Chapter 18 The Demon Pill Stepfather 18
Ji Huaizhi slowly led Ji's father home, and it was on the way that Ji's father felt a sense of panic about getting old.
"I don't quite agree with what the doctor said. Most of my peers don't have the same energy and spirit as me."
Ji Huaizhi: "You're so old, why don't you admit you're getting old?"
Ji's father didn't want to talk to him; he could make someone furious with just one sentence.
Actually, they are still in good condition at their age, but recently Ji's father has been frequently forgetful, and Ji Huaizhi has been spending more time at home, openly sponging off his parents.
Zhou Qing only comes back occasionally on weekends, while Ji Dapeng comes over for dinner every day.
After a while, I won't be afraid of Ji Huaizhi anymore.
Ji's mother noticed that her son had been much more well-behaved lately, and it seemed that he hadn't grown many white hairs.
“Staying at home all day isn’t really a good idea. Why don’t you find something to do?” Ji’s mother casually said to Ji Huaizhi.
"What do you want me to do?" Ji Huaizhi lay on the sofa watching TV: "If you think I'm in your way at home, then give me money to go out and play mahjong."
Mrs. Ji was taken aback and put down what she was holding: "I thought you had become sensible, but it turns out you're just broke?"
"Otherwise what?"
Ji Huaizhi squinted at her. Because he hadn't shaved or cut his hair in so long, he had an artistic air about him.
"You seem to think this is perfectly reasonable?"
Ji Huaizhi's gaze fell on the television again: "Once my daughter starts earning money, I can finally enjoy life."
These words were irritating, so Ji's mother got up, picked up a feather duster, and hit Ji Huaizhi directly: "Your father and I are so old and we haven't even enjoyed your good fortune yet, and you still want to enjoy it before me?"
Ji Huaizhi touched his thigh, looking somewhat alluring: "That's because you don't know how to enjoy life."
The mother and son were arguing when Ji Huaizhi's phone rang.
Ji Huaizhi took the call for quite a while, and his mother kept glancing at him.
"I'm going out for a while, and I probably won't be back for quite some time." Ji Huaizhi put his phone away.
Ji's mother: "Where are you going to go gallivanting again?"
“I’m going to make money. Don’t you all complain that I just stay at home all day doing nothing? Now I’m going out to earn money for your retirement.” Ji Huaizhi said as he walked into the house.
Father Ji came out of the house: "Are you going out?"
"Yeah, Baldy and his crew have a job they're willing to take me with them, let's go check it out."
"Where? Can you do it? Is it dangerous?" Father Ji asked three questions. He had been staying at home for so long, and they were all a little worried about him suddenly talking about it outside, fearing that he might be doing something else messy.
What I fear most is that he will get himself into trouble.
Ji's father now clearly understands that if this son continues to cause trouble outside, he will be unable to cover for him.
"I used to go out a lot, didn't I? You never asked such detailed questions."
Ji's mother: "You never thought about making money before."
“You used to rely on us and your friends when you were gambling. Now you suddenly want to make money. Don’t get yourself into trouble at this age.”
Ji Huaizhi chuckled: "Don't worry, it's just that Baldy and his team have formed a car fleet and they need more people, so they asked me to help them out."
"I'll be back once they've recruited enough people."
When Ji's father heard that he was going to drive, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Then be careful, if you get sleepy, stop at a service area and don't force yourself to drive."
Ji Huaizhi packed a few light clothes: "I know, I'm the kind of person who won't make myself suffer no matter where I am."
Father Ji suddenly felt that he had said all this unnecessary. Although he hadn't gone to make money on his own initiative, it was still good enough. He didn't say anything else unpleasant.
He gave Ji's mother a wink.
Ji's mother gave him several thousand yuan: "You're going out to do something worthwhile, so take this money."
They also remembered that he hadn't asked them for money in a long time, so they guessed that he probably didn't have any money on him.
"That's strange, they're transferring money to me on their own initiative." Ji Huaizhi whistled.
"You have to give this money back to me." Ji's mother couldn't stand his irresponsible attitude.
"I'm leaving. Tell Zhou Qing." Remembering something, he went back into his room and came out again: "When she comes back, there's a book of hers on my desk. Let her take it herself."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
The couple was still getting used to it.
“Since Zhou Qing came along, your youngest son has become much more well-behaved. It would be even better if he could learn to make money after this,” Mrs. Ji said to Mr. Ji.
"You want him to make money? He probably thinks it's faster to steal or rob," Father Ji sneered.
The next day at lunchtime, Ji's father noticed a dish on the table and asked in confusion, "Is this all you made?"
