"What about her identity?" Yugali frowned slightly, "Even if you take her away, she won't be able to go to school there?"
"Isn't it true that she hasn't learned anything here," Hesta replied. "As long as people pass by, we can discuss other issues later. They are all wandering anyway, so where does it make a difference?"
Unable to refute, Yugali turned to ask Eleven for his opinion.
"Where are you going?" Eleven asked.
"Orange Town," Hesta replied, "Do you want to go to Orange Town?"
"No," Eleven answered almost immediately, "That place... is too far."
Hesta was a little surprised, "Is Orange Town still far away? Didn't you say you want to go to Pingjing in the future? It's even further over there -"
"No... I'm not going to Orange Town, I'm not going to Orange Town!" Eleven refused again, and she answered resolutely, "I won't go... and you are not allowed to go either!"
"Why?"
Eleven's throat moved, and he frowned stubbornly, "I'm leaving, my mother... is alone, she... can't live without me."
After hearing what Yugali said, Hesta didn't insist anymore, she pulled Eleven's quilt.
"It's too late today. You should go to bed first. We can talk about these things after you wake up."
Eleven stared at Hesta, with dissatisfaction and worry in his eyes.
"What," Hesta asked, "what are you looking at me for?"
"...You...will you disappear again?"
Hesta laughed, "Yes, because I will be going to Orange Town soon."
After hearing this, Shiyi immediately became anxious, "You, you can't—"
"I can, of course I can," Hesta interrupted Eleven, "If you continue to stay in Mei County, what will you do if your enemies come to your door one day and take care of me too?"
When Yugali finished translating Hesta's words, Eleven's eyes widened even more.
If her hands and feet weren't injured at this moment, she really wanted to jump up and hit Hesta on the head, and cursed with her remaining strength: "Coward!"
Instead she just let out a series of violent coughs.
"You all should stop talking!" Yugali took a deep breath and said, "Sleep!"
…
Early the next morning, when Yujiali heard a noise and opened her eyes, Yu Xuekun was already sitting beside her bed.
"Morning." Yu Xuekun turned around and said, "Hurry up and wash up. We'll have to leave soon after we eat."
"Let's go...?" Yugali didn't understand the situation. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, "Where are you going? Orange Town?"
"No, transfer." Yu Xuekun replied, "I will transfer Eleven to the affiliated hospital of AHgAs in the morning."
Yugali immediately looked at Eleven's bed - Eleven was already awake, leaning on the pillow, chewing the breakfast on the table bit by bit.
"What's wrong? Is her condition getting worse, or -"
"She's fine," Yu Xuekun looked at her watch, "Jane hopes we'll finish packing and leave the hospital before ten o'clock in the morning."
Yugali was still a little confused. She rolled out of bed and looked around, only to realize that Hesta was not here.
"Where's Jane...?"
"Not here."
"Where did she go?"
"Going out." Yu Xuekun replied, "She said she would be back at noon."
"...Okay." Yugali combed his hair with his bare hands and walked towards the bathroom, "Then I'm going to wash up now..."
"No need to worry," Yu Xuekun's voice was smiling as always, "It's not even eight o'clock yet."
…
At nine o'clock in the morning, Hesta carried a suitcase and walked alone through the streets and alleys to the shanty town of yesterday.
Compared with yesterday afternoon, this place was very lively today. There were voices in every yard, and from time to time, shirtless men passed by Hesta. Almost everyone who came towards him would look sideways at Hesta, sizing up this strange visitor who suddenly appeared.
Some of these residents were curious, some wary, and some stared meaningfully at Hesta's red hair, but no one dared to step forward rashly - they all saw the man's slightly bloated lower waist and sides. , usually this means that the person is most likely wearing a gun.
People were watching, consciously or unconsciously, to see where she was going.
Finally, Hesta stopped in front of Eleven's house and knocked on the door.
"Is anyone here?" Hesta asked several times in succession. "Open the door."
After a series of footsteps, a middle-aged woman with short hair opened the door. The opponent held a thick machete in his hand, and a scar stretched from her left eyebrow to her cheekbone. The eyes under her eyebrows were filled with malevolence.
Hesta glanced at the other person's hand and said in District 3 dialect, "I'm looking for Eleven."
The middle-aged man couldn't understand what Hesta was talking about, but he recognized his daughter's nickname.
The woman frowned and was about to close the door without saying anything. Hesta inserted her foot diagonally and blocked the door. Just as she was about to explain, the woman let out a series of stern scoldings - although Hesta did not understand the content. But she knew very well that the other party must be swearing.
A young man of sixteen or seventeen years old heard the noise in the yard and ran out while getting dressed. This man is thin and has thin and small eyes. His appearance is somewhat similar to that of a middle-aged woman.
The young man pulled his mother away, and the two quarreled for a few words. The middle-aged man retreated into the courtyard, his eyes still fixed on Hesta's face, and he muttered something, as if he was unwilling to give up.
Hesta raised her hand and handed the young man a business card. The man took it and looked at it, and found that Mihailo's name was written on it.
"Who are you looking for?" the man asked.
"Eleven." Hesta replied, "Mr. Mihailo said she lives here."
"Oh, Dr. Mihailo asked you to come here?" Although the man's District 3 dialect had a strong accent, he was very fluent, "What are you here for?"
"I'm here to deliver the commission." Hesta knocked on the suitcase, "Is Shiyi here? Let her come out."
The man was startled for a moment. He carefully looked at Hesta's suitcase for a while, then swept his lower lip with his upper teeth, "How much does it cost?"
"I didn't ask." Hesta replied, "Where is Eleven? Tell her to come out. I will hand over the things and leave."
"She... went out to play and hasn't come back yet."
"But Dr. Mihailo said the money must be handed over to Eleven."
The man looked down at Mihailo's business card and rubbed his fingers vigorously on the paper. He was silent for a moment, then opened the door a little further and said, "You come in first."
The man led the way, looking back at Hesta from time to time. The two walked through the yard together. The man opened the door of the old house and said, "Come and sit down. Just treat it like your own home."
At this moment, the sound of chopping wood came from the yard again. Hesta turned around and saw that the middle-aged woman had sat back by the well. She was waving the slightly rusty hatchet in her hand, and each blow brought up a thin stream of dust.
The man closed the door, blocking Hesta's view.
"You were the one who made so many calls yesterday afternoon, right?"
(End of chapter)
