You're my wife, don't doubt it!

"Shameless!" Yu Luying scolded.

"Hmm," Xiao Yao said, "Shameless."

The bus suddenly started moving, giving Xiao Yao a strong feeling of being pushed back in his seat.

"Doggy," Yu Luying said softly, "thank you."

"Huh?" Xiao Yao replied, quite surprised.

The boy felt a lump in his throat; he was moved by the fact that his efforts had finally been recognized.

To cover up the awkwardness brought on by this feeling of being touched, Xiao Yao casually made up another story: "Suddenly I feel like we're the child's parents."

He had a nonchalant expression and tone.

Yu Luying blushed slightly and said, "What nonsense are you talking about now?"

"Don't you think so?" Xiao Yao explained, "It feels even stranger that the two of us are running around together trying to get our daughter into a good school—especially since we're still kids ourselves."

“It is a bit strange,” Yu Luying admitted. “You only dare to flirt when your sister isn’t around. If she heard you, she would kill you.”

“Yes,” Xiao Yao agreed, “They’ll beat me to death.”

The girl reached out her hand and intertwined her fingers with the boy's.

This is how Xiao Yao and Yu Luying visited Director Lin's home.

During the remainder of the summer vacation, they also visited the principal's home and an education bureau official.

Earlier, it was mentioned that "if my sister hears this, she'll beat you to death"—Shen Jie, who used to be fierce and always relied on her rudimentary karate skills, has now become as timid as a cat, and dares not go out alone every day.

Even if it's just going to the small shop at the entrance of the alley to buy a bottle of vinegar for her grandmother, she always drags Xiao Yao along.

This is certainly not because of being clingy and love-struck; it's purely out of fear.

“What are you afraid of?” Xiao Yao once said to her, “Since your father knows we live here, Zhang Zhengkai’s father must know too—I think both families have already given up, it’s just that Zhang Zhengkai himself is unwilling to give up.”

When she heard the words "both families have given up," Shen Jie's eyes dimmed again.

“What I mean,” Xiao Yao explained, “is to give up on this marriage that you’re being forced into—and if Zhang Zhengkai keeps pestering you, just beat him away.”

"You really trust me completely," Shen Jie said quietly.

"What?" Xiao Yao said, "Okay, okay, come on, I'll go with you to buy soy sauce."

However, they never saw "Zhang Zhengkai" again.

On the other hand, with me in the open and the enemy in the shadows, I'm not afraid of theft, but I'm afraid of being targeted by thieves. This "ghost" of Zhang Zhengkai has cast a small shadow over Xiao Yao's mind.

The main concern is that he might do something foolish or extreme.

Since that last ball game, Xiao Xiong has been going to Xiao Yao's house all the time, either to eat or play ball with Xiao Yao, or to play video games at his house.

Compared to the fact that he was rarely seen during most of the summer vacation, he has been appearing more frequently during this period, and Grandma and Shen Jie have become much more familiar with him as a result.

On the morning of August 29, as usual, Shen Jie dragged Xiao Yao out of bed to attend the Sunday Mass hosted by Yu Bo across from St. Francis Middle School. After the Mass, she took Xiao Yao back to the "slum" to look for Mei Yu.

"The matter of transferring to another school has been taken care of," Xiao Yao told Shen Jie. "Don't worry."

"Hmm," Shen Jie said calmly, "You two have worked hard these past few days—how much is the total tuition fee, and when is it due?"

“Uh,” Xiao Yao said, “I’ll call her later and ask her.”

"Haven't you been following up all along?" Shen Jie asked Xiao Yao.

"I just ran errands for them a few times, gave them gifts, and said some nice things," Xiao Yao told Shen Jie. "When you ask someone for a favor, it was Brother Bo who ultimately negotiated it, and Brother Bo was also the guarantor and temporary guardian."

"This is quite a risk for Brother Bo," Shen Jie sighed.

“Yes, he was actually unwilling at first,” Xiao Yao told Shen Jie. “Bo Ge may seem unrestrained on the surface, but he is actually a cautious person by nature.”

“Fangdang Yigang,” Shen Jie said, “No matter what, I have to finalize the barbecue stand with Meiyu before the start of the semester. She hasn’t replied to my messages for more than half a week, and I’m worried that something might have happened to her.”

"What could possibly happen?" Xiao Yao said dismissively.

Chapter 341 Running Away from Home: Human-to-Human Transmission?

2023-10-06

On the morning of August 29th, Shen Jie and Xiao Yao took a taxi to find Meiyu.

On the way, Xiao Yao said to Shen Jie, "Hey, honey, we've been 'clean' for almost a week now, as we agreed before..."

Shen Jie glared at her with her small eyes: "You're at it again first thing in the morning, aren't you? Didn't Brother Bo's sermon have any impact on you at all?"

“?” Xiao Yao said, “I admit, I didn’t sleep well last night and I dozed off during the sermon.”

Shen Jie looked angry and hesitant, which made Xiao Yao feel as if he were hallucinating hearing Jacky Cheung's voice.

