HCB Chapter 30 Returning to the Orphanage
Chapter 30 Returning to the Orphanage
In my memory, Xu Hu has always been brave and strong.
Even when he was a child, if other kids broke his head, he would grit his teeth and hold back his tears, never letting anyone see his vulnerable side.
One can imagine how devastating this blow must have been for him.
My heart ached, and I used my shoulder to shield his tear-filled eyes.
"It's okay, I'm here for you. Don't worry about the compensation."
"Sorry……"
He apologized to me again and again, just like that child before. In my heart, it felt as if a pair of giant hands were squeezing my heart tightly, causing me so much pain that I couldn't breathe.
“Who says we have nowhere to go? Have you forgotten? The director said that no matter how old we get, the orphanage will always be our home.”
Xu Hu wiped away his tears, looking completely bewildered.
"Brother Tian, you mean...we're going back to the orphanage?"
"Yes, children who leave home always need to make time to go back and visit, don't you think?"
I smiled and reassured Xu Hu, but in reality, I was quite worried, wondering if I would cause trouble for the dean.
But the landlord took the house away, and neither of us had any money to rent a place, so we had no choice but to ask the dean for help.
As dusk fell, we could no longer delay. We had to put aside our sadness and carry our bags to the orphanage in the suburbs.
On the way, I called the dean with a feeling of unease.
I thought that when the director heard that we were going to stay temporarily, he would be in a difficult position, or he would feel sorry for our current situation.
Unexpectedly, the dean was as kind as ever, smiling warmly like sunshine: "You two must have come because of the aroma, right? Come on over, we're making dumplings today."
"Okay, we'll head over now."
After hanging up the phone, Xu Hu and I looked at each other, our eyes filled with tears.
.......
An hour later, at the entrance of the orphanage, the director and the children greeted us.
"Brother Zhang Tian, Brother Xu Hu, why did it take you so long to arrive? We missed you so much!"
"Brother Zhang Tian, the headmistress said that you're going to live with us, is that true?"
The children surrounded us, their eyes filled with joy and anticipation for our arrival, which greatly eased the awkwardness between Xu Hu and me.
"Alright, stop bothering your two older brothers. Let them go to their room to put their things away first, and then we'll eat dumplings together, okay?"
"Okay! Let's eat dumplings!"
Led by the dean, the children excitedly led us to the classrooms and dormitories.
My room and Xu Hu's room were right next to each other. They had been cleaned spotlessly, and even the curtains had been replaced.
With tears in our eyes, we turned to look at the dean.
She nodded with a kind expression and said softly, "You will live here from now on, and no one will ask you to leave."
"Dean, I..."
"Alright, that's enough. Go wash your hands and make dumplings."
"it is good!"
Back at the orphanage, seeing those innocent smiles warmed my heart.
Even the villa where Song Yafei and I lived for five years couldn't give me the sense of security I feel here.
Perhaps it's because only in the orphanage would someone truly look forward to my return, worrying about whether I've been bullied or whether I've had enough to eat.
After dinner, the children watched cartoons together under Xu Hu's guidance, while the director called me out alone for a walk in the backyard.
The dean took out the check and stuffed it into my hand, saying, "Zhang Tian, this is for you."
This is the money I gave to the orphanage, and the director actually gave it back to me.
I quickly shook my head and pushed the check back.
"Director, this is for the orphanage."
But the headmistress looked at me with a stern face.
“Zhang Tian, you have done enough for the orphanage.”
"Take this to your doctor. Once you're better, you can earn more money to support the younger children in the orphanage."
I know the director wanted to help me through this difficult time, but the orphanage needed the money more than I did.
I firmly pushed the check back. "Dean Mama," I said, "I've already found a job and I'm planning to continue my studies. My only problem right now is where to live, but you've already taken care of that for me. So I really don't need this check."
"Really? Song Yafei is willing to let you go out to work?"
The dean's eyes were full of joy. He took my hand and said earnestly, "Xiao Tian, if you can go out to work, it may help the relationship between you and your husband."
"After all, if you take someone's money, you're bound to feel guilty, and you can't always stand up straight."
The dean said this to me when we had just gotten married.
But back then, I always felt that the relationship between Song Yafei and me was unbreakable, and that she would never despise me.
Moreover, after we got married, we had already seriously discussed that one of us would take care of the home and the other would take care of the business, so that we could manage both our family and the company and make our lives prosperous together.
Little did I know that the more beautiful my fantasies were back then, the more slapping reality would be in the face.
When was the first time she humiliated me because of money?
It seems like it was three years ago when I was paying the property management fee. I called her to ask for the money, but she didn't give it to me immediately. Instead, she made sarcastic remarks and told me to go to the company to get it.
At that time, I thought she was having some troubles at work, so I didn't take her attitude to heart and was thinking about how to cheer her up.
To my surprise, when I arrived at the company, she had her assistant stop me in the office area and handed me three thousand yuan in front of all the employees.
“Brother Zhang, President Song said that you shouldn’t always use grocery shopping or property management fees as an excuse to ask for money. She has already given you enough. Please don’t go too far.”
From then on, everyone in the company called me a gigolo, and their gazes towards me were filled with undisguised contempt and ridicule.
Song Yafei gradually became more and more outrageous, using all sorts of methods to humiliate me, and even parading around with various men, making headlines every day.
The internet is full of mockery directed at me, and people leave comments online every day.
They called me a cuckold, saying I'd throw away my dignity for money and wasn't worthy of being a man.
There were even more offensive comments, and I dared not continue reading. I could only bury my head in the sand and assume that Song Yafei was just trying to generate buzz for the company.
But back then, she was the one who said that someone always had to sacrifice for the family.
She also said that she would definitely see my efforts.
In the end, all sincerity is nothing more than this.
A wave of sorrow washed over me, and I let out a long sigh.
What's done is done; dwelling on it is just pointless worry. It's better to let it go; perhaps that's how it will reach the place where victory truly belongs.
The following morning, I rode the old bicycle from the orphanage to the city center.
When I arrived at the studio, Professor Xie had been waiting for me for a long time. He greeted me with a smile and welcomed me in, attracting countless curious and inquisitive glances.
Having not socialized for a long time, I felt a little awkward.
Fortunately, this scene only lasted a short while, and I soon arrived at my office.
I never dreamed I would see Jiang Yi here.