PNB Chapter 291 Consent Form
Chapter 291 Consent Form
Chapter 291 Consent Form
“This senior student contacted me once before on a chat app, saying that she had a friend who wanted to write some reports to help those of us who work part-time while studying.”
"But she said it's okay if I don't want to."
"I thought it wouldn't hurt to do an interview, so I agreed."
"That person is Fang Shuo?"
“Maybe,” Xie Qingdu said. “He said he was the senior’s boyfriend.”
That must be Fang Shuo, Yan Xun thought. Lin Wen had said that she and Fang Shuo had been together since college.
Judging by the timeline, Fang Shuo should have been stuck in a creative block at that time, and it's unclear whether his interview with Xie Qingdu was to gather material or to seek a breakthrough.
"That interview wasn't pleasant?"
“Some very presumptuous questions,” Xie Qingdu said. “They probably heard about me from someone else.”
"Are you suffering a lot from working part-time while studying?"
"Or he might ask me if I should apply to the school because I know it will be very difficult for me to live alone after my adoptive parents passed away. If needed, he could help me publish an article and get people to donate money to me."
Xie Qingdu looked at Yan Xun and said, "Maybe what I'm saying... sounds like an excuse, or like I'm just making reasons for myself."
"But the tone of his voice at the time was very offensive to me."
“I did not agree to his proposal, and only said that I could live by working odd jobs.”
“And I also have a relative who helps me occasionally,” Xie Qingdu said.
"Your relative... you mean the one who lives in the sanatorium?" Yan Xun asked.
Xie Qingdu nodded.
Yan Xun thought to himself, "It would be better if I didn't have this relative at all."
He looked at Xie Qingdu's expression and carefully asked, "You and this relative of yours have a very good relationship?"
“After my adoptive parents passed away, he sponsored my schooling,” Xie Qingdu said. “We are not related by blood.”
There weren't many people at the market today, and no customers at the stalls, so Xie Qingdu finally had time to talk to Yan Xun about these past details. "He told me many things."
"for example?"
"For example, don't argue with petty people, and don't let yourself be troubled by negative emotions." Xie Qingdu recounted what his relative had told him. "He has sponsored many people like me."
"I plan to work hard after graduation and save some money to repay him."
Yan Xun looked down at Xie Qingdu's fingers.
Because of years of working, the other person has countless scars on their hands, some of which are probably knife scars left from cutting vegetables in the kitchen, and others are white, round scars from being burned by high temperatures.
His fingertips were covered in calluses, and his knuckles were large... they were hands that looked nothing like those of someone who had lived a life of luxury.
"Are your relatives good to you?" Yan Xun suddenly asked.
Xie Qingdu scratched his face, a habitual gesture he made when he was shy and at a loss.
"It's alright."
"We didn't talk much."
"However, he often sends me living expenses, and every time we meet he asks me how my studies are going and how I'm feeling."
"He occasionally tells me profound truths."
Xie Qingdu said to Yan Xun, "However, there is something I haven't told him."
Yan Xun felt he already knew what it was about, so he simply listened quietly as Xie Qingdu continued.
“I had already stopped asking for his living expenses, but for some reason…” He pursed his lips, “I lost the job that mainly supported my living expenses, so I went to work for that funeral company.”
"He didn't know about this."
“He told me before that I shouldn’t be bothered by negative emotions and that it would be best not to get involved in the funeral industry.”
“Even when we go to sweep our parents’ graves, he says that we should just bring a bouquet of flowers and not burn paper money or do any of those rituals.”
Xie Qingdu looked at Yan Xun, "But that funeral company really offered a lot of money..."
“As long as I have that money, I can rent a place on my own after graduation, and I can also pay back some of the living expenses he gave me before.” He told Yan Xun, who knew his secret, about his plan and “confession.”
"So I didn't tell my relatives. I thought I would only work until I graduated."
"If I keep it a secret, he won't know."
Yan Xun reached out and slowly placed his hand on Xie Qingdu's head. "I think it's good?"
"Ok?"
Yan Xun said to Xie Qingdu, "You haven't hurt anyone. What's wrong with earning a living through your own efforts?"
