Chapter 8

"Boyan," said Mom as she brought a pot of soup out of the kitchen, "Has Hu Xin been in touch with you during this time?"

He bit his lip and cursed the bun as an idiot in his heart

Along with the steamed buns, there was also a loss of 30,000 yuan in two plates

For instance, memories that bring pain at the mere thought

The reason he has consistently ignored Li Hui's pleas for help is that he simply does not know of any way to assist her, and Li Hui herself is also unaware.

After finishing with this patient, Cheng Boyan ran to the restroom to wash his face for five minutes. On his way back, he heard the duty nurse say, "It has snowed again!"

Xiang Xi! I actually forgot to ask him about the money matter

Xiang Xi's first reaction was that this idiot Mantou was going to be doomed

Xiang Xi's hand trembled slightly, his eyes squinting for a moment. Just as he was about to open the door to the second room and step outside, he suddenly jumped up from his chair.

Xiang Xi stared at the cat on the opposite wall, where has this little fellow gone?

He particularly wants to go to the small house in Tongkui Hutong to find that business card and give that personal photographer a call. Would you like to come and see a different life

Xiang Xi pondered over the duck in the kitchen for quite some time, but in the end, he still took it to the nearby market and spent 10 yuan to have someone handle it.

He kicked the door behind the second plate, and the door slammed shut with a loud noise

After finishing the shoot, Cheng Boyan felt a fit of sneezing, and he thought he was going to go crazy

What shall we have for breakfast tomorrow morning? Let's boil some dumplings. There are still some dumplings that my mother made and brought over before in the refrigerator

But it still cannot be avoided

The next day, as usual, he woke up to the horrifying cries of the rascals. Cheng Boyan realized that over the past two to three months, he had actually become accustomed to the shouts of this group of troublemakers

In the afternoon, Uncle Ping bought a live duck and threw it to Xiang Xi to prepare.

Cheng Boyan has not encountered any scammers on the street again, nor have any scammers come to the hospital.

"Don't cry, right! Awesome!" Erpan slapped her again and pointed at Xiangxi in the car, "Wait to applaud after watching the good show!"

The sound is not loud, but it is sufficient for the people in the room to hear

He asked your aunt for money, saying he wanted to open some kind of anime store. He has always been unreliable, and your aunt did not give him any money. "Mom frowned, worried that he might ask you to borrow some."

Damn, they are getting more and more arrogant now. Erpan stood up after slamming the cup down, kicked the chair aside, and grabbed Xiangxi by the collar, pulling him up. "Today, if I don't teach you a good lesson, you really think you are the beloved son of Uncle Ping!"

"You see, in order not to wrong you, I even preserved the scene for you," Erpan patted his shoulder, jumped out of the car, and went over to slap Li Hui across the face, "Thinking of running away, huh? You sure ran quite far!"

Silent and unnoticeable

Xiang Xi stopped, his entire body felt as if blood was surging up, yet there was nowhere for it to go, and he was on the verge of spitting blood from all seven orifices without the need for poison

He went to Tongkui Hutong, organized all the items he had placed there, and packed them into a small bag, ready to be taken at any time.

I don't know, Xiangxi felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He forgot to take his medicine today. No, it wasn't that he forgot to take it; he just didn't know where the medicine he had placed on the bedside table that morning had gone. "Uncle, where are my medicines?"

Do what is within your capabilities, as Uncle Ping said

The car drove westward, and the people inside no longer spoke. Xiang Xi sat cross-legged in silence, and Er Pan seemed to want to see him cry and plead for mercy, but his continued silence frustrated Er Pan, who extinguished a cigarette butt on his arm

"It's not too bad," Cheng Boyan smiled, "I've been doing a lot of physical work these days"

Occasionally, he would still think of his four thousand yuan, along with the small bear band-aid at the corner of his eye... and the leg pain that caused him to lose his composure

One month later, he went missing

Some things are initially unbearable, yet gradually, without realizing it, one becomes accustomed to them

Regardless of whether Li Huineng can escape, he cannot return.

Life cannot go on like this; it is truly pathetic that one cannot even endure such a miserable existence

The fists raised in the air paused, and turning his head to look at Uncle Ping, he said: "Uncle Ping! You can’t keep indulging him like this. You have a good heart, but this kid is not easy to deal with! The matter with Mantou definitely has something to do with him..."

