Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Father's Favoritism 13
[Baby, I'm sorry.]
9972 felt very guilty and kept reflecting on himself all the way.
It was its mistake not to check Zhuozhuo's health condition yesterday. It was its mistake to talk to her while she was eating, distracting her and causing her to eat all kinds of salty, spicy and oily foods, causing secondary damage to her throat. It was its mistake not to conduct a routine assessment this morning to see if her physical and mental state was suitable for continuing the mission. It was its mistake not to monitor her data at all times since entering the small world.
It's 50% responsible for Zhuozhuo's current situation!
But the remaining 50% is due to Zhao Hongwei!
9972 was half angry and half venting his anger, and silently scolded Zhao Hongwei for half an hour.
At the clinic, the doctor asked Zhuozhuo to open her mouth wide. Holding a tongue depressor in one hand and a flashlight in the other, he casually glanced at her throat and said in a professional, cold, yet reassuring manner, "Vocal cord fatigue and congestion are not a serious problem. Drink more water and talk less. You'll recover in two or three days."
The results were the same as those of scan 9972, but it still nervously said, "Baby, ask the doctor if I need any medicine? Forget it, just shut up. I'll figure it out..."
"Doctor, would you like some medicine? Zhuozhuo was helping me sell things. He was talking all afternoon yesterday and again for over three hours this morning. Is just drinking water and resting enough? Will it leave a root cause? Would medicine be better?"
Zhao Hongwei sat on a stool, holding Zhuozhuo in his arms, leaning forward to look at the doctor with anxious eyes and a self-blaming tone.
The doctor stood up and took out a box of medicine from the medicine cabinet and placed it on the table. He glanced at Zhuo Zhuo and said, "Qinghouyan Granules. Drink with warm water three times a day, one-third of a bag at a time."
"Okay, thank you, doctor." Zhao Hongwei felt more at ease after taking the medicine. He paid the money and left with Zhuozhuo in his arms.
Zhuozhuo leaned against Zhao Hongwei's chest, her head hanging in silence, her eyes half-closed and half-open, sleepy, her brain momentarily disconnected. She half-heard Zhao Hongwei talking, then opened her eyes and found they were in a department store, Zhao Hongwei holding two beautiful water bottles.
Noticing Zhuozhuo's small movements, Zhao Hongwei placed her on the counter and pointed at several water bottles, saying, "Zhuozhuo, I'll fill some water for you. Which one do you like?"
Water bottles in department stores are mainly divided into two categories. One is the military green flat water bottle, or the opaque cylindrical water bottle, and the other is the colorful one with cute animal shapes, beautiful decorations, and straws.
The price of the latter is three to ten times that of the former. It is said to be imported from abroad, made of food-grade material, and is resistant to high temperatures. It is safer for infants and young children to use, and parents can feel more at ease.
Zhao Hongwei originally planned to buy a random water bottle to fill with water for Zhuozhuo to drink with medicine, and he also scoffed at the so-called food-grade materials. However, when he saw those beautiful water bottles, he remembered that Zhuozhuo didn't like to drink plain water. However, if she was fed with a spoon or water in a glass bottle, she would be happy to drink more.
The medicine doesn't taste good, but if it's in a pretty bottle, wouldn't it make Zhuo Zhuo feel better? And it has a straw—how unique! How many people in this small village have ever seen one? Zhuo Zhuo might find it so rare that he might not even notice the bitterness.
So Zhao Hongwei gritted his teeth and decided to buy an expensive one, but he was not sure which one Zhuozhuo would like more.
The salesperson was impatient. Zhao Hongwei looked shabby and sweaty, not like someone wealthy. Yet, he insisted she show him the expensive water bottle and even touch it. She was worried his calloused hands would rub it. Just as she was about to take the bottle back, Zhao Hongwei actually placed the child on the counter. Ugh, did you know how many times she cleans the counter a day?
The saleswoman almost let out a sharp cry, then suddenly lowered her head to meet a pair of clear, bright eyes. Her anger immediately subsided by half. After noticing the baby's fair, clean face, hands, and feet, and clean clothes, the remaining anger of the saleswoman also disappeared. She subconsciously said, "Baby, is this your daddy?"
How could such a farmer raise such a delicate child?
