schlechte Samen

Kapitel 17

"Thank you. This is all my fault, I'm really sorry for causing you all so much trouble." This time, Jiang Boyu spoke very proactively. He had already learned from Shen Wei about how Wang Danyang had been working so hard for him after his disappearance. In his narration, Shen Wei inevitably praised He Jihong while criticizing her—basically, that she wasn't as proactive as Wang Danyang, and that she was indifferent to the matter… Jiang Boyu just listened—showing no reaction whatsoever.

Jiang Boyu's polite words on the phone unexpectedly made Wang Danyang both excited and nervous. The excitement was self-evident, but the nervousness stemmed from the fact that Jiang Boyu's politeness gave her an ominous feeling.

"Are you alright? We're trying to figure something out."

Jiang Boyu remained silent on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, we've already spoken to Deputy Secretary Gu and explained your situation to him. He said that no one is going to be completely destroyed, and that any punishment is meant to help cure the disease and save the patient. I think there's something more to his words," Wang Danyang said to himself on the phone.

"Thank you."

Then the call ended. As Wang Danyang put down the receiver, she muttered to herself, "I'm such a fucking idiot!" This outburst of profanity made the boy standing to the side, waiting to make his call, turn and stare at her.

On the afternoon of the third day after Wang Danyang made the call to Jiang Boyu, Director Tang, nicknamed "Four-Eyes," from the Student Affairs Office received a call from Deputy Secretary Gu of the Party Committee, who was in charge of student affairs. Gu said there was an emergency and asked Tang to come to the office.

When Director Tang rushed to Deputy Secretary Gu's office, he already sensed the tense atmosphere. The head of the university's publicity department was also present. Both men wore grave expressions. Deputy Secretary Gu, in particular, paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

Upon seeing "Four Eyes," Deputy Secretary Gu slammed a newspaper in front of him: "Take a look, take a look."

"Four-Eyes" picked up the copy of the "Metropolis Express" with trembling hands, glanced at the propaganda minister sitting next to him, and began to scan it quickly.

The parts he was required to read had already been marked with a red box by Deputy Secretary Gu. The sensationalist headline in bold was: Huge Compensation Fails to Help Impoverished Students; Seeking Medical Treatment and Selling a Kidney to Alleviate Their Urgent Needs.

"Four-Eyes" felt a chill run down his spine and frowned as he continued reading. The content under the title was only about the size of a palm; it described how a male student at a medical university, facing exorbitant medical bills, went to the urology department of the university's affiliated hospital and demanded to sell one of his kidneys.

"Four-Eyes" knew without asking that this boy was none other than Jiang Boyu, the very person causing them so much trouble. He was just puzzled as to how a reporter had found out about this.

"Secretary Gu, we didn't know about this. Did that kid leak it himself and create public opinion?" Four-Eyes said anxiously.

The propaganda minister sitting next to him spoke up: "Director Tang, it's the wife of the head of the urology department who works at the newspaper. When she got back and heard about this, she just happened to leak it out. These days, newspapers need so-called juicy stories to attract readers. Donating a kidney isn't news, but selling a kidney is. Besides, the person selling a kidney is a college student. How can people not make some connections?"

Deputy Secretary Gu abruptly waved his hand, interrupting them, saying, "No matter what, this matter has a bad influence, a very bad one. Medical expense compensation stemming from a fight on our university campus—is that something to be proud of? This kind of thing wasn't handled properly in time, leading to a student selling a kidney causing a city-wide uproar—is that something to be proud of? Old Tang, you shouldn't handle problems like a high-pressure water gun. You need to be patient, reasoned with, and appeal to their emotions, offering solutions. That's what's beneficial for the stability of the university and the smooth operation of student affairs. What do you say?"

"Four-Eyes" was sweating profusely and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Just as Deputy Secretary Gu summoned "Four Eyes," the students were in an uproar over the news. Shen Wei and Duan Youzhi searched the entire campus for Jiang Boyu with the newspaper, but he seemed to have disappeared again. Shen Wei was so angry he was jumping up and down: "Damn it, no wonder my right eyelid was twitching this morning. That kid is no pushover!"

