Obsessed with Cleanliness Chapter 6: Stomach Trouble (Part 2)

Xiao Tong didn’t know when exactly she developed her stomach problem. Her grandmother said it was something she was born with. Her earliest memory of stomach pain was in first grade.

That day, it was her turn to stay after school to clean.

The other kids on cleaning duty all ran off the moment school ended, leaving her alone to clean the entire classroom. Sweeping the floor, wiping the blackboard, straightening the desks, and taking out the trash.

She was so young that even when it got dark, she still hadn’t finished.

At first, she just felt really hungry, but after a while, she stopped noticing the hunger.

Then suddenly, her stomach started to hurt— a dull, cramping pain.

Back then, she didn’t even know the name of that body part—"stomach."

She just went home, ate dinner, and felt better.

Afraid of worrying her grandma, she never mentioned it.

But the stomachaches became more frequent.

Eventually, her grandma noticed and took her to the hospital.

The visit cost several hundred yuan, almost two months of their living expenses.

The diagnosis was chronic gastritis. The doctor said it wasn’t rare to have gastritis, but he’d never seen someone so young with it.

"Doctor, is it curable?"

"Let’s start with some medicine. It’s a chronic condition. You’ll need to manage it long-term. Eat more foods that are gentle on the stomach, and avoid spicy and greasy things."

But all their money had already been taken by her father.

There wasn’t really anything left to spend on stomach-friendly foods. As for spicy and greasy food, she didn’t eat much of that either, because even cooking oil had to be rationed.

Luckily, the pain wasn’t unbearable just recurring dull cramps. And it mostly happened when she got too hungry before school ended.

When it did, Xiao Tong would press on her stomach and lie on her desk for half an hour.

That usually helped a lot.

After saying goodbye to Yu Qinghan in front of the school office building, Xiao Tong was caught by the discipline director and dragged into the office for a scolding.

The director knew about Xiao Tong’s family background, and deep down had already lumped her in with the troublemakers kids who had "gone down the wrong path."

He didn’t like her and had no hope of "straightening her out." So he tore into her without holding back, and once he got it out of his system, he let her go.

Xiao Tong was used to being scolded at school, it didn’t bother her much anymore.

In fact, she was actually in a pretty good mood, especially when she remembered that Yu Qinghan had promised to walk home with her after school. To Xiao Tong, Yu Qinghan was a genuinely good person.

After all, in this town, her family story had been chewed over as gossip for years like a piece of gum that had long lost its flavor but people still kept chewing anyway.

After they were done, they’d sigh and pity her: "What a shame, poor girl, stuck with a dad like that."

Then they’d wipe their tears, satisfied, and go home.

They conveniently forgot that it was they who had said all these years: "Like father, like daughter" and "She can’t be much of a decent person either."

Even though Yu Qinghan wasn’t from the town, she’d been here long enough to know about Xiao Tong’s background.

Yet she still chose to be her friend.

That didn’t just make her a good person, it made her an amazing one.

What Xiao Tong didn’t know was that Yu Qinghan actually hadn’t bothered to learn anything about her background.

She had only come to this backwater town to lay low for a while. She didn’t care about the petty, narrow-minded gossip of the locals, and certainly wasn’t going to seek it out.

But none of that mattered anymore.

The point was, Yu Qinghan had taken an interest in her.

And for the first time in over ten years, Xiao Tong had a real friend. Not a doll, not someone she imagined, a real, living person. Even if she looked like she stepped out of a dream.

Just before the school day ended, the results of the last monthly exam were posted.

The homeroom teacher walked in with a scowl, holding the grade report, and launched into a long lecture about how poorly the class had done overall.

He went on and on analyzing the results, and dragged the class well past dismissal time, more than half an hour late.

Xiao Tong’s stomach had started to ache again.

Her desk was in the far back corner, next to the classroom cleaning supplies. She lay on her desk, waiting for the pain to pass. Other students had either gone home or left for after-school activities.

No one noticed her.

