He is from the Great Sea of ​​Stars [Quick Travel] Chapter 16

“Mom, just give me fifty yuan.”

In a simple breakfast shop, a tall boy in school uniform was walking around with a middle-aged woman. His chubby face showed a hint of pleading and impatience.

The middle-aged woman frowned as she wiped the table. “Didn’t I give you thirty yuan the day before yesterday? Why do you need fifty yuan again? We don’t have much at home, and you eat a lot and wear a lot. What are you going to do with the money?”

“I told you already, my classmate treated me to a meal, and I have to treat him back.”

The middle-aged woman put the bowl in her hand into the basin and muttered while washing the dishes.

“Then bring your classmates home. I’ll cook a nice meal. I guarantee it’ll be better than what you can get for fifty yuan.”

“Fine, fine, what a load of crap!”

The chubby boy cursed irritably, “Our house is just a simple shack. If I bring my classmates here, it’ll be so embarrassing!”

…

Actually, the chubby boy was not wrong. Although this shop had a sign that said “breakfast shop,” it was really just a shabby shack built next to the vegetable market. Inside, there were a few tables and chairs for customers to eat.

Washing dishes and vegetables was done with a single water pipe.

And the chubby boy and the middle-aged woman, Huo Zhiwen and his mother Jiang Xiaxia, were the owners.

In the second year after Huo Nian moved his household registration, Jiang Xiaxia divorced Huo Chenyang. The two of them quarreled every day and every night. Their constant arguments became unbearable for Father and Mother Huo, so they went to live with Grandfather Huo to take care of him.

Later, probably tired of each other, Jiang Xiaxia, with a large sum of child support, also decided to divorce Huo Chenyang and take away Huo Zhiwen’s custody. She divorced him easily.

However, not even two years had passed when Jiang Xiaxia, due to gambling and playing mahjong, found herself in deeper trouble. By the time she realized her mistake and tried to stop, their savings were almost gone.

If it weren’t for Huo Chenyang giving them a small monthly allowance because of their son, they probably couldn’t even afford to eat for the first few months.

But Huo Chenyang, even if he still had feelings for the past, had remarried and his new wife was already pregnant. Taking care of his son was manageable, but he couldn’t and didn’t have the ability to take responsibility for his ex-wife’s life as well.

Jiang Xiaxia had no choice but to open a shabby breakfast shop herself. Due to its remote location and her average cooking skills, even if she worked from morning till night, she could barely make ends meet.

The tuition fees for Huo Zhiwen’s schooling in the past two years were obtained by asking his father for money.

So now, when he saw his son being ignorant and only asking for money, not lifting a finger to help after returning from school, Jiang Xiaxia put down her bowl and chopsticks and started scolding him.

“Shame on you! Your mother works hard to earn money to support the family, and you dare to be ashamed of me? All you think about is asking for money every day. You don’t know how to do anything else. You spend so much money on school and education. When will you bring back a good result for me? If you really have the ability, ask your father for money and see if he will take care of you!”

“Mom, don’t think I don’t know. Dad gives me money every month. Can’t you just take fifty yuan from that money?”

“The money your father gives? Ha, those amounts are not even enough to fill the gaps in your teeth! Let me tell you…”

“Clang!”

Jiang Xiaxia’s scolding was interrupted by the sound of a car rolling over a manhole cover.

She turned her head and saw a cute little girl’s face poking out of the car window. Her voice was soft and sweet, and a smile adorned her cheeks.

“Grandma, I want a bag of milk.”

Just as she finished speaking, another head appeared behind her. It was a little boy frowning, refuting her.

“Not grandma, it’s aunt.”

The little girl looked puzzled, glancing at Jiang Xiaxia and then at her brother. “Why not grandma?”

“You’re so silly. Grandmas have white hair. If they don’t have white hair, they’re aunts…”

Childish words, so adorable.

If the person being called grandma wasn’t herself.

The two children had short memories. It had only been a little over four years, but they couldn’t remember.

But Jiang Xiaxia recognized them. This lovely pair of siblings were undoubtedly Huo Yiluo and Huo Yihao.

…And the couple sitting in the car whose faces couldn’t be seen clearly.

It must be Huo Xingchao and He Nian.

…

Jiang Xiaxia suddenly didn’t want to face them.

Four years without seeing each other.

They were sitting in a small car, while she was selling breakfast in a shabby shack, dressed plainly with dirty hands.

Because of her hard work these past two years, wrinkles had appeared on her face, and if she plucked carefully, a few strands of white hair could be pulled out from her head.

No wonder they called her grandma.

She lowered her head, her voice gentle.

“Wenwen, Mom’s hands are dirty. Get them a bag of milk.”

Huo Zhiwen sat on a chair, refusing to move, sulking.

“If you don’t give me money, I won’t get it.”

“You get it for them, and Mom will get it for you after washing the dishes.”

“Remember what you said. You can’t go back on your word!”

Huo Zhiwen’s eyes lit up, and he immediately jumped up, excitedly taking a bag of hot milk from the box and giving it to Huo Yiluo.

