Xu Ze stood in front of the school gate, his expression somewhat dazed. The old lady selling tea eggs and the auntie selling fried dough nearby clearly misunderstood his demeanor. The fried dough auntie chuckled as she nudged the tea egg granny, “See that? The girl from earlier is much prettier than your Lingling. She’s already got her eyes on Xu Ze. You might as well stop showing off your precious granddaughter…”
“Hmph… Fried Dough Auntie, if you didn’t talk, no one would mistake you for a mute,” the tea egg granny shot back with a light snort. “Don’t worry, even if Xu Ze doesn’t fancy my Lingling, she would never look twice at your silly boy.”
The two bickered loudly, but Xu Ze, the subject of their chatter, had no intention of getting involved. Instead, he quietly pulled out a neatly stacked pile of cash from his money box and began counting it meticulously.
After tallying up the amount, Xu Ze nodded in satisfaction. Business had been good today. In just over an hour, he had made nearly two hundred yuan. If things continued like this, he could easily make four to five hundred by the afternoon.
Just as he finished putting the money away, another customer arrived. Under the envious gazes of the tea egg granny and fried dough auntie, Xu Ze got back to work.
That evening, Xu Ze’s mother sat on the edge of the bed, holding the five hundred yuan her son had handed her. She sighed softly. Every time Xu Ze set up his stall, he managed to make nearly double what she did. Yet, she still couldn’t bear to see him ride all the way back home every weekend, working so hard. Seeing his thin face, her heart ached with worry.
Xu Ze’s father walked in after his shower and noticed his wife sitting there, lost in thought. He smiled gently and asked, “What’s wrong? Feeling sorry for our son?”
Hearing this, Xu Ze’s mother shot him a reproachful look and huffed, “Don’t tell me you’re not worried too! Even though Xu Ze isn’t our biological child, I care for him more than Hao’er or Qing’er!”
“Shh… Keep your voice down. Xu Ze’s right next door!” Xu Ze’s father quickly raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to lower her voice. Once she quieted down, he sighed, “Of course I’m worried. Seeing him so sensible and hardworking, it breaks my heart even more than it does yours. This kid…”
“I sometimes wonder if A Ze already knows about it,” Xu Ze’s father murmured as he sat down beside his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“Maybe… Sigh…” Xu Ze’s mother nodded, glancing at her husband with a helpless expression. “He’ll find out eventually. For now, let’s just focus on getting him to quit his part-time job. He shouldn’t have to come home every weekend. He’s so busy, and it’s not good for his studies or his health.”
“It’s not that simple. I don’t think we can stop him. He’s so responsible now, and we can’t bring ourselves to scold him. If only Hao’er and Qing’er were half as sensible as him, I wouldn’t have to worry so much…”
Gradually, the lights went out, and the voices of Xu Ze’s parents faded into silence. In the next room, Xu Ze had already fallen asleep. He was exhausted. Earlier in the evening, his mother had taken over his stall, and after dinner, he had prescribed some medicine for two patients who had made appointments. After a quick shower, he had gone to bed early.
But now, beneath his closed eyelids, Xu Ze’s eyes darted rapidly, as if he were dreaming.
In his dream, he was wearing a strange white outfit, seemingly treating patients. However, he didn’t need a stethoscope or any other tools. Instead, he simply glanced at the person in front of him, and their entire body—organs, bones, and all—became as clear as if he were looking at a colored ultrasound or X-ray.