Chapter 165 : Calm Shen Haiping

Shen Haiping raised his head, nodded briefly, then shook it.  

“I feel sorry for her, but I can’t help her.”  

Shen Haifeng was surprised. He had thought Shen Haiping might ask Fang Xiaoluo to help Liu Niandi. “But you seem really upset about it.”  

Shen Haiping didn’t reply.  

Fang Xiaoluo was also surprised by his calmness. Under normal circumstances, a child his age might not care much about Liu Niandi’s situation, let alone empathize deeply. And even if they did empathize, they would likely ask their parents for help.  

Shen Haiping’s restraint was remarkable.  

“Why do you think this way?” Fang Xiaoluo asked.  

“I don’t have the money to help her,” Shen Haiping said. “Mom, if I ask you to help her, that money isn’t mine, I didn’t earn it.”  

Fang Xiaoluo didn’t press further, and everyone continued eating in silence.  

In truth, given their family’s current financial situation, covering Liu Niandi’s tuition wouldn’t be a problem.  

However, helping a girl like Liu Niandi wasn’t just about paying tuition, it involved tackling the deeper issues with her family.  

Was Liu Niandi’s family truly poor? Probably not.  

The real issue seemed to be that her parents simply didn’t want to spend money on her education.  

After dinner, Shen Haifeng and Shen Haiping went to their room to do homework.  

Not long after, Yu Feixu appeared, running towards the house with his homework notebook in hand.  

He greeted Fang Xiaoluo and Shen Zheng quickly before heading into the brothers’ room. Once the door was closed, it became their private space.  

Yu Feixu got straight to the point. “What’s going on? Are you guys going to help Liu Niandi or not?”  

Shen Haifeng raised his chin and pointed at Shen Haiping. “My brother says he doesn’t have the money to help.”  

Yu Feixu didn’t get it. “Can’t you ask your mom to lend it to you? She loves you so much, she’d definitely help if you ask.”  

Shen Haiping turned his head. “I don’t want to trouble my mom.”  

Yu Feixu shrugged. “Alright then, whatever you want.”  

After finishing their homework, Shen Haifeng and Yu Feixu went out to play, while Shen Haiping stayed behind.  

He squatted in the yard, studying the cucumber plants, ready to pull out any weeds he spotted.  

—

Noticing him alone, Fang Xiaoluo walked over and squatted beside him, helping pull weeds.  

Sensing her presence, Shen Haiping turned. “Mom.”  

“The weather’s getting cold,” she said casually, “the grass is too weak to grow anymore.”  

“Mom, what are you planning to do with these cucumbers?” he asked.  

“Let nature take its course,” she replied. “We’ll pick them all before the frost hits. Any extras can be pickled.”  

After a moment of silence, Fang Xiaoluo added, “Haiping, I have a suggestion about Liu Niandi.”  

His interest piqued, Shen Haiping asked, “What is it?”  

“If she comes to school tomorrow without the tuition money, suggest that she talk to your class teacher about it. If Teacher Su gets involved and talks to her parents, it might pressure them to change their attitude,” Fang Xiaoluo explained.  

“But Mom,” Shen Haiping asked after a moment of thought, “what if Liu Niandi doesn’t go to the teacher herself? Can I tell Teacher Su instead?”  

Fang Xiaoluo shook her head. “No.”  

Shen Haiping looked puzzled, unsure why.  

Patiently, Fang Xiaoluo explained, “Haiping, this is ultimately Liu Niandi’s issue. Whether she can continue her education will impact her own destiny. If she doesn’t take the initiative to talk to her teacher and fight for the opportunity to study, then no matter who helps her, it won’t hold much meaning.”  

She continued, “There’s another important point. How does Liu Niandi feel about others knowing her family situation? Does she mind the teacher knowing? If you go to the teacher without her consent, it might backfire. What if she wants to keep her family’s issues private? Think about it, if you were in her position, would you be happy if someone did that?”  

Shen Haiping thought deeply about her words and began to understand.  

“Thank you, Mom. If I see her again, I’ll suggest this to her.”  

Fang Xiaoluo smiled and ruffled his hair. “If she truly wants to study, she’ll find a way.”  

Shen Haiping nodded firmly.  

Fang Xiaoluo took his hand. “Now let’s wash up. You’ve been busy all day, and you forgot that I bought you new clothes. Let’s try them on.”  

—

The next day at school, Shen Haiping saw that Liu Niandi had come back.  

She looked worse than before, he wondered how her night had been.  

Quietly, he asked her, “Did your dad agree to let you continue studying?”  

Liu Niandi shook her head.  

Her father had told her that morning, ‘If the school kicks you out for not paying tuition, then you don’t need to go back.’  

Shen Haiping whispered, “Why don’t you talk to Teacher Su and see if she can help you?”  

Liu Niandi hesitated, shrinking into herself. She looked scared.  

He added, “If you don’t pay the tuition, Teacher Su will have to talk to your parents sooner or later.”  

At some point during the day, Liu Niandi mustered the courage to speak to Teacher Su. After school, Shen Haiping saw the two of them walking together, discussing something.  

When Liu Niandi came back to school again, her face was brighter, her smile unmistakable.  

It was clear the tuition issue had been resolved.  

Shen Haiping’s earlier sadness seemed to have completely disappeared, and Fang Xiaoluo noticed the change. She could guess from his mood that Liu Niandi would continue her education.  

—

By the weekend, the weather had turned cold, with a light drizzle outside.  

Yu Feixu and Yu Xiaopang came over to visit, bringing apples, oranges, and peach cakes from home.  

The five children gathered in the living room, laughing, playing, and snacking together.  

Peeling an orange, Yu Feixu mused, “I don’t get it. Auntie is so kind to us and always helps kids in the compound. Why didn’t she help Liu Niandi? She’s the most pitiful person I’ve ever met.”  

Shen Haifeng chimed in, “Mom must have her reasons.”  

From her spot knitting a scarf for Shen Zheng, Fang Xiaoluo overheard their conversation. She finished her row, set it aside, and walked into the living room.  

“Feixu, let me explain,” she said.  

“It’s true that Liu Niandi is pitiful. But her struggles are caused by her own family. If she were an orphan, I’d have no hesitation in helping her, because there’d be no complications. But she has parents, and helping her carelessly could bring unexpected trouble to us.”  

“Think about this: can you guarantee that if we help Liu Niandi, her parents won’t find out that Shen Haiping’s family is wealthy and try to take advantage of us? What if they start making unreasonable demands or even try to blackmail us in the future?”