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Chapter 2566 Terminal Illness

After the dinner party, He Wenhui's life became even more difficult.

Twenty yuan was a huge sum of money for her.

Now she owes a lot more money, and the pen she pawned to Suning was left to her by her father, so she must redeem it as soon as possible.

After much thought, He Wenhui decided to work in a garment factory.

The garment factory was in the south of the city. It took forty minutes to get there by bus from my home, so I had to get up before dawn every day to catch the earliest bus to the factory.

The work assigned by the factory was not easy either. It involved folding, packing, and boxing the cut fabric. You had to be quick, or you would fall behind schedule and be penalized.

He Wenhui had never done this kind of work before. After finishing the first day, she had several blisters on her fingers, and the pain was so bad that she didn't dare to clench her fists at night.

He Wenhui gritted her teeth and didn't say a word. She went as usual the next day and the third day. She worked for half a month in a row. The blisters on her hands turned into calluses, and she was much faster than before. She could earn 1.2 yuan a day.

One dollar and twenty cents might not seem like much in later generations, but in 1979, it was enough for He Wenhui to eat for two days.

I did the math, and at this rate, I can pay back the money I owe Suning and redeem the pen in just over a month.

By then, university will be open, and I can go to the free world.

When you have something to look forward to, you don't feel tired while working.

Every day after leaving the garment factory and getting on the bus back to school, she would stuff the money she earned that day into her pillowcase and save it, not wanting to spend a single penny.

However, He Wenhui was unaware that something had happened at home.

Her mother, Yu Qiuhua, has been having increasingly poor eyesight lately.

At first, her vision was blurry, as if she were looking through a layer of fog. Yu Qiuhua thought it was because she was getting old and didn't take it seriously.

Later, the fog grew thicker and thicker, until even people walking towards us couldn't see each other's faces.

She went to the hospital for a quick check-up. The doctor examined her eyelids, shone a small flashlight on them, shook his head, and said, "I can't treat this problem. You need to go to a big hospital; it might be cataracts."

Yu Qiuhua didn't go to a major hospital, not because she didn't want to, but because she was afraid to.

After all, going there costs money; registration costs money, examinations cost money, and surgery costs even more.

The family was already struggling financially. He Wenhui had just been admitted to university, and the tuition fees were borrowed from various sources. Where would they find the money for medical treatment?

Besides, if He Wenhui knew that there was something wrong with her eyes, she would definitely be distracted and might even have to come back to take care of her.

That won't do. He Wenhui worked so hard to get into university; her studies can't be delayed because of me.

Yu Qiuhua hid the diagnosis report and didn't tell anyone.

I told my family that I was just feeling a bit hot and that eating something light would help.

He Wenhui knew nothing. She ran back and forth between the garment factory and her home every day, so tired that she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and even dreamed of folding clothes.

I was thinking that once I saved enough money, I would redeem the pen, give it to Suning, and thank him.

I was thinking that after I graduated from university, I would find a good job, earn money, renovate the house, and let my mother live a good life for a few days.

She had such a beautiful dream, but little did she know that her mother's vision was darkening day by day.

……

Ever since He Wenhui treated everyone to a meal at the cafeteria, Liu Hongchang seems like a completely different person.

Liu Hongchang used to hum model operas when he was working. Although he was terribly off-key, at least he made some noise.

He doesn't hum anymore. He would daydream while chopping vegetables, and get distracted while stir-frying. Several times he put too much salt in the vegetables, making the workers frown at how salty they were, but he tasted them himself and insisted that it was fine.

Su Ning saw it all and knew perfectly well that this guy was probably interested in He Wenhui.

Liu Hongchang probably realized something was wrong, but he just couldn't control himself.

On the day He Wenhui came to treat them, he only glanced at the kitchen a few times, but those few glances were enough.

I think that girl is pretty, speaks softly, and has two dimples when she smiles. Who wouldn't take a second look?

Later, when Liu Hongchang heard that He Wenhui had gone to work in a clothing factory to pay off her debts, his goodwill towards her increased even more.

These days, there are plenty of pretty girls, but probably not many who are willing to endure hardship.

He Wenhui's family was poor, and the money for the banquet was borrowed, but she didn't default on the debt. Instead, she went to work to pay it back. What does this show?

This shows that the girl is ambitious and principled, and not the kind of person who is always trying to take advantage of others.

Liu Hongchang thought more and more about He Wenhui, but he was too embarrassed to ask her directly, so he could only try to get information out of Su Ning indirectly.

