Chapter 48: Chapter Forty‑Eight: Senior Brother, Your Kidney

There are many grasses with four leaves, but the four-leaf clover that mutated from three-leaf clover is not that easy to find; the vast majority sold on the market are not actually four-leaf clover.

As Xiao Zhuo said, the chance of coming across this kind of four-leaf clover is indeed small; otherwise the market wouldn't substitute other grasses for it.

Just……

Looking at the patch in front of him, most of which were four-leaf clover, Zheng Tan's feelings were complicated.

Zheng Tan thought, if the students outside found out, they'd surely come and pull up the whole patch. No wonder this place doesn't grow much else, yet the greenhouse door is always kept tightly shut; besides the greenhouse itself, Old Man Lan must also know about these clovers.

Zheng Tan lifted his paw and pushed aside the clover, muttering to himself, when he suddenly noticed a special individual.

It was slightly smaller than the surrounding leaves, but Zheng Tan noticed it mainly because its leaves looked a bit off.

One…… two…… three…… four…… five…… six…… seven…… eight…… nine!!

Zheng Tan counted again, and indeed there were nine leaves; could it be three plants growing together?

He examined the clump; the stems of the other branches were quite ordinary, but the stem bearing the nine alternately arranged leaves was indeed thicker than the others. However, although the stem was thick, the nine leaves were tiny—the largest leaf was only two‑thirds the size of the leaves on the other stalks, and the smallest leaves were just specks, barely visible as they grew on it.

But even if the leaves are small, they are still nine leaves arranged alternately!

Nine leaves!

How could this happen? Was it a by‑product when I previously induced mutations in other plants?

Zheng Tan couldn't figure it out.

But never mind not understanding; Zheng Tan couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.

He looked at the other branches on this clump; their leaves were all three‑leafed, only this branch had nine leaves.

Zheng Tan prepared to pull up the whole plant, leaves and all, but lacking control of his strength, he snapped it off, leaving him vexed—indeed, a cat's paw is no substitute for a human hand.

He didn't bother with the other branches either; he simply picked up the branch bearing the nine leaves in his mouth and walked out.

"Hey, Hei Tan, what's that you've got in your mouth?" Old Man Lan, having finished his work in the greenhouse, stepped out and saw Zheng Tan holding something in his mouth, and said.

Zheng Tan glanced at the old man, then took another look at the greenhouse.

"Yo, you found it! That's something I've been keeping on purpose……" Old Man Lan habitually bragged about his achievement, but his voice cut off the moment he saw the stalk of grass Zheng Tan had in his mouth.

Zheng Tan ignored him, jumped from the crate onto the greenhouse roof, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Old Man Lan remained where he was, recalling what he'd just seen. Hei Tan's mouth held… it looked like more than four leaves! At least six, maybe even seven!

But Old Man Lan only stared for a moment; what he really cared about wasn't the clover—those were just a side hobby. In the whole garden, his main concern was his orchids, so he quickly forgot about the clover Zheng Tan had found.

Leaving Old Man Lan's small garden, Zheng Tan headed straight for the Xiqu Dayuan.

Zheng Tan always comes out during class or work hours, so there aren't many people around; the campus still has a few, but the residential compound has even fewer.

Upon entering the Xiqu Dayuan, a cat came charging at him with a threatening growl, but Zheng Tan ignored it and ran straight toward the small high‑rise where Xiao Zhuo lived.

There was an access control at the building's entrance; Zheng Tan waited a moment, and when someone came out, he slipped in through the gap.

The person coming out happened to be Xiao Zhuo's maid, who was downstairs taking out the trash. When Zheng Tan darted past her feet into the building, the maid was so frightened she almost flung the garbage bag she was holding. She hated black cats! And just a moment ago, that black cat had brushed past her feet—though it didn't touch her, she felt a creepy sensation all over.

After thinking it over, the maid decided to stroll around downstairs before going back up; she didn't want to return upstairs and face that black cat. She felt the cat was eerie, and if Xiao Zhuo and Professor Ye hadn't told her to let it be, she would have already grabbed a frying pan and swung at the cat.