The little girl politely said thank you.

He felt like he had seen her somewhere, but couldn’t quite remember.

It was only when Huo Yiluo turned to ask her father and mother for money, revealing Huo Xingchao’s face, that he widened his eyes and happily exclaimed, “Uncle! Aunt!”

He Nian and Huo Xingchao looked up at the sound and were surprised to see Huo Zhiwen.

Huo Xingchao raised an eyebrow.

“Why aren’t you at school? What are you doing here?”

Huo Zhiwen scratched his head. “School is over, and I’m going home for lunch.”

He Nian’s gaze fell slightly behind him.

The middle-aged woman kept her head down, wiping the dishes, as if she were busy and hadn’t even lifted her head.

She didn’t say anything, just nodded.

“Are you done eating? We happen to be heading in that direction. Do you want us to give you a ride?”

Huo Zhiwen’s eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly nodded, not caring about the money he had agreed with his mother just a moment ago.

The key was that he suddenly thought…

If he went to school in a car like this, his classmates would definitely envy him!

After all, wasn’t it because Jiang Fuan had bought a car that he managed to win over the school flower?

Uncle’s car was much cooler and more stylish than the car at Jiang Fuan’s house!

But just as he reached out excitedly to open the car door, his hand was tightly grabbed by his mother.

Huo Zhiwen turned back in confusion.

“Mom?”

Jiang Xiaxia didn’t look at him and kept her eyes on the woman in the car, smiling.

“No need, I’ll send him myself later.”

“Mom!”

Jiang Xiaxia still ignored him, maintaining her smile, but veins began to appear on her hands.

Huo Zhiwen felt pain from her tight grip and was about to protest, but seeing his mother’s terrifying state, he swallowed his words.

He shivered and put on a mournful face.

“Never mind, Aunt. Um, my mom will send me.”

He Nian’s lips curved, and she didn’t look at Jiang Xiaxia. She just smiled and said goodbye to Huo Zhiwen.

“Alright, then we’ll go first. See you later, Wenwen.”

“Wait, wait.”

Huo Zhiwen saw his uncle about to leave and became anxious. He pushed his mother aside and leaned on the car window, with a shy face and speaking nervously.

“Uncle, can you give me some money? My classmates treated me to a meal, and I want to treat them back. It’s not much, just…”

Before he could finish his words, Huo Xingchao had already opened his wallet, took out five one-hundred-yuan bills, and handed them to him with a slight smile.

“If there’s any left, buy yourself a pair of shoes.”

Huo Zhiwen’s shoes were falling apart. He had asked his mother twice before, but she had ignored his request to buy a new pair.

Now, Huo Zhiwen held five hundred yuan, he felt his heart pounding.

Excitedly, he jumped up and said, “Thank you, Uncle! Goodbye, Uncle! Goodbye, Aunt! Goodbye, Yiluo and Yihao!”

When he was younger, he had conflicts with Huo Yihao.

But it was just a dispute between children. After so many years, He Nian and Huo Xingchao wouldn’t hold on to that.

After all, Huo Zhiwen was their nephew, and Father and Mother Huo still cared about their grandson.

This bit of blood relationship, He Nian and the others wouldn’t ignore it just because of Jiang Xiaxia.

…

The car gradually drove away. Before closing the car window, faintly, the sound of the little girl’s coquettish voice could be heard.

“Mommy, why can’t we bring Aowu with us?”

Then came the gentle voice of the woman.

“Pets can’t go on the plane, don’t you remember? Besides, we’re just going on a trip, not moving. We’ll be back in a week. Don’t worry, your uncle will take good care of Aowu…”

The car slowly disappeared down the narrow street.

Jiang Xiaxia stared blankly at the exhaust left behind, as if all her strength had drained away.

Beside her, her son was happily kissing the money in his hand.

She remained silent for a moment, slowly returning to the sink to continue washing her dishes.

She had already foreseen that the rest of her life would be spent in this narrow and shabby shack.

Perhaps until death, she wouldn’t be able to afford a single tire of the car that He Nian sat in.

But so what?

The Jiang family in the village treated her with contempt and disdain. Her grandmother had passed away last year, and her family blamed her. There was no warmth when she went home for the New Year.

She didn’t want to return to Shaping Village, so she had to endure it in the city like this.

Endure it until death.

…

Jiang Xiaxia felt the icy chill of the water in the basin. Suddenly, she remembered something from many years ago.

She and He Nian were picking stones in the creek.

She got bored after a while and ran off to play in the water with her friends, using the stones she had picked to skip across the water.

But He Nian stayed there, picking stones with great seriousness, with piles of pretty pebbles by his side.

At that time, she had mocked He Nian in her heart, thinking how pitiful she was, treating those stones like treasures.

But now, Jiang Xiaxia suddenly realized that their destinies might have been decided at that time.

He Nian kept accumulating things, while she lost everything in the water, disappearing bit by bit.

She was able to bring back a bunch of stones because He Nian was willing to share with her.

And now, He Nian was no longer willing.

And she had nothing.

…