"Xiao Su, that He Wenhui, you've chatted with her a bit, what does her family do?" Liu Hongchang asked while peeling potatoes.

His tone was light and casual, as if he were just mentioning it casually.

But he had peeled the potato in his hand until only the core remained, clearly showing that he was not paying attention.

Su Ning glanced at him, wanting to laugh but not actually doing so. "I didn't talk to her much, but I know she just got into university and her family isn't well-off. The money for the dinner party was borrowed, and now she's working at a clothing factory to pay it back. I heard she earns 1.2 yuan a day and has been doing it for over half a month."

Liu Hongchang paused for a moment, his eyes lighting up. "One yuan and twenty cents a day? That's more than thirty yuan a month, enough to pay off the debt. This girl is really hardworking."

Suning poured the chopped vegetables into a bowl, wiped his hands, and leaned against the stove.

After thinking for a moment, I decided to speak my mind. "Brother Liu, let me tell you the truth, and you might not like it. He Wenhui isn't a bad person, but she has one flaw: she doesn't know how to refuse. The day she treated us to a meal, she said there would be a dozen or so people, but more than thirty showed up. She knew she didn't have enough money, but she was too embarrassed to say so. Isn't that just putting on a show? What could have been resolved with twenty yuan turned into such an awkward situation. She even had to pawn her pen to me. If I hadn't been so easy to talk to, I don't know how she would have ended up like this."

After listening, Liu Hongchang not only didn't think He Wenhui was bad, but also defended her, saying, "She's just proud and doesn't want to lose face in front of her classmates. Think about it, she got into university, she's happy, and she wants to treat her classmates to a meal to celebrate, that's only natural. As for the large number of people who came, that's because her classmates are showing their support. Would she turn people away? If you were in her shoes, you wouldn't feel comfortable either."

"Many people get into university and are very happy, but how many of them actually treat everyone to a meal?"

"That's why He Wenhui is different from others."

“…” Su Ning opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Although I haven't known Liu Hongchang for long, I've already figured out his temperament.

Once Liu Hongchang has made up his mind about something, nothing can sway him.

Liu Hongchang now thinks He Wenhui is good, so he sees everything about her as good. Pretending to be rich when she's not is a sign of strength, not knowing how to refuse is a sign of kindness, and not having money to treat others is because her family is poor, not He Wenhui's fault.

In any case, He Wenhui is right, she is good, and she deserves our sympathy.

Su Ning was extremely anxious! But he knew that being anxious wouldn't help.

I told Liu Hongchang all this in the hope that he would come to his senses and not get so caught up in it that he couldn't get out.

But look at Liu Hongchang's expression, his eyes are shining and he has a smile on his lips, he doesn't look sober at all.

It's clearly pierced through, and quite deeply.

Suning sighed and picked up the vegetable pan to start cooking.

The oil in the pan was hot, the scallions were sautéed until fragrant, and he poured the vegetables in. With a sizzle, smoke billowed up, making him squint.

As he stirred the food, he realized that this task was much more difficult than he had imagined.

The system instructed itself to disrupt Liu Hongchang and He Wenhui's meeting, so it took the initiative. However, Liu Hongchang still fell for He Wenhui. What does this mean?

This shows that you can stop someone like Liu Hongchang for a while, but not forever.

He's the kind of person who's stubborn and sticks to his beliefs; once he's set his mind on someone, nothing can change his mind.

Suning felt increasingly troubled by the thought.

When I watched "Home-Style Dishes" before, I felt that the character Liu Hongchang was both pitiful and infuriating.

It's pitiful that Liu Hongchang had such a large family to support, and spent half his life living for others.

What's infuriating is that Liu Hongchang is too stubborn. He could have had better options, but he insisted on going down a dead end, refusing to turn back even after hitting a brick wall, and saying he wasn't hurt even when he was bleeding from the head.

Suning was so engrossed in watching it that he stomped his feet, wishing he could jump into the TV and shake him awake.

Now that he's actually inside, standing right next to Liu Hongchang, what can he do?

We can't just tie Liu Hongchang up and prevent him from seeing He Wenhui, can we?

"Xiao Su, you said He Wenhui's pen was pawned with you. When is she going to come and redeem it?" Liu Hongchang asked again.

Su Ning rolled her eyes, holding back her anger. "I don't know. She said she'll come once she's saved enough money. It'll probably be another month or two."

