mtlumby2d Chapter 36 Growing Flowers
Chapter 36 Growing Flowers
As the sun gradually set, Shi Shui showed no signs of waking up when her phone vibrated.
Bai Li's gaze fell on the phone, which belonged to Shi Shui. The caller ID on the screen read "Sister".
Bai Li turned off her phone's vibration. After hesitating for a moment, she didn't want to wake Shi Shui, but she was worried that something important might be wrong. So she took her phone and tiptoed away before answering the call.
A little girl's clear, bell-like voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello? Brother, I'm out of school. I was very good today too."
Bai Li turned to look at Shi Shui sleeping on the bed. Shi Shui had a younger sister.
Bai Li said softly, "Your brother is asleep."
"Huh?" The voice on the other end of the phone sounded surprised. "Who are you?"
Bai Li explained, "I am Bai Li, your brother's... friend. He just fell asleep, but if you need to contact him urgently, I can pass on your message."
"It's nothing urgent. I just wanted to tell him that I'm being good on my own and that I hope he and his mother can come home soon. Sister, you can tell him this when he wakes up." The little girl's voice was tender, and she sounded very young, but she was so sensible that it broke your heart.
“Okay, I’ll tell him when he wakes up that I helped you. Can I ask you a question?” Bai Li said with a smile, even though the little girl couldn’t see her expression.
The older sister across from him had a very pleasant, sweet voice, and the little lecher quickly fell for her. The little girl asked in a clear voice, "Is it okay, older sister? What do you want to ask?"
Do you live alone at home?
"No, I'm staying at Teacher Chen's house right now."
The little girl's answer relieved Bai Li. It seemed that Shi Shui had made arrangements for her younger sister's life before coming to the hospital.
Bai Li and the little girl chatted on the phone for a long time. During the conversation, Bai Li learned that the little girl's name was Shi Hua. The two siblings' names together mean "water flower," which is quite interesting.
"Goodbye, Sister Bai Li~" came the little girl's cheerful voice.
Goodbye, my sweet little flower~
Bai Li responded with a smile, and after hanging up the phone, a smile remained on her face, but that smile was mixed with a hint of bitterness.
Now I know why Shi Shui is so thin.
My mother is seriously ill and needs a lot of medical expenses.
The father was nowhere to be found, as if he had been absent when the family needed him most.
There is also a younger sister in the family who is still in school.
It seems that the family can only rely on him. The boy is not old, but he carries the burden of the whole family on his own.
Bai Li sighed. The rope finally broke at its thinnest point. Why is fate always so cruel, always choosing to torment these unfortunate people?
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A few hours later, Shi Shui woke up from a nightmare. He sat up abruptly, his eyes still filled with fear. When he saw Bai Li sitting by the bed, he slowly came to his senses and said in a hoarse voice, "Sister..."
Bai Li sat on the edge of the bed looking at her phone. The light from the phone screen shone on her face, adding a soft glow to her appearance.
Seeing that Shi Shui had woken up, Bai Li put down her phone, picked up the warm water from the thermos next to her, poured a glass, and handed it to Shi Shui: "Drink some water. Everything is fine. I've spoken with the doctor again, and the surgery can be moved up to tomorrow morning. They will closely monitor Auntie's condition in the meantime. How are you feeling now?"
Shi Shui took the water glass and drank the warm water. The water flowed down his throat, moistening his parched throat. He swallowed a few times and felt the pain in his throat ease, and his voice became a little clearer than before.
Shi Shui looked straight at Bai Li, her face full of sincerity: "Sister, thank you, I feel much better."
Bai Li suddenly remembered something and prompted, "Oh right, your sister just called, and I took the liberty of answering. She said she was very well-behaved and behaved very well. I think she probably has something else she wants to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Shi Shui hurriedly picked up her phone to check the time, feeling a pang of guilt. She realized she had slept for so long and missed her sister's school dismissal time.
