Chapter 45: Watching from the Car Window
Xu Cheng pulled a piece of dogtail grass and waved it in front of Xiaobai's face. Xiaobai was too lazy to pay attention and turned his head away. His reaction was completely different from that of a normal cat.
"He looked listless, didn't like to eat, and looked like he deserved a beating. He seemed to be really sick."
He thought of Yu Yu going to the bank to withdraw money. Could this girl have gone there to withdraw money for...
"Yu Yu, are you planning to treat this cat?" Xu Cheng asked directly.
Yu Yu didn't expect Xu Cheng to suddenly ask this. He pursed his lips and didn't answer.
Xu Cheng continued to talk to himself, "That's right. You don't like to talk so much. Xiaobai must be your only friend. If even it dies, you will have no one to talk to when you have troubles. Well, if I were you, I would definitely choose to save it."
"Eh...Eh?!" Yu Yu glanced at Xu Cheng in embarrassment and then immediately lowered his head in autism.
Although it is true, do I have to say it out loud?
That’s too much!
"Then do you have the money ready? It will definitely cost a lot to treat this little thing." Xu Cheng asked Yu Yu.
The veterinary profession appeared very early in Longguo after its liberation.
According to historical records, in 1994, Huang Hong said in the sketch "Playing Poker" on the Spring Festival Gala: One veterinarian is worth two doctors.
Analysis: Veterinarians have been available since 1994, and they were also very expensive.
Yu Yu said stubbornly, "I...I've thought about it. As long as I eat less every day next semester, I can save money to help Xiao Bai with his illness."
Xu Cheng frowned, "You already eat very little now. Do you want to break a steamed bun into two halves and eat them over two days? If this is too much beyond your ability, I think you should think about it carefully."
Yu Yu didn't say anything. He lowered his head with a lonely look, and stroked the kitten in his arms from time to time.
"Meow~"
As if sensing Yu Yu's sadness, Xiaobai rubbed against her arms obediently, and stroked her face with his fluffy white tail.
“Well…” Seeing Yu Yu’s eyes turn red, Xu Cheng waved his hand and said, “Maybe it won’t cost much. Don’t worry about the money for now. Let’s think about where to go for treatment first.”
Yu Yu wiped the corners of his eyes and said softly.
"Let's go to the city hospital. My mother-in-law and I have been there several times."
Xu Cheng:……?
"Well, of course not at the city hospital. You may not understand, but hospitals for people don't care about pets. If you want to see a doctor, you have to go to a veterinary hospital."
Yu Yu's beautiful peach blossom eyes were full of doubts, and she thought for a long time.
“I haven’t seen it…”
Xu Cheng was also worried, "Yeah... I haven't heard of such a thing as a pet hospital in Jinghai City..."
The two were silent for a long time and the atmosphere became quiet.
"Meow~"
"I understand. I won't give up on you." Xu Cheng responded.
"Huh?" Yu Yu was shocked.
"It's nothing special, just a basic mastery of animal language."
"Anyway, let's go look for it ourselves to confirm if there is a veterinarian, right? Let me think... maybe we can go to the hospital and ask the doctor, and maybe we can get some clues."
In the afternoon, Xu Cheng and Yu Yu asked around in Jinghai City Hospital for a long time, and finally a kind middle-aged female doctor told them that there was a pet hospital opened in Anze County near Jinghai City.
Xu Cheng took Yu Yu, who was full of hope, to the bus station and boarded bus No. 13 that passed through Anze County.
They got on the bus early and sat in seats towards the back.
With a "whoosh" sound, the bus started slowly, and the car windows vibrated buzzingly. It was the first time that Yu Yu took a bus so far with his peers, and his expression was a little uneasy.
Xu Cheng handed her a bottle of mineral water and said, "Drink some water."
Yu Yu took it with a red face, and hurriedly took out a dollar from his pocket and handed it to Xu Cheng, "Here's the money for the water..."
Xu Cheng didn't say anything and put the dollar into his trouser pocket. Yu Yu then unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip with peace of mind.
The ticket seller approached them, and Xu Cheng leaned over to Yu Yu's ear and whispered something. Yu Yu's face suddenly turned red, and he complained in a low voice in shame and anger.
