Eight chubby little hands waved up and down, some massaging his legs, others pounding his arms.
"Grandpa, why are you crying? You're fine now, you look incredibly energetic. Don't worry, you're not going to die!"
"Exactly. Before you came, I thought Grandpa was a very old old man, but you're so young. And you're so handsome, just like my daddy."
"Grandpa, can you tell me about Daddy's childhood? Was Daddy naughty when he was little? Did you ever hit him?"
"Grandpa..."
"Grandpa..."
Surrounded by the little ones, the old man forgot everything else.
He happily answered their questions one by one, his spirits instantly rejuvenating by twenty years.
—
After another week of lying down, making it over twenty days, Zhan Bei Jue began to feel itchy all over.
Although he hadn't sweated recently, he hadn't bathed in almost a month and felt so foul he couldn't bear to be seen.
Unable to stand it any longer, after lunch, he told Min Er that he wanted to take a bath.
Min Er said, "Da Mei said the wound is recovering and the itching is normal. You don't need to wash, it won't help."
"Besides, I can't move you. How can I wash you?"
"Bring me some water, and I'll figure out a way myself. I'm really too smelly, I can't stand it."
"Then bear with it a little longer. I'll come back after work tonight to help you. Your hair has also grown out a bit, I'll wash your head for you then."
Zhan Bei Jue indeed couldn't wash his own hair. He could only wait for her to return.
He was now a complete invalid.
He lay in the dark basement every day, not knowing the year, month, or even the time.
He could only guess, by habit, when Min Er would come in.
Listening to her voice and footsteps had become the sole focus of his life.
Finally, Min Er got off work.
She first brought in a basin of warm water, and then a set of grayish men's clothes.
"I don't have money to buy you new clothes, so don't be picky. These were left by Da Mei's husband before he passed away. He was about your height, so they should fit."
"To avoid catching a cold, we won't do a full wash. I'll just wipe you down."
Zhan Bei Jue had no room to be picky; he let her do as she pleased.
Min Er avoided his wounds, wiped his head, and then wiped the parts of his body not covered by the cast.
For over twenty days, Zhan Bei Jue had been like a piece of meat without dignity in front of her.
She had already seen him thoroughly, so he no longer cared.
She helped him put on the cut clothes. Seeing that Min Er seemed to be in a good mood today, Zhan Bei Jue decided to have a chat with her.
He had too many questions he wanted to know. What was the point of just lying here like this?
However, before he could even ask his questions, Da Mei ran in.
"Min Er, hurry back! Your father is furious at home, he's looking for you, quickly!"
Min Er, like a truant child caught, dropped the towel upon hearing this and dashed out.
Min Er's home was diagonally opposite Da Mei's, only a few dozen meters away.
But Da Mei's house was built within a unified complex, clearly a proper house.
Min Er's home, however, was a self-built structure that violated regulations.
Zhan Bei Jue already knew which direction her home was in, and he listened with his ear tilted.
The sounds coming from that direction.
A middle-aged man was furiously interrogating Min Er about where she had been all day.
"You say you're busy from dawn till dusk, but I haven't seen you bring any money home. What exactly are you doing?"
"Could it be you're out with some wild man, falling in love? Let me tell you, Shen Min Er, no man is good! If you dare to fall in love, I'll beat you to death!"
"Where's the money? Give me some money! I raised you all these years, and you're useless! You earn so little and still wear a long face every day!"
"The landlord mocks me all day long. Do you know how embarrassing that is? Hurry up and find a way to earn more!"
He was raging at his mother at home again.
The few pieces of furniture they had were thrown to the ground by him, smashing into pieces.
Min Er was numb and didn't want to argue with him. She just silently bent down to pick up the things.
After scolding her, her father saw she didn't react, grabbed her by the back of her clothes, and yanked her up.
"I'm talking to you, and you're showing me less and less respect. Are you pretending not to hear? I'll slap you to death!"
Min Er's expression was blank; her eyelids didn't even flutter.
She calmly pieced together the wooden boards in her hands and said faintly.
"Go ahead and slap me. If you slap me to death, you'll be glorious, and someone will help you pay your debts. If you slap both of us to death, you'll be free and clear. Go ahead and slap me."
"You... you little slut, you haven't learned anything good, but you've learned to talk back to me?"
Next, there was another sound of things being smashed.
Zhan Bei Jue frowned as he listened.
What kind of family was Min Er living in?
Working day and night, not only did she not receive any sympathy, but she also had to endure beatings and scolding?
He couldn't help but look at Da Mei beside him.
Da Mei shook her head helplessly and went to pick up the basin and towel from the floor.
"Alas, Min Er is an unfortunate child."
"Da Mei, can we talk?"
"Let's not. She doesn't like others talking about her. If she wants you to know, she'll tell you herself."
Zhan Bei Jue said, "I want to talk about you."
"What is there to talk about regarding me?"
Zhan Bei Jue: "Based on your accent and eye color, you don't seem to be a local Swiss. Are you an immigrant?"
Da Mei was surprised that Zhan Bei Jue had this ability, to be able to tell she wasn't from Switzerland.
"Indeed. I am an immigrant. I immigrated from a very small country. To get Swiss residency, I married my elderly husband."
"I gave birth to three children for him. Unexpectedly, he left us two years ago."
Zhan Bei Jue fell silent.
Because he probably understood the environment he was in.
A foreign immigrant, unemployed, a widow with three children.
A poor and bitter girl struggling in the lower strata of society, working hard.
They were likely a true reflection of the lives of the lowest class of people in Switzerland.
Could it be that he used to live in this neighborhood?
Min Er argued with her father at home for a long time, until all the little money left in her pocket was taken away by him.
Only then did she return to Da Mei's house.
The right side of her face was visibly swollen.
This scumbag father actually laid hands on her?
Looking at such a poor and pitiable girl, Zhan Bei Jue felt an indescribable sadness.
But he knew that Min Er did not want to talk about the chaotic affairs at home with others.
So he changed his approach.
"Da Mei said our hair and eye colors are the same, so we should be from the same place. Where is your hometown?"
Min Er was in a bad mood and picked up her bag from the ground, about to leave.
Hearing his words, she replied faintly.
"All Asians look like me, how can you be sure we are from the same place?"