When he was in middle school, Gu Mingxi was a gentle and restrained boy. He had a little pride in his bones. Even if he didn't have arms, he was calm in doing things. He was very calm in front of others and did not care about other people's strange eyes. He tried his best to do what he could do. He would not ask for help unless he had no choice.

It was originally like this. How many things can I need help from school? What's more, there is Pang Qian next to him. She has her lasting company on the way to and from school, and Gu Mingxi rarely feels inconvenience.

But now, he knew that his thoughts back then were so naive.

On the sleeper train, the carriage was small and the bathroom was cramped. In order to reduce the number of times he went to the toilet, Gu Mingxi simply stopped drinking water. When he was hungry, he didn't want to bother others to help with instant noodles, so he ate the bread he brought with him. When the fire in his throat was dry, he drank a few sips of water to relieve it.

Even so, he still needed to go to the toilet, so Gu Mingxi could only ask the male conductor for help. The conductor accompanied him to the toilet on the train. In such a small space, two people were squeezed. Gu Mingxi urinated with the help of the conductor with a red face. After that, the conductor washed his hands and asked with concern: "Are you taking the train alone?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Why don't you find someone to accompany you?"

Gu Mingxi smiled and said, "I can do it alone."

The conductor looked at his skinny lips and said, "Young man, don't worry, drink more water. I just saw that your urine was yellow, and it was not good for your health. If you want to go to the bathroom, come and find me."

Gu Mingxi whispered: "Thank you, brother."

The train drove for twenty hours, and Gu Mingxi was sleepless all night. In the early morning, he arrived at the E-City Railway Station.

The genius was dark and the temperature was a little low. Gu Mingxi was wearing less clothes and his body was shaking slightly in the cold wind. He had no place to go for the time being, so he sat on the bench in the square in front of the station.

He looked around the square. He left here more than a year ago, leaving this city where he had lived for nineteen years. More than a year later, he returned here again, and things had changed.

Gu Mingxi sat until 8:30 in the morning before he went to the public telephone booth to call Gu Guoxiang. Gu Guoxiang already knew about Li Han and asked Gu Mingxi to wait for him at the train station. He drove over.

When Gu Guoxiang saw Gu Mingxi, he couldn't believe his eyes. But after more than a year, Gu Mingxi had changed so much.

In the past, he was a handsome boy, tall, broad shoulders, and not thin. He had fair skin and clear eyes, had broken hair, and often had a gentle smile on his lips. Gu Mingxi was dressed in fine clothes, and girls in the school said he was very handsome. If he had arms, he would definitely be the most popular boy.

But now Gu Mingxi, a boy who is only twenty years old, must be in his prime, has become dark, thin, haggard and sloppy. His hairstyle that he used to care about has been pushed into a flat head, his cheeks are thin, his eyes are dull and deep, and his two dark eyes staring at Gu Guoxiang, making his scalp numb.

Gu Mingxi was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt. He slept on the train all night. His clothes were wrinkled and had a sour smell of sweat. He was actually wearing casual five-quarter pants under him, barely calves, and a pair of flip-flops barefoots.

Gu Guoxiang felt a little sour. This was his son. He was once clean and handsome. He was almost considered a pampered biological son!

Gu Mingxi shouted: "Dad."

His voice was hoarse, and after making a sound, he couldn't help swallowing. Gu Guoxiang was shocked and said, "Get into the car and drink water. There is mineral water in my car."

Then, he quickly took off his jacket and put it on Gu Mingxi, picked up his backpack, and said, "Why are you wearing so little? It's almost October, why are you wearing like summer?"

Gu Mingxi said: "It is convenient to wear five-point pants."

Gu Guoxiang looked at his short hair and asked, "Why did you cut your hair?"

"It's easy to wash your hair." Gu Mingxi smiled, "I want to shave my head, but my mother doesn't let me."

"Your mother..." Gu Guoxiang pondered for a moment and asked, "How is she now?"