In the office, Deputy Secretary Gu continued, "This matter isn't over yet! Didn't you see the news report at the end? They're going to continue monitoring the progress! If it's not handled properly, our personal reputation is a small matter, but tarnishing the school's image is a big one. I called you here to find a way to plug the leaks and handle this actively and properly!"

Jiang Boyu didn't see the news. While chaos reigned at school, he was in the surgical ward of the city's central hospital.

Jiang Boyu came to the city's central hospital after being turned away at the urology department of the affiliated hospital of the medical university.

The reason they refused his request to sell his kidney was quite valid: organ trafficking is prohibited in China, and all human organs are donated.

This time, Jiang Boyu didn't directly approach the doctors at the city's central hospital. Instead, he searched for clues on the hospital's bulletin boards and the walls of the ward's public restrooms. He had heard before that there was an underground organ trade in large hospitals, and having no connections or influence, this was the only way he could find hope.

He wandered around the city's central hospital for almost four hours, searching through every small advertisement and restroom he could find, but to no avail. There were a few phone numbers for kidney donors written on the walls or toilet stalls, but Jiang Boyu dialed them several times without getting through.

Jiang Boyu didn't return to school by bus until almost dinnertime. Although exhausted, he felt gratified because He Jihong's words had inspired him to bravely face reality, even though every step was difficult.

As soon as Jiang Boyu stepped into the dormitory, he bumped into Director Tang, the "four-eyed" director of the student affairs office, who had come to find him.

"Four Eyes" came directly from Deputy Secretary Gu's office to the dormitory. According to the final agreed-upon plan, they needed to minimize the impact of this incident. Their primary task was to persuade Jiang Boyu and alleviate his psychological pressure. The head of the propaganda department at the newspaper would handle coordination and public relations. As "Four Eyes" and his team were leaving, Deputy Secretary Gu emphasized, "The fact that he considered selling his kidney shows he's recognizing his mistake and wants to mitigate his losses. Besides, when the Party Committee discussed this matter last time, we found that this student isn't inherently bad. His grades are also good. You should still try to educate him!"

"Four-Eyes" was asking Shen Wei and Duan Youzhi about the situation. The two lads were acting like grandsons, their heads bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

Shen Wei, with his sharp eyes, spotted Jiang Boyu and shouted as if he had grasped at a straw, "Old Jiang, you're finally back!"

"Four-Eyes" was startled. He adjusted his glasses and turned around—taking three steps in two to get to Jiang Boyu's side, his hand almost pointing at Jiang Boyu's nose. "You, you, you, how could you come up with such a method?"

Jiang Boyu looked left and right, puzzled, and asked, "What methods?"

The four-eyed man's glasses gleamed coldly. His voice rose a few decibels. "You haven't read the newspaper yet?" Shen Wei whispered from the side, "Boyu, your kidney-selling story is in the newspaper. Director Tang is here to find out more."

Jiang Boyu's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected that not only the school knew about this, but the media had also leaked it. He took the newspaper Shen Wei handed him, glanced at it quickly, and then steeled himself and confessed. "Yes, I was planning to sell a kidney to pay for the medical expenses. Because my family has no money! And I have nowhere else to borrow money!"

"Four-Eyes'" tone softened slightly. He gestured for Jiang Boyu, Shen Wei, and Duan Youzhi to sit down. Then, across the table, he said to Jiang Boyu, "We understand your difficulties. Let alone over ten thousand, even if you were asked to prepare four or five thousand right now, you'd be struggling, right? But with something like this happening, you should cooperate with our work. And if you encounter difficulties, you still have the school, teachers, and classmates; we'll figure something out together! How could you be so stubborn and make this a headline story? It's such a bad influence!"

As Shen Wei listened, he cursed inwardly, "What a damn sly old fox! He only talks like this after something bad happens!" He glanced furtively at Jiang Boyu, who was listening intently with a blank expression. When "Four Eyes" finished speaking, he neither argued nor replied.

"Four-Eyes" straightened his tie and said, "However, the fact that you're thinking about paying back the money and even selling your kidney shows that you still want to solve the problem. As long as you have a basic attitude, we can still try to get you lenient treatment."