Xiao Tong didn’t care whether they noticed her or not. But in her heart, she kept thinking about how Yu Qinghan was still waiting for her.

It was their first time agreeing to walk home together, and now she was late.

What if Yu Qinghan decided she didn’t want to talk to her anymore?

The thought made Xiao Tong feel incredibly sad like something heavy was pressing on her chest.

She could only comfort herself: Maybe this was for the best.

After all, someone like Yu Qinghan was from the heavens, and she… was from the dirt.

How could they really ever be friends?

She lay on her desk for more than forty minutes.

All the other students had already trickled out of the classroom, leaving only a few kids behind on cleaning duty, sprinkling water on the floor.

Xiao Tong touched her stomach, it felt a little better. She sat up, packed her schoolbag, and got ready to go home.

Today, the ones on duty were a few troublemaking boys, the kind who loved to mess with others.

Two of them had just come back from taking out the trash.

When they saw Xiao Tong still there, they exchanged mischievous glances and deliberately paused in front of the podium.

Just as Xiao Tong walked by with her backpack on, one of them suddenly stuck out his foot to trip her, and the other gave her a push from behind.

Xiao Tong fell hard, both knees slamming onto the floor with a loud thud, her palms scraped raw— mixing blood with the water and dust just spilled on the ground.

The sting was sharp and burning. And because of the fall, her barely-recovered stomach began hurting again.

Xiao Tong had been bullied by them so often that she knew arguing only encouraged them to go further.

So she endured the pain in her legs and hands, got up without a word, brushed the dust off her clothes, gave them a glance, then lowered her head and silently walked toward the door.

But those boys weren’t planning to let her go so easily today.

A tall, skinny boy with bangs covering his eyes blocked the doorway, grinning like a punk.

"Hey, little gambler, you kicked me and hurt my leg, and now you think you can just walk away?"

Faced with their nonsense, even someone as mild-tempered as Xiao Tong couldn’t hold back.

"I never kicked you!"

"You did!" the tall boy tilted his chin.

"You kicked me, and they all saw it, didn’t you guys?"

"Yeah, yeah, we all saw it!"

"It was you, little gambler, you kicked Brother Feng!"

"Exactly! And now you're trying to deny it? Like father, like daughter—big-time gambler’s a liar, little gambler’s a liar too!"

"You… you…"

Xiao Tong couldn’t outtalk them. It was getting dark outside, her grandma was probably already waiting at the gate.

She had no idea how long these boys planned to harass her. Her eyes reddened with frustration.

"You’re lying! I didn’t kick you!"

"Oh, didn’t kick me? Then let’s go to the disciplinary office and sort this out. We’ll see who the director believes—us or you, the little gambler!"

As he spoke, he grabbed her arm and started pulling her outside.

Xiao Tong panicked.

Not long ago, she’d already been framed by them once. That incident had gone all the way to the discipline office, and the director had believed their lies.

She’d been written up and warned that if anything happened again, she’d be expelled.

If she got dragged back there this time, she’d really be kicked out.

All Xiao Tong could think about was how she couldn’t go there.

She clutched the doorframe with both hands, nearly crying.

"I’m not going! I’m not going! Please, I’m not going!"

The boys, seeing how easily she broke down, got even more into it. They refused to let her go, and two of them even took advantage of the moment to grope her.

"What are you doing?!"

Just when Xiao Tong was completely desperate, a beam of flashlight cut through the doorway, blinding the boys for a moment.

Their grip loosened, and Xiao Tong seized the chance to break free and ran out of the classroom.

When she saw who it was, she let out a breath of relief. But afraid the boys would chase after her for revenge, she grabbed the girl’s hand and tried to drag her away. But the girl didn’t budge, just stood there like a tree, not moving an inch.

"Yu Qinghan! Run! Why are you just standing there?! If you don’t go now, those thugs will catch up!"

Yu Qinghan flipped her hand around and grabbed Xiao Tong’s wrist, pulling her to stand still.

Her face was dark and terrifying.

