Chapter 45: A Troubling Homecoming

Upon exiting the post office, Xu Hengzhou headed straight for Xu Youliang’s residence. They had previously arranged that if any items remained, he would exchange them.

Despite the fact that the things he had initially presented were long gone, Xu Youliang dared not rummage through his bag. Who knew if he was telling the truth about having more?

Xu Youliang likely hadn’t dared to tell his wife about the day’s events. Seeing Xu Hengzhou, he felt a little timid, though his wife’s demeanor remained unchanged.

While Xu Youliang’s wife prepared dinner, Xu Hengzhou pulled out a small packet and tossed it to Xu Youliang.

It was clear this small packet had been specifically set aside for him. A flicker of emotion, a touch of gratitude, stirred within Xu Youliang.

He had been driven by profit to help a younger man, but Xu Hengzhou’s thoughtfulness showed he wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.

“Brother Xu, if you ever need anything from me in the future, just tell Old Xu. I…”

Xu Youliang’s declaration of loyalty was cut short by Xu Hengzhou.

“What do you think I want you to do?” Xu Hengzhou chuckled, amused. “Don’t panic. We could say we’re fated to meet, so let’s be friends.”

“In the future, if you pass through Lan Province, send me a message in advance, and I can host you. As for these…”

He gestured to the small packet in Xu Youliang’s hand. “I’m not short on supplies. If you see any good stuff, you can bring some back for me. I’ll make sure you’re never at a loss.”

Xu Youliang nodded repeatedly. How could he refuse? He felt he was getting the better end of the deal. “Then, could you give me your address?”

After a moment’s thought, Xu Hengzhou simply wrote down his home address. “Don’t come directly to find me. If we need to meet, send a telegram or a letter to notify me of the time and place. I’ll be there.”

Xu Youliang didn’t dare ask why. He had noticed some oddities today. Xu Hengzhou claimed he wanted to see new things, but in reality, his own items were the truly valuable ones, while the things he exchanged for were quite ordinary.

However, Xu Youliang now hesitated to ask anything superfluous. The incident with Xu Hengzhou pulling out a gun had truly frightened him.

****

That night, Xu Hengzhou once again slept at Xu Youliang’s house. Before bed, he reorganized his dimensional space, partitioning items for easier access.

Once everything was tidied, Xu Hengzhou retrieved the large bag he routinely carried and pondered what to take home.

His primary purpose for this trip was summer clothing. Winter clothes were impractical to carry or send back, and he couldn’t return empty-handed.

Summer clothes were light and thin, allowing Xu Hengzhou’s large bag to hold many items. He prepared a short-sleeved shirt, two vests, and a pair of shorts for Song Wenbin.

For Xiang Chen, he packed a sailor suit: a white cotton short-sleeved top with a square back collar, blue stripes on the cuffs and collar, and a pair of blue knee-length shorts. Xu Hengzhou had specifically chosen this outfit, knowing Xiang Chen’s favorite small military uniform couldn’t be worn in summer. He always sought ways to make his little brother happy.

Additionally, Xiang Chen had two other outfits: a small pair of overalls with a round-neck bear T-shirt, and a sleeveless vest with shorts. There was also a pair of simple black and white sandals that matched any outfit.

For himself, he packed a simple short-sleeved shirt, and a sleeveless vest and shorts identical in style to Xiang Chen’s but in a different size. His sandals were also the same style as Xiang Chen’s, his primarily black, Xiang Chen’s primarily white. He felt brothers should wear similar styles.

Even after packing all these clothes, the bag was only half full. Xu Hengzhou then added two leather belts—one for Song Wenbin and one for himself. He also included a small alarm clock, deliberately choosing an old-fashioned model, and a flashlight he’d bought in the black market a few days prior, the kind that took large batteries.

These items were gradually becoming obsolete in Xu Hengzhou’s own era, where a single mobile phone could handle everything. Yet, in this present time, they remained highly practical tools.

