allonlinenovel Chapter 208 As long as you're full
Chapter 208 As long as you're full
The pain from wisdom teeth doesn't subside in just a day or two.
Song Huan took several ibuprofen tablets, but it didn't help at all. Her face was still swollen, her gums still hurt, and half of her head was throbbing.
These past few days he has had to become a silent, handsome man, sometimes not saying a word all day, just sitting in his seat quietly reading a book.
Xiao Yunqing didn't disturb him, knowing that he wanted to talk more than anyone else.
She sat beside him, reading quietly, occasionally jotting down a few lines on a draft paper, and sometimes gently pushing her water glass toward him.
The two sat side by side, quietly, like two trees planted together.
Wednesday.
Song Huan had no choice but to speak up.
Today is the day that the elementary school food cards go on sale.
He valued the primary school market highly and called back Xiao Yunqing, Chen Xu, Zhou Shan, and Zhao Qihang.
Several people stood at the entrance of the Ninth Primary School. A banner was unfurled, a lion dance troupe was hired, and the drums and gongs were pounded loudly.
The elementary school students formed a large circle, some covering their ears, some standing on tiptoe to peek inside, and some being lifted onto their parents' shoulders.
Parents also gathered around; some were carrying shopping baskets, some were holding their children's hands, and some were taking pictures with their phones.
Song Huan's strategy was correct.
The banner read, "Congratulations to Class 2 of Grade 1 for temporarily ranking first with 32 cards issued." There were several blank lines next to it, waiting to write the second and third place.
Several parents stood under the banner, looking up at it.
"Only 18 tickets for three shifts? No way, I have to get one this afternoon."
"Why hasn't our class made the list yet? Our homeroom teacher hasn't even urged us to do anything about it."
Someone nearby laughed, "This isn't the homeroom teacher's problem, it's the parents' problem. It shows the parents don't value their children. If you don't do something about it, your child will come back and complain about you."
There was a long queue in front of the ring toss stall.
A little boy clutched a newly issued card in his hand, excitedly standing on tiptoe, his eyes fixed on the toys on the ground.
He caught a toy car, jumped up with joy, and ran towards his mother holding the car.
His mother smiled, patted his head, looked down at the card in her hand, and nodded in satisfaction.
Song Huan stood at the school gate with a microphone in her hand, her voice already hoarse.
"Sixty yuan a piece, enough for a whole semester. Breakfast shops, bakeries, stationery stores, everything 20% off!"
He shouted, paused, and swallowed hard.
Every time I swallow, my brow furrows; my teeth hurt, even swallowing saliva hurts.
Xiao Yunqing was in charge of selling cards, collecting money, giving change, and handing out cards; her hands never stopped.
Her gaze kept drifting towards Song Huan, noticing that he would stop and swallow hard every time he shouted, his face showing some pain.
She handed the stack of cards to Zhou Shan next to her and walked up to Song Huan.
"I'll do it."
She reached for the microphone.
Song Huan looked at her, "Can you do it?"
Xiao Yunqing didn't answer, but took the microphone from his hand and brought it to her mouth.
"Sixty yuan a piece, breakfast shops, bakeries, stationery stores, everything 20% off!"
The sound blasted from the loudspeaker, sharp and bright, echoing throughout the entire street.
Song Huan paused for a moment, then stepped aside.
Xiao Yunqing stood where he had just been standing, shouting at the top of her lungs, her face flushed red, her ponytail swaying in the wind.
Several parents gathered around, and she was busy calling out to them while collecting money and giving change.
The sun slowly slid westward from overhead.
By evening, all 500 cards had been sold out.
A few people stood at the school gate, clutching empty bags in their hands, their faces covered in sweat, but the corners of their mouths were turned up.
Song Huan took out some money from his pocket and gave each person two hundred yuan.
Zhao Qihang folded the money neatly, stuffed it into his pocket, and patted it.
Although everyone was so busy they didn't even have time to eat, they still made money—real money!
Xiao Yunqing didn't speak, but touched her stomach, which was empty.
