After leaving the Xiao residence, Jiang Tong headed straight for the hospital to visit the victim of the car accident. Lu She’s life was in no danger, but one of his legs was encased in a thick plaster cast and suspended in mid-air, severely limiting his range of motion. Having been confined to bed for several days, Lu She was so bored he was practically picking at his own cuticles for entertainment; seeing a visitor, he squirmed with excitement.
"You really said that to him?" Lu She roared with laughter as Jiang Tong recounted the encounter, slapping the edge of the bed. "Good man! Teacher Jiang, unfazed by the power of wealth, has finally avenged me!"
"Weren't you afraid I'd cost you your job?" Jiang Tong replied unceremoniously, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket by the bed and taking a large bite. Fruit was expensive on the island; he wouldn't pass up a chance to help himself.
Lu She didn't seem to care. "On what grounds would he fire you? If he tries to rat you out, he’d be dragging himself down with you. That kid might be obnoxious, but he’s got a certain pride—he wouldn't stoop to twisting the facts."
"In the future, don't be too strict with him. Just rub him the right way, and you two can coexist in peace!"
Jiang Tong chuckled. "He’s a human being, yet you describe him like he’s a donkey."
Lu She winked at him. "Haven't you heard? Teenagers are at that age where even cats and dogs can't stand them. Take my advice: don't treat him like a person. Just think of him as a donkey—a donkey that occasionally kicks up its heels—and you'll find it much easier on your mind!"
Jiang Tong laughed again before getting to the point. "Why does Young Master Xiao reject Chinese so much? His English is excellent and his manners are refined; he doesn't seem like your typical unlearned rich kid."
"No idea." Lu She scratched his head. "I usually just do his homework for him and stay out of everything else."
Realizing that his lack of knowledge about his little benefactor might seem a bit irresponsible, Lu She quickly added, "Be careful. That young master has a very strange personality. One of my predecessors got on his bad side just by talking too much; the kid tormented him until he resigned of his own accord."
Jiang Tong was only in it for the money and possessed not a shred of educational idealism. He silently noted Lu She's words, intending to follow them to the letter.
Before the visit ended, he hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up.
"There’s something I want to discuss with you."
Lu She was puzzled. "What is it?"
"Can I get an advance on the pay? Three thousand per lesson—thirty thousand for ten lessons. I’d like to take it today."
Thirty thousand Singapore dollars was not a small sum. Jiang Tong was usually frugal, and Lu She couldn't imagine why he would suddenly be short on cash. The question hovered at the tip of his tongue before he swallowed it back down.
If a person like Jiang Tong didn't volunteer the information, he must have a reason he couldn't easily share. Lu She still owed him a favor; there was no need to be pushy over the details.
"Sure, no problem," he said with a generous wave of his hand. "I'll transfer the money to you in a bit."
Having secured Lu She's promise, Jiang Tong immediately called Fang Dayong from the hospital corridor. The phone was answered on the first ring. Fang Dayong got straight to the point, without even a hint of polite preamble: "Tong, have you raised enough money?"
"I have. I'll transfer it to you this afternoon." Jiang Tong felt a bitterness in his heart. The pay from his regular part-time jobs came late; being able to scrape together this much money in such a short time was entirely thanks to the Xiao family.
Fang Dayong breathed a sigh of relief, only then feeling a sense of embarrassment. He stammered an explanation: "Tong, this money... consider it a loan from your uncle. Once my cash flow improves in a few days, I'll pay you back."
In the background, the faint rattling of a medical gurney could be heard. Since Song Yiyi had been hospitalized, Fang Dayong had been by her bedside day and night. For a stepfather in a second marriage, this was already no easy feat. Jiang Tong felt a surge of gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle. We’re family; there’s no need to keep track of who owes whom. You don't need to pay it back—just use it to buy supplements for Mom."
Fang Dayong hadn't actually intended to pay it back; he was merely offering empty pleasantries to save face in front of the younger generation. Without Song Yiyi as a bridge, this stepfather and stepson had almost nothing to say to each other. Jiang Tong hung up quickly. He had a lab session that evening, so he hurried onto the MRT for the bumpy ride back to campus. As the sky darkened, he watched the lights of ten thousand homes flicker on in the sunset, but the image of Young Master Xiao kept surfacing in his mind. The way he scribbled carelessly on the checkbook, the arrogant smile as he handed over the check... Did he have any idea how much toil and hardship Jiang Tong had to endure for the value carried by that thin slip of paper?
*I really look forward to it,* he thought. Such a delicate, noble young boy, beautiful from his hair to his toes, a beauty built entirely out of money.
One day, when Young Master Xiao was pinned to the ground and slapped hard by life just like him, it would surely be a sight to behold.
