Chapter 76: Discharge

Chapter 76

Guan Jingzhi's English was very good. At just twelve years old, she had already seen her communicate with people in English.

Although Lvshan City was small, it had everything. The Cultural Palace had even invited some foreign children to visit last year. Guan Jingzhi was also there at that time, chatting with those foreign kids directly in English.

Meanwhile, Zhou Meiling's strengths with foreign languages were Japanese and Korean. To be honest, there should be quotation marks around Korean. She had only stayed in Korea for a little over a year and could not be said to have mastered the language. She only knew some basics and could understand simple conversations. Her Japanese, on the other hand, was quite good. After all, she had spent nearly ten years in Japan.

However, the young girl in front of her was actually Xiao Qi's English tutor...

Zhou Meiling could only feel that some people were probably geniuses who had a natural talent for languages.

Thinking this way made her feel uncomfortable about her own pettiness today. No wonder she, someone who had been to Japan and Korea, would eventually end up settling in such a small city with a meager salary.

She had taught so many students and often missed her life in Japan. Usually at the Cultural Palace, she could not find anyone to speak Japanese with, read Japanese books, or watch Japanese movies. Sometimes she would even be gossiped about, with people saying she was pretentious and aloof.

She was also afraid. She was afraid that she would forget all this, forget about her past, as if she had grown up to become a little civil servant in Lvshan who had never set foot outside.

Originally harboring utilitarian thoughts, she now truly wanted to teach well.

Her language sense was too good, as if she had stayed in Japan before.

When class was over, Zhou Meiling even added Xiao Qi's WeChat.

They made an appointment for the Friday lesson.

Xiao Qi was also very surprised. She had originally felt that Teacher Zhou gave off the impression of being a very aloof and elegant woman, a bit like her Chinese teacher from when she was in school, very petty bourgeois.

At that time, her Chinese teacher had required everyone to buy the latest edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary, which cost 105 yuan. Xiao Qi’s weekly allowance was only 100 yuan. She didn't have time to go back and ask her parents for money, and she didn't want to ask her aunt for money either. Besides, she already had a Chinese dictionary, just not the latest edition. As a result, the next day during morning reading class, the Chinese teacher made her and two other students who hadn't bought the dictionary stand for the entire morning reading.

That sense of humiliation was deeply imprinted in Xiao Qi's mind.

So she was very careful around the Chinese teacher and would observe her very closely. At first glance, she felt that this Teacher Zhou gave her the same feeling as her Chinese teacher did: similarly well dressed and put together, very demanding of herself and also very demanding of others. Although the teacher didn't mean it intentionally, her approach was still very inconsiderate.

Unexpectedly, Teacher Zhou's attitude seemed different. She encouraged Xiao Qi to study hard, saying that she had a natural talent for languages, much more sincere than before.

Xiao Qi was deeply moved. If she worked hard and excelled, those around her would be much more tolerant, right?

Today was Wednesday the 14th, one week before the swimming competition. After class, Xiao Qi hurried to the swimming pool as usual.

But today, Guan Jingzhi went with her.

After dinner, as she was washing dishes, the mother of the newlywed groom with the broken leg from upstairs unexpectedly came by with a huge bag of fresh sweet potatoes.

"Miss, we'll be discharged from the hospital soon. We don’t have anything nice, just some sweet potatoes grown at home. Please take them." The old woman was afraid she wouldn't accept them and felt embarrassed that what she had brought was worthless. She set the bag down and hurried away.

She was thankful for Nurse Su’s care and for often using their pot to cook broth in the ward. She felt it wasn’t appropriate to give it to them upstairs at the hospital, so she deliberately brought it down here.

It was a very big bag. Xiao Qi felt it was a little heavy when she picked it up. Opening the bag, inside were big sweet potatoes weighing over 1 jin (0.5 kg) each with bright red skins.

Looking up, she saw a very short figure upstairs, standing as if seated on the ground.

Behind her was a large bag of things with a small trolley cart.

After being hospitalized for a period of time, there turned out to be a lot of stuff, like moving house.

In the busy hospital, few people were actually remembered or greeted regularly.

Xiao Qi put away the sweet potatoes and went upstairs to see some patient’s family members helping to load luggage into the car for the mother and son pair.

Mother and son, both old and crippled, apparently would not have an easy life ahead, but the smile never left the young man’s face. It didn’t look forced.

The other patients gathered behind them chatting.

“This young fellow's not bad. I heard he already found a auto repair job and rented a place for him and his ma to live in the city.”

“Yeah, willing to work hard. He’ll get by.”

“I heard there's news of the driver who caused the accident. If they can get compensation money, maybe he can get prosthetics. The young man’s got spirit; he’ll land on his feet in the future.”

Listening to everyone chatter away with mostly praise, Xiao Qi felt at peace and believed this mother-son pair to be genuinely good people who had gotten along very well with those around them at the hospital.

Watching as the car drove off and left the hospital, Liu Anquan sat in the seat like an ordinary person, even waving goodbye to everyone.

Xiao Qi felt that he seemed to be looking at her. She waved back.

Her heart felt a little sad, yet also a little relieved.

Since she was little, this was the first time she had given so much money to help someone else. She hoped they would have a good life.

Just as Xiao Qi was lost in thought, her phone buzzed. She saw a friend request from a stranger and ignored it.

Then the familiar mechanical voice rang out beside her ear again: "Host, your good deed goes unnamed and is rewarded with one sincere blessing paid for with lifespan."