Mother Ji frowned: "You want to eat dragon meat?"
"Your youngest son is such a picky eater, he'll probably say this is pig swill again." Father Ji looked suspiciously at Ji Huaizhi's room: "He used to wake up hungry by this time, didn't he? Did he go to play cards last night?"
Mrs. Ji frowned and couldn't help but tap his hand with her chopsticks: "He went out, did you forget?"
"Oh right, I remember now." Ji's father immediately remembered after being reminded by her.
“Okay, let’s just have something simple to eat at home, just the two of us.” Father Ji took a sip of porridge. “Let’s cook the frozen chicken in the fridge tonight, Dapeng loves meat.”
Mother Ji: "You have to say it."
The next day, around lunchtime, Ji's father got up and knocked on Ji Huaizhi's door.
Mrs. Ji came over with the dishes, her brows furrowed: "What are you doing?"
“I call him to eat, but he only gets up around lunchtime every day. I’ve never seen anyone sleep as much as him,” Mr. Ji complained.
Ji's mother's expression had already changed: "He went out the day before yesterday, did you forget?"
After recalling for a moment, Mr. Ji patted his forehead and said, "My memory is terrible. Is it because I'm getting old that I can't remember anything?"
When they sat down at the dinner table, Ji's father picked up his chopsticks and said, "Let's cook the frozen chicken in the refrigerator tonight. Dapeng loves meat."
Ji's mother's expression darkened: "I think you've lost your mind."
Mr. Ji was taken aback: "Why are you getting angry? Didn't you go through menopause a long time ago?"
Ji's mother slammed her hand on the table: "Did you eat shit last night? What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Father Ji blinked: "I'm not feeling unwell anywhere, why are you being so fierce?"
"So what if you have a bad memory? Don't you often forget things too?"
Ji's mother wanted to say something different.
But seeing his flushed face, she swallowed back what she wanted to say: "Alright, let's eat. I see you can forget everything but eating."
"Do you think I should buy some health supplements?"
Ji Huaizhi was eating instant noodles at a service area when he received the call from his mother.
After listening to the phone call with a frown, he said, "Don't worry about it too much. Just don't let him go out alone or go too far. I'll take him to see it when I get back."
"If you're in a hurry, you can ask Ji Huaisheng to take your dad to see him. But I still advise you to wait for me to come back. Calling him probably won't do any good, and you might just end up getting angry."
"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. That's how it is when you get older. Don't you often say that your eyesight isn't good anymore when you get older?"
"Okay, you stay home and keep an eye on Dad. I'll come back as soon as I'm done with this busy period."
After hanging up the phone, Ji's mother found Ji's father standing behind her: "Hey, are you crazy?"
Ji's father couldn't stand the word "sick": "You called Huaizhi and said I'm sick?"
"I just called to ask, why are you reacting so strongly?" Ji's mother didn't understand. "Huaizhi said it's normal, I'm just worried."
"No need, I'm fine." Father Ji turned around with his hands behind his back: "I'm going to play cards with some people."
Ji's mother was speechless. She was so old and still wouldn't admit she was getting old.
After thinking for a moment, he called his eldest son again and repeated what he had just told Ji Huaizhi.
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Huaisheng became impatient: "That's how it is when you get old. Do you really need to go to the hospital every day?"
"Doesn't it cost money?"
Mother Ji was displeased upon hearing this: "We don't need you to pay for it. We just want you to take us there."
"We have medical insurance and retirement pensions."
"I'm busy, what about that idle Ji Huaizhi?" Ji Huaisheng mocked, "He eats your food and lives in your house, but he won't even take you to see a doctor when you're sick."
"You only remembered me now?"
"What kind of attitude is this? Your brother, he..."
"This is my attitude. Ji Huaizhi has already taken all the benefits. It's impossible for the issue of my retirement to fall on me, right?"
Mother Ji: "Shut up! We're not giving your brother any money right now. He's making money with his friends. What are you saying?"
"When you got married, and before you got married, didn't we help you? Did your dad and I give you too little money?"
"Don't keep bringing up the past. If you're sick, go to the hospital yourself, or talk to your youngest son. I'm busy." He hung up the phone immediately after saying that.
Ji's mother regretted not listening to Huaizhi and waiting for him to come back.
Ji Huaisheng's attitude really hurt her.
Hearing the noise behind him, he turned around and found that his father's hand, which was holding the sofa, was trembling.
"Didn't you go downstairs to play cards?" Ji's mother stepped forward to help him up.
