bad daddy

"Mom?" Xiang Jie asked hesitantly, and exchanged a glance with He Yaning.

"Xiaojie," the mother's voice was full of anxiety, "You, your father..."

"What's wrong with Dad?" Xiang Jie frowned.

Although my father has a lame leg, he has always been very strong, and he often limped on a cane to work and do things.After being laid off a few years ago, I was introduced to work as a security guard in a factory.

"...Obviously his legs are not good, but he is still trying to help others move the goods. You said he is 60 years old..."

His mother was rambling on and on, and it was with great difficulty that Xiang Jie sorted out what had happened.My dad is enthusiastic and aggressive, he was accidentally injured while helping people move goods, and he is now lying in the hospital.

"I was scared to death last night!" Mom sighed, "Fortunately, your brother came here first, and there is nothing to do now. If you have time, come back..."

Xiang Jie bit his lip.

It turned out that Xiang Tao had already returned home.He was just the party who was notified later.

"What's wrong?" He Yaning supervised Xiao Zhu to finish eating the vegetables, and gave Xiang Jie a concerned look.

"No, nothing." Xiang Jie reached out and pressed his temple.It's a dull pain.That familiar feeling surged up again, but he couldn't tell what it was like.

He met He Yaning's gaze, trying to force a smile, but the result should not be pretty.

"...My dad got a little injury and is in the hospital now." Xiaozhu was changing shoes at the entrance, Xiang Jie hesitated and said to He Yaning, "I might have to go back in a couple of days."

The hand that was about to take the briefcase from the shelf paused, then retracted.He Yaning turned his face away, tilted his head and looked at Xiang Jie, "Then go back—do you need to bring something?"

Shaking his head.

"I'm just going back to see what's going on. My brother should have taken care of it." Xiang Jie smiled bitterly.

This kid has a very good and capable brother, and He Yaning has also heard about it.

A hand came down lightly, passed through the ends of the hair, pressed gently to the scalp, and scratched without ambiguity.Xiang Jie squinted his eyes and heard He Yaning say, "Don't worry, it will be fine."

If it wasn't for Xiao Zhu's presence, Xiang Jie really wanted to give this cute guy a hug at that moment.

"I'll be back soon." He squeezed his fist and said firmly.

"Xiao Zhu, I can only take you to play today." He Yaning bent down and pinched the tip of the child's nose, "Brother has something to do, I have to go home and deal with it."

"Brother, be careful on the road." Xiaozhu told Xiang Jie sternly, pulling the strap of the small schoolbag with his small hands.

"Hey." Xiang Jie squatted down, helped Xiaozhu adjust the strap of her schoolbag that was pulled crookedly, and helped her fasten the hairpin again.I wanted to say something, but in the end I decided not to say anything.

Bought the earliest ticket back home.He Yaning wanted to send Xiao Zhu to the cram school, so no one came to see him off.

Walking in the crowded waiting hall, Xiang Jie suddenly remembered the night when he left his hometown.

It was a hasty and icy winter night.There are only a few passengers in twos and threes in the brightly lit waiting hall.He Yaning was well-dressed, holding a bowl of instant noodles, sucking happily in front of him.

Who would have thought that this man who ate instant noodles would have such a fate with him?

In his hand was the tonic that He Yaning insisted on bringing back.It was heavy, but the feeling in my heart was slightly different.When he first arrived, what he was carrying in his hands was nothing more than flimsy luggage.

It may not only be the things on hand that increase the weight.It is more about him and his feelings for this city.

Someone was waiting at the entrance of the hospital, and Xiang Jie saw him from a long distance away.The dark green shirt looks like a steady banana leaf.

"Little Jie." Seeing Xiang Jie get off the taxi, Xiang Tao waved.When Xiang Jie approached, he looked at the tonic that Xiang Jie was carrying, and asked with a smile, "What are you buying these for?"

"I'm an unfilial son," shrugged Xiang Jie, "pretending to show filial piety."

Xiang Tao said nothing.After walking two steps forward, he paused for a while, turned his head and rushed to Jie and said, "Dad had surgery last night. I just woke up this morning, and I called your name."

He didn't look at Jie, and continued to walk forward, "Actually, Dad was only slightly injured this time, nothing serious."

The implication is that if it wasn't because Dad said he wanted to see him, there would be no need for Xiang Jie to come back.

The gate of the hospital is still a short distance away from the inpatient department.There will always be overcrowding here, and there will always be plenty of joys and sorrows.Xiang Jie carried his luggage silently and followed behind Xiang Tao.

Did you make your brother hate you again?Xiang Jie thought.He is just a good-for-nothing son who can't help him, but he can get his father's deepest affection.

Staring at Xiang Tao's dark green back, Xiang Jie thought to himself, or maybe, my brother doesn't care about this at all.

The disinfectant in the hospital smelled very strong, and a pungent smell rushed straight to my forehead as soon as I entered the door.Xiang Jie wrinkled his nose and squeezed into the elevator. From the moment he entered the door until now, he couldn't hold back a second sentence.