Gu Mingxi followed Gu Guoxiang into the car. Gu Guoxiang first fed him half a bottle of water, and then asked Gu Mingxi to tell him about Li Han's condition and treatment process. Gu Mingxi sat in the passenger seat. After saying that, he turned to look at his father and said, "Dad, can you give me some more money? Mom's treatment fee may not be enough."

Gu Guoxiang held the steering wheel in both hands and stared silently ahead.

He took Gu Mingxi back to Jincai Xinyuan and parked the car. When they walked in the community, they met old neighbors and old colleagues from time to time.

"Mingxi! Oh, Mingxi is back!" Aunt Qiu used to be in the same department as Li Han, but now she retired and is taking care of her grandson at home. She was very surprised to see Gu Mingxi. After a while, she was confused again, "Mingxi, why have you lost so much weight? She is still so dark. Are you not used to eating in the north?"

Gu Mingxi stopped and nodded: "Well, I'm not used to eating it."

Aunt Qiu asked: "Is your mother good now?"

"good."

"Are you here to have a trip back on National Day?"

Gu Mingxi looked at the father beside him and nodded: "Yes."

"You have a little sister." Aunt Qiu looked at Gu Guoxiang's eyes, which were not friendly at all, and said with a smile, "Mingxi, you should get married and have a child after graduating from college, so your child can still go to kindergarten with his aunt!"

Gu Guoxiang's face turned dark. The retired Aunt Qiu was not afraid of him, so she left hummed a song.

Gu Mingxi was a little embarrassed. Gu Guoxiang coughed and said, "Let's go upstairs and go see your sister."

Gu Mingxi has only lived in Jincai Xinyuan's house for one year.

After Gu Guoxiang opened the door and entered the house, Gu Mingxi discovered that everything in the house had changed.

When the house was decorated, there were a lot of furniture that Li Han chose. At this time, all these things were gone. The simple and elegant light-colored fabric sofa in the living room was replaced with a gorgeous palace-style sofa, with a long carpet on the floor. The original round wooden dining table has now become a white rectangular Western dining table, and a small bar is even made in the corner of the living room.

Gu Mingxi had never seen that woman before. When she heard the door opening, she walked out in a nightgown, her long fluffy hair spread behind her head, and her young face was not covered with makeup. She yawned and said, "Where did you go early in the morning?"

After seeing Gu Mingxi, her expression changed, her eyes turned over his empty sleeves, and she smiled: "Yeah, is this Mingxi?"

Then, she shouted to the north-facing room: "Sister Hou, take Xiaoyue out, her brother will come to see her."

Only then did Gu Mingxi realize that the layout of the house had changed. The small south-facing room next to the master bedroom was arranged into a baby room, with a pink small bed inside, surrounded by toys, and countless milk powder and diapers.

The room where Gu Mingxi used to be changed into a nanny room. A nanny in her forties came out of the room with a baby in her arms. Gu Mingxi saw Gu Ziyue for the first time. The little guy was only nine months old, had thick hair, and was very fat and cute. Her facial features looked like Gu Guoxiang, no wonder his father liked her so much.

Gu Guoxiang introduced to Gu Mingxi: "This is Dad's current wife Fang Hui, you can call her Aunt Fang."

Gu Mingxi really couldn't say anything. The woman looked too young. He moved his lips and Fang Hui had already spoken: "Don't call me aunt, I'm old, you can call me Linda."

Gu Mingxi was silent for a while, sat at the dining table, opened his bulging backpack with his feet, and clamped a lamb doll from inside with his toes, lifted his foot and placed it on the table, and said, "The first time I came to see Xiaoyue, I bought her a small toy. She is a sheep, so I chose a lamb."

Fang Hui's expression suddenly changed. She smiled coldly and said, "Thank you, Mingxi, but our family is not superstitious and never believes in the miserable sayings of girls born in the Year of the Sheep. Xiaoyue is very healthy. Her father and I like her very much. She will definitely be safe and smooth in the future."

Gu Mingxi was stunned and whispered: "I don't have that intention."

