Chapter Twenty: Visiting Gao Zhugan

The next morning, Xia Qianrou woke to find that Zhuo Nan had already left. Beside her bed lay a pair of crutches, and on the nightstand was a note that read: “Teacher Xia, I bought these crutches this morning. Use them for now. Breakfast is ready on the table. I’m going to the hospital to visit Teacher Gao and will be back by noon to cook for you.”

Reading Zhuo Nan’s neat handwriting, a warmth blossomed in Xia Qianrou’s heart. “He’s actually quite considerate…” Carefully, she tucked the note into the nightstand drawer, reached out for the crutches, and struggled to stand. Noticing her ankle was no longer swollen, she tried to put weight on it, but the sharp pain made her lift her foot immediately. Leaning on the crutches, she left the room.

In the living room, a pot of millet porridge sat on the table. Xia Qianrou lifted the lid and inhaled the fragrant steam. “This kid’s cooking isn’t bad at all…” She closed the pot and turned toward the bathroom to freshen up. Then she remembered—her underwear from last night hadn’t been washed. Thinking back to Zhuo Nan’s awkward expression last night, she couldn’t help but smile, reaching for her underwear.

But then she noticed something unusual—white spots starkly visible against the black fabric. At first, she paid it no mind, but the more she looked, the more unsettled she felt. Suddenly, a thought flashed in her mind: Zhuo Nan’s expression after coming out of the bathroom last night was strange. Could it be that he…

Her heart raced, cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and anger. “That little brat… he’s not as innocent as I thought. He actually did something like that… I’m so furious.”

Standing there, fuming, staring at her underwear, she mentally scolded Zhuo Nan mercilessly. Yet, once she calmed down, she realized she had overreacted. He was still a boy, going through puberty, naturally curious about women. Besides, last night he had carried her and clung to her—it was no wonder he might have been confused. Thankfully, he hadn’t done anything too excessive.

Her thoughts then turned to something Zhuo Nan had said yesterday in the school corridor: “At this age, students most need guidance from teachers and parents to prevent mistakes.”

Reflecting on his words, Xia Qianrou found them quite reasonable. She sighed and decided to have a serious talk with him when he returned at noon.

Early that morning, Zhuo Nan woke, prepared breakfast, then headed out. His first stop was the bank—ATMs weren’t everywhere yet, so he had to wait for the bank to open. After withdrawing money, he bought a pair of crutches and left a note before visiting the hospital.

He had initially thought of bringing some gifts to see “Gao Zhugan,” but decided money would be more practical. If he showed a sincere attitude in apologizing and offered a few tens of thousands for medical expenses, he figured the matter could be settled.

Guided by a nurse, Zhuo Nan found “Gao Zhugan’s” ward. After knocking several times, he entered to find Gao’s wife, Jiang Min, feeding him spoonfuls of food.

Gao Zhugan was startled to see Zhuo Nan, then scowled and said angrily, “What are you doing here? Who told you to come?” Jiang Min looked at Zhuo Nan with a cold glare—she knew this student was the one who had injured her husband, so naturally, she had no warmth for him.

Zhuo Nan understood Gao’s anger and did not argue. After all, he was at fault. Standing by the bed, he apologized sincerely. “Teacher Gao, I’m sorry. Yesterday was my fault. Please forgive me.”

Gao snorted coldly, turned his head away, and said, “Don’t give me that. I’ve taught for many years, but this is the first time a student has hit me. I’ll make sure the school expels you.”

Zhuo Nan expected this reaction. He approached the bedside, took out a wad of cash from his bag, and placed it on the bed. Jiang Min’s eyes lit up immediately at the sight of the money.

With a sincere tone, Zhuo Nan said, “Teacher Gao, I know you’re angry, but no matter what, you must take care of your health. Nurse Zhao at the infirmary told me you have heart problems. If you need any help with treatment, just say the word.” He pointed to the money and continued, “This is 50,000 yuan as compensation for your medical and nutritional expenses. It’s not much, but it’s a token of my sincerity. I hope you can forgive me.”

Jiang Min thought, “Wow, 50,000 yuan isn’t a small sum…”

She quickly spoke up, “Old Gao, you’re a teacher. Students don’t understand things; it’s your job to teach them. If you expel them at every mistake, what’s the point of being a teacher? You’d be out of a job too. This young man’s attitude is good; just forgive him.” Then she slid the money closer to herself.

