Chapter 9
Chris took Chunxi to visit most of the slum. Although Chunxi couldn't see anything and Chris didn't have the strength to hold Chunxi all the time due to malnutrition, they really, really visited the entire slum. Chris, who was originally the youngest in the family, finally found someone he wanted to protect, the angel-like Ivory. And Chunxi doesn't understand Portuguese, so Chris has to rack his brains to explain some things so that Chunxi can understand. During this process, Chunxi happened to learn a few words of Portuguese.
She was so beautiful, so delicate, and so... innocent, and in their world, Chris was like her master, arranging her next itinerary. Her eyes were still unable to see, so when Chris took her for a stroll, he described all the scenery to her, and she saw whatever he said.
Chris took Chunxi out for a stroll for more than half an hour and felt the psychological expansion for more than half an hour.
Chunxi and Chris were playing outside, but the atmosphere at home was not very good.
"Why do you live here? I have an agreement with the bank to transfer money to you every week. It is enough for you to live a wealthy life. Why do you want to live here?" David asked immediately after returning to Theresa's own small house. His tone was not very gentle and even a little harsh.
"You know, after I left the United States, I did find a villa in France and lived a good life as a rich man. But I couldn't help but started to question what the meaning of such a life was. I became a doctor because I wanted to save lives. So when I can't be a doctor anymore, what can I do?" Theresa's eyes were empty and confused, as if she was recalling that confused time. "I do nothing every day. My material life is full but my heart is empty. I think I should make some changes. I should help others in other ways." Theresa's face showed a gentle smile and she was immersed in happiness.
"I sold my house in France and donated all the money. I used the money you gave me to support orphans, and most of the money was donated to medical research organizations. As for why I came to live here, it's because your grandmother also lived here when she was a child. It's just that this area was not a slum at that time, but the houses were just a little older. When I came back this time, I found that it has become a slum. But it's quite comfortable to live here. Dolores and the others are very nice and welcoming." Theresa said with a satisfied and peaceful expression. It can be seen that although she lives in a slum, Theresa is indeed living a happy life.
"Actually, I think you can go back to China with us. There are many people in China who need help now. You can go there and continue to help orphans, so that we can take care of you. Chunxi can also see you more often, right?" Fu Chanwei sat next to Theresa and tried her best to persuade her. China values filial piety, so it is not appropriate to leave Theresa alone in Portugal. It would be best if she could return to China with them so that she can be taken care of.
Theresa's house is not big, even smaller than Dolores's, but it is well tidy. Theresa lives alone but still keeps this small house tidy. Some small things made by Theresa herself can be seen everywhere in the house, such as handmade wool blankets, lace tablecloths, and rag dolls, which make this small space exude a strong feeling of home.
Theresa thought seriously about the possibility of Fu Chanwei's suggestion. Indeed, her relationship with David has been restored and they have a granddaughter. If she were asked to continue living here and only see Chunxi once every six months or a year, she would probably be reluctant to leave. It is also a good idea to settle down in China.
But actually, after living here for so many years, I still miss Dolores and my friends.
But David and the others would be staying here for a week anyway, so there was no rush to say goodbye to Dolores and the others. Theresa and Chanwei decided to thank Dolores and her family very much, after all, they had helped Theresa a lot.
If you really give them money or something, it would seem too insincere, so it would be better to invite them for a meal and treat them well. After Theresa goes to China, she can continue to contact Dolores' family.
As soon as she thought of it, she did it. Fu Chanwei began to discuss with Theresa how to entertain the guests, details such as which dishes and wines to choose. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who had just met, seemed particularly harmonious. David was left aside and no one paid any attention to him.
David: What the hell? My daughter was kidnapped by some brat who came from nowhere, and now my mother, whom I haven’t seen for many years, has taken my wife away…
Chris did his job very diligently and conscientiously in taking the little sister to play. Although there was a language barrier and Chunxi couldn't see anything, she was still very happy. Along the way, the sounds of various children playing and fighting were particularly lively. Everyone in Chunxi's family dotes on Chunxi, but because Chunxi is so much older than them, it is almost impossible for them to take Chunxi out to play. Although she was pampered all the way, Chunxi didn't feel the excitement that she had when playing with children of her own age. So even though Zhao Qian is in the kindergarten, Chunxi still likes it very much. And even though this place is run-down and smells bad, Chunxi still likes it very much.
It was dinner time when Chris sent Chunxi back. Although Fu Chanwei had agreed with Theresa to invite Dolores' family to dinner, that would be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, so there was no time to arrange it today. Chris sent Chunxi back, and Theresa also asked Chris to stay here for dinner. It was simple to just have a child to eat without entertaining any guests.
