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墨書 Inktalez
Stepping out of the house, I splashed some water on my face by the well. Looking around, I saw that the area was filled with beautifully decorated small buildings, while my own two-story house, which leaked whenever it rained, had become the most dilapidated in the village. Even when I lived in a tile-roofed house as a child, it was considered the cleanest yard in the neighborhood.
After getting out of prison, I rarely stayed at home; the sadness was too heavy, and there was no warmth. Taking a deep breath as I looked at the courtyard gate, I figured that after yesterday's commotion, that woman wouldn't be coming around for a couple of days. Shaking my slightly dazed head, I reminded myself that life had to go on. I cherished the hard-won job opportunity and needed to get to work.
As I stepped out of the yard, a Security Patrol Vehicle pulled up right in front of me. The window rolled down to reveal a familiar face—Sheriff Wang. He had handled my case back then and had helped me a lot; I was very grateful to him and privately called him uncle Wang.
I greeted him with a smile and was about to chat for a moment when the rear door of the car opened, and two people got out. Upon seeing them, all my smiles vanished. Sheriff Wang noticed my change in demeanor and also got out of the car, pulling me aside to briefly explain their purpose. It turned out that the woman was afraid I would explode again, so she had gone to the Public Security Bureau and insisted that a Public Security Officer accompany her here. Her real intention was simply to pressure me into meeting her demands.
Hearing uncle Wang's words, I glanced at the two standing by the car who were talking with another Public Security Officer and couldn't help but sneer inwardly. No matter who came, they couldn't change my decision.
She wanted me to support her in her old age? Dream on!
uncle Wang patted my shoulder, signaling me not to act impulsively. I smiled back at him; yesterday's anger over what that woman said had faded. Today, no matter what she said, it wouldn't affect me much anymore. My anger stemmed from having expectations, but now I had none left for her—only indifference remained.
The negotiation process under the witness of the officers was quite calm; I remained composed. The so-called Mediator repeated yesterday's arguments when he saw that I wasn't budging.
I shot him a cold glance and pointed at the woman, saying, "Let me give you some advice: if you just want to find her a place to live out her old age, you should take her to look for those children she raised all these years. She never raised me; as for her giving birth to me, the suffering our family endured over the years is more than enough repayment."
The middle-aged man sighed and spoke in a lecturing tone: "Ah! Liu Ming, you're still young; you need to broaden your perspective. It's still true that supporting elderly parents is a child's responsibility."
Hearing this made me laugh as I pointed at the woman and said to him, "Haha! You have such a broad perspective; why don't you take her back and treat her like your mother?"
It seemed my words struck a nerve; suddenly, he exploded with anger: "Liu Ming! If you refuse your obligation to support her, I have a hundred ways to send you back to prison!"
I noticed Sheriff Wang frowning with clenched fists beside me; clearly, he was displeased with what the middle-aged man said. He looked at me while I just smiled back and then coldly addressed the man: "Why don't you give it a try? If I go back to prison, you'll lose your job!"
Seemingly worried about things getting out of hand, uncle Wang cleared his throat twice as a reminder for us to stay calm. Hearing his cough made the middle-aged man swallow his words back down. I then pointed at the woman and asked him: "If I'm not mistaken, she's only in her fifties—why does she need someone to support her? And why is it always you talking? Is she mute?"
After saying this, I ignored the middle-aged man and turned my attention back to the woman with a cold smile: "Haha! After all this commotion, do you really think I'll support you? Or do you have other motives? I've even forgotten your last name while you still remember that you have a son like me—shouldn't I be touched? My mother?"
I emphasized "mother" heavily as if squeezing it through my teeth. The woman trembled all over and finally stammered after a long pause: "I loved you and your sister..."
I waved my hand to interrupt her. I thought I'd be beyond anger by now, but hearing those words still made me laugh in rage: "Haha! Love? Your love is watching me and my sister get bullied? Your love is watching my sister die? If that's your love, then I'm begging you—leave me alone! I can't bear it!"
I trembled all over as I stared at her until I felt a large hand resting on my shoulder. Slowly closing my eyes, I took a deep breath to calm my anger. My fury wasn't because of any expectations from her but because she mentioned my sister.
If there was nothing I could do about Father's departure, then the tragedy that befell my sister was something I could have prevented—but unfortunately, it was too late by the time she reached the hospital!
"No! What happened back then was also beyond my control; your father and sister would forgive me," she said with trembling voice as if she were about to cry at any moment.
I rubbed my temples and shook my head, saying, "You can go now."
When I looked up again, another Public Security Officer had already taken the two away, leaving only uncle Wang behind. He patted my shoulder, hesitated to say anything, and finally just sighed before turning to leave.
As I watched the Security Patrol Vehicle drive away, I let out a long breath; it was finally over.
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