56 We are Brothers, the Best Brothers, For Life (2/2)
Zhao Ming did not answer her. He grabbed Hong Xiaofu by the collar and shouted, ”If you did not have money, you could have told me! A few thousand yuan is a small sum to me! How could you go and move bricks? What do you mean?! Are you looking down on me?!”
As soon as he said that, the students around him froze. During those past few days, Hong Xiaofu had actually… gone to move bricks?
After all, in that age of new technology, brick moving was a foreign matter to the students. Hong Xiaofu had chosen to move bricks to buy the strengthening drug?!
”Brother Ming,” Hong Xiaofu looked at him and smiled brightly—it was a smile that signified their friendship. Hong Xiaofu replied, ”I know we are close friends, the closest kind of friends. That's why I didn't want to trouble you. After all, I wanted to rely on myself to earn a living. If I trouble you every time, I would feel like a parasite, a bum. And bricklaying… to me, that is not something difficult.I treat it as exercise.”
”You bastard!” Zhao Ming pushed Hong Xiaofu away, tears rolling down his cheeks, ”You say that we are brothers, but you did not even tell me that you were short of money for the drugs! How are we brothers…”
Hong Xiaofu wrapped his arms around Zhao Ming's shoulders, and said, ”We are brothers, which is why I did not want to trouble you.”
”You are such a dense child,” Zhao Ming's nose turned sour, and he sniffed, ”This is why you had to move bricks!” After he said that, he pinched Hong Xiaofu's biceps, and asked, ”Are your arms sore? It must be extremely painful and sore, right?”
Speaking of that, Hong Xiaofu smiled, ”It's not sore at all, and it doesn't hurt. You remembered that I fall asleep within seconds when I practice, right? I couldn't understand what was going on before, but now I know. When I fall asleep, I recover at a fantastic speed. Hence, no matter how tiring it is to move bricks. After I sleep, I'm okay again.”
Zhao Ming replied, ”Really?”
”It's true! That's why I said it was like exercise. Think about it, others have to pay to exercise at the gym. But for me, When I move thirty-six thousand bricks, I get to earn one thousand, five hundred yuan,” Hong Xiaofu said.
”You, rascal,” Zhao Ming said. After hearing Hong Xiaofu's explanation, Zhao Ming thought about it before punching Hong Xiaofu jokingly, ”It sounds reasonable when you put it this way. But, if you need money in the future, you have to let me know. At least let me give you some suggestions.”
Hong Xiaofu nodded firmly, ”No problem!”
They were brothers.
The closest kind of brothers.
For life.
The rest of the day was quiet and peaceful. Soon, the school day had ended. The bell rang, and students rushed to the cafeteria. Zhao Ming walked to the door with Hong Xiaofu and Su Ying and said, ”Brother Fu, let's grab something nice for lunch! You must be tired after these past few days, let me buy you something nutritious! Su Ying, join us too.”
Zhao Ming had felt hurt before, and Hong Xiaofu could not refuse his offer. Hong Xiaofu nodded, ”Okay, thank you, Brother Ming!”
Zhao Ming replied, ”Why are you thanking me! Who are we to each other?”
Su Ying shrugged, ”Am I a substitute?”
Zhao Ming laughed, ”Of course!”
Walking out of the classroom, they ran across Mr Li Hong, who was waiting outside.
Seeing Hong Xiaofu, Su Ying and Zhao Ming, Li Hong smiled, ”I've good news, Xiaofu!”
Good news!
Hearing that, Hong Xiaofu became excited, ”What good news!?”
Li Hong replied, ”Your student grant is approved!”