Chapter 55

Aju hesitated and refused to speak. The little girl walked up to Song Haowen and couldn’t help but say, “Big brother, our family owes a lot of debts outside, and now I’m sick. We don’t have money for my treatment, and I can’t go to school. If you really want to help us, just lend me some money to treat my illness. When I earn money later, we will definitely pay you back.”

“Amei, you can’t do this!” Aju stopped her daughter from asking a stranger for money.

“You’re called Amei, right?” Song Haowen said kindly to the little girl. “Can you tell me what illness you have and how much money is needed for the treatment?”

Amei glanced at her mother and, ignoring her mother’s opposition, said, “I have a severe chronic lung disease. The doctor said it’s not easy to treat, and it will cost a lot of money.” As she spoke, big tears welled up in her eyes.

Feeling sorry for her, Song Haowen patted her head and comforted her, “Amei, don’t be sad. You must believe that the doctor can cure your illness.” He took out 300 yuan from his pocket and handed it to Amei. “This money is not a loan; it’s a gift for your treatment. If it’s not enough, you can come find me, and I’ll do my best to help.”

Amei was stunned for a moment, not daring to reach out to take the money. Aju came over, pushed away the money Song Haowen offered, and said, “We appreciate your kindness, but we cannot accept this money. Taking it would mean we can’t repay it in the future.”

Song Haowen smiled and said, “This money is for Amei’s treatment, not a loan. You don’t need to pay it back.”

Uncle Zhang, standing nearby, also advised Aju to accept the money for the child’s medical treatment and worry about the future later.

Aju wiped away her tears, bowed to Song Haowen, and finally accepted the money. Thinking about the embarrassing incident of selling the painting earlier, she decided to tear it up in front of him.

However, Song Haowen quickly stopped her, saying, “Don’t tear it. Keep it as a memento. If you still feel embarrassed about it, you can throw it away when you’re alone.”

Aju, filled with gratitude, bowed again to Song Haowen. She thought of returning the money but was stopped by Song Haowen. She felt a sense of warmth and couldn’t express her gratitude in words.

Song Haowen decided to take the painting back and said, “Let me keep this painting for now. In a few days, when Auntie feels better, I’ll return it to you.”

Aju couldn’t believe that the other party would be so considerate and felt extremely grateful. She said, “I definitely don’t want this thing. Whether it’s a fake painting or a real one, it’s not worth as much as your kindness. If you want it, take it back. Throw it away, tear it up, whatever you like.”

Song Haowen thought that although 300 yuan for a fake painting might not be worth it, it could help the little girl get treatment, making it worth it. “I can’t casually take your things. Consider it that I bought this painting with 300 yuan. This way, Auntie, you can feel at ease.”

Understanding his intentions, Aju was deeply moved, choked up, and couldn’t find words to express her gratitude. Amei walked up to Song Haowen, held his hand, and asked gently, “Thank you. Can I call you brother?”

Song Haowen didn’t hesitate and agreed readily. The little girl was overjoyed, and her face instantly regained color.

After bidding farewell to Uncle Zhang and the mother-daughter pair, Song Haowen felt extremely happy. It was at this moment that he truly realized the meaning of charity.

Back at the Store’s office, he didn’t mention the help he gave for Amei’s treatment, and as for the painting, he didn’t bring it up either. He treated the painting like scrap paper, throwing it into a drawer in his desk.

On Monday afternoon at 3:00 PM, Song Haowen, accompanied by Wang Li, her mother, Zhu Hongyu, and Ren Hua, arrived at the District Housing Management Bureau on time. Song Haowen, Zhu Hongyu, and Ren Hua even took a half-day leave for this occasion.

The old couple had already arrived at the housing management bureau. Seeing Song Haowen arriving on time, the stone that had been hanging in their hearts finally dropped.

Since the other party had already secured an appointment in advance, they didn’t have to wait too long. The property transfer was completed quickly, and Song Haowen transferred the remaining payment for the house.

Afterward, the group returned to the courtyard in Peach Blossom Alley. Teacher Wang brought out the pre-registered assets and tenant ledger, cross-checking them one by one with Song Haowen.

This process took a good two hours. Teacher Wang duplicated the ledger, keeping one copy for himself and giving the other to Song Haowen.

At this point, with Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua wandering around the courtyard, falling in love with the house, Renhua brought up the topic again. She wanted a room in the house, even if she rarely had the time to stay.

Song Haowen kept his promise and assigned each of them a room on the second floor of the back courtyard. Later, under their insistence, he also picked a room for himself on the second floor.

Subsequently, Song Haowen asked Teacher Wang to call a few male comrades from the tenants to rearrange the furniture in some rooms.

The valuable hardwood furniture was placed in the empty room on the left side of the ground floor. This way, the five rooms on the ground floor consisted of a living room in the middle, two storage rooms on the west side, and the two rooms on the east side where Teacher Wang and his wife originally lived, which remained unchanged.

