Lost Father (novel)

In the bathroom, the water mist filled the air, and a thick ball of white flesh slowly moved towards Han Baojun. It was a fat white man with a round beer belly. His head and body looked like small leather balls stacked on top of large leather balls, full of joy. The fat man came to Han Baojun and handed him a crumpled bath towel and a white plastic piece. Han Baojun took the bath towel and threw the plastic piece into the box next to him. He politely asked the guest, do you lie down or stand?

The fat man did not immediately reply to Han Baojun's words, but reached out and touched the bed board. Han Baojun thought to himself, what can he touch? What can you touch besides water droplets? It looked like he wanted to lie down on it. A body like his, when scrubbing, is of course comfortable lying down. However, he must have suspected that the bed was not clean enough. There are only two massage beds in the bathroom, each of which is a thousand people lying down and ten thousand people lying down. One finished, the water rushed, and the other climbed up. There are many guests in public bathhouses and poor sanitary conditions. The leather surface was broken with a few holes, revealing a sponge, looking at the thousands of sores, strange and cold. Most men don't care, but it's taboo to love clean. Obviously, the fat man is a man who loves to be clean. He hesitated like a woman for a moment, and finally said, stand and rub it. After saying that, he spread his arms and leaned over to the edge of the bed.

Han Baojun raised his arm, first brushed away the water droplets on the fat man's back, and then patted the muscles of his hips, as if to test the texture of "meat". This was his habitual action, whether the guest skin was loose and soft, or the skin was smooth and smooth, Han Baojun's strength was the same. A few guests can't stand his strong words and will shout "Oops". Most of them enjoyed it with their eyes closed, letting him roll out the noodles and rub it on them repeatedly. Under his hard work, the guest's body was layer by layer, and the strands of black mud were like the skin of the wall falling off, fluttering down.

Oh, needless to say, Han Baojun's job is to scrub the bath. He was a bather in the great bathhouse. Big bathhouse! There is no serious signboard, everyone calls it a large bathhouse.

The big bathhouse is actually not big, it was originally a staff bathhouse of a state-owned enterprise, and later, the enterprise went bankrupt, and then it was reorganized, integrated, merged, transformed... It was a few years of commotion. In the midst of the repeated uproar, the factory was like soap that fell into the water, and little by little it disappeared. The huge factory building became flat, and then the tall buildings rose from the ground, one higher than the other. In this phoenix nirvana, reborn from the fire, a small building on the edge of the fire escaped and survived. This small building is the large bathhouse, and in line with the urban transformation, it has also changed its head and face slightly. The exterior walls are painted with pale yellow wall powder, and the tiles are re-pasted inside, retaining the original terrazzo floor. The whole bathhouse pattern has not changed, one layer of men's bath, two layers of women's bath. The wooden box of the dressing room was replaced with a painted tin cabinet and several massage beds were added. The large bathhouse is no longer a staff bathhouse, but a commercial bathhouse facing the masses. The owner of the contracted bathhouse does not know what the origin is, it is said that he can talk to the departments of industry and commerce, taxation, water and electricity, and therefore, the large bathhouse can maintain the four-dollar bath ticket for many years without increasing the price. The price of scrubbing is not expensive, half of the body is three yuan, the whole body is five yuan, even scrubbing, nine yuan is enough. Guests love the large hammam, one of the reasons is that it is cheap. Secondly, I like the bathers here. In the words of the guests, the bathers here are "powerful and energetic", and after rubbing their bodies, they are comfortable, and they itch their skin without rubbing for a while. Han Baojun is one of the well-known bathers.

Han Baojun glanced at the box next to him while giving the white fat man a bath. He secretly calculated that there were already 16 pieces of plastic in it, l pieces of plastic represented 1 guest, a guest was 5 yuan, 16 guests were 80 yuan, and 80 minus 20 was 60. 20 is the occupation fee for the bathhouse, you earn money in people's land, you get the venue fee, this is the rule. Subtract 20 and he netts 60 today. Pick up 4 more guests and the task is complete. No one gave him a task, he set it himself, and it was a goal, or a plan. The daily income in the plan is not less than 80 yuan, and it is enough to make up this number, and the heart is solid. At the weekend, naturally more than that, it will be higher.