Zhao Hongwei heard the implication and immediately became unhappy, but he didn't want to argue in front of Zhuo Zhuo, so he suppressed his anger and said, "My daughter and I look exactly like each other, can't you tell?"
Zhuozhuo opened his mouth but no sound came out. He nodded vigorously and leaned over to put his cheek against Zhao Hongwei's.
The two faces look completely different when viewed separately, but when put together they look exactly the same, which is quite magical.
The salesperson felt guilty and lowered his head to talk to Zhuo Zhuo, "Baby, which one do you want?"
Zhuozhuo chose a pink elephant water bottle with scale lines on the transparent bottle body and a shoulder strap, which is perfect for wearing across the body.
is the most expensive.
The salesperson was worried that Zhao Hongwei would be unwilling to buy and would make Zhuo Zhuo sad, so he quickly took out several low-priced water bottles of the same color or similar shape.
Zhao Hongwei remembered the price of the water bottle and felt a pang of pain, but seeing Zhuozhuo's happy expression holding the water bottle, he took out the money without saying a word and started counting.
Not enough money.
Zhao Hongwei said, "Can you wait half an hour? My brother is at Sesame Alley. I'll go get the money."
The salesperson thought it was an excuse and nodded without surprise. "Sir, look at these water bottles. They all look similar and are made of the same material, but the price is more than half the price."
Seeing Zhuozhuo looking away with no interest, Zhao Hongwei said, "That's what I want. Please stay for a while. I'll be back soon."
"Okay." The salesperson agreed perfunctorily to Zhao Hongwei, gently took the water bottle out of Zhuozhuo's arms, and said with a smile: "Baby, you can only take this away after you buy it."
There was no malice in her expression or tone, and Zhuozhuo let go of her hand obediently. She didn't cry or make a fuss, but just followed the water bottle with her eyes until it was put back on the shelf.
Zhao Hongwei suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, a tingling pain in his heart. He gently pressed Zhuozhuo's head and said solemnly, "Zhuozhuo, Dad will buy this water bottle. Dad will go get the money from Uncle Ma right now."
When Zhuozhuo saw that the stack of money was not enough, he realized that the water bottle was too expensive. The little guy who was saving money to buy a house learned to be frugal and restrained. So he shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "I won't buy it."
She threw herself into Zhao Hongwei's arms, pointed at the door, and said loudly, "Let's go."
Zhao Hongwei's eyes turned red, and he turned around and walked out with big strides.
The salesperson looked at the father and daughter in disbelief. Was that man crying? He hadn't noticed her initial rudeness, but now he was crying because he couldn't buy his daughter the most expensive water bottle?
She kind of believed that the child who looked so precious was raised by him.
[Baby, Zhao Hongwei is crying.]
9972 thought about it and decided to tell Zhuozhuo.
"Ah? Why?"
Zhuozhuo was staring at the pedestrians on the street. Upon hearing this, he immediately looked up at Zhao Hongwei, hugged his neck and pulled him down, staring into his eyes again and again.
In her head she said, “No crying.”
[Hmm, maybe I saw it wrong.] 9972 didn't want to take Zhuozhuo to find out why Zhao Hongwei was crying, so he just laughed it off.
Zhao Hongwei ran into Ma Xia, who was looking for them, halfway. After telling him what the doctor said, he took money from his wallet and handed Zhuozhuo to him, saying, "Wait here for me. I'll be back soon."
He moved like the wind and jumped several meters away as soon as he finished speaking.
Ma Xia and Zhuo Zhuo stared at each other, then smiled and said, "Zhuo Zhuo, where is your father going?"
Zhuozhuo opened his mouth.
"Hey, stop talking. The doctor told you to stop talking. You'll know what Brother Hongwei did when he comes back. I won't ask anymore."
Zhuozhuo shut up and squatted beside her bicycle, looking at the remaining clothes and scarves in her large bag. She carefully considered how to match them and who would wear them. Suddenly, she remembered something very important. Her face was stern, and she said solemnly in her mind, "Tongqing, Zhuozhuo, shut up. Can't sell clothes anymore?"
"Yes, I can't sell it anymore." 9972 patiently advised, "Baby, you can always make money, but your health is your capital. If you lose your health, no amount of money can make up for it. Just like you right now, if you insist on continuing to sell clothes, your throat will be worn out and you'll be unable to speak, and you'll have to be a mute forever. Do you think that's okay?"
