Chapter 58: Wilted Roses

The letter was indeed from Teacher Xiao Lu at the Red Moon Orphanage. Only Mom used the phone at home; Lu Xin didn’t even know the number so naturally Teacher Xiao Lu couldn’t reach him that way. If she had something to say she’d always write a letter.

The letter mentioned that the orphanage’s qualification had recently been approved. The children would have the chance to attend school in the future and she was overjoyed.

Adding to that she had invited Lu Xin over before so she decided to make dumplings and have him come eat with them.

…

…

“It actually got approved…”

Lu Xin was somewhat surprised.

He knew perfectly well what the Red Moon Orphanage was like currently. Too many aspects didn’t meet the Administration Hall’s standards. The place was small the conditions were poor and there was only one teacher and one guard. How could such conditions possibly qualify them for an orphanage license? And without proper qualifications getting funding support from the Administration Hall was even more impossible.

Although Teacher Xiao Lu often went to try many times she returned disappointed.

Sometimes even Lu Xin felt her efforts were futile but Teacher Xiao Lu’s response was:

“Might as well, since I’m idle anyway…”

Helpless he could only let her be. He never expected she would actually succeed now.

“Could this have something to do with me?”

Lu Xin thought of Colonel Chen who seemed quite connected in this Satellite City but he couldn’t be sure.

He could actually sense the Special Pollution Cleanup Department’s complex attitude towards him – a mix of importance vigilance wanting to get closer yet being cautious.

He usually acted calm and slow-witted but that was precisely because he was sensitive to it.

…

…

“Regardless this is good news. I should still make the trip…”

Lu Xin made up his mind. Looking up he saw that Mom’s bedroom door was already shut tight.

The whole house was so quiet it felt like he was the only one there.

“Sigh…”

He’d wanted to ask her properly but she had brushed it off again.

There was nothing Lu Xin could do. He just silently finished the glass of water then got up and returned to his room.

The next day Lu Xin finished his work at the business company early called Han Bing on the satellite phone then caught an early bus planning to get to the orphanage ahead of time to help Teacher Xiao Lu cook.

As he neared the district where the Red Moon Orphanage was located he got off the bus early and strolled leisurely down the road.

Going to the orphanage was always his most relaxing time.

Because his family almost never came with him to the orphanage not even his sister.

After walking for a while Lu Xin considered buying them some gifts and stepped into a store with a flickering neon sign.

Like other shops in the Satellite City this one wasn’t large but its selection was plentiful broadly divided into two categories. One consisted of newly produced items with rougher packaging but looking brand new. The other featured items with clearly exquisite packaging but appearing somewhat old. The former were usually produced in other satellite cities or the Main City while the latter were often brought in from outside the city by scavenger teams. Judging by expiration dates they were naturally expired but many were still perfectly fine in terms of taste.

After browsing for a bit Lu Xin bought several packs of biscuits and a large bag of candy emerging with his hands full.

Gifts for the children were easy to choose but he was unsure what to get Teacher Xiao Lu.

By now the sky had darkened night settling heavily.

Under a dim yellow streetlight not far away a little boy was squatting. He was gaunt but his head seemed slightly large. He wore gray shabby clothes his hair looked dirty and he held a woven straw basket containing a bunch of unevenly trimmed and even somewhat wilted roses. He was calling out softly: “Anyone want to buy…”

As Lu Xin passed him the boy looked up his dark eyes meeting Lu Xin’s:

“Brother do you want to buy my roses?”

Lu Xin looked at his thin dusty face and subconsciously slowed his steps asking: “How much for one?”

The little boy seemed happy: “Ten yuan!”

Lu Xin’s hand which he had already put back in his pocket came out again. He shook his head saying: “Not buying.”

The little boy looked nervous pleadingly at Lu Xin: “Brother buy one please.”

“My roses have magic. If you buy one and give it to your sweetheart she’ll definitely fall in love with you…”

…

Lu Xin looked at the roses in his basket shook his head slightly and said: “No she won’t. She’ll scold me for wasting money!”

Saying this he took a coin from his pocket placed it in the little boy’s basket and continued walking forward.

…

…

The little boy stared blankly at Lu Xin’s retreating figure then looked down at the one-yuan coin in his basket.

He was a bit stunned.

“Stop following me already…”

A quarrel erupted from nearby. A girl wearing round glasses dressed young and fashionably forcefully waved her hand while walking quickly in this direction looking utterly impatient. Behind her was a young man carrying a few apples. He wore glasses a jacket and jeans trying to catch up but seemingly afraid to get too close only jogging behind her:

“Yuanyuan what’s wrong? Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

But the girl just walked quickly repeating her earlier words: “Stop following me okay? It’s so annoying…”

The little boy lowered his head calling out weakly: “Anyone want to buy roses…”

“Give it to your girlfriend she’ll fall in love with you…”

…

The man and woman quickly walked past him.

A few steps later the young man suddenly remembered something ran back quickly and asked breathlessly: “How much?”

The little boy looked up at him: “Ten yuan!”

“So expensive…”

The young man glanced in the direction the girl had gone gritted his teeth and pulled out a bill: “Give me one!”

Then he took the rose and quickly chased after the girl.

“I told you I don’t want your apples and I don’t want to see you again. Just stop bothering me okay…”

No matter how fast the girl walked the boy chasing her was faster. He finally caught up to her in front of an apartment building but only earned a look of disgust. As if worried he’d follow her upstairs she decided to make things clear downstairs: “You’re being really annoying you know? Breaking up means breaking up. Can’t you stop being such a pest you’re a grown man?”

“I’m not being a pest I really am not…”

The young man looked annoyed and somewhat confused: “I just don’t understand how things suddenly got like this…”

“Everything was fine last night. How did it turn into this overnight?”

…

“That’s just how relationships are. What else do you want to ask?”

The girl looked at him with disgust: “If you keep this up I’m going to shout…”

“I…”

The young man subconsciously took a step back: “What do you take me for? How did it get to the point where… you need to shout?”

The girl just frowned looking at him coldly: “I’m going upstairs!”

It seemed that expression finally made the young man sober up. He listlessly lifted the apples in his hand then let them drop silently offering the rose: “Then… please accept this rose okay? I promised you before…”

“I know I don’t have the right anymore but at least… take the flower…”

…

The girl glanced at the rose then at the young man. With a cold face she snatched the rose.

The young man looked up at her his arms slightly open.

The girl immediately stepped back warily her face cold: “What do you want?”

The young man also stepped back then slowly squatted down.

Only after the girl turned went upstairs and slammed the main door did his voice filled with tears ring out.

“I just don’t understand! Why was everything fine yesterday but today you’re so wary when I just want to hug you?”

…

Upstairs the girl looked annoyed about to toss the rose away.

But just as she was about to throw it her eyes swept over the rose its somewhat wilted purplish-red color and suddenly her heart stirred.

Inexplicably she suddenly felt reluctant to let it go.