One Branch [MTL] (Completed)

Chapter 48 Can't Change

It was the first good day in recent days. The sun was high in the sky and the temperature was rising. People and animals came out of their nests to welcome the spring.

At the end of the winter vacation, Song Yezhi took advantage of Yi Qingwei going to work and went home alone with his suitcase.

Tao Guosheng was tidying up the cat bed at the door, replacing the quilt inside and taking it out to bask in the sun. Seeing Song Yezhi coming from the alley dragging a suitcase, he held the wooden frame, straightened up a little, and asked, "Why didn't you tell me that Uncle Tao and Grandpa were coming to pick you up!"

Song Yezhi quickened his pace, trotting closer, and said, "There's not much stuff, so you and grandpa don't have to make an extra trip. Uncle Tao, where is my grandpa? It's only been a while."

"I'm going for a walk. Do you want some dumplings?"

"I just had breakfast, Uncle Tao."

After Song Yezhi moved the suitcase into the living room, she didn't care about it anymore. She quickly changed her clothes and shoes and jumped out to finish cleaning the cat's bed. Tao Guosheng was happy to be free, and when he turned around and saw the suitcase standing at the door, he had work in his eyes again.

"Xiao Ye, do you have any dirty clothes to wash these days?"

Song Yezhi, who was outside the door, didn't hear it. He shook the quilt and hung it on the clothes-drying line facing the sun amid the cat hair.

Tao Guosheng laid the suitcase flat and unzipped it. There were only a few pieces of clothing, but it was full of heavy books. He lifted up the other side, which was light, and some messy books were scattered in front of him. Tao Guosheng, squatting in front of the open suitcase, was dumbfounded.

Song Yezhi squinted her eyes and twisted the cat hair that was tangled with her eyelashes, then walked into the living room. She saw the book laid out in the open and looked at Tao Guosheng in surprise.

It didn't last long.

Tao Guosheng stood up slowly with his hands on his knees, buried his head and coughed softly, then stood there without moving. He squatted down again, picked out the clothes, and carried them to the bathroom. Without even turning his head, he said in a muffled voice, "Take out the things and sort them first."

Song Yezhi scratched the back of his neck and looked at Uncle Tao's back with his shoulders drooped.

There were a lot of things, but few in variety, except for clothes and books. He dumped them all on the table, stacking them up neatly one by one, and the whole process took no more than two minutes. Song Yezhi clenched the corner of his clothes, wiped the sweat from his palms, and moved to find Uncle Tao.

Tao Guosheng was filling water into the washing machine. Two people were sitting and standing, one inside and one outside.

No one spoke.

The space was narrow, and the sound of water flowing through the plastic pipe and dripping into the bucket was amplified and particularly obvious.

Until the water level slowly rose, Tao Guosheng stood up and put clothes into it.

"I...Uncle Tao has always been with you since you were born, right?" Tao Guosheng suddenly said with his back to him.

Song Yezhi said nothing.

"Xiao Ye, that book, is it yours?"

"Yes, I bought it last year." He was very frank.

"Tell Uncle Tao what happened?"