EAY Chapter 10

Make friends?

Make friends?

10

There were two pairs of shoes in the entryway, men’s sneakers and women’s flats. Since Shi Ran started high school, he rarely saw extra shoes at home.

The few times they did appear, they would drop his otherwise good mood to rock bottom.

Shi Ran’s original plan for coming home this time was to coolly hand all the money he earned to the old man, tell him not to worry blindly anymore, properly heal the injury on his leg, then quickly take a hot shower and sleep comfortably, and go to the breakfast shop for a meal tomorrow.

Life could return to normal.

But, his parents came, probably to see Grandpa Shi. They were concerned about Grandpa Shi’s injury and also took the opportunity to lecture the old man.

“Dad, no matter what I tell you, you don’t listen. What are you fussing about at such an old age? Your body is very fragile now. Don’t think you’re still young, able to carry things on your shoulders and lift things with your hands. You need to take care of your health now. If you really want to exercise, go for a walk, why not learn Tai Chi like other people?”

“That’s right, Dad, we’re doing this for your own good,” a woman’s voice chimed in. “Your body is your own. No matter how others take care of you, you’re the one who suffers when you fall and get hurt. You should just stay at home and stop thinking about going out to earn those few small coins. We’ll transfer Ranran’s living expenses regularly.”

Shi Ran heard his name, so he didn’t want to go in even more and rested on the sofa in the living room.

Grandpa Shi said with an “Ouch,” “How dare I rely on you two? You’re always appearing and disappearing unpredictably. Have you been transferring the living expenses regularly? Oh, maybe it’s too little for me to notice. But I can’t blame you, both of you have your own ambitions and your own families. Ranran and I won’t bother you two carefree parents.”

Shi Ran’s father frowned as soon as he heard that and said to the person next to him, “You haven’t been transferring Ranran’s living expenses on time?”

Shi Ran’s mother glared at him, “Why don’t you become a boss and earn big money? I only earn a few bucks at work. It’s already good enough that I can give some every month.”

“You still drag and drag on those few bucks! Aren’t you ashamed! Is it that guy from your side again being fussy, what kind of man is he!”

“Shi Xiao Peng, shut your mouth! If you’re such a man, why don’t you give all of my share too!”

“Wen Qian, you’re the child’s mother!”

“You’re the child’s father!”

“All of you shut up!” Grandpa Shi waited for them with a serious face, “If you want to quarrel, go outside and quarrel, don’t shout in my house. Ranran’s coming back soon, you two don’t need to put on a show for me here. If you don’t want to give, then don’t give. Just pretend that we grandpa and grandson are dead, get out, get out!”

Shi Xiao Peng quickly said, “Dad, don’t be angry, it’s our fault, our fault. Take good care of your injury, your son will come to see you again next time.”

Wen Qian also said, “Sorry Dad, I will definitely transfer the living expenses on time next month, don’t be angry.”

The former couple came out of the room and saw their son with a world-weary expression on the sofa. Shi Ran stood up from the sofa, “If you’re done chatting, then leave, I need to lock the door.”

Shi Xiao Peng took a step forward and said as if he just remembered, “Why are you coming back so late? Your grandpa said you went to a classmate’s house, is that true? What kind of child is still not sleeping at this hour?”

Shi Ran said, “The kind of child who doesn’t have a father or mother.”

“You little–” Shi Xiao Peng wanted to scold him, but thinking that there was still an angry old man inside, he reached out and dragged Shi Ran into the room, Wen Qian also quickly followed in worriedly.

“What are you doing!” Shi Ran impatiently shook off his dad.

Shi Xiao Peng pointed at Shi Ran’s forehead, “Tell me honestly, what exactly did you go do?”

Shi Ran looked at his dad with a contemptuous look, “What do you want me to have gone to do?”

“Don’t beat around the bush with me, confess honestly!”

“Don’t, don’t interrogate my son like you’re interrogating a criminal!” Wen Qian pushed Shi Xiao Peng away and protected Shi Ran behind her, “You don’t know anything about a high school student’s schedule, it’s common to do homework until dawn!”

Shi Xiao Peng sneered, “Do you think your son would be studying at someone’s house until this late?”

Shi Ran sneered, “You know me so well at this time, huh.”

Wen Qian quickly pushed Shi Ran back again, looking her son up and down, her tone softened: “Mom won’t ask you what you’re doing, but it definitely wasn’t something bad, right?”

For Shi Ran, his parents were unfamiliar relatives, but his father was the enemy ready to go to war at any time, and his mother was the ambiguous neutral party. Shi Ran tried to win her over, but was helpless because she turned a blind eye to his pain.

But no matter what, he couldn’t say harsh words to her like he did to his father.

“How could I possibly do something bad?” After saying that, he brushed off his mom’s hand and sat down on his bed.

“You better be!” Shi Xiao Peng pointed at him, quickly finished educating him, and was about to leave.

Shi Ran suddenly spoke up, “You don’t need to worry about Grandpa.”

Shi Ran’s parents’ faces softened, thinking that their son had finally become sensible and was willing to say a few heartfelt words. Who knew that Shi Ran would say stiffly, “Even if Grandpa is gone, I won’t live with you, so don’t worry.”

Seeing that Shi Xiao Peng was about to explode again, Wen Qian quickly stopped him. Shi Ran said impatiently, “Let him hit me, a child without parents deserves to be beaten!”

Wen Qian felt a pang of heartache, turned her head and sobbed. No one stopped Shi Xiao Peng now, his hand was still stiffly raised in the air, as if it weighed a ton.