After throwing the trash in the bin, the middle‑aged maid shook her head, truly not knowing what Xiao Zhuo and Professor Ye were thinking. Don't they fear that the child to be born might really have problems?

Although the maid hadn't been here long, she often chatted with some of the residential compound's staff families when bored, picking up a few things.

I've heard that the child in Xiao Zhuo's womb has no guarantee of health; even though no deformities have been found in checkups so far, who knows? Many people say that even if there's no deformity, the child's IQ is very likely to differ from that of ordinary kids—there have been precedents. Now that child is already in his early teens, yet his IQ still can't match that of preschoolers.

Rumors don't arise from nowhere. These people's speculations are grounded, after all—if we go by the timeline, Xiao Zhuo's accidental pregnancy occurred while she was participating in a project led by the "Buddha Master," which involved exposure to some radioactive elements; even with protective measures, …

Even the doctors at the affiliated hospital aren't very optimistic.

To avoid running into people in the elevator and causing trouble, Zheng Tan still chose to take the stairs. It's only six floors; he climbs five floors every day, so this height is nothing to him.

Arriving at Room 606, Zheng Tan jumped up and pressed the doorbell.

The maid should still be downstairs and not back yet; Xiao Zhuo, alone at home, has limited mobility, so after Zheng Tan rang the bell twice, he squatted by the door to wait.

After a while, the door finally opened.

Xiao Zhuo originally thought it was the maid without her key; opening the door and seeing no one, she lowered her gaze and spotted Zheng Tan crouched at the doorway.

Before Xiao Zhuo could get a clear look at what Zheng Tan had in his mouth, he had already darted inside, leapt onto the moon chair in her room, and lay there panting.

Xiao Zhuo took the small cup Zheng Tan had used previously to drink water here, filled it a bit from the water dispenser, checked the temperature, and then placed it on the desk.

Zheng Tan jumped onto the desk and drank a little water—actually he wasn't very thirsty, so after two licks he stopped. He hadn't been used to this way of drinking before, but gradually he adapted to this non‑human lapping method.

Seeing Zheng Tan truly made Xiao Zhuo happy; she hadn't expected that the black cat that came in the morning would show up again in the afternoon. She understood what the looks of the people around her signified, so she often didn't want to go out and face them, and even when she occasionally went for a walk, she chose times when few people were about.

There are always some people who seem caring, but every word they say feels like a jab to the heart. Yet whenever she stays with this cat, Xiao Zhuo always feels especially relaxed.

So Xiao Zhuo has made up her mind: if she can ever come back, she will also keep a cat at home.

After Zheng Tan finished drinking, seeing Xiao Zhuo still looking at him and not noticing the grass left on the moon chair, he nudged it with his chin toward the chair.

Xiao Zhuo noticed this and glanced toward the moon chair.

"Huh?"

Xiao Zhuo picked up the stalk of grass on the chair; after examining it closely, her face filled with disbelief. She looked at Zheng Tan, then at the grass in her palm.

Nine leaves, like flower petals stacked together; the tiniest leaf at the center is barely a speck, but this is indeed a nine‑leaf clover!

Xiao Zhuo had heard from the transfer student who gave her the four‑leaf clover that each extra leaf on a lucky clover carries a meaning—the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth leaves each have their own significance.

What does the ninth leaf represent?

It represents the fortune of nine deaths and one life, the phoenix's nirvana.

Nine deaths and one life, phoenix nirvana…

Although it's just a legend, merely a self‑comforting notion, when people are in a low point, on the verge of despair, there is always something that lets them persevere—be it faith, certain people, certain events, or certain obsessions.

Since she learned of her pregnancy, over these many days Xiao Zhuo has kept her worries hidden on the surface, but deep down she has never let them go; she wishes her child to be healthy, not necessarily brilliant—just healthy would suffice. Yet the word "healthy" is, for someone in her situation, a luxury.

The glances of those around her, the words they whisper behind her back, press so hard on Xiao Zhuo that she can barely breathe.