The window was not open, but the curtain fluttered briefly before closing again. Two minutes later, Li Hui quietly emerged from the back door, dressed warmly and holding a small pouch in her hand

Hu Xin is Cheng Boyan's cousin, the son of his maternal aunt. They were particularly close during their childhood, but after Cheng Boyan went to university, Hu Xin started working. He changed jobs repeatedly and then engaged in a series of romantic relationships without end, causing their relationship to become less solid than it once was

Xiang Xi did not move, seeing Li Huishi outside curled up and crying, her tears frozen on her face, he let out a gentle sigh

Uncle Ping slowly took a few bites of the dish, chewing carefully for a long time before putting down his chopsticks and looking at him: "Do you know about the matter of the steamed buns?"

Li Hui has been in Dawa for several years and has never left this place, not knowing any of the roads, merely following Xiang Xi in silence, jogging along the way.

"This is the child I raised," Uncle Ping interrupted Erpan, staring at him, "Whether to hit or scold, whether to live or die, it is all my business"

Xiang Xi has not returned to the hospital, nor has he appeared before him again

He walked to the window in the corridor and looked outside; indeed, it was snowing again. He had thought that there would be no more snow this year

"Xiao Zhan, over the years, I have not treated you poorly..." Uncle Ping said in front, his tone quite sorrowful, "You were never easy to raise since childhood, and in these past two years, it has become increasingly difficult to nurture you."

However, if Cheng Boyu had shown even one percent of the concern he has now when he first mentioned his leg pain, perhaps...

Xiang Xi struggled for half a day to pull her up, and she held onto Xiang Xi's hand tightly, her nails digging into the skin of his hand.

For example, the days that are filled with busyness as soon as one opens their eyes each morning

During the meal, two plates were brought over, and two bottles of Moutai were given to Uncle Ping. Uncle Ping does not drink much alcohol; compared to holding a wine glass, he probably feels that holding a teapot is more stylish.

"Is it possible not to be hospitalized?" This person rubbed his nose and said, "My mother at home is ill, I cannot be hospitalized."

Return and chop it all up in a chaotic manner, then stuff it all into the pressure cooker

"Medicine? What medicine?" Uncle Ping pondered for a moment, "Oh, the medicine boxes on the bedside? There are still medicines in there, I didn't know, I thought they were all empty boxes and threw them away."

Xiang Xi opened the door leading to the back alley and walked out, turning to the lower level of the second building.

"Doctor, I want to stay..." This person frowned and sneezed again, "In the hospital?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" The two pairs of chopsticks were almost pointing at his nose, "He could drink three liang by the age of ten!"

The steamed bun is not even his good friend, not even considered a friend.

It is recommended to undergo hospitalization for further treatment (Patient refuses)

It is quite clear that this method of cutting off one's own retreat can indeed rewrite one's "life"

He drank more than half a bottle by himself from two plates, and in the end, he poured all the wine from the bottle into the cup and slammed it down in front of Xiang.

"Remember to wash the bowl later, use hot water, don't catch a chill," Uncle Ping stood up and took the teapot upstairs. "What are you thinking? Your good friend has disappeared without a trace, and you're still taking medicine? How distressing that is..."

"I have a stomachache," Xiang Xi said

Plaster fixation, providing dehydration, swelling reduction, and hemostatic treatment

After completing this task, Xiang Xi did not return to No. 17 under the cover of darkness

If Li Hui's fate is great, perhaps one could start another kind of life by walking on snow like a steamed bun.

After finishing dinner and resting for a while, my mom and dad went out for a walk. Cheng Boyan followed them out, preparing to return to his own place

A few days ago, while basking in the sun, he heard the furious roar of Erpan from the next room

Every time I see Xiang Xi, he is wearing the same down jacket, which is quite old, with a fluorescent yellow triangle on the sleeve

When I drove back home, my mother had already prepared the meal, and my father was still sitting in front of the computer looking at documents

The reason this person refused hospitalization reminded him of Xiang Xi. This kid doesn't even know whether he has a father, whether he has a mother he has never seen, or whether he is actually 18 years old

"I have enough; I don't have a place to spend money. I sleep whenever I have time, so where would I go to spend money?" Cheng Boyan said

I am a bit hungry, but there is nothing to eat

However, Mantou has been missing for several days, yet there has been no news of his demise.

Are you going to the meeting tomorrow? Cheng Boyan took off his coat and placed it on the cabinet by the door, then squeezed a bit of disinfectant from a bottle on the shoe rack and rubbed it on his hands as he walked over to the computer

Li Hui's crying ceased, biting her lip in silence

He also did not know why he would ask the driver to go there, only that he remembered this address very clearly; it was the place where Uncle Ping had picked him up, a dirt road that could lead out of the city

He knows that he has run away, Xiang Xi said in a muffled voice

Cheng Boyan was not originally on duty today, but Dr. Liu next door had a fever all afternoon, so in the evening, he took over Dr. Liu's shift

After the vehicle jolted for a while, Dajian opened the door and jumped out

Xiang Xi does not know how to cook. In the past, Uncle Ping also did not allow him to cook. There are quite a few people who run errands and do work, and cooking is not difficult. However, in the past two years, the number of times Xiang Xi has been asked to cook has increased.

