RGL – Chapter 84

Although Wen Heping’s grades weren’t the very best, he had a decent appearance and spoke in a steady, mature manner, which earned him quite a bit of support from his classmates. When he came down from the stage, he gave Su Min a smile. But Su Min didn’t even lift her head, busy scribbling and drawing on her paper, which left him looking a little disappointed.

He had just sat down when Tang Man went up.

Tang Man was also running for class president. Compared to Wen Heping’s calm and steady demeanor, Tang Man was far more lively. She spoke at length with great enthusiasm and a loud, clear voice. Su Min couldn’t concentrate on her exercises anymore and rested her head on her hand, listening to a bit of the speech. The gist of it was that if Tang Man became class president, she’d foster unity and mutual support, making Class 2 a tightly-knit group.

“It’s not like we’re going to war. Why do we need to be a tightly-knit group?” Liao Zhaodi muttered next to her.

Su Min nearly burst out laughing when she heard that and quickly lowered her head to glance at Liao Zhaodi.

Apparently, Liao Zhaodi’s comment wasn’t far off from how others felt. When Tang Man finished her speech, the applause was thunderous, and Teacher Huang even nodded in approval.

Several others went up afterward.

Some fumbled their speeches; others were eloquent but lacked a strong presence. And of course, there were those who participated half-heartedly, just going through the motions.

In the end, the ones who got the loudest cheers were Wen Heping and Tang Man.

Considering that Tang Man was a girl—likely to have less energy than a boy and perhaps less persuasive ability—Teacher Huang decided to appoint Wen Heping as the class president and Tang Man as the vice president.

The rest of the class committee was also elected shortly after.

After school, Su Min and Zhaodi were getting ready to move some things into their new place. She had already completed the necessary procedures and could move out of the dorm anytime. The apartment complex wasn’t far from school, so she planned to have dinner with Zhaodi on the way back.

The two of them had just packed up their things and were about to leave the classroom when Wen Heping called out to them. “Su Min, um, can I treat you two to a meal today?”

Su Min had kept a polite distance from Wen Heping recently. Whether or not she was overthinking things, she didn’t want to get too close to any boys. If gossip started spreading in class again, it would just be another hassle. She also didn’t want to give Wen Heping the wrong idea—it might affect both their studies.

Lately, Wen Heping had been keeping his distance too. She hadn’t expected him to bring up dinner again today. She smiled and said, “No need. Zhaodi and I still have to get our stuff sorted back at the dorm. Maybe another time.”

“Wen Heping, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.” Just as Wen Heping was about to reply, a voice behind him interrupted.

He turned just as the person walked up to him. He recognized the girl—it was Tang Man, the class’s new vice president.

“What do you need?” he asked.

Tang Man smiled. “I wanted to grab a bite with you. We should talk about how to manage the class together.”

Seeing Tang Man walk over, Su Min gave a polite nod to Wen Heping and then tugged Liao Zhaodi along to leave.

Wen Heping, anxious to catch up, started to follow them, but Tang Man grabbed his arm. “Hey, where are you going? I just said we should eat and discuss class matters—how can you just walk off like that? If you’re not going to take care of class responsibilities, why’d you even run for president?”

Tang Man was clearly unhappy with Wen Heping’s attitude. In her opinion, a class president should be fully committed to managing the class well. That’s what made a good student leader. From the moment she was appointed vice president, she had already put together a comprehensive management plan. She was determined to instill a spirit of unity and mutual support among the students, a collective sense of honor, and ensure they could face any challenge as one.

Wen Heping had no choice but to go eat with her. At this point, he was already regretting running for class president. He had only done it to catch Su Min’s attention. But she hadn’t paid him any mind at all, and now he was stuck with this extra hassle.

“Wen Heping’s in trouble now. Tang Man’s dragged him onto her team—she’s definitely going to give him a lecture,” Liao Zhaodi joked once they were outside the school building.

Su Min wasn’t thinking about any of that. What was on her mind was when she could make a trip to the city and check out the local market. She remembered that Sanye’s clothing factory used to sell clothes to the city, and they’d been quite popular too. That meant her designs could actually be well-received there.

She just didn’t know which clothes sold well besides Sanye’s designs.

Right now, she was already starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, like there was less and less in her head to work with. She liked fashion design and hoped to pursue it in the future, so she wanted to start studying seriously now—she couldn’t rely solely on the limited perspective she had from her previous life.

After eating with Zhaodi, the two of them quickly moved some clothes from the dorm to the rented apartment.

By the time they had tidied up everything in the apartment, it was already getting late. They didn’t linger and quickly returned to the dorm.

When they walked into the room, Tang Man was enthusiastically chatting with Yin Jing. When she saw Su Min come in, her face immediately turned cold. She looked at Su Min and said, “Su Min, this weekend the class is organizing a hiking trip to the mountains near the city, to help everyone bond a little.”