Shi Ran continued, “I heard you nagging Grandpa when I came back. Did you ask him how he fell? He fell while taking a bath. Is taking a bath also called fussing around? You don’t ask the reason because you don’t care. You’re simply afraid that something will happen to Grandpa, that you’ll have to take care of him, and even worse, you’ll have to take care of me, worrying that I’ll enter your happy and blissful family.”

Shi Ran’s hand was placed on the bed sheet and he clenched his fist secretly, “So I’m telling you that you don’t need to have this concern. I’ll take care of Grandpa in his old age, and I’m even less likely to trouble you two. You don’t need to come specifically to give us education lessons in the future.”

–

Coming out of the narrow and dilapidated stairwell, the night wind made people’s hearts feel cold. Shi Xiao Peng habitually took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth, but when he was about to light it, he saw his ex-wife, who was walking slightly ahead, shrinking her shoulders. Shi Xiao Peng sighed in his heart, put the cigarette back, and chased after her, “The child is talking nonsense during his rebellious period, what are you crying for?”

Wen Qian wiped away her tears, “Our son is smart, he sees through our little thoughts.”

Shi Xiao Peng: “There’s pressure, that’s true, but it’s impossible to really ignore that old man and the child.”

Wen Qian sniffled, put her hand in her pocket, “Our son will definitely blame us in the future, right?”

“He already blames us now.”

“Heh, that’s true.”

Shi Xiao Peng said, “You didn’t drive, did you? I’ll give you a ride.”

“No need, go your own way.” Wen Qian waved her hand and walked forward alone.

–

When Shi Ran came to the classroom the next day, there was breakfast on his desk, his favorite meat buns.

He subconsciously looked towards Qi Ye’s seat, but that blockhead was reading a book in his seat, stubbornly not turning around.

No chemistry at all.

When it was Shi Ran’s turn to be on duty after school, his deskmate had been on sick leave for many days and hadn’t come, so it was just poor him.

Just as he had put the benches on the desks in the classroom, Qi Ye poked his head in at the front door, “Shi Ran?”

“Yeah.” When Shi Ran was in a bad mood, he didn’t talk much and didn’t like to pay attention to people.

Ordinary people would automatically retreat when they saw his stern face, but Qi Ye was obviously not an ordinary person.

He didn’t know when he had taken the mop out of the classroom, and came in through the front door carrying the wet mop, “I’ll help you mop the floor.”

Not giving Shi Ran a chance to refuse at all, Qi Ye started spinning around the room like an automatic sweeping robot.

“The way you help people is really domineering.” Shi Ran couldn’t help but shake his head while leaning on the broom.

Qi Ye quickly mopped the classroom. Looking at the shiny, spotless floor, Shi Ran said, “Do you often do this at home?”

Qi Ye smiled, “Not really, I do it when I have time on Saturdays and Sundays.”

“Thanks.” Shi Ran returned the cleaning tools to their original place. When he was about to put down the benches, he was stopped by Qi Ye, “Don’t move, going over there now will leave footprints and make it even dirtier.”

Shi Ran didn’t dare to move. Qi Ye said to go out to the corridor and wait a while, and then go in after the classroom floor had dried a little.

Qi Ye looked to be in a good mood and would even take the initiative to joke with Shi Ran, “Does Grandpa Shi do all the housework at home?”

Shi Ran: “We both do, but we’re both careless. According to the auntie next door, our house is only a little better than a doghouse.”

Qi Ye smiled and moved a little closer to Shi Ran: “Didn’t you sleep well? You don’t look too good.”

Shi Ran subconsciously touched his face: “Oh, I couldn’t sleep a bit. By the way, thanks for the breakfast.”

“It’s nothing, I thought I would see you today.” Qi Ye took his hands off the railing and mustered up the courage to ask, “Um, is there anything else on your mind?”

Shi Ran didn’t expect him to say that, after all, no one had asked him this question all day, so he forced a smile: “Do I look like someone who hides things on their mind? That sounds like trouble.”

Qi Ye said softly, “You look like you’ve been crying.”

“No.” Shi Ran said immediately, “Absolutely not.”

“Oh, then I must have misseen.” Qi Ye said.

“Definitely, ah, the classroom floor should be dry, we can go in–” Just as Shi Ran was about to change the topic, he suddenly heard a low “So beautiful.”

Qi Ye was a little taller than him, and he was blocking him a bit. Shi Ran stepped back a little and saw the sunset in the distance, the light was dazzling and gentle, so beautiful that it made people want to cry.

Qi Ye asked softly, “Shi Ran, do you like the sunrise or the sunset?”

Shi Ran: “Sunrise.”

Qi Ye smiled, “I prefer the sunset, it has a kind of, very reassuring feeling.”

“Is that so,” But other than beauty, Shi Ran didn’t feel anything special. He supported his head and said, “Then it seems we should be together all day.”

Qi Ye looked surprised: “What does that mean?”

Shi Ran: “I’m happier at sunrise, you’re happier at sunset, and happiness is contagious, so wouldn’t both of us be happy all day?”

Qi Ye didn’t dare to think like that. If he thought about it like that, it would turn in a dangerous direction, and would eventually develop into an uncontrollable state.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Shi Ran said casually, “Just kidding, even if we’re friends, we can’t be together all day.”

Qi Ye responded sluggishly, “Yeah, yeah, that’s true.”

Shi Ran: “So, are we friends now? Yesterday I still thought you were more like my little brother, the kind I would always protect.”

Qi Ye said shyly, “Anything is fine.”

“Then let’s be friends.” Shi Ran stretched out his fist and raised his chin coolly at Qi Ye.

For a moment, in the last afterglow of the sunset, the fists of the two boys gently bumped together.