Coming Clean

Xingfu Residential Area, Shen Qian's home.

The atmosphere in the living room was somewhat oppressive.

Wang Xiaojuan reclined sideways on the sofa, her face pale and haggard, faint tear tracks visible.

Shen Liang sat by the window farthest from the living room. A half-cut plastic bottle filled with water served as a makeshift ashtray, already stuffed with several cigarette butts.

"You should at least say something. How are we supposed to live from now on?" Seeing that Shen Liang had remained silent for so long, Wang Xiaojuan grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him.

...This cigarette seemed a little moldy. It tasted awful!

Shen Liang came back to his senses and, looking grave, stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in his hand. But instead of tossing it into the plastic bottle, he wrapped it in paper and tucked it back into the crumpled cigarette pack.

"How else can we live... Haven't we been getting by like this all these years?" Shen Liang consoled her.

"Medical bills alone are nearly eight thousand a month. Don't we need to eat? Don't we have to pay the utilities? Don't we have to give our son spending money? He's still growing. We can scrimp all we want, but we can't skimp on his meals..."

As Wang Xiaojuan spoke, she began to choke up again.

Shen Liang fell silent as well.

His monthly salary was less than six thousand, and that was after frequent overtime. Because of her health, Wang Xiaojuan could only take on some light part-time work, earning an unstable one or two thousand a month at most.

Previously, Wang Xiaojuan's monthly medical expenses had roughly been covered by Shen Liang's salary. Fortunately, meat was cheap these days, and public school fees were very low, allowing the family to barely keep things going. They had even saved a little money for Shen Qian's university education.

But after this accident, Wang Xiaojuan's monthly medical expenses had soared. With one thing rising as another fell, it was easy to foresee just how difficult life would become.

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have believed those random street ads and taken medicine carelessly. Maybe... maybe I shouldn't get treated anymore. You can take our son and live well from now on..."

As Wang Xiaojuan spoke, tears streamed down her face.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Shen Liang scolded, walking over to gently put an arm around Wang Xiaojuan. "There's always a way out. If money can solve it, then it isn't really a problem. What matters most is staying alive."

"At worst, we'll sell this house and rent one on the next street over. I checked the other day. It's only a little over a thousand a month for a big three-bedroom place, even more spacious than this house!"

Seeing Wang Xiaojuan still blaming herself, Shen Liang struggled for a while before finally gritting his teeth and taking an envelope from his inner pocket, stuffing it into Wang Xiaojuan's hands.

"Take it. Once we get through these next two months, I'll figure something out."

"This is..."

Wang Xiaojuan froze. She opened the envelope and took one look, then exclaimed in surprise, "Where did this ten thousand come from?"

"Our factory's half-year bonus. It was only paid out yesterday. I was planning to give you a little surprise, but I forgot just now."

Shen Liang said it lightly, but he felt deeply ashamed inside.

My son finally managed to borrow this money, and I kept ten thousand of it for myself... I'm unworthy as both a father and a husband!

The "windfall" eased Wang Xiaojuan's sorrow, and after Shen Liang comforted her for a while, her emotions finally settled down.

She looked up at the clock hanging in the living room and hurriedly tried to stand. "Ah, our son should be back soon. I need to hurry and cook."

Just then, the sound of a key turning came from the door. As it opened, Shen Qian walked in carrying two bags of fruit.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back... Mom, are you okay now?"

As he spoke, Shen Qian had already entered the living room and set the fruit on the table.

Wang Xiaojuan was about to speak when her gaze stopped. She cried out in surprise, "You bought durian? And... what kind of grapes are these? I've never seen them before."

Inside the open grocery bag, the sky-blue grapes were not only round and plump, but each one was as large as an ordinary lychee. Water droplets still clung to them, making them look crystal-clear and exceptionally tempting.

"Oh, they're called Desert Rose. The lady at the fruit shop said they're an imported variety, the pride of her store, and they're limited edition," Shen Qian explained.

"Durian costs over two hundred a jin, doesn't it? Where did you get the money?" Realizing something was off, Wang Xiaojuan's expression changed as she pressed, "And how much did this Rose cost?"

"The durian wasn't too bad. It was discounted—one hundred ninety-eight a jin. This Desert Rose was pretty expensive. This one bag cost nearly a thousand," Shen Qian answered honestly.

Wang Xiaojuan was speechless for a long time.

Shen Liang was startled too. Durian, the king of everyday fruits, was naturally expensive in an era when vegetables and fruit could practically be considered luxuries. But this Desert Rose was simply outrageous. There were only two bunches in the bag, each with perhaps thirty or forty grapes, yet it cost a thousand?

Seeing how stunned his parents were, Shen Qian could not help complaining inwardly. Good thing I didn't tell them the truth. Otherwise, wouldn't they have fainted on the spot?

The true price of Desert Rose was not merely one thousand—it was nearly three thousand...

Shen Qian had not wanted to be so extravagant either, but when he heard that Desert Rose could nourish the complexion, refresh the mind, and improve blood circulation, he bought it immediately.

Wang Xiaojuan had just been discharged from the hospital. Her body was weak, and she needed something nourishing.

"Xiao Qian..."

Shen Liang was the first to regain his senses. Seeing Wang Xiaojuan's brows rising as well, Shen Qian quickly spoke before she could.

"Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you."

Wang Xiaojuan wanted to say something else, but Shen Liang stopped her. He knew Shen Qian's personality; what he was about to say must have something to do with this fruit.

Shen Qian first took a badge from his pocket and pushed it in front of his parents.

Shen Liang picked up the badge. When he saw the character "Martial," his pupils contracted.

Though he was not a martial artist himself, this was a society where everyone pursued martial arts. There were Rogue Martial Artists at his factory too, so he was no stranger to such badges.

"I'm already a Beginner Martial Artist."

Shen Qian's voice was not loud, but it left Shen Liang and Wang Xiaojuan's minds completely blank. It took them a long while to recover.

"I don't know if you're aware, but the Martial Arts Department has mandatory benefits for young martial artists. Beginner Martial Artists under eighteen can receive a monthly cash allowance of ten thousand. Oh, and the Martial Arts Bureau staff told me today that there are actually other perks too."

"For example, I can ride buses and trams for free from now on, use public restrooms for free, and enter most parks and scenic spots for free. Also, there are discounts on designated car brands and even on housing..."

Shen Qian poured out everything he had learned that day in one breath.

Throughout the whole process, Shen Liang and Wang Xiaojuan simply stared at him blankly. They neither spoke nor moved.

Shen Qian's voice gradually grew quieter as he looked at his parents anxiously. They hadn't really been scared stupid, had they?

"Dad? Mom?" Shen Qian tested.

It seemed Shen Liang and Wang Xiaojuan's consciousness had finally returned to reality. They looked at each other, then stood up at the same time.

"I'll get the thermometer..."

"Mm, there should still be some fever medicine at home. I'll look for it."

Shen Qian: "..."