"How is it possible..."
"No matter how I squat, I'm always taller than 1.2 meters..."
"Then there's nothing we can do." The two of them obediently bought their tickets, and Xu Cheng looked out the window.
He was very familiar with the geographical environment around Jinghai. Looking at the city far away outside the window, he pointed to a place where the houses were generally low and spoke.
"Look, that should be your home... My home, my home is over there..."
Yu Yu looked out the window curiously, and followed the direction of his finger, listening quietly to Xu Cheng's talk. Gradually, his eyelids began to droop, and he fell asleep leaning on the seat.
The bus was shaking for more than 40 minutes. When Xu Cheng heard the conductor say that the next stop was Anze County Farmer's Market, he quickly patted Yu Yu, who was half asleep, beside him.
“We’re here, we’re here.”
Yu Yu rubbed his eyes and his cheeks turned slightly red.
I was so nervous, how come I fell asleep ...
Anze County is naturally not as prosperous as Jinghai City, but the small county always gives people a sense of worldly life.
Seeing a vendor setting up a stall on the roadside, Xu Cheng went over for a look and when he came back, he had two pale pink peach blossom-shaped biscuits in his hands.
"Try it, it's their specialty."
Yu Yu pursed her lips and didn't take it immediately. She bent down and reached into her pocket to take out the money.
Seeing this, Xu Cheng picked up a small biscuit and fed it into Yu Yu's mouth.
“Hmm…Hmm?!”
Yu Yu's cheeks flushed with shame as she was force-fed, and a sweet taste mixed with the fresh aroma of peach petals spread in her mouth.
How could he be like this!
Too much!
Mmm... smells so good...
She couldn't help but take a small bite, then hurriedly chased Xu Cheng to ask how much it cost.
"I'm treating you to a meal, please don't be so disrespectful to me, okay?" Xu Cheng rested his head on his arms and walked forward on his own.
The two men searched along the road and asked for the location of the hospital. It was three or four o'clock, and the sun was at its brightest. They walked under the shade of trees, and from time to time they quickly ran past the sections of the road where there was no shade.
It was not until the sky began to darken that the two men, sweating profusely, finally found the very dilapidated pet hospital at a remote highway intersection.
The rolling door was tightly closed and covered with dust. There were two big red words "Pay Back Your Money" sprayed out from the paint, and the sign was also very dilapidated.
"Depend on!"
Xu Cheng was so frustrated that he kicked a stone away, scaring a few sparrows away with chirps.
Yu Yu also lowered his head.
The setting sun was half hanging in the sky, and the two children, looking a little lonely, got on the last bus back to Jinghai.
Yu Yu kept staring at the red twilight outside the window.
The train was about to arrive at the station. In the carriage, which had been very noisy just a moment ago, there were only a few people left. Xu Cheng leaned close to Yu Yu's ear and whispered.
"I'll go with you to ask after school tomorrow. Since there's a closed pet hospital, it proves that Jinghai must have a veterinarian."
Yu Yu lowered his head and pinched his hands, speaking intermittently.
"I've already troubled you enough, Xu Cheng."
"I can handle the rest myself..."
As he spoke, drops of water occasionally slid down the tip of his nose.
"If we're friends, don't say such things." Xu Cheng pretended to be angry and handed her a tissue. "I'll be there soon. Remember to get off at the next stop. See you after school tomorrow."
Yu Yu sat in his seat, watching Xu Cheng disappear through the back door .
friend?
After being stunned for a few seconds, she stood up from her seat and rushed to the seat on the other side of the car. Her knee accidentally hit the corner of the chair, but she didn't pay attention. She leaned on the window and looked out, just in time to see Xu Cheng's departing back.
Perhaps attracted by some aura, Xu Cheng suddenly turned his head subconsciously and looked at the car.
Yu Yu hunched over in the car seat, nervous like a thief, her small chest beating violently. After several seconds, the car started. She knelt on the chair again and looked out of the window, but Xu Cheng was no longer there.
There was a hint of melancholy in those beautiful peach blossom eyes.