"Dad probably fell asleep again at this moment." The elevator gate was like two shining blades, and it was pulled open to both sides with a "swish".Xiang Tao turned his head and said to him, "Have you had breakfast? I just bought breakfast."

Xiang Jie's heart warmed.Just when he was about to say something to his brother, Xiang Tao answered another phone call from the school.He is also the head of the grade now, and he is very busy even on weekends.

Had to hold back the words again.

Before stepping into the ward, he was the first to see a tall figure from the back.Ge Feng turned his head and smiled when he saw Xiang Jie, "Oh brother, here we come."

"Go, who is your younger brother." Xiang Tao slapped him.Ge Feng pointed at Jie, "My wife's younger brother, isn't he my younger brother?"

"Brother." Xiang Jie was kind, and greeted Ge Feng.Stretching his neck again, he looked at the old man lying on the hospital bed.Although still a little timid, he approached cautiously.

——That was his father after all.

"Dad—" Xiang Jie put down the things in his hands first, "I'm back."

Dad is not doing well.His face was pale, his eyes were slightly closed, he was half awake and half asleep.As if waiting for Xiang Jie, when he heard the sound, his throat made a "gurgling" sound, and he trembled slightly.

Then slowly lifted the heavy eyelids with some age spots.

"Come on—" His pale and wrinkled lips were like two frost-beaten leaves, and his voice was no longer as loud as before.

"Well, I'm here." Xiang Jie shrank his shoulders and moved obediently to the side of the bed.Ge Feng was very perceptive, and moved away consciously and dexterously so that the weak patient could have a wider perspective.

Xiang Tao wanted to say something, but Ge Feng stopped him by pressing his shoulder.

This is the first time Xiang Jie has seen his father in the past six months.

His father resembled him somewhat, and since he was a child, many people praised Xiang Jie for his resemblance.Thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a high nose bridge, no matter how you look at it, they are all carved out of the same mold.

Although Dad is a beta, he is as brave as an alpha.When I was a child, Mr. Xiang Jie heard from his mother that it was his father's face that deceived her all her youth and girlhood.

But no matter how handsome a person is, he will grow old, especially after the ruthless beating of life.After all, his father is also 60 years old. Xiang Jie squatted beside the hospital bed, carefully holding his father's hand that was placed outside the snow-white bed sheet.

Dry and thin, withered and yellow.The skin is wrinkled and has some brown age spots.This hand has held a gun and fought a war. Of course, what he does most often now is brandish a cane to drive Xiang Jie out of the house.

"Dad." Xiang Jie's voice trembled and choked up, "I'm back."

Those cloudy eyes turned slowly, scanned Xiang Jie's face, and nodded with satisfaction. "Well," there was a gurgle in the throat, as if there were countless small bubbles, "I'm fine, it's really nothing..."

"Well, you're fine." Xiang Jie followed his words, "It's fine."

Dad hurt his back.The operation was successful, but recovery takes time, and heavy physical work must not be done again.

"The old man just loves to be brave," Xiang Tao worried, clutching the medical record card in his hand, "It's fine now, but what should we do if we have to do some physical work at home in the future? My mother is in poor health, so I can't let her do it, right?" ?”

Ge Feng rushed to comfort, and helped his wife squeeze her shoulders, "It's a small matter, just make a phone call now, and everything can be delivered home. Even if parents really have no choice, don't we still have us."

Xiang Tao glared at him, expressing dissatisfaction with Ge Feng's unconditional optimism.He thought for a while, then his eyes fell on Xiang Jie again.

"Xiaojie," Xiang Tao hesitated for a moment, but still said, "There is something I want to discuss with you."

"Let me stay?!" Xiang Jie was startled, and subconsciously refused, "Why? Wouldn't it be better to hire a nurse?"

Xiang Tao frowned, and the medical record in his hand was like a sharp blade, cutting the air between them. "Of course I can invite you now, but Dad will have many decades to come, starting from [-] a month, can you please?"

Xiang Jie stopped talking.He knew he was wrong, and for so many years, his brother had been worrying about everything in the family.And his reaction just now, in anyone's eyes, seems to be shirking responsibility.

"But I also want to develop outside..." Xiang Jie felt a little wronged, "Although I don't have a good job now..."

But everything is changing for the better.

What's more, he has He Yaning.

What's more, their relationship has just had a substantial breakthrough.

"Xiaojie, you are no longer a teenager." Xiang Tao sighed softly, "Now that your parents are old and something happened at home, you should take part of the responsibility."

Familiar awkwardness spread between the brothers.Xiang Jie picked at his fingers, broke Xiang Tao's words into pieces, and pondered a little bit.

It was only natural for him to stay.Since I have no ambitions, I will go home and live on an acre of land.Parents have given him more resources and opportunities, and he should give back more.

After all, Xiang Tao has worked hard enough these years.

"Brother, let me think about it, let me think about it..." Xiang Jie said with difficulty, "I...can't give you the answer right now."

"Well, think about it carefully." Xiang Tao patted him on the shoulder.The force was very light, but in Xiang Jie's view, it seemed to be extremely heavy.He is used to escaping, but this time, Xiang Jie found reluctantly that there was no way for him to escape.