Duan Youzhi, who had been silent until now, chimed in tactfully, following the lead of "Four-Eyes": "Director Tang, it's definitely wrong of Jiang Boyu to strike first, but he's a good person. We all get along very well with him. He's helpful, hardworking, and has a strong sense of collective honor. Besides, this fight wasn't about settling a personal score. It's understandable that emotions can run high on the court. And besides, the other side was in the wrong first."

Duan Youzhi spoke with great emotion and even gave "Four-Eyes" a perfectly timed compliment at the end: "Director Tang, Jiang Boyu has already realized his mistake. You always care about your students the most, so please give him another chance. Look how pitiful his family is!"

By the end, Duan Youzhi's voice choked with emotion and even sounded like he was about to cry. Even Shen Wei, a natural optimist, felt a lump in his throat.

"Four-Eyes" no longer seemed as agitated and anxious as before; his tense face relaxed. "Indeed, indeed, merit is merit and demerit is demerit. Don't be too anxious about this money, and definitely don't resort to such extreme methods. Hmm... let's think of a solution together." After saying this vague remark, "Four-Eyes" suddenly pulled three hundred yuan from his jacket pocket and placed it on the table. "This is my token of appreciation. You must trust the organization and the school. Please, please don't have any more thoughts of extremism!"

Shen Wei suddenly wanted to laugh, but he held it in. As soon as "Four Eyes" left, Shen Wei patted Duan Youzhi on the shoulder and said, "Old Duan is really something! A true strategist. A single flattery can bring in a fortune, incredibly accurate!" Before he finished speaking, even Jiang Boyu was amused.

After Jiang Boyu finished recounting his detailed experiences at the hospital over the past few days, Shen Wei and Duan Youzhi each took out five hundred yuan that they had prepared beforehand and gave it to Jiang Boyu. Jiang Boyu refused to accept it, but Shen Wei kept stuffing the money into his hand, saying, "Boyu, we think what you did was really manly and satisfying! When brothers are in trouble, everyone helps. This is just a month's living expenses. We'll tighten our belts and get through it."

Jiang Boyu turned his face away, desperately trying to hold back the tears that were about to spill.

The next afternoon, Shen Wei and Duan Youzhi both went to their lab classes. Jiang Boyu stayed in his dormitory alone, sleeping. Some time later, someone knocked on the door.

Jiang Boyu opened the door in his slippers, and Wang Danyang stood outside with a backpack. "I don't have class this afternoon. Can I talk to you about something?" Wang Danyang said.

Jiang Boyu silently stepped aside to let her in, then hurriedly poured her a glass of water. "What's wrong?"

"I read the newspaper, and I'm quite saddened. Everyone was talking about you last night."

"It's nothing. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do. Besides, one kidney is enough for a healthy person."

"Jiang Boyu, I know you have a problem with me. Sigh, sometimes it's my bad temper, please don't take it to heart. Actually, this whole thing happened because of our team, and I feel really guilty and under a lot of pressure." Wang Danyang's eyes reddened as she spoke.

Jiang Boyu panicked a little. He hurriedly said, "No, no, it was my recklessness that dragged you all down. Anyway, I'm going to be expelled soon, so you guys just keep playing well in the next match. As long as the referee is fair, you're sure to win." Jiang Boyu deliberately tried to change the subject. But after saying that, he felt a pang of sadness. Scenes of training and playing with the female soccer players all flashed before his eyes.

“I don’t know what I can do to make up for my guilt, but what you said yesterday about selling a kidney reminded me. I should hurry up and return that compensation money. That way—at least this matter won’t escalate outside the school. I heard their family members are sitting in the student affairs office every day waiting for the outcome.” Wang Danyang said, taking an envelope from her bag and placing it on the table. “This is twelve thousand yuan. It’s money my family was saving for me to buy a laptop. You can take it.”

Jiang Boyu looked up at Wang Danyang, his eyes filled with astonishment. Then he slowly pushed the envelope in front of Wang Danyang and said, "I can't accept this! Really! Thank you!"

Wang Danyang stood up abruptly. "Jiang Boyu, is it that you can't accept this money, or that you can't accept my money? Are you really going to let this ten thousand yuan ruin you?"

