Returning to High School to Save My Wife - Chapter 38

“Liang Qi, why are you being such a rogue?”

Jiang Yuan’s cheeks burned slightly. This was the first time she had noticed this particular trait in Liang Qi. Thinking back to their physical education class, Liang Qi had done similar things, such as sharing a bottle of mineral water with her. Back then, she had only felt surprised and uncomfortable because they weren’t close, but she hadn’t felt any actual rejection.

“Just teasing you,” Liang Qi said, quickly changing the subject to avoid scaring her. “Alright, go home early.”

“I’m going to the hospital, so I won’t be heading out with you.”

“Do you need me to go to the hospital to help?”

“No need,” Jiang Yuan gave her a smile. “Once my mom’s surgery is over and she’s recovered, I’ll take you to see her.”

“Then it’s a deal.”

The surgery was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Jiang Yuan had arranged for Liang Jinsong to visit Xu Chengyu at the hospital in the afternoon, while Jiang Wangjie was supposed to come in the morning to pay the surgical fees. She had called Lin Ruoyan beforehand to ask for a day off from her part-time job, but Lin Ruoyan told her that since no one usually checked, she could just claim an emergency if someone showed up. This way, she wouldn’t have to lose a day’s wages.

On Saturday morning, Jiang Yuan waited at the hospital entrance. However, the appointed time passed, and Jiang Wangjie did not show up. She called him twice, but no one answered. She sent several text messages, but there was no reply. She waited from 9:00 AM until 10:30 AM before Jiang Wangjie finally returned her call.

She answered immediately. She instinctively wanted to call him “Dad,” but the word caught in her throat and she pulled it back.

“Are, are you here? Why didn’t you answer your phone earlier?” she asked.

“Jiang Yuan,” his tone was awkward on the other end. “I’m sorry, but I can’t make it today.”

“What?” Jiang Yuan froze, her entire body stiffening. What did he mean by “can’t make it”?

“It’s just, sigh, I really don’t know how to tell you this. Your Auntie Yi Ping needs money on her end too. Recently, she hasn’t allowed me to spend money recklessly and has been constantly checking my accounts. If she found out, both your mother and I would be in trouble.”

“But you promised.”

“Jiang Yuan, don’t blame me. There’s no other way. I only have so much money on hand, and Auntie Yi Ping manages the household finances. I have to listen to her. You should think of another way, try borrowing from someone else, okay?”

“Wait—”

Before Jiang Yuan could finish, Jiang Wangjie hung up the phone. Jiang Yuan stood there looking down at her phone, and tears began to fall without warning. What was she going to do? What was she supposed to do now?

She squatted down and couldn’t stop herself from crying. Lately, it seemed like she was always crying. She didn’t want to. Crying didn’t solve anything, and she wasn’t usually an emotional person. But she felt so utterly hopeless.

After an unknown amount of time, a familiar voice sounded. A broad palm landed on her shoulder, patting her gently with a steady yet kind strength.

“What’s wrong? Wipe away your tears. Don’t cry anymore.”

A tissue was held out in front of her, like a key reopening the doors to the world. Jiang Yuan’s body trembled uncontrollably. Only then did she remember she had an appointment with Liang Jinsong that afternoon. She cried for a long time before taking the tissue. She knew she looked like a mess right now and must be very unsightly.

Eventually, she looked up and saw that Liang Jinsong had not left. She choked out a name, “Uncle Liang.”

“Don’t cry,” Liang Jinsong said, placing the tissue into her hand. “Tell me what happened.”

“My father, he suddenly went back on his word. He is unwilling to pay for my mom’s treatment.”

Liang Jinsong didn’t say anything. He watched the girl as she cried hoarsely and, after a long silence, gave a soft sigh.

“Leave it to me.”

With that short sentence, Jiang Yuan’s crying gradually subsided. This time, however, she didn’t feel a sense of relief. As she watched Liang Jinsong walk toward the outpatient department, she suddenly called out to him through her tears, “Uncle Liang!”

She wiped her eyes and spoke with stubborn determination, though she couldn’t hide the sob in her voice. “I will pay you back. I definitely will. No matter how much it is, I will pay it back. Thank you for your help, Uncle.”

With Liang Jinsong’s help, the surgery went smoothly. Since the patient needed care after the operation and taking long leaves of absence would affect their studies, Jiang Yuan and Jiang Mu took turns taking time off. Not many people at school knew about their situation, but as time passed, some rumors began to circulate.

Jiang Yuan was completely unaware of this. When the rumors started, she was at the hospital caring for Xu Chengyu.

“Mom, how are you feeling?” Jiang Yuan sat by the bed, using a fresh towel to wipe Xu Chengyu’s skin. “Is anything uncomfortable?”

“I’m fine,” Xu Chengyu said. Her body was still very weak, and she couldn’t easily sit up. she could only turn her head and ask in a raspy voice, “Yuan Yuan, did your father ever come by?”

Jiang Yuan lowered her eyes, and her movements unconsciously slowed. “He, no. He left quickly.”

As she said this, she noticed a flash of disappointment in Xu Chengyu’s eyes, which caused a slight sting in her own heart. She quickly changed the subject. “Mom, Mumu will be here later. He’ll be the one taking care of you starting tonight.”

Xu Chengyu managed a weak smile. “It’s really hard on you children.”

