"Little sister, are you saying this because your brother has some hidden illness and you're worried he won't be able to find a partner? He's so capable, he should be able to completely cover up his flaws. He looks perfectly normal to me. Could it be that he's infertile?"
He Xinglan didn't care about her sister's "outrageous remarks" at all, but she still had to explain for her brother: "No, sister, my brother is very healthy. Our family has regular check-ups... We've arrived home."
After walking for more than ten minutes, Yu Lian unconsciously ignored the pain in her feet. Looking at the small doorway, she remembered what Xu Fang had said. Falling from a high pedestal inevitably changes a person's heart. He Lin himself was a direct example of this, while his sister, on the other hand, was optimistic, cheerful, and lively.
"Don't worry, sister. It's just my brother and me at home. Mom and Dad haven't come back yet. I'll get some well water to soothe your ankle."
He Xinglan acted quickly, placing Yu Lian on a chair in the courtyard and then swiftly fetching a bucket and towel. Before applying the ice pack to Yu Lian, she explained, "Don't worry, sister, this isn't dirty; it's my brother's face towel."
For a moment, Yu Lian was speechless and felt somewhat embarrassed. The cool well water splashing on her ankles did make her feel a little better, but based on her years of experience, she judged that she would have to stay in the hospital for ten days to half a month this time.
"I'm so sorry, is there anywhere nearby where I can make a phone call? I'd like to contact my family; they're worried."
He Xinglan shook her head directly: "Sister, don't be afraid. It's not that I don't want to call you, it's just that our house is in a very remote place. Do you remember how you got here? If you do, you should be able to recall that there aren't many people around here."
Yu Lian wasn't actually familiar with this area. Yuncheng was divided into more than ten districts, and although she was a native of Yuncheng, she hadn't actually been to every district. Today, Yu Xiaoyan said that another friend recommended a place where she could buy fabric with good quality and prices a penny or two cheaper than other places, so she took a relatively long bus ride here. Now, she really couldn't go back.
He Xinglan noticed her panic and quickly reassured her, "Sister, let me put some medicated oil on you first, I don't know if it will work. My brother went to the factory to get my dad's bicycle, he should be back in half an hour if he's quick. Don't be afraid, I'll definitely get you to the hospital in less than an hour."
Yu Lian thanked him and began to observe the small courtyard. It wasn't really a courtyard—with the gate open, five or six people couldn't even move around comfortably. It was very small, with a small table, presumably where the He family usually ate. Every room's doors and windows were tightly closed; as He Xinglan had said, the area was very dusty. Visually, it wasn't large either.
Seeing her interest, He Xinglan explained, "This is a house arranged for us by the government. We didn't live here before."
"Xinglan, are you and He Lin biological siblings? With the same father and mother?"
This question made He Xinglan chuckle: "Of course. Our He family has a 'curse' that prevents us from having children, but my parents are a tough couple. My brother got pregnant with great difficulty, and so did I. He's not the eldest, and I'm not the youngest."
"What do you mean?"
He Xinglan suddenly lowered her voice: "I'll tell you in a low voice. Our family has had a difficult time producing offspring. Before my brother was born, an older brother and an older sister died—of course, they died before they were born. Then I lost a younger brother. To put it bluntly, it's a disease passed down in the He family. To put it simply, it's an illness, but you can't tell unless you have children. Our family situation is quite complicated. My brother was always the one my parents had high hopes for. You know, he's an only child, so his personality is probably related to that. As for me, hehe, I've never had to worry about anything since I was little, so I'm quite cheerful. Even now that our family has fallen on hard times, it only affects me for a while. To put it bluntly, I'm carefree."
When Yu Lian met someone for the first time and they joked about her and talked about their family without any burden, she was surprised to find that she seemed to have heard too much.
"Excuse me, is it okay if outsiders hear this?"
"Sister, I don't consider you an outsider. By the way, sister, where do you live?"
"On Anchang Street."
He Xinglan, who was originally enthusiastic and cheerful, was choked up after hearing this answer, and her enthusiasm for promoting her brother disappeared.
"I'm sorry, sister, just pretend I was talking nonsense."
He Xinglan was very clever. Yu Lian had only given a general location, and she had already guessed that Yu Lian's identity was not simple. For everyone in Yuncheng, Anchang Street was a familiar name—it was home to either the powerful and wealthy or political figures. Although there was a very low probability that she was a native, the probability was very small, and with a little observation, it was easy to see that the person in front of her had a very outstanding aura.
"Sister, is anyone in your family an official?"
Yu Lian hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer. He Xinglan, thinking the other woman had misunderstood, quickly explained, "Don't worry, sister, I didn't mean to try and curry favor. I'm just curious. I'm sorry for being so persistent and asking so many questions."
"It's okay, I was just thinking about whether I count as an official. I guess I do, my dad counts as an official."
"I was so stupid. Sister, don't tell my brother about the nonsense I just said, he'll beat me. Our family has a bad class background, it will affect you. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you know me or that I know you."
Looking at the innocent girl, Yu Lian felt a pang of sadness. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Did your family do something wrong?"
Unexpectedly, He Xinglan didn't hide anything: "I don't think so, sister. You can ask the workers who used to work in the factory; they loved going to work. Because our family's factory has the best benefits, people often come to ask if we're hiring."
Yu Lian had heard of this before—after all, the benefits were high, and who wouldn't want to work there if they could earn money? Several years ago, the wages at the He family's factory were twice that of ordinary workers. But she never expected that the "He" in that name would be the same "He" in the girl's name in front of her. And just like that, their paths crossed.
"My brother's back!"
He Xinglan heard the bell from afar. She quickly opened the door and ran out. Sure enough, she saw her brother and excitedly ran back to tell Yu Lian the good news.
"Sister, I can't go with you. If only I could ride a bicycle, I could take you to the hospital. But I can't, so my brother will have to take you!"
Yu Lian wrote down her home address, intending to invite her over. These two siblings had really helped her a lot today.
"Thank you, Xinglan. If you're free this weekend, or anytime you're free, feel free to call me and come over to my house."
"Okay, thank you, sister!"
Completely ignoring her brother's warning look, He Xinglan took the address and contact number that Yu Lian had just handed her.
After a while, looking at the empty courtyard, He Xinglan felt a little lost. No one from her family was there; she was the only one left, lost in thought in this deserted little courtyard. She had finally found someone to talk to today, and she had been quite talkative.
Over here, Yu Lian sat in the back seat, holding onto the bottom of the seat. He Lin, seeing the pothole ahead, warned, "Hold on tight, we're not responsible if you fall in."
Not long after she finished speaking, Yu Lian was nearly thrown off by a jolt. In the nick of time, she reached out and caught He Lin around the waist.
After a while, she still hadn't let go, and instead started analyzing He Lin's figure through the thin fabric. When she realized what she was doing, her face turned bright red.
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