Jiang Boyu sat with his head down. "You've misunderstood. I'll find a way to get the money."

Wang Danyang said through gritted teeth, "Jiang Boyu, stop pretending to be a hero. This money—consider it a loan! You can pay it back slowly with your earnings later." Before she finished speaking, Wang Danyang suddenly covered her face with her hands and burst into tears.

Jiang Boyu panicked and didn't know what to say or do. He grabbed his washcloth and handed it to Wang Danyang, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it that way. You, you shouldn't cry."

Wang Danyang's shoulders heaved violently. Between sobs, she said, "Do you know how worried everyone was after you went missing? We went out to look for you every day. Do you know, I even missed registering for the CET-4 and CET-6 exams because I was trying to find a way to help you. Did I do something wrong again?"

Jiang Boyu stood beside Wang Danyang, head bowed, unsure what to do. He had never seen a girl cry before, yet he was afraid to, because he didn't know how to comfort them. Finally, he stammered, "Okay, then consider it a loan. I'll accept it."

By the time Wang Danyang had completely calmed down and composed herself after crying, the bell for the end of the second period in the afternoon had rung. "I have to go. Don't let Shen Wei and the others see me," Wang Danyang said. Before leaving, she repeatedly told Jiang Boyu not to tell anyone that the money was hers, but to say that she had borrowed it from a friend in her hometown.

Jiang Boyu nodded. "Okay. I'm definitely going to be expelled. Shen Wei and the others said the student affairs office has already drafted the documents. I'll pay you back once I've earned some money."

Wang Danyang said softly, "I know that being expelled from school is inevitable. But you will always be the best in my heart. Take care!" Wang Danyang blushed, opened the door, and quickly walked out.

When Jiang Boyu took the money to the student affairs office, "Four-Eyes" told him that, considering his actual situation and through the investigation, the school believed that Hu Tianjun's serious misjudgment was one of the contributing factors to the incident. Therefore, the school advanced three thousand yuan from the compensation.

Back in the dorm, when Jiang Boyu tried to return the money Shen Wei and Duan Youzhi had given him, the two guys refused to accept it. Shen Wei said, "Old Jiang, we've only been brothers for half a year, and this has already happened. Even though you've borrowed the money, you'll still have many expenses after leaving school. Take it for now." Jiang Boyu held the money in his hand without saying a word. He knew that if he continued, he would lose control of his emotions again.

The atmosphere in their dormitory had been oppressive and sorrowful for some time now. Jiang Boyu's expulsion from school was a foregone conclusion, and Shen Wei and Duan Youzhi smiled much less than before. Although they had paid the medical expenses and the family would no longer pursue Jiang Boyu's legal responsibility, the reality of having to say goodbye after meeting again filled the three brothers' hearts with endless melancholy.

Shen Wei stopped playing football, even though the men's football tournament at the Golden Autumn Arts Festival was only five days away. In fact, he hadn't led the team to the training field since Jiang Boyu disappeared. "I'm not playing anymore, Lao Jiang. Let them play," he said, relinquishing the captain's armband. "Thinking about it makes me sad," he would often mutter to himself as he stood at his dormitory window, gazing at the distant, wind-blown sports field.

So, before Jiang Boyu left the school, those passing by their dormitory could only hear his faint guitar playing—whereas before it had always been filled with lively atmosphere and hearty laughter. During the few days of suspension and reflection, Jiang Boyu scribbled down a song, the title of which was only one word—"Wound"—a song he wanted to express to himself at that moment.

But most of the time, Jiang Boyu simply held his guitar and gazed absently at the tree-lined path outside the window. He didn't know where he could go after leaving school. Although He Jihong said his escape was impulsive, the now-sane Jiang Boyu realized that he wasn't pushing life forward, but rather that fate was pushing him towards an unknown future.

When the student affairs office notified Jiang Boyu to come in for a talk, everyone knew that his end was near.

The so-called "talk" was merely a routine procedure before disciplining the student. It was nothing more than admonitions for deep reflection and a fresh start. Jiang Boyu originally didn't want to go—he hadn't even written a single self-criticism for this matter. But considering that "Four-Eyes" had paid him three hundred yuan last time, he went anyway. It was also a final farewell to the school!

