"You don’t need to be nervous, we just want to ask you a few questions."
As Bai Zhi’s brother, they wanted to inquire about the situation.
"Does your sister Bai Zhi have to do a lot of chores?"
Bai Ye was taken aback, not understanding why the comrades would ask this question, but as someone who often heard that he should cooperate with the comrades, he didn’t hide anything.
"Yes, she has to do a lot. The chores at home, the work in the fields, feeding the pigs and chickens, doing our laundry—all are done by her."
Actually, telling the truth wasn’t difficult, but as he spoke these words, wasn’t he also facing the selfish person he once was?
If he hadn’t done so many tasks himself, would he still think it was only right for Bai Zhi to do all those tasks?
He was careless and indifferent, but that did not mean he was incapable of feeling.
"Before, I was very selfish, even my brother was, we took it for granted. We thought, since we did well in school and went out to dig fish mint to earn money, she should be the one taking care of everything at home. But now, I’ve realized how tired she is..."
Bai Ye wasn’t trying to excuse his past self; that was just how he felt at the time, believing whatever Bai Zhi did was to be expected and that it was okay to tease her.
But now, he realized just how ridiculous he had been.
Of course, he still didn’t like Bai Zhi, because they weren’t on the same path, and he knew that Bai Zhi wouldn’t forgive him just because he apologized.
"What’s your father’s attitude toward Bai Zhi?"
What was Dad’s attitude toward Bai Zhi? Indifference, or rather, cold indifference.
"Indifference. Dad never asks about Bai Zhi, never buys her anything—it’s just total indifference from beginning to end. If the house isn’t clean, he would comment, but he never cares about Bai Zhi..."
If Bai Yu were here, he would definitely say Bai Ye was a fool, but he didn’t want to continue down that path.
Since he had been wrong in the past, he couldn’t afford to be wrong now—there truly was a needle in Bai Zhi’s body.
What was that? A needle.
No matter how disobedient Bai Zhi was, that was not the way to treat her.
She was his sister after all. He wouldn’t say their father was bad, but neither would he lie.
"Alright, thank you for your cooperation. Shall we take you back home?"
They checked the time and it was getting late, letting a kid go home alone wouldn’t be right.
"No need, I can manage on my own, thank you."
Bai Ye stood up and walked out of the small store by himself, not knowing why the comrades had asked him these questions—but it must be related to the needle in Bai Zhi’s body,
He could even imagine, once Dad found out, he would call him an ingrate, but still, he wanted to do something for his selfish past self.
Not for Bai Zhi, but for himself.
The curious looks from his classmates hadn’t escaped his notice; the three of them had become a joke at school long ago. But what did it matter?
He didn’t care at all. He still had his own path to walk, having stayed in that pit for so long without Bai Yu ever looking for him, he understood—siblings can be unreliable, the only one he could depend on was himself.
Just like Bai Zhi, who also relied on herself to persevere year after year.
If he could look down on Bai Zhi, what couldn’t he do?
When Nan Jin and the others arrived at the hospital, Bai Da had already regained consciousness, looking utterly defeated, with no trace of light in his eyes, as if he had given up on himself.
Seeing Bai Da confused them, and Nan Xi immediately ran to Bai Da’s side, anxiously calling out,
"Dad, Dad, what’s happened to you, please tell me, will you?"
Hearing Nan Xi’s voice seemed to stir a faint trace of emotion in Bai Da...