eight
1
A week later, Wen Xuan prepared all the school supplies for her and bought her a new backpack and school uniform. Seeing this, Xi 'er understood that she was going to school soon, so she became silent. Wen Xuan had been comforting and encouraging her, hoping that she would be happy. Xi 'er only smiled faintly and did not express her opinion. That morning, Xi 'er woke up very early and waited for Wen Xuan after making breakfast. After breakfast, Wen Xuan rode her to school.
Early in the morning, the road was filled with students who rode their bikes to school. They chatted and laughed as they rode past quickly. When Xi 'er saw them passing by, she hugged Wen Xuan tightly and buried her head in his back. Wen Xuan lowered his head and glanced at her without saying anything. He slowed down the car and let the students go first.
With fewer people, the surroundings became quiet. There was only one car on the straight road.
Wen Xuan rode the bike to the side of the road and stopped. He turned around and patted Xi 'er's head. Xi 'er looked up at him, then at the road, frowning.
"Let's rest here for a while. I'm old and can't ride anymore." Wen Xuan said.
At this moment, the sun had already climbed out of the sea. The sea was sprinkled with morning light. The scorching light almost shone on him. Their faces were also slightly hot.
Wen Xuan looked at her and reached out to touch her head, comforting this uneasy child.
"Let's go." Xi 'er said.
They returned to the road and continued forward.
"Will it be strange if I do this?" Xi 'er got out of the car and stood by the school gate. She turned to look at the students who had entered the school and asked," Is it okay if I go in like this?”
Wen Xuan put down the backpack on his shoulder and placed it on her shoulder, saying,""Hurry up and go. This was good. They will all like you."
Xi 'er looked up at him and asked,"Really?”
Wen Xuan nodded, waved his hand, and said,"Go quickly." I'll wait for you here in the afternoon."
Xi 'er turned around and glanced at him again. She turned around and walked into the school.
Wen Xuan watched her until she disappeared among the students. Hence, he rode his bicycle to the clinic's entrance, parked it outside, took off his straw hat, and entered.
When the doctor saw that it was him, he smiled and stopped writing.
There were no patients in the clinic. There were neatly folded blankets on the two beds. The doctor sat at a wooden table at the side. The opened book in front of him had turned yellow. A cup of hot tea was smoking by the table. At this moment, the doctor took off his presbyopic glasses, rubbed his eyes, and looked at him.
Wen Xuan sat across from the doctor, fanned the straw hat in his hand, and turned his head to look at the street outside. The doctor looked up at him, making him feel that the other party was not looking at him, but looking at the bed behind him. He also turned to look at the bed to make sure that there was someone sleeping on it. When he turned around, he was faced with a cup of hot tea. He took it and put it down.
"Did you send her to school?" the doctor asked.
Wen Xuan nodded and grabbed the edge of the straw hat with both hands. His thumb slid across the straw hat.
"Worry." the doctor said.
"She has never left home and is out alone. Three years was such a long time, he didn't know if he could adapt to it.”Wen Xuan said.
"By the way, she doesn't seem to have gone to school.”the doctor said.
"I gave her some at home. However, I didn't finish junior high either. My father taught me everything I know. At that time, my mother didn't let us go to school. My dad couldn't persuade us, so he could only teach us at home.”Wen Xuan said.
"I can even teach you at home." the doctor said.
"My dad used to be a university teacher. It was released during that period. After she came back, she became a physics teacher in this town. Beijing invited him back, but he didn't.”Wen Xuan said.
The doctor nodded and his gaze fell on the old book on the table.
"School life can make a person behave.”Wen Xuan said," Maybe I've spoiled her. This child is a little naughty."
"Do you want her to behave herself? Or was it the child's nature? If it was revealed, you wouldn't be able to adapt.”the doctor asked.
"She is a little wild." Wen Xuan said.
"Are you hoping that she will develop according to your will?”the doctor asked.
Wen Xuan looked back at the doctor and shook his head.
"You can't let go of this. You are in conflict." the doctor said.
"You're the one who pushed me to study.”Wen Xuan said.
"Of course." The doctor said," It's just that I didn't expect you to be so conflicted and complicated. You're in too deep."
"What do you mean?" Wen Xuan said," Why can't we talk about something else? For example, this sea."
"It doesn't matter. Everyone could remain calm and composed. If you knew what you were doing could make you feel at ease, you wouldn't have come to me, and you wouldn't have talked to anyone about this sea.”the doctor said.
"How can you ask others to do what you want? So what if it's your child?”Wen Xuan said.