The five rooms upstairs, each assigned to Song Haowen, Zhu Hongyu, and Renhua, with the remaining two rooms used for storing antiques. In the back courtyard, the ten rooms were retained by Teacher Wang and his wife, with only the living room and their bedroom being occupied. The rest of the rooms were locked, and Song Haowen held the keys to all the rooms.

Teacher Wang and his wife completed such a significant transaction, feeling both happy and somewhat reluctant. Fortunately, they still lived there, only now as tenants rather than the homeowners.

After everything was settled, it was already late in the day. Mr. and Mrs. Wang invited everyone to a nearby large restaurant for dinner. Song Haowen, being polite, agreed after some insistence from the other party.

Dinner was sumptuous, and everyone enjoyed themselves. After leaving the restaurant, Song Haowen and the others sent Mr. and Mrs. Wang home. Then, they hailed two bicycle taxis – one for Wang Li and her mother, and the other for Song Haowen and the two girls.

“Xiao Songzi, I want to sleep in the new house tonight.” Ren Hua, just sitting in the taxi, said to Song Haowen.

“Are you in such a hurry, Renhua?” Zhu Hongyu laughed. Although she said so, she was also quite excited.

Song Haowen mocked, “Live there now? How? We don’t even have the basic necessities. If you really want to move in, tomorrow you and Sister Hongyu can go buy daily necessities. But, make sure to get three sets of bedsheets and blankets.”

“Tch, buy it for yourself; I won’t buy you.” Ren Hua deliberately refused.

“If you won’t help with this little favor, what’s the use of calling you sister?!”

“If Renhua won’t buy, I’ll help you buy. However, you have to pay the bill.” – Zhu

“With your stingy attitude, do you even deserve to be called ‘sister’?”

“Who said you’re a big spender? You guys are so stingy, you’ll end up as a cheap aunty!.”

“Who said I’m stingy and chea[?”

“The class monitor said, Super Sis and Wild Girl love to play sugar mama to eat young guys…”

“Nonsense! I never said that. Renhua, I didn’t see this coming; you’re starting to go astray.”

“Who’s Super Sis? Who’s Wild Girl? Who’s the sugar mama, and who’s the young guy? It sounds so disgusting!.”

……..

As the taxi stopped at the entrance of the business department, the three of them bantered all the way, finally bringing the conversation to a close.

The driver was infuriated by their non-stop banter, muttering to herself, “What shameless talk of sisters and wild girls. Do they have such thick skin? Are they a bunch of hens? And what the hell is ‘little fresh meat’—pure meat scraps, little ducks, or little trannies! These three hooligans…”

“Two sisters, do you want to stop by the store for a while, have some tea, or head straight back to school?” Song Haowen asked.

“It’s getting late; we’ll head back now.” Zhu Hongyu held Naren Hua’s hand. “Goodbye, little brother. See you tomorrow!”

“See you tomorrow!” Naren Hua also bid farewell and headed back to the dormitory.

So, without opening the door, Song Haowen first escorted the two girls home. After parting ways with them at the school gate, he returned to the business department alone.

When he reached the entrance, preparing to unlock the door, he felt a disturbance behind him. Instinctively, he sidestepped, hearing a loud “boom” as an iron rod struck the security door, creating a dent in the metal.

By now, Song Haowen had turned around and saw five unfamiliar young men surrounding him, each holding an iron tool with a menacing demeanor.

The one closest to him, bald with tattoos, was the one he had hit with a stick.

The bald guy, after a missed strike, followed up with a sweeping motion, and the iron rod flew straight towards Song Haowen’s face.

Song Haowen hadn’t expected the bald guy to be so ruthless. If that strike had connected, his life would likely be in serious danger. Filled with anger, he instinctively leaned back, narrowly avoiding the bald guy’s blow.

At the same time, he lifted his right foot, kicking an arm. With a crisp “crack,” the bald guy’s arm broke, and the iron rod flew out of his hand, hitting a nearby accomplice in the face, shattering his jaw. Two simultaneous screams of pain erupted from the bald guy and his accomplice.

The other three accomplices of the bald guy were shocked to see Song Haowen incapacitate two of their own with just one move. Originally thinking the bald guy could handle it alone, they now realized they couldn’t stand by idly. They immediately brandished their iron rods and charged.

Song Haowen, now completely calm, faced the three attackers. Though at a disadvantage, he was skilled and fearless. Instead of thinking about escaping, he moved forward to confront them.

Onlookers in the street, witnessing the brawl, stopped in their tracks. Seeing Song Haowen facing three armed assailants with bare hands, they feared for his safety, shouting for him to escape and call the police.

Ignoring the warnings from the bystanders, Song Haowen pressed on. As he approached the assailants, about to collide with them, he swiftly extended his hands and seized the two incoming iron rods. With a quick pull and push, he disarmed them.

In a split second, he thrust the stolen iron rods forward, piercing the chests of the two assailants, causing them to collapse in serious injury.

The remaining assailant, caught off guard, was a beat too slow to react. Seeing his two comrades fall to the ground in agony, he stood frozen for a moment, forgetting to strike. Without hesitation, Song Haowen launched a powerful kick, sending the last assailant flying.