Chapter 947
IF142
"My name is Hu Mengdie." Hu Mengdie smiled sweetly.
"I know you."
Lin Yuehua pushed up her slightly thick-rimmed black glasses again, nodded, and felt a little nervous and confused.
"Can we find a place to sit for a while? I have something I want to tell you, something very important to you."
Hu Mengdie slightly suppressed her smile and adopted a serious expression. Lin Yuehua turned her face away to look at the crowd of students leaving school not far away. After hesitating for a moment, she did not refuse and followed Hu Mengdie out of the school.
What did Hu Mengdie want with her? Lin Yuehua pondered this question the whole way. They seemed to be from completely different worlds; Hu was the school's most famous beauty, while she was just an ordinary, unremarkable person. Although her grades were excellent, she had nothing special about her.
"Is she looking for me because of my studies?" Lin Yuehua wondered. They weren't in the same class, and her academic performance wasn't really Hu Mengdie's concern; she couldn't help her much. If it was about asking for help, she could easily go to a teacher at school.
The two walked outside the school. Hu Mengdie strolled slowly along the roadside, while Lin Yuehua followed behind her with some impatience.
"How is your grandma doing lately?" Hu Mengdie asked softly.
"She's fine," Lin Yuehua replied instinctively after a moment's hesitation.
"Is that so... It seems she didn't tell you."
Hu Mengdie sighed, turned around, and looked away with a melancholy gaze.
"What do you mean?"
Lin Yuehua frowned, a strange sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
After a moment's hesitation, Hu Mengdie finally spoke: "Your grandmother is sick, didn't she tell you?"
Lin Yuehua was startled, her usually calm face finally showing emotion, and she subconsciously asked, "What illness does she have? How did you know?"
“A few days ago, the county hospital offered free physical examinations to the elderly. Your grandmother was found to have an illness. I have a relative who works at the county hospital, and I heard this from him. He heard from that elderly woman that the other woman’s granddaughter’s surname was Lin, and she was the top student in our Xingpeng High School’s second year.” Hu Mengdie paused, then remained silent for a moment. “Does your family own a fruit shop on XX Street?”
Lin Yuehua's face turned pale instantly, and her pupils trembled visibly. She licked her dry lips, her eyes reddening: "Is it serious?"
“It’s a bit serious, otherwise I wouldn’t have come to you… But I heard from my relative that if your grandmother can be hospitalized and receive treatment immediately, there’s a good chance she can recover.” Hu Mengdie glanced at Lin Yuehua’s face and sighed inwardly. “But, doesn’t your grandmother not have insurance? She doesn’t even have social security contributions?”
Lin Yuehua bit her lip, her face burning with shame and sorrow. She didn't know if her grandmother had paid social security, but it was highly likely she hadn't. Her family was very poor, with a meager monthly income and debts to pay off. Although they received a government-provided minimum living allowance, her grandmother probably couldn't bear to pay it.
Grandma has been acting strangely these past few days; she keeps staring blankly at me.
Lin Yuehua's face burned, and she felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground.
It wasn't about saving face, but about the helplessness and anxiety in the face of the unknown. Hu Mengdie wouldn't be so bored as to joke with her, but what could she do? What could she possibly do? She had lost both her parents, and now, even her last remaining family member was leaving her?
How could she possibly raise the money? Lin Yuehua trembled, and tears fell silently from her eyes.
Hu Mengdie quietly watched the constantly changing expressions on Lin Yuehua's face, feeling a pang of sadness for her. Although Lin Yuehua seemed to have a bad reputation and there were rumors of her stealing money from her roommates, Hu Mengdie was no longer a high school student and wouldn't believe everything she heard. The last time Hu Mengdie and Lin Yuehua had no interaction, she still donated one hundred yuan to Lin Yuehua despite not having much pocket money. Moreover, this time, she could genuinely feel the sadness and fear in the other girl, and couldn't help but feel sorry for this unfortunate yet strong girl.
"Don't worry, I can help you," Hu Mengdie said calmly, holding Lin Yuehua's hand.
Although she had ulterior motives towards Lin Yuehua, ultimately it was a win-win situation. Even if Lin Yuehua knew the whole truth, she probably wouldn't refuse.
Lin Yuehua raised her head blankly, biting her lip.
“I really admire you; I think you’re very strong. That’s why I want to help you,” Hu Mengdie said sincerely. “Right now, the most important thing is to raise money for your grandmother’s surgery. We can find the school to donate to your family. Our school has over 4,000 students; we can raise quite a bit of money… Hmm, I can also think of other channels. I can also contact my relatives to see if we can apply for a reduction or exemption from hospital fees. And it’s almost November; if you didn’t pay social security last year, you can make up for it this year. Given your family’s situation, you should be able to apply for some subsidies.”
"Don't worry too much, there's always a way!" Hu Mengdie encouraged earnestly.
Although I don't know Lin Yuehua well, I don't think anyone would dislike her strong character.
A fine sword is forged through tempering, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold. Hu Mengdie also admired Lin Yuehua. Even if Lin Yuehua didn't help Li Zhuangsheng with his studies, she could still consider it a good deed she did every day, believing that good deeds are rewarded and accumulating merit in secret.
If Li Zhuangsheng were reborn, he would definitely do the same... Hmm, that kind-hearted guy would definitely do everything in his power to help Lin Yuehua. They're even classmates.
Since that's the case, then let your wife help you fulfill this wish! Hu Mengdie smiled warmly in her heart.
"Really, really?"
Lin Yuehua could hardly believe her ears, and her eyes instantly filled with hope again. Although she didn't know why Hu Mengdie was helping her like this, the reason behind it didn't matter at the moment; she could just assume it was Hu Mengdie's good intentions and a desire to do a good deed.
"Yes, don't worry, I will help you, because I want to be friends with such an outstanding classmate as you." Hu Mengdie nodded solemnly.
"I...I have to go home first..." Lin Yuehua nodded haphazardly, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Well, I'm a little worried about you in this condition. I'll go back with you. You ride an electric scooter, right? I'll ride it, and you can sit in the back."
Can you ride an electric scooter?
Hu Mengdie smiled slightly: "Yes, I can, although I only learned it in the last two years."
Lin Yuehua couldn't refuse Hu Mengdie at that moment, so she let Hu Mengdie ride her old electric scooter while she sat in the back, her mind in turmoil.
At this moment, she still had a sliver of hope. Perhaps Hu Mengdie was really lying to her, or perhaps Hu Mengdie had just mistaken her for someone else, and that the granddaughter surnamed Lin was not her grandmother.
Hu Mengdie was fully aware of this; the other party was undoubtedly thinking of going home to confirm. But unfortunately, reality is reality.
However, although she didn't remember the exact date of Lin Yuehua's last leave of absence, Hu Mengdie vaguely remembered that it snowed on those two days; it seemed to be the first snowfall of their senior year. This time, she left a year early, hoping to change history. (End of Chapter)