Yang Shuhuan asked anxiously, "What's wrong with Song'er!"
Wang Ai-ru said, "Let's take him to the infirmary first."
Xiang Yu helped Jiang Wensong up and had Gu Chen carry him to the infirmary.
Li Yifan, standing nearby, was almost in tears as he stared at Jiang Wensong. That snowball of his looked big, but it wasn't solid. It couldn't possibly knock someone unconscious, could it?
"Hmm."
"Jiang Wensong has responded!" Li Yifan exclaimed excitedly.
Jiang Wensong, the person involved, looked completely bewildered, realizing that he was still on Gu Chen's back, with a group of people following around him.
Jiang Wensong asked, "...What's going on?"
I've never seen anything like it before. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Li Yifan was truly amazed today; it was the first time he'd ever seen someone fall asleep during a snowball fight.
"Are you really alright?" Li Yifan followed Gu Chen and the others into the classroom of Class 2, asking repeatedly, "Should we go to the hospital for a checkup?"
"No need to check, I'm just too sleepy." Jiang Wensong waved his hand and yawned again. "It's really nothing, I'm just sleepy."
Final exams are approaching, and many people are studying. Li Yifan guessed that the other person had probably stayed up late studying and hadn't paid attention to rest. He gave them a few words of advice and then went back to his own class, reminding them of some things before leaving.
"If you're not feeling well, come find me, and I'll take you to the hospital for a checkup."
Jiang Wensong laughed at him, "You should go now."
After seeing Li Yifan off, with several people still staring at him, Jiang Wensong smiled wryly and said, "I'm really too tired, it's okay."
Gu Chen frowned. "Don't talk nonsense, Song'er. You haven't been behaving yourself these past few days."
Xiang Yu nodded.
Yang Shuhuan chimed in, "You usually don't sleep in class."
Wang Zehao pointed to his under-eyes, "Look how dark your dark circles are."
"Hey, deskmate!"
Xu Youluo dashed into the classroom, followed by Xu Youqing.
Xu Youluo breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jiang Wensong sitting steadily in his seat.
"Someone on the field said a bespectacled boy from Class 2 of the Literature Department fainted. I bet it was you." Xu Youlu felt that Jiang Wensong was responsible for what happened because she had pulled him down. "What happened to you?"
Jiang Wensong said, "I'm really fine, I'm just too sleepy."
Xu Youluo was stubborn. She sullenly pouted and said, "Even if you're sleepy, you have to explain why you're sleepy. You've been sleeping in class lately, and you don't go back to the dorm at noon. What have you been doing during your breaks?"
Gu Chen, the class monitor, was unaware that Jiang Wensong hadn't returned to the dormitory during lunch break and sensed something was wrong. "Song'er, is something wrong?"
Wang Zehao said, "Speak your mind when something happens, don't hide it from your brothers."
Jiang Wensong originally planned to keep the matter a secret, but he couldn't resist the concern of several people surrounding him. In addition, he had been under a lot of pressure these past few days, so his nose tingled and his eyes reddened.
His display of force startled the group, who all asked what had happened.
Jiang Wensong's eyes were red and his voice was a little hoarse. "My grandma fell and hurt her leg while shoveling snow in the yard a couple of days ago."
Jiang Wensong's parents work in the south year-round and only come back for holidays when there are no major events at home. Jiang Wensong's grandfather suffered a stroke and is paralyzed on one side of his body. He can't speak clearly and is in a wheelchair. His grandmother seems to be in good health, but she is almost seventy years old. Such a fall at her age is probably going to be very bad for her.
Jiang Wensong goes to school in the morning and comes home in the afternoon. Usually, his grandmother takes care of his grandfather, and he doesn't have to worry about anything at home, such as meals. Now that his grandmother has fallen and injured her leg, making it difficult for her to move around, all the burdens have suddenly fallen on his shoulders.
As the class monitor, Gu Chen knew a little about the family situations of each of his classmates, including Jiang Wensong's family.
With the college entrance examination approaching, Jiang Wensong is busy reviewing, as it is related to the selection of scholarships for the semester.
"Are your parents coming back?" Gu Chen asked him.
“Going back.” Jiang Wensong had been under a lot of pressure lately, and saying it made him feel a sense of relief. “It’s almost Chinese New Year, and they’re planning to come back early, but the earliest train ticket they can get is tomorrow…they’ll probably arrive home on Sunday night.”
"Hmm..." There's more time on weekends, but Jiang Wensong's body is clearly not up to par right now. He's bearing the pressure all by himself, and Gu Chen is worried that he'll develop health problems from holding it all in. "How about this, I'll come to your house to help out this weekend."
