My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 20 The Price of a Cup of Milk Tea (Part 2)

On the way back, Chen Xiaomiao took over driving, while the 185cm tall Lu Yuan huddled in the back seat like a quail.

Just as they arrived at the entrance of the residential area, Chen Xiaomiao suddenly braked hard.

"What's wrong?"

Lu Yuan, sitting in the back seat, asked curiously.

Chen Xiaomiao didn't turn off the engine. She supported herself with one foot on the ground and pointed to a BYD car on the side of the road: "Lu Yuan, look at that car. Does it look familiar? Isn't it your childhood friend's?"

Lu Yuan turned his head and saw that it really was Zhao Qiang's BYD car used for ride-hailing.

Why is this kid stopping at the entrance of the residential area when he came to see me?

Not even a phone call?
Lu Yuan muttered to himself, signaled Chen Xiaomiao to wait a moment, and went over to knock on the driver's side window.

The car window slowly rolled down, revealing a woman inside.

She had short, faded, yellowish hair, a row of ear piercings in each ear, and heavy eye makeup. When she saw Lu Yuan, her eyes involuntarily darted away.

"sister in law!?"

Lu Yuan let out a gasp.

Zhao Qiang's girlfriend is named Qi Lili. He met her when he was in vocational high school, and she is a year older than him.

Back when she was in vocational high school, Qi Lili was addicted to all sorts of vices: smoking, drinking, getting perms, tattoos, and fighting!

As Zhao Qiang's father privately complained to Lu Yuan, these two together were like "a broken drum paired with a broken gong."

However, after graduating from high school, Qi Lili followed Zhao Qiang and settled down. She is currently working in a nail salon and is doing reasonably well.

However, due to Zhao Qiang's father's attitude, the two have been delaying getting their marriage certificate and holding a wedding.

As for Lu Yuan's impression of Qi Lili, it was neither too good nor too bad.

Of course, if it weren't for Zhao Qiang, the two would probably never have crossed paths in their lives.

"What a coincidence, Lu Yuan... you just had a date with your girlfriend?"

Qi Lili gave an awkward laugh, instinctively reaching for a cigarette, but stopped halfway through, instead fastening her seatbelt: "I...I came to see a friend off, and I was just about to leave."

Seeing that she seemed hesitant and clearly wasn't just "passing by," Lu Yuan had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

"Sister-in-law, since you're already here, why don't you come up and sit for a while? My mom's friend just gave me a few boxes of lychees, and we can't finish them all. Why don't you take some back for Zhao Qiang and his aunt and uncle?"

Qi Lili hesitated for a long time, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the steering wheel, before finally nodding: "Okay, sorry to bother you."

The three returned upstairs, and Chen Xiaomiao tactfully poured tea for Qi Lili, then quietly stayed to the side.

Qi Lili picked up her teacup and joked, "Lu Yuan, your girlfriend looks young, but she's quite sensible."

Lu Yuan didn't respond to that, nor did he explain Chen Xiaomiao's identity. He went straight to the point and said, "Sister-in-law, just say what you need to say."

Qi Lili's smile froze instantly, her hand holding the teacup tightened, and she finally let out a long breath.

"A while ago, your grandma booked an appointment with an orthopedic specialist for Zhao Qiang's mother, right? I haven't been feeling well lately, so I went to the hospital with her for a checkup, and the result... was a mix of good and bad news."

Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

"What's the bad news?"

"Zhao Qiang's mother was diagnosed with a spinal tumor."

Lu Yuan was startled and took a while to calm down before continuing to ask.

"Good news."

"I'm pregnant, I'm a month along."

Qi Lili's answer was concise and clear. This time, Lu Yuan's silence didn't last long, and he didn't beat around the bush, asking directly, "Sister-in-law, how much do you want to borrow?"

Qi Lili was surprised that Lu Yuan asked so directly. A hint of embarrassment flashed across her face, but it was quickly replaced by a desperate sense of desperation.

"Zhao Qiang told me about your situation. I know it's not easy for you to pay your mortgage every month, but..."

She changed the subject and began to cautiously probe.

"Lu Yuan, I heard that your maternal grandfather recently inherited something?"

Upon hearing this, the air seemed to freeze, and Lu Yuan's brows furrowed slightly.

He understood that Qi Lili was in trouble and might be desperate to seek help from unqualified sources.

But this kind of probing, which implied "I heard you're rich now," made him really uncomfortable.

Lu Yuan didn't speak, and Qi Lili continued to mutter.

“You and Zhao Qiang grew up together, you know his temper, he’s so proud he’d rather suffer than admit it. He wouldn’t have told you about this, and if he had known I came to see you today, he would have definitely gotten angry with me later…”

"sister in law!"

Lu Yuan interrupted Qi Lili, not letting her continue complaining: "I will contact Zhao Qiang directly about this matter. You can focus on your pregnancy and don't worry, the sky won't fall."

Having said that, Qi Lili was quite sensible.

She stood up awkwardly: "Well... alright, Lu Yuan, I'll head back now."

"I'll give it to you."

"No, no, no..."

The door closed, and Chen Xiaomiao quietly came over to tidy up the coffee table. She asked curiously, "Lu Yuan, what is that spinal tumor you were talking about earlier?"

Lu Yuan rubbed his temples and explained wearily, "Well... it's like there's something bad growing in your bones, the kind that can't be cured."

Chen Xiaomiao stopped packing, her face full of confusion: "If it can't be cured, then why did you need to borrow money from me for treatment?"

She could tell that the woman had wanted to borrow a considerable sum.

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and then asked Chen Xiaomiao, "If, and I mean if, your master is dying, but there is a medicine that can extend his life by a few years, but the price is that you will have to eat tree bark for the next few years, or even decades, to survive, would you be willing to do that?"

Chen Xiaomiao suddenly fell silent, her eyelids lowered, and she did not answer for a long time.

Lu Yuan thought his words had stirred up Chen Xiaomiao's painful memories, so he quickly sat up straight: "Xiaomiao, I didn't think before I spoke, don't take it to heart..."

"It's not because of Master."

Chen Xiaomiao shook her head and said softly, "I was thinking of a family on the way to escape famine. Their mother was dying, and in order to get her some medicine to keep her alive, they gave their daughter away as a child bride."

As she spoke, Chen Xiaomiao paused, looked up at Lu Yuan, and her pupils trembled slightly.

Do you know what the price is?

Lu Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't speak.

Chen Xiaomiao twitched the corners of her mouth, as if she wanted to laugh, but it looked worse than crying.

"Four catties of wheat flour."

Her gaze shifted to the unfinished cup of milk tea, and she sighed.

"Just the price of this glass of sweet water."

　I'd really appreciate some feedback from everyone.

　　Monthly votes, recommendations, and comments are all welcome. Writing a book in isolation is quite tiring, and this will also help me assess the quality of my work.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)