Volume 9 – Chapter 33: Scarf (Part 2)
“What’s the matter with you? All of a sudden, you decided to go on a whim? Doesn’t our child need to attend school? Old Xiao, let me tell you. Our child has been doing badly in school because you indulged him! I won’t be taking him!”
“Okay, I won’t argue with you on this matter. I’ve already decided! You just tell our child that if he did badly in the final exam this semester, he wouldn’t be getting any pocket money next year when he comes back!”
…
After coming out from the Hongfu Building, Dazhe did not immediately leave this place. He hid in the alley next to the building and observed the entrance of the Hongfu Building. Dazhe only left the place when he saw Xiao Yucheng had left the place.
He did not go back to the construction site. He just gave a call to the harsh foreman, and of course, he was severely scolded by the foreman.
Of course, Dazhe put the phone a distance away from his ears. He just allowed the foreman to let out steam as he pleased. Dazhe could not help thinking that this matter was rather amusing. If it were in the past, something would probably happen to this harsh foreman at night due to his bad temper.
Dazhe shook his head. After leaving there, he called for a motorcycle. Suddenly, he had a place to go to.
Not long after, Dazhe came to a small neighborhood — Of course, this could not be compared to the neighborhoods found in the big cities.
It was just an area surrounded by a few residential buildings. It was not tall. Each building has six floors… Naturally, there was no elevator.
The doorman was an old man who was taking a nap at the moment. Dazhe effortlessly touched the door of one of the houses. When he was about to knock on the door, he stopped immediately.
Dazhe first washed the door handle with mineral water. He then washed his face, tidied up his clothes, took a deep breath, and lightly knocked on the door.
It did not take long before there was finally a response from the house… It’s a woman’s voice, which was a little low, but also a little wary… even slightly restless.
“Excuse me, who is it?” The question came from the door.
Dazhe took another deep breath before saying, “Sister Lin [1], it’s me, Gan Jing. Don’t you remember me?”
The sound of the door being opened could be heard. Then, the security door opened. A woman with an aged appearance and gray hair was seen with her hands on the door frame.
The woman rolled her eyelids, blinked, but turned her ears sideways, “It is Gan Jing!”
“It is me, isn’t it?” Dazhe said with a smile and hurriedly supported the woman with both hands… Sister Lin’s hand. “Sister Lin, you still can’t recognize my voice?”
“Hey! I recognized it. I recognized it!” Sister Lin could not help laughing at this moment. “Gan Jing, come in. You haven’t visited me for a long time.”
“Walk slowly… Hey, careful!” Dazhe carefully helped Sister Lin walk into the house.
Sister Lin said, “It’s alright. This is my home. I am familiar with it! Am I useless just because I am blind?”
“No!” said Dazhe earnestly. “Why would I think so?”
Dazhe helped Sister Lin walk into the hall… The house was not big. It only had two rooms along with a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. However, since Sister Lin lived here alone, it was naturally not small for her.
Dazhe saw that there was still a bag of plastic flowers in the living room and some well-arranged plastic flowers on the table.
When Dazhe saw Sister Lin stretching out her hand to touch the coffee table, seemingly looking for a cup, he immediately found the cup and put it beside Sister Lin’s hand, so that she was able to get hold of the cup immediately.
“Wait for me. I will pour you some water.”
“Alright.”
Dazhe took off his shoes right now. He then tiptoed around Sister Lin and brought the kettle to a place where she could easily touch it. Finally, he sneaked back to the original place, saying calmly, “Sister Lin, have you started making these plastic flowers recently? Huh, didn’t I already help you apply for the special welfare allowance? Why? Is money not enough?”
“No, no!” said Sister Lin quickly. “Gan Jing, what kind of special welfare allowance did you help me apply? When I went to the bank, it was thousands of yuan a month! The people inside the bank helped me withdraw the money. I was shocked!”
Dazhe laughed and said, “Sister Lin, I will tell you the truth. We are from the International Committee of the Red Cross, an international organization! Many kinds and rich people from foreign countries and within the country are willing to pay for it. So, of course, there will be more money. Also, you are the kind of people that we helped.”
Sister Lin sighed and said, “Oh, Gan Jing, your organization has given me too much, and I dare not ask for it. There were so many people in need of help. Yet, all of you gave me so much. No, it’s not good!”
Dazhe patted Sister Lin’s hand, “Don’t worry. We treat all of the people we extended our assistance to equally. The other people who have received our assistance are just like you!”
Sister Lin said in disbelief, “Really?”
Dazhe whispered, “Sister Lin, don’t you believe me?”
Sister Lin shook her head and said, “For me, I don’t trust anyone, but it doesn’t mean I don’t trust you. To be honest, Gan Jing, if it wasn’t for your Red Cross organization, or if you didn’t look for me, I don’t know where I will end up. Not only you guys took care of me, but all of you also gave me such a house. I didn’t believe it with my own eyes, but all of it is real… I… If I didn’t meet good people like you, I don’t know what to do now…”
While she was talking, Sister Lin was already crying and choked with tears.
“Sister Lin, it’s all over. Don’t remember unhappy things.” Dazhe grabbed Sister Lin’s palm tightly and comforted her, “Life will get better.”
“What you said is true.” Sister Lin smiled. “Alright, I will stop talking about it! Oh, yes, Gan Jing, last time you said you were going on a business trip or something, but it was more than half a year since you left, which made me worry for a long time.”
“Oh, I went to Africa. There are a lot of people who need help over there. So, I didn’t manage to tell you all about it.” Dazhe smiled and said. “It’s a good thing that you can’t see, Sister Lin. Otherwise, what you see now is a piece of black charcoal.”
“Really?” Sister Lin was amused and then asked curiously. “Are you as dark as Bao Qingtian, the character who was played by actors on TV?”
“Indeed! Even darker than him!” Dazhe smiled and said. “If I hide in that alley, no one can see me!”
“You little fella.” Sister Lin shook her head. “You know how to make me happy… By the way, wait for me for a while!”
With that said, Sister Lin held her knees as she stood up, slowly felt her way to her room, and walked out from it slowly after a while.
She held a scarf in her hand.
“Sister Lin, this is…”
“I knit it.” Sister Lin said with a smile. “I don’t know what to knit. When it comes to clothes, I am afraid I can’t knit it perfectly. I would do even worse if it’s pants. So, I can only make something simple. I was thinking of giving it to you when you come to see me. It just happens to be cold now. Come, let me put it on you.”
Sister Lin put on a scarf on Dazhe.
“Is it warm?”
“Yes, it is warm!”
“Hey, good boy!”
Tears rolled out of Dazhe.
[1] Dazhe refers to her as (嫂), which could imply both sister-in-law or the wife of his senior brother (whether this senior is blood related or not, it doesn’t matter). Due to the ambiguity, we decided to go with Sister to highlight the seniority.