After saying that, he looked at Xiang Yu and said, "Classmate, let's go together."
Xiang Yu nodded. He had recently entered the review stage. Wherever he went to study, it didn't matter.
"Hey, I was thinking of asking my dad to help me study this weekend." Wang Zehao scratched his head. "I'll go too, and he can help me study after I'm done with my work."
We all get along well normally, so having one more person means we can help each other.
Yang Shuhuan said, "I'll go help."
"Me too, me too!" Xu Youluo said enthusiastically. He also wanted to help Jiang Wensong and maybe earn some moral points in the process.
Jiang Wensong felt that he had enough time on the weekend and didn't need to bother so many people.
The group was displeased and said, "Why are you being so polite with us?" They quickly settled on a time, saying they would go on Saturday morning—no, this afternoon after packing their bags at home. But then, thinking about the hassle of going back and forth, they asked Jiang Wensong if he had a spare bed to sleep in.
After school, Xiang Yu packed her luggage and, fearing that Sun Xiaona would ask questions, told Li Yifan in advance where she was going for the weekend.
After learning that Xiang Yu had gone to Jiang Wensong's house, Li Yifan told him not to worry and that he would explain things to Ms. Sun.
Gu Chen told Xiang Yu to wait for him outside the Xiangyu residential area. As soon as Xiang Yu stepped out of the gate, he saw three familiar figures riding electric scooters and stopping at the entrance.
"Hey deskmate, here you are." Gu Chen waved at him while wearing a blue helmet and holding a white helmet in his arms.
"Meow~" A fluffy little head peeked out from the white helmet.
[Author's Note: Gu Chen: I brought our son.]
Chapter Sixty-Three: Xiang Yu's Mood Was Somewhat Heavy
Chapter Sixty-Three: A Corner: My Heart Is Somewhat Heavy
"What are you doing with it?" Xiang Yu watched as Gu Chen pulled the fish out of his helmet and stuffed it into his hoodie.
"To keep Song'er's little cat company."
Gu Chen smiled and handed the helmet to Xiang Yu, who put it on and straddled the electric scooter seat.
"Meow~" Fishy poked its head out from the hat, its round, dark eyes staring at Xiangyu. As soon as Xiangyu met its gaze, the kitten 'slipped' back into the hat.
"Hey, don't move around, or you'll fall." Gu Chen reached into the hood and felt around, clearly speaking to Yu Zai. After calming the kitten down, he changed direction and grabbed Xiang Yu's wrist, pulling it to his waist.
"Hold on tight, deskmate."
"Mmm." Xiang Yu pursed her lips and put her other arm around him.
None of them had eaten dinner. In order to take care of the health of Jiang Wensong's grandparents, they discussed buying some ingredients to cook on the spot, and finally decided to make hot pot.
Since Jiang Wensong had vegetables and seasonings at home, the group bought meatballs and meat rolls from a roadside supermarket and took them with them.
The snow on the road hadn't melted, so the three of them slowed down. It was slow, but at least they arrived at their destination safely.
Jiang Wensong's family lived in the alley to the south. Their living environment was similar to Xiang Yu's courtyard in the city, except that this area was more lively than Grandma Hou's. The alley entrance was full of food stalls, and the nearby primary and secondary schools would come here to eat after school. There was also a technical school across the street from the alley entrance. People also liked to come here when they didn't have classes in the evening. The food carts for barbecue, fried skewers, and spicy hot pot were full of people.
"Hey, why don't you guys go in first?" Wang Zehao drooled as he looked at the food stalls, his stomach growling. "I'll grab a bite here first."
Yang Shuhuan said, "Why bother with padding? By the time you get there, the hot pot will be ready."
The road in front of Jiang Wensong's house was full of potholes, and the water from the melted snow hadn't been cleaned up. Gu Chen didn't want Xiang Yu to get off, so he chose to ride on a flat, dry section of the road, his little electric scooter twisting and turning like a caterpillar on flat ground.
The lights were on in Jiang Wensong's courtyard, and Jiang Wensong's figure could be vaguely seen through the windows. Wang Zehao called out from the gate, "Song'er—"
Jiang Wensong lifted the thick curtain of the main house and ran out, took the food handed to him and walked inside, telling the three of them to park the car in front of the wall next to the toilet.
Gu Chen pulled a fish out of his hat. "Where's your little Mimi?"
"Just put the fish in my room." Jiang Wensong opened the door to a side room while carrying his things. Little Mimi, with her white background and black flowers, was sitting on the desk. Hearing the noise, she looked towards the door.
Gu Chen placed the fish on the desk. The two kittens sniffed each other but didn't seem to be fighting.