On the issue of money, Han Baojun is more relaxed. The money in the world cannot be earned, nor can it be earned enough. Everything has to be weighed, and you can't just look at the money in your eyes. Man is made of meat, not made of iron. When there were many guests, six or seven times in a row, he would hide in the lounge and lazy. Scrubbing is a physical job, and when you're tired, you have to take a break, stretch your waist, drink half a jar of salt water, or sip white wine. The bathhouse was so humid that each scrubber carried a small, thin-necked vial containing highly liquor and taking a sip from time to time. Rely on it to drive away the cold in winter, and live blood in summer. He doesn't go to work every day, doesn't rest for two days on weekends, and rests every other day from Monday to Friday. More than two dozen jobs a month. On average, making two or three thousand a month is not a problem. In the high season, just in time for the New Year's Festival, the bathhouse is overcrowded, and the guests are like dumplings that cannot be cooked in one pot and one pot. At such times, you can earn two or three hundred a day. Han Baojun was quite satisfied with his income, this year, it was not easy to do anything, he could earn these, and he was satisfied.

Han Baojun was not a native, and when he was seven years old, he followed his father from the countryside to Qingzhou and defected to relatives. Relatives working in state-run coal mines said that the mines would recruit a group of peasant contract workers. When I came, I learned that people only recruited people under the age of thirty, and my father was in his early forties that year. The recruitment did not succeed, and his father led him around the streets of Qingzhou City, looking at the high-rise buildings in the city, and the cars and motorcycles running happily on the road. His father asked him, Bao Jun, is the city good or the hometown good. Han Baojun said, of course, it is good in the city. Father nodded solemnly, "Okay, then we won't leave." Since then, there has been one more stall repairing car at the youth intersection, and there is a wooden board erected next to it, on which four big characters are written in red paint: Inflated tire repair. When the naughty children pass through the car repair booth, they often read these four words obliquely: tire replenishment, tire replenishment. The father of the "tire tonic" ignored them, just buried his head, and concentrated on his own work.

At the beginning, his father took Han Baojun to live in a small bungalow, with an area of only five or six square meters, which was converted from a family's storage room. The rent is cheap, ten dollars a month. There are neighbors on the left and right, selling bean sprouts, scavenging, repairing shoes, playing cotton... They are all foreigners who are begging for a living in the city, and no one is cold.

Han Baojun went to school nearby, his hukou was not local, and he charged dozens of yuan more for borrowing fees every semester. The days of the father and son went on like this.

Getting used to it, the neighbors couldn't help but ask, Bao jun, what about your mother, why is your mother not with you? The young Han Baojun did not look up and said, My mother is dead. Father and son spoke the same tone to the outside world, Han Baojun did not have a mother, and her mother died. Of course, the truth is not so, the mother is not dead, but ran away with someone. It is said that he ran away with a carpenter who went from village to village to make furniture. This is a great shame for men. His father came here with Han Baojun uprooted from his hometown, not least because he wanted to take off the green hat on his head.

Like every father, his father also hoped that Han Baojun would excel and succeed in his studies, but Han Baojun's academic performance has always been at a medium level. In the middle school exam, the difference of four points did not enter high school. The school stipulated that the difference was five thousand, and four points was twenty thousand, and Han Baojun was blocked by these twenty thousand. Father said, it is you yourself who did not get in, don't complain that I did not let you study. Han Baojun thought about it and said to his father, even if he was admitted, I didn't want to miss it. Even if I am admitted to college in the future, the tuition fee is expensive, how can I afford it? My father was angry and said sadly, if you can really get into college, I will sell blood for you to read. You didn't even get into high school, and you said cool things. Han Baojun did not dare to squeak, he put all the books into woven bags, carried them to the waste collection station, and sold them for eight yuan. Since then, bid farewell to the school once and for all.

The father wanted his son to work in the state-run coal mine, and he brought a carton of milk to his relatives. Relatives, who had been chiefs of the infrastructure section, retired. Relatives said that now is no better than before, recruiting only children, your son does not have a local hukou, nor is he a child of a worker, want to go to work in a coal mine, a word - difficult. The father was not reconciled and begged his relatives to think of a way. Relatives persuaded him that he was reluctantly recruited as a temporary worker, with no guarantees, and he also worked in the underground line. In the face of poor efficiency, layoffs, say no, you don't need to. The child is so young, do you want him to suffer this sin? Father thought about it seriously, yes, if it is only a temporary worker, why do you have to be a miner.

