CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44: POOR BOY XU XU (2)

Zhao Meimei followed Xu Xu into the house, stepping into a narrow, long corridor with rooms on either side. At the end of the corridor was a rectangular kitchen with two stoves, one on the left and one on the right.

Zhao Meimei followed Xu Xu, wandering around the rooms one by one, and frowned. Kids don’t think too much; they just say whatever comes to mind. Zhao Meimei said, "Xu Xu, your house is really shabby!"

The smile on Xu Xu’s face froze instantly, and he showed a timid expression: "I, I don’t think my house is shabby. I’ve lived here all my life. Our neighbors’ houses are just like ours. I, I..."

Xu Xu’s big, round, and dark eyes looked at Zhao Meimei, asking carefully, "Since my house is this shabby, will you still play with me?"

Zhao Meimei nodded: "Of course! I play with you; what does it have to do with your house being shabby?"

Xu Xu thought for a moment, then chuckled: "That’s right."

Zhao Meimei looked at the earthen bed in Xu Xu’s house, filled with curiosity. She leaned over, touched it, and asked in surprise, "You actually sleep on this?"

Xu Xu nodded: "Yeah, my mom and I sleep together."

Zhao Meimei looked at the mat on the earthen bed, noticing it was made of faded plastic flooring, with frayed edges coming loose.

Beside the earthen bed was a large cupboard, and the doors were closed.

Zhao Meimei, curious, glanced around but, upon hearing this, turned her head and looked at Xu Xu disdainfully.

Xu Xu sensitively noticed her gaze, was stunned for a moment, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared.

Zhao Meimei said, "Xu Xu, you’re really embarrassing!"

Xu Xu’s eyebrows drooped dejectedly, just about to speak when Zhao Meimei proudly said: "I stopped sleeping with my parents when I was four and a half. I became independent then. You’re so old now and still sleep with your mom. It’s shameful!"

Xu Xu suddenly raised his head, staring dumbly at Zhao Meimei: "You, you look down on me just because of this?"

Zhao Meimei seriously nodded, imitating Shi Yang’s lecturing tone with style: "Xu Xu! You’re so old now, you need to be sensible! It’s not like there isn’t a room next door. What’s with squeezing in with your mom? As for our class, from what I know, no one else still sleeps with their parents. You’re too dependent, you know?"

In Xu Xu’s dull eyes, a sudden bright and dazzling light appeared. He stared at Zhao Meimei and tentatively asked: "You don’t look down on me because my house is shabby?"

"Huh?" Zhao Meimei was examining the cupboard on the earthen bed and turned her head at his words: "Why would I look down on you because your house is shabby?"

Xu Xu murmured: "I thought you would..."

Xu Xu quickly lightened up again, smiling: "Well, never mind. It’s not that I don’t want to sleep alone, but when I’m alone in the room at night, I get scared."

Zhao Meimei looked at him: "What are you afraid of?!"

At the mention of this, Xu Xu was aggrieved: "My house has mice. At night, they scurry around everywhere, and I’m especially scared."

Zhao Meimei teased: "Are you really afraid of mice? I’m not scared at all! Let me tell you, my Brother Yangyang’s house also has mice. His house is two stories, right? Once, when I was running down the stairs, I accidentally stepped on a mouse."

At first, Xu Xu listened intently, but by the end, he made a face of disdain: "Huh? You stepped on a mouse?"

Zhao Meimei boasted proudly: "Yeah! And it was alive!"

Xu Xu couldn’t help but ask, "Did you kill it?"

Zhao Meimei laughed at the memory: "No, when I stepped on it, it was all furry and soft. I slipped, and if my Brother Yangyang hadn’t caught me from behind, I would’ve fallen on the floor."

Xu Xu’s beautiful eyes widened: "And the mouse?"

Zhao Meimei casually replied: "It squeaked twice and then ran off."

Xu Xu looked at her with admiration: "Meimei, you’re really amazing."

Zhao Meimei slyly glanced sideways, full of gloating: "Of course, besides my Brother Yangyang, no one is braver than me."

Xu Xu gritted his teeth and puffed out his small chest: "Meimei, I’ll take your advice. Starting tonight, I’ll sleep alone."

Zhao Meimei looked pleased: "That’s more like it!"

Zhao Meimei lost interest after wandering around the house and turned to the front yard to play with the puppy.

Xu Xu followed behind, dragging out a plastic stool.

Zhao Meimei saw it and asked, "What are you doing?"

Xu Xu grinned: "Go pick some grapes for fun."

