The news that Wen Mubai had secretly registered for the joint entrance exam and changed his major reached Xu's parents within two days. Whenever Xu Chacha mentioned Wen Mubai at the dinner table, they would laugh it off and change the subject.
"Auntie has been busy lately, I'll take you to the amusement park next time."
Xu Chacha picked at the rice in her bowl and asked, "Where did Auntie live after arguing with her father and running away from home?"
"Her mother left her an apartment, or at least she could live at school," Xu's mother recalled, then told Xu Chacha, "Auntie did something wrong. Why can't you discuss things properly and instead run away from home? Don't follow her example."
"Auntie didn't do anything wrong," Xu Chacha pouted, defending her. "It's because Uncle Wen is always so fierce and doesn't reason with her that Auntie got angry and ran away!"
“Child.” Mr. Xu shook his head, but he couldn’t really refute those words.
He knew Wen's father's personality quite well; he was indeed a rather stubborn person who cared a lot about his image in public, so one could imagine how strict he was with his two daughters in private.
“That’s true.” Xu Cha’s legs swung under the tea table. “My aunt is so good to me, she helps me with my homework and plays with me, and we still talk bad about her. If that’s the case, we won’t be friends with Mom and Dad anymore.”
"Not wanting to get along with Mom and Dad?" Xu's mother said with a long face. "Does that mean you're going to learn from Auntie and run away from home?"
Xu Chacha wasn't afraid at all and was very tough. "Chacha won't run away from home because Mom and Dad love Chacha very much and they wouldn't bear to make Chacha leave."
Her words immediately dispelled any anger they might have felt.
Mrs. Xu shook her head, smiled helplessly, and looked like she couldn't do anything about her. "You little rascal."
“You little rascal, someone loves you.” Xu Chacha winked at her sweetly.
"Yes, I love you the most." Xu's mother put a piece of meat on her plate.
...
Because she was worried about Wen Mubai's condition, Xu Chacha would send her several motivational messages every night before bed, as regularly as clocking in for work.
"Go, Auntie! You must design lots and lots of beautiful clothes and earn even more money than Uncle Wen!"
Wen Mubai didn't know why Xiaobudian sounded so indignant tonight, so he listened to it twice more and chuckled softly.
She didn't live in the dormitory; she rented an apartment near the school and only went back to her apartment on weekends.
I just got back from a meeting with the film crew today. I spent half the evening researching on my computer, and by 10 p.m. I was already sleepy and wanted to go to bed.
Maybe it was because Xu Chacha kept talking about her at this time every day that she was unconsciously affected and her biological clock was forced to be corrected.
Wen Mubai closed her laptop and lazily sank into the sofa. She didn't turn on the lights; only the office building across the street, which never rests, was willing to lend a little light to the room.
She really enjoys being alone like this, in the quiet and secluded place, undisturbed by anyone, so she can focus on what she wants to do.
Right now, I just want to hear that little one's voice a little longer.
The weekly half-hour phone call is no longer just a reward for Xu Chacha, but also a brief respite in her busy and dull life.
"Hello, Auntie!" Every time I answer the phone, without exception, it's Xu Chacha's energetic voice that first enters my ears.
Wen Mubai smiled and replied softly, "It's me. Are you asleep?"
"No, no, I'm really into talking to Auntie on the phone." Xu Chacha pulled a plush toy over to prop her head up, "Auntie sounds tired, is something bothering you?"
"No, Auntie is fine," Wen Mubai said softly, not wanting the little girl to worry about her.
She dislikes any occasion that requires socializing. After today's meeting, she was forced to go to a dinner party. Although no one dared to persuade her to drink, she couldn't just leave in a huff.
The director, producer, and a pretty "assistant" who had been brought in from who-knows-where filled the private room with the smell of strong liquor and rotten meat halfway through the dinner.
The strongest liquor is poured down a girl's throat, and the most stinky flesh comes from a man who constantly tries to take advantage of others.
Seeing these things, she was even more glad that she had chosen to "rebel" this time.
"Alright then, if Auntie doesn't want to talk about it, that's fine." Xu Chacha put her phone next to her pillow, folded her hands under her cheeks, and found a comfortable position to lie on her side. "Chacha has so much to say to Auntie."
"Did Sisi cry today? Or did Miaomiao say her catchphrase, 'I hate so-and-so the most'?"
"No, none of that!" Xu Chacha laughed loudly. "It's because I secretly cheated during PE class today."
"You dared to tell your aunt after going astray; you've got some nerve."
"Because Auntie won't tattle." Xu Chacha chuckled affectionately into the phone receiver.
"So, let's continue." Wen Mubai lay down on the sofa, picked up a picture book, and listened to Xu Chacha as he flipped through it.
"Today our PE teacher was going to test us on the 50-meter dash, but I just can't run fast. Everyone else passed on the first try, but I just kept running and running..."
Wen Mubai turned a page, but couldn't focus on the posters in the booklet; his mind was filled with the pitiful image of Xu Chacha panting for breath.
"So, did the PE teacher let go?"
"Of course not, and I'm still the class monitor, how embarrassing!" Xu Chacha was genuinely angry today. Why are physical tests for elementary school students so difficult!
"Then I took the opportunity to go to the toilet and asked our sports committee member to test my test results."
"Would it be possible to pass the test if someone else were given the test?"
"I failed." Because of her lack of stamina, Xu Chacha ran slower and slower each time. "Then I talked to the sports committee member and asked her to bring me a week's worth of small cakes so that she could secretly pass the test, since the teacher wasn't around anyway."
