Chapter 29: Teething Stick

"If you encounter any difficulties, remember to send me a message and let me know. Don’t worry about bothering me; I’m your counselor."

"Every class has a counselor, not just to help you solve academic problems, but more to care about your life. University is different from high school; we’re not so focused on grades anymore, but more on adulthood."

In the office, Li Na sent whatever thoughts came to her mind. Her biggest hope for the student Mo Jingchun was not any achievements he might make during his four years at university, nor how much honor he could bring to the school. Her only hope was to see Mo Jingchun successfully graduate four years later, with four-year-old Candy by his side. It was just that simple.

Yet, for Li Na, who only had two years of experience as a counselor, this was also a kind of challenge.

Right now, Mo Jingchun’s younger sister, Candy, is not yet a year old; she can’t walk, can’t run. As long as she’s held and accompanied, she’s very obedient.

In another year or two, when the little one grows older and starts running and jumping, that’s when it will become the most troublesome. After all, being active is a child’s nature.

By then, would the lively and energetic little one really be willing to sit quietly with her brother Mo Jingchun in class all day?

Most likely not.

Li Na, who was initially quite happy, felt worried again when she thought about the problems that would arise in the coming years.

Ding Dong~

"Got it, Na. If I really encounter any difficulties, I’ll definitely come to you first. Haha୧⍢⃝୨"

Seeing Mo Jingchun’s WeChat reply, a smile appeared on Li Na’s face. Having problems is actually not scary; what’s scary is when students clearly have issues but choose not to seek her, the counselor, for help, and eventually, the issues remain unresolved until it’s too late when they surface.

Especially every year when third-year students are preparing for the graduate entrance exam, and after it’s over, that’s the busiest time for counselors at every university in the country, and also the easiest time to experience insomnia.

Even here at Jing University, it’s the same. You have to know that while Jing University students are indeed more outstanding than most, when facing postgraduate exams, who would be willing to go downhill?

Would a student at Jing University be willing to attend a regular university for graduate school?

There’s no denying that some might, but 99% of Jing University students would prefer to graduate and find a job rather than choose such a path.

Mental health issues, in this fast-paced, rapidly developing society, have become a very serious problem.

It’s better if discovered early, but the fear is that by the time it’s discovered, it’s already too late.

That afternoon, after class, Mo Jingchun took out his phone, which was set to silent mode, and saw several missed calls along with a few WeChat messages.

Feeling a bit uneasy, Mo Jingchun couldn’t wait to pack his books and hurriedly checked who had called.

Seeing all the missed calls were from the same person, Mo Jingchun inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on his face.

It’s simply because all the missed calls marked in red were from his grandfather, whom Mo Jingchun had saved under the name "Old Rascal."

Opening the WeChat messages, as expected, they were from his uncle, asking every few minutes why he hadn’t taken the call, according to the message history.

Mo Jingchun’s grandfather, being old, didn’t know how to use a smartphone and still used one of those phones with particularly large buttons and a very loud speaker designed for the elderly. Even more, that phone was one that came free with a top-up, and Mo Jingchun’s grandfather had been using it for two or three years.

Mo Jingchun pressed the voice button and spoke into the phone’s microphone:

"Uncle, I was just in class and just got out. My phone was on silent mode before class."

"I’ll call for a video chat once I get back to the dorm."

After sending out the two voice messages, Mo Jingchun held his sister in one arm, sitting her on his lap, while using the other hand to tidy up the items on the table.

That’s just how Mo Jingchun was; when chatting with different people on WeChat, he would choose different ways to respond. In communicating with the older generation, he would generally use voice replies, while with the younger generation, it was mostly text.

As Mo Jingchun walked on the campus path holding his sister, he recently found a new use for his backpack straps, which was to leverage them while holding Candy.

Back in the bedroom, after putting down his backpack and canvas bag, Mo Jingchun carried his sister to the living room, sat on the sofa, and made a WeChat video call to his uncle Zhou Xing.

Speaking of which, ever since his grandmother passed away, his grandfather had been living at his uncle’s house and never stayed at his younger uncle’s house. As for why that was, Mo Jingchun really didn’t know, and when his mother was alive, she never talked about it in front of him.

Mo Jingchun didn’t understand why. Logically, his uncle’s house and younger uncle’s house should take turns caring for his grandfather, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Of course, what puzzled Mo Jingchun the most was that during all this time, his aunt had never complained in front of others.

You have to know, there’s a reason why Mo Jingchun saved his grandfather’s phone number as "Old Rascal."

Considering the elderly ones, the age was obvious. Overworking in his younger days left him with many ailments, and as age caught up, various major and minor illnesses plagued him. His health was already poor. The last time Mo Jingchun visited, he saw his grandfather having difficulty catching his breath after just a short walk.

But he still loved a smoke, and it’s the kind of tobacco that was homegrown from the older times, with the cigarette holder made himself from bamboo roots.

Even knowing he’s not in good health, you tell him to rest at home or go out for a bit, but he insists on going out to work. Then he ends up hospitalized with IV drips again, and it’s a recurring cycle—nothing you say works.

The notification sound of the video connection pulled back Mo Jingchun’s wandering thoughts, and a close-up of his uncle Zhou Xing’s large face appeared on the phone screen.

"Class over?"

"Mmm, just got back to the dormitory."

Mo Jingchun placed the phone on the coffee table, capturing the image of his sister Candy, whom he was holding in his arms.

"Candy, do you miss uncle?"

"Oh, you little one, where are you looking? I’m over here."

Seeing Candy, his uncle Zhou Xing’s previously calm face now blossomed into a big smile.

"Did your brother take good care of you? If he didn’t, when you come back for the New Year, uncle will help you hit him."

While Zhou Xing talked to Candy, who could only say "bro," Mo Jingchun’s mouth twitched.

Both palms and backs of the hands are flesh; why must he hit him?

After teasing Candy for a while, Zhou Xing looked at Mo Jingchun and said: "Your grandfather was idle with nothing to do, so he made a teething stick from a pepper tree for Candy. Now that it’s made, he insists on sending it to you by courier, and that’s what he was calling you about this afternoon."

"You should talk to him yourself."