Zhao ii carried the grapes ho and went straight to her family’s grocery store to report to her mom.
Liu Xiue was extrely surprised. She took the grapes from ii’s hands and asked, "Did you get out of school early today? Where did these grapes co from?"
Zhao ii reported truthfully, telling her mom about her visit to Xu Xu’s house.
Liu Xiue glared at Zhao ii, "You go to your classmate’s house to play, and you don’t even tell your family? Zhao ii, I noticed you’ve been getting bolder lately!"
Zhao ii was unfazed, "I was at school, how could I tell you then?"
Liu Xiue reached to tap her forehead, "You dare to talk back to your mom!"
Zhao ii hugged her mom, acting coquettishly, "Mom, I’m wrong. I won’t do it again. Please don’t be mad at , okay?"
Liu Xiue kept a stern face, "Don’t give that! You went to soone’s house and took their things! Is this what I taught you?"
Zhao ii quickly showed off to her mom as if presenting a treasure, "Mom, I picked these grapes myself from the vine!"
Liu Xiue paused and asked, "Xu Xu’s house has a yard?"
"Yeah!" Zhao ii eagerly described Xu Xu’s yard, house, earth bed, stove, rice-soaked water, and marinated waterlon rind to her mom.
After listening, Liu Xiue remained silent.
Zhao ii continued, "His house is three stops from school, but he said it was very close. He doesn’t take the bus because his mom works hard to earn money and doesn’t want to spend unnecessarily."
After saying this, Zhao ii asked, "Mom, I promised to invite him to our house to play. Can you make us sothing delicious when he cos?"
Liu Xiue reached out to pat her head, "Alright, once you arrange it with Xu Xu, let know in advance."
Zhao ii happily agreed and looked up at her mom’s chin, "Mom, I want to see Brother Yangyang."
Liu Xiue glanced at the ti, "Not today, it’s too late. Wait until the weekend when you have a break."
Zhao ii beca anxious upon hearing this, "But I picked a bunch of grapes for Brother Yangyang!"
Liu Xiue looked at the big purple grapes in the bag, "Then let your dad take so ti off at noon to visit Brother Yangyang at the hospital and bring your grapes along."
Only then did Zhao ii nod satisfactorily.
The next morning, before Zhao ii went to school, Liu Xiue handed her a plastic bag.
When Zhao ii opened it and glanced inside, there were two boxes of milk, a jar of canned fruit, and two apples cleaned and specifically wrapped.
The plastic bag felt quite heavy in Zhao ii’s hand, and she didn’t want to carry it. She frowned and complained, "Mom, I can’t eat that much."
Liu Xiue glared at her, "Who said it’s for you to eat? The milk and apples are to have with Xu Xu when you get to school, and the canned fruit is for Xu Xu. You took two bunches of grapes from their ho; just letting it go like that? Is this what I’ve taught you? Don’t take others’ things willy-nilly. If you do, you must pay them back!"
Zhao ii thought her mom was quite right. Her stiff little neck softened, and she nodded, "I understand."
The next morning, when Zhao ii arrived at the classroom, Xu Xu had not yet co; he always arrived in the classroom just a few minutes before the bell.
Zhao ii casually stuffed her things into the desk and turned to chat with her front and back seats.
When Xu Xu entered the classroom, he first glanced at Zhao ii. Seeing her sitting properly in her seat and talking to her deskmate, he didn’t approach but carried his backpack to his own seat.
Zhao ii unintentionally glanced up, saw him, and quickly waved her hand, "Hey! Xu Xu! Co over!"
Xu Xu turned joyfully, his face beaming with a bright smile, and ran over, "Did you call , ii?"
Zhao ii took out the snacks from her desk, picked an apple, a box of milk, and handed the rest to Xu Xu.
Xu Xu looked inside and was a bit surprised, "For ?"
Zhao ii nodded, "Yeah, my mom asked to bring them to you. We each have an apple and milk, while the canned fruit is for you to take ho."
Xu Xu hesitated and asked, "Why is your mom giving things?"
Zhao ii couldn’t directly say it was because she took grapes from his house and was returning them, so she casually said, "Because we’re good friends."
Xu Xu’s eyes lit up, and he accepted them with a beaming smile, "Thank you."
Zhao ii waved her hand, "Go back to your seat; the teacher will be here soon."
Filled with joy, Xu Xu carried the plastic bag back to his seat.
