"Okay."
Wang Aixiang nodded, feeling a surge of excitement in her heart. Once this batch of fabric was made into finished clothes, everyone would be able to work hard again.
After the two of them finalized the pickup arrangements, they went to the textile factory together. However, upon their arrival, they were informed that Li Zhengxing was on a business trip and would likely not be back for at least ten to fifteen days.
Chen Lishu was a bit disappointed but understood there was nothing she could do. She would have to come back again later.
After parting ways with Wang Aixiang, Chen Lishu had originally planned to take a bus back to school. But seeing that it was still early, and thinking it had been a while since she last saw Xu Ning, she decided to visit. Coincidentally, there was a bus that went directly to the Medical University from the entrance of the textile factory. When the bus arrived, Chen Lishu boarded it.
"Hello, classmate. Could you help me find Xu Ning from your class?" Chen Lishu stood at the entrance of Xu Ning's classroom and stopped a girl who was about to enter, asking her to call Xu Ning.
"Xu Ning is on leave."
"On leave?" Chen Lishu was taken aback. It seemed she had picked a really inconvenient time to visit.
"I heard something happened at home."
Chen Lishu was shocked. "What happened?"
"A few days ago, while we were in class, someone came looking for her in a hurry, saying her brother accidentally got his arm caught in a machine at work. It seems to be quite serious. She hasn't been to class for several days."
Chen Lishu's brow furrowed as she listened to the girl.
She knew a little about Xu Ning's family situation. Her mother had a mental illness, and her brother, due to a childhood fever, had the intellectual capacity of a six or seven-year-old. There were also younger siblings, and the family relied solely on their father for income. Now, with her elder brother injured...
"Thank you," Chen Lishu said to the girl and turned to leave.
Upon exiting the school gate, Chen Lishu decided to go to the Xu family's home to check on the situation.
The Xu family's home was in an uproar.
"Little brother, little sister, come help!" Xu Ning had intended to untie her mother while she was asleep to allow her to relax a bit.
But as soon as she loosened the restraints, her mother suddenly woke up. Not only did she bite Xu Ning, but she also tried to run outside.
If she were allowed to escape, the neighbors would once again suffer.
Xu Ning's mother's condition had been relatively stable for the past two years. However, with her son's arm getting caught in the machine, she had been severely stimulated and was now attacking anyone she saw and smashing anything in sight.
It was one thing for her own family to be hit, but if she injured others or broke things, they would have to pay. With her elder brother hospitalized, there was a significant medical bill, and the family could no longer afford a single cent.
Ignoring the stinging pain of the bite on her arm, Xu Ning quickly lunged forward, using all her strength to hold her mother. Xu Ning's younger siblings also rushed to help, one holding her down, the other grabbing ropes. By the time the three siblings finally managed to tie her up, they were almost completely exhausted and collapsed on the floor.
"Second sister, I'm scared. When will Mom get better?" Xu Xiaomei, looking at her mother's contorted and struggling face, could no longer contain her fear and started to cry.
"Don't be afraid. Mom is just temporarily like this. She'll be better in a while," Xu Ning said, her eyes reddening slightly. She wasn't sure if she was comforting Xu Xiaomei or herself with those words.
Chen Lishu followed the address Xu Ning had given her and found the street number of the Xu family's building. It was a four-story red brick building. Following the outdoor stairs to the third floor, she finally stood at the door of one of the apartments and knocked.
Hearing the knock, Xu Ning came back to her senses and quickly got up to open the door. She was clearly taken aback when she saw Chen Lishu standing there.
"I went to school to look for you and found out about your family's situation. How is your brother? Is he serious?" Chen Lishu asked, handing over a net bag of fruit she was carrying.
"He lost an arm," Xu Ning replied quietly, stepping aside to invite Chen Lishu in.
This was Chen Lishu's first time entering Xu Ning's home. The room, less than thirty square meters, had little space beyond a bedroom and kitchen. The small living room contained a table and two bunk beds, leaving no room for anything else.
Currently, a woman was lying on the lower bunk, her hands and feet bound. Her face was contorted, and she was still struggling.
Following Chen Lishu's gaze, Xu Ning softly said, "That's my mother."
Xu Ning's younger sister brought a stool from inside. Chen Lishu thanked her and sat down.
"I heard from others that you haven't been to class for several days."
Xu Ning pursed her lips. "With what happened at home, I can't leave. I'm thinking of applying for a leave of absence from school in a couple of days, or..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Chen Lishu knew she might choose to drop out to take care of her family.
The university they had all worked so hard to get into – if she truly gave up now, Chen Lishu would feel terrible, let alone Xu Ning, who was directly involved.
But putting herself in Xu Ning's shoes, if her own family were in a similar situation, she would undoubtedly make the same choice as Xu Ning.
"It's too much of a pity to give up now. If you go out and work now, you'll at most be a factory worker. If you hold on for a few more years, your situation will be completely different. Don't worry about the money; tell me how much you need."
As Chen Lishu spoke, she took out twenty large denomination bills from her shoulder bag and placed them on the table in front of Xu Ning. "Is this enough? I have more if it's not."
She had originally withdrawn the money to pay for the fabric, but since Li Zhengxing was away, and then she heard about Xu Ning's situation, she hadn't had a chance to deposit it back.
Seeing the money in front of her, Xu Ning's face turned bright red. She quickly pushed it back towards Chen Lishu. "How can I possibly take your money? The factory gave us some money when my brother had his accident. We really don't need your money."
"Second sister, didn't the factory say that older brother's arm was amputated due to his own improper operation and that they would only give him an extra month's salary and stop there?" Xu Ning's younger brother couldn't help but interject.
Xu Ning looked at Chen Lishu, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Chen Lishu's expression darkened slightly. "I'll ask you one thing: do you still consider me a friend?"
Seeing her anger, Xu Ning felt somewhat helpless. "Of course, you are my best friend. But this is a different matter. How can I take your money?"
"If you consider me a good friend, then your troubles are my troubles. Besides, this money isn't a gift; I'm lending it to you. You'll need to write me an IOU, and when you start working in the future, you'll have to repay me with both principal and interest."
"I..." Xu Ning opened her mouth, and her throat tightened, her eyes starting to water.
When her elder brother had his accident, she and her father had borrowed from every relative and friend they could think of. However, everyone was wary of lending to them, and no one was willing to help anymore.
"Thank you, Lishu."
Chen Lishu patted her hand. "Why are you being so polite with me?"
Her gaze fell on Xu Ning's mother, who had gradually quieted down. Chen Lishu asked, "With Auntie in this condition, why not send her to the hospital?"
"We've taken her to several hospitals before, and the doctors all said the only solution was long-term care. She had been much better in the past few years, rarely having episodes. But since my brother's accident, she's been re-stimulated, and her condition is even worse than before."
This was also the main reason she wanted to take a leave of absence or drop out. Her father had to work, and her younger siblings had to attend school. Neither her elder brother nor her mother could be left unattended.