Liu Hongchang nodded, put the peeled potatoes into a basin of water to soak, and then asked, "Where is the clothing factory where she works located in the south of the city? Is it far?"

Su Ning paused, turning to look at Liu Hongchang with a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "Brother Liu, why are you asking so many questions? You're no one to her, why should you care where she works?"

Liu Hongchang was taken aback by the question, and his expression became somewhat unnatural.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain but unable to, and finally managed to stammer, "I was just asking casually, just showing concern. It's not easy for a young girl working away from home; what if she runs into some bad people?"

Suning almost laughed out of anger at those words.

The area around the Chengnan Garment Factory is an industrial zone, bustling with people during the day. What bad people could possibly be there?

Besides, He Wenhui isn't a three-year-old child; how could she possibly get lost while going to work?

Liu Hongchang was clearly making excuses; to put it bluntly, he just wanted to know more about He Wenhui and was still thinking about her.

Suning didn't say anything more, put the stir-fried dishes into a large basin, and took it to the food serving window.

The workers had already started lining up, their enamel basins clattering, their meal tickets clutched in their hands, craning their necks to see what dishes were available today.

Su Ning stood behind the window, holding a large iron ladle, serving food to people spoonful by spoonful. He chatted and laughed with the workers, but in his heart he was thinking about Liu Hongchang.

I increasingly feel that it's impossible to make Liu Hongchang give up on He Wenhui with just a few words.

If you talk to someone like Liu Hongchang directly, he won't listen. Instead, he'll think you're meddling and might even get angry with you.

Suning had absolutely no idea what to expect.

……

After the lunch rush ended and the workers left, the canteen became quiet.

Su Ning sat on a long bench drinking water, while Liu Hongchang squatted by the door smoking. Neither of them spoke.

After a while, Liu Hongchang put out his cigarette. "Xiao Su, if He Wenhui comes to the cafeteria again, let me know."

Su Ning looked at him, remained silent for a while, and finally nodded, "Okay, I understand."

Liu Hongchang grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and turned to go into the kitchen to tidy up.

Suning sat there, holding the enamel mug in his hand for a long time, without drinking a single drop of water.

He watched Liu Hongchang's retreating figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This guy is really stubborn.

But this single-mindedness is precisely the rarest thing in the world.

Suning used to think Liu Hongchang was stupid, and he still thinks he's stupid now, but this kind of stupidity makes it hard to hate him or curse him.

He sighed, downed the water in the enamel mug in one gulp, stood up, and went into the kitchen.

Another group of workers needs to eat this afternoon, and the vegetables haven't been chopped yet. As for Liu Hongchang and He Wenhui's matter, let's take it one step at a time; there's no point in rushing it.

……

That day, Yang Maixiang was dragged to the blind date.

She was wearing a military green polyester jacket, her hair was tied into a thick braid, and her face was clean and neat without any powder or rouge.

The matchmaker led her to the entrance of the second canteen, where Liu Hongchang was already waiting.

Today, Liu Hongchang was unusually dressed in clean work clothes. He rinsed his hair with water, combed it neatly, and looked much more energetic than usual.

But his expression was clearly off; he stood there looking around anxiously, as if he had a nail under his butt and couldn't stay still for a moment.

Yang Maixiang was quite generous. She walked over and extended her hand confidently, "Comrade Liu Hongchang, hello, I am Yang Maixiang."

Liu Hongchang shook hands with her. "Hello, hello, um... have you eaten yet? Why don't you grab something to eat first?"

Yang Maixiang smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. "I'm not hungry, let's chat first! I heard you're the cook in the second canteen, and your skills are pretty good?"

Liu Hongchang nodded, then shook his head, looking completely lost, and his words were incoherent.

Because his mind was filled with He Wenhui's image, he had no interest in talking to Yang Maixiang.

When Yang Maixiang asked him something, he would just grunt or hum in response. If she asked him too many questions, he would scratch his head and give a very perfunctory answer.

Yang Maixiang wasn't stupid; after a few words, she realized that this person wasn't interested in her.

Yang Maixiang wasn't angry. Blind dates are supposed to be based on mutual consent. If the other person doesn't like her, can she just keep going?

"Alright, Comrade Liu Hongchang, I see you're quite busy, so I won't keep you from working any longer. We can talk again another time."

Liu Hongchang felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He nodded repeatedly, said "Take care," and turned to go into the kitchen, running faster than a rabbit.

