NOVPUBChapter 173: Chapter 173: Separation
Chapter 173 -173: Separation
It was clear that everything in this house was brand new, and it was fully equipped with appliances, including a television, washing machine, and refrigerator, which were hard to come by on the market nowadays. Bai Xiao now understood why the HR Director, Li Ran, had given her such a strange look earlier.
This level of housing wasn’t something a junior doctor like herself should be living in.
But now that she was already here,
it would be rude to reject the Dean Zhang’s kindness.
Bai Xiao gritted her teeth, thinking to herself that there would be a way when it came to it.
Bai Song put down the large and small bags he was carrying, “Xiao, why do I feel like this house is even better than our dean’s?” He had seen what kind of houses corresponded to this level and decoration; was this really suitable for his sister, a doctor?
Bai Xiao laughed, “Brother, why think so much? Since the dean arranged for me to live here, he must think I’m qualified to afford it. It’s great to have this house; when our eldest sister and her three nephews come over later, it’ll also give them a chance to see the world and see how different it is from our village.” She was not nervous at all.
Mainly because being nervous was pointless; what’s done is done.
Bai Song scratched his head, always feeling something was off, but he was happy to see his sister getting such good treatment. He was just a bit worried that she might regret not attending a university later.
“Xiao, are you sure about this? This means you’re officially starting work. If you’re not happy with it, we can still go back or go to university instead.”
Bai Song still felt that Bai Xiao not attending university was a bit of a loss.
Bai Xiao reassured him, “Don’t worry; working is not so bad. Coming out of university, isn’t it the same? You still get assigned a job. Now it’s just starting work earlier, and I think after a year or half, I’ll try to apply to a Medical University to get a diploma. You and I both know my level; others don’t. If I could get a degree, at least people would recognize that my medical skills were learned, which is reasonable.”
Bai Song nodded repeatedly, agreeing with his sister.
“Just take it easy from now on; you looked quite frightening today,” Bai Song was concerned about Bai Xiao being found out.
“I know, big brother, I’m clear about it,” she reassured him.
The siblings cleaned up the house together, straightening everything up and making the beds.
Looking at the time, day was turning into night. “I’ll go to the railway station first to buy a ticket; I plan to go back tomorrow. Check out the nearby market and buy some groceries. We need to eat since the canteen doesn’t offer meal tickets,” Bai Song suggested.
The eggs and steamed buns they had brought were already consumed on the road, and since Bai Song had had a busy day saving people without eating anything, he was now famished.
Bai Xiao dragged Bai Song outside, “Make meals? I will eat at the cafeteria from now on; I have meal tickets, why buy anything? Let’s be generous today, I’ll take you out to eat. You can eat your fill before going to the railway station to buy a ticket. You’ll come back just in time to tidy up everything, and you can have a good night’s sleep.” She couldn’t bear the thought of her brother going hungry to buy tickets.
Bai Song shook his head, “Let’s not eat out, it’s too expensive.” He was used to being frugal.
Bai Xiao pulled her brother along, “Big brother, come on, listen to me and let’s hurry!”
Unable to persuade his sister and knowing she was tired too, Bai Song eventually agreed, considering it as saving his sister some trouble.
Having locked the door, the two of them exited the main gate and arrived at the hospital entrance. Since it was the hospital entrance, there were always guards on duty. They inquired around and found out that right across the street, in the alley opposite the hospital, there were small shops selling food, which was convenient for anything the hospital patients might need.
The siblings walked in and, sure enough, there was a row of bungalows with various signs, including convenience stores and small restaurants. The area looked quite decent. Bai Xiao picked a noodle shop.
They entered a small room with only four tables. Since it was mealtime, the place was occupied. They sat at the only available table near them. The owner was a robust man with an honest look. He came over to greet the siblings.
“Here’s the menu. Take a look and see what you’d like to eat?”
Bai Xiao glanced at it. Nowadays, restaurant menus were quite monotonous, featuring a few simple homestyle dishes, mostly noodles, dumplings, and buns. She ordered two bowls of hot and spicy noodles with additional poached eggs and got four extra buns for her brother, knowing his appetite; this should be just enough to fill him.
The owner nodded, put away the menu, and got busy.
The buns came first. The owner was kind, and he also brought a plate of his homemade pickles—a mix of shredded cabbage dressed in oil, salt, vinegar, green onions, coriander, and chili oil. It was tasty.
The buns were filled with pork and cabbage, more cabbage than pork, and the taste was passable. Considering the look, one shouldn’t be too picky.
Bai Xiao pushed the buns towards him, “Brother, eat up! You must be hungry by now, right? I’ve had a few lollipops, but you haven’t eaten anything.”
Bai Song declined, “You eat first. I’ll just have the noodles. I’m not hungry!” No sooner had he spoken than his stomach embarrassingly began to growl in protest. Bai Song’s face turned red. He wasn’t used to lying, and he was caught red-handed.
“Brother, I really don’t like buns. I want to drink some warm soup and wait for the noodles—that would be just right for me! You better start eating, or I’ll get angry,” Bai Xiao could only threaten Bai Song.
Bai Song looked at his sister, saw her frowning and staring at him, and knew she was worried about him. He handed her a bun, “Eat it. Two each, let’s not keep offering them back and forth or else neither of us will enjoy our meal.” He then picked up a bun and started eating.
Soon, the hot and spicy noodles arrived. The noodles were quite chewy, and the broth was flavorful. The scallions made it fragrant and inviting, and it also had tender greens and poached eggs.
Being hungry, they quickly finished a bowl of noodles each, but still felt unfilled. Bai Xiao boldly ordered two more bowls—after all, it would be a shame not to eat their fill at the diner.
In the end, the table in front of the siblings was piled with five empty bowls; Bai Xiao was thoroughly satiated, and Bai Song felt so comfortable that he didn’t want to move.
Bai Xiao paid the bill, thankful that Bai Song had brought ration coupons with him this time. Otherwise, it would have been awkward to settle the bill.
Bai Song saw Bai Xiao back to her dormitory before he asked for directions to the train station and went to buy train tickets for his return to the military base the next morning.
By the time Bai Song returned, Bai Xiao had made up the large bed with fresh bedding she found in the closet. Instead, she moved her own bedding to the couch. They were grown up now; it wasn’t like childhood when they could sleep together without a second thought.
She planned to make do on the couch for the night.
However, Bai Song absolutely refused to sleep on the large bed and endured a scolding from Bai Xiao. Finally, he had no choice but to sleep on the large bed himself, or else the siblings would have argued for half the day.
The next day, while Bai Xiao was still asleep, Bai Song quietly left, not wanting to wake his sister. He left a note for Bai Xiao.