Su Min was changing into her slippers. Upon hearing this, she turned and asked, “Organized by the class? Teacher Huang didn’t mention anything about it.”

“It’s not organized by Teacher Huang. Wen Heping and I planned it. Everyone in the class just met and still doesn’t know each other well. I thought this would be a good chance to connect.”

Hearing that, Su Min couldn’t help but sweat a little. They spent all day together in class, seeing each other constantly—now they were expected to bond even more by going hiking? Did people really think everyone’s time was that cheap?

She actually had plans. “Zhaodi and I have things to do this weekend, so we won’t be going. We already know everyone in class, there’s no need for a hike to get acquainted.”

“How can you be like this? Moving out of the dorm is one thing, but now you’re ignoring class activities too. This shows no regard for the class collective. If everyone acted like you, what would become of our class?”

Su Min smiled and said, “I came here to study because I want to go to university—not to make friends or build connections. If I get along with someone, we’ll naturally spend time together. If I don’t, hiking won’t help that.”

They were at a top city school—who wasn’t here to grind through textbooks and practice exams? Any free time was better spent resting properly. Who had the energy for hiking? Besides, leading a group of kids to climb a mountain without a teacher’s supervision—what if something happened? Who would take responsibility? This wasn’t college—they were all still minors. That kind of trouble wasn’t worth it.

Tang Man was so angry at Su Min’s words that she nearly jumped in frustration.

It was only her first day as vice class monitor and people were already ignoring her? How was she supposed to manage later? She huffed angrily, “If you don’t go, I’m going to tell Teacher Huang.”

“Go ahead. I need to go get some hot water.”

Su Min picked up her thermos and left with Liao Zhaodi.

Tang Man stomped her foot. “What kind of attitude is that? Refusing to participate in class activities—how did someone like that even end up in our class?”

Zhang Panpan said quietly, “Tang Man, I want to go home this weekend. I didn’t go last week.”

Tang Man was already fuming, and hearing that even Zhang Panpan didn’t want to go made her face flush red with anger. “No, you have to go!”

Seeing Tang Man like this, Zhang Panpan could only bite her lip and nod.

After this incident, Su Min and Tang Man’s relationship completely froze over. They were icy whenever they saw each other and would argue whenever they spoke.

After school on Friday afternoon, Su Min and Zhaodi moved out of the dorm and into the rented apartment. The place had already been cleaned thoroughly, and their belongings had been gradually moved over during the past few days. Once they arrived, they could immediately start cooking.

Both Su Min and Liao Zhaodi were great cooks. Since the business hadn’t started yet, Zhaodi didn’t have much money. After discussing it together, they decided Su Min would buy the groceries and Zhaodi would cook. Once Zhaodi started earning money, they would rearrange the responsibilities.

It was Liao Zhaodi’s first time living in a place like this, and she felt a bit emotional. The night they moved in, she couldn’t sleep and ended up chatting with Su Min well into the night.

Just as Su Min was drifting off, Zhaodi suddenly said with a hint of sadness, “Su Min, where do you think my sisters are now? They’ve never traveled far before, and the only money they had was what I gave them. If they’re not in the county anymore, where could they be living?”

Su Min squinted her eyes, yawned, and replied, “It’s not like the past anymore. There are more jobs out there now. If they both found something, they should be okay. Remember my aunt? She used to work at a restaurant and did just fine. She even said there were lots of people from the countryside working there—some even managed to save money and send it home. Plus, your sisters are together—they have each other for support, so they should be fine.”

“My oldest sister is very honest—quiet, keeps to herself, just focuses on working hard. But my second sister is a lot more assertive. Back when my dad hit my mom, she was the one who dared to pull him away, so she was the one who got beaten the most.”

After she finished speaking, there was a long silence. On the side, Su Min didn’t say anything. When she turned to look, she found that Su Min had already fallen asleep.

She let out a soft sigh and leaned her head against the window, gazing outside.

The next morning, the two of them actually got to sleep in for once.

After breakfast, they went to wander around the city center to get a sense of the local market conditions.

Meanwhile, Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang gave Li Meng a full update on the situation at the shop.

There wasn’t much to do at the shop—basically just keeping an eye on the workers and making sure business ran smoothly. Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang planned to go visit their daughter this time and look for a house in the city. Once everything was settled, they would return to make further arrangements.

“Big sis, brother-in-law, don’t worry. I promise I’ll handle everything properly,” Li Meng said solemnly.

Sun Qiufang smiled and replied, “It’s not that we’re worried. It’s just that we won’t be able to keep an eye on things as much in the future, and it’ll be a bit more work for you.”

Li Meng laughed. “What are you saying? You’re paying me such a high salary—if I don’t do the job well, wouldn’t I be letting you down? You can be completely at ease.”