"Where's your little black dog?" Jiang Wensong looked at Yang Shuhuan behind him, who shrugged upon hearing this.
"It's too dark, I can't find it."
Seeing everyone gathered at the door of the side room, Gu Chen glanced at the number of people and asked, "Where's Luo Zai?"
“This street is too narrow for the driver to drive in; he has to walk. He just texted to say he’s on his way.” Just as Jiang Wensong finished speaking, Luo Zai’s voice came from the doorway.
"I'm here, I'm here."
Xiang Yu glanced over, paused to see the other person's posture, and then quietly asked, "Did you lose points?"
I haven't seen you all afternoon, and now you're in a wheelchair.
"No, no, no." Xu Youluo stopped her electric wheelchair and got up. "My sister asked me to bring the wheelchair to Grandma Song'er. There was too much water on the road at the entrance, so I drove over here myself."
After saying that, she pushed the wheelchair over to Jiang Wensong, "Song'er, let Grandma sit here, it will be easier for her to move around."
"Thank you..." Jiang Wensong's eyes reddened. He never expected Xu Youluo to bring his sister's wheelchair. His grandmother was old and couldn't use crutches after falling. With him at home, his grandparents took turns using one wheelchair. "Please also thank your sister for me. She's been a great help."
"It's nothing." Xu Youlu waved her hand, indicating that he didn't need to thank her. Hearing the moral index prompt in her mind, her smile became even brighter.
"Let's divide the work," Gu Chen suggested after everyone was present. "Me, my deskmate, and Song'er, the three of us will cook in the kitchen. Haozi, Huanhuan, and Luozai, you can go and keep Grandpa and Grandma company."
After saying that, she looked at Jiang Wensong and asked, "Is Grandma still sitting on the bed? Should we let her sit in a wheelchair?"
“…Hmm.” Jiang Wensong thought for a moment, “I’ve washed all the vegetables and prepared the hot pot ingredients. They’re all on the table in the main room with the induction cooker. Just wash the meat, plate it, and take it over to cook. We don’t need so many people.”
"Then I'll go to the kitchen, you go and keep Grandpa and Grandma company." Gu Chen continued, "Classmate, you and Song'er stay together, I'll be fine in the kitchen."
"Okay." Xiang Yu nodded.
Unlike Xiang Yu's family home, Jiang Wensong's family home had a different layout. Apart from the exterior, the interior layout of Xiang Yu's family home was similar to that of the apartment building, with the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom all inside. Jiang Wensong's family home was clearly not as well-off. The main house had a smooth cement floor and simple furnishings, with only a folding round table and high stools for waiting for people. There was no sofa, but there was an old-fashioned cabinet in the corner with an old-fashioned color TV on it. The TV had a set-top box on it, and several crisscrossing wires ran along the wall, through the window above the main house door, and to the antenna shed on the roof.
The room was simply furnished but clean. Xiang Yu and his friends weren't too particular about it. They casually piled their schoolbags in the corner, sat on stools, and looked at each other, feeling embarrassed by their boredom. So they went to ask Jiang Wensong if there was anything they could help with.
The room where Jiang Wensong's grandparents lived was separated from the main room by only one door. Two single beds were placed against the wall, with a window in the middle. The curtains looked like floral fabric used for making clothes in summer, and it was obvious at a glance that they were handmade by the elderly. The window faced a large wardrobe.
When the group entered, Jiang Wensong had just helped his grandmother up from the bed. Grandma Jiang was sitting against the headboard. She had been lying down for a while, and her leg, which she had fallen on, was already slightly swollen. Jiang Wensong gently massaged her leg.
"You're all Wen Song's classmates, right?" Grandma Jiang had a kind face, her gray hair tied up at the back of her head. She smiled as she looked at the group peeking in at the door and said, "Wen Song told me that you're all here to help. Thank you so much, Grandma."
"Hello, Grandma," they all said in unison.
"Hey, no need to thank me, Grandma. It's only right that we help our classmate in need." Wang Zehao was one of the more talkative ones among the group, besides Gu Chen. He came in first and stood to one side, with the other three following behind him.
Xiang Yu noticed that at the foot of another bed, there was an old man wearing a woolen hat and a bib, sitting in a wheelchair and looking in their direction.
This must be Jiang Wensong's grandfather. Xiang Yu heard Gu Chen say on the way that Grandpa Jiang had suffered a stroke, was paralyzed on one side, and could not take care of himself. He could not speak clearly and was sometimes lucid and sometimes confused. At the beginning of the semester, the dean visited Jiang Wensong's home, and Gu Chen went with him.
Xiang Yu cautiously observed Grandpa Jiang. The other man noticed him and looked over blankly, it was hard to tell whether he was lucid or confused.