Read Novel Full Chapter 1284: Chapter 769: Two-in-One (Part 3)
Chapter 1284: Chapter 769: Two-in-One (Part 3)
Most of the time, the meals for those five boys were just steamed buns and pickles. Having a pack of instant noodles was considered an improvement.
Liu Hao and Zhao Qibing were also from ordinary working-class families, and the allowance they got from home was just slightly better than that of the five boys. In fact, Tao Dongdong had the highest allowance among them.
As a child, because he had no permanent home and was often discriminated against by other kids, Tao Dongdong naturally matured earlier than other kids his age and had more to consider.
He always kept his living standards around the same level as everyone else. At the end of each month, he would take out the remaining money to treat everyone to a few good meals.
The explanation he gave was that the living expenses his mom gave him were still enough, and since they were brothers sharing the same trench, they should share the happiness.
Over time, everyone understood his well-intentioned motives. Therefore, under his deliberate efforts, the eight boys in the same dorm had a very close relationship.
Of course, they were also curious about what Dongdong’s parents did.
Dongdong didn’t hide anything and said outright that his parents were divorced and his mom was a housemaid. When he said this, his eyes were full of pride.
They were all children from poor families who didn’t make a fuss about it, afraid of others gossiping. No one leaked this news, and they all advised him to save money and not put too much burden on his mom.
Every time, Dongdong would agree, but by the end of the month, he would still buy good food to share with everyone.
They were all at an age where their bodies were growing, and a long-term lack of nutrition wouldn’t do. This was also why Dongdong persisted in doing this. He couldn’t care for too many people, but he hoped to help his good friends as much as he could.
The key was that they were his friends in the true sense.
Before, when he mentioned his mom’s profession, many classmates would keep quiet in person but would gossip behind his back. Whether nice or not, it all reached his ears.
Confront them about it?
He never thought of doing that.
According to domestic customs, not many people looked up to housemaids, but his mom’s identity was indeed a housemaid, and he didn’t want to lie.
Lying would mean not recognizing his mom and also not recognizing Uncle Luo and Aunt Luo, something he would never do.
Besides, Sister Ye’er and Brother Xiao Feng were so good to him. He absolutely couldn’t do anything that would diminish them in any way.
And furthermore, what does it matter if others look down or not?
As long as he worked hard, one day, he’d be acknowledged.
Children from poor families mature early. Kids from poor families who have been through hardships mature even faster. Although he was only fourteen, he thought like a Little Adult.
Among the eight boys in the dorm, Dongdong was the youngest. Liu Hao and Zhao Qibing were 15, and the other five boys were all 16. At this growing age, they had big appetites and got hungry easily.
Just now, only at eight o’clock, one of the five, Zhang Aijing, was so hungry that he couldn’t take it. He took out a cold steamed bun from his little pouch at the bedside and started gnawing on it with pickles.
After a few bites, he was choked up.
“Have some water.” Dongdong glanced at him from his bed and reminded him.
Zhang Aijing burped and said, “There’s no boiled water. Just went to get water, the grandpa in the boiler room said the boiler had an issue and there won’t be boiled water until tomorrow.”
“Drink some cold water, don’t be so delicate. Don’t kids in the village drink cool well water?” A dark-skinned boy said this while fetching some cold water and handing it to him, “It’s all disinfected, just make do with it.”
“Oh, when will we be able to have the days of drinking mineral water?” Zhang Aijing drank a few sips of water to swallow the bun and couldn’t help but long for it aloud.
“I still have a lot of pocket money this month. You can buy a bottle yourself.” Dongdong handed him two yuan, “This isn’t a gift, remember to repay it when you earn money in the future.”
“Dongdong, all of us owe you money. In the future, you might as well just wait to collect interest and become a rich man.” Zhang Aijing took the money without hesitation and ran out.
“Anyone else want something to eat? If you’re short on cash, I can lend it to you first.” Dongdong looked at everyone and said.
“Forget it, we’ll endure it.” Zhao Qibing patted his belly, “I ate four buns tonight, and now I’m hungry again.”
They say a growing lad eats his father poor, I think to not be hungry I’d have to constantly eat, sigh, if only I had a drumstick now, I’d die happy.”
“That’s a bit too much to ask for, just stay hungry.” The dark-skinned boy laughed and stretched his leg over, “If worst comes to worst, I’ll offer mine.”
“Ah! Are you really going to bite?”
“Li Song, you offered it first. How can I not bite?” Zhao Qibing said this as he laughed and ran out, while Li Song hurriedly chased after him barefoot.
“These two, going to embarrass us again.”
Half a minute later, the three of them came back in with drooping heads.
“What happened?” Tao Dongdong looked at them and asked curiously.
“Really, you can’t compare people, sigh!”
“Yeah, comparing can really drive a man crazy!”
“Might as well just die at this point, putting that kind of temptation in front of me while I’m so hungry, isn’t that like deliberately not letting me live?”
The three of them spoke one after the other, making everyone curious: “What exactly happened? What’s going on over on the west side?”
“Tao Dongdong, someone downstairs is looking for you.”
A head peeked in from the doorway, grinning: “Old Tao, couldn’t tell, really couldn’t tell.”
“What is it?” Tao Dongdong asked as he got out of bed.
“Go down and see for yourself.” The boy said and sprinted away, “I’m going to feast my eyes; you can come down slowly.”
“No way?” Zhao Qibin widened his eyes, “Dongdong, could it be that they’re looking for you?”
“What is it exactly, can’t you just say more clearly?” Dongdong gave him a sideways glance, “Forget it, I’ll go down first, I’ll tell you when I come back if anything.”
“Go, go, go, let’s go see the commotion.” Zhao Qibin said as he ran out.
“What’s going on, being so mysterious.” The several others, who didn’t know what was happening, also muttered to themselves and followed them out.
“Sister Ye’er? Sister Ye’er!”
From a distance, seeing Luo Ye standing outside by the hallway, Dongdong abandoned his usual maturity and ran over excitedly like a child.
The ones behind him looked at each other in disbelief, having known him for two years, it was the first time they’d seen this side of Tao Dongdong.
Upon nearing her, Dongdong became shy, blushing as he looked at Luo Ye: “Sister Ye’er, when did you come back?”
“I came back yesterday, how are you, did you miss me?” Luo Ye looked at him jokingly, “Wow, haven’t seen you for a year, Dongdong has grown into a young man, tell me, any girlfriend?”
Feng Tianzhi and Ma Tengyue, who were standing behind her, couldn’t help but twitch their lips. Here she was asking a middle school kid if he had a girlfriend, how were these two adult men supposed to feel?
“Sister Ye’er.” Dongdong’s face turned even redder, “I’m a good kid, I wouldn’t fall in love early.”
“Call your mom more often, she’s really missing you. Here, take these back and share them with your classmates.” Luo Ye said as she handed the box in her hand to him, “Get your classmates to help carry these, those boxes with the two uncles are also for you guys.”
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Nu’an updated today, combining two updates into one. Worked hard all afternoon to finally finish it, thanks to all you guys who have always supported Nu’an, love you all.
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