For the remaining space in the bag, Xu Hengzhou casually stuffed in a small packet of rice, a bottle of wine, and a few fruits.

This fully packed large bag represented the luggage Xu Hengzhou would openly carry home this time.

****

The next day, Xu Hengzhou rose early to catch the train. The train from Haishi to Qingjiang departed early but also arrived early. Xu Hengzhou headed to the station before dawn, with Xu Youliang seeing him off. By the time he reached Qingjiang, it was lunchtime.

He had eaten two compressed biscuits on the train, purely to fill his stomach, which had made the child next to him stare with envy throughout the day. So, he wasn’t particularly hungry now, just inexplicably excited.

As the bus approached the machinery factory, Xu Hengzhou pondered for a moment. He rummaged through his dimensional space, pulled out a packet of White Rabbit candies, and discreetly slipped it into his luggage.

After getting off the bus, Xu Hengzhou carried his large bag, practically flying. He greeted the uncle at the guard post and rushed home.

His little dumpling should have finished lunch by now and would either be napping or preparing to nap. If he was asleep, Xu Hengzhou would quietly check on him, leaving the new clothes on his bedside table for him to discover happily upon waking. If he was awake, Xu Hengzhou would first give him candy, then show him the new clothes, ensuring he wouldn’t hold a grudge anymore.

Of course, his uncle might punish him, but it wouldn’t be too severe. More importantly, Xiang Chen wouldn’t be angry with him.

However, upon reaching his doorstep, Xu Hengzhou realized something was amiss. Why was the door locked at this hour? Was no one home?

Xu Hengzhou fumbled for his keys, unlocked the door, and placed his bag by the entrance. “Chenchen?”

No one answered. Xu Hengzhou frowned and checked the bedroom, confirming the house was empty. The quilts in his and Xiang Chen’s room lay messily on the bed, and the kitchen was in disarray—completely uncharacteristic of Song Wenbin’s habits.

‘Something must have happened,’ Xu Hengzhou thought.

“Oh, Hengzhou, you’re back!” Auntie Wu, a woman with a booming voice, exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Xu Hengzhou. “I heard you went to visit relatives?”

Then, realizing her mistake, she quickly added, “Oh, right! Your little brother is sick, he’s at the hospital. You should go see him quickly.”

Xu Hengzhou’s heart skipped a beat. Suppressing the sudden palpitation, he urgently asked, “Do you know what happened? What’s wrong with my brother?”

Auntie Wu, seeing his pale face, quickly reassured him, “It’s nothing serious, nothing serious. I heard it’s not a major illness.”

“Thank you, Auntie Wu!” Before she could finish speaking, the young man had already darted away.

Xu Hengzhou ran wildly, only bending over to catch his breath when he reached the entrance of the factory hospital. Without waiting to fully recover, he hurried to the nurse’s station to inquire about the situation.

Xiang Chen’s case was easy to describe. As soon as the nurse heard about a fair-skinned, incredibly cute child admitted in the middle of the night, they knew exactly who he was.

The nurse, seeing him breathless and pale, kindly comforted him, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Your brother doesn’t have a serious illness; he’ll be fine after a couple of days of rest.”

Xu Hengzhou thanked her, a slight relief washing over him, though he also felt a touch of curiosity. “How did you know he was my brother? I didn’t say I was looking for my brother earlier.”

The nurse smiled, her lips pressed together. The truth was, Xiang Chen’s belief that he got a stomachache from eating too much candy had been shared by the doctor as a funny story among colleagues.

Xiang Chen was handsome and well-behaved, never crying or fussing when given injections or medicine. He endured discomfort silently. Since no one knew he was essentially an adult, they simply found such a child incredibly endearing.

The story about the candy spread quickly through the hospital, so most medical staff knew Xiang Chen’s little tale. One might think it’s a minor thing not worth spreading, but consider: a family that could freely give a child candy must dote on them tremendously! When other children might not get candy even once a year, the mere phrase “sick from eating too much candy” was legendary enough.