Seeing that his son had no hope of recruiting, his father asked Han Baojun to learn to repair bicycles with him. However, when the time came, there were fewer and fewer cyclists. Rich people buy private cars and take buses without money. Bus lines are accessible in all directions, before Qingzhou only had a dozen buses, now it is good, queue to fifty or sixty roads. In order to make a living, my father broadened his business, bought a manual stitching machine, and learned to repair shoes without a teacher. Han Baojun was not much interested in his father's livelihood, and did not want to squat with his father on the side of the road to suck up dust, but instead found a job on his own and applied to work in a restaurant. Serve dishes and pass dishes, wash dishes and mix miscellaneous. Someone eats and lives and does not go home usually. In the end, he is young, has no regularity, and often follows the foreman to jump ship. I am not afraid of no place, restaurants and hotels are like mushrooms after the rain, today the east opens, tomorrow the west home cuts the ribbon, always find a place to work. But no matter where you jump, you still serve dishes and pass dishes, wash dishes and miscellaneous. A few years passed, and Han Baojun became a young man in his twenties and made a girlfriend named Ji Rongrong.

Ji Rongrong works in the same restaurant as Han Baojun and is the same age as Han Baojun. Once, Ji Rongrong accidentally cleaned up the tableware, accidentally broke a stack of plates, and was scolded by the foreman. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the customers dispersed, and it was the waiter's turn to eat lunch, but Ji Rongrong hid in the bathroom and did not come out. In the afternoon, they have a few hours off. Han Baojun saw Ji Rongrong standing alone outside the door in a daze, walked over and said, you are hungry, I didn't see you eat at noon. Ji Rongrong sighed, it was really boring to live. Han Baojun said, Look at you, don't you just break a few plates, as for such a long sigh. Ji Rongrong said, five plates deducted twenty yuan from me, and the deduction was enough, why did I scold me like that, I didn't mean it.

Han Baojun said, I tell you something, you don't tell others.

What's up? Han Baojun's words really aroused Ji Rongrong's curiosity.

Han Baojun said that last month, when cleaning and sanitation, I broke a Jingdezhen porcelain bottle in the private room, and no one could avoid losing his hand.

Ji Rongrong said in surprise, it turns out that you did this?

Han Baojun nodded, I cleaned up the scene at that time, the crumbs were tied with newspaper, and the window was thrown out of the way. Outside the window is a school playground.

Ji Rongrong covered her mouth and smiled, you are so cunning, everyone thinks that the bottle was stolen by the customer. Don't dare to do this in the future, the manager said to install a camera in the private room.

Han Baojun didn't care, he had long said that he was pretending, wasn't he still pretending.

Han Baojun shared the secret with Ji Rongrong, and Ji Rongrong was in a much better mood. Ji Rongrong, who was in a good mood, shouted that she was hungry, and the two of them went to the street corner to eat fried noodles together. At checkout, Han Baojun paid first. Since then, Ji Rongrong's relationship with Han Baojun has become close. Not long after, the two were in and out of the pair and talked about love.

Han Baojun was a solid person, and after getting along with Ji Rongrong, he spent all his meager salary on Ji Rongrong. Buy her a dress today and give her a pair of shoes tomorrow. She loves to eat sugar and fried chestnuts, and he buys a pack every three to five. She loves to watch "Zhiyin" and "Family", and he subscribes to each issue. He was especially happy to see her happy. On the day of rest, he took Ji Rongrong home.

The father and son no longer lived in the five-square-meter storage room, and they changed places. It's still a bungalow, but it's a suite. Outside kitchen, inside bedroom. There is an induction cooker on the kitchen stove and a rice cooker. The bedrooms have sofas, TVs, and large wardrobes from the flea market.

Every time Han Baojun took Ji Rongrong home, his father was particularly happy, and went to the market in advance to buy vegetables, cut meat, and beat liquor in bulk. The three of them ate together around the table, and Ji Rongrong leaned back on her neck and chirped this and that, like a flower magpie that kept her mouth shut. Father's face was happy like an old hydrangea blooming, and he frequently said, this is like a home, this is like a home, there must be a woman in the family, it is more like a home. The life of father and son depending on each other is really too cold.

Han Baojun and Ji Rongrong were in contact for several years, during which Time Ji Rongrong was pregnant with a child. The two considered that they did not have the conditions for marriage and beat the child off. Two young people are truly in love with each other, just talk about getting married, and they have no bottom. His father urged Han Baojun to get married, but what knot to take? Ji Rongrong's family was in the countryside, and her parents heard about Han Baojun's family conditions, and first of all, they did not agree. If you want to marry, buy a house first. Yo, this is not an international joke, although the father has saved some money over the years, but to buy a house, it is like picking the moon in the sky, don't think about it. The marriage just stumbled. Han Baojun was young in the end, did not understand the plan, there was wine in this day and drunk in this day, and he thought that he could live like this forever. Until suddenly one day, Ji Rongrong proposed to break up, and Han Baojun was dumbfounded.

