Rebirth: The Comeback of the Girl
Chapter 137: The Heating Is Leaking

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: The Heating Is Leaking

After much contemplation, Zhen Yu still decided to choose the [Self-discipline Study Clock].

This one cost 80 ability points, it seems she would have to work for her brother for the entire winter break, and it still wouldn’t be enough...

But her brother’s high school entrance exams were just around the corner, she had to help him or it would truly be too late!

Right after dinner that day, Mr. Zhen came to visit.

"Please, take a seat!" Mrs. Zhen, who usually quarreled with him, courteously invited him into the house and offered him a seat.

But there were neither tea nor fruits served to him.

Mr. Zhen sat there looking uncomfortable, and considering he also had a woman in confinement and a baby at home who needed care, he cut to the chase, "The child’s grandfather’s body will lie in state for three days, the funeral will be on the 6th, sigh..."

"I know, where will it be held?" Zhen Yu calmly took over the conversation.

"It will be at your grandfather’s old house."

"Okay! My brother and I will go when the time comes."

Mr. Zhen fell silent for a moment before he said, "Alright. Don’t start fighting with your aunts again when you get there."

Zhen Yu didn’t promise anything, only saying, "We’ll see! I won’t be the one to start trouble."

With a sigh, Mr. Zhen left.

---

As soon as he was out the door, the three family members at home fell into silence.

After a good while, Zhen Yan spoke up, "Mom! I’m sorry, little sister! It’s all my fault! If only I hadn’t talked back to grandpa. I really didn’t expect..."

His mother, Mrs. Zhen, interrupted him with a sigh, "Sigh! It’s fate! Who doesn’t have some sickness or calamity when they’re old? Why did it have to be you that he encountered? If only I knew, I wouldn’t have let you stay over there..."

"Mom!" Zhen Yu called out, "Even though the aunts shouldn’t have hit anyone! My brother did indeed do wrong!"

She then turned her head to question Zhen Yan, "Do you really need to first consider the consequences before deciding whether or not to talk back to the elders? Don’t you consider the consequences before you act? You’re about to enter High School! Next year when you live on your own, can Mom and I really feel at ease?"

Zhen Yan, chastised by his sister, hung his head in guilt, "I know I was wrong! I will never talk back to elders again!"

Zhen Yu saw this and thought he was overcorrecting.

"Not all elders are worthy of the title! Take our uncle, our aunts, which of them deserves our respect? But grandpa, he was really good to you! He..."

Zhen Yu sighed deeply, finding herself unable to continue. That old man, who favored boys over girls, he really was good to Zhen Yan, truly good with all his heart.

Tears welled up in Zhen Yan’s eyes again, "I know! I know, I know..."

With a sigh, Zhen Yu patted her brother on the shoulder and returned to her small bedroom, leaving her mother to comfort him. She really wasn’t very good at comforting others.

---

Three days later, the funeral was held as scheduled.

Only Mr. Zhen from their side was in attendance, after all, the mistress was still in confinement.

The five aunts probably said plenty of unpleasant things, but Zhen Yu and Zhen Yan listened obediently throughout.

After all, it was the funeral of an old man, and as long as the aunts didn’t resort to violence, she could endure their words for the sake of the deceased.

They didn’t go as far as not resorting to violence, but anytime things started to escalate, Zhen Yu managed to defuse it.

Han Mingyue and Han Jiaoyang also came with Mr. Han. Both parties greeted each other with a nod of the head at the funeral; it’s rare for anyone to show a smile in such a somber occasion.

The entire set of rituals, like wailing for the deceased and the smashing of the pot, and other traditional ceremonies, were conducted without omission. Mr. Zhen had specially asked a local elderly person to help organize it.

Although Zhen Yu couldn’t remember the old person’s face, when her father addressed her as ’Godmother’, Zhen Yu’s mind was cast back to her grandfather’s funeral in her previous life, where it was the same ’Godmother’ that had helped with the arrangements.

All of this had little to do with Zhen Yu; all she and her brother had to do was follow orders, kneel when they should kneel, cry when they should cry, that was enough.

---

After the funeral, the winter break continued.

When Han Mingyue visited the Zhen family again, she no longer hid herself away. Because Zhen Yu told her, "My mom has come to terms with it, it’s all good now."

February 18th is Chinese New Year’s Eve, and Mrs. Zhen closed the shop three days early to take her children to the big market to buy New Year goods.

Although it was only the three of them celebrating the New Year, Mrs. Zhen was in high spirits and bought quite a lot of stuff.

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Mrs. Zhen made a basin of paste and was putting up couplets with her son when someone came to their house.

"Sister Cheng! Quick, go check on your shoe store! I don’t know if it’s a water pipe or heating pipe that’s problematic, but water is leaking out!"

"Ah?!" Mrs. Zhen dropped what she was holding and rushed inside to wash her hands, quickly getting dressed to follow the person.

Zhen Yu also hurriedly put on her coat and followed, tossing to her brother, "Stay home and watch the house!"

When the mother and daughter arrived at Shoe City, they could see through the iron fence and glass doors that water was gushing out inside the store.

"Mom! Didn’t I tell you to turn off the heating before closing up?"

"I did turn it off!"

"But the color of the water looks like it’s a heating leak."

"I’ll open the door and take a look! You go to the grocery store and find Aunt Zhang for help, her man can deal with this stuff!"

"Okay!"

Luckily, it was just before New Year, and the grocery store was busy selling goods.

Uncle Zhang quickly followed Zhen Yu into Shoe City with tools, heading straight for the radiator upon entering.

Zhen Yu then went to her mother, "How is it? Any losses?"

Mrs. Zhen patted her chest and said, "Good thing I’m used to putting empty boxes at the bottom, with the shoe-filled stacks on top! Only some empty ones got soaked, the shoes are all fine!"

Zhen Yu glanced around at the empty shelves and knew that Mrs. Zhen was afraid of the shoes gathering dust, so she must have put them all back into their boxes.

In this case, only some dirty water splashed on the walls and shelves, and the floor was dirty, nothing else was affected.

About ten minutes later, the water flow from the radiator stopped, and Uncle Zhang muttered, "The threads at the top of your heating system might be loose, check it annually from now on."

While talking, he wrapped some tape around a thread, tightening the connection of the radiator.

"Alright! Thank you so much, big brother! I’ll treat you to a meal after the New Year!"

"Hey, no need for that, we live so close, helping out is the least I can do!" said Uncle Zhang as he stood up and left with his tools: "I’m off then, Sister Cheng!"

"Ah! Take care!"

After sending the person off and returning, Zhen Yu asked her mother with some doubts, "Have we never checked our heating radiators?"

"Not this year, your dad used to handle that." Mrs. Zhen casually replied and started mopping the floor.

Once the floor was cleaned, the mother and daughter tidied up the shoeboxes.

Following Zhen Yu’s suggestion, Mrs. Zhen tried to fit the boxes with shoes into the shelves, and what couldn’t fit was placed on the countertops and stools.

After the reorganization, the sky was already turning dark.

Zhen Yu was somewhat doubtful but couldn’t grasp the problem. She had to first return home with her mother.

It wasn’t until after dinner, when Mrs. Zhen was about to lock the front door, that Zhen Yu caught on.

"Mom! Have the locks for our Shoe City been changed?"

Mrs. Zhen was taken aback by the question, then slowly said, "No! I never thought about that!"