After exchanging a few polite words, Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang prepared to go home to pack their things so they could head to the city on Monday.

Just as they stepped out of the mall, they saw one of the employees from the old street store leading someone over in a fluster.

Su Changrong, sharp-eyed, immediately recognized the person trailing behind—it was his own father.

“Changrong, finally I found you,” Grandpa Su said anxiously, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang exchanged glances, then looked at Grandpa Su. Su Changrong asked in surprise, “Dad, what’s going on?”

“Your mom’s in trouble. She’s in the hospital now,” Grandpa Su said urgently, his eyes red. Though his wife had always been a bit rough around the edges, she’d still borne and raised these children for him—they had spent their whole lives together. Thinking of her current state pained him deeply.

Neither Sun Qiufang nor Su Changrong expected the usually fierce old woman to end up in the hospital.

She’d always been in decent health, so getting seriously ill now seemed far too sudden. But regardless of the reason, as her son and daughter-in-law, they naturally had to go back and check on her.

They didn’t bother packing, just grabbed their bags and followed Grandpa Su out.

On the way, Grandpa Su cautiously asked Su Changrong if he had any money.

“My mom’s in the hospital and you didn’t pay?” Su Changrong asked, his face full of surprise.

Grandpa Su pulled a bitter face. “At first she was in the town hospital, but the doctors there said their facilities weren’t good enough, so they transferred her to the county hospital. Changfu and the others are already there. You know what Changfu’s situation is like—his family can’t come up with any money. The initial hospital fees were covered by him, but it’s a real strain.”

Sun Qiufang, overhearing, asked, “Does Changgui know about this?”

Grandpa Su sighed. “I already sent Changfu to tell him, but his situation isn’t great either. I really had no choice. After all, she’s your mother too.” He knew that his wife had hurt their children emotionally with what she’d done in the past, and that coming to them now was a bit shameful. But no matter her flaws, she gave birth to Changrong—he was her own son, and it was only right for a son to care for his mother’s medical treatment.

Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang understood this reasoning as well.

They didn’t go back for New Year’s or festivals anymore because they had no more feelings for the old home. But when something serious happened, they were still her son and daughter-in-law—it wasn’t possible to completely cut ties and walk away. Never mind the law—even socially, people would call them heartless and unfilial if they didn’t show up.

“How exactly did Mom end up in the hospital?” Su Changrong frowned. It wasn’t just about money—he wanted to know what had really happened.

Grandpa Su looked a bit embarrassed and hesitated before answering, “She fell.”

“Fell? She wasn’t climbing mountains or working the fields. How’d she manage to fall?” Sun Qiufang looked at her father-in-law’s expression and could tell he wasn’t telling the full story. “You’re asking Changrong to pay for her treatment—you should at least explain the situation clearly. We can’t just hand over money without knowing what’s going on. It’s not like she only has Changrong as a son. If we’re going to talk fairness, the second and third sons are the ones who benefited the most over the years.”

Faced with her words, Grandpa Su lost his nerve and sighed, finally revealing the truth.

It turned out that Su Can had been misbehaving at school lately—skipping classes and, since the family lived in town, had fallen in with a gang of local delinquents. Things got so bad that he even led a group of boys to sneak into his own home to steal food. When Grandma Su caught them, they tried to run. Su Can tried to stop her and ended up pushing her down.

“Your mom hurt her back and couldn’t move at all. They rushed her to the town hospital, but the doctors said it was serious and she should be transferred to the county hospital immediately. If we delayed, she might lose function in her lower body permanently.”

Su Changrong, who had been driving a motor tricycle, slammed on the brakes at that. Grandpa Su lurched forward but managed to grab the handlebars and didn’t fall off.

“Why’d you stop like that?!” Grandpa Su patted his chest in alarm.

Su Changrong jumped off the trike, face full of anger. “What did Changfu say about all this? Mom ended up like this because of Cancan—did they say anything at all?”

Sun Qiufang was even more displeased. “It was Cancan who caused this, and Changfu just washes his hands of it? And then expects us to pay for her treatment? That’s real nice of them. That old woman treated Su Can like he was her own lifeblood, and now he’s the one who hurt her—and we’re still supposed to pay? That’s just too much.”

Grandpa Su hurriedly said, “I knew you’d react like this—that’s why I didn’t dare tell you the truth. But Changrong, Qiufang, even if you’re angry, now’s not the time to argue. Your mom’s still waiting in the hospital. If anything happens because we delayed treatment, you’ll still be the ones who have to take care of her in the end.”

Hearing this, Sun Qiufang did hesitate a little. She didn’t like the old woman, and she didn’t want to spend the money—but if the old woman ended up paralyzed, they’d still be the ones who had to take care of her. And she had no desire to be burdened with that kind of trouble.