Ji Rongrong found a good next home, and resigned Han Baojun, who was not very satisfied with the upper family. The new target is a farmer on the outskirts of the city, who has a small ready-made building in his home and a grocery store downstairs. It is said that it is not a rich family, the appearance is not conspicuous, and the hair is gone at a young age. But Ji Rongrong would rather choose this person than mix with Han Baojun today and tomorrow. You can't blame Ji Rongrong, feelings are one thing, reality is another. Girls become rational and practical when they get older. Han Baojun was not the kind of person who begged bai lai not to let go, his heart was so uncomfortable that all his internal organs were crushed, and he also set up a hard entanglement with others, saying that they would scatter.

When they broke up, Ji Rongrong said, I am sorry for you, I have failed you, I hope you can find better in the future. Han Baojun suppressed the tears in his eyes, don't turn your head, divide it, don't say those nonsense words.

What exactly is love? Han Baojun didn't understand it. He feels that love is a scam, and he sets up a set in advance for you to drill into. When you get in, get stuck, and feel bad, you realize you've been fooled.

After returning home, Han Baojun lay on the bed for two days, and the water rice did not enter. The father looked at his sad son and felt that fate had made people, and the father and son had encountered the same fate and were dumped by the woman. Father said fiercely, how much money have you spent on her in the past few years, go and get it back with her.

Han Baojun glanced at his father, and you can say this kind of thing.

Father said,, she is not good with you, why not come back? You worked for several years, did not take a penny back, all of them were harmed by her. I only when you are looking for a partner, do not say you, the result, chicken and egg hit a void.

Han Baojun said that she was provoked by others, and she originally liked me in her heart.

Father said, pull down, people don't want you, you still think she has you in her heart, you fool.

People go up, the water flows low, she lives better with others than I do, and I have nothing to say.

I see that you are a nest bag, and when you are tricked by others, you have to speak for others, and when you are sold, you have to help others count money.

You don't nest, you don't nest, how did my mother run away with people? Before Han Baojun could utter a word, his father slapped him in the face.

In the dim light, the father and son stayed up all night. It is winter, the winter in Qingzhou is dry and cold. In the center of the room was a tin stove, and the flames came out of the mouth like tongues, adding some heat to the cold room.

That winter, Han Baojun made up his mind to quit his restaurant job. A young man of his age, mixed with dishes in a restaurant, was twenty-five years old.

Once upon a time, father and son occasionally went to the big bathhouse to take a bath, and the two rubbed each other's backs, never paying attention to the bathers in the bathhouse. Han Baojun, who had quit his job, went to take a shower again, and when he saw a sign hanging at the door, recruiting a bather, his heart moved. He went directly to the steward, who saw that he was strong, with thick arms and thick palms, and was a good hand for scrubbing. Despite having no scrubbing experience, he was left behind. One winter, he became a skilled bather. The salary is settled every day, and every day I can take cash to go home. When he got home, he grinned and shoved the money into his father's arms. Father smiled and squinted, put on reading glasses, and counted the bills one by one with spit. He advised his father not to count the money with spit, there were bacteria. The father ignored him, only when he did not hear him.

Han Baojun, who was once in the sea, no longer believes in love, he has self-knowledge, and decent women can't look up to him. As for himself, his heart is not low. Someone introduced him to the object, either divorced widow dragging a child, or the eyebrows were cold and unpleasant. Discouraged, he occasionally thought of women, and went to find the lady. With the first, there is a second. At first, he was worried that he would fall into it again, and he would like a certain dust girl as much as he liked Ji Rongrong. He is very cautious and always wary of his emotions. He clutched his feelings like a wallet in his hand, afraid of being taken away. After changing a few people, this concern was dispelled. He couldn't like them, just as they wouldn't like him. He was just trading with them. It's good, no entanglement, no depth, like buying something, silver and goods, no one owes anyone.

A few years later, Ji Rongrong looked for him. The two had a meal together. At the checkout, Ji Rongrong paid the bill first, and Han Baojun did not argue with her. Ji Rongrong asked, is it tiring to give people a bath? Han Baojun said, not tired. Ji Rongrong said, how can I not be tired, I also let people scrub me. Han Baojun smiled, why not be tired, except to be the boss. When the boss is also tired, thinking about things a lot, the brain is tired. Mental work, like physical labor, is tiring.

