Chapter 17eventeen
When Qi Xiu Yuan entered Xiao Li’s hospital room, the five or six people in the room that were talking, instantly quiet down. Even more so, all their eyes simultaneously swept toward the bouquet of flowers in his hand.
“This……”
Staring back at them, Qi Xiu Yuan couldn’t help but to give an explanation, “Didn’t the doctor say you have to detoxify the poison in your body? And, for the past few days you can only eat hospital prepared food so I didn’t want to buy any food……”
The faces of several of the gang members that had brought food became extremely twisted with disapproval.
“How do you know I was hospitalized here?” Xiao Li gave Qi Xiu Yuan a quick glance.
Qi Xiu Yuan was dumbfounded at those words for a moment, but as if he understood the meaning behind that glance, he responded at once with a smile on his face instead: “Of course it’s because someone told me.”
After he said that, he then walked over and placed the bouquet of flowers on the bedside cabinet.
“Qin laoshi, you’re really romantic!” said Han Jia when he suddenly spoke, “But since you are so polite this time, is there something else you want to trouble Xiao Li with huh?”
Qi Xiu Yuan didn’t even bother giving him a glance: “My surname is Qi.”
“Don’t try to deceive anyone, isn’t your surname Qin, Qin the cruel beast?” [1] Han Jia smirked before laughing.
A burst of laughter suddenly broke out in the room as the group of gangsters all laughed one at a time.
“That’s enough. Go do what you have to now. I’ll talk to Qi laoshi for a moment.”
The moment Xiao Li said those words, one by one everyone bid farewell and took their leave. The last to leave was Han Jia; as he walked by Qi Xiu Yuan, he gave him rather meaningful look before leisurely leaving as well.
Qi Xiu Yuan let out a long sigh of relief as he sat down beside Xiao Li’s bedside. “Qi laoshi, in regards to you saving me yesterday, the less people that know, the better,” said Xiao Li, “I’ll also tell Han Jia clear —–“
“Actually I do not mind this,” said Qi Xiu Yuan as he looked at him and laughed, “Why are you still using such a respectful term to address me again?”
With a stern expression, Xiao Li said: “Qi laoshi, you saved me and took care of me, I’m very grateful toward you. In accordance with our rules, later on, just one word from you and Xiao Li’s life will be given in exchange for yours.”
Qi Xiu Yuan stared at him attentively and said: “I’m a school teacher, what would I need your life for?”
Xiao Li was dumbfounded as he blankly stared back at him.
When Qi Xiu Yuan saw Xiao Li with that rather dumbfounded expression, he seemed quite happy: “I saved you because I appreciate you and take you as a friend; if you also take me as your friend, then don’t use those respectful terms. What do you think?”
Xiao Li didn’t say anything as his brows knitted together.
Qi Xiu Yuan waited a moment, and seeing that he wasn’t saying anything, he asked: “You don’t believe that I take you as a friend?”
Xiao Li could only look back at him as if thinking before finally speaking: “I was fifteen years old when I became a gangster on the street. I don’t have any education, knowledge or accomplishments, how could someone like you appreciate me?”
Qi Xiu Yuan faintly laughed: “Then what if I say, at that time, when I invited you to dinner at the River of Hope teahouse, was simply because I wanted to be your friend, you definitely wouldn’t believe me either?”
Xiao Li also laughed, “Qi laoshi, if you were me, would you believe it?”
Qi Xiu Yuan lowered his head and thought about it for a moment, then he suddenly said: “When you were fifteen years old you became a gangster, when I was fifteen years old, I was still living with my family in Feng Long county.”
Honestly, Xiao Li did not know what Qi Xiu Yuan said that, so he could only let his gaze linger suspiciously on Qi Xiu Yuan.
However, Qi Xiu Yuan did not look at him and continued to speak: “A long time ago, in Feng Long county, there was a gang call ‘Feng Long.’ Have you heard of it before?”
Xiao Li thought about it for a moment, “It was a gang established by some older seniors. I heard they opened a casino there. The leader was called ‘Du Yan San Ge’. [one-eye 3rd brother]
Qi Xiu Yuan laughed: “Later on, Feng Long gang was eradicated and the members scattered in all directions as fugitives. However, Feng Long’s leader was the first to take the lead and surrendered. He was in prison for twenty years. When he was released, his son was already married and had a child.”
He then raised his head and looked at Xiao Li before slowly saying: “He’s my grandfather.”
Xiao Li could only look at him with shock welling in his eyes. It was only a moment later did he spoke: “No wonder you weren’t afraid of me all along.”
Qi Xiu Yuan continued to say, “My grandfather is a good man who really loved Susu and I. When he was released from prison, he was already a little over fifty years old. Even then, people still often came looking for him to join them. Never once had he agreed to any of them and even more so he was very polite to those people. He often said to me: ‘The path they walk may be different from ours but just like us, they are humans.”
Xiao Li was speechless.
Qi Xiu Yuan’s gaze remained on Xiao Li as he slowly said, “Right now, if I say I appreciate you and want to be your friend, would you believe me or not?”
Xiao Li looked at him, revealing a smile.
Qi Xiu Yuan had never seen him smile like this before. He only thought that the brightness in his eyes had provoked a spark in his own heart.
Then he heard Xiao Li say: “Qi Xiu Yuan, you’re a very interesting person.”