"I forgot what I was going downstairs to do as soon as I got to the door." A rare look of melancholy appeared on Ji's father's face. "No wonder they say that old people are easily disliked."
He can still move now, but what will happen when he can't move anymore?
At this age, to be disliked by one's own child.
Ji Huaizhi planned to go back after finishing this trip. After thinking for a moment, he transferred 10,000 yuan back to his mother and sent her a voice message:
"Take Lao Ji for a walk around the neighborhood, but don't go too far."
"You two don't panic too much. Calm down. Everyone gets old eventually. I'll go to the hospital when I get back and hear what the doctor has to say."
"Actually, when I saw the doctor last time, he said it was normal and that I shouldn't be too stressed."
“Your son has made some money and is about to enjoy life, so don’t scare yourself to death.”
Upon hearing Ji Huaizhi's voice, the couple's restless hearts gradually calmed down.
Yes, that's how it is with older people, isn't it? They just forget things easily, but they can remember things if someone reminds them.
Father Ji scoffed, "How could I possibly enjoy the benefits he has?"
Looking at the transfer notification on her phone screen, Mrs. Ji thought for a moment and accepted it. Mr. Ji, however, was puzzled: "Don't we have money? Why do we need his money?"
"Never mind that, why shouldn't I take what the child gave me?"
Ji's mother felt a chill in her heart; her eldest son was just abandoning her like this.
Her youngest son is filial now, so what's wrong with her keeping the money? In the end, won't it all be used for him anyway?
Her panic was no less than Lao Ji's. His memory was failing, and he clearly sensed something was wrong. She could only pretend it wasn't a big deal and wait for her son to come back.
Zhou Qing returned before Ji Huaizhi.
She was a little disappointed when she heard her father go out to run errands. After returning to her room, her mother called out from the doorway, "Your father said you have a book in his room."
"I understand," Zhou Qing replied, glancing around as she came out. "Where's Grandpa?"
“Your grandfather is chatting with someone downstairs. Go down and call him up in a bit.” Mrs. Ji also wanted to go with her husband.
But for some reason, he's become incredibly stubborn these days.
They wouldn't let anyone follow them or help them.
Ji's mother had no choice but to ask the other residents in the neighborhood to keep an eye on him and prevent him from leaving the community.
Zhou Qing took the book back from her father's room and quickly flipped through the pages to find the bookmarks when she put it on the table.
Unexpectedly, there were several hundred yuan tucked inside one of the pages, along with a small note that read "pocket money".
Zhou Qing smiled, put the money in the piggy bank, and then went to find her grandfather.
"Grandma, I went out to look for Grandpa. I ran into Dapeng when I came back. He said he was coming over for dinner."
Without looking up, Ji's mother asked, "He didn't come that day?"
After Zhou Qing went downstairs, she walked to the pavilion in the central courtyard of the community. Before she even got close, she heard her grandfather arguing with others: "I clearly remember that it wasn't like that."
"Yes, yes, we remembered it wrong."
"No, you're making it sound like I'm talking nonsense. I remember before..."
Someone saw Zhou Qing pat Ji's father on the shoulder: "Stop arguing, your family is here to see you."
Zhou Qing stepped forward, called out "Grandpa," and then greeted the others: "Grandma asked me to come find you. Dapeng will be here soon."
When Ji's father saw Zhou Qing, he paused for a moment and said, "Then let's go."
After everyone left, the person who had been arguing with Ji's father said, "Why do I feel like Old Man Ji has been acting strangely lately?"
“I just gave you a look, but you insisted on arguing with him. His memory hasn’t been very good lately, so there’s no need to argue over such a small thing.”
Throughout the journey, Ji's father kept complaining, which Zhou Qing found rather strange.
When I got home, Dapeng was already lying on the sofa watching TV.
That pose was just as alluring as Ji Huaizhi's before.
While Ji's father was talking to Dapeng, Zhou Qing went to the kitchen to ask his grandmother what was wrong with his grandfather.
“Your grandfather is getting old. When your father comes back, we’ll take him to see him,” Mrs. Ji sighed.
Zhou Qing frowned: "Grandpa just has a bad memory, why does he need to go to the hospital?"
"If it's just a bad memory, that's fine. The real concern is that it might be caused by other illnesses."
~
As soon as Ji Huaizhi got home, he couldn't stand it anymore and went to the bathroom to take a shower. His father stood at the bathroom door and kept yelling at him, "What are you doing out there all day?"
"You don't do anything productive, all you do is gamble and drink. You don't even know how to find a wife. Look at your age, who else is like you?"
Ji Huaizhi stood underwater, occasionally uttering, "I know, I know."
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