After eating, Han Baojun said lightly, nothing happened, I left first. Ji Rongrong said with disgust, in the past few years, you haven't thought about me? Han Baojun said, you are someone else's wife, I think you have what use? Ji Rongrong's eyes are red, you really have no conscience. Han Baojun smiled, look at what you said, who on earth do we have no conscience?

The two came out of the hotel and found a hotel nearby. Entering the room, Han Baojun took off Ji Rongrong's clothes like onions one by one, and he was disappointed to find that this body was no longer as beautiful as he remembered. Ji Rongrong, who had once enchanted him and lingered, no longer existed. The naked Ji Rongrong's waist was loose, her breasts were sagging, and especially a striking knife edge in her lower abdomen reminded Han Baojun that this was a woman who had given birth to children for other men. He was so interested that the movements in his hands stopped. Ji Rongrong looked at him blankly, not knowing why. He sighed and helped Ji Rongrong dress one by one. Ji Rongrong pounced on him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and cried bitterly. He paused, his heart like an awl pricking, and it hurt tingling. He hardened his heart, broke her hand, and left without turning his head.

The room money was out of his, not expensive, the hourly room of the hotel, thirty yuan, but that also top him rubbed six guests. He still felt a little wronged, did nothing, and spent thirty yuan in vain.

Coming out of the hotel, Han Baojun went straight to another hotel, another small hotel hidden in the corner. There, each lady chartered a room. According to the agreed price, fifty at a time, the rest of the service is calculated. Han Baojun liked this way, entered the room, did not say anything, the other party took the initiative to take off his clothes. Some are more direct, lying on the bed early to pose for a happy relationship, calling out "brother" in their mouths, and staring at him without blinking. That way, that made him ashamed, but unspeakably happy. Compared with the spring girls in the song hall, bathing and hair salon, Han Baojun prefers small hotels. To be honest, the price is not expensive, much lower than the cost of marrying a wife. Two or three times a month, he could fully afford it.

When the woman below made a sound, Han Baojun covered her mouth with his hand. It was a professional voice that he didn't want to hear. He begged her to call her own name. What's your name? she asked. Junjun, you call me Junjun. She called out cooperatively. Army, army... She kept calling it that. He cried, which was Ji Rongrong's nickname for him. No one had ever called that that except her.

Coming out of the small hotel, Han Baojun saw Ji Rongrong face to face, and she actually followed him. She stood motionless, leaning against the door, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She looked at him, and he looked at her too. He was a little unnatural, like being stripped naked in public. He walked over hesitantly, thinking that Ji Rongrong would slap him, just like in the film and television drama. However, no, when the distance between the two was only one meter, Ji Rongrong turned and left. Nothing was said, not a word was said.

Since that time, Han Baojun had never seen Ji Rongrong again. After that awkward meeting, he let go of all his past feelings. This is good, can be picked up, put down, like a man. He was happy with himself.

The large bathhouse stipulates that the work leaves at ten o'clock in the evening. In winter, usually at half past eight, there are almost no guests. The men's bathhouse has four bathers, resting every other day, working two or two shifts, and four at the weekend. Today is not a weekend, Han Baojun and the same class of workers agreed, one to the point of departure, one to leave early. When there are few guests, there is no need for both people to consume. Today, it was Han Baojun's turn to get off work, there were no guests, and he had to keep it. "Almost none" does not mean "no at all", in case someone takes a bath, wants to take a bath, and can't find anyone, it is inevitable that they will be unhappy. Guests are all grandfathers, unhappy will have opinions. When the opinion reaches the boss's ears, the boss will be unhappy. The bosses were not happy, and their faces did not look good.

Han Baojun lay on the bed in the lounge, counting the plastic pieces in the box, a total of 21 pieces. Counting down, I earned 85 yuan today. Wait a while, hand over the plastic sheets to the front desk and exchange them for cash. At this moment, the mobile phone suddenly rang, and the neighbor Lao Liu called. It's so late, why did Lao Liu call him? He hurriedly picked up, and Old Liu shouted on the phone, Bao Jun, hurry up, your father has an accident, just fainted, unconscious. Frightened, Han Baojun hurriedly jumped out of bed, put on his shoes, and said, I will go back immediately. Lao Liu said that he was afraid of misunderstanding and had already hit 120.

Han Baojun couldn't take care of anything, put on his clothes, pulled on his shoes, and didn't wear any socks, and ran all the way out of the big bathhouse.