Shen Wei had already booked a small private room at a restaurant outside the school, preparing to give Jiang Boyu a farewell dinner that evening. Besides himself and Duan Youzhi, he also invited Wang Danyang. After much hesitation, he still didn't inform He Jihong. In Shen Wei's mind, why let Jiang Boyu suffer another heartbreak—another regret and pain—before he left? Of course, another reason was that He Jihong's usually aloof demeanor made Shen Wei feel she was far less approachable than Wang Danyang. "Tonight, we won't leave until we're drunk"—this was a vow he privately made to Duan Youzhi.

"Four-Eyes" had a routine private talk with Jiang Boyu in the student affairs office and showed him a draft document for the upcoming announcement. The words "forced expulsion" pierced Jiang Boyu's eyes deeply. For a moment, he almost couldn't hold back his tears—after all, he was only nineteen years old, and he had only been at university for less than half a year. Only now, as he was truly leaving, did he realize how much he still cherished this foreign land. Even "Four-Eyes" saw Jiang Boyu quickly turn his face away and wipe his eyes with the back of his hand.

Finally, Jiang Boyu stood up, bowed to "Four Eyes," and said, "Thank you, Director Tang, thank you, school!" Before "Four Eyes" could speak, he turned and rushed out of the office, his heavy footsteps quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

At 7:30 p.m., under the dim lights of the small bar, a farewell dinner began among the three men and one woman. Shen Wei, Duan Youzhi, Jiang Boyu, and Wang Danyang sat around the table. There was no music, not much conversation, and even the dishes on the table were rarely touched. The somber atmosphere only intensified the worries of everyone present.

The only thing that never stopped was the alcohol. The three boys were drinking Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), while Wang Danyang was drinking beer. After a few rounds of drinks, they started talking more. Fueled by the alcohol, almost everyone spoke from the heart. When Wang Danyang and Jiang Boyu clinked glasses, Duan Youzhi gently tapped his chopsticks on his small plate and hummed, "Let's drink and sing, for life is short; like morning dew, the days gone by are many." If one didn't know their thoughts or the background of this dinner, one might find the scene somewhat poetic, like a farewell, and somewhat romantic, unique to student days.

"Old Jiang, once you're out there, be sure to keep in touch with us. Come visit the brothers whenever you have time!" Shen Wei, a burly man, said this with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Old Jiang, great generals and ministers have always come from humble backgrounds! Don't worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world doesn't know you!" Normally, if Duan Youzhi said such refined words, Shen Wei would definitely laugh at him, but today the banquet was completely silent.

"Junior Brother Jiang, everything is understood without words! I've always believed in you!" Wang Danyang spoke the fewest words, but her words carried a deeper meaning. She sat to Jiang Boyu's right and kept putting food into his bowl.

It was clear that everyone was trying their best to control their emotions. Jiang Boyu downed every glass of wine offered to him in one gulp. He barely spoke a word all night. But everyone could see that his hand was trembling every time he held the glass.

Shen Wei skipped class the next day, insisting on accompanying Jiang Boyu to buy train tickets. Jiang Boyu planned to go to his classmate's place in Guangzhou first to see if there were any suitable jobs. He planned to tell his parents about dropping out of school after a few days.

A light rain was still falling, the first rain of the winter. A misty haze hung in the air, and fallen leaves rustled in the breeze. On his way to the train station, Jiang Boyu felt the deepest, most profound desolation of his life. Sitting on the bus, he wondered if he should tell He Jihong again. Tell her that she had made him face reality and take responsibility for himself. He also wanted to tell He Jihong that he was no longer a cowardly and ignorant boy. At this moment, as he was about to embark on his journey into the distance, he felt he had truly grown up a lot.

In the end, he gave up the idea. He thought—let her remain deep in his memory—the first girl he had ever fallen in love with, this innocent and budding love! Where did he find the courage to confess to her again? He was penniless, and for a long time to come, he feared he would be homeless. Jiang Boyu wondered if she would still remember him a year or two later. He thought he would never forget her; even her name and her laughter had become a flame warming his cold heart.

