Chapter 162 : Stone Cake Soaked in Water

Fang Xiaoluo went back into the house and brought out the money 42 yuan for each child and placed it into Shen Haifeng and Shen Haiping’s hands.  

Shen Haiping looked at the 42 yuan in his hand and thought about how he had once been rejected for wanting to go to kindergarten.  

Kindergarten wasn’t even as expensive as primary school.  

Not only had he been turned down, but he’d also been beaten and locked in a dark warehouse.  

Fang Xiaoluo gave each of them an additional 2 yuan. “This is pocket money. I don’t care how you spend it, but you can’t do anything bad with it.”  

“Thank you, Mom,” the two boys said in unison.  

Neither child planned to spend the money right away.  

Last semester, Fang Xiaoluo had occasionally given Shen Haifeng pocket money, but he had saved all of it.  

By now, he’d saved up quite a bit.  

“Keep your money safe and don’t lose it,” Fang Xiaoluo instructed. “And if you ever do lose it, just tell me the truth. Don’t lie or do anything to hurt yourself or others to replace it.”  

The boys nodded seriously.  

Early the next morning, the children packed their schoolbags and headed to school.  

Shen Jinxia didn’t need to be escorted today, Yu Xiaopang had come early to fetch her.  

Shen Jinxia handed him a large orange. “Here you go, it’s delicious.”  

Yu Xiaopang looked at the orange and then at Shen Jinxia, grinning so widely that his teeth showed.  

What a great day!  

Fang Xiaoluo watched the two children, hand in hand, walking to kindergarten together.  

—  

When Shen Haiping arrived at his classroom, he went straight to his seat.  

Even though Fang Xiaoluo had been taking good care of him over the past few months, he was still one of the shorter kids in the class.  

The teacher had arranged for him to sit in the first row.  

In class, boys and girls were usually paired as seatmates.  

Shen Haiping’s deskmate was a little girl named Liu Niandi.  

She was dark-skinned, thin, and spoke in a very soft voice, always looking a little afraid of others.  

Seeing Liu Niandi reminded Shen Haiping of Shen Jinxia back at the military compound.  

Since they sat together, they had the most opportunities to talk.  

While Liu Niandi was shy and avoided speaking to others, she always managed to exchange a few words with Shen Haiping.  

That morning, when Shen Haiping took his seat, he noticed that Liu Niandi was slumped over the desk, quiet and listless.  

Usually, she was the first to greet him with a cheerful “Good morning.”  

Shen Haiping set his books and homework on the desk and asked, “Liu Niandi, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”  

Without lifting her head, Liu Niandi replied in a dull voice, “No.”  

The students sitting behind them noticed something was off. Kids, being naturally curious and kind-hearted, wanted to help.  

Two of the students from the back row came over to ask what was wrong.  

Reluctantly, Liu Niandi lifted her head and forced a smile. “I’m fine, just a little sleepy.”  

But Shen Haiping could clearly see that her eyes were swollen and red, she had been crying.  

He didn’t ask further, knowing it wasn’t right to push when someone didn’t want to talk.  

—  

During the morning self-study session, their homeroom teacher, Su Huaiyi, came into the classroom. “Did everyone bring the tuition and textbook fees I mentioned yesterday?”  

A chorus of childish voices answered, “Yes!”  

“Good. I’ll come around to collect it. Don’t move, I’ll take it from your seats.”  

Su Huaiyi walked down from the podium, pen and paper in hand, as he collected tuition fees and noted each student’s name.  

Most students handed over their tuition, but a few admitted they had forgotten to bring it.  

When he reached Shen Haiping, the boy handed over the money and watched as Su Huaiyi carefully wrote his name.  

Next, Su Huaiyi turned to Liu Niandi and asked, “Liu Niandi, did you bring your tuition?”  

Liu Niandi fidgeted with the corner of her clothes and replied in a soft voice, “Teacher, I forgot to bring it. Can I bring it tomorrow?”  

Su Huaiyi nodded, “That’s fine. Just make sure you remember to bring it tomorrow, okay?”  

“Yeah,” Liu Niandi whispered.  

Though it was still early in the day, Liu Niandi remained quiet and somber, her small figure radiating sadness.  

At lunchtime after school, Shen Haiping turned to his brother and asked, “Brother, what happens if you don’t pay the tuition?”  

Shen Haifeng replied, “If you don’t pay, you can’t study. They’ll send you home.”  

Yu Feixu, always eager to join in, chimed in, “Haiping, did you lose your money?”  

Shen Haiping shook his head firmly. “No, I already paid. I was just curious.”  

Yu Feixu kicked a stone along the road as they walked. “Why are you asking then?”  

Shen Haiping shrugged. “I just think tuition is really expensive.”  

—  

At noon, when they returned home, only Zheng Lanhua was there.  

Fang Xiaoluo had gone to Jiangcheng to scout for a location to open her noodle shop as soon as possible.  

With Fang Xiaoluo gone, Zheng Lanhua took the opportunity to showcase her cooking skills. For lunch, she made shredded potato soup and pancakes.  

When the children sat down, they were surprised. “Wow, Grandma, did you make all this today?”  

Feeling quite proud of her efforts, Zheng Lanhua beamed. “Go ahead and try it!”  

The shredded potato soup looked golden, with green onions sprinkled on top for garnish, it was surprisingly appealing. Next to it was a stack of pancakes, which, although greasy, were not burnt for once.  

Shen Haiping gave her a thumbs-up. “Grandma, your cooking skills have really improved today!”  

As Shen Jinxia climbed into her high chair, Shen Haifeng served her a small bowl of soup, tested its temperature, and blew on it before handing it to her.  

With all eyes on her, Shen Jinxia took a small spoonful of soup and swallowed it with great effort. She looked up and said, “Grandma, it doesn’t have any taste.”  

Zheng Lanhua frowned. “How can it be tasteless? That’s the original flavor of potatoes! Your mom always says the original flavor is the best.”  

When Shen Haiping took a sip, he thought to himself, ‘Well, it’s just shredded potatoes boiled in water… but still better than her usual burnt food.’  

Meanwhile, Shen Haifeng handed a pancake each to Shen Haiping and Shen Jinxia before taking one for himself.  

The moment he bit into it, however, he struggled to chew and couldn’t even finish the first bite.  

Zheng Lanhua, waiting for praise, asked eagerly, “How is it? The pancakes aren’t burnt today!”  

Instead of answering directly, Shen Haifeng broke off a piece of the pancake and soaked it in the soup. “Grandma, looks like we’re having stone cakes soaked in water for lunch. Very filling.”  

Hearing this, Shen Haiping, who had just sipped his soup, choked and spit it out, coughing uncontrollably.  

Zheng Lanhua glared at Shen Haifeng, shouting, “Stone cakes soaked in water? Get out! Stop eating!”  

And so, Shen Haifeng was chased out of the house by an indignant Zheng Lanhua.    

When Shen Zheng returned home, he found Shen Haifeng standing outside the gate, idly drawing circles in the dirt with a stick.