Even if there wasn’t going to be huge trouble, why should he risk getting himself into trouble in the first place?
As such, after the money became Wang Yang’s, Wang Yang was going to learn from his uncle’s behavior and never did anything that might allow others to blackmail him just for money. He wasn’t lacking money. Why should he ruin his future because of money? If he became devoted to his career, he would only climb up the ranks further. Even if he didn’t become a soldier, his future achievements would definitely not be any worse than those of Zhu Chengqi, his uncle.
Upon thinking about his bright future, Wang Yang was full of energy. He didn’t need to make any mistakes. As long as he had some foresight and was calm enough, money would grow and he would lead a good life in the future. In reality, he didn’t need to do anything more. Putting this amount of money in the bank alone to earn low interest was enough for their family to lead an extremely good life.
What Wang Yang was more concerned about was that Zhu Chengqi was still alive and the money wasn’t his yet. In order to prove to Zhu Chengqi that he treated Zhu Chengqi’s matters like his own, he treated Zhu Chengqi like his biological father. Wang Yang didn’t dare to relax the slightest bit. If he could hit the full ten marks, he would definitely not be lazy and hit only eight marks. He would even try to see if he could somehow score two more marks and make it twelve marks.
The person taking care of Zhu Chengqi smiled. “I’ll rely on you to take care of me in the future, then. I don’t have any other thoughts. I just hope for a more practical job and a good-enough salary.”
Wang Yang smiled. “I understand.” Wang Yang loved to deal with people who had ‘thoughts’. He undoubtedly hated those people without ‘thoughts’ the most. “Alright, go and rest. I’ll prepare a basin of water to wipe my uncle’s face and hands. Oh, right. Have you helped my uncle turn over today yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll help him do so then.” Wang Yang generously gave the other party a short break. After seeing the other party leave, the smile on Wang Yang’s face disappeared.
Zhu Chengqi was ‘sleeping’. The only living person, Wang Yang, was standing there, not moving or saying a word. The room immediately became quiet and lifeless.
After a long time, Wang Yang walked step by step to Zhu Chengqi’s side and leaned in to address him as ‘uncle’. It was just that Zhu Chengqi seemed to be in a ‘deep sleep’. Even though Wang Yang called him thrice, he didn’t react at all.
Seeing Zhu Chengqi like this, Wang Yang relaxed. He rolled up his sleeves and prepared hot water. Indeed, he started to help Zhu Chengqi wipe his face and hands. “Uncle, you’re asleep, right? That’s fine. Treat it that I’m saying these words to myself. Sigh, to think that in the past, you were the awe-inspiring chief. Now that you’re old, you’re sick all over and can’t even move on the bed. I feel bad for you just thinking about this. As your nephew, I naturally hope that you can live a long life and be healthy. Our family’s bad luck has caused you to suffer such a serious illness. I really hope you can get well. However, I feel sorry that you can’t be mobile in the future. It’s either you lie on the bed or someone has to push you in and out. Sometimes, I feel that I’m quite selfish for letting you lead such a tough life. Is that really a good thing for you?”
“My aunt passed on early. Baoguo went to find his mother early as well. After that, it’s my grandfather. Seeing that you have no kin left, I feel heartache. I know it’s wrong to have such thoughts and they might be quite negative. However, seeing that you’re living such a miserable and lonely life, I sometimes feel that it might be better for you to go. I’m willing to believe that there are souls after death, people would turn into ghosts, and there’s a place called the netherworld. Once there, you can reunite with your family. Perhaps such a life might be liberating for you and you will feel happier.”
In short, for a high-ranking general and chief who used to fight for the country to be lying on the bed now like an invalid, needing someone to take care of him, was a form of torture and humiliation. If living was so miserable, Zhu Chengqi might as well die earlier to fulfill himself and him. This was something good to both him and Zhu Chengqi.
Not to mention that Zhu Chengqi caused him to feel tired by refusing to die. Didn’t Zhu Chengqi feel that leading such a life was hopeless?
Wang Yang described to Zhu Chengqi how wonderful life after death was because he hoped that the subconscious would affect Zhu Chengqi bit by bit. He hoped that Zhu Chengqi would quickly give up on the idea of living and just die. Didn’t they say that the patient’s mental state of mind had a great influence on his condition? Wasn’t there a saying that ‘one’s heart is like dead ashes’?
There wasn’t any kin by his side. If he was Zhu Chengqi, even if he wasn’t sick, he would have thought of ways to commit suicide, let alone him being sick and refusing to cooperate with the doctor to treat his illness. Zhu Chengqi’s death would benefit the living people. How good was that? In this way, it was considered worthwhile that Zhu Chengqi died since he could make his final contribution to the living. How perfect.
However, Zhu Chengqi wasn’t willing to die. Not yesterday, not today, maybe not tomorrow either.
If he could influence Zhu Chengqi and make him give up the thought of living, based on Zhu Chengqi’s current condition, Wang Yang dared to bet that once he had such a mindset, he would definitely die the next second.
It was precisely because Wang Yang knew that Zhu Chengqi’s condition had deteriorated to this stage that he didn’t understand what kind of thoughts and things were supporting Zhu Chengqi until now such that he was still breathing. Could it be that there was still something in this world that Zhu Chengqi couldn’t bear to part with? Why didn’t he know?
It was fine not to know. He could find someone to check on things again. Also, he could wait for Zhu Chengqi to be asleep so that he could tell him in his dreams how his dead relatives ‘below’ missed him. If Zhu Chengqi died earlier, he could reunite with those relatives earlier and his life would become happier. There was really nothing left in this world that Zhu Chengqi couldn’t bear to part with.
After nagging Zhu Chengqi, Wang Yang poured out the cold water and placed Zhu Chengqi’s cold hands back into the blanket. “Uncle, listen to me. I won’t harm you. I really can’t bear to see you suffer anymore.”
After saying this, Wang Yang looked at the time and felt that he had stayed long enough. “Uncle, I shan’t disturb you anymore. There are still a lot of things waiting for me to handle outside. I’ll visit you again when I’m free next time.”