"The matter of enrolling in the school has been settled." Xiao Yao quickly changed the subject: "Don't worry. The guarantor and temporary guardian are also Brother Bo. Brother Bo may seem carefree and unrestrained on the surface, but he is actually a cautious person by nature."

“Fangdang Yigang,” Shen Jie said, “No matter what, I have to finalize the barbecue stand with Meiyu before school starts. She hasn’t replied to my messages for several days, and I’m worried that something might have happened to her.”

"What could possibly happen?" Xiao Yao said dismissively.

"It's good that nothing's wrong." Shen Jie looked out the car window with a touch of sadness.

"Are you two really that close?" Xiao Yao couldn't help but complain.

Shen Jie tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Dog, do you know why I finally agreed to this temporary schooling plan?"

"Why?" Xiao Yao asked. "Did Meiyu do some ideological work with you?"

“Well, how should I put it,” Shen Jie told Xiao Yao, “During the summer camp, Meiyu and I contacted each other every day, and I would share my experiences from the summer camp with her.”

“Wow,” Xiao Yao said, “that’s a good relationship.”

“I’ve been asking Meiyu to come to summer camp with me,” Shen Jie told Xiao Yao.

"You brought your own people to the banquet, didn't you?" Xiao Yao complained. "Anyway, it's not your money that's being spent."

Shen Jie ignored Xiao Yao's sarcasm and continued, "Meiyu refuses to come."

"Of course she won't come. She has to go to work and sell beer to make money. Otherwise, what will she eat? She's not a rich girl like you."

"Are you deliberately trying to make me angry?" Shen Jie stared intently at Xiao Yao.

"No, no, I'm just being sarcastic," Xiao Yao lightly slapped his own face. "Go on."

“It’s true that having to go to work is one reason,” Shen Jie continued to explain, “but the main reason is that she said she’s no longer a student and is not eligible to participate in the student summer camp.”

“Uh,” Xiao Yao said silently, “She really is an extremely serious girl.”

“But I could tell that she really wanted to come,” Shen Jie’s tone turned slightly sad: “It’s just that she felt ashamed of herself… Do you remember those two migrant worker brothers kneeling outside the church during Mass this morning?”

“Of course I remember,” Xiao Yao said. “It was a bit touching.”

“The two of them didn’t come in because they had just come from the construction site and hadn’t changed out of their work clothes. They felt they were dirty and were afraid of soiling the church—” Shen Jie said. “But actually, Brother Bo couldn’t possibly not let them in. He sent people to invite them twice, but they refused to come in on their own.”

“Yes,” Xiao Yao replied, “but their actions only highlight their sincerity, and God will see it.”

Shen Jie said, "Meiyu gives me a similar feeling. I think about her, but I feel inferior, yet I also envy her. It's because she's not a student, even though we're all about the same age..."

“I understand,” Xiao Yao said to Shen Jie.

“Actually, I share my summer camp experiences with her every day because Meiyu wants to hear them,” Shen Jie continued to tell Xiao Yao. “She always asks all sorts of questions.”

"Mm," Xiao Yao said.

“Meiyu always tells me that she envies you and me,” Shen Jie said. “She envies that you and me still have books to read, and laments her family background… which leaves her with no choice but to come out into society and endure hardship.”

“Have you noticed?” Xiao Yao said, “Since we started dating, you’ve been using idioms better and better.”

Shen Jie ignored him and continued, "Sometimes she would ask me about things related to high school life... Gouzi, you know, whenever I hear her say she envies me for still being able to study, my heart aches."

“I understand,” Xiao Yao said.

“Now I realize that when I first left home, my idea of ​​dropping out of school to start a business was actually a… naive and unwise thought,” Shen Jie said, hugging Xiao Yao’s arm and resting her head on the boy’s shoulder. “Thank you for your persistence, which allowed me to continue being a student for the time being.”

"Mm." Xiao Yao accepted the thanks without hesitation and gently patted Shen Jie's cat head.

He suddenly remembered that not long ago, on the way to visit Director Lin by bus with Yu Luying, Yu Luying had done the same thing, holding his arm, leaning her head on his shoulder, and expressing her gratitude.

His hard work and dedication finally earned him the girls' recognition and gratitude, which made him so happy that he wanted to sing out loud.

Time has proven that it was all worthwhile.

“Oh, oh, oh~~ Outside the quiet little village, there was a silly little boy, born in the 80s~” Xiao Yao hummed softly.

"When I was a teenager, I went to the city and wasn't afraid of the sun. I worked hard in the 00s~" Shen Jie continued singing with her beautiful voice.

"?" Xiao Yao exclaimed in surprise, "Actually, they're all on the right track!"

"Right, right?" Shen Jie said smugly.

"There's still room for improvement in terms of breath control and rhythm," Xiao Yao said frankly.

"Have you gotten into the habit of putting me down?" Shen Jie said reproachfully.

"No way~~~"

Shen Jie called Meiyu again, but after a long wait, there was still no answer.

“Meiyu told me,” Shen Jie said sadly, “that she wants to save some money to go back and retake the exams so she can go back to high school.”

"So you're taking this business partnership with her so seriously," Xiao Yao said, "not only to prove your abilities, but also to help her out, right?"