In addition to the unfavorable legs and feet in the past few years, my father has not found other diseases, how can he suddenly faint? Old Liu called again and asked Han Baojun to go directly to the hospital. Old Liu also said that 120 let pay three hundred yuan for the bus, he gave the pad. Han Baojun thanked him and promised to return it to him after he returned. Lao Liu is selling fried goods, usually attaches great importance to money, and is quite righteous at key times. People who make money are not easy to make, they all value money. Spending money without blinking an eye is easy to come to. Han Baojun was also a money-conscious, three hundred yuan, and he quickly converted it into sixty naked guests in his mind. At this time, he remembered that he had just walked in a hurry, and the plastic pieces had forgotten to put away. Hurriedly called the front desk of the bathhouse and asked the staff to help him put away the plastic sheets. Emphasize that there are twenty-one of them, and help me keep them.

When he arrived at the hospital, Han Baojun first went through the hospitalization procedures for his father, and the deposit needed to pay three thousand. He didn't have that much money on him, and usually the money was handed over to his father for safekeeping. The emergency room was shot with a hanging needle, and the father woke up slowly. Han Baojun quickly asked, Dad, where is our family passbook, and the hospital let you pay the deposit.

Father struggled to sit up, I was fine, what could I do, what hospital was in, and I would be home in a moment. He shouted in his mouth, but his body could not exert himself, and he was still hopelessly collapsed on the bed. Han Baojun said unhappily, Dad, don't make trouble, there is a disease to cure the disease, no illness can send you here.

Father asked, how much does the deposit cost?

Han Baojun said, three thousand.

So expensive, let's not pay it, you believe your father's words, I'm fine, it's really fine.

Han Baojun was angry, the money I earned, I want to take it out now, where did you put it? Don't you want me to know?

Father was counted down by him, obedient, and silent. He moved his hand and pointed to his pants.

Han Baojun touched his father's hand to his trouser pocket and felt a bunch of keys. Father said that there was a tin cabinet under the bed, which was the key, and there was a passbook inside. It is regular, take it and lose interest, if you want to listen to me, don't take it. After the infusion, we will go home.

Han Baojun said without anger that money is important or life is important.

Father said, you fool, of course money is important.

The nurse next to him laughed, your old gentleman is talking interestingly, his life is gone, what is the use of asking for money.

The father said, how useless, the money is left for the son to spend.

Han Baojun's nose was sour, and tears almost fell out.

Han Baojun asked the doctor what was his father's disease? The doctor said that a detailed examination would be required to produce results, and a preliminary diagnosis of heart disease would be made.

The next day, Han Baojun took the father and son ID cards to the bank to withdraw money, the passbook was encrypted, Han Baojun forgot to ask his father the password, he tried to enter his birthday numbers one by one, the password really matched. He was secretly proud in his heart, thinking that he was quite smart. Withdrew the money, paid the deposit, and went back to the ward. My father repeatedly asked how much less interest was withdrawn in advance? Han Baojun said, where do I know, I am not a bank. Father complained about him, why not ask? Han Baojun said that he had taken it anyway, and it was useless to be distressed, so why ask.

Father sighed, we saved money and hoped to make small money in the bank, and it was a pity that we would not withdraw it when it was due.

Han Baojun said that as long as you cure your illness, it is not a pity.

Father's mouth is hard, what disease do I have, I am in good health, don't listen to the doctor to scare people.

Han Baojun ignored him and grumbled at him.

When you enter the hospital, you can only listen to the doctor for everything, just like a kindergarten child obeys the teacher unconditionally. The doctor let the blood test be the blood test, and the doctor said that the urine test was the urine test. I did an electrocardiogram and took a color ultrasound. Father kept shouting, how much does it cost? Han Baojun deceived him, there was little money, and the public hospital charges low. Father said, you coax me less, Old Liu said, accumulate a lifetime, can not eat a shovel in the hospital. Old Liu also had a disease last year, what kind of surgery, the hospital stayed for twenty days, half a life savings dug a big hole. After being discharged from the hospital, he said to take good care of his body and did not dare to go to the hospital to throw money. Han Baojun said, why is it to throw money at the treatment? Can not throwing money at the cure? The father said with grievance that this was what Lao Liu said, and it was not what I said.

The results of the examination came out, and the doctor was surprised. Han Baojunlian asked, What's wrong? My dad is very sick, isn't he? The doctor said that it was the first time I had seen this situation in so many years of practicing medicine. Han Baojun asked nervously, what is the situation? The doctor said that your father's heart valve is seriously diseased, there are multiple loopholes, aortic stenosis, mitral tricuspid valve regurgitation, you must do valve replacement immediately, at least two, otherwise, you will die of heart failure at any time. Han Baojun was frightened. The doctor went on to say that I had never seen a patient with a broken heart like this, and it was a miracle, a miracle, that he could survive to this day.

