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墨書 Inktalez
I listened to these conditions, feeling increasingly despondent.
"Son, I’m your father, not your tenant..."
"If you want to stay, do as I say. If not, get lost!"
My wife suddenly knelt down before our own son, pleading, "Please, just let us stay for a few days. We’ll figure something out!"
Seeing my wife kneeling on the cold floor broke my heart.
But Hou Zuo Qing didn’t even glance at her: "Stop putting on a show; I’m not buying it!"
"You... you really don’t recognize any family ties at all?" My voice was hoarse with emotion.
"Family ties? Can they feed you? Can they provide a roof over your head?"
I felt utterly hopeless.
I helped my wife up and grabbed our bundle: "Let’s go, we’re leaving."
"Where are we going, old man?"
"To the police station. I refuse to believe there’s no one who will listen to us!"
Hou Zuo Qing sneered from behind: "Go ahead, report me! Let’s see who will listen to you!"
At the police station, Officer Xiao Wang furrowed his brow after hearing my story.
"Sir, this situation is quite complicated. The property deed is indeed in your son’s name, legally speaking..."
"But that house originally belonged to me!"
"Do you have any evidence?"
Evidence? What evidence did I have? The relocation certificate was already in my daughter-in-law's hands, and I couldn’t find the receipt for the house purchase.
"Sir, how about we try mediation?"
The next day, Officer Xiao Wang accompanied us back to our son’s home.
"Xiao Hou, they are your parents after all. It’s winter; can’t you see..."
Hou Zuo Qing sat on the sofa with his legs crossed: "Officer, I have my own difficulties. This house is so small; it’s cramped for just the two of us. If we add two more elderly people, it would be unbearable!"
"Then you all discuss and see if you can..."
"Discuss?"
Hou Zuo Qing interrupted the officer, "Did I not just state the conditions? If they are willing to accept, they can stay; if not, then forget it."
Officer Xiao Wang glanced at me, then at Hou Zuo Qing, and sighed, "Sir, why don't you consider your son's conditions?"
I shook my head, "A thousand yuan a month? Where would we get that kind of money? Besides, why should I pay for his housing? This is my house!"
The mediation failed.
That night, my partner and I spent the night on a chair at the police station.
The next morning, the snow was falling even heavier.
We had nowhere to go and could only wander the streets.
"Old man, let's go to our youngest son's place," my partner suggested.
I shook my head, "A Qiang won't even see us, and he rents a place himself. With a child to take care of, where would he have room for us?"
"What about our daughter?"
"Xiao Hua's place is even smaller, and her husband never liked us anyway."
As we walked, we found ourselves back at Building 3 on Dashizhi Street.
Looking up at the lights shining from above, I knew my son’s family was warm inside, enjoying a hot meal.
And here we were, two 75-year-old seniors wandering in the snow.
"Old man, how about we just take shelter in the stairwell from the snow?" My partner shivered from the cold.
I looked at the stairwell and then back at the lights above.
"Alright, let’s stay here for one night and figure something out tomorrow."
Little did I know that one night would turn into an entire month.
These days, I have tried to visit my eldest son several times, but each time I was chased out of his home. The last time, he even drove me away with a broom.
Winter has arrived, and the weather is getting colder. For several consecutive days, heavy snow has been falling like goose feathers.
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