Finally, he woke up to Shen Wei's patting. "Look how soundly you were sleeping! We've arrived at our stop," Shen Wei said with a chuckle.

Jiang Boyu bought a hard-seat ticket to Guangzhou for the night after tomorrow. He knew that the document regarding his disciplinary action would be posted on the school's bulletin board the morning after tomorrow.

Back in the dorm, Duan Youzhi pointed to two large bags of fruit, sausages, and canned food on the table and said, "Look, Wang Danyang just brought these over for you to take on the road." Shen Wei patted him on the shoulder and said, "Aren't you going to leave her anything as a souvenir?" Jiang Boyu shook his head and said indifferently, "I'm not worthy of it. It's better to forget about it."

After lunch, Jiang Boyu lay on his bed, pondering that once he arrived in Guangzhou, he needed to find a job to earn money and pay back the 12,000 yuan owed to Wang Danyang. Then, he would see if he could take the college entrance exam again, or go back to school. He secretly made up his mind that as long as he could earn money, he would do anything, even washing dishes or working as a porter.

The next day, Jiang Boyu didn't leave the school. He stayed in his dormitory, slowly packing his luggage. Actually, he didn't have much; a rolling suitcase was enough to hold all his belongings. But every item evoked a wave of sadness in him. So he put things in, took them out, and put them in again. His wooden guitar was too inconvenient to carry, so he decided to leave it for Shen Wei as a souvenir—even though that kid didn't have much musical talent. He gave Duan Youzhi a copy of Lu Yao's *Ordinary World*, which he had bought when he first entered university—he had read it three times from beginning to end and thought it was really well-written!

In the end, only two things remained on the bed. One was the Adidas tracksuit he bought when pursuing He Jihong; the other was a pair of Adidas knee pads given to him by Wang Danyang. These two items held memories of two girls who had passed through his nineteen-year-old life. But thinking about it, neither was a happy memory. He picked up one, then touched the other, unsure whether to throw them away or take them with him. Finally, Jiang Boyu sighed softly and stuffed them all into his suitcase.

On the eve of his departure from school, Jiang Boyu suffered from complete insomnia.

The "four-eyed" director of the Student Affairs Office was in his office directing a student union officer to write a notice disciplining Jiang Boyu—a large, white sheet of paper, thick with ink. It was rather conspicuous. And after the second period of classes in the morning at the medical school, students would see his grand gesture on the bulletin board.

Just then, the phone rang—it was Deputy Secretary Gu of the school's Party Committee summoning him again!

"Four-Eyes" instructed the student leader to continue writing according to the manuscript he had prepared, and then grabbed his notebook and ran towards the administration building.

"Old Tang, how's that student who got into fights and sold his kidney doing?" Secretary Gu threw this question at him as soon as he saw him.

Upon hearing this, "Four-Eyes" felt somewhat relieved. He had been thinking that if it was just an inspection, a phone call would suffice. Was it really worth Secretary Gu making such a fuss over a student's disciplinary action—after all, the straight-line distance from the student affairs office building to the administration building where the college leaders resided was at least a kilometer. And Director Tang, for goodness' sake, was almost fifty.

Despite thinking this, "Four-Eyes" still wore a smile. "Oh, I forgot to report to Secretary Gu. I personally went to see that student, firstly to comfort him, and secondly to carry out the school's spirit of prioritizing the overall situation and maintaining stability. He's fine now! His emotions are also stable! I was just preparing to post the disciplinary notice."

"Four-Eyes" answered Secretary Gu's question fluently in standard administrative reporting language, with a hint of smugness in his expression.

"Discipline? What kind of discipline?" Secretary Gu peeked out from behind his desk.

"Expel him! Didn't we report that to the school's Party Committee last week? A student with such egregious behavior deserves expulsion to appease public anger!" The "four-eyed" man said, making a throat-slitting gesture as he spoke. "And to this day, that student surnamed Jiang hasn't even written a single self-criticism, humph!"

Secretary Gu nodded thoughtfully. Then he said, "That punishment—you should review it again. Expelling him from school is a bit too harsh."

"This?" "Four-Eyes" was truly dumbfounded this time.