"But for Xi 'er, you did this.”the doctor said. "Besides, she's not your child. You can't grasp your own thoughts. You don't know what you want. In the past, you were very confident in your decisions. You mixed your emotions into it, right? A lot of absolute respect actually required absolute rationality and no emotions. Happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy were also a part of emotions.”
"How can there be no feelings? Even raising a dog had feelings.”Wen Xuan said.
The doctor touched the teacup and took a sip of tea. He looked at Wen Xuan and said,""Some wild dogs are very fierce and almost impossible to tame. And yet, someone wanted to raise such a litter of dogs.”
"What do you want to tell me?" Wen Xuan said.
"It's just about raising a dog." The doctor spread out his hands and said," This litter of dogs has been barking since they were young. Every time he threw out the meat, it was less than the actual amount, or even less. Only by fighting with other dogs could they eat it. The dogs in the litter bit each other and fought for their lives. The weaker ones would die. They would starve to death or die in a fight. Finally, one would stay. The dog had experienced bloodshed and struggles since it was young, making it even more difficult to tame. It became even more ferocious, bloodthirsty, and uncontrollable. It was easily angered, and anything would prompt it to become ruthless in an instant. The man tried to tie the dog up with a thick iron chain. This was also after an intense competition. He seemed to be very happy to do such a thing. The man and the dog fought and bled a lot. The face was torn open and blood seeped out. And half of the dog's ear fell off. It was trapped by that person. Iron chains were tied to the tree. It was trapped, running around the tree, scraping the tree with its claws and scratching the ground, almost grinding its sharp claws flat. The man stood at the side and looked at the dog. The face was still dripping with blood. Then, he brought the bowl of bones to the dog. Every time the dog pounced on him, he would pull open the basin and hit the dog with a wooden stick. It repeated itself continuously. Until it bled and its face twisted. Until the dog realized who was in control of it and who it should listen to. He chose a fierce dog in his own way and tamed it. From then on, no matter where the dog went or who it faced, it would only listen to one person and become that person's most loyal guardian. The man with the scar used his own method to own a dog that was completely his own. Do you understand? It belonged to him alone.”
"What are you trying to say?" Wen Xuan said.
"Can't you tell? Some relationships were built on extreme cruelty.”the doctor said.
"Why did you mention these dogs?”Wen Xuan said.
"Dogs can be trained. Some owners were kind, and the dogs they brought were kind. They treated everyone like their owners. Some people's owners were cruel. Not only did they make their dogs cruel, but they also made them cruel to everyone except themselves. They needed to do this to distinguish whether a dog was loyal or not. However, no matter how cruel the dog was, it had been trained and had received a certain will.”The doctor said," In theory, there is no creature that is completely unaffected by the outside world. Even a blade of grass would twist its body when it encountered a rock that was pressing down on it and continue to grow. Everything in the world was inextricably linked. It was difficult not to be affected. The lower the level of the item, the more obvious it was.”
"But a child is a child, and a dog is a dog.”Wen Xuan said.
"In the eyes of some people, there is no difference.”The doctor said," Or rather, they did something that made no difference, and no one else noticed it.”
"But there are feelings in it." Wen Xuan said.
"I've told you before, some relationships are built on extreme cruelty. Or perhaps it was based on some kind of need, purely for profit.”The doctor said," Feelings can hide many things.”
Wen Xuan shook his head. He did not understand what the doctor meant and was unwilling to think about it.
"You tried to make a rational choice, but you couldn't break through the emotional side. It's not your fault. In fact, many people could not do this.”the doctor said.
"I'm fine. The important thing is her." Wen Xuan said.
The doctor smiled and asked," Do you still have any impression of your school?”
"No, basically, no." Wen Xuan said.
"You just reached junior high?" the doctor asked.
"It's not considered school. I also run around." Wen Xuan said.
"Your father, on the other hand, was a very educated man.”the doctor said.
"Indeed." Wen Xuan said," However, he married an illiterate.”
"Is it a pity?" the doctor said.
"He might think it's a pity." Wen Xuan said. He shifted his body and looked out the window. Talking about his dead parents made him feel a little uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?" The doctor asked," Does it make you uncomfortable to talk about them like this?”
Wen Xuan nodded and said,"After all, they are my parents." What can you say? Part of you came from them.”
"That's why I don't comment on my parents. Compared to children? If there were more children, they would have different preferences. What should he do then? They are all a part of you." the doctor said.
"I will try my best to be fair." Wen Xuan said," Of course, I won't have two children.”
"There will always be something more biased.”the doctor said.
"Which part are you referring to?" Wen Xuan said.
