The phone’s ringing soon disappeared.
The screen, which had just been colorful, turned pitch black. His cousin’s greeting snapped Tao Zhi back to reality. Tao Zhi looked at him and gave a polite smile, greeting him in return.
Tao Zhi didn’t dwell on the little interlude. The music was just a popular BGM from a short video platform, and he recognized it because Rong Huai had used it frequently for a while.
The promotional video Rong Huai had made before featured that exact BGM, which was why it sounded familiar.
But aside from Rong Huai, plenty of other people used it too.
The feeling faded quickly. Tao Zhi walked up to his mother’s hospital bed and called out, “Mom.”
“I’ve told you so many times you didn’t need to come back, but you insisted. It’s such a long way.” Mother Tao was happy to see her son, her face full of smiles, but she couldn’t help nagging that it wasn’t necessary. It was her old habit. She was about to be discharged soon anyway—what was the point of coming?
“It’s fine. Coming back counts as resting too.” Tao Zhi stood by the bed. Seeing his mother try to sit up, he quickly adjusted her pillow to make her more comfortable.
“Resting, huh? Resting is fine.” Hearing this, her scolding vanished immediately. Mother Tao reminded him, “Don’t always be working part-time jobs. Focus on your studies and health first. Money’s only good if it’s enough—don’t worry about the family, got it? As long as you have enough for yourself.”
“I know. I haven’t been doing too many part-time jobs.” Tao Zhi told the truth.
He really hadn’t this semester.
Tao Zhi told Mother Tao, “Right now, I only tutor on Saturdays.”
He didn’t mention walking dogs or feeding cats, worried they wouldn’t understand.
“Oh, like that? Good then.” Mother Tao felt a bit relieved.
She wanted to say more, but her aunt spoke up, interrupting her.
“Tutoring does pay pretty well.” At this, Tao Hui was quite curious.
She had heard that Tao Zhi had pulled out two hundred thousand during Chinese New Year to pay off debts all at once.
Back then, lots of people were saying how a student like Tao Zhi could make that much money in a big city. Had he gone astray? But that suspicion was quickly dismissed.
After all, everyone had seen how well-behaved and sensible Tao Zhi was. How could he possibly go astray?
Impossible.
Big cities just had more opportunities, probably.
Tao Hui had overheard it all back then and hadn’t understood either.
But now, hearing Tao Zhi mention tutoring, she suddenly had an epiphany. “I’ve been looking for cram classes for Little Xuan lately. He ranked second-to-last in the class on last semester’s finals—it’s been driving me crazy. I asked around, and they’re all so expensive, thousands of yuan each.”
“Doesn’t in-home tutoring like yours cost even more? Especially in a first-tier city.” Tao Hui said, “Tutors charge by the hour, right?”
“Yeah.” Tao Zhi nodded. “By the hour.”
Tao Hui: “Then it must make a ton of money.”
“As long as it’s not too tiring.” Mother Tao ultimately cared more about her child than how much he earned. She just hoped his part-time work was easy on him.
When parents couldn’t provide, it was the kids who suffered.
Especially Tao Zhi—he’d endured so much hardship since he was little, and there was nothing they could do.
They just couldn’t manage it all.
As a tiny kid, he’d chop wood, cook, look after his little sister, take care of Mom—he did everything.
Mother Tao felt sorry for him. “Then go home and rest properly. I’ll be out in a few days anyway. No need to come to the hospital.”
“It’s fine.” Tao Zhi smiled.
Just as he spoke, Father Tao returned to the room with the hot water bottle. He froze upon seeing Tao Zhi.
Tao Zhi stood up. “Dad.”
“Little Zhi’s here? Why’d you come to the hospital?” Father Tao was happy to see him too, but considering the late hour and the long drive, he felt bad. “Why not go home first? Weren’t you coming tomorrow?”
“I saw it wasn’t too late and stopped by on the way.” Tao Zhi glanced at Tao Hui. “I’ll head back with Aunt in a bit.”
“No ‘in a bit’—go now.” They’d already seen her. Tao Zhi probably hadn’t eaten dinner yet. Worried he’d go hungry, Tao Hui stood up. “Come by tomorrow morning instead. Little Zhi, Little Peach, let’s go. And you.”
As she spoke, Tao Hui shot a glare at Shang Xuan nearby.
Other people’s kids were so obedient and sensible, but her own? Nothing good about him. All he did was clutch his phone all day. Annoyed, Tao Hui dragged him up and smacked his head.
“Can’t you stop hitting me all the time?” Shang Xuan was very dissatisfied with his mom.
He was polite and all smiles with Little Peach and Tao Zhi, but with her, it was constant nagging or scolding.
So annoying.
Teenage boys cared most about face, and getting chewed out in front of everyone made Shang Xuan lose face. He sullenly pulled his hoodie hood over his head and stormed out without a word to anyone.
“Hey, getting feisty now?” Tao Hui rolled up her sleeves and followed.
Tao Zhi: “…”
Tao Zhi’s gaze followed them, then turned to Little Peach.
Little Peach shrugged. While Tao Zhi was spacing out, she pushed him out of the room. “Happens all the time—don’t take it to heart. Come on, go to Aunt’s for dinner. You must be starving.”
“Mom, Dad, we’re heading out.” Little Peach turned and said.
“Go, go.” Mother Tao waved them off.
–
The siblings followed Tao Hui home, while Father Tao stayed at the hospital to keep watch.
Tao Hui’s family ran a small hardware business in the county town.
Their own storefront downstairs, with residential apartments above. It was a three-bedroom place, and they’d left a guest room for Little Peach and Father Tao, who took turns keeping watch.
Now that Tao Zhi was here, Tao Hui had originally planned for him to room with Shang Xuan, but Shang Xuan refused, and Tao Zhi didn’t push it. He told her the sofa was fine for him.
After dinner, Little Peach went to shower first, while Tao Zhi headed to the balcony to check in with Fu Si Heng and let him know he’d arrived safely.
He’d meant to do it right after getting off the high-speed rail but forgot.
Now, opening his phone, it was flooded with messages as expected—from both Fu Si Heng and Fu Zheng.
Fu Zheng’s were at the top with the most messages, but Tao Zhi opened the chat with Fu Si Heng first.
