several teenagers were confused.
Pei Chuan had gotten 150! That wasn’t a 50, ah! It was 150!
Just when Jin Ziyang opened his mouth to ask, the door was opened, and a pair of middle-aged men and women stood there awkwardly.
Pei Chuan raised his eyes, and his gaze froze slightly.
Zhao Zhilan nodded at him, and Pei Chuan got up and walked out.
Zhao Zhilan had brought a big bag full of money. She squeezed her pockets tightly. "Xiao Chuan, Auntie has something to tell you, is it convenient for you now?"
Pei Chuan nodded in silence. "Let’s go to the ginkgo forest, it’s more secluded there."
Bei Licai intentionally looked at the boy twice. Pei Chuan was very polite. However, just now, several teenagers had been smoking, and Pei Chuan had come out with a slight smell of smoke.
After being blown by the wind, the smell had disappeared. But Bei Licai's worries could not be blown away.
The three people came into the ginkgo forest in the Third High School.
The leaves of the ginkgo trees had fallen off, and there was a thick layer of snow on the branches, creating a unique scenery.
Bei Licai was not good with words and was a little embarrassed.
Zhao Zhilan said, "Auntie Zhao and Uncle Bei wanted to thank you for saving our family Bei Yao and Bei Jun. The last time you saved Bei Jun, we didn’t have the time to give our thanks. I hope you forgive uncle and auntie.
Pei Chuan pursed his lips. "You're welcome."
The snow fell on top of his hair, the slightly hot body temperature melted the snow at once, and gave off a little coldness.
Pei Chuan didn't want to hear what they wanted to say next.
But the conversation still went on.
Zhao Zhilan said, "This is our thank-you gift. I heard that you live by yourself. It must be difficult for you. Auntie watched you grow up and knows you are a very good child. Yaoyao, she… she is also a very good child, and she is very grateful to you. In the future, if you need help with anything, just come to auntie. We’ll do what we can to help if you need it. Zhao Xing is in the police station, and Yaoyao and Bei Jun won't have any relations with him anymore in the future."
The melted snow was a bit cold.
Zhao Zhilan looked at the silent boy, and shoved the bag of money into his hands.
"We won't delay your studies anymore. Please take this thank you gift. Don't wear too little in winter."
The young man was wearing a black opened-fingered leather glove on his left hand. 40,000 yuan was heavy.
After Zhao Zhilan said these words, she also felt uncomfortable and dragged Bei Licai to the school gate.
Pei Chuan took the bag of money, his right hand clenching into a fist. The bandage broke open and the wound was bleeding again. For the past few days he could still remember the young girl's kiss. It was unforgettable. Once he had tasted it, he wanted more, and he had been thinking of countless possibilities.
But now, someone had told him that it was just wishful thinking.
This year, the snow was very heavy that it fascinated others and had even given birth to such extravagant hopes.
"Wait."
Zhao Zhilan looked back. Pei Chuan ran after them, and returned the bag. "I understand what you mean. I can't accept the money, but I have accepted your gratitude."
Pei Chuan's voice was a bit muffled, like an unpolished knife.
Pei Chuan handed over the money, turned his back, and walked back to the classroom. Ridiculous, wasn't it? Someone had broken his family apart, and the other wanted him to stay away from their baby.
It was snowing and icy outside, but warm inside the classroom.
Jin Ziyang and Zheng Hang were still watching the math paper with a full score with amazement. Ji Wei was the most excited. He looked at Pei Chuan like he was looking at a god. "Chuan Ge, how did you get a perfect score on the test? It's too amazing."
Jin Ziyang grinned widely. "Isn't Chuan Ge too ungrateful, ah? He had the answer but didn't say anything. You should send it over using the phone, ah."
Zheng Hang said, "Chuan Ge, you really copied, ah?"
Pei Chuan took the paper with his left hand, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash can. The bleeding on his right hand had stopped and the bandage was red.
Hearing Zheng Hang ask this, he said lightly, "Yeah."
The efforts and sincerity of a crippled, weren’t worth a thing.