And now, this lucky clover with nine leaves in her palm makes Xiao Zhuo suddenly feel the urge to burst into tears.

This small nine‑leaf clover in her hand, which people have always thought was merely a legendary nine‑leaf clover, is like letting Xiao Zhuo see a shining star in the darkness of despair—the star points toward the direction of hope.

Zheng Tan stood on the desk, while Xiao Zhuo sat in the recliner, head down looking at the grass in his hand, so Zheng Tan couldn't see Xiao Zhuo's expression at the moment, but watching drop after drop of water fall, Zheng Tan also felt at a loss.

Crying? No way?

It's just a broken blade of grass, is it really that big a deal?!

Pregnant women are just overly sentimental!

Shaking his whiskers, Zheng Tan really didn't know how to react now.

Not long after, Xiao Zhuo sniffed and said, "Four-leaf clover grass isn't easy to find; many people search for a long time and still can't find one. I never expected you to actually find this…"

Zheng Tan really wanted to say, this kind of four-leaf clover isn't actually hard to find; really, Old Man Lan's flower shed has a whole bunch hidden there!

"Child, even if Mom can't come back, can't be with you, but Hei Ge will be with you…" Xiao Zhuo whispered.

Zheng Tan tugged his ears, and in his mind he recalled the scene of A Huang's family's Xiao Pihai grabbing A Huang's tail and shoving it into his mouth.

Then Zheng Tan became terrified again.

Damn it, I don't want to bring a kid!! Calling Hei Ge is useless, calling Dad won't work either!

I'm just a cat now, they'll grab my tail, pull my ears, and even yell at me for no reason and cry!

Zheng Tan was left a bit bewildered by Xiao Zhuo's reaction; Xiao Zhuo also said he wanted to properly thank Zheng Tan, but seeing Xiao Zhuo like that, Zheng Tan feared causing trouble, with such a big belly and so sentimental—really, is it okay?

The good thing was, the nanny came back just then, and Zheng Tan took the chance to run out.

Not long after, Zheng Tan ran into Xiao Zhuo again, who was out for a walk in the sun with the nanny, and Xiao Zhuo showed Zheng Tan the pendant hanging from his neck.

The pendant was slightly larger than a longan, inside was the nine-leaf lucky grass Zheng Tan had found, wrapped in some unknown material that wasn't plastic nor glass.

That material was transparent, but because of the plant inside, the pendant glowed with a vibrant green full of life.

The nanny was sitting on another chair ten meters away, a bit far from Xiao Zhuo and Zheng Tan, couldn't see the pendant Xiao Zhuo was wearing, had no interest, and now her attention was all on Zheng Tan, fearing he'd run over. If Xiao Zhuo weren't here, the nanny would probably have avoided Zheng Tan the moment she saw him.

Zheng Tan felt Xiao Zhuo was somewhat different today; compared to before, he seemed to have more lively vigor, unlike before, where even his smile carried a hint of gloom.

Yawning, Zheng Tan shook his fur, watched Xiao Zhuo and the nanny walk away, then continued on his way. He planned to go to Jiao Ba's office to sleep. Recently, several of Jiao Ma's colleagues often came to their house to hang out, so Zheng Tan didn't want to stay home facing those strangers.

Arriving at the Life Sciences Building, Zheng Tan didn't go straight to Jiao Ba's office; he saw on the first floor's public lab a group dissecting white mice. He didn't see Yi Xin, but he did see an acquaintance.

Isn't that the beef jerky guy!

Zheng Tan couldn't remember Su Qu's name, but he remembered his Inner Mongolian beef jerky.

Su Qu's bulky figure stood out among those people; inside he wore a sweater, outside a white lab coat, after a winter break he'd gained a bit of weight, looking like a polar bear.

On a whim, Zheng Tan crouched on a camphor tree outside the window of the first-floor public lab, looking over; since the lab's windows weren't all closed, he could hear the conversation inside.

In early March, the preliminary exam scores for the graduate entrance exam were announced; and the interview cutoff, because Chu Hua Da Xue is a self-determining line institution, the cutoff was released ahead of the national line; by mid-March, each department had successively announced their cutoffs.

