Chapter 56: The Pitiful Female Supporting Character from a Patriarchal Family in the 2000s (3)

When Ye Zhou returned with the porridge, it happened to be Ai Xiaoling’s turn for the injection.

In her previous life, she had developed a psychological shadow from injections. By the end of her illness, no injections could stop the pain. So the moment she saw the nurse approach with the IV, she started trembling. Her expression turned panicked and evasive. But when she saw Ye Zhou, she forced herself to endure.

“Left arm or right arm?” the nurse asked.

Ai Xiaoling couldn’t decide for a moment.

“Left or right arm?” the nurse asked again.

“Right arm,” Ai Xiaoling replied softly.

Ye Zhou walked over quickly, “Use the left arm. She still needs to eat porridge.”

The nurse moved the IV to the left side.

Seeing Ai Xiaoling’s frightened face, Ye Zhou sat beside her and said slowly, “After the injection, the reaction will subside. It’s nothing serious.”

Having someone by her side was better than facing it alone. Ai Xiaoling strangely felt more at ease after hearing his words. She gently rested her right hand.

The nurse took her hand skillfully and patted it, “Relax.”

“Mm.” Ai Xiaoling responded, but her body tensed up first and she began to sweat a little.

“Don’t be so stiff. It’s hard to insert the needle,” the nurse said as she gently shook Ai Xiaoling’s hand and continued to tap on the back of it.

“Okay.” Ai Xiaoling turned her head to the side and answered with a trembling voice.

Ye Zhou suddenly spoke, “This morning’s delivery slip. Which batch was for Hequan Community?”

“Hequan?” Ai Xiaoling thought for a moment. “It should be the third batch. Next time, you have to remember to collect payment.”

Ye Zhou said, “Weren’t there a few more batches?”

“He’s not a regular customer. The total amount is too large—” Ai Xiaoling hadn’t finished speaking when she felt a light sting on the back of her hand. She turned to look and saw that the soft tube was already inserted with blood returning. She composed herself and continued, “We definitely need to collect payment in the middle. I’ll mention it to him next time. When you go, take the receipt.”

“Mm.” Ye Zhou took out the porridge he bought and handed her the spoon. “Eat a little. Otherwise, you’ll feel worse after the injection.”

She hadn’t said what kind of porridge she wanted. Thinking about her stomach pain, Ye Zhou bought a light vegetable and lean meat porridge.

“Thank you.” Ai Xiaoling took the spoon, “Did you get something for yourself?”

It was about dinner time now.

“I’ll eat later.”

Ai Xiaoling looked up at the IV. There were two large bottles, dripping slowly. It was unclear how long it would take. So she said, “I should be fine after the injection. You go eat first.”

“I’m not hungry yet. Don’t worry about me,” Ye Zhou replied.

Ai Xiaoling stirred the porridge in her bowl and smiled at him, her tone sincere and grateful, “Thank you. Once I get my salary, I’ll pay you back for the medical bill and porridge.”

Ye Zhou didn’t respond to that. Instead, he said, “Now that the injection is in, have some porridge first to settle your stomach.”

“Okay.” Ai Xiaoling was also worried her body couldn’t handle it. She scooped up some porridge and blew on it before taking several sips.

She was normally skilled at lightening the mood and could chat with anyone. That’s why she was well-liked by older people. But maybe it was the doctor’s shocking question just now that made her feel awkward every time she tried to speak.

Ye Zhou looked at her and said, “Those mangoes might not be good. Don’t eat them when you go back.”

If he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have brought them back.

It was because a friend said those didn’t have pesticide and were reserved for family use that he brought them back, wanting her to have a taste.

“It’s not the mangoes. It’s my stomach that’s already weak,” Ai Xiaoling drank the porridge, lightly and self-deprecatingly said, “I’ve barely eaten breakfast since I was little, so my stomach is very fragile. Even slightly cold or sweet food makes me feel sick. I’m used to it.”

Ye Zhou frowned, “Why don’t you eat breakfast? Skipping breakfast is bad for your health.”

When Ai Xiaoling heard that, she didn’t respond right away and took a couple more sips of porridge, “I kind of envy you.”

Ye Zhou didn’t understand.

“Aunt Ye often tells me she feels she owes you, making you grow up in a single-parent family, but to me, not all two-parent households are happy either. She has already given you the best.” Ai Xiaoling used to avoid talking about her family, even tried to hand over her salary to gain the little bit of fake affection from her parents, just to keep herself numb.

She smiled at Ye Zhou and admitted something she never dared admit before, “Because we didn’t have money to eat, and no one cared whether I had breakfast. I thought that would help lessen the burden on my family, so I never ate. I was just stupid and pitiful.”

It was like that when she was in school. It’s still the same now.

Mother Ai clearly knew her salary was only one thousand, but she only let her keep one hundred fifty for herself, and never asked if she had enough to spend.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything else.” Ye Zhou apologized immediately.

