Chapter 333

"I've always considered you as a friend. For a year and a half, as long as neither of us was busy, we always had lunch together and walked back to the dorms together. But I never expected that you, who always seemed so cheerful and optimistic in front of me, actually felt this way inside," Xia zhida said. Now that things were out in the open, she no longer cared about offending Wang Li.

"Wang Li, Li Fei has been pursuing you for a long time, but you've never agreed. Yet now you conveniently started dating him at this critical moment, and deliberately hid the fact that you have a child. Do you think this is fair to Li Fei? Did you start dating him because you actually like him?"

Xia zhida's shoulder was suddenly patted by the student behind her. "What are you two whispering about over there? You've been muttering for so long. Tell me too if there's any gossip!"

"Nothing much. I was just asking Zhida about something I didn't understand from the teacher's lecture," Wang Li quickly placated.

"Nevermind then, please continue your discussion," the student responded.

Wang Li did not dare continue the conversation with Zhida. Taking advantage of the break between classes, she told Zhida, "I will explain things clearly with Li Fei myself. Zhida, I really do want to be friends with you, otherwise I wouldn't have only told you about this when I've told so many other people. But for this matter, I still hope you won't get involved anymore."

Zhida did not want to meddle in her affairs anymore either.

Because the two were close, Li Fei had tried currying favor with Zhida and Guo Momo several times in order to pursue Wang Li, asking them to put in a good word for him.

Zhida hadn't taken much advantage of Li Fei, she had just jokingly went along with it a few times, and ate a few meals with him. They couldn't be considered friends, but at least they were acquaintances.

Now, seeing him being deceived like this, she truly felt it would be irresponsible to just stand by.

But the truth was laid bare. If he didn't mind, that was for the best.

Zhida felt she must not be fated to have good friends. Whether it was Guo Momo or Wang Li, their matters seemed unrelated to her, yet she kept getting dragged into them.

Or perhaps, she herself was also somewhat responsible. Outside the school, Wu Xiaohua was packing up his stall after the breakfast rush.

Their main source of business was students, but there were also many nearby residents. With just a mobile stand, they couldn't compete with actual storefronts, so they had to close up after the meal times.

The man had been watching him the whole time. He jogged over and asked anxiously, "Well, how did it go?"

"Aunt An asked me to give this to you."

When he took the photo, the man understood everything.

She really was ruthless. That was her own child, just a tiny little thing, waiting at home every day for her mother to come back.

His family was not well off. He had hopped on a freight train to come here.

The child had insisted on coming along when he left, so he coaxed her that they would go into town to take a photo to bring to her mother, so she could see her daughter too. Only then did she finally relent.

He could understand that Wang Li didn't want to go back with him, or even recognize their child. But to not even leave a photo behind...

The man had argued with Wang Li several times outside the school gates. Since Zhida often walked with Wang Li, Wu Xiaohua naturally recognized them.

He was shy, but not stupid. Seeing the situation before him now, along with the child in the photo, he could guess what was going on.

He couldn't bring himself to say words like, "Pestering her stubbornly like this is useless. If someone wants to leave, you can't make them stay. Why make things difficult for them and yourself? It'd be better to simply let go, make money and take care of your child properly. When you're rich, what can't you obtain?"

But his father had said those words to him once when he was drunk, after his mother had abandoned them.

His father said that in this world, men and women alike were all unreliable. Only money could be counted on. He told Wu Xiaohua to be smarter in the future, work hard to make money, so that when he became rich, what wouldn't he have?

He also warned him not to trip over women like his father had.

That was actually one of Wu Lei's good points - such a heavy blow did not negatively impact Wu Xiaohua. On the contrary, it made him even more determined to succeed.

In this day and age, for him to firmly sell his house in their hometown to come here and try his luck, spending time and money to learn his trade, was proof of his vision and capability.

Wu Xiaohua felt his father's perspective was right. Ever since his mother abandoned them, he only had his father left. His father was the only one in this world who truly cared for him and wished the best for him. Wu Xiaohua hoped that if his father hadn't gone to jail, perhaps he could be earnestly studying in school like other children, instead of having to sell fried dough sticks outside the school gates to survive now that his father was away for work again.

Yes, when he became rich one day, what wouldn't he have?

Wang Li refused to go back with him and didn't even want to acknowledge their child, simply because she didn't want to live in hardship with him.

He understood that, but still could not accept her ruthlessness.

At the same time, he was surprised that the seemingly young teenager's words also made a lot of sense.

"Oh right, these few dough sticks are leftovers from frying too many without selling out. Have them." Wu Xiaohua suddenly recalled Zhida's words and handed the ready packaged dough sticks to the man.

The man was a little embarrassed. "I...I don't have money." The aromatic dough sticks made him instantly start salivating despite not having eaten well these past few days, but he still didn't dare accept them.

"It's on me, I wouldn't be able to sell the leftovers anyway."

Only then did the man wipe his hands hastily on his clothes before accepting the dough sticks and biting down ferociously into the crispy, fragrant pastry.

That mouthwatering flavor made him want to cry with emotion.

As a child from the countryside, he was used to hardship, but the stifled grievance in his heart hurt far more than any previous suffering he had endured.

"Boy, you look quite young yourself. Why are you here selling dough sticks every day on your own? Where's your family? Also, why are you being so good to me? Don't you know, kind people like you who give others easy benefit are the easiest to be swindled."

Wu Xiaohua also felt sincere sympathy well up for the other person. "I suppose because you seemed pitiable. My mom left when I was little. At first it was my dad and me selling our wares together, but he went away to do other work, so he left me to work here alone. Business used to be good, but I'm so inarticulate, I lost a lot of our customers after my dad was gone."

Fortunately his father only required that he support himself on his own. He didn't expect him to earn much.

Upon hearing his story, Liu Xuan suddenly had an idea. "Boy, could I ask a favor of you? I want to learn how to make dough sticks from you...I don't have money for tuition, but I can do labor for you. What do you think?"

Liu Xuan was also just 24 years old, even younger than Wang Li by two years. He should be heading back by rights, since his child was still ill when he had left.

But it was true his family was poor. Especially after paying the medical fees for his child's treatment, the doctor even advised them to feed her more nutritious food to recuperate.

Although he didn't manage to bring Wang Li back this trip, it did open his eyes. This city was far livelier than his rural hometown. There was also ample business opportunity here.

He could endure hardship and did not fear suffering. He pondered, if he could earn money here, perhaps that would make Wang Li turn back. When they had money, they could even bring over their daughter to attend school here.