When the boys finally snapped out of it and rushed after them, Yu Qinghan smirked coldly.

"They bullied you like that, and you’re just going to let it go?"

"Let it go, let it go," Xiao Tong was panicking. She could see the boys storming toward them, and she was about to jump out of her skin. She desperately pried at Yu Qinghan’s hand. "Their parents work in the county government, we can’t afford to mess with them. Let’s go…"

Yu Qinghan let her tug at her hand but didn’t move. Her face was strange and cold.

Xiao Tong accidentally caught a glimpse of her expression and shivered, her grip loosening.

She dared not pull anymore and instead quietly took a step back to hide behind her.

Compared to Xiao Tong, Yu Qinghan was much prettier and had developed earlier too. She had a graceful figure that stood out even in the dark.

The four boys rushed over, and when they saw Yu Qinghan, their eyes lit up. One of them even whistled and practically drooled.

"I’ve heard the new transfer student’s a total knockout, must be you, right? I know all the pretty girls in this town, and let me tell you, none of them can compare. Tsk, tsk, no wonder they call you campus queen. Just looking at you makes my blood boil…"

The others laughed and jeered. Yu Qinghan’s face didn’t change. She looked at the tall one and said calmly,

"You were the one bullying her?"

"Me? So what if I was? What are you gonna do about it?" The tall guy swaggered forward, smirking. "No way I’d bully a beauty like you, you’re way too pretty. Heh…"

As he spoke, he reached out to touch her face.

Xiao Tong panicked and reached out to block his hand, but before she could do anything, a sharp scream rang out.

She looked up and saw Yu Qinghan had already dislocated the guy’s arm.

He collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.

"You-you bitch! Do you know who my dad is?! He’s with the Education Bureau! I’ll get him to expel both of you!"

Yu Qinghan looked at them like they were trash.

The other boys, all street-smart, immediately realized she wasn’t someone to mess with.

They helped the injured one up, staggered back a few steps, but Yu Qinghan didn’t waste any more time on them.

She pulled out her phone and dialed 110.

"Police? Yes, someone’s been injured on purpose. At No.1 Middle School. Please come quickly."

When they heard she’d called the police, the boys got smug again.

"Calling the cops? You think that’s gonna help? My uncle is the head of the county police! Perfect—once he shows up, he’ll throw both of you bitches in jail!"

Yu Qinghan’s face stayed cold as ever, but Xiao Tong began to panic. Yu Qinghan didn’t know yet, but she did. The boy with glasses really was the police chief’s nephew.

Even the school principal treated him with kid gloves.

Xiao Tong tugged at Yu Qinghan’s sleeve and whispered, "Qinghan, let’s just go. No need to cause trouble…"

But Yu Qinghan didn’t move. Xiao Tong had no choice but to stay with her.

At least she could be a witness, it was those boys who started everything.

The police came quickly, and in full force, several patrol cars with sirens blaring, terrifying Xiao Tong half to death.

Even the police chief himself—the glasses boy’s uncle—showed up.

When the boy saw his uncle, he ran over like he’d found his savior.

"Uncle, you’re finally here! It’s them! They attacked us! Look, Feng’s arm is dislocated!"

"Shut your mouth!"

The chief didn’t even hesitate, he slapped the boy across the face so hard his glasses flew off.

He spun in place several times before falling over. The other boys were so stunned, they didn’t dare breathe.

The chief showed no mercy to his nephew, but when he turned to Yu Qinghan, his face was full of greasy smiles.

"Student, you’re the one who called?"

"I did." Yu Qinghan didn’t even glance at him, just gestured toward the boys. "They ganged up to cause trouble and disrupt public order. Officer, what do you suggest?"

The chief wiped his sweat and smiled apologetically.

"Yes, yes, of course. Whatever you say, miss."

"People like that are scum. Even if they graduate high school, they’ll still be trash. Right, officer?"

"Y-yes, yes! Don’t worry, miss. I promise they’ll never show their faces in this school again!"

"And my friend." Yu Qinghan lifted Xiao Tong’s injured wrist in front of him. "What about her injuries?"