“It’s okay. I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Ai Xiaoling shook her head, “You’re right. Skipping breakfast is not good. People need food to stay strong. Hurting your health for the sake of saving a little money is worse.”

That was a lesson she learned at the cost of her life.

“I never blamed my mom.”

When Ye Zhou spoke again, Ai Xiaoling looked at him, only to hear him continue, “She just needed to do what she believed was right. I never felt I was missing anything.”

“If Aunt Ye hears that, she’ll be very happy,” Ai Xiaoling’s eyes lifted into a smile.

Ye Zhou’s tone shifted, his clear gaze landing on her, “People must first live for themselves, then for others.”

He said this for her to hear.

Ai Xiaoling’s smile slowly faded, her grip on the spoon tightened. She lowered her gaze and pressed her lips together, not speaking, only nodding repeatedly.

In the past, everyone around her only told her that parents worked hard to raise you. Once you enter society, you should give back to the family selflessly and without reservation. You must understand your parents’ hardships and contribute more to the family before marriage, otherwise, once married, you belong to someone else’s household.

If you don’t, then raising you was a loss. You’re ungrateful. You’re not filial.

Ye Zhou stayed with Ai Xiaoling at the hospital until nine-thirty. Her IV was finally finished.

Although her personality was warm and she often helped others, she never liked troubling people and felt guilty. During the wait, she suggested twice that Ye Zhou go get food first. He declined, saying he wasn’t hungry.

The two had never spent this much time alone before, yet the atmosphere didn’t feel awkward.

After leaving the hospital, Ai Xiaoling said to Ye Zhou, “You haven’t eaten yet. Let me go with you to get something.”

He had accompanied her to the hospital and missed his meal. She couldn’t let him go back on an empty stomach.

She really didn’t have money. Otherwise, she would have treated him.

“Alright.” Ye Zhou turned the car around. “What do you want to eat?”

“I’m not hungry.”

Ye Zhou found a Shaxian snack shop. After sitting down, he ordered a bowl of minced meat noodles and a basket of steamed dumplings.

Once the food arrived, he handed a pair of chopsticks to Ai Xiaoling.

“I’m not eating.” She was already embarrassed she couldn’t treat him to a meal, and blurted out a refusal.

“Try one or two. Don’t just sit there,” Ye Zhou said and handed her the chopsticks again.

He insisted, and Ai Xiaoling couldn’t refuse anymore. She smiled and said, “It really is a bit weird to just sit and watch. I also think eating with someone makes the food taste better.”

“Mm.”

Ai Xiaoling held the chopsticks and picked up a dumpling, dipped it in soy sauce, and ate it in small bites. That was the only one she took.

Ye Zhou: “…..”

When they checked out and got into the car, Ai Xiaoling looked down, bit her lip and said, “When I get my paycheck, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

She felt like she really troubled him a lot.

She was really embarrassed.

But this month, she couldn’t afford to treat him.

Ye Zhou glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. His movements slowed by half a beat, “Mm.”

After returning, they parted ways in the hallway. Ai Xiaoling smiled at him and said goodbye, then turned and added again, “Thanks for today. I took up a lot of your time. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

She pressed her lips into a smile, “Go back and rest.”

……

Late at night, Ai Xiaoling took her medicine and was so tired that she went to bed early.

Ye Zhou lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind full of the moments he spent with Ai Xiaoling today.

In front of others, including Mother Ye, she always seemed capable, warm, and sweet-talking. That seemed to be her façade. But today, she was different.

Ye Zhou felt she was overly sociable but actually fragile and sensitive deep inside, afraid of owing others, so careful and considerate it made one’s heart ache.

*

The next day, Ai Xiaoling woke up and her hand still itched a little, but it wasn’t as bad as yesterday.

When she went downstairs to buy breakfast, she saw the shop had already opened and Ye Zhou was busy inside.

There were a few customers waiting by the counter, and the store was packed with all kinds of goods.

There were items stacked on the floor, on the shelves, and some required a ladder to reach. Ye Zhou didn’t know where exactly everything was, so he was searching slowly, and customers were already urging him.

“I’ll find it,” Ai Xiaoling walked over and smiled as she asked the customer, “What would you like to buy?”

“I want a bundle of soft wire.”

“What size?”

“1.5 square.”

“Wait a minute, what about you?”

……

She moved freely through the crowded store and came back shortly with the items, sold them to the customers, then walked to the counter to write the invoice.

“Are you feeling better today?” Ye Zhou asked.

“Much better, though still a bit uncomfortable. But recovering takes time. We can’t rush it,” Ai Xiaoling was writing the invoice when she overheard the two customers who had just left discussing going to pick mangoes. She subconsciously looked toward the bag of mangoes on the counter and found that it was gone.

She was about to ask Ye Zhou when he placed a bowl of porridge in front of her. “I bought one for you as well.”

“Thanks a lot. How much is it? I’ll pay you,” Ai Xiaoling came back to her senses and smiled with curved eyes, speaking instinctively.