CHAPTER 5: Don’t Ever Mention That Family To Me!

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“Get up, don’t sleep anymore, go pick up your grandma’s medicine.”

Bai Luo Yin rubbed his eyes as he noticed that the sun was still not up yet.

“It’s not like you have to sign up to pick up the medicine, you can just get in line if you have the prescription,” he mumbled to himself. Bai Luo Yin turned his body and was about to go back to sleep.

“The sooner you head out, the sooner you get back, your grandma is a bit anxious.”

Bai Luo Yin turned a few times on his bed, and then reluctantly got out of it. For the past ten years, his breakfast has never changed; every morning it would be fried dough sticks and bean curd. Bai Han Qi had always been the first one to come to this breakfast stall, sometimes he came when the lady owner had not even opened yet, he would sit there and wait; he was determined to buy breakfast from that particular stall. Since he was frequently there, he had become the stall’s regular customer. Every time he came, the lady owner would not need to ask and just bagged his usual items.

“I’m full,” Bai Luo Yin put down his spoon.

Bai Han Qi stared intensely at his son, “You always leave some leftover every time.”

Bai Luo Yin had a bad habit: it doesn’t matter what food it is, he would always leave some leftovers after each meal. Even if he was not yet full, he would never finish the last bite; which had soon developed into a habit for him. When he was a kid, his family did not make enough for a living; yet his father always saved the best piece of food for him. Because Bai Luo Yin really loved his father, he would always leave a piece for his father.

Now, his family living condition was getting better, yet he could not get rid of this old habit.

It was Friday, and during the weekend, the doctor usually would not be available; therefore, many people had stayed in queue for registration. Especially for top graded hospital like this, as if it’s a free examination day; many people had crowded up the place just like the scene at Beijing subway during rush hours. +

“Hey, you! You stepped on my foot!”

“Impossible, my feet are not even touching the ground!”

“…”

Bai Luo Yin stood behind a very beautiful girl; when the people behind him pushed forward, his body would bump lightly on the girl every time; he did not know whether he should feel annoyed or feel blessed. If this were to keep on continuing, he was afraid that by the time it was her turn for an examination, she would be diagnosed with pregnancy*.

(T/N: There’s a Chinese saying/old culture that a girl and boy should not have bodily contact with each other. When the girl is at a young age, she would be warned that if she even let a guy who is not her husband to hold her hand, she would get pregnant and it’s not joke. So, in a sense, it can be said that Bai Luo Yin was being sarcastic about it and was a bit amused yet annoyed at the situation of being unwillingly pushed forward into her <– sexual innuendos here)

“Hi there handsome.”

“I’m talking to you.”

Bai Luo Yin was still daydreaming about the pretty girl standing in front of him until someone tapped him quite hard on his shoulder, which woke him up from his trance. He turned over and looked at the newcomers; he was a bit surprised at the sudden appearance of two other girls, whose height and fashion were similar with each other, it looked like they want to cut in queue.

“Mr. Handsome, you have two options; one is to let us cut in queue and two is to give us your phone number.”

“136XXXXXXXX” (T/N: exactly what written in the book)

The two girls grinned widely and left.

The high school girl standing in front of him had been keeping her silence; after hearing Bai Luo Yin’s answer, she took up all of her courage to turn to ask, “Was that really your phone number?”

“The truth is I don’t have a cell phone.”

“…”

Until the sun was above his head, Bai Luo Yin returned with a big bag of medicine that cost him around 1057 Yuan 3 mao 2*, a month worth of spending. The main reason for Bai Luo Yin’s family to be in this slump now was because there are two sick elders in the house: his grandma had to rely on medication to maintain her condition, while his grandpa every so often had to visit the hospital for intravenous drip to prevent cerebral thrombosis recurrence.

(T/N: “mao” is used a fractional monetary unit for Chinese yuan, hence this is equivalent to cents)

Bai Han Qi had two older brothers. The oldest one was a professor who was teaching at a well-known school in Beijing, his monthly salary would be over one million yuan. His finance was stable, yet he had one huge hobby, and that is to pretend to be poor. His second brother was an entrepreneur that has his own company and was a highroller; but, whenever he took the elders to see the doctor, his wallet would always be empty*.

(T/N: I want to put “he did not even have a penny with him” but then that’s the custom saying in America, I’m not sure if that will be fitting in here. So I changed it to “his wallet would always be empty” to say that he will always come with no money ^^)

“Hi Auntie”

Bai Luo Yin greeted his neighbor on his way back home.

“You just got back? What are you guys having for lunch?”

“I don’t know yet”

Right when Bai Luo Yin finished his sentence, a loud honk came from the car behind him. He turned his head around to take a look and saw military car; he turned his gaze at the owner of the car, it was a young and beautiful lady sitting inside.

Bai Luo Yin quickly fastened his pace.

“Xiao Yin.”

To be able to catch up to Bai Luo Yin, Jiang Yuan had to hold up her pants as she chased after him; if this scene would’ve been seen by Gu Hai, he would definitely have given it two thumbs up and laughed his heart out.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

Bai Luo Yin kept his silence.

“I’m looking for you because I have something to tell you.”

Bai Luo Yin still did not say anything, keeping his poker face.

“If you don’t come with me, I’ll go into the house.”

Bai Luo Yin could faintly hear his grandma’s voice from the front yard of the house; inside the plastic bag in his hand were his grandma’s cardiac medications, he was having a hard time deciding for a second; in the end, he compromised and followed his mother.

(T/N: The reason he was having a hard time to decide here is that his grandmother needs to have her daily medication on time, especially for heart disease, taking medication on time is very critical. Yet, at the same time, he doesn’t want his mom to enter his house. If he takes the medicine to his grandmother, that would mean his mother would follow him to the house, in which he hates for it to happen.)

“Your current high school has a low graduation rate and the learning environment there is bad as well. I’ve contacted a private high school, you should go there for two years. After your high school exams, I will send you overseas.”

Bai Luo Yin spat out two words, “Not going.”

Jiang Yuan had already guessed such answer, yet she would not let that go easily.

“You can hate me and think that I’m bad at this and that; but, you can’t aggravate yourself. What kind of path can that lousy school offer you? My new husband’s son is also your age, and is studying at that private school. How are you any worse than he is?”

New husband— Bai Luo Yin felt really annoyed at hearing those words.

“You can’t be following your dad’s footsteps; wherein he has always been a weakling without ambition who still going to work by bike at the age of fourty?”

Bai Luo Yin tried to calm himself down and was able to produce a complete sentence.

“What’s so good about comparing one person to another? It’s not about how rich they are, it’s about how they make such money. Let me ask you, Miss Jiang Yuan, you’re riding in a luxury car and bringing branded bags, yet, how many people have you sheltered?”

These words were like a knife stabbing through Jiang Yuan’s heart.

She stared at Bai Luo Yin for a moment before she opened her mouth again, trembling.

“I know that I have never done my duty as a mother, but now, I wish to make up for it. You’re only 17, and I’m still not yet old as well, why don’t you give me a chance?”

“Ok, I’ll give you a chance, I wish that you would never look for me anymore.”

Bai Luo Yin stood up and quickly walked out of the car.

“Xiao Yin!”

Jiang Yuan abruptly stood up as she called out to Bai Luo Yin while she was on the verge of tears.

Bai Luo Yin fisted his hands and turned to face Jiang Yuan.

“And also, from now on, don’t ever mention that family in front of me ever again, it’s really annoying!”

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