"Sports committee member?" Having chatted with Xu Chacha on the phone for several weeks, Wen Mubai knew the position in their class very well. She said meaningfully, "It's that Zhuangzhuang."
Xu Chacha: "..."
"Is that Zhuangzhuang? The little boy who called out to you at the school gate last time?" Wen Mubai asked again with a smile.
"It's time to sleep, Auntie, goodnight!" Xu Chacha snuggled into the covers.
Hearing the angry little voice on the other end, Wen Mubai's smile became even wider. "Goodnight, Cha Cha, the heartthrob."
"Say less, you stinky auntie."
Chapter 27
After school on Friday, Xu Chacha told Xu Yanshu that she was going to the hospital with Wang Fang to see Gao Lele and told her to go home first.
Wang Fang's car was smaller than the one she usually used to pick up and drop off Xu Chacha, but it was very clean and had a faint fragrance, making it less likely for her to get carsick.
Gao Lele fell off her bicycle before school started and injured her tailbone. She could only lie in bed to recover. Wang Fang would go to her every Friday to tell her about her homework.
Her ward was quite lively, with four beds in one room, occupied by men, women, young and old, all of whom were pitifully unable to move around.
Xu Chacha placed the fruit basket, bought with class funds, on the table for her, then stood obediently behind Wang Fang waiting for an introduction.
"This is Xu Chacha, your deskmate and also the class monitor. You can ask her for help if you need anything," Wang Fang introduced her.
"Hi." Xu Chacha leaned out and waved to her, "I was so worried about you since you didn't come."
She was the only one without a deskmate, and she really wanted Gao Lele to recover and come back to school as soon as possible.
Gao Lele's appearance is the opposite of her name. She is short, similar to Xu Chacha, with a small face, delicate single eyelids, and a soft voice. She looks like a quiet girl.
"Hello, Chacha, thank you for worrying about me."
Mr. Gao got up and gave his seat to Wang Fang, then brought a chair for Xu Chacha. "You two chat, I'll go wash some fruit."
"Let me wash them, Uncle." Xu Chacha stood up. She had already heard Wang Fang read it once in class and didn't want to audit it again. Before Gao's father could refuse, she grabbed two big apples and ran off. "I'm good at washing fruit! I'll wash them for you!"
“This child…” Mr. Gao stared at her retreating figure in disbelief, “She runs so fast.”
Wang Fang didn't even look up; she trusted Xu Chacha completely. "She just loves washing apples, let her wash them."
Xu Chacha impulsively grabbed two apples and went out, only to find that she had no idea where to wash them. Turning around, she saw the restroom sign and simply turned around and went inside.
Feeling that the bathroom sink was not clean, Xu Chacha first put a pearl into the large pocket in front of her clothes, washed one pearl, dried it, and then switched places to wash the other one.
As she wiped the second apple, she thought she heard sobbing coming from the cubicle.
She put the apple in her pocket, walked over and knocked on the door. "Hello, do you need any help?"
The crying inside stopped, but no one spoke.
"Do you need toilet paper or anything else? I can get it for you," Xu Chacha said again.
The girl in the cubicle knocked twice but didn't say anything.
Does that mean it's not needed?
"Thump"
Xu Chacha guessed the pattern of her knocking: two "no"s followed by one "yes," so she continued to ask questions.
"Are you unable to speak? I'll go find some paper and a pen. Wait for me." Xu Chacha ran back quickly, shoved two apples into Gao's father's hands, tore off a piece of paper from her notebook, picked up a pencil, and ran off again.
When she got to the cubicle, she carefully slipped the paper and pen inside, saying, "You write, and I'll understand."
A small hand took her paper and handed it over after quite a while.
'Pants Wet 0612'
"Okay, I'll go get it for you now. Don't be afraid, I'll be right back."
There was another light knock on the door, indicating that they understood.
Xu Chacha started walking quickly again because she had been looking for VIP ward 0612 for a long time but couldn't find it. In the end, she asked a passing nurse for help.
The door to the room was closed, but out of politeness, Xu Chacha raised her hand to knock.
"What are you doing! Come in if you want, do I have to invite you, you stinking mute?" It was a rough, unpleasant voice, sounding somewhat old.
Xu Chacha hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open. Lying on the hospital bed in the room was an old woman wearing an inexpensive shirt. She was leaning against the pillows, holding a magazine and eating an orange while reading it. After finishing, she casually spat out the seeds and turned to look at people.
"You still know to come back... Who are you? This is a VIP ward, not a place you can just come in and play around in."
Xu Chacha guessed that this woman was unlikely to be a relative of the girl in the toilet. How could someone who could stay in a VIP ward be dressed so poorly?
"I'm here to find her pants," Xu Chacha said.
"She peed again?" The woman frowned and slowly got out of bed to find Xu Chacha's pants. "So troublesome, all day long."
Xu Chacha pursed her lips and didn't say anything. She silently took the pants the woman had found, nodded, and turned to run away.
Xu Chacha knocked on the door. "I brought it to you. Open the door and I'll hand it to you."
The door opened slightly, and a small hand with bluish-purple needle marks on the back of its hand reached out. She touched the pants and immediately pulled back, then quickly locked the door, like a frightened kitten.
Xu Chacha quietly squatted at the door waiting for her. After about ten minutes, there was another knock on the door.
The three knocks sounded like a thank you message.
"Aren't you coming out?" Xu Chacha asked.
Although the toilets here are well-disinfected and have no odor, it's still quite strange that the girl kept hiding after changing her pants.