Study System: I'm a 38-Year-Old Student-Chapter 154 - 112: Little Mushroom and Handsome Mushroom
Xu Pipa never thought about getting anything for free.
Even though Shen Qiushan said it was to thank her for what she’d done these past two months.
But Xu Pipa didn’t see it that way. She’d already accepted tutoring fees, so she felt she shouldn’t take anything extra.
So, every gift she received was carefully recorded, and she planned to pay it all back when she earned enough money.
The next day.
At Xu Pipa’s insistence, Shen Qiushan drove her back home.
Living at the Shen Family’s place was comfortable, and everyone treated her well, but Xu Pipa still felt like she was imposing.
Besides, her time was precious; she needed to hurry and find a holiday job.
Standing inside the old house, Shen Qiushan looked around. Because Xu Zhengyi had a gambling problem, everything of value had been lost, so Xu Pipa’s home could really be described as "bare walls and nothing else."
However, the bedroom where Xu Pipa stayed was very clean and tidy, while the room Xu Zhengyi lived in was a stark contrast.
Right now, even the bedding was tossed messily on the bed.
"Should we do something about all this?"
Shen Qiushan stood at the door of Xu Zhengyi’s old bedroom, pointing in and asking her.
"Mm-hmm."
Xu Pipa nodded, "There’s a garbage pile behind the alley. You can just toss it all there."
"Let’s do it together!"
Shen Qiushan immediately helped Xu Pipa bag up Xu Zhengyi’s belongings, and together they threw everything onto the garbage pile.
"Uncle Shen, thank you."
On the way back to the courtyard, Xu Pipa said it very seriously.
Shen Qiushan smiled and waved his hand, "I should be thanking you for teaching Yanran and Xiaoxiao so selflessly!"
"Their grades have improved so much; that’s all thanks to you."
Xu Pipa gently shook her little mushroom head, "They worked hard enough, and they’re both smart!"
Shen Qiushan didn’t argue. He knew his own kids well enough to know that before, Shen Yanran and Shen Yixiao were just average students—not because they were dumb.
Actually, both kids had inherited some of the Lin Family’s top student genes. They were both quite smart; they just hadn’t put most of their effort into studying before.
"Uncle Shen, would you go somewhere with me?"
Just as Shen Qiushan was about to leave, Xu Pipa suddenly spoke up after hesitating a long while.
"Where to?"
Shen Qiushan asked, curious.
"The psychiatric hospital allows visits from two to four in the afternoon. I want to tell my dad about grandpa passing away."
Xu Pipa hung her head as she spoke.
"No problem."
Shen Qiushan agreed right away—he didn’t have much going on that afternoon.
"Uncle Shen, can you wait a moment?"
"I’ll go change my clothes first."
With that, Xu Pipa headed back to her room.
Shen Qiushan stayed in the courtyard for a smoke. Even though this was the old part of the city and surrounded by tall buildings, it was rare and special to have a little courtyard of your own.
The place looked rundown now, since it hadn’t been taken care of in ages.
If it were cleaned up, it’d be nice—you could barbecue here, or pitch a tent for shade in the summer.
As Shen Qiushan was thinking about how he could fix up the courtyard one day, Xu Pipa came out of the house, dressed in different clothes.
She wore the Nike tracksuit Lin Xiamo had picked out yesterday; both the pants and top were light gray.
Tracksuits usually have a relaxed feel when you put them on.
On Xu Pipa, the pants did give off a casual vibe.
But the top looked stuffed, like she was hiding two wild beasts inside. The zipper, pulled all the way up, seemed about ready to burst.
This kid...
Did she get even more curvy?
Even though Xu Pipa always wore baggy school uniforms, Shen Qiushan had noticed her figure back when he paid the tutoring money and she leaned over like she had "mountains and valleys."
Plus, since they were together all the time, Shen Qiushan knew this mushroom-head girl was pretty well-endowed.
But this was the first time he’d seen her in anything other than a school uniform, and the visual impact was totally different.
The thing was, Lin Xiamo had purposely picked one of the roomiest tracksuits to hide her curves.
Even so, her assets still stood out!
Some things really do come down to genes.
Feeling Shen Qiushan’s gaze, Xu Pipa instinctively lowered her head. The reason she always wore oversized school uniforms wasn’t just because she didn’t own many clothes—it was also to hide her figure.
She remembered clearly that once, when she wasn’t in uniform, the boys kept sneaking glances at her.
