Chapter 301: Shen Chi Died of Heatstroke

Since Dad dotes on her so much, she will surely study even harder to bring honor to Dad.

Bai Mo lowered her head and began to read her book more earnestly.

Yet Shen Yuan felt her heart beating very fast, extremely fast, as if something bad were about to happen.

She finished feeding Bai Mo a bowl of chicken noodle soup and instructed, "You stay home and read; I'm going out to find your dad."

"Aunt, it's so hot at home, help me turn on the air conditioner!" Bai Mo's eyes remained fixed on her book as she ordered.

Shen Yuan dutifully helped this little princess turn on the air conditioner.

Sigh! This air conditioner was also newly bought by her brother, just so his daughter could live in a more comfortable environment; truly, the hearts of parents are pitiful everywhere.

Her mother, until the day she died, had always longed to use an air conditioner, but unfortunately, she didn't have the fortune to enjoy it.

Shen Yuan didn't know what was wrong with her; today, she seemed to be constantly thinking about these messy, random things.

It wasn't even June yet, and it was already unbearably hot.

The black seat cushion of the small electric scooter was scorched burning hot; Shen Yuan pushed the scooter to a shady spot by the road to wait a while before getting on, preparing to deliver food to her brother at the fruit stand.

Riding along the way, watching the people hurrying by on the street, Shen Yuan couldn't help but sigh once again that fate is a truly strange thing.

Some people can stay cool in air-conditioned rooms, while others can only be drenched in sweat in this scorching summer heat.

Money is the kind of thing that isn't necessarily yours just because you earned it; it's only yours once you've spent it.

She planned to persuade her brother later not to push himself so hard; doting on his daughter is fine, but there should be a limit.

Previously, feeling sorry for her brother standing all day, she had made the two of them switch beds, but in the last few days, she discovered that they had switched back at some point.

Not sleeping well at night and being exposed to such intense sun during the day, she worried her brother's body wouldn't be able to hold up.

Bai Mo was still young and didn't understand; she didn't know if her brother's sacrifices would be remembered in her heart in the future.

Arriving at the intersection by the train station, Shen Yuan stopped her bicycle and walked toward her brother's fruit stand; at this moment, that feeling of unease and panic returned.

She walked a few steps faster, and then she saw her brother slumped over the side of the fruit stand resting.

It seemed he was exhausted.

"Brother, I brought you food, eat something first!"

Shen Yuan unfolded the small table under the tricycle and opened the lunch box, but her brother remained slumped there, motionless.

She covered the lunch box again, thinking it would be fine to let her brother sleep a while before eating.

Before long, two customers arrived, picking through the fruit at the stand.

"Boss, how much are these bananas per jin?"

Shen Yuan remembered it being over two yuan, but the wholesale price of fruit changed daily, so she thought she should ask her brother, "Brother, someone wants to buy bananas, how much are they per jin?"

"Brother?"

At this moment, Shen Yuan finally realized something was wrong.

She patted her brother's shoulder, but there was no reaction; her heart panicked severely.

"Brother, don't scare me, what's wrong with you?"

The two customers who had intended to buy some fruit on their way were also terrified; they trotted away, wanting to leave, but one of the girls gathered her courage and returned, "Do you need us to help you call 120?"

"Yes!" Shen Yuan panicked and used her index finger to touch her brother's nose; whether she was too nervous or her brother was truly gone, there was almost no breath at the tip of his nose.

"Someone, please save my brother! Wuwuwu..."

Shen Yuan half-held her brother and began to wail loudly.

Her mother was already dead, and her brother was her only relative left in this world; what was she supposed to do?

"Shut up!" The man from the neighboring fruit stand ran over, "It must be heatstroke, lay him flat on the ground first!"

In truth, he and Shen Chi were in competition, especially lately, as Shen Chi seemed to be working himself to death to earn money, selling a lot of the same fruit as him and selling it cheaper, too.

Furthermore, Shen Chi's fruit stand was closer to the station entrance, so many people who bought from Shen Chi wouldn't buy from him anymore.

However, this was a life-or-death moment, and the man had only one thought: save him.

He knelt halfway beside Shen Chi and began performing CPR.

After about a few minutes, Shen Chi had a faint breath; he struggled to get up, then fell heavily back to the ground.

"Brother, rest well for now," Shen Yuan urged hurriedly, "Don't worry, I'll sell the fruit!"

"Mo Mo..." Shen Chi asked softly.

Shen Yuan's heart ached; her brother was lying on the ground with heatstroke under such a scorching sun, while that little girl was at home blowing the air conditioner.

"Brother, Mo Mo is fine at home."

"That, is good," Shen Chi struggled to open his eyes, feeling only that he was extremely tired; he lifted his limp arm, "If Brother isn't here in the future, you must take good care of Mo Mo."

"Brother! Don't say these things, the doctor will be here in a moment," tears slid messily from the corners of her eyes, and Shen Yuan knelt on the ground, "Don't scare me."

"Also, take good care of you, yourself."

The warm hand dropped, and the middle-aged man from the neighboring fruit stand hurriedly performed CPR on Shen Chi again, but this time, Shen Chi no longer had any reaction.

The ambulance arrived quickly, and they performed emergency resuscitation inside, but they couldn't save him.

Shen Yuan sat limp on the ground, not knowing what she should do.

From now on, she would be the only one left in this world.

"You should pull yourself together," the middle-aged man who had just helped said, "Take him home and give him a proper burial."

He knew Shen Chi's family situation, and for the funeral arrangements, she could only rely on this younger sister.

"I'll help you sell these fruits, and I'll give you the money later."

This was the only thing he could do for this hard-fated brother.

"Thank you." Shen Yuan stood up, swaying slightly.

She didn't know how to ride a tricycle, and there was no one to help; she couldn't even transport Shen Chi's body.

In the end, the fruit stand owner couldn't bear to watch and helped her transport Shen Chi's body back home.

I don't know how this pair of siblings have been living; they are so old yet have such poor social connections that not a single person came to help.

"Where is my dad?" Bai Mo opened the door and asked Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan woodenly pointed downstairs, "Down below."

Bai Mo didn't think much of it; she ran downstairs quickly, prepared to see the new mattress her dad had bought for her.

Unexpectedly, she saw Shen Chi lying motionless on the tricycle.

That face was so yellow, devoid of any vitality.

She was so frightened that her teeth began to chatter.

Shen Chi's funeral was very simple; they bought a plot of land and buried him after cremation.

A person just disappeared like that.

That day at the cemetery, only three people came.

Bai Mo, Shen Yuan, and Lin Meixi.

Lin Meixi did not cry; she only burned some paper for Shen Chi, "In this life of yours,"

With the words on the tip of her tongue, she only let out a long sigh.

Amidst the flickering flames, she seemed to see Shen Chi as he was when they first met, full of pride, but regarding all that followed, she could only sigh that life is like a play.

"I hope you won't be so stubborn in your next life."

She is the same age as Shen Chi, only thirty-eight years old this year.

Standing now before Shen Chi's grave, she seemed able to clearly look back on their past.

Although fate is determined by heaven, one can see that a person's life only has a few key turning points.