Chapter 55
To Cheng Shi's surprise, he got a chance to turn the tide the next day at noon—because it was Sunday, and Xie Yiling and her family of three had agreed to visit Napa Valley No. 5 for the second time after lunch.
"Hello everyone!" Hu Zhizhi greeted them as he strode towards the No. 5 courtyard in Napa Valley with his long legs. The only flaw was that his pigeon-toed stance was so severe that from behind he looked like... Yang Guo's famous Condor.
Xie Yiling and Hu Yu followed nervously behind Hu Zhizhi. Xie Yiling, in particular, bowed and apologized to Chengshi, who opened the door, just like a Japanese person. Chengshi couldn't help but nod and bow slightly in response.
Looking at the Hu family of three, Cheng Shi couldn't help but feel that this afternoon would probably be even more unbearable than last time. Moreover, he had only just met Hu Zhizhi's face, and he was already stunned by his voice and eyes. He thought that there probably wouldn't be another chance to smoke and chat together like last time, reminiscing about the cartoons he watched as a child.
However, Cheng Shi suddenly had a flash of inspiration and felt that Hu Zhizhi today might be a perfect example for Huang Ruoyu to see, so that she would know what a real madman is, and stop her from threatening him with being mentally ill all the time.
Indeed, Hu Zhizhi's condition today cannot be described as bad; rather, he is in a state of extreme excitement.
"When are you planning to leave?" Hu Zhizhi asked as soon as he opened his mouth, without any of the small talk and politeness that ordinary people would exchange when they meet.
Just like last time, while Xie Yiling was still rambling on with polite words, Hu Zhizhi rudely interrupted her.
Fortunately, Huang Ruoyu had already set out tea and snacks in the backyard and invited the guests to come and sit down.
Of everyone present, only Hu Zhizhi didn't sit down. He wandered aimlessly around the backyard of No. 5 Napa Valley, which was much smaller than his No. 1 Beverly Hills. He would stop to look at the basketball hoop and mimic a shooting motion, then look at the roses Huang Ruoyu had planted and bend down to smell them. In short, he looked as if he were troubled by something important and secretive.
"You guys said you were leaving in September, right? I don't quite remember."
"It hasn't been finalized yet," Cheng Shi replied.
“No matter what, you’ll have to stay for at least another month, right? I have a problem now, I need to find someone…” Hu Zhizhi suddenly stopped speaking, looked around the backyard of No. 5 Napa Valley with a confused look in his eyes, and asked, “By the way, where are all your kids? Reiko-san always talks about your kids, but I’ve never seen them. Do they go to their classmates’ birthday parties every Sunday?”
"They went to a training course this afternoon; they had a class," Huang Ruoyu quickly explained.
Hu Zhizhi stared intently at Huang Ruoyu for a while, then turned his gaze to Cheng Shi. After a while, he lowered his eyelids, squatted down, and began to dig a hole in the muddy ground with his fingers.
“Well, you have a point,” Hu Zhizhi suddenly said after digging for a while. “If a crazy person came to our house, I would send the kids away. If I had kids… uh… if I had a home.”
"This watermelon is so sweet!" Xie Yiling suddenly exclaimed. "Where did you buy it?"
"Can you please not say anything, Mom? You can ask me where the watermelon was bought later; it's not like it's gone! Hey, you two, listen to me first. This is very important; I need help. Since you're going to be staying for another month or so, I'm thinking of asking you for a favor. It's not a big deal; you have connections, so it won't take you much time or a penny. What I'm thinking is, could you help me find a lawyer? I have money."
Hu Yu, who had been sitting silently in the corner, cleared his throat and said, "Zhizhi, let's not talk about the lawyer anymore. Calm down first."
"Dad!" Hu Zhizhi shouted, seemingly having reached his limit, "Can't you just sit there quietly and eat your watermelon? Stop interrupting!"
After yelling at Hu Yu, Hu Zhizhi turned to Cheng Shi and beckoned to him, "Come on, I want to talk to you alone. Oh, and bring your wife along too."
