Chapter 20.1

“My parents had four children after they got married, with my younger brother Zhou Minshan and Junfang just a year apart. When I enlisted in the army, he was only eight years old and had just started elementary school. I didn’t interact much with him. When I visited home after four years, he was much shorter than his peers and very introverted.”

This is the beginning, what about the sequel? Luo Lan saw that he had stopped talking, and subconsciously asked, “What happened next?”

“He was involved in a fight during high school…” Zhou Qingshan fell silent again as if the memory was too heavy for the family to discuss openly.

“He was first discovered by Mom when he came home with a cut on his cheek. When questioned, he said it was a conflict with a classmate. Mom was furious and wanted to confront the classmate’s parents. However, Mom believed it was better for him to stay away from such troublemakers. Seeking adults’ intervention might not solve the problem, especially if the kids were rebellious and might retaliate more viciously.”

“By that time, had Dad already had his accident?” At such a significant age, having the father involved might have been more helpful.

“At that time, Dad was away on a business trip. Mom knew one of the classmates’ parents and knew they were protective, so she didn’t get any results from that. She treated Minshan’s injuries with antiseptic and repeatedly told him that studying well was the only way out. Fighting only brings temporary satisfaction and physical pain without any real benefit.”

“What happened after that?”

“Afterward, we didn’t see any more injuries on Minshan for a long time, so Mom was somewhat relieved. But about a month later, he had an incident at school. When Mom arrived, he was already dead. It was reported that he had been fighting with some classmates.”

“How could this happen? How severe was the fight that it led to a death?”

“It was reported that it happened near the school restroom. During the fight, he accidentally fell and hit his head on a rock. The impact caused his death.”

“You returned from the army because of this incident, right?”

“Yes. Minshan became a source of deep sorrow for Mom, and her feelings of guilt and regret overwhelmed her. During the worst times, she even self-harmed and almost bled to death. With Dad missing due to the boating accident, someone had to support the family.”

“Given the situation now, we should try to help Mom move on. The guilt and regret won’t resolve the problem, and she never expected the fight to have such severe consequences.”

“That’s what we should say…” Zhou Qingshan fell silent, his handsome face clouded with shadows. His subdued voice and tightly clenched hands showed the depth of his repression.

“Zhou Qingshan,” Luo Lan said, sensing that there might be more to the story. “Are you certain Minshan’s death was solely due to the fall during the fight?”

“That’s what the school concluded.”

“If it was just an accident from a fight, then we can only advise Mom to let go. Nobody would anticipate such severe outcomes from a fight. It’s common for boys to fight, and not everything can be prevented by adults. However, if there’s more to it…”

Zhou Qingshan remained silent, sighing heavily several times. Luo Lan didn’t press further, sensing that there might be more complexity to his brother’s situation. He stood up, carrying a blanket, and prepared to move to the living room.

“I’ll sleep in the living room to keep an eye on Mom. You should go to bed early.”

“You’re going to sleep on the sofa?”

“Yes.”

Since the bedroom door was just a short distance from the sofa, Luo Lan nodded in agreement. She knew someone needed to stay up with her mother-in-law tonight.

As Zhou Qingshan went to the living room, Luo Lan headed to the kitchen to boil water. She needed to fill the thermos with hot water for any needs that might arise in the evening.

The honeycomb coal ignited quickly with the air vent open. After boiling the water, she carried it to the living room to fill the thermos. At the door, she overheard a low conversation and found Zhou Junhui and Zhou Qingshan arguing.

“I’ll stay here and watch over Mom. It’s my fault, I should be the one taking care of her.”

“Enough already. If you realize your mistake, stop arguing. Go back to your room and sleep. I can watch over her.”

“Brother,” Zhou Junhui stood there holding a blanket, looking remorseful and regretful. “Actually, I understand that such matters can’t be completely avoided by just confronting the other party’s parents or teachers. I just… I just feel too heartbroken…”

“Mom is even more heartbroken.”

“I know.”

After the incident, everyone wondered if a different approach might have changed the outcome. But it’s forgotten that there are no ‘what-ifs’ in this world. Complaining only causes more hurt and serves no purpose.

Luo Lan didn’t interrupt, she filled the thermos with water and left. Troubled by the family’s situation, she couldn’t sleep and decided to leave the courtyard alone at night.