"We can't decide what we like. That's part of our relationship. In theory, you should treat everyone equally. However, in many cases, you will be biased. Take bloodline for example. We all think that boys are the inheritance. A man had the right to give his child a name. If the surname was passed down, the bloodline would be passed down. However, what if this boy looked like his mother, had the same personality as his mother, and even had the same temperament as his mother? Then he only inherited your surname. The rest came from his mother. Which bloodline had been passed down?”The doctor said," The bloodline I mentioned here is a dominant one. In addition, everyone's preferences were different. Not every parent liked their child. What should you do when your child does not inherit your unique characteristics but all the characteristics of the other party? Especially when the other party was not the person you really liked, what should you do? Should she use her own will to fight for this child and make him look like her? Or should she let him continue like this? In this way, are you training a dog? Besides, what if your child inherited all your characteristics, including those things that you hated but did not have the courage to change? Some people did not agree with themselves. Then, how do you approve of that child? There was no such thing as an average distribution of DNA. No one could tell what really affected you. Therefore, every child of yours will not be the same. This was also an innate influence. As for the day after tomorrow, that was another matter. Which dog do you think is pitiful? When will you become that dog? Then, you became the person with the scar and trained a dog.”
"Comparing that person training a dog with parents educating their children is too extreme. There's love in it." Wen Xuan said.
"In theory, nurturing and training are different. On the surface, it was not training, but it had achieved this effect. You speak of love. But love was very vague. If a kind of love was cruel and selfish, then it was even more difficult to say.”the doctor said.
"There's still some morality to speak of here. Cruel means were immoral.”Wen Xuan said.
"Even if it's love, sometimes there's no morality to speak of. Of course, I used an extreme example. There wasn't even any love in it. They all achieved the same effect. Rationally speaking, the goal would be the same.”The doctor said," Let the other party become comfortable.”
"What if I don't change it?" Wen Xuan asked.
"Endure the intense pain or separate. There were no individuals that were completely unaffected, and there were no choices that were completely unaffected.”The doctor said," We are all arrogant and think that we can do anything. We try to take care of everything. However, as we discussed these matters, we clearly understood the complexity of each choice. Because when you do these things, you are not only facing yourself, but also others. In addition, there would be a mix of good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate, and all sorts of complicated emotions. You could only make a judgment from a certain point of view and could not make a comprehensive judgment. I don't think even gods can do this. This was because these emotions affected each other and were connected to each other. There was no absolute side. The point where you make a judgment is what you have to protect. At the same time, other things would inevitably slip away from you. Unfortunately, most of the choices would be like this.”
"You're overthrowing a lot of things." Wen Xuan said.
"I know you understand," said the doctor. The more you think about what you lost, the more you regret it. At this moment, you have already made your choice.”
Wen Xuan lowered his head and looked at the tattered straw hat on his knees, not saying a word.
In the evening, Wen Xuan stood in front of the school gate and waited. He saw her walking with a group of girls, chatting and laughing, and he heaved a sigh of relief. She looked up and saw Wen Xuan. She smiled and ran over. She got on the bicycle and waved at the girls.
"How was school today?”Wen Xuan rode on the road and asked.
"The students are all very good. Then, I could understand everything the teacher said. I know some of the things you taught me. The teacher asked a question in class, and I was the only one who answered it. The teacher praised me and gave me candy. Everyone, give me a round of applause. You even said that I'm very powerful." Xi 'er hugged Wen Xuan's waist and looked at the golden sea surface." Actually, everyone is very good." However, it would be great if you were here. The candy is still in my pocket. I want to give it to you."
"That's for girls. You can keep it.”Wen Xuan said.
"Also, if you're here, I can ask you something.”Xi 'er said.
"You can ask Teacher. The teacher knew even more. In the future, there are some things that I still have to ask you.”Wen Xuan said.
"You must know." Xi 'er said.
"What if I don't know?" Wen Xuan said.
"You know a lot of things." Xi 'er said.
"Alright, if you have anything to ask in the future, just record it down and come back to ask me.”Wen Xuan said.
2
In the beginning, Xi 'er still had some areas that she was not used to. Every day, she would mark out the places she didn't understand and ask Wen Xuan when she came back. She went through every piece of knowledge carefully and tried her best to remember all the knowledge points. Then, she asked Wen Xuan to test her on some knowledge before she went to bed. If she couldn't answer it, she would immediately get up to revise. Even if Wen Xuan tried to dissuade her, it was useless. She insisted on mastering it all before going to sleep. Wen Xuan was surprised to see her working so hard. In addition, she would also ask Wen Xuan to give her a lecture in advance to ensure that she could maintain an advantage. Wen Xuan learned from her that many students would ask her for some knowledge. Her deskmate often asked her for help in her studies. She had excellent grades, was kind to others, and even helped her classmates with their studies. In addition, she was sweet and likable. Those children liked her very much and were willing to stay with her. All of this surprised Wen Xuan. Originally, he thought Xi 'er would be like an ordinary student. When he arrived at school, he realized that many children were surrounding her. Many people were asking her for advice. Some boys, on the other hand, often stole glances at her. Wen Xuan saw all of this and could not help but worry.