Zhao ii’s deskmate leaned over to ask, "ii, when did you get so close to Xu Xu?"
Zhao ii lowered her head and stuffed the apple and milk into the desk, "Aren’t we good friends too?"
Her deskmate said, "Then why don’t you say you’ll bring sothing good to eat?"
Zhao ii glared at him, "You didn’t invite to your house to play either!"
Her deskmate wore an enlightened expression, "You went to Xu Xu’s house, didn’t you? I’ve heard his family is really poor, is that true?"
Zhao ii saw the disdainful expression on her deskmate’s face and her protective instinct kicked in. Her little neck stiffened, "Who said that? Xu Xu’s house is fun; they have a puppy and grape vines with big, dark, very sweet grapes."
Her deskmate paused, wearing a skeptical look, "Really? But I’ve heard..."
Zhao ii snorted coldly and retorted, "You’ve heard, you’ve heard a lot! The things on your face are for breathing, aren’t they? Can’t you see for yourself?"
Her deskmate, displeased, abruptly turned his head and stopped talking to Zhao ii.
Zhao ii glanced at the back of his head, unconcerned, and opened her book to prepare for the morning reading.
Finally, the weekend arrived, and Zhao ii eagerly hurried her dad to take her to the hospital to see Shi Yang.
Zhao Dazhuang, carrying the black-bone chicken soup that Liu Xiue had made in one hand, and holding Zhao ii’s hand in the other, entered Shi Yang’s hospital room.
Shi Yang’s mom stood up imdiately upon seeing them and stepped forward, "Oh dear, why did you bring stuff again!"
Zhao Dazhuang smiled brightly, "ii’s mom made black-bone chicken soup for both you and Shi Yang, saying that it’ll help Shi Yang recuperate and you can nourish yourself too, having been worn out these days in the hospital."
Zhao ii flung her dad’s hand away and dashed to the bedside to see Shi Yang.
When Zhao ii saw Shi Yang for the first ti, she was stunned, unable to say a word.
Shi Yang was notably thinner than when he was first hospitalized. His face and chin showed sharp angles, his eyes sunk but were spirited, the bruises on his face were starting to heal, and his eyes weren’t as swollen as before. However, his chest was still tightly bandaged, and the fixed wooden board left square marks under his vest.
Zhao ii was imdiately distressed and edged closer, asking, "Brother Yangyang, why have you gotten so thin?"
Shi Yang, although thinner, was visibly more energetic. He chuckled, "I’ve been having liquid als for days; I’m hungry!"
Zhao Dazhuang inquired with concern, "Still not allowed solid food?"
Shi Yang’s mom placed the thermos on the bedside table and replied, "He is allowed, but he can’t eat much."
Zhao Dazhuang sat closer to the bed and spoke to Shi Yang, "No appetite, huh?"
Shi Yang nodded, "The hospital als are too bland, not much flavor."
Shi Yang’s mom was also worried, "It’s no wonder Shi Yang isn’t fond of eating; they don’t look appetizing to either. But the doctor said he needed to wait a month until the brace is removed to return to a normal diet. I can’t trust store-bought food, and I don’t have ti to cook at ho. So, I’ve been buying hospital als three tis a day since they must et the requirents."
Zhao Dazhuang looked at Shi Yang sympathetically, "It’s the only way, really. Once the month is over and he’s discharged, it’ll be fine."
Zhao ii quietly listened to her dad and Shi Yang’s mom talking, turning her little eyeballs and silently noting it in her heart.
When school started on Monday, Zhao ii asked Xu Xu for marinated waterlon rind.
The next day, Xu Xu brought a jar of marinated waterlon rind, using a glass jar from the canned fruit Zhao ii had given him before.
Zhao ii took the marinated waterlon rind ho and gave it to her dad to take to the hospital for Brother Yangyang.
One day later, Zhao Dazhuang delivered it, and during his next visit to the hospital, Shi Yang said it was very tasty and especially good with rice. Zhao ii quickly asked Xu Xu for more, and Liu Xiue would always provide snacks for Zhao ii to share with Xu Xu. This kind of back-and-forth happened three tis, and then Shi Yang was discharged.
Director Shi was delighted and specially booked a place at a prominent restaurant in the city, inviting Zhao ii’s family over as well. The two families gathered together in a lively celebration for Shi Yang’s discharge.
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