It's okay, I'll just go hungry for one night. I can always have a late-night snack when I get back.
Just as the group rushed back to school, the bell rang for evening self-study.
The classroom was quiet, and everyone was focused on their work.
Song Huan sat down, opened her textbook, and picked up a pen.
Xiao Yunqing sat down next to him and also opened her textbook.
Half an hour later, she subconsciously turned her head and glanced at Song Huan.
I found him slumped over the table, clutching his stomach, and his complexion looked off.
His brows were furrowed, his lips were pale, and there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
"What's wrong with you?" Xiao Yunqing put down her pen.
"My stomach hurts a little," Song Huan said softly, her voice muffled.
Toothache and stomachache, what incredibly bad luck!
Xiao Yunqing looked at him, her brows furrowing.
"Have you been eating properly these past few days?"
Song Huan remained silent.
My toothache has been so bad these past few days that I can't eat. I can only manage a couple of sips of porridge in the morning, and I can't swallow more than a few bites at noon. And it's even worse at night.
Xiao Yunqing looked at his back as he slumped over the table. His shoulders seemed a little narrower, and from behind, he looked shrunken, as if he had shrunk a size.
In the past, her parents and grandparents would always tell her that she had lost weight.
Now she also noticed that Song Huan had lost weight.
"You wait here." Xiao Yunqing stood up and walked out of her seat.
Song Huan looked up; she had already left through the back door.
The corridor where evening self-study was held was empty, the lights were on, and the light shone on the ground.
Xiao Yunqing ran through the corridor, down the stairs, across the playground, and to the entrance of the convenience store.
Panting, he pulled money from his pocket, grabbed a bottle of eight-treasure porridge and a glass of milk, hugged them to his chest, and ran back.
The playground was pitch black, with only the lights on in the distant teaching building.
Her footsteps echoed across the empty playground, tap-tap-tap.
But before she had run far, Xiao Yunqing stopped in her tracks, because a figure wearing an executive jacket appeared in front of her.
……
In the classroom, Song Huan was lying face down on the desk.
He heard footsteps at the door and looked up.
Xiao Yunqing ran in, holding a bottle of eight-treasure porridge and a glass of milk. She was panting, her face was flushed, and her forehead was covered in sweat.
She walked to the seat, sat down, opened the lid of the eight-treasure porridge, took a spoonful from inside, and held it to his lips.
"Eat up, I'll feed you."
Song Huan was stunned for a moment and looked at her.
Her chest was still heaving, her breathing was not yet even, but her hand was steady, the spoon held to his mouth, she didn't move.
He opened his mouth and swallowed.
She scooped up another spoonful, and he swallowed it again.
She fed him slowly, bite by bite, and he ate very slowly.
The classroom was quiet, with only the scratching of pens on paper.
No one turned to look at them.
Xiao Yunqing lowered her head and fed him spoonful by spoonful, as if she were doing something very ordinary.
……
The next day, the morning reading bell rang.
The whole class stood up, holding their books, about to speak.
Wang Feng's voice came from the loudspeaker, emanating from the disciplinary office, accompanied by a crackling sound.
"Hey, hey... Xiao Yunqing, Class 4, Grade 12. You left the classroom without permission during evening self-study yesterday to buy food at the convenience store. This is a warning and will be announced to the whole school. Take this as a lesson."
The whole class fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at Xiao Yunqing.
She stood beside the seat, holding a book, her face expressionless, as if she hadn't heard anything.
Song Huan suddenly turned her head to look at her.
She didn't look at him, her eyes were fixed on the textbook, her lips moved slightly as she read silently.
His heart was beating very fast, almost frantically fast.
Her thoughts drifted over from her side, very softly, as if afraid of being overheard.
[So be it, a warning is fine.]
[Anyway, it won't affect my college entrance exam scores, so I don't care what I do.]
[As long as he's full, that's fine!]
Song Huan opened her mouth, as if to say something.
Xiao Yunqing raised the textbook a little higher, blocking his view.
He turned back, picked up the book, and stared at the words, but couldn't absorb a single one.