Zhuo Nan observed everything and thought, “Got an opening.” Smiling, he said, “You must be the teacher’s wife. You’re really young.”

Jiang Min smiled back, “This kid sure knows how to talk sweetly…” Seeing the money, she no longer cared about her husband’s injury.

Gao, seeing his wife’s attitude, sighed but relented. “Fine, let’s drop it. I’ll tell the school leadership not to pursue the matter.”

Zhuo Nan immediately thanked him.

Gao’s face hardened. “I’m not doing this for your money.”

Zhuo Nan nodded quickly. “I understand, Teacher Gao. Don’t worry.”

Then Jiang Min spoke again. “Zhuo Nan, if Gao has any trouble with medical bills, you’ll help us, right?”

Gao opened his mouth to protest, but Jiang Min shot him a sharp look, silencing him. Zhuo Nan chuckled inwardly, thinking, “No wonder he’s so mild; he’s probably used to being bossed around at home.”

Nodding, Zhuo Nan said frankly, “Yes, Teacher’s wife, tell me how much you need. I’ll write a check right now.”

Jiang Min’s eyes sparkled like she’d seen a god of wealth. “The doctor we saw last time said the surgery would cost 500,000 yuan.”

Gao angrily interrupted, “What nonsense! It’s not that much!”

Jiang Min stood her ground. “Kids going abroad aren’t cheap…”

Zhuo Nan quickly separated the two, laughing, “It’s fine, Teacher Gao. I’ll write a check for a million.” He pulled out his checkbook, wrote it out, tore off the check, and handed it to Gao. “Teacher Gao, let’s keep this between us.”

Gao had never imagined that getting beaten up would turn into such fortune. Jiang Min, thinking she was dreaming, pinched her arm hard and cried out in pain. Only then did she believe it was real.

But Gao said firmly, “Zhuo Nan, take this money back. I could never take your money.”

Before he could finish, Jiang Min interjected, “Zhuo Nan, don’t listen to him. I’ll take the money—it’s like a loan from you. You don’t know, your eldest sister is going abroad this year for further studies. We live on a teacher’s salary with no savings, and on top of that, we want to pay for Teacher Gao’s treatment. The child’s future can’t be compromised, and neither can Gao’s health. This year has been so stressful for me.”

At this, Gao sighed softly. Zhuo Nan understood, feeling sympathy for the worries of parents. “Teacher’s wife, you keep the money. You don’t have to pay me back.”

Jiang Min’s face darkened as she feigned anger. “Zhuo Nan, we will repay you. It’s just hard to borrow such a large sum now. Rest assured, when your eldest sister returns from abroad, she’ll pay you back.”

Zhuo Nan chuckled. “Alright, alright, I don’t mind. But you must promise me not to tell anyone I’m wealthy.”

The couple exchanged glances and nodded. Jiang Min said, “Don’t worry. I know how to handle it.”

“Well then, Teacher Gao, I’ll be going now. Take care of yourself,” Zhuo Nan said, turning to leave.

Gao called after him softly, genuinely grateful, “Zhuo Nan, thank you.”

Zhuo Nan smiled, nodded to the couple, and left the ward.

Once outside the hospital, he let out a deep breath, feeling as though a heavy burden had finally been lifted from his heart. He didn’t understand why he felt this way, but since he couldn’t figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it—a principle he often lived by.

Noticing it was still early, he took out his phone and called Lan Qian. Lan Qian, busy at work, was thrilled to receive his call. Zhuo Nan invited her to come back to her place that evening. Lan Qian, knowing exactly what he meant but regretting, said, “Little brother, not tonight. My sister’s visiting. Why don’t you ask Xinxin instead?”

Zhuo Nan was dismayed. “Why treat me like this? Xinxin has never agreed to anything like that, you know…”

Lan Qian teased over the phone, “Then find another woman. Xinxin and I won’t mind at all.”

Confused by her implication, Zhuo Nan wisely didn’t respond further. Thinking this could cause trouble—Lan Qian might get jealous—he quickly said, “Alright, sis, I’m in class now. Can’t chat.” Then he hung up.

On the other end, Lan Qian stared blankly for a moment, thinking, “That brat—he’s obviously with other women. ‘In class’ probably means ‘in bed.’”