As if plotting some conspiracy, Hu Zhizhi led Cheng Shi and Huang Ruoyu to the corner of the backyard wall. After looking around for a while, he lowered his voice and said, "Actually, there's nothing wrong with letting them hear this, but they keep interrupting. Here's the thing: I want to know if patients in mental hospitals have any legal rights. I've looked it up online, but it's all very general, going around in circles, and not specific. Do you understand the relevant legal provisions?"
“Well,” Cheng Shi said, “this kind of professional…I’m afraid…”
"Okay, okay, forget I asked. Only a lawyer can figure this out. You must have classmates or friends who are lawyers, right? I've heard there are quite a few lawyers living in 'Central Park.' I'd like you to help me find a good lawyer, and then just give me their phone number, WeChat, email, etc. I can handle the rest myself. I have a lot of questions I need to consult a lawyer about, and I'm not afraid to spend money, so you can tell the lawyer not to worry about that. Actually, I think my case is quite interesting, and I'm sure there are plenty of lawyers interested. If possible..."
It might just be because Hu Zhizhi's eyes were darting around as he spoke today, constantly shifting between Cheng Shi and Huang Ruoyu, and occasionally glancing past them to observe what his parents were doing; or it might just be because his lips were particularly pale and dry today, or because he wasn't wearing his beanie and his hair was all messy and standing up... In short, as Hu Zhizhi talked more and more in the sunlight, and his speech became faster and faster, he looked more and more like a truly insane man suffering from mental torment and with a crazed look in his eyes.
"...Now, I don't need anyone to tell me that I know legally it's wrong for someone to threaten their mother with a coffee table; that's obvious. I also know that if this person actually smashes the coffee table and kills their mother, it becomes a criminal offense; I understand all of that. But if this person only breaks the coffee table, only causes their mother a certain degree of shock—note, only a certain degree—but their mother insists on calling the police, then this should be a civil case, right? Okay, whether it's a civil or criminal case, this person is now at a disadvantage. The key point is that, in either case, I don't think this person's legal rights should be violated. Let's assume the second scenario: this person didn't hit their mother, but broke the coffee table, causing her a certain degree of shock—definitely a certain degree—but this woman, this mother, called the police. Let's assume she's in cahoots with the police, then... Dad!"
Hu Zhizhi suddenly shouted out of nowhere, then began to back away like a fugitive being surrounded. At the same time, Hu Zhizhi's face immediately contorted, displaying an expression of anger mixed with fear.
Cheng Shi turned around in surprise and then realized why Hu Zhizhi was shouting—Hu Yu was slowly walking towards them from a distance.
"Dad! I told you not to bother me! Don't bother me! Stop it! Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking!"
“Calm down, Zhizhi,” Hu Yu said. “Calm down, we should probably go.”
"Stop! Don't go any further, Dad!" Hu Zhizhi shouted.
But he was already backed against the courtyard wall, with nowhere to retreat. So Hu Zhizhi looked around desperately, as if searching for some weapon.
For a moment, Cheng Shi was very worried that Hu Zhizhi would break off a piece of wood from the wooden wall with his bare hands and throw it at Hu Yu.
But the oblivious old man continued walking towards them unhurriedly—because Hu Yu knew that he could easily control this awkward situation by gently tugging at his son's arm.
But Hu Zhizhi was still shouting and yelling. However, he looked more like a child throwing a tantrum than a mentally ill person.
"Don't interrupt me! I only have one request! Please say what you have to say after I've finished speaking!"
"Alright, Zhizhi," Hu Yu muttered, ignoring what Hu Zhizhi was shouting, and turned to lead him toward the living room. "It's alright, son, we have to go."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Xie Yiling, standing at a distance, began bowing repeatedly. "I'm really sorry, you know his emotions..."
Cheng Shi and Huang Ruoyu stammered, unsure of what to say; the scene was incredibly awkward.
Xie Yiling looked at Cheng Shi and Huang Ruoyu again, her face full of embarrassment: "I'm afraid we...we have to leave now. Sorry to bother you, maybe we shouldn't have come today at all."
After saying that, Xie Yiling bowed deeply to Cheng Shi and Huang Ruoyu at a 90-degree angle, and hurriedly chased after the father and son who had already walked out of the gate of Napa Valley No. 5.
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