Momo's Gradual Change

C3. Returning to High School.

Chapter 3: Returning to High School

The old lady wasn't one to push things, even though her health was good, her age still posed limitations. With all the bumps and bruises, it was not ideal for her at this point in her life. At her advanced age, she couldn't become a burden to Mo Mo.

Song Yimo glanced gratefully at her friend, receiving a fiery glare in return. "Who are we kidding, anyway?"

Indeed, who were they kidding?

Her grandma had surgery, and her biggest creditor was the Miao family. Not only did they not rush her to pay back the money, but they also helped her find ways to apply for student loans. It was only after she finished her college degree that she was finally able to pay off the debt owed to others before repaying their family.

Even though the Miao family's situation was now considered decent, situations changed when Miao's father encountered work problems and had to switch companies, leading to a gradual decline in their circumstances. But even in such circumstances, they made every effort to help her.

If one were to truly count, Miao's parents were better to her than her own biological parents.

She remembered this kindness.

Unfortunately, she didn't know what problems Miao's father had faced at work. He was a man of few words, bearing his hardships alone, never complaining to them.

"Mo Mo, here's the tuition fee, keep it safe."

The money was packed in a red envelope, bulky and heavy in her hands.

Being enslaved by money for many years, Song Yimo had a strong attachment to money. The thought of handing over so much money to the school made her reluctant. She wanted to use the money to get her grandma a check-up. She couldn't understand why her grandma suddenly had stage two stomach cancer when she had never mentioned having a stomachache before.

Even though the surgery was successful, she had spared no effort, going into debt to provide her grandma with imported medication, ultimately extending her life by three years before she passed away just two months after a recurrence.

She often thought, if she had paid more attention to her grandma and taken her for a check-up when she first discovered her stomach issues, could it have been cured?

No, that wasn't right.

If she had taken better care of her, maybe her grandma wouldn't have contracted that life-threatening stomach cancer.

With roughly two years remaining, she must hurry and get her grandma checked.

"Mo Mo? Mo Mo? What are you thinking?" Miao Zhiruo pushed her hand in front of her as she was lost in thought.

"Oh, just thinking that high school fees are really expensive. This amount of money could cover two years of middle school tuition."

"University is even more expensive." Thinking about the Song family's situation, Miao Zhiruo halted her words with hindsight, "Why hasn't my dad come yet?"

Song Yimo smiled. She wasn't really just fifteen years old. As an adult, it was her responsibility to support her family. She couldn't just let her grandma work hard for her while she sat back and enjoyed. If that were the case, she might as well jump off the Beimen Bridge. It was disgraceful to be alive without contributing.

At the same time, she felt somewhat helpless. After being worn down by money for years, she found herself dealing with money matters again. But this time, she did so willingly, knowing that her grandma was still there, and that was her greatest motivation.

"Ding, ding."

"My dad's here." Miao Zhiruo exclaimed, looking out the window and waving vigorously at the person below.

The old lady heard the commotion and urged the two of them to leave, "If you need anything, discuss it with Miao Jun and let him help you with decisions."

"I got it, Grandma. You stay home and rest, don't go out."

The old lady chuckled and shooed them away, "Too chatty, go on."

Putting the money in her backpack, the two of them quickly descended from the second floor and squeezed into the back seat of the Santana.

"Miao Dad."

Miao Jun responded and glanced at the two of them through the rearview mirror with a warm gaze.

"By the way, Mo Mo, do you live on campus?"

"No," Song Yimo immediately refused without thinking, "I can't leave my grandma alone at home. She's already sixty-three this year, and she needs someone around."

"But you have my mom and dad, and my grandma often visits your house. There's nothing to worry about," Miao Zhiruo insisted.

Song Yimo shook her head, "I know Miao Dad, Miao Mom, and Miao Grandma will definitely take great care, but I can't help but worry if I'm not there myself."

The two families didn't live together; her family still resided in the old house assigned by her grandfather's unit, while the Miao family had moved to another neighborhood not far away.

Thinking about the house, Song Yimo's expression darkened. Soon after her grandma passed away, the house was scheduled for demolition. Her uncle, who rarely showed up, suddenly appeared, accompanied by her aunt who worked in the education system, and made it clear that they wanted the house.

At the time, she was studying at a university in another city. After receiving a call from a furious Miao Mom, she remained silent for a few minutes before saying to let them have it – if they wanted it, they could have it. After all, she wasn't incapable of earning money herself.

She didn't want to argue over money while her grandma's body was still warm, disturbing her peace even in death. Moreover, at the time she had to focus on studying and working and couldn't spare the time to deal with such issues.

Alone, she would sometimes ponder. Her grandparents had always been such honest and upright people, always devoted to raising their children. How did their two children turn out to be so heartless?

She, too, was raised by her grandparents and didn't turn out that way. In the end, it was their own choices that turned them bad, and it had nothing to do with her grandparents.

No.1 Middle School was still located in the old campus. Song Yimo had spent four years here, including two years living in the dormitory.

———
TN:
"Greetings, fellow bibliophile. I, your humble translator, present to you a new tale from the esteemed Kongliu, a master of the written word.
This translation is a fresh one, without having read the novel first. Let's see where this adventure takes us!
I hope you love it as much as I do."