Fang Hui stood up and hugged Gu Ziyue, looked at Ziyue's little face, then looked at Gu Mingxi, frowned and said to Gu Mingxi, "Your father also said that Xiaoyue looks very similar to you, but I don't look like you at all, Sister Hou, right?"

Sister Hou immediately said: "Yes, Xiaoyue's skin is relatively white."

Gu Guoxiang was silent all the time. Several people sat down by the sofa. Sister Hou accompanied Gu Ziyue to play on the crawling mat. Xiao Ziyue had already crawled very quickly and crawled to Gu Mingxi's feet. She sat on the ground, raised her head and grinned at Gu Mingxi, and then stretched out her fingers to play with Gu Mingxi's toes. Gu Mingxi's feet shrank, and Ziyue had been taken away by Fang Hui.

"Little fool, my brother's feet are dirty." She put Gu Ziyue on her lap and turned to look at Gu Mingxi beside her, "Mingxi, how many days will you stay here?"

Gu Mingxi shrank his feet, pressed his toes on his feet together, and said, "I'll go back tonight."

"Oh, otherwise I would like to arrange your accommodation." Fang Hui smiled, "You are such a big guy, and it is not convenient to live here. Oh, by the way, how are your mother's health now?"

Gu Mingxi said briefly, Fang Hui shook her head and sighed: "Liver cancer is very painful. No matter how much money you invest, it is useless." She teased Gu Ziyue in her arms, and said, "Raising a little bit is fresh every day, and sucking a baby every day. It's a lot of money to raise our Xiaoyue now, but it's worth spending. Mingxi, I'll do some calculations for you. Xiaoyue costs 1,800 milk powder every month, about 700 diapers, 500 clothes, other complementary foods, snacks, fruit toys, and baby swimming. One thousand must be. Sister Hou's salary is 3,000, and there is still going

In the early education center, one class costs 200 yuan. When she gets older, we have to learn piano and painting for her. That's all money! To put it nicely, your father is a chief engineer, but in fact he is a dead salary. And he will retire in thirteen years. At least he will save Xiaoyue's money for college in thirteen years, right? Alas... Mingxi, I'm very anxious about your mother's illness, but really... I'm not able to do it. Let's do it, I'll give you 20,000 yuan later, and you don't have to pay it back. You can buy some health supplements for your mother."

She said this to this point, and Gu Mingxi had nothing else to say. He just looked at his father speechlessly, and Gu Guoxiang lowered his eyes guiltily.

Fang Hui went into the house to dress up, and when she came back, she had become a modern hot mom. She really gave Gu Mingxi 20,000 yuan, then pushed up the stroller, called Sister Hou and said she wanted to go out to bask in the sun. Gu Guoxiang said, "Mingxi is here to have dinner today, let Sister Hou stay and cook."

Fang Hui immediately said: "Xiao Yue has to go to the park to bask in the sun every day!"

Gu Guoxiang: "Then you can push her yourself."

"She wants to hug when she arrives in the park!"

"You won't hug me?"

"I can't hold it, it's usually carried by Sister Hou."

"What should I do if I have lunch?"

"You can make it yourself, or order takeout." After saying that, Fang Hui had already gone out with Sister Hou.

Gu Mingxi said: "Dad, I don't have to eat. I have something to do in the afternoon. Can you accompany me to the city?"

"This afternoon?" Gu Guoxiang shook his head, "Sorry, Mingxi, I'm going to the district for a meeting in the afternoon, which is more important."

Gu Mingxi thought for a while and said, "Then I'll go by myself." He paused and said, "Dad, the time is almost over, it's time for me, it's time for me to leave."

Gu Guoxiang looked at him for a while and said, "Let's go, Dad will give you it."

He drove Gu Mingxi to a bank, took out Li Han's bank card, and he went to the counter to transfer 50,000 yuan. When he returned the car, Gu Guoxiang returned the card to Gu Mingxi: "Dad will give you 50,000 yuan first. If your mother really needs money, call me and I will call you a little more."

Gu Mingxi nodded: "Thank you, dad."

