Step by step, a gentle breeze leads to a smooth path

Chapter 201 Tuberculosis

Seeing that the direction was wrong, Song Tingnan asked, "Master, which way are you going?"

"Didn't you say that place was uninhabitable? It stank so badly, so I asked someone to find them another place." Gao Haoran continued walking forward.

"Master, I knew you were the best person. You're just stubborn and soft-hearted. You were very harsh to me back then, but luckily I recognized your talent!"

"Go away, go away, I've never seen such a shameless girl like you."

The master and apprentice chatted and laughed along the way. Ting Nan even bought a fish, some meat, and some apples. Since his master had made the trip, he must be someone worth befriending, so it was only right to bring some gifts when visiting.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Ting Nan stepped forward and knocked on the door, then took a step back and waited patiently. She knew that Yi Xingzi and the others were afraid of being vandalized and were very cautious, so they wouldn't open the door so quickly.

Sure enough, after a long pause, a male voice finally rang out, "Who is it?"

Nan Yang replied, "Uncle, I'm looking for Aunt Yi Xingzi. She knows me."

After a while, the door opened and Ikyoko came out.

"Auntie, do you still remember me? Song Tingnan!"

"I remember, the first girl who called me 'Auntie,' please come in! And this is... wait, why does she look so familiar? Big brother, big brother, come here quickly!" Before Nan could introduce her, Yi Xingzi excitedly shouted.

An old man with a haggard face, hunched back, and a full head of white hair walked out from the house. He didn't approach, but stood two meters away, sizing up Gao Haoran. He rubbed his eyes and asked, "Are you Ah Huo?"

"Ah Huo" was Gao Haoran's code name when he went on missions. He also used this name when he rescued Zuo Jinyue's family, and later he used this code name when he was conducting investigations outside.

"Yes, I am Ah Huo..."

"Ah Huo!" Yi Xingzi knelt down with a thud. The old man wanted to move forward, but stopped in his tracks. "Brother Ah Huo, I never thought I would see you again in my lifetime!"

"Ting Nan!" Without Gao Haoran's instruction, Ting Nan quickly helped Yi Xingzi up. She was very thin and it was no trouble for her.

"Ah Huo, please sit down. We need to have a good talk."

"Um... come sit down too!" Gao Haoran was a little embarrassed. He knew the man's name was Yi Kai during the investigation, but he couldn't recall the two of them when he saw them.

“I’ll sit here. Ah Huo, you don’t remember me, do you? My old name was Jiang Manyu. After I came out, I didn’t like people calling me ‘Ayu’ anymore, so I changed my name. Now I’m called Yi Kai. I’ll address Xingzi as brother and sister, as you suggested.” Yi Kai didn’t come over.

“Yikai, good, triumphant return! Brother, this is my apprentice Song Tingnan. We are fortunate to meet again because of this girl. We must have a drink today.” Gao Haoran had some impression of the name ‘Ayu’. Some things were not suitable to say in front of Tingnan. He instructed Tingnan: “Tingnan, didn’t you buy groceries? Go and show off your skills to your uncle and aunt.”

“Yes, Master!” Ting Nan and Yi Xingzi entered the simple kitchen together.

“Ting Nan, we just moved here, and in the kitchen…” Yi Xingzi was a little reserved. It was their benefactor’s first time visiting, and they didn’t have any dishes they could serve.

"Auntie, it's alright, I bought fish and meat. Do you have any ginger at home? Well, here are some green peppers and vegetables, that's enough. I'll make a braised fish, stir-fry some green peppers and shredded pork, make a lean meat soup, and stir-fry some vegetables, that'll be enough for the four of us." Song Tingnan didn't stand on ceremony, glanced at the kitchen, and started cooking.

She asked Yi Xingzi to peel some garlic cloves, then struck up a conversation: "Auntie, can you eat spicy food?"

“I can eat spicy food. My older brother can’t eat spicy food because he has a cough. It’s okay. Listen to Nan, he can drink soup and eat vegetables.”

"Okay, Auntie, what happened to Uncle? He lives so far away from us?"

“My older brother has been coughing and it won’t get better. He suspects he has tuberculosis and is afraid of infecting you, so he’s keeping his distance.”

"Oh? Tuberculosis is contagious. How long have you been coughing? Have you seen a doctor?"

"No, my older brother said that going to the hospital would cost a lot of money, so he refused to go."