CHAPTER 634: CHAPTER 633: BUTTERFLY EFFECT

"I understand what you’re getting at, Xiao Yu!" Bai Xue finally grasped the meaning behind Zhen Yu’s words, "But even though that’s what you say! There are still two years left until I graduate from high school! And college will take three or four years no matter what, this..."

"If you want to help relieve your mom’s burden, you can work part-time during winter and summer breaks! But I strongly advise against doing this during high school! Your grades are already bad enough as it is! Rather than working, you’d be better off studying harder! Besides, no matter what you think, I believe your aunt and your brother definitely wouldn’t want to see you affected by what has happened!"

Bai Xue fell silent!

Clearly, she thought Zhen Yu made sense, but these words were not enough to alleviate her worries about the future...

Seeing this, Zhen Yu could only continue to persuade: "Your aunt is, after all, someone with a job! No matter if the accident was business-related or personal, I think there should be some compensation! At the very least, medical expenses should be covered, right? Besides, haven’t you said that your mom has been saving money for your college tuition? Even if the funds for college aren’t sufficient, as long as your mom’s savings can support you through high school, that’s enough! Have I made myself clear?"

"Enough! More than enough!" Bai Xue nodded vigorously! A weight finally lifted from her heart at that moment!

"I almost forgot when you didn’t mention it! My mom did say she had started saving early! She originally thought I would stop schooling after junior high, afraid that I’d get married too early, so she began saving for my dowry well in advance! Later, when I got into high school, she told me she would save that money for my college tuition..."

After changing Bai Xue’s dispirited thoughts, Zhen Yu remembered to send a message to Han Mingyue, informing him of their trip back to Laha Town. She also mentioned that she had entrusted Grandpa Wang, the security guard, with their leave of absence, so he needn’t worry that the homeroom teachers of the second and tenth classes would be unaware of their whereabouts.

After sending the message, Zhen Yu turned around to see Bai Xue silent and motionless.

Knowing that she was upset, Zhen Yu didn’t bother her and simply closed her eyes, leaning back in her seat, and soon fell asleep with the rocking of the vehicle.

It wasn’t until the vehicle arrived at the station and Bai Xue woke her that the two of them quickly got off the bus and rushed toward the train station!

Don’t ask why they didn’t take a taxi! Because there were none!

They practically ran all the way, reaching Siying Hospital in the quickest time possible.

Calling it a hospital was a bit of a stretch, as it was just a small three-story building.

After entering, Bai Xue quickly asked someone in a white coat where her mother’s room was.

After dropping a "Thank you" and without so much as a hello to Zhen Yu, Bai Xue dashed up the stairs!

"Mom!"

"Xue’er!" Mrs. Bai’s voice was very weak, and she still lay motionless in bed.

"Xiao Xue? Why didn’t you say anything when you came back and called? Your Uncle and I were worried, sigh!" Mrs. Fu was sitting by Mrs. Bai’s bedside and immediately stood up when she saw Bai Xue enter the room.

Although she looked reluctant, Mrs. Fu quickly made way for Bai Xue after she rushed to the bedside, "Your mom has been out of surgery for several days! We didn’t call you earlier because we didn’t want you to worry too much. Her condition has finally stabilized..."

---

Zhen Yu followed Bai Xue into the ward and immediately saw Mrs. Bai’s legs wrapped up like two bundles of rice dumplings!

Seeing the length of it, Zhen Yu immediately understood! That’s why Fu’s father was so certain on the phone when he told Bai Xue that her mother would never be able to stand up again...

The leg was really gone! It was, it was amputated...

"Mom!" Bai Xue’s voice was thick with sobs, and, unable to hold back any longer, her tears finally fell.

But she didn’t cry in utter despair as she had when she threw herself into Zhen Yu’s arms earlier; it seemed she had heeded some of the advice.

"Mom, are you feeling any better now?!" Bai Xue reached out and touched her mother’s slightly scraped cheek, her entire being overwhelmed with sorrow.

With tears brimming in her eyes, Mrs. Bai managed to force out a smile and said, "Much better! Just to be able to see you and your brother is enough for me!"

Bai Xue was momentarily startled by her words! Before she could make sense of what her mother meant, Mrs. Fu chimed in from the side, "Exactly! Your mom got off relatively well! The other one, oh... Lao Zhang was gone just like that, lost his life!"

"What exactly happened, Auntie?! Didn’t my mom just have bad luck and got hit by someone? What’s this about a Lao Zhang!"

Mrs. Fu glanced at her sister-in-law, and upon seeing no objection, began to explain, "Your mom said she wasn’t supposed to be on duty that day! Her colleague had some family matters and asked for her help! Since your brother and you were at school, she thought she’d take one less day off to earn some extra money! So she went in to cover the shift! Who would have known it’d turn out like that! Right after your mom and Lao Zhang finished work and hadn’t walked far from the workshop, they were hit by a truck hauling beet pulp for the factory... Sigh! I heard Lao Zhang was crushed right under the wheel, and it went over straight from his neck! Your mom can count herself lucky to be alive!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xue instinctively turned her head and exchanged a glance with Zhen Yu, and then they both saw the shock in each other’s eyes.

---

Bai Xue’s shock was understandable, because what she considered ill-fortune was so fortunate compared to losing a life!

But Zhen Yu’s shock was completely different from Bai Xue’s! Because she remembered this incident from her past life!

At the time, she was still in her eighth grade, and two female workers at Laha Sugar Factory were involved in a traffic accident, one of them had her head crushed...

That was a real-life ghost story that everyone in school was talking about! But the other person was definitely not Bai Xue’s mom! In Zhen Yu’s previous life, Bai Xue’s mom was perfectly fine all the way until Zhen Yu went to college in a different city, and she had never been in such an accident!

So, is this all so-called butterfly effect?!

Just because she flapped her little wings and ushered Bai Xue into the gates of First High School...

Unfortunately, what’s done is done, and there’s no point in overthinking it! So, Zhen Yu quickly gathered herself and stepped forward to comfort Mrs. Bai.

"Auntie, please focus on recovering! Don’t worry about Bai Xue, I’m here for her in Qi City!"

"Thank you! I’m not worried, auntie! With you, a good friend looking out for her, I’m at ease with Bai Xue studying away from home!"

"Mom! We’re doing fine! There’s nothing going on at school! I just eat, go to classes, practice piano, and sleep, my days are very regular!"