"Fang Hui's words are not nice, but some things are true." Gu Guoxiang pushed the frame on the bridge of his nose, " Raising a child is very expensive. You can't be careless at all. The monthly expenses are basically 10,000 yuan. Fang Hui has no job. Last year, I gave your mother 650,000 yuan, and there is not much savings."

Gu Mingxi nodded again: "I know, dad."

"When is the train back?"

“Tonight at 7 o’clock.”

"Dad will accompany you to have a meal outside after the meeting in the evening, and then take you to the train station."

Gu Mingxi thought for a while and shook his head: "No, I can do it myself."

Gu Guoxiang drove Gu Mingxi to the city and went back. Gu Mingxi stood on the street with his bag on his back. After thinking for a long time, he went to the roadside to call Pang Shuisheng.

Pang Shuisheng hurriedly drove out of the company. After seeing Gu Mingxi, he hugged him vigorously: "Boy! Why is it so dark!"

They had lunch at a roadside shop together. In the afternoon, Pang Shuisheng accompanied Gu Mingxi to handle Li Han's medical insurance reimbursement procedures. Gu Mingxi prepared everything very well and handled it smoothly.

After the matter was completed, Pang Shuisheng invited Gu Mingxi to have supper at home. Gu Mingxi hesitated for a while and agreed.

He returned to the Jincai Courtyard again. Compared with the luxurious but unfamiliar Jincai New Garden, the courtyard is where Gu Mingxi was dreaming of.

The familiar flower bed, the familiar big locust tree, the familiar bicycle shed... His and Pang Qian's cars were still parked there, and the two cars were locked together, and they were covered in dust.

Old Man Zeng in the communication room was drinking a little wine at the door. His hair was completely white. When he saw Gu Mingxi, he grinned with a toothless mouth and smiled: "Mingxi is back! Your fat man is in Shanghai!"

Before Jin Aihua came home from get off work, Pang Shuisheng pulled Gu Mingxi to chat at the table. When he asked about Li Han's condition, Gu Mingxi answered simply. Pang Shuisheng asked Gu Mingxi to copy Li Han's card number and said that he would send 20,000 yuan to the card in two days, asking Gu Mingxi not to tell Jin Aihua.

Gu Mingxi said anxiously, no, Pang Shuisheng pressed his shoulder and said, "You took care of Qianqian so much before, and my uncle has never thanked you. Ten years ago, how could my uncle have thought that Pang Qian, a stupid girl, could be admitted to a key university or a popular major."

Gu Mingxi lowered his head: "Uncle, it's Pang Qian who has been helping me."

Pang Shuisheng lit a cigarette and asked, "Have you ever told Qianqian this time when you came back? Do you want me to call her? Did you not contact her during the summer vacation? The little girl has a stern face all summer and always tells me that she wants to break up with you."

Gu Mingxi laughed: "I have indeed not contacted her for several months. I didn't even bring my phone with me when I came back this time."

"Mingxi..." Pang Shuisheng looked at Gu Mingxi's appearance and felt extremely distressed. He watched the boy grow up. He had never thought Gu Mingxi was hard before, probably because of his superior family background, he had no worries about food and clothing, and was excellent in his studies. But now, Pang Shuisheng saw Gu Mingxi's slightly lowered head, his glorious eyes, and his two empty sleeves under his thin shoulders. He really felt a sense of helplessness, powerlessness and helplessness from this young boy.

Pang Shuisheng asked Gu Mingxi about his next plan. Gu Mingxi said that he was going back to City Z for the evening train ticket. Pang Shuisheng patted his shoulder and said that he would take him to the station later.

When Pang Shuisheng went to cook, Gu Mingxi walked into Pang Qian's room. Her room had slightly changed. The high school question bank on the bookshelf was gone, and it was replaced by some economic books and some best-selling novels.

Because she was not at home, her desk was cleaned up by Jin Aihua. There was a picture frame on the counter, and there were artistic photos taken by Pang Qian.
Chapter completed!