Chapter 347: Worrying about Gains and Losses
Zhao Qishui followed Qi Zhijun to the prison to visit Zhao Yan again.
Xiaolang acted very reluctant last time, but actually in his heart he had been looking forward to when Zhao Qishui would come again.
I spent a month in anxiety, thinking that he would never come again.
At a conference two days ago, cadres announced that he had assisted the police in solving a major case and provided strong evidence, and he had been granted a three-year reduction in his sentence.
By this calculation, plus the sentence reduction he got in exchange for operating a sewing machine in Nanzhan, he will be released from prison in 12 years.
12 years, if it were in the past, would not be that difficult to endure.
Because for the little wolf, prison provides food and drink, but the discipline is stricter.
But now, his biological father, Zhao Qishui, suddenly appeared, and Xiaolang felt that these 12 years were still too long.
When we arrived at the meeting room, Zhao Qishui was already sitting there, with two plastic bags on the table.
Little Wolf sat opposite him , and Zhao Qishui took out some food from one of the bags: "Son, you didn't tell me what you liked to eat last time, so Dad just bought some. Come on and eat."
The name Zhao Qishui made Xiaolang feel a little uncomfortable. He even felt that he would not be able to adapt to the name Zhao Yan.
But faced with the delicious food that was hard to find in prison, the little wolf did not refuse. He rummaged through the food on the table, picked up a meat bun and started to bite into it.
Zhao Qishui just watched the little wolf eat the buns quietly. He ate a bun, took a sausage and ripped it open, then tore off a duck leg.
Zhao Qishui took note that his son liked to eat meat.
While the little wolf was eating, Zhao Qishui took out a toy car from another bag.
Most of the paint on the car had fallen off, but the body of the car was intact.
The little wolf chewed slower, his eyes fixed on the toy in Zhao Qishui's hand.
"Son, do you remember this? It was your favorite toy when you were a child, and Dad has kept it all the time."
"I went back to Danhe this time and found this." Zhao Qishui took out another small pink plastic ball.
The color has faded a lot as well, and the ball is deflated, and because it's plastic, the damage is even worse than that of the car.
"This small ball used to have an elastic rope tied to the top. Listen..." Zhao Qishui shook it twice, and a rustling sound came from the small plastic ball.
"There's still some sand in there."
The little wolf felt as if his throat suddenly swelled up and he could no longer swallow the food in his mouth.
He dropped his eyes and simply tried not to look.
Seeing this, Zhao Qishui put the toys aside and said, "Dad knows that you won't like these toys when you grow up, but we still keep them as a souvenir."
"Dad has been able to survive these years thanks to these things."
"When you get out of prison, Dad will buy you a real car. By the way, you don't know what Dad does yet, do you?"
Zhao Qishui said to himself: "Dad opened a car repair and car wash shop. The shop is not big, but Dad can repair any car."
"When you were little, you envied others for being able to ride in cars. Now you don't have to envy them anymore. Your dad can satisfy you in whatever car you want to ride."
The little wolf put down the half-eaten duck leg, raised his arm and wiped his mouth directly with his sleeve.
"Stop talking. I can't remember anything about my childhood."
"Okay, then I won't tell you. Tell dad what happened in there. Did anyone bully you?" Zhao Qishui faced Zhao Yan and tried to please him in a humbly manner.
He felt that he owed too much to his child, so no matter what Zhao Yan's attitude towards him was, he deserved it.
"There's nothing much to say in there, just learn discipline and do your work."
"Is the work tiring? What kind of work do you do?"
"I used to work on a sewing machine in Nanzhan, but now I'm here processing plastic parts and working on a lathe."
Zhao Qishui curled his lips and said, "That's good too. Just think of it as learning a skill."
Xiaolang stopped talking, and Zhao Qishui didn't know what to talk to him about anymore.
Seventeen years of separation have turned the father and son into complete strangers.
"I heard that your sentence was reduced again."
The little wolf then hummed, completely lacking the cheerfulness he had shown in Nanzhan Prison.
Because he was always worried about gains and losses, he was afraid that if he accepted Zhao Qishui, one day he would figure it out and no longer want recognize him.
Feeling overwhelmed by this feeling, Xiaolang asked, "Do you have cigarettes?"
“Yes, yes…”
Zhao Qishui quickly took out his own cigarette, handed one to Xiaolang, and lit it for him.
Seeing Little Wolf taking a puff with a look of enjoyment on his face, Zhao Qishui regretted not buying a pack of good cigarettes.
After finishing a cigarette, Xiaolang spoke: "Actually, you don't have to be so anxious to recognize me now."
Zhao Qishui was stunned for a moment: "You don't want to recognize me?"
"I'm afraid you'll regret it. Look at me. I can't do anything except stealing and robbing. Even after this commutation, I'll still have to stay in prison for twelve years."
"Even if I perform well, I can only lose one or two years at most. What can I do when I get out ten years later?"
"Do you expect me to take care of you in your old age?"
Xiaolang relaxed his body, leaned lazily against the back of the chair, and asked Zhao Qishui for another cigarette.
"What's the point of recognizing me? Will it cause trouble for yourself? Just think about it, even if you wait until I get out of prison, and I go back how will people laugh at you when they know who I am?"
"You can think of me as dead, really. I won't blame you. Just don't come here again."
Xiaolang's words made Zhao Qishui's eyes red instantly. He thought about how he had searched for so many children over the years and the feeling he had every time he was disappointed.
He thought about the feeling of going to those strange places, being unfamiliar with the people, and being at a loss as to where to start.
Zhao Qishui was feeling frustrated and couldn't vent about Xiaolang's remarks.
He covered his eyes and took a long time to relax: "Son, do you know that I have thought of many possibilities."
"The only unacceptable outcome is your death."
"As long as you are alive, even if you become stupid, paralyzed, or disabled, I can't give up on you!"
Zhao Qishui's words could no longer be controlled as he started to cry. He raised his head and stared into a pair of red eyes.
"How could you think like that? Do you know how happy I was when I knew you were alive and well? How could you think like that?"
Zhao Qishui pounded the table as he spoke, as if he was venting his frustration.
Xiaolang has seen too many ruthless people. It can be said that he grew up in that kind of environment.
Zhao Qishui's reaction on the opposite side did not move Xiaolang.
Because he still felt that Zhao Qishui was being nice to him only because he had just found him.
Wait two or three years, no, maybe just a few months, his original fantasy will be shattered and he will never come back.
This must be the case, Xiaolang believed it, but he didn't say anything else to Zhao Qishui.
Because he knows that some people always think that they are not cruel people, but they can be affected by interests, face and various problems.
Their choice is often the most realistic one...