When Zheng Tan was at home, he heard Jiao Ba mention that the big guy had barely exceeded the institute's cutoff line, but at least he passed.

In theory, the interview would be two weeks later, and it would be a 1:1.2 ratio differential interview, so some of those who passed the cutoff would still be eliminated. However, when the preliminary scores were announced, many high-scoring people had already started contacting professors in the institute, and even those with relatively lower scores had begun seeking connections, hoping to secure a favored professor early.

After all, it's the professors with graduate slots who decide whether you can stay; if they've locked you in, you pass regardless of scores. So many people had already been locked in before the interview, making the interview just a formality.

This is a semi-public internal rule, common at many universities. Zheng Tan learned it while listening to Jiao Ba and Jiao Ma discuss.

As for that beef jerky kid, Jiao Ba seems to have already locked him in; otherwise he wouldn't have let him come to familiarize himself with the lab.

Right now, that big guy was laughing and chatting with others, but his hand movements were anything but vague—sharp knife work; after dissection, the tweezers went straight to the exact sampling spot.

Su Qu's preliminary score wasn't high; normally, someone like him would be shaky in the interview, with a higher chance of being cut. But now Su Qu is studying in the lab under Associate Professor Jiao's direction, meaning he's already been internally selected and will officially join the institute in September. Other senior graduate students in the institute also understand this, so they're still willing to accept this quasi-junior brother.

Over the past two days, the big junior brother often helped senior sisters move things and helped senior brothers take samples, so his rapport is still good.

As for grades.

Hehe.

Even if you rank first in the interview, what does it matter?

Those who've been through it know that once you're in, what counts is your published papers and their impact factor; everything else is just nonsense.

In the first year of graduate studies there are so many courses; if you skip class, as long as you use that time to do experiments in the lab, your advisors are happy; some more easygoing advisors will even help cover for you, approve leave requests, etc.

When Yi Xin first came in, his grades didn't even make the top ten, but now? When people mention the notable figures of this cohort, who would dare overlook him?

Yi Xin's fame still hangs on the institute's annual honor roll. As for the top ten from the original exam, does anyone still remember them much?

When others ask about Su Qu, once they hear he's Yi Xin's junior brother and a person under Associate Professor Jiao, their attitude improves—at least on the surface.

"Senior brother, the kidney's been taken." Su Qu shouted.

The senior brother Su Qu called wasn't Yi Xin; the other upperclassmen in the institute are all called senior brother, while Yi Xin counts as Su Qu's direct senior brother under the same advisor. But in everyday address they use the same term, with no distinction between direct and indirect.

That senior brother who was to take the sample was talking to someone; his neighbor heard and laughed, saying, "Hey, your kidney's been taken!"

Several others also taking samples joined in the teasing with Su Qu, shouting, "Senior brother, your kidney!"

That senior brother, holding tweezers, pointed at the largest Su Qu and said, "If you keep teasing, I'll cut you open and take yours too!"

Su Qu had obviously become accustomed to their banter, replying in a cheeky tone, "Come on~ come on~, senior brother, take it, take me~"

At that moment, Yi Xin was holding his documents, about to step into the lab, with a few female undergrads beside him; even before entering the lab door they heard Su Qu's cheeky remark, and the girls' expressions were quite subtle.

Yi Xin wanted to cover his face. "Boss Jiao, can we return this?"

Zheng Tan crouched in the tree outside, laughing outright; this Su Qu is a real idiot.

While laughing, Zheng Tan sensed a hostile gaze, turned his head, and saw a person in a camel-colored coat standing not far away, watching him.

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Thanks to Ran Ling, Oufi Mosi, Sha Ke·Zhao, Mu Ruolan, Tear Duct Warrior, 0773, Piaomiao's Melancholy, the dog named Wang Cai, dear·Mo Yuan, Wan Tian Xi Di, lazyorange, Gu She Wu Ren, Liu Yan, birdcheng's rewards! Thanks to Vannias, Ye Qing Shuang's evaluation votes! Thanks to everyone who voted for recommendation~~