Seeing that Shi Shui was about to make a phone call to her sister, Bai Li, who didn't have the habit of listening to people on the phone, stood up and walked out of the room, saying as she walked, "Let's go have dinner together later. I'll wait for you at the door."
Shi Shui nodded and dialed the number.
The brother and sister grew up together and had never experienced such a long separation.
Shi Hua finally spoke to her brother, her voice trembling with tears, what she hadn't said to Bai Li on the phone earlier: "Brother, I miss you and Mom. When can you come back?"
Hearing his sister's words, Shi Shui felt bitter and heartbroken. He didn't know how tomorrow's surgery would go, and he couldn't give his sister any promises. He could only gently comfort her, "Be good."
Shi Hua said with a hint of pride, "I'm very well-behaved. Did the older sister just tell you that?"
Shi Shui hummed in agreement, a hint of warmth appearing in her eyes: "She told me that you are very well-behaved and Xiao Hua is wonderful."
Shi Hua sniffed and hummed twice, unable to resist asking gossipy, "Brother, was that sister your girlfriend?"
Shi Shui hesitated, his mind went blank for a moment, and he quickly explained, "No!" His voice became somewhat flustered due to his urgency.
Shi Hua gave a meaningful "oh," her drawn-out tone filled with doubt; she clearly didn't believe her brother's words.
Although she is only in first grade, she already knows what boyfriends and girlfriends are. When her brother is asleep, her sister can answer the phone next to him, which she sees as a very intimate thing.
They are definitely boyfriend and girlfriend, just like in TV dramas.
The older brother still won't admit it.
Fine, I'll give my brother some face and not call him out on it.
Shi Hua thought generously; her clever little head already had its own set of logic.
Shi Shui's heart pounded. Although she didn't know how Shi Hua could have such a misunderstanding, she still explained it to her again and again.
Seeing that Shi Hua had cleared up her misunderstanding, he chatted with her for a while, told her about his situation, and reassured her not to worry.
Before the call ended, the phone was handed to Teacher Chen, and Shi Shui thanked her homeroom teacher, Teacher Chen, once again.
Teacher Chen is a kind and understanding person. She has always been very understanding of Shi Shui's family situation. At this difficult time, she did not hesitate to take Shi Hua back to her home to take care of her.
Teacher Chen answered the phone and asked with concern, "It's nothing, Shihua is very well-behaved here. How are things on your end?"
Shi Shui looked in the direction Bai Li had left through the door, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes, and replied, "Teacher Chen, don't worry. With the help of a benefactor, my mother can have the surgery tomorrow. If the surgery is finished early, I will come to pick up Shi Hua."
Teacher Chen said on the other end of the phone, "Okay, you should also take care of yourself. If you need any help, just let me know."
Shi Shui responded a few times, exchanged a few more pleasantries with the teacher, and then hung up the phone.
……
When Shi Shui came out of the room, Bai Li noticed that he looked much more energetic. He must have washed up quickly; his previously messy hair was no longer so disheveled, and a few strands still had water droplets on them, glistening under the light.
Although Shi Shui's face was still thin, her eyes had a brighter look, as if she had regained some vitality.
Xiao Hao's voice suddenly rang in Bai Li's mind: "Host, Shi Shui's appearance score has increased by 2 points, and is now 77 points."
Looks like I got a good night's sleep and tidied myself up, which boosted my appearance score, but it still didn't meet the standard.
Bai Li clicked her tongue inwardly. She was too thin and out of shape. If she gained a little weight, her good looks would probably come back.
At dinner, Ah Hu and the others could each eat more than three bowls of rice, but Shi Shui said he was full after eating only one bowl. How could that be allowed?
Under Bai Li's threat, Shi Shui reluctantly ate another half bowl of rice.
Bai Li nodded in satisfaction.
There is no one in this world who can't gain weight!
We must restore Shi Shui's good looks.
Bai Li made a silent vow in her heart.