The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 42

Wu Bie rolled his eyes, but he was also quite worried that Shen Jixue might be in trouble. He understood that Shen Jixue leaving was one thing, considering he and Chen Xian were childhood friends, and he thought about all aspects for Chen Xian, but he didn’t want Shen Jixue to be in danger, after all, it was a human life.

“I’m getting calluses on my ears from those two phrases you keep repeating,” Wu Bie pretended to be impatient and rubbed his ears. “Do as you please.”

Chen Xian’s worried expression vanished instantly, replaced by a joyful smile. “You agreed?”

“I agreed?” Wu Bie was simultaneously angry and amused. “Do you need to seek my permission? It’s not like I’m stopping you from meeting that blind kid. Don’t make it sound like I’m some evil mistress.”

Chen Xian burst out laughing, and Wu Bie, though impatient, was straightforward and honest. He cared deeply for Chen Xian, his childhood friend, and naturally wouldn’t treat Shen Jixue badly.

Unable to travel by water due to the recent incessant rain and the risk of landslides, the two bought tickets to the neighboring province. Despite the dangers of falling rocks from the hills along the way, they encountered no major mishaps except for two brief stops due to rolling stones. By nightfall, the bus finally arrived in the neighboring county where Shen Jixue’s old home was located.

The neighboring county, situated at a higher altitude, fared relatively better despite the continuous rain. People’s daily lives were not severely affected.

Seeking shelter from the rain, the two found a nearby inn to stay. After a quick shower, Chen Xian immediately charged his phone and dialed Shen Jun’s number once it powered on.

Chen Xian hadn’t expected a response, but after two rings, Shen Jun actually picked up, accompanied by a burst of furious swearing from the other end.

“Are you insane? Can’t you see I’m in mourning? Stop pestering me!”

Chen Xian clearly didn’t expect the other person to have such a foul mouth. Not being one to curse, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

Wu Bie happened to witness this scene just after finishing his shower in the restroom. The sound quality of the call was very poor, but he heard everything clearly. Stepping forward, he swiftly snatched the phone from Chen Xian’s hand.

“You fucking bastard! Who the fuck are you talking to? Are you fucking looking to die? Let me tell you, we’re already in your county now. You better wait for tomorrow and see how I deal with you.”

Chen Xian was usually mild-mannered and polite. It was obvious this wasn’t his voice. Shen Jun was taken aback, then remembered Wu Bie, who had been with Chen Xian all along—a chain smoker with a rough demeanor. Shen Jun’s bravado instantly deflated.

“Uh…” Shen Jun stammered, suddenly unsure of what to say.

“You were just acting tough, weren’t you? You thought we were far away and couldn’t reach you, right? Fuck! Speak!” Wu Bie seemed to have figured it out; Shen Jun was a coward who folded under pressure. A bit of toughness was all it took to scare him witless.

Shen Jun coughed awkwardly, his voice noticeably quieter. “I didn’t mean that. I misunderstood, I thought…”

“Don’t bullshit me. You don’t answer the phone, and when we come knocking, you act innocent?” Wu Bie interrupted.

Shen Jun didn’t answer the phone because he thought they couldn’t come all this way to find him. That’s why he acted so arrogantly.

“Where’s Shen Jixue?” Wu Bie cut to the chase, tired of the conversation.

Shen Jun began to play the victim. “He’s in the county town. We’re dealing with flooding here; everything at home is a mess.”

Wu Bie gave Chen Xian a knowing look, and Chen Xian signaled him to continue. Wu Bie spoke calmly, “Which part of the county town? Your county’s flooded too. Why didn’t you bring him back?”

Shen Jun gave an address. “I’ve been busy here…”

Chen Xian couldn’t stand it anymore and grabbed the phone. “So you’re just going to ignore whether he lives or dies? Is this how you act as an uncle?”

Shen Jun, feeling guilty and unsure how to explain, hesitated for a long time before making up an excuse. “I’m busy. I have to hang up.”

“Hey!” Chen Xian wanted to ask for Shen Jixue’s contact information, but Shen Jun had already hung up. He tried calling back, but the phone was off. Even he couldn’t resist cursing, “Damn it!”

Wu Bie chuckled. Shen Jun had actually managed to make Chen Xian lose his cool. He comforted him, “There’s no use rushing now. Let’s take the early morning bus tomorrow to the neighboring county and assess the situation when we get there.”

After a whole day on the bus, both were exhausted. Wu Bie quickly fell asleep with his head on a pillow, but Chen Xian couldn’t sleep no matter how he tried.

In the darkness, the green glow of his phone screen lit up his face. He regretted not stopping Shen Jixue and his uncle from returning earlier. He should have realized Shen Jixue’s intentions sooner.

No news was actually good news. All he could do now was pray—pray that Shen Jixue was safe.

The inn’s soundproofing wasn’t great. Chen Xian nearly fell asleep listening to the noise from the neighboring TV. Before drifting off completely, he kept thinking that if he found Shen Jixue, he would definitely bring him back. It might be troublesome, but there had to be a solution.

The next morning, they rose early again and boarded the bus headed to Shen Jixue’s county town. Due to continuous heavy rain, the daily buses had been reduced to just one trip. Chen Xian was secretly relieved they hadn’t missed it earlier in the morning.

The bus didn’t stop at its designated route; the passenger center near the Yangtze River had already been flooded. It eventually stopped at a higher ground, the square.

As soon as they got off, they saw the square filled with evacuees. Not being locals, Chen Xian and Wu Bie were disoriented by the scene. Chen Xian quickly asked a passerby for directions.

“Excuse me, which way to the massage parlor?”

“Over there,” the person pointed in the direction below the square. “It’s not far. When I came up this morning, that area hadn’t been flooded yet.”

Chen Xian hastily thanked them and hurried towards the direction indicated.

Along the way, they encountered people who had come up to the square to seek refuge. Chen Xian began to worry whether Shen Jixue’s location had already been submerged.

He couldn’t bear the thought of Shen Jixue being unable to see and being surrounded by people in similar situations, all struggling on their own without anyone to help.

His pace quickened, almost leaving Wu Bie behind. Finally reaching the vicinity of the massage parlor, they found that the lower-level shops had been submerged in water, but they could still see the massage parlor’s sign.

Chen Xian’s mind went blank for a moment, and his legs moved forward uncontrollably, almost stepping into the water before Wu Bie pulled him back.

“Where are you going? Can’t you see the water rising?” Wu Bie exclaimed.

Chen Xian snapped out of it. “Xiao Shen…”

“Why are you rushing?” Wu Bie interrupted. Though uncertain himself, he had to stay strong. He continued to comfort Chen Xian. “He may not see, but he’s not stupid. They say this place is higher ground and wasn’t flooded at first. If he sensed something was wrong, he’d move, right? Even if he can’t see, after all this time, he could find a safe place.”

Chen Xian wasn’t entirely convinced. Wu Bie hadn’t lived with Shen Jixue and might not fully grasp what it meant to be visually impaired. Besides, Shen Jixue wasn’t just blind from birth; adapting to a new environment took him a long time.

Didn’t he know better than anyone else? Shen Jixue would face significant challenges in a new environment. Why had he let him go so easily in the first place?