“If your relative is unhappy, then you can only say he’s petty,” Yan Xun said to Xie Qingdu.
Moreover, this person deserved it, Yan Xun thought; being afflicted by witchcraft was purely divine retribution.
"Is your relative always spouting such high-sounding platitudes?" Yan Xun asked.
Xie Qingdu opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say that it wasn't a profound truth, but merely the teachings of his relatives... But after thinking it over, he felt that Yan Xun was right, so he swallowed the words he hadn't said, "I suppose so."
"He also told me to do more good deeds and help others." As he said this, he glanced at Yan Xun's expression, as if observing his reaction.
His subtle movement was naturally noticed by Yan Xun. "Why are you looking at me?"
Xie Qingdu scratched his face sheepishly, "I was worried you'd laugh at me."
“People used to laugh at me when I said this.”
Seeing that Yan Xun didn't make any jokes or teasing, he finally felt relieved.
"Have you spoken to my grandmother?" Yan Xun asked again.
“We didn’t talk much,” Xie Qingdu said. “I only know that she has a grandson at Yunshan University who was in poor health when he was a child.”
Xie Qingdu looked at Yan Xun, "Were you in poor health when you were a child?"
Yan Xun thought to herself, "How would I know?" but on the surface, she nodded and said, "Yes, a little."
She said you were in poor health when you were a child, so you often went to the hospital for treatment.
“I haven’t seen her family much. She said her son is at work, and another person is away and doesn’t come back.” Xie Qingdu said, a hint of understanding in his eyes. “The other person she mentioned, is he your uncle?”
“It should be him,” Yan Xun said.
"No one else in our family lives outside and doesn't come back."
What else did she say?
Xie Qingdu shook his head.
"Nothing special."
“The sanatorium is quite far, and I have to work part-time, so I can’t go there often,” he told Yan Xun. “But I heard that her health was even worse before.”
"After arriving at the sanatorium, I felt much better."
“The caregivers said they had seen one of her sons. She asked about her younger son’s recent situation, and her older son said that he was still abroad and they couldn’t contact him.” Xie Qingdu tried to squeeze out a few clues from his memory. “But someone heard the older son say on the phone that he told the other person not to come to see his mother for the time being, because his current state would upset her.”
“The caregivers discussed it privately, and it’s possible that the person he called was his youngest son.”
Xie Qingdu overheard the discussion while fetching water. After discovering that he was a relative of the man in the same ward, the caregivers quickly dispersed, seemingly worried that he would talk to someone else.
Xie Qingdu didn't go to the sanatorium again for a month, and he naturally forgot about this little incident.
It was only when Yan Xun mentioned that the person in the ward was his grandmother that he managed to squeeze out some clues from his memory.
"I guess they might be talking about your uncle."
This matches the details Lou Yanchuan mentioned. Yan Xun thought that this was the reason his father prevented Lou Yanchuan from visiting his grandmother.
Just then, someone else came to buy something, and Yan Xun stood up. "I'm going out for a walk."
Xie Qingdu nodded, indicating that he understood.
Yan Xun walked through the back door of the market and went straight to the white house.
Perhaps because it was the weekend, there weren't many staff members in the White House. Yan Xun quickly found a staff member wearing a suit.
The other party probably recognized him as a recent resident and assumed he needed help, so they asked Yan Xun what he needed.
Yan Xun asked directly, "Are there any events in the community?"
"Event?" the staff member repeated the key word. "What event?"
“For example, caring for the elderly, organizing community health checkups, or organizing extracurricular activities for primary school students,” Yan Xun said matter-of-factly. “It’s summer vacation now, doesn’t the community have any plans to carry out these kinds of activities?”
The staff member looked a little embarrassed. "We don't have that plan at the moment."
"Is it because there are too few elderly people in the community?" Yan Xun asked, then nodded, "Indeed, there are many young people in this community."
He then looked at the staff member, "What about extracurricular classes for elementary school students?"
"You don't have that plan either?"
"There aren't too many children in the community," a staff member said. "It might be impossible to form an extracurricular class."
He seemed to regard Yan Xun as one of those difficult residents, "As for the elderly... there aren't many elderly people in the community."