“It’s fine, Mom. It’s what I should do.”

Just then, there was a knock on the ward door. Jiang Mu pushed the door open. “Sis, I bought dinner. Eat it while it’s hot.”

Jiang Yuan set the towel aside and took the food containers. “Let Mom eat first.”

Xu Chengyu could only eat porridge and vegetables. She didn’t have much of an appetite and told Jiang Mu to set the bowl aside after eating just a little.

“By the way, Yuan Yuan, that person who helped us pay last time.”

“I’ve already spoken with Uncle Liang. I’ll pay him back in the future. He’s not in a hurry, and his family is very kind. Don’t worry about it, Mom.”

“I’ve failed you both,” Xu Chengyu said, unable to hide her bitter emotions. “If I hadn’t burdened you, you wouldn’t have had to.”

“Mom, the surgery is done, so don’t overthink it. If you really don’t want to cause us trouble, then focus on your recovery so you can be discharged sooner.”

“Alright.”

Once Jiang Mu took over his shift, Jiang Yuan prepared to leave after dinner. Unexpectedly, Jiang Mu insisted on walking her part of the way. Jiang Yuan threw the empty food containers into the hallway trash can. Once there was no one around, Jiang Mu finally couldn’t help but ask, “Sis, why is that Sister Liang so good to you? Is it possible she has a crush on you?”

Jiang Yuan frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about? Have you been looking at weird things online again?”

“Heh, believe it or not,” Jiang Mu shrugged indifferently. “Anyway, my friends and I definitely aren’t like that.”

Jiang Yuan ignored him, rolled her eyes, and signaled for him to go back. “Hurry up and get back to taking care of Mom. Don’t leave her alone. And don’t let your studies slip while you’re on leave, or you won’t be able to keep up.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Because of Xu Chengyu’s surgery, Jiang Yuan missed nearly a week of school, only returning in the fifth week. As soon as she entered the school, she heard people whispering all around her.

“Jiang Yuan is back?” “I heard she hasn’t been here for a week.” “Her younger brother is a freshman here, and he took leave too.” “Wow, why so much leave? Could something have happened at home?” “It’s possible. Jiang Yuan’s family seems quite poor. In her first year, she couldn’t even afford cram school, and her house is apparently quite run-down.” “Her parents are divorced. Her dad ran off with another woman, and her mom doesn’t even have a proper job.” “How do you all know so much?” “I heard it from a student in Class One. She was in Class Five with her before, so she must know her well.” “It’s a real pity for someone with such good grades.” “It’s not very nice to talk about her like that,” one person finally said. “We aren’t saying she’s a bad person, aren’t these just the facts?” “Exactly. And she’s always been so unsociable, there must be something wrong with her mentally. Why are you getting so worked up?”

Jiang Yuan walked through the crowd with her backpack, hearing the whispers coming from all sides. She felt as if everyone was looking at her through a distorted lens. Those gazes were sharper than blades, causing her whole body to tremble slightly.

Why were these people gossiping about her? They didn’t even know her, so why were they judging her family? Was it a crime for a family to have no money? Was it a mistake for parents to divorce? Was it wrong for a mother to be ill? Was it a fault for a child to take leave to care for her parents? Why were these people talking behind her back? How could they satisfy their own curiosity with someone else’s pain so remorselessly?

Jiang Yuan stopped in the hallway outside her classroom. Her heart began to race. Her feet felt as heavy as lead, as if she couldn’t lift them. What was happening to her? An unprecedented tension and fear grew in her heart, making her afraid to step into the classroom.

She could imagine that the moment she walked in, countless eyes would fall upon her. They would whisper about her family background and her parents, or even accuse her of imaginary crimes. She had originally thought that a clear conscience feared no shadows, and as long as she acted uprightly, she didn’t need to fear slander. But she was wrong. When there are enough rumors, every word becomes a wave that eventually swallows the ship.

Jiang Yuan stood on the steps for a long time. It wasn’t until a familiar voice reached her ears that the first wave pushed toward her.

“Oh? Isn’t that Jiang Yuan?” It was Yue Suxin.

“Ah, yeah, haven’t seen her at school for several days.” It was Cheng Zhuocheng.

Jiang Yuan turned her head and saw Cheng Zhuocheng with his arm around Yue Suxin’s shoulder. The two were intimate, showing no regard for the eyes of others, as if they wanted to announce their relationship to the whole school.

“It’s so strange. Why is she standing there all alone? She’s not even going into class.”

“How could she have the face to?”

“Hehe, true.”

“Why bother with her?” A look of disgust flashed in Cheng Zhuocheng’s eyes, and his hand on Yue Suxin’s shoulder tightened slightly. “Don’t waste time on someone like that.”

The two weren’t close to Jiang Yuan, but their voices were loud, clearly intending to belittle her. Jiang Yuan’s face went pale.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind her, and a hand reached around her shoulder in the same manner, pulling her close. Liang Qi spoke up from her side without yielding an inch.

“Oh? Why is it that the moment I step out, I see two such unlucky, loathsome things?”

Yue Suxin couldn’t take the provocation and was instantly enraged. “Who are you calling loathsome?”

“I’m calling whoever gets agitated loathsome,” Liang Qi raised her eyebrows, waving her phone between her fingers. “I’ve recorded everything you just said. Should we let the teacher have a listen too?”

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