Upon hearing about picking grapes, Zhao Meimei stopped teasing the dog, stood under the grapevine, seriously picked out a cluster that looked the biggest and most purple, had Xu Xu help hold the stool, and carefully snipped it down with scissors.

It was the first time Zhao Meimei picked grapes by herself; she climbed down the stool, held the bunch of grapes with both hands, and looked up at Xu Xu with a smile.

Xu Xu remembered vividly how Zhao Meimei appeared that day.

Sunlight filtered through the tender green grape leaves, scattering fresh green spots on her face; Zhao Meimei’s eyelids were thin, and the tail of her eyes curved into a nice arc, she said coolly: "Look, Zhao Xu, these are the grapes I picked myself."

Implying, isn’t it just picking grapes? There’s nothing in this world that I, Zhao Meimei, can’t do. Am I awesome? Do you admire me?

Xu Xu looked enviously at Zhao Meimei’s showy expression, genuinely feeling she could achieve everything he wanted but couldn’t.

In Xu Xu’s heart, Zhao Meimei’s position was equivalent to Shi Yang’s in Zhao Meimei’s heart, a feeling of admiration, affection, reliance, and worship. In Xu Xu’s heart, there’s a place reserved solely for Zhao Meimei, holding her unique position.

Zhao Meimei, after playing for a while, got hungry and unceremoniously asked Xu Xu: "Xu Xu, do you have food at your place? I’m hungry."

Xu Xu then remembered about eating and nodded with a smile: "Yes, my mom left me some food this morning."

Zhao Meimei followed Xu Xu into the house, walked to the kitchen, and watched Xu Xu take out two bowls from the old rack cabinet, lifted the lid of the big pot on the stove, inside were two small bowls, one with rice and one with dishes.

Xu Xu skillfully took out the small bowls, grabbed the thermos from the ground, poured hot water into the rice, soaked it, then poured the water out, repeating twice, and divided the rice into small bowls, took chopsticks, and brought the meal to the table in the room in two servings.

Zhao Meimei, who had never done chores since childhood, just circled around Xu Xu, without thinking of lending a hand.

Zhao Meimei peeked at the dishes in the small bowl, curiously asking: "What’s this?"

Xu Xu picked up a piece for her: "Cold watermelon rind salad."

"Ah?" Zhao Meimei was surprised: "How can you eat this!"

Xu Xu picked and ate a piece for himself: "Try it, it’s really good."

Zhao Meimei, half doubting, bit and chewed a piece, her eyes gradually widened: "It’s delicious, sweet and sour!"

Xu Xu was delighted: "If you like it, come play at my house next time, I’ll have my mom make it for you again."

Zhao Meimei agreed with a nod: "Okay."

When Zhao Meimei left Xu Xu’s house that day, she carried away two big bunches of grapes in a plastic bag, one for herself and one to bring to the hospital for Shi Yang.

Zhao Meimei always had Brother Yangyang in her thoughts; it was a subconscious instinct.

Xu Xu accompanied Zhao Meimei all the way to the bus stop in front of the school, waiting with her for the bus.

Zhao Meimei looked towards the direction of the approaching bus, tired, she sat directly on the curb and complained: "Your house is far away, yet you say it’s so close to school!"

Xu Xu helped Zhao Meimei with the bag of grapes, sitting next to her: "I don’t feel it’s far; I walk to school and back every day."

Zhao Meimei was speechless, looking at Xu Xu: "It’s three whole stops; taking the bus is better, faster, and more convenient."

Xu Xu blinked his big eyes, his long, thick eyelashes fluttering: "My mom works hard to earn money; I don’t want to spend it carelessly."

Zhao Meimei curiously asked: "Why do you always mention your mom? What about your dad?"

Xu Xu said softly: "I don’t have a dad; my mom divorced him when I was little."

Zhao Meimei nodded: "Ah, I see, you’re pretty much like Da Bao."

Xu Xu was curious: "Who’s Da Bao?"

Zhao Meimei took the bag of grapes: "My buddy! I’ll introduce you when you come to my place someday."

Zhao Meimei stood up, took out the change from her pocket: "The bus is here, I’m leaving!"

As the bus came, Zhao Meimei ran two steps forward, Xu Xu shouted from behind: "Meimei, can I really come to your place?"

Zhao Meimei handed money to the conductor, leaned her head out the bus door and shouted: "Of course! Whenever you want to come, let me know in advance, and I’ll ask my mom to make delicious food for you!"

Xu Xu watched as the bus door slowly closed, gradually obscuring Zhao Meimei’s face; he stood still, watching the bus turn and disappear down the road, a splendid smile blooming on his face.