Yan Xun looked at him with suspicion, "Are you making up an excuse?"
“I know a neighbor who has elderly people in his family, but he’s not home recently,” he told the staff. “The previous owner of that house also had an elderly person in his family.”
“Even if it’s not a retirement community for the elderly, it can’t be as few as they say.”
The staff member wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Mr. Yan, there really aren't that many elderly people in the community."
“As you can see.” He gestured for Yan Xun to look in the direction of the market. “Many of the residents here are either newlyweds or friends sharing an apartment.”
"So we really hadn't considered carrying out these community activities before."
He said to Yan Xun, "Can we have some time to think about it?"
"After all, we also need to consult with other regular residents."
The other party's meaning was clear: Yan Xun's family was not yet officially registered residents, but was only in the probationary period, so they should not interfere with some of the activities in the community.
Yan Xun seemed not to understand his hint and continued, "Are they either newlyweds or roommates?"
He looked enlightened. "No wonder we're the only big family among the new residents this time."
“I made a new friend yesterday,” he told the staff. “He lives in that black house over there, and like Du Yun, he lives alone.”
At this point, Yan Xun suddenly muttered to himself, "Does that mean everyone living in those houses with black roofs is a solitary person?"
"No wonder their house isn't very big."
He looked at the staff and asked, "Did you arrange this on purpose?"
"Newlyweds live in houses with red roofs, while people living alone are put in houses with black roofs?" Yan Xun asked curiously. "And those living in houses with white roofs are all families of five like ours?"
"The community is also considering their own lifestyle habits," the staff member replied vaguely, but did not deny Yan Xun's words.
"What kind of lifestyle habits?" Yan Xun asked. "Are you worried that the children in our family are too noisy and will disturb the neighbors next door?"
The staff member just smiled and didn't answer.
“We will consider the proposal to organize community activities,” he said to Yan Xun. “Is there anything else you need help with?”
Yan Xun was still unwilling to give up, "Is there really no place for children to play in the community?"
“Other communities have children’s activity centers.”
"Not at the moment." The staff member pondered for a moment. "If you really want to organize such an event, you can visit other residents in the community. If more than 10 families agree, we will consider it."
"Ten families?" Yan Xun asked. "Ten families with children?"
"Isn't your goal to organize health checkups for the elderly or extracurricular activities for children in the community?"
“So it’s all fine, as long as you can get the families’ consent,” he told Yan Xun. “The community is also happy to carry out these activities.”
……
"Are you really going to visit those families?" the system popped into Yan Xun's head.
"No plans," Yan Xun said.
"It is now basically certain that houses with roofs of the same color have the same family members."
"We can find someone to verify the remaining information."
As Yan Xun spoke, he arrived at Xiao He's door and rang the doorbell.
The first sound coming from inside the house was a dog barking, followed by Xiao He's voice coming from the doorbell.
"It's you?" Xiao He saw Yan Xun through the video doorbell, then opened the iron gate of the courtyard and let Yan Xun in.
When Yan Xun arrived at the corridor, Xiao He had already opened the door.
"Are you alone?" Xiao He looked at Yan Xun. "Didn't your uncle come with you?"
“We had a fight,” Yan Xun said.
He came to Xiao He's home.
“I just went to see the staff at the White House,” he told Xiaohe, then repeated their conversation.
"He said I only need to get 10 families to agree." Yan Xun looked at Xiao He, "Are you interested?"
"I want you to sign my autograph too," Yan Xun muttered softly, "that way I can quickly gather 10 families."
“I don’t know how to sign,” Xiaohe said.
Yan Xun seemed unable to believe what he had heard. He looked at Xiao He in surprise—after all, in his impression, Xiao He had always been a gentle person—the other party's refusal was completely unexpected.
“This is pointless,” Xiaohe said.
"He's deliberately making things difficult for you."
"...Making things difficult for me?" Yan Xun looked confused. "I know he's reluctant, but 10 families?"
"I thought it wouldn't be too difficult."
He said to Xiaohe, "Is it really impossible?"
"Is it because there are no more than 10 families with elderly people or children?"