"I-I’ll personally take her to the hospital. I’ll cover all the medical expenses… all of it…"

"You’ll cover it… and you think that’s enough?"

"Of course it's appropriate! It's all my fault for not raising him right that's why my nephew hurt your friend! Of course I should cover the cost… absolutely..."

"No… it’s fine…" Xiao Tong didn’t want to cause more trouble. She tugged lightly on Yu Qinghan’s sleeve and whispered, "Qinghan, I don’t need to go to the hospital. I have to get home. If I’m this late, my grandma’s probably worried sick..."

"Right, right! I completely forgot!" The director slapped his forehead. "Where do you two live? I’ll drive you home."

Yu Qinghan gave him a side glance before smiling.

"Officer, there’s no need. It’s just that the public safety in this county could use some work. As a public servant, I’m afraid you’ll need to put in more effort."

"Yes, yes… absolutely…"

Xiao Tong shot another frown toward the boys before finally letting Yu Qinghan lead her away.

Once they were out of the school gates, Xiao Tong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She patted her chest.

"That scared me to death. I thought something really bad was going to happen. Thank goodness the police showed up in time. By the way, Qinghan, thank you so much!"

Yu Qinghan gave a small smile.

"No need to thank me. Aren’t we friends?"

"Yes! Of course! We’re friends!"

Xiao Tong beamed so widely her eyes disappeared behind her smile.

The small beauty mark at the corner of her eye sparkled under the streetlamp, making Yu Qinghan’s heart itch with temptation.

She guiltily looked away.

"But Qinghan, how are you so strong? That guy was huge, he must be over 6'2", right? And you just gave him a light push and took him down!" Xiao Tong raised her fists to mimic the move. "And that director too, he looked like a mouse seeing a cat the second he saw you! He’s a police officer! Qinghan, you’re amazing!"

"My dad was worried I’d get bullied, so he had me learn some self-defense from my brother. As for the police officer…" Yu Qinghan smiled mockingly. "My grandfather had a student who just so happens to be his direct superior."

Xiao Tong gasped in awe.

The police chief’s boss? That must be someone pretty high up!

She was too stunned to speak and just followed silently beside Yu Qinghan.

Yu Qinghan noticed that Xiao Tong had both arms around her stomach while walking, and something didn’t feel right.

She asked, "What’s wrong? Is your hand hurting? We really should’ve let him take you to the hospital."

"It’s not… it’s not my hand." Xiao Tong forced a weak smile. "My… my stomach just doesn’t feel great."

"Stomachache? Do you need to see a doctor?"

"No, it’s fine. Let’s hurry. My grandma’s still waiting."

"How can you walk fast like this?" Yu Qinghan glanced at the dirt and scrapes on Xiao Tong’s clothes, hesitated for a few seconds, then gritted her teeth and crouched down in front of her. "Get on."

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Get on. I’ll carry you home."

"You really don’t have to..."

"Stop fussing. Just get on!"

"Qinghan…"

"Xiao Tong."

Seeing how Xiao Tong kept hesitating and fussing, Yu Qinghan nearly lost her temper, but forced it down.

She sighed, then softened her tone: "Be good, Xiao Tong. It hurts me to see you like this."

"Xiao Tong, you’ve got to give me a chance to do something for you."

In that moment, Xiao Tong’s eyes began to sting. No one had ever told her they were hurting for her, no one except her grandma.

Yu Qinghan’s words hit her right in the heart. Yu Qinghan’s back wasn’t broad, but it carried a faint, comforting scent.

Xiao Tong held back her tears and murmured into her ear, "Qinghan."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Besides my grandma, no one’s ever been this good to me."

"If that’s all it takes for you to thank me, then you’ll be thanking me a lot more in the future. Xiao Tong, I’m going to treat you even better so well that everyone will cherish you, and no one will ever dare to hurt you again."

Xiao Tong heard that and even though she didn’t believe it could be true, she couldn’t help but cry anyway.