Zhuozhuo shook his head fiercely, "No, no, Zhuozhuo, don't be dumb."
[Yes, we must protect our bodies and cherish every part of them.]
Zhuozhuo quickly accepted the reality and asked in a baby voice, "Zhuozhuo doesn't want to sell it anymore. Do you want Zhao Hongwei to share the profits?"
9972 said yesterday that he would ask Zhao Hongwei to share the money after the goods were sold out. Otherwise, it would be too troublesome to share the money every time the goods were sold.
[Well...if you want to split up, then split up.]
"Okay."
Zhuozhuo was immediately excited. She stood up, leaned on her bicycle, and looked towards the department store. Soon she saw Zhao Hongwei running back. She jumped excitedly and raised her little hand to attract Zhao Hongwei's attention.
Zhao Hongwei was a little dazed. The little guy was so enthusiastic, it seemed that he really liked the elephant water bottle. He was also quite easy to coax. A water bottle would not make him angry.
He placed the water bottle across Zhuozhuo's body and looked at it carefully. "It's really beautiful."
Zhuozhuo held the water bottle and looked at it carefully, surprised, "Zhao Hongwei, you bought it!"
"Yeah, I bought it. Don't say anything. I know you're happy." Zhao Hongwei smiled until his eyes almost disappeared, and pretended to be calm. "I'll fill you up with water later. You can have a drink if you like."
Zhuozhuo shook his head and was about to say, "It's expensive, you can deduct my money."
"I'm happy to buy it for you. I'm your father, and I should use your money to buy you a water bottle?" Zhao Hongwei raised an eyebrow, thinking Zhuozhuo was still angry. He was hesitating whether to coax her in front of Ma Xia when he heard the little girl say, "No. I don't want my dad anymore. I can't ask for the water bottle for nothing."
Zhao Hongwei immediately stopped worrying and said skillfully, "Ancestor, I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that to you during dinner yesterday. I regret it so much and I will never say that again. Please don't be angry and forgive me."
Ma Xia: “…”
Masha was stunned again, hey, monster!!!
Zhuozhuo said softly, "I'm not angry. Zhuozhuo is leaving. I don't want you anymore. Whether you say it's a loss or not, Zhuozhuo doesn't want you anymore. Zhuozhuo and Zhao Hongwei are breaking off relations and becoming strangers."
It was heartbreaking without any hesitation, but 9972 felt that Zhao Hongwei deserved it.
"What do you mean?" Zhao Hongwei couldn't smile anymore after noticing Zhuozhuo's seriousness. He frowned and squatted down to look at Zhuozhuo, not missing any of her expressions.
Zhuozhuo said slowly, "Zhao Hongwei doesn't want to support Zhuozhuo, and Zhuozhuo doesn't want Zhao Hongwei either. Zhuozhuo wants to leave, to a big city, to live in a big house."
Zhao Hongwei tried to understand, his face darkening. "You have relatives in a big city? Your mother has already arranged it. If I treat you well, you'll live with me. If I treat you badly, you'll go live with my relatives."
[Baby, say "yes," or Zhao Hongwei won't let you leave on your own.]
Zhuozhuo nodded slowly.
"What relative? Did he come looking for you? When did he find you? Where is he now?" Zhao Hongwei became increasingly anxious as he asked. "You've only met him a few times. How can you be sure he'll treat you better than me? Okay, you don't have to say anything. Just call him out and I'll ask him myself!"
Zhuozhuo was stumped by the question. How could she know who her relatives were? She didn't know why Zhao Hongwei suddenly started asking about them. She had no choice but to ask 9972 for help, full of questions. "All of them?"
9972 said calmly, "Baby, I've already brought the puppet over here. Just wait here. I'm pretending to be your uncle. You can call me uncle later."
"Okay."
Zhuozhuo picked at his fingers and said to Zhao Hongwei with a guilty look on his face, "Uncle will be here soon."
Zhao Hongwei immediately stood up and looked around, as if he had spotted a dangerous wolf king on alert, ready to bite anything threatening. Soon, his sight locked onto a figure approaching in a straight line. He held Zhuozhuo in his arms, staring at the approaching figure with a stern gaze, saying nothing, and letting out a cold breath.
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