Chapter 23: Debts are cancelled after death
Qi Xue had just hung up the phone with her family when there was a knock on He Shu's door.
She opened the door and saw two policemen and a traffic policeman standing outside.
"Excuse me, is this He Shu's family?"
"Yes, he is not at home now. What do you want?"
"Excuse me, who are you?"
"I am He Shu's aunt. You can tell me if you have anything to say." Qi Xue's face was calm, and several policemen spoke upon seeing this.
"He Shu's father, He Zhicheng, was hit by an out-of-control car near University Road two days ago. He died last night at the Central Hospital after failed rescue efforts. We just found out about this today, so we came to let you know."
"The hospital hopes that your family can go there as soon as possible to deal with the aftermath, as well as the subsequent issues of liability determination and compensation."
Qi Xue took the accident report expressionlessly and glanced at it for a few seconds: "Doesn't he have a wife? Why did he come to us?"
"Oh, we also contacted his wife Song Jing, but she said they were divorced."
"Got it, thank you for letting me know."
After closing the door, Qi Xue walked back to the table and wanted to touch Qi Yue's urn, but she found that her hands were shaking...
He Shu had just finished wiping a car and took a break after drinking some water.
The weather is getting hotter and hotter. The car is washed outside in an open space. It would be stuffy if I wore long sleeves, but I would be too exposed to the sun if I didn't.
Only then did he understand why Aunt Liu always said that not many people could stick to this job.
Washing a car may seem like a trivial task, but in fact, your hands will be sore and numb just from holding the high-pressure gun for a whole day.
Constantly repeating movements that hurt the waist and hands without any protection.
Like the boss Zhao Qishui, Aunt Liu and Uncle Zhang have no insurance and are all temporary workers.
Seeing He Shu sweating profusely from exhaustion, Aunt Liu said that it was still okay in summer, but it was miserable in winter, especially around the Chinese New Year, when he had to wash the car repeatedly for more than ten hours a day.
Hearing this, He Shu did not back down because his boss had just promised to increase his commission to ten yuan.
Moreover, if he can work for a full month this summer, he will be paid one month's minimum wage, 2,000 yuan.
Washing a car only costs 25 to 30 yuan. In fact, Zhao Qishui was intentionally taking care of He Shu.
He Shu couldn't stand the heat and was too embarrassed to work shirtless, so he wore a vest. Even so, Uncle Zhang and Xiao Dong laughed at him for a long time.
Xiao Dong clenched his fists and showed He Shu his strong and muscular arms and bulging biceps. The comparison really hurt his self-esteem.
At noon, Zhao Qishui and Xiao Dong bought a bag of chicken legs and a box of soda from a nearby market, and put the soda in a bucket to keep it cool.
When it was time for lunch, everyone was given a chicken drumstick and a bottle of soda, but when it was He Shu's turn, he was given two.
"Eat more and gain some weight, so that when you take off your clothes, customers won't complain that I'm employing child labor."
Several mechanics burst into laughter, and Xiao Dong almost fell down from laughing.
He Shu pulled the chicken leg hard, determined to increase his food intake and gain weight...
He Shu had just finished lunch and was about to wash a car to digest the pain from his bloated stomach when he saw his aunt Qi Xue coming over.
"He Shu, come here for a moment. I have something to tell you."
My aunt wore sunglasses, a pure white short-sleeved T-shirt, and light gray knee-length baggy shorts. Her outfit was very neutral and refreshing.
He Shu walked over, and Qi Xue raised her hand to wipe the sweat from He Shu's forehead.
"The police came this morning and said your father had an accident and is in the Central Hospital. Do you want to go over and take a look?"
He Shu was stunned for a moment: "What happened to him?"
"He was hit by a car and died." Qi Xue's words sounded cold, even with a hint of pleasure.
He Shu felt something was unreal when he heard this. That person... was dead?
"He Shu, what's wrong? Is there something wrong?" Zhao Qishui saw He Shu chatting with a woman on the roadside from afar, and came over to ask because he felt worried.
He knew that He Shu's mother was no longer around and he was the only one at home.
"He Shu?" Zhao Qishui walked closer and realized He Shu's face looked strange, so he called out again.
He Shu came to his senses and felt numb all over. He obviously hated He Zhicheng, so why did he feel sad when he heard that he was dead?
"Boss, I want to take a leave."
Zhao Qishui looked at Qi Xue suspiciously. Even though Qi Xue was wearing sunglasses, he could still tell that she was a beauty. However, if someone bullied a child, Zhao Qishui would not be polite no matter how beautiful she was.
"What are you going to do with your leave?"
He Shu opened his mouth, but his voice got stuck in his throat. It took him a long time to utter, "My father is dead."
Zhao Qishui: “…”
"I'll take half a day off and come back tomorrow morning, okay, boss?"
"Oh, then you, go ahead and come back after you're done..." Zhao Qishui didn't know what to say.
He Shu nodded and went straight with Qi Xue. After walking a few steps, he ran back, packed the lunch box and took it away.
Zhao Qishui felt a surge of sadness in his heart, poor He Shu had suddenly become an orphan, but when he saw that He Shu was still thinking about getting a lunch box at this time, he felt speechless.
I really don't know whether this child is kind-hearted or heartless...
Qi Xue thought He Shu would go directly to the hospital, but He Shu said he wanted to go home first.
When they returned home, He Shu took a shower, then slowly washed the lunch box, and then found a set of clean clothes to change into.
Qi Xue suddenly felt a little confused about He Shu's personality. When he heard the news just now, he looked very sad.
"Aunt, do you want to go with me?"
"Of course I have to go. Later I have to discuss compensation with the owner of the car that caused the accident. Do you know how to negotiate?"
He Shu shook his head, feeling that it was a good thing to have an elder to rely on when something happened.
But he immediately dismissed this idea. His aunt could leave at any time and he could only rely on himself in this world.
The two took a taxi to the Central Hospital.
He Zhicheng's body has been sent to the morgue.
There were people at the hospital who could help, so He Shu bought He Zhicheng a new set of clothes and asked someone working in the hospital morgue to help him change into them.
The hospital also contacted the crematorium to take the person away for cremation.
Until He Zhicheng was pushed into the crematorium, He Shu did not go close to take a last look.
Even the slight sadness he had felt when he first heard the news disappeared, as if the person burning inside was a person he didn't know.
In fact, sometimes, you may not take someone's mistakes to heart, but it is really difficult to forgive them.
After buying the cheapest urn to bury He Zhicheng, the problem became where to place the ashes.
He Shu would not take him home. He didn't go back when he was alive, so why would he disturb them mother and son after he died?
In fact, He Shu knew that the normal practice should be to send him back to his hometown and bury him next to his grandparents' graves.
But He Shu had never been to his grandparents' house. Only when he was a child, his grandfather with a disabled leg came to the city to visit him once.
After He Zhicheng became rich, he never went back home. After his grandparents died, he also cut off contact with his poor relatives in his hometown.
Now even if He Shu was willing to send him back, he couldn't find the place or the person.
Finally, He Zhicheng's ashes could only be temporarily stored in the crematorium...
Walking out of the crematorium, He Shu looked back and saw whose soul was floating out of the tall chimney.
In one’s life, no matter whether one is rich or poor, good or bad, everything will eventually turn into a handful of ashes and a wisp of smoke.
At this moment, whatever blood relationship or hatred He Shu had for He Zhicheng completely dissipated with the wind...