Theresa knew that Chris loved football and had been playing it hard. In fact, a few months ago, the local National Football Club in Funchal had taken a fancy to little Chris, but Chris's family conditions were too poor to provide him with good nutritional supplements, so little Chris was rejected because he was malnourished and too thin. He was depressed for a long time because of this incident. Since then, Theresa would occasionally invite Chris to her house for dinner to supplement his nutrition. Of course, this help was done very naturally and almost unnoticeable.
When little Chris was growing up, once his nutrition was replenished, his height and physique began to increase rapidly, and he became noticeably stronger. This shy boy who is still in his developmental stage is beginning to feel like a young man. The duck voice of a male during the growth period is really unpleasant to hear.
This time, Chris shyly accepted Theresa's invitation to stay for dinner and sat next to Chunxi. Although Chunxi is small, she no longer needs to be fed. If you give her a high stool, she can eat by herself. However, sometimes she cannot pick up the food and needs someone to help her.
Now the natural person to take on the task of helping Chunxi fell to little Chris. Little Chris tried very hard to be a good brother. Although he could not understand what Chunxi was saying most of the time, he still met all of Chunxi's requests for food by means of gestures without understanding each other.
Today's dishes were made by Fu Chanwei, and they were basically Chinese food. It was a very new experience for Chris, but he fell in love with it as soon as he ate it. Although it was a bit troublesome to pick out the bones from fish and spit out the bones from meat, it was still delicious. Chris cherishes this opportunity very much. After all, it is not easy to eat meat, and it is even more difficult to eat Chinese food. I heard from my mother that those Chinese restaurants are very expensive.
Aveiro's family conditions were really poor. His father was a gardener, his mother Dolores worked as a cook and cleaner, and he had two older sisters and an older brother, who was addicted to drugs. Ronaldo's family would go hungry every fifteen days, and would usually only survive on butter, beans and soup during the week. Eating chicken was a luxury at the time. He came from a poor family, was frail and sickly, and even his accent was laughed at by people around him.
Theresa would sometimes help Chris's family intentionally or unintentionally, but she couldn't do it too obviously. No one likes to receive charity from others, unless they are beggars.
After dinner, Theresa told little Chris to tell his family that they would visit their home tonight to thank them for their help to Theresa over the years.
After Chris returned home, Chunxi looked up at Fu Chanwei with her little face still wrapped in gauze: "Mom, can I buy a ball for brother Chris? He likes balls very much, but his balls are broken and he can't play with them anymore."
While playing with Chunxi, Chris actually told Chunxi a lot of things. He liked football very much, but the football he won as a prize in the school football match had been kicked to pieces. Chunxi didn't understand, and could only vaguely judge from the feeling Chris made him feel that it was a ball, a broken ball. Chris was very sad because the ball was broken.
Fu Chanwei was wondering what kind of ball it was, and Theresa quickly responded: "Well, Ivory, let's go together tonight to pick out a football as a gift for Brother Chris, okay?"
Chunxi immediately said yes happily.
Theresa carried Chunxi out first, and David and Fu Chanwei fell behind. Fu Chanwei whispered to David, "Why do I feel that Chunxi is a little strange recently?"
David was surprised: "What's so strange about that?"
"Her eyes are still covered, so she shouldn't be able to see anything, but she seems to be able to accurately judge our position every time as if she can still see." Fu Chanwei said softly.
David thought about it and found that it was true, but it was not a bad thing, so he comforted himself: "Maybe because our eyes cannot see, our ears are more sensitive to sounds, and can judge our location through the sounds we make."
Fu Chanwei frowned and thought for a while: "It is possible, but it is too sensitive. She knew where I was standing even though I didn't say anything."
David smiled and put his arm around Fu Chanwei's shoulders: "Isn't that great? Being so sensitive to sound, maybe our Ivory will be a successful musician in the future. There's no harm in it. Why are you so worried?" Although he tried to comfort his wife, David still contacted Dr. Strange and told him about the matter.
"I said that craniotomy will bring various sequelae to patients, some bad and some good. Some patients have some unique abilities after undergoing craniotomy. One of my previous patients who underwent craniotomy claimed that his nose mutated after the operation and he could smell odors a hundred meters away. Now he works as a drug enforcement policeman in customs." Strange said in a relaxed tone.
David: What does having a good nose have to do with being a narcotics police officer? Do you have to lie down and sniff out drugs like a police dog?
Although Dr. Strange's explanation was a bit confusing, at least it made David realize that this was a bonus gift from his daughter's craniotomy surgery, so as long as it didn't do any harm, no matter whether she had sensitive ears or a sensitive nose.
The author has something to say:
I hope everyone will comment enthusiastically. Also, I will be back home on the 4th. I will be traveling all day, taking planes, buses, high-speed trains, and cars... I may not have much time to update. I will try my best...
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