Yang Maixiang stood at the entrance of the canteen, watching Liu Hongchang's back, shook her head, and gave a bitter smile.

The matchmaker sighed, muttered something, and pulled Yang Maixiang away.

Suning stood behind the food serving window and watched the whole scene unfold.

What a wonderful girl Yang Maixiang is! She's generous, unpretentious, and a real expert at managing a household.

Moreover, she was the most beautiful actress in the original drama. I really don't know if Liu Hongchang was bewitched.

If Liu Hongchang had married Yang Maixiang, he would have had an incredibly comfortable life for the rest of his days.

What a pity! Liu Hongchang already has someone in his heart, and no matter how good someone else is, there's no room for them.

……

A few days later, He Wenhui arrived.

I'm here to repay the money.

I worked at the garment factory for over a month and saved up more than twenty yuan, enough to cover the interest.

He Wenhui stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, holding a wad of change in her hand, some whole bills and some smaller ones.

Instead of the floral dress she wore that day, she wore a blue jumpsuit, and her hair was cut short, making her look more neat and tidy.

She's lost a lot of weight, her chin is more pointed, and her eyes look bigger.

Su Ning was chopping vegetables behind the window when he looked up and saw her. He paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, you're here? Paying back the money?"

He Wenhui nodded and handed the money through the window. "Master Su, count it, it's twenty-three yuan and fifty cents. I'll return the money for the meal to you, and you can return the pen to me."

Suning took the money, counted it, and found it was three yuan and fifty cents too much.

He took out three yuan and fifty cents, put the remaining twenty yuan in his pocket, and took the pen out of the drawer and handed it to He Wenhui, saying, "I don't want the interest, just pay back the principal. I'm not a loan shark."

He Wenhui took the pen, her eyes reddening slightly, but she quickly held back her tears.

She stuffed the pen into her pocket and looked up.

I noticed that the menu for today was written in chalk on the blackboard next to the food serving window: braised pork, stir-fried greens, and tomato and egg soup. At the bottom line, in small print, it said, "Lamb bones for internal sale, limited quantity, while supplies last."

This is an old rule at the No. 2 canteen. Sometimes the factory will buy some lamb bones to make soup, and the leftover bones will be sold cheaply to the factory workers as an internal benefit of the canteen.

He Wenhui's eyes lit up immediately when she saw the small print.

"Master Su, how much are those lamb bones...?" He Wenhui pointed to the blackboard, her voice low and slightly probing.

Su Ning glanced at the blackboard and casually said, "That's only sold to factory employees, not to the public. You're a student, not a factory worker, so you can't buy it. It's a factory rule, and there's nothing I can do about it."

He Wenhui's smile froze for a moment. She lowered her head, gave a soft "oh," and said nothing more.

She said thank you again, then turned and left.

However, not long after He Wenhui left, Liu Hongchang came out of the kitchen.

He was carrying a net bag containing several lamb bones, the meat of which had been carefully removed and was white and looked very fresh.

"Was that He Wenhui just now?"

Su Ning nodded. "They've come to return the money. They've redeemed the pen."

Liu Hongchang simply said "Oh," without replying.

He stood there, hesitating for a while, as if thinking about something, before finally gritting his teeth, picking up the net bag, and walking out.

Su Ning called out, "Where are you going?"

Liu Hongchang didn't turn his head, his voice drifting in from the doorway: "I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back in a little while."

Standing behind the window, Su Ning watched Liu Hongchang's figure disappear into the cafeteria entrance, and a sense of foreboding suddenly arose in her heart.

He put down the kitchen knife, sighed, and muttered to himself, "It's over, this simp is beyond saving."

Liu Hongchang chased after him on his bicycle.

He rode very fast, his bicycle bell ringing, and people on the road quickly made way for him.

He Wenhui was walking slowly, and before she even left the factory gate, Liu Hongchang caught up with her.

"He Wenhui! He Wenhui!" Liu Hongchang jumped out of the car, panting as he ran to her, and shoved the net bag into her hand. "Here you go. I set aside a few lamb bones from the factory. Take them back and make soup for your mother."

He Wenhui was stunned. She looked at the net bag in her hand, then at Liu Hongchang, and didn't react for a long time. "Master Liu, this...this is not appropriate, is it? I'm not a factory employee, I can't afford to buy this."

Liu Hongchang waved his hand, "It's alright, I'll give you my spot. Didn't you say you wanted to nourish your mother's body? Lamb bone soup is the most nourishing. Simmer it for a while to extract all the marrow from the bones, and the soup will be white and incredibly nutritious. Take it back, don't be shy."