Back in the ward, my father was peeling oranges to eat, praising the sweetness of oranges while eating, and saying that everything he had bought before was sour. Han Baojun said, you are reluctant to buy good, only buy cheap, of course, sour. Father echoed, cheap and sure enough, there was no good product. Han Baojun looked at his father and was worried. He asked, Dad, are you uncomfortable? Father said, it is not uncomfortable. Han Baojun said, the doctor said that your heart is as bad as a rag, how can you not feel bad? Father said, listen to their grins less, scare us, I really don't feel bad. Never been uncomfortable? Han Baojun asked. My father squinted his eyes and thought for a moment, and said, sometimes I feel out of breath, and once the upper half of my body hurts, like someone drilling my heart socket with an impact. I wasn't afraid of your jokes, that time I thought I was going to die, so I quickly got up and wrote you a note and gave you the amount of our family's deposit.

How come you never told me?

It's not that it's not dead, there's nothing to say. Later, he came back to life and threw the note he wrote for you into the fire. At that time, I really thought I was going to die, and the things I experienced in my life went through in my head like a movie. What I think about most is your mother, your mother is a good woman, she is caught in the evil of others. If a woman is evil, she can't help herself, and you don't complain about her.

Han Baojun said that I didn't remember her for a long time, let alone complain about her, even if I met her on the road.

Father sighed and said, in this life, you will not touch her.

Why?

Father continued, and later, I felt like I had fallen into a black hole, I couldn't see my five fingers, and my body didn't hurt anymore. I kept walking forward, and gradually there was a bright light in the distance, and many people came toward me, but no one spoke to me. At this time, I saw your mother. I called her name, and she recognized me and asked in surprise, how did you get here? I said, you can come how I can't come. She covered her face and began to cry, saying that she was sorry for me, sorry for the child.

Han Baojun listened to his father's words and was silent.

After a while, Han Baojun couldn't help but ask again, what else did my mother say?

The father shook his head, gone, and said nothing but crying. Later, your mother cried so much that I couldn't stand it, and my body felt pain again, and I soon woke up in pain. I don't think it was a dream, I must have gone to the Yin Cao Mansion for a while. Han Baojun asked, in addition to that time, did it hurt? Father shook his head, no, never hurt again.

Han Baojun said solemnly, Your illness is not light, and you must be cured quickly. Father asked, how to cure? Han Baojun said, the doctor said, what kind of membrane. Father asked, how much does it cost to change that thing? Han Baojun did not answer his father's question, but said cautiously, Dad, honestly tell me how much money our family has.

Han Baojun accompanied his father in the hospital at night, and during the day, it was his turn to go to the large bathhouse to scrub the bath. The customer watched the person order, saw that he was listless, did not need him to scrub the bath, and even the old customer in his hand preferred to wait in line for another. Han Baojun did not fight, there was no work to do, he hid in the lounge to sleep. The doctor said that the replacement of two valves was at least 80,000, not including the cost of post-care. He had to rub more than fifteen thousand guests to earn eighty thousand. Closing his eyes, Han Baojun seemed to see countless naked men lining up towards him. The procession stretched endlessly, like a river with no end in sight. With so many people, how long will the line be?

His father refused to tell Han Baojun how much money his family had saved, and he insisted that the family's savings were only 10,000, and they had already been given to him, and there was nothing else. Of course, Han Baojun didn't believe it, and the money he had earned from scrubbing in the past few years was more than this amount. Without money, you can't operate. His father was discharged from the hospital, and Han Baojun consulted a doctor. The doctor took the film to show him, you are going to be discharged, I will not stop, your father can live to this day is already a miracle, as a doctor, I hope that this old man with a strong heart continues to live. The cost of surgery is a little expensive, but it is not expensive enough to ruin your family, and I will help you find a way to keep the price to the minimum.

Han Baojun was touched, what a good doctor. Don't say give people red envelopes, people still want to try to save money for us, what are people trying to do? Father scoffed, forget it, don't think of him so well, he just wants us to spend money, we are not deceived. Han Baojun was angry and angrily rebuked his father, you are a scrooge, you look at the hospital is so big, so many patients every day, people are rare we have this money? Stay in the green mountains, not afraid of no firewood. The money you spend, your son will earn back. Father did not listen, his mouth was locked, and he made up his mind to carry it to the end.