Xiang Xi remained silent; the phone was a piece of junk, purchased with a 200 yuan top-up plus an additional 1 yuan as a gift. However, he had used it for three years and had developed a bond with it. Listening to it crack underfoot, he felt quite a pang of sorrow.

Xiang Xi remained silent, his hands trembling violently, uncertain whether it was due to pain or anger

Finally, Xi led her back to the street, took an envelope from his pocket, stuffed it into Li Hui's hand, and then pushed Li Hui into a taxi parked by the roadside

Take care to rest, "Dad stretched his waist, "Your mother must be feeling sorry for you."

The patient reports that approximately 1 hour ago, they fell and injured their left calf. At that time, they experienced pain in the left calf, and the affected limb could not move. No active bleeding or bone exposure was observed

Cheng Boyan squinted his eyes; there was a shadow swaying under the tree by the roadside outside the hospital. Unsure if it was just fatigue causing an illusion, Cheng Boyan always felt that he had seen a small streak of fluorescent color on the sleeve of that person's down jacket

"Little Exhibition!" Uncle Ping shouted.

The van is a two-disc model, and the back seat has been completely removed. Xiangxi is sitting on a cardboard box, leaning his head to the right to look out the car window, but his view is blocked by Dajian's face. He did not attempt to look to the left, where there is the two-disc model.

All the train stations and bus stations are filled with people who know each other; don't even think about leaving from those places. Even just passing by once, both Uncle Ping and Erpan would be aware of it

Cheng Boyan is in good health and rarely suffers from headaches or fevers. However, a patient with a fracture who came in during his shift sneezed three times directly in his face, and it is uncertain whether he might catch a cold from this.

Leg pain does not necessarily indicate a problem; it can be due to muscle soreness, a bump, or various other reasons

The weather has been pleasant these days, with warm sunshine. Xiangxi sits at the entrance of Gate 17 every noon to bask in the sun and watch the cats.

His reaction was such because of a single remark from Xiang Xi; those who are unaware might think there is something wrong with him

Xiang Xi clenched his fist against his stomach and took a long time to slowly straighten up

Mild swelling is observed in the middle to lower segment of the left calf, with no skin lesions and no active bleeding

Spiral fracture of the middle and lower segment of the left tibia

Walking has been a habit of my parents for decades, unwavering and unchanging. Every week, my father also goes swimming

For example, those who have been lost

"Sit down." Uncle Ping gestured to the chair, leisurely took a sip from the teapot, and began to eat the vegetables again

At that time, there was no stomach pain. Xiang Xi placed a piece of duck, which had been chopped into flower shapes, onto the second plate with chopsticks

Uncle Ping had already spoken such words, and Erpan did not dare to act against Xiangxi in front of him. With a belly full of anger, he could only throw Xiangxi harshly onto the chair and curse, "You deserve to be unwanted! Uncle Ping should let you freeze to death in the wilderness!"

I don't have any money to lend him, I still have two years left on my mortgage," Cheng Boyan chuckled. Hu Xin is indeed not cut out for business; he even managed to lose money selling beef jerky for a classmate's small factory before. "Moreover, I was just robbed..."

Xiang Xi felt that all the joints in his body were stiff, and it took him a long time to creakingly sit down on the chair

He has always categorized things this way, clearly delineating them, treating everyone the same, all for the sake of self-preservation

This person, feeling unwell with a cold, after taking medication, became dizzy and crashed their motorcycle into a roadside trash can. After sneezing repeatedly in front of Cheng Boyan, they finally explained the situation.

for example ... ... mixed bean porridge

Forget it, what else could there be, perhaps.

Unless it is ... ... to go out

Hu Xin? No, Cheng Boyan went to wash his hands, and then came out to serve soup into his parents' bowls. "I just made a phone call during the New Year, what happened?"

Today, upon returning home, he had no desire to even use the treadmill. After taking a shower, he sat down in front of the computer, opened a folder named ASMR, randomly selected a file, put on his headphones, leaned back in his chair, propped his legs up on the table, and closed his eyes

He yawned, and a van stopped by the roadside. Two people got out of the vehicle and stood face to face with the figure under the tree for a while, then the person got into the car

"Hmm, a forum on minimally invasive cardiac surgery," Dad stood up and looked at him, "Your department seems quite busy these days, right? I can see that you don't look too well."