He Wenhui's eyes reddened, and her lips trembled several times. She wanted to say thank you, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and she couldn't utter a single word.

She stood there, holding a net bag, tears streaming down her face.

When Liu Hongchang saw her crying, he panicked and hurriedly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. "Don't cry, don't cry. It's just a few bones, not worth much. If you're embarrassed, just treat me to a meal next time."

He Wenhui smiled through her tears, took the handkerchief, wiped her tears, and nodded vigorously, "Master Liu, thank you. You are such a good person."

Liu Hongchang scratched his head and chuckled, "Well, I'm pretty good at cooking, how about I make you some bone broth? If you take it home and make it yourself, you might not be able to control the heat and waste it."

He Wenhui paused for a moment, hesitated, and then nodded. "Then... I'll have to trouble you."

Liu Hongchang was so happy he almost jumped for joy. He quickly took the net bag, pushed the bicycle over, and patted the back seat. "Get on, I'll give you a ride back to the canteen. Take the soup back with you when it's ready for your mom."

He Wenhui sat on the back seat, and Liu Hongchang pedaled the bicycle. The two of them sped back to the second canteen.

Suning stood at the kitchen doorway, watching this scene with a complex expression on her face, neither able to tell whether it was helplessness or amusement.

Liu Hongchang went into the kitchen and got busy.

First, wash the lamb bones clean, crack them with the back of a knife, put them in a large pot, add ginger slices, scallion segments, cooking wine, pour in water, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, and then simmer over low heat.

He personally stayed by the stove, never leaving its side, occasionally lifting the lid to check, stirring with a spoon, and skimming off the surface oil.

The kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of bone broth, which permeated the entire cafeteria.

He Wenhui sat on a long bench in the cafeteria, waiting patiently.

Watching Liu Hongchang's busy figure, I couldn't quite describe the feeling in my heart.

Why is this person, who is not related to her at all, so kind to her?

What virtues or abilities does He Wenhui possess that make her worthy of such treatment from others?

The soup simmered for over an hour, until it turned milky white and as thick as milk.

Liu Hongchang poured the soup into a large enamel mug, put the lid on, wrapped it in a towel, and handed it to He Wenhui, saying, "Take it back while it's hot and give it to your mother. Take the bones back with you too; the bone marrow is the most nourishing."

He Wenhui took the enamel mug, hugged it to her chest, and felt its warmth spread to her heart.

Looking at Liu Hongchang, she said earnestly, "Master Liu, thank you. I'll bring my mother here to thank you when her eyes are better."

Liu Hongchang waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need to thank me, it was nothing. You should go back now! The soup won't taste good if it gets cold."

He Wenhui left with the enamel mug, but what she was thinking remains unknown.

Liu Hongchang stood at the entrance of the canteen, watching He Wenhui walk away until her figure disappeared at the factory gate, before turning back to the kitchen.

Liu Hongchang couldn't stop smiling.

Suning stood in the kitchen, witnessing everything clearly.

Looking at Liu Hongchang's absent-minded appearance and He Wenhui's tearful gratitude, I felt both helpless and amused.

The two of them, one giving the gift with great joy and the other accepting it with a clear conscience, neither of them felt anything was wrong.

But Suning could see that this red thread had already been tied, and it was getting tighter and tighter, so tight that it was impossible to break it.

"Fate! It's something you can't stop," Su Ning muttered to herself.

Liu Hongchang walked in through the door, his smile still lingering.

Seeing Su Ning standing there, he scratched his head sheepishly and explained, "He Wenhui's mother has poor eyesight, so she bought some lamb bones to nourish her body. I don't like eating them anyway, and it's a waste to leave them here, so I might as well give them away."

Su Ning glanced at him, but didn't say anything. She just nodded and said, "Okay, it's your business, you decide."

Liu Hongchang chuckled twice, tied on his apron, and got back to work.

He hummed a song while chopping vegetables. It was a model opera, and he was terribly off-key, but he kept humming it with increasing enthusiasm.

Listening to his off-key singing and seeing his smug expression, Su Ning felt a mix of emotions.

This guy is probably not going to make it out.

The thought of possibly failing the mission still made me feel somewhat unwilling.

It seems that serious illnesses require strong medicine to treat, otherwise Liu Hongchang's "terminal disease" cannot be cured.

...(End of this chapter)