Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 279 - 278: A Bowl of Water

Chapter 279: Chapter 278: A Bowl of Water

Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law was a bit dazed.

She understood what Lin Nianhe was saying, about mutual help and support, but something felt off, strangely so.

Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, but she knew—

"No, I can’t let you give money."

Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law frowned, serious and stubborn.

Lin Nianhe: "..."

She had tried so sincerely to appeal to their emotions, and still she couldn’t give away the money...

Deceiving people seemed to have divine assistance; she could succeed even with her eyes closed; but trying to do a good deed, the very person involved was rejecting her.

Being a kindhearted good person was really hard!

Lin Nianhe looked to He Aimin for help with her eyes.

He Aimin looked down at the ground, refusing to pick up the signal.

This was something He Aimin dared not nor could he undertake.

It wasn’t just a trifle, it was truly twenty banknotes.

Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law looked down at the two eggs in her hand, bit her lip, and still placed the eggs in Lin Nianhe’s hands.

She said, "There really is nothing else at home, Teacher Lin don’t despise... well, they are still edible after being washed..."

Lin Nianhe held the eggs, her smile tinged with bitterness: "I haven’t really helped at all, I can’t accept this."

"No, it’s not like that," Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law shook her head repeatedly, "It’s for the future, when I’ve saved enough money, to buy for my son... then I’ll still need to find you."

She bit her lip, and blood seeped from her lips.

Yet, as if she couldn’t feel the pain, she still tried hard to keep a smile on her face.

But those eyes, they were filled with despair.

When would she be able to save enough money to buy a hearing aid for her son?

The twenty yuan that had drained her family’s savings took a year and a half to save.

Would she have to wait another fifteen years to buy a hearing aid for her son? By then, would the prices have gone up? Would they still be unable to afford it?

Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law dared not think further.

She felt as though a huge mountain was pressing down on her, every single stone on the mountain densely inscribed with the word "poor," making it nearly impossible for her to breathe.

Yang Daniu happened to return right at this moment.

His mouth was still open in a grin, his rough palm holding He Aimin’s fountain pen.

"Team leader, here is your pen," Yang Daniu’s forehead glistened with sweat as he gleefully said, "You write it!"

He Aimin took the pen but did not move.

Yang Daniu scratched his head, suddenly growing nervous: "What’s wrong? Not selling anymore? Or did someone else buy it?"

His voice involuntarily rose in pitch, staring at Lin Nianhe’s face, his voice trembling.

Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law tugged at the corner of his clothing, whispering: "Daniu... the hearing aid, it actually costs two hundred yuan..."

"What?"

Yang Daniu rubbed his ears hard, "What did you say?"

With her husband back by her side, Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law finally let her tears fall freely, she squatted down, covering her face and sobbing bitterly.

Yang Daniu was flustered by her crying, repeatedly asking: "What are you crying for? If you have something to say, say it clearly! Wasn’t it twenty yuan? How did the price go up all of a sudden?"

Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law cried, unable to speak, burying her face in her arms, trembling, weeping.

Yang Daniu was so anxious, he was spinning in circles, beads of sweat as large as beans rolling down from his forehead.

He Aimin sighed deeply, stepped forward, and said to Yang Daniu: "Teacher Lin told you it was only twenty yuan because she saw that your family couldn’t afford it, in reality it’s two hundred... She said she could lend you the money, whether to borrow or buy, you two should discuss."

Yang Daniu was stunned.

He stood still, his gaze gradually becoming vacant.

Lin Nianhe watched the despair in his eyes, identical to Yang Family’s Eldest Sister-in-law, cleared her throat and said: "Comrade Yang, I don’t lack this money, I had intended to cover it for you without your knowledge, but unfortunately, sister-in-law found out... I am willing to lend the money to you, you can pay back slowly, I’m not in a hurry."

Yang Daniu’s lips mumbled, and after a long while, he finally murmured: "How can it be so expensive..."

Lin Nianhe glanced at the time; there were still forty minutes until class.

She said, "Comrade Yang, nothing is more important than a child. If it takes another ten or fifteen years for the child to hear it, the impact on him would be irrevocable, so..."

Yang Daniu shivered; his eyes reddened, and he buried his face in his palms.

"I can’t borrow it, can’t use it... can’t repay it either..."

He slowly squatted down, despairingly covering his face.

"This is fate..."

"I accept it..."

Such a towering man was ultimately brought down by reality.

"Sigh..."

When Lin Nianhe was about to ride away from Nine-miles Team on her bicycle, she could still hear the sighs of He Aimin.

Suddenly, she stopped her bike and turned to ask He Aimin, "Uncle He, where does the Yang family live?"

"Ah? Why do you ask?" He Aimin was somewhat puzzled.

"I want to see Yang Yumin; I haven’t met this child yet." Lin Nianhe replied.

After looking at her for a while, He Aimin silently pointed her in the right direction after a moment of silence.

The Yang family’s house wasn’t far from the He family’s — two mud huts with a very clean yard.

Yang Yumin was sitting on a small stool, drawing something in the dirt with a twig.

He was the only one at home; Yang Daniu and Sister-in-law Yang had collapsed in tears for a while but had soon dried their tears and gone off to work.

They still had to provide for the family; there was no time for too much grief.

Lin Nianhe didn’t enter the house; she just watched Yang Yumin through the fence.

The little guy was very thin, with a pale face that did not share the darkness of the other countryside children who were often outdoors, but rather a sickly pallor. The twig in his hand was so thin it seemed a thicker one would be too heavy for him to hold.

His clothes appeared to be patched-up from Yang Daniu’s old ones, with many places worn shiny.

Suddenly, Yang Yumin stopped drawing, turned his head towards the door, and saw Lin Nianhe.

He tilted his head to look at Lin Nianhe, and after a moment, dropped the twig and scampered back into the house.

Lin Nianhe closed her eyes for a moment, forcing herself to turn around and leave.

Just as she was about to mount her bicycle, Yang Yumin came out again.

This time he did not run but walked very slowly. He carried a chipped bowl filled with water and ambled towards the gate.

He held out the bowl to Lin Nianhe, looking at her with clear, black and white eyes, as if to say: Drink this.

He mistook her for a passerby asking for water.

Lin Nianhe slowly reached out and took the bowl of clear water.

Yang Yumin tilted his head and watched her, then cracked a smile.

Lin Nianhe looked down, saw her own reflection on the water’s surface.

She pursed her lips and met Yang Yumin’s expectant gaze, then drank the water.

Yang Yumin’s smile grew sweeter. He pointed at the bowl and then at the water jar.

Lin Nianhe gently shook her head and handed the bowl back to him.

Yang Yumin took the bowl and walked back a few steps, turned around to see that Lin Nianhe was still there, then turned back, tilting his head at her, his confusion spreading.

Lin Nianhe looked at him, her thoughts turning to Niuwa, Bai Xiaojun, and the many children in the village school.

Yang Yumin looked just like them.

But if he continued to not be able to hear, he would soon become different from them.

Lin Nianhe licked her lips, the sweetness of the well water still lingering between her lips and teeth.

"A drop of water in need shall be returned with a spring in deed."

"With all these drops of water, I would feel like a fraud if I didn’t return to you a world full of sound."