On this day, Xi 'er left the school gate, waved goodbye to her classmates, and got on her bicycle.
"Xi 'er, is that your father? Or brother?" A girl pointed at Wen Xuan and asked.
Wen Xuan lowered his head to look at Xi 'er. Seeing that she did not speak, he said,""I'm her father."
The girls covered their mouths and laughed before walking away.
Xi 'er didn't say anything along the way. Many students rode past and called Xi 'er. Xi 'er waved at them and responded with a smile. Along the way, she did not speak to Wen Xuan. That night, after dinner, she did not ask Wen Xuan to teach her new knowledge. Instead, she went back to her room.
On the weekend, Wen Xuan returned from fishing and walked to the beach with a bucket of water. From afar, he saw Xi 'er pushing her bicycle on the path. She got on the bicycle and stepped on it a few times, then got off again, and so on. The front of the car tilted and Xi 'er fell down with it. Xi 'er didn't say a word. She supported herself on the bicycle and continued to step on it. Her face was covered in dust. Her ponytail was also crooked. Wen Xuan looked at her, turned around with the bucket, and returned to the wave. He climbed onto the fishing boat and sat on the side of the boat, looking at the last beam of light between the sea and the sky. Now, he understood why Xi 'er's hands and feet fell a few days ago.
Following that, Wen Xuan heard the sound of the sea. He turned his head and saw Xi 'er standing by the waves and looking at him. He stood up and prepared to get off the boat.
"Don't come down. I'll go over." Xi 'er said.
Wen Xuan held Xi 'er's hand and pulled her onto the boat.
"It's much quieter here." Xi 'er said.
"This is where the old man stays.”Wen Xuan said.
The last ray of light disappeared in the horizon, and the sea and sky closed.
"I'm old. Xi 'er, my bones have been soaked in the sea for too long. I can't hold on any longer. I'm very tired every day now." Wen Xuan turned his head and looked at Xi 'er." You've grown up and are familiar with that road, right?" Why don't you ride your own bike? Let me rest. In addition, I can give you some pocket money. You can buy whatever you want every day. Isn't that better? I know I'm lazy. Sometimes, he would stay on the boat and not want to move. It's time for you to be independent. Go to school by yourself."
Xi 'er turned her head to look at him. The sky had completely darkened. The light was dim. They couldn't see each other's faces clearly. Wen Xuan felt Xi 'er turn around and hug him.
"You're already a big girl now. They couldn't hug like this anymore. Besides, I smell like fish. What's there to hug?”Wen Xuan pushed Xi 'er's hand.
Xi 'er released her hand and looked at him.
"That's it. I'll teach you how to ride a bicycle tomorrow." Wen Xuan said.
Xi 'er shook her head and said," You're not my father. You're not an old man either."
Then, she turned around and bent over. With a splash, she jumped into the sea and swam out.
Wen Xuan was stunned. He sat by the boat and waited for her to swim back.
A few days later, Xi 'er would be able to ride her bike to school. This way, Wen Xuan would have more time to stay in the sea. Sometimes, he would have the illusion that Xi 'er had returned to the past and was still waiting for him at home. The truth was that he had spent more time in the sea. Every day, when he returned from the sea, he would see Xi 'er reading on the porch. She was waiting for him to return so that they could eat together. Every day, he would ask her about the situation in school.
What happened at school today? What new knowledge did the teacher teach? How are you getting along with your classmates? Wen Xuan always wanted to know about her situation in school. Xi 'er always smiled and reported to him slowly. The students in the class were very enthusiastic about the school sports meet. Someone ran especially fast and got first place. I can't. I can't outrun them. What the teacher taught was very simple. I'll learn it soon. Some students were slow to learn. Always asking me about things. I even got first place in the last test.
Every day, they would discuss these things at the dinner table. Wen Xuan saw her always discussing these things with a smile and felt very happy. She always got high marks on her papers. Sometimes, Wen Xuan would sign his name without looking at it.
"You didn't even take a look!" Xi 'er said.
"There's no need to look. The results are not important." Wen Xuan said.
Xi 'er flipped through the papers and pointed at one of the questions.""Here, I was too careless and miscalculated.”
"It's okay. Just be more careful next time.”Wen Xuan said.
Xi 'er smiled, put away the test paper, and stuffed it into her backpack.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]