The middle school her younger brother attended wasn’t far away. The students who were in his grade should now be in their senior year of high school. She found herself at the school gate, where students were just getting out of their evening classes. Some carried books under their arms, others had backpacks, and they clustered in groups as they left.

There was a vendor with a bamboo basket selling snacks at the gate. Luo Lan was standing by the roadside when a girl approached her quietly.

“Sister, are you selling stationery?”

She reacted quickly, nodding and replying softly, “Yes. What do you need?”

“Do you have any notebooks with beautiful covers?”

Luo Lan: System, do you have any notebooks with beautiful covers?

System: Yes (the voice sounded indifferent as if just waking up).

“Yes, how many do you need?”

“If they have really beautiful covers, I’d like quite a few. My friends and I have been saving up for a while.”

“Then count how many you need and we’ll meet again at a scheduled time.”

“Let’s meet on Saturday at 4 PM in that alley over there.”

“Evening works better for me. I’m busy in the afternoon.”

“Alright. Oh, can I see one first?”

You can’t rely only on someone’s word, seeing is believing. If the notebook is not as beautiful as claimed, the trip would be wasted.

“Wait a moment.”

Luo Lan: System, lend me a notebook to show her, the most beautiful one you have. The kind that girls like.

System: Sure. Oh, I’m really the easiest system ever. If you were to rate me, wouldn’t you give me full marks?

Luo Lan: Yes, yes.

System: That’s just insincere.

The system’s tone was impatient, but it still provided her with a notebook. Luo Lan didn’t even look at it herself and handed it directly to the girl.

The girl, holding a flashlight, looked at the notebook in surprise, her eyes widening. The cover was smooth, almost like leather, with a pink base that appealed to her girlish taste. The design was unique and elaborate, featuring an exaggerated but beautiful pattern.

“Is every notebook like this?”

“Yes.”

“Can I buy this one first? I’ll pay you.”

After some negotiation and a transaction, Luo Lan sold the notebook for a little over a yuan and received three yards of cloth tickets. In this era, all kinds of tickets were valuable. Even though she had the system, having money and tickets that could be used openly was still quite useful.

“By the way, I need to ask you something,” Luo Lan said, shifting focus.

“Sure.”

“Do you know Zhou Minshan?”

“The one who died at the end of last year?”

“Yes.”

“I know him, but we weren’t in the same class. He was in the class next to mine. I only saw him occasionally.”

“Were you there the day of the incident?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

Disappointed, Luo Lan sighed softly but quickly regained her focus. Before she could ask more questions, the girl spoke up.

“Why are you asking about this?”

“Oh, just curious.”

“Better not be too curious. This matter isn’t allowed to be discussed at school. If it weren’t for the beautiful notebook, I wouldn’t have mentioned it.”

“If you can find witnesses from that day and bring them to me, I’ll give you a notebook.”

“Really?” The girl, still in her teenage years and living in a time of scarcity, was greatly tempted by the promise of the notebook.

“Really.”

“It’s a deal.”

With this lead, Luo Lan returned home with a lighter step. The school had suppressed details about her younger brother-in-law’s incident, and all information came from the school’s side. Whether it was truly an accident or something more was yet to be verified.

System: Why are you so concerned about this? You’re more proactive than usual.

Luo Lan: Of course, he’s my younger brother-in-law.

System: Hmm? But you’ve never met him.

Luo Lan: Whether I’ve met him or not, he’s still my younger brother-in-law.

System: But why? Human emotions are usually built over time or through blood relations or love at first sight. Your case seems different.

Luo Llan: You can think of it as affection for the family.

System: Got it.

Whether it truly understood or not, Luo Lan didn’t dwell on it. On her way back home, she stopped by the restroom, and as she came out, she bumped into someone. The man spoke as he turned on his flashlight.

“Why didn’t you take a flashlight to the restroom? It’s dangerous to go alone late at night. In the future, call me to accompany you. If I’m not home, call Junhui or Junfang.”

The usually quiet man had spoken a lot in one go. In the dark, Luo Lan smiled softly. “Got it.”

She hadn’t mentioned the school issue to him, she wanted to gather more information before discussing it. The next morning, when she came out, he was already up. The bed was neatly made, and seeing her awake, he carried the bedding to the room where they were staying.

Luo Lan asked softly, “Was everything okay last night?”

“Everything’s fine.”