Still smiling as he spoke, Xiang Xi looked at Uncle Ping's smile and felt that one day he would bid farewell to the life that others perceived as different within Uncle Ping's smile

Cheng Boyan felt somewhat out of sorts. As he stepped out of the hospital doors, the cold wind slapped against his face and head, gradually pulling him away from his previous emotions

Uncle Ping may not possess great abilities, yet he is more than capable of keeping them firmly pinned here, causing excruciating pain no matter how they struggle

Drank! Two plates stared at him

Calculating the time, on the day when he went to the hospital for a physical examination with Xiangxi, there must have been a plan. That day, he left earlier than Xiangxi and returned to Dawa late at night

He picked up a very small pebble from the snow, raised his hand and flicked it with his finger, and the pebble flew to the second floor, gently tapping against the glass

Xiang Xi inexplicably found it very amusing, laughing heartily at the cat. The cat, sitting on the wall, licked its tail for a while before turning around and leaving.

It was not until they reached the main street that Xiang Xi finally stopped, hesitating for a moment before leading him into another small alley, walking through the back streets and narrow lanes.

"Hospitalization is recommended." Cheng Boyan glanced at him.

There is also a computer in the study, but that belongs to my mother, who often has lectures and similar preparations to make. To avoid mutual interference, my father's computer is rather pitifully placed in the corner of the living room

After giving the driver the address, he turned around and left

Xiang Xi did not understand why he suddenly decided to do this

After putting away the dishes and chopsticks into the kitchen, he kept his head down, staring at his hands while washing the dishes. The red mark next to the wound pinched by Li Hui, which had been drawn out by Er Pan, had already swollen.

What would be the outcome if Li Hui were to stay here indefinitely? Everyone is aware that the young girl is not particularly attractive and is quite stubborn, yet she still manages to make the most of her situation.

Cheng Boyan rubbed his eyes and turned away from the window, as there were still two hospital admission records to complete

Xiang Xi was in so much pain that he almost overturned the bowl onto the table, glancing at the second plate without saying a word

Uncle Ping suddenly burst into laughter on one side, unable to stop laughing while drinking soup

"Do you know where he has gone?" Uncle Ping asked, "You two are as close as brothers; you should know."

The surroundings are very quiet, even the curses in the middle of the night have disappeared

Cheng Boyan lowered his head and sneezed

For example, being single

Erpan was momentarily taken aback, instinctively maintaining his balance with caution as he placed the duck into his mouth

In his childhood, he quite enjoyed lying on the window sill with a telescope, gazing at the distant tall buildings, the playground of the nearby school, and the people coming and going on the road... the silhouette standing under the tree in the middle of the night

What are you doing! Uncle Ping slammed the table.

I have been watching you for many days, did you know?" Erpan whispered in his ear, his voice filled with a fierce excitement. He took out Xiangxi's phone and stomped on it hard with his foot, saying, "You really send one after another away, and you even know to take the small path to get far away before calling a car."

In the drowsy darkness of Zhaojiayao, Xiang Xi gazed at the snowflakes drifting down from the sky, occasionally shimmering in an unknown light that seemed to come from nowhere

"Damn it!" After coming to his senses, he struck Xiang Xi's hand with a chopstick, "You dare to mess with me!"

Cheng Boyan adjusted his mood before going to the parking lot to retrieve his car

"Xiao Zhan, why must you?" Uncle Ping said leisurely from the passenger seat, "It's causing such a commotion that no one can even sleep."

I cannot return to Uncle Ping's place

Xiang Xi held her arm tightly and quickly walked along the wall of the alley towards the street corner, while Li Hui silently followed him, trembling all over

It is late at night, and there is still quite a long time until dawn. Looking out from the window of the hospital corridor, one can see the nearby street illuminated by neon lights, with the occasional headlights of cars speeding by.

He endured and took a piece of paper to wipe his face, then lowered his head to begin writing the medical record

After that, I never went out with Xiang Xi again; we acted independently.

In this regard, Cheng Boyan is truly no match; he just plays around on the treadmill at home, and during other times, he can almost fall asleep while sitting.

The steamed bun has gone missing

"By the way, I haven't asked you yet, is the money enough?" Mom took a sip of soup

Being beaten once a day, this morning I was kicked out of the house by Erpan and lay under the icy wall for half the day without being able to get up

The sun was warm, and Xiangxi stretched lazily, leaning back in the chair with his hands raised, basking in the light

Help me, " Li Hui's eyes were filled with tears, her voice trembling softly, " Xiao Zhan, please help me... I will die... "

The wound on my hand is quite painful, but nothing can be seen under the intense sunlight

The one who suffers the most from Mantou's departure may not be Mantou himself, but rather Li Hui

This seemingly bustling scene made Cheng Boyan feel somewhat lonely