Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 278 - 277: No Regrets

Chapter 278: Chapter 277: No Regrets

"Oh, a verification is needed," He Aimin glanced at Lin Nianhe then turned to Yang Daniu, "Daniu, my fountain pen is at home. Run and fetch it for me."

"Alright!"

Yang Daniu’s eyes were still red, but he appeared cheerful, his energy completely different from before, showing no signs of the depression that comes with emptying one’s savings.

He ran off into the rising sun with big strides.

He Aimin, hands behind his back, watched Yang Daniu for a while then turned to ask Lin Nianhe, "Miss Lin, tell me the truth, how much is this hearing aid really worth?"

Lin Nianhe turned to look at him, eyes full of innocence, "Twenty yuan."

He Aimin rolled his eyes, "Daniu might be naive, but do you think I’m a fool too? This is for ears, how could it only cost as much as a city worker’s monthly salary?"

Lin Nianhe tentatively asked, "Then, twenty-five?"

He Aimin: "..."

No wonder every time they had a meeting at the commune, Li Dahe would frantically scratch the ground whenever Educated Youth Lin was mentioned, as if his feet were itchy.

Last time at the meeting when they encountered Feng Yuanshan, he kept dragging Li Dahe to praise Lin Nianhe for half an hour. By the time Feng Yuanshan regained his composure, the hole Li Dahe had dug had nearly buried his knees.

Back then, He Aimin thought there was something wrong with Li Dahe, but now it seems—he probably just has a condition that makes him want to kick someone whenever Lin Nianhe is mentioned.

Don’t ask how I know.

He Aimin tried to hold back but finally couldn’t, he curled his index finger and knocked on Lin Nianhe’s forehead, "Tell the truth!"

Lin Nianhe wailed, clutching her head and blurted out, "Two hundred!"

He Aimin’s hand froze mid-air.

His eyes slowly widened in disbelief, and he began to breathe carefully.

He stiffened for a while before tremblingly saying, "How can it be so expensive... how can we afford this..."

He Aimin had suspected the hearing aid wasn’t merely worth twenty yuan, but he hadn’t expected it to be so expensive.

Lin Nianhe looked at him, silently sighed, and said, "So Uncle He, don’t tell Brother Yang the real price. If the child can’t hear, it’s hard to learn to speak too. This is a lifelong matter... We finally have a chance to remedy this, we can’t miss it."

"People are always more important than money."

At this moment, Lin Nianhe felt exceptionally grateful.

Grateful that since her arrival, she hadn’t chosen to just lie down and do nothing because she wasn’t lacking food and drink, or comfortably live off her parents.

The money was earned by herself, giving her the confidence to freely spend it. She could reach out to those struggling harshly just as others had helped her out of the abyss.

He Aimin furrowed his brows looking at Lin Nianhe, not believing his ears, "Miss Lin, what do you mean? Are you going to cover the rest for his family? You... you aren’t even close with them, right?"

"Not close," Lin Nianhe nodded, her tone light, "but it doesn’t necessarily have to be close, consider it doing a good deed."

Being able to lend a hand to a stranger when capable might not bring her any benefits, but it allowed her to sleep well at night, to recall this moment years later with a knowing smile, and to avoid the shame that comes with ignoring those in need.

How others might weigh the pros and cons of such a decision, Lin Nianhe didn’t know, nor did she want to interfere. All she knew was, if she didn’t do anything, she definitely wouldn’t be able to sleep well.

So what if they call her a saint? She only seeks to remain true to her heart.

He Aimin looked at Lin Nianhe with a complex expression in his eyes, seemingly asking: How come you have so much money?

Lin Nianhe stood with her hands behind her back, standing on tiptoes. She smiled lightly and explained, "When I came here, my parents gave me a lot of money. They also told me to extend a helping hand whenever I encounter someone in need."

He Aimin frowned and asked, "Miss, how many people can you take care of? This isn’t going to work."

"I can’t take care of everyone, but once I see a need, I cannot pretend to be blind; if I can help, I must not act as if nothing has happened," Lin Nianhe said. "So, Uncle He, please don’t tell them that the hearing aid actually costs two hundred yuan. It might unsettle them..."

"Clang!"

The sound of an enamel bowl hitting the ground interrupted Lin Nianhe.

Lin Nianhe turned around and saw Sister-in-law Yang standing blankly behind the wall, her eyes void of any expression. At her feet was the paint-chipped enamel bowl, and nearby rolled two boiled eggs.

The eggs had their shells cracked, and the pristine whites were now dusted with dirt.

Lin Nianhe’s breath hitched, and her eyebrows furrowed.

He Aimin chewed on a toothpick, turning his head to look at Lin Nianhe.

He had intended to send Yang Daniu away, but he had not expected Sister-in-law Yang to return so quickly.

She must have run back and forth, fearing any changes.

Seeing Lin Nianhe watching her, Sister-in-law Yang’s mouth twitched twice, forming a grimace more unsightly than crying.

She hurriedly avoided Lin Nianhe’s gaze and bent down to pick up the eggs.

As she picked them up, she murmured, "Ah, these eggs... all wasted... why are they so expensive... what to do, what to do..."

Her hands trembled violently, causing the eggs to drop back to the ground several more times.

Finally picking them up, she tried to brush the dust off the whites but they remained grayish.

She didn’t cry, her eyes still vacant.

Lin Nianhe knew this look too well—it was called despair.

Lin Nianhe silently sighed, walked over to Sister-in-law Yang, and looking into her eyes, said, "Sister-in-law Yang, I didn’t tell you the truth because I never intended to take the money from you."

"That can’t be, can’t be... My son, our family’s business, how can we use your money... and this isn’t just a trivial amount..." Sister-in-law Yang’s eyes were red, yet her tears seemed frozen, evidently, two hundred yuan had scared her beyond tears. She just shook her head, tremulously shaking it, "No way, no... this, this... even if we sell everything, we can’t repay it... I dare not borrow, dare not borrow at all..."

She looked up at the grey sky, wishing to ask God why they couldn’t have a better path.

Teardrops, murky, slowly trailed down from her eyes, settling into her graying temples.

Lin Nianhe raised her hand, grasped her rough ones, and gently said, "Sister-in-law Yang, my dad fought in the cx war. He told me that the fried noodles they ate and the cotton clothes they wore, were all saved and labored over by comrades across the country, sparingly, from food to frugal sewing."

Sister-in-law Yang redirected her gaze, blankly looking at Lin Nianhe.

She didn’t understand the relevance of Lin Nianhe’s words at this moment, but she remembered what her grandmother had said when she was young. Back then, their whole village had donated whatever grain they could and had set their cotton clothes aside to make uniforms for the soldiers first, ensuring the garments were robustly made, even more meticulously than those for their own children.

"My dad said, if it weren’t for your support, he definitely couldn’t have made it back alive."

"So, you both are benefactors and comrades. Just as you helped my father without regard for yourselves back then, shouldn’t we help you when you’re in need now?"