Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 40 Covered in Mud

In the rental house, Ran Qing made a bowl of instant noodles with hot water.

In the next room, the students were not asleep. They were reading and doing exercises in their respective rooms.

No poor student who can get into No. 3 Middle School will slack off.

After locking the door, Ran Qing saw that Xiaomianhua was envious of his instant noodles, so he took out a big bowl and prepared to make a bowl for the little girl as well.

"Do you want spicy or non-spicy?" Ran Qing asked while holding instant noodles of different flavors.

The little girl in dog skin looked at the instant noodle bag in Ran Qing's hand excitedly, wagging her tail happily but not saying a word.

Ran Qing asked twice in a low voice but got no response, then he realized that the little girl had become very strange.

She just looked at Ran Qing happily, wagging her tail excitedly. But her demeanor was completely different from when she came. She seemed to have forgotten that she could speak...

Ran Qing's expression froze slightly.

After a few seconds of silence, he put two bags of instant noodles on the ground and let the little girl choose.

Little Mianhua didn't notice Ran Qing's complicated expression, but happily stretched out his right paw and pressed the spicy bag on his left. Then he happily raised his head, tilted his head back to look at Ran Qing, and wagged his tail excitedly.

At this moment, she really turned into a dog, and there was no trace of humanity on her body anymore.

Ran Qing gave her a complicated look, silently opened the package, and prepared instant noodles for the little girl.

Then he put the bowl of instant noodles on the ground and watched the little girl bury her head and lick the noodles happily with her tongue.

Ran Qing sat aside and watched for a long time before he slowly sighed.

"...I'm already covered in mud, and I still have time to feel sorry for others."

Ran Qing said this, smiled bitterly, shook his head with mixed emotions, and started eating the instant noodles in his bowl.

While eating instant noodles, Ran Qing opened the vocabulary book and silently recited the words on it.

He hasn't studied properly for several days. The final exam is just around the corner, so he has to seize every spare moment to catch up.

The original study plan has been put on hold for several days, and I can’t waste any more precious time.

At this moment, Ran Qing just wanted to resolve Li Hongye's issue as soon as possible and get his life back to normal.

There is still some time before 11:30, so Ran Qing can still find time to memorize some words and do a few exercises.

After finishing the instant noodles and washing the two bowls, Ran Qing sat at the desk, opened the test paper and started doing the questions.

The familiar desk, the familiar test paper, the familiar pen-holding posture... These familiar and intimate scenes made Ran Qing quickly immersed in studying, and he completely put those sinister and terrifying things behind his mind.

Only when he concentrates on doing the questions can Ran Qing forget all his worries and sorrows.

Until the little girl lying at his feet suddenly stood up and rubbed Ran Qing's legs with her claws. Ran Qing, who was immersed in the test paper, raised his head and found that it was already 23:25.

There are only 5 minutes left before meeting Aunt Liu.

Ran Qing then hurriedly put on his clothes and went out with Xiao Mianhua.

When going downstairs, Ding Yong from next door came out to pee. He ran into Ran Qing and the dog in the corridor and was startled.

"Where did the dog come from?"

Ran Qing quickly shushed him and said, "It's from a friend. I'll take it away right away."

He was afraid that Ding Yong's words would attract the attention of the landlord, Old Chen, and he would be scolded by the landlord again.

After sneaking down the stairs with Xiaomianhua, Ran Qing quickly ran out of the shantytown on Qingyuan Road.

On the overpass at the intersection of Qingyuan Road, Ran Qing met Aunt Liu.

The pitch-black overpass loomed in the darkness, and Sixth Aunt's figure almost blended into the darkness. A train loaded with coal clanged across the overpass below, and the violent vibrations from the train's passage were transmitted to the bridge, and Ran Qing felt the soles of his feet vibrate.

"Sixth Aunt..."

Ran Qing brought the dog to Sixth Aunt and found that Sixth Aunt was holding a bamboo basket in her left hand and a monkey in her right hand. The monkey was wearing a black jacket, had a pointed face and fierce eyes. Ran Qing frowned and felt that the monkey looked familiar.

Aunt Six frowned and looked at Ran Qing and said.

"Are you afraid that others don't know that you are a good student of No. 3 Middle School? Do you wear school uniform everywhere you go? Would it kill you to wear something else?"

Aunt Six was very dissatisfied with the school uniform that Ran Qing was wearing.

Ran Qing looked down at his school uniform jacket, took it off hesitantly, and said, "Then I'll take it off..."

Under the coat is a thin gray short-sleeved shirt.

Aunt Six glared at him and scolded him, "Go back and change! Why are you taking it off? Wearing only an undershirt in the middle of the night, aren't you afraid of freezing to death?"

Aunt Liu's tone was vicious, and at this moment, she turned back into that ferocious menopausal woman.

Ran Qing scratched his head and explained, "I don't have any other coats. The only coat I have for summer is my school uniform..."

Ran Qing only had a very old cotton-padded jacket as a coat, but that was for winter. In the summer he wore his school uniform coat, as two sets of uniforms were enough anyway.

Frugality has been the foundation of Ran Qing's life for the past few years. Only in this way can he avoid having to rely on others for money. His scholarship and the hard-earned money he earned from selling honeycomb coal during the winter and summer vacations are enough to support his life.

Ran Qing has always lived in poverty, but he doesn't think there is anything shameful about it.

Because he believed that his poverty was only temporary.

But after hearing his answer, Aunt Six was stunned for a moment and asked in disbelief, "Your stepmother is so harsh on you? She doesn't even buy you clothes? And your father, Ran Lao San, doesn't care at all?"

At this moment, Ran Qing actually saw anger in Aunt Liu's dead eyes.

Obviously, Aunt Liu misunderstood Ran Qing's family relationships.

Seeing the angry Sixth Aunt, Ran Qing hesitated for a moment, but finally explained: "I live with my grandma, not with them, and I don't use their money."

Ran Qing spoke vaguely and didn't want to tell outsiders too much about his family affairs.

After all, this kind of thing is not something decent to be publicized, and he doesn't want to discuss his family affairs with anyone.

Ran Qing doesn't need either sympathy or pity.

But after Ran Qing finished speaking, Aunt Liu stared at him for a long time, not knowing what she was thinking.

Finally, Aunt Six sneered and said.

"The little brat has some backbone."

Her compliments didn't sound like praise at all, but rather like sarcastic sarcasm. It was unclear how she understood Ran Qing's family relationships.

Ran Qing said nothing more, but looked at the monkey that Aunt Liu was holding.

"Aunt Liu, this monkey seems to be that..."

"Yes, it belongs to Meng Laoqi," Aunt Liu said, holding the monkey. "I borrowed it from him today. He trained the monkey very well. We'll need this damn thing to find your classmate's body later."

As Aunt Liu spoke, the monkey quietly crawled to Ran Qing's feet and opened its mouth. The moment Ran Qing's hair stood up, Aunt Liu kicked the monkey hard, directly on the head.

The monkey howled in pain and was kicked away, but was pulled back by the chain around his neck. Then Aunt Liu stepped on his head and pressed him to the ground, making him scream in pain.

Seeing Ran Qing's stunned expression, Aunt Liu's dead fish eyes flashed with a cold light.

"Don't turn your back on this thing. The one raised by Meng Laoqi is not a good person."

Aunt Six coldly reminded Ran Qing: "Be careful later!"

After saying that, she threw the chain in her hand directly to Ran Qing.

He actually let Ran Qing hold his hand.

"Let's go find your female classmate."

(End of this chapter)