Some idle nurses would tease Xiang Chen, asking if his uncle bought him so much candy and if he would still eat it after recovering.

Xiang Chen would quietly explain that his uncle hadn’t bought it, his brother had, and all the candy was gone.

The nurses would then ask, ‘Your brother dotes on you so much, why didn’t he come to see you when you were sick?’

Xiang Chen would purse his lips, silent for a moment, before replying that his brother had gone on a long trip and wasn’t home.

Though he was angry that Xu Hengzhou had gone so far without telling him, he also knew his brother truly cared for him. So, when the nurses brought it up, he couldn’t help but explain.

“My brother loves me very much,” Xiang Chen told the nurse sister seriously, tilting his small face upwards. “If he knew I was sick, he would be very worried and wouldn’t ignore me.”

The more serious he was, the more the nurses wanted to laugh. They would later recount this as a follow-up story. Thus, everyone knew Xiang Chen had a brother who doted on him dearly.

When Xu Hengzhou asked about Xiang Chen’s condition, the nurse, seeing his frantic state, guessed he was the brother Xiang Chen spoke of. A quick confirmation proved her right.

Hearing the nurse’s explanation, Xu Hengzhou felt a mix of tenderness and annoyance. ‘He eats whatever he wants the moment I look away!’ he thought. ‘I left him candy, it wasn’t forbidden, but why did he have to eat it all in the middle of the night?’

But then, Xu Hengzhou calculated the time, and a vague realization dawned on him: he should have been home that day, but he had secretly left. This made him feel even more uneasy.

As they spoke, they arrived at Xiang Chen’s ward. Just as Xu Hengzhou was about to enter, someone emerged from inside.

Song Wenbin was momentarily stunned to see his eldest nephew, then his expression hardened. “Go see your brother. After you’re done, we need to talk.”

Xu Hengzhou nodded, walked past him, and entered the ward directly.

At that time, there were no private rooms. Xiang Chen’s ward was relatively good, with only three patients occupying four beds. Xiang Chen’s bed was against the wall, next to a seven or eight-year-old girl quietly talking to her parents. Further down was a boy about Xiang Chen’s age, restless even when sick, occasionally shrieking and demanding to have his IV removed.

Xu Hengzhou immediately spotted his own child, a tiny figure lying on the hospital bed, eyes closed. His long, thick eyelashes drooped like two small fans, making him look incredibly well-behaved.

Xiang Chen had been admitted the night before last and had been restless all night, unable to sleep. He wasn’t allowed to eat during the day, so he couldn’t sleep from hunger either. He had only dozed off vaguely last night, but the noisy child next door had kept him from resting properly.

He had just finished a very thin gruel brought by Song Wenbin. Halfway through, he began to feel drowsy. After forcing himself to finish and rinse his mouth, he lay down. Even the loud child next door couldn’t wake him; he merely frowned when the screams erupted, then drifted back to sleep.

Xu Hengzhou’s heart ached at the sight. When he left, Xiang Chen still had a chubby, round face with soft cheeks he’d playfully pinched. Yet in just a few days, his chin seemed to have sharpened.

His complexion was also poor. Originally, he was pale but full of vitality; now, he looked utterly fragile.

He walked to the bedside and gently touched Xiang Chen’s face. His gaze swept to Xiang Chen’s hand resting outside the blanket, and his heart clenched again.

Xiang Chen had been on an IV for the past two days, each needle leaving a bruised mark. He didn’t feel much pain himself, but the sight was rather alarming. A child’s small hand made the marks very noticeable. Xu Hengzhou held Xiang Chen’s plump little paw, feeling as if those blue marks were piercing his own heart.

Since Xiang Chen was asleep, Xu Hengzhou didn’t dare wake him. Seeing his restless sleep, he gently covered his ear with his hand. Sure enough, when the child in the next bed made noise again, Xiang Chen appeared less disturbed.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Our Pending Divorce

arrangedMarriageBLDevotedLove

Read Now →
Not interested