It made Xu Pipa pretty annoyed.
"Yeah, the outfit’s pretty nice."
"Momo has good taste."
Shen Qiushan commented seriously, then walked ahead with Xu Pipa out of the alley.
It was only a little after eleven, so going straight to the hospital would be too early.
Shen Qiushan took Xu Pipa for noodles at a shop nearby.
By the time they finished lunch, it was noon.
The psychiatric hospital where Xu Pipa’s father stayed was out on the city’s edge—a drive of over an hour.
They arrived at one-thirty; inside the reception hall, a dozen other people were waiting to visit family members.
Right before two, a staff member led all the visitors inside.
This was Shen Qiushan’s first time in a psychiatric hospital. It wasn’t quite like he’d pictured.
The patients in the wards didn’t seem wild; if anything, most were quiet, keeping to their own business.
Still, some patients did act strange.
For example, he saw someone standing against the wall with their arms stretched wide, making themselves into a "T"—like they’d been nailed to a cross.
Another patient kept shaping their hand into a gun, pretending to shoot at people walking down the corridor.
There was also a middle-aged woman kneeling on the floor, whispering something under her breath.
"Your father’s over there."
The nurse suddenly stopped walking and pointed toward the small garden in the ward area.
"Thank you."
Xu Pipa nodded to the nurse, then headed down the corridor toward the little garden.
Shen Qiushan watched as they walked in.
There was a man standing beside the flower bed. Strangely, even though the weather was fine, he held an open umbrella.
The black umbrella covered his face; Shen Qiushan couldn’t see his features. The man looked thin, not very tall—maybe about 170 centimeters.
At first, Xu Pipa walked quickly, but the closer she got, the slower her steps grew.
Noticing this, Shen Qiushan slowed down too.
The man just kept standing by the flower bed, completely still.
Even when Xu Pipa came up next to him, he stayed planted there, like a pine tree.
Now Shen Qiushan finally saw the man’s face clearly: delicate features, clean-shaven, not many wrinkles—he looked at most in his thirties.
If he hadn’t met him here, Shen Qiushan never would’ve linked him to being mentally ill.
Aside from being thin, he actually seemed in decent shape—his mood, too, seemed quite stable.
Even with two people beside him, he kept holding the umbrella, unmoving.
To him, Shen Qiushan and Xu Pipa might as well have been invisible.
But Xu Pipa seemed prepared. She took two umbrellas out of her backpack and handed one to Shen Qiushan.
Then, she opened her own umbrella and stood next to her father, just as he was doing.
Seeing this, Shen Qiushan followed suit—opened his umbrella and stood on Xu Pipa’s father’s other side.
They stood together for almost five minutes.
Xu Pipa’s father, Xu Yunzhou, finally spoke: "Are you mushrooms too?"
"Yeah, I’m Little Mushroom."
Xu Pipa answered softly.
"And you?"
Xu Yunzhou spoke again, still staring straight ahead, not moving his head even a little.
But it was clear he was asking Shen Qiushan.
"Uh, I’m Handsome Mushroom!"
Shen Qiushan replied, solemnly.
"Why hasn’t the mushroom picker come yet today?"
Xu Yunzhou murmured to himself.
Or maybe he was asking his fellow mushrooms.
"Soon."
Xu Pipa said.
"Little Mushroom, you have to grow up fast."
"If the picker can’t see you, you’ll have to stay here forever."
Xu Yunzhou kept his gaze ahead, but his voice gentled a little.
"Mm, I’ll grow up soon!"
Xu Pipa replied softly, but there was a clear catch in her voice—as if holding back tears.
She went on, "Old Mushroom died."
"Little Mushroom is going to college."
"You need to take care of yourself here..."
Before Xu Pipa could finish, Xu Yunzhou suddenly made a shushing gesture. "Shh, the mushroom picker is coming!"
Just as he spoke, two nurses walked around the flower bed toward them.
One was a woman in her forties. She tapped Xu Yunzhou’s umbrella: "Big Mushroom, come with me!"
When she finished speaking, it was as if Xu Yunzhou had been released. He closed the umbrella and strode after her.
After a few steps, he turned his head with a smile and said to Xu Pipa, "Little Mushroom, you have to sunbathe so you’ll grow up faster."
"Don’t worry, next time the picker will take you too!"
Xu Pipa nodded hard, "Mm-hmm, I know."