Back at home, Han Baojun rummaged through boxes and cabinets, and searched one by one. Finally, a black leather bag was found on the sofa compartment, which contained a time deposit slip of 30,000 yuan. Went to the hospital, Han Baojun made fun of his father, you can almost be a spy, hide so secretly. Father's face is gray, you really found it? Han Baojun said that he had found it, but why was it only thirty thousand? I always feel that our family has more money than that. The father's eyebrows moved faintly, and this subtle movement was captured by Han Baojun. He guessed correctly, there must be money hidden.

Han Baojun continued his search, the gap in the bedding, the closet partition, the picture frame mezzanine. He squatted on the ground and thought of himself as a little child, and his elderly father was like a little child. He tried to find out with the eyes of a small child where his father might have hidden his passbook. Finally, his gaze fell on a New Year painting on the wall, and the fat doll riding a large golden carp looked at him happily. The cunning father used tape paper to glue the passbook to the back of the New Year painting, and covered it with a blank piece of paper. It was a passbook of sixty thousand yuan, and Han Baojun was relieved that the family's money was enough for the operation.

The father was completely disfigured, his neck shrunk in the fat hospital gown, only his head was exposed, and his two cloudy eyes stared angrily at his son.

Han Baojun taught his father that don't say that our money is enough for surgery, it is not enough, and it is worth it to build some foreign debt. It is not easy for people to live for a lifetime, money is something outside the body, how can you not think about it?

Father's neck came out of his hospital gown, pulled his throat and shouted, less to tell me the big truth, tell you, you can't get this money out, you don't know the password.

Han Baojun said, the password must be my birthday, the last time that passbook you did not tell me the password, I did not take it out?

Father smiled slyly, you don't want to think, I will be so stupid? Stupid enough to use the same password? You underestimate me too much.

In order to decipher the two passbook codes, Han Baojun worked hard. Since it is not his birthday, will it be his father's own birthday, no; will it be the last six digits of his mobile phone number, or it will not be right; then the first six digits of the mobile phone number are still wrong. Even though he was holding the father's and son's IDs, the bank gave him a red light. If the password does not match three times, you must ask yourself to apply for the loss of the password in person. He was angry, lying that his father was now unconscious in the hospital and was waiting for the operation fee, how could he come personally? His affair alarmed the bank's management, allowing him to change counters and try the password again. This time, he typed his birthday hard, strangely, with the correct password. The other one, losing your own birthday again, is still correct. My father! The sweat on Han Baojun's brain was flowing down. First playing hide-and-seek with him, and now he's fighting with him. He had completely subdued the old man.

As soon as his father saw Han Baojun's triumphant look, he knew that his plan had failed. His neck was still shrunk in his fat hospital gown, and his head was hunched as if he were going to burrow into his clothes.

At night, Han Baojun stayed in the hospital to accompany his father. There was an empty bed next to him, so he lay down on it to rest. In the middle of the night, the nurse rounded the room, pushed Han Baojun and asked, what about your father? Han Baojun pointed to his father's hospital bed and said, "Fall asleep." The nurse said, Obviously not there. Han Baojun hurriedly got up and lifted his father's quilt, and sure enough, the person was gone, and there was only a sick suit in the quilt. He panicked and went out to look for the bathroom, the water room, the doctor's duty room, one by one, none. Returning to the ward, he looked for luggage and found that his father had nothing with him, including the clothes he had worn before he was admitted to the hospital.

Han Baojun searched the bed again and saw the sandalwood beads on his father's hand. It was picked up by Han Baojun in the bathhouse, and it was not valuable, but his father was a treasure, wearing it on his left wrist every day, and he could not leave it, saying that it was a bodhisattva blessing. The patient gown wears a two-stranded vest and the patient pants are folded with briefs. Except for the father's body, everything else was left. Han Baojun speculated that he should change his clothes to go out, how could he even leave his underwear and vest behind? Did you go out naked? Han Baojun's eyes appeared in front of his father's naked body, his back, his loose hips, and his legs. He had seen the naked bodies of countless men, but he was not so familiar with his father's bodies. My father occasionally went to the bath and only let him rub his back. Every time he finished rubbing his back, he tried to rub his whole body, and his father pushed him away, shouting that he was not used to being touched by others.

Han Baojun went home overnight, and the black lights in his home were blind and silent. Returning to the hospital again, Han Baojun looked at the hospital gown on the bed and was helpless. He had a ridiculous feeling that instead of taking off his hospital gown, his father had shrunk into the gown and disappeared.

Where did my father go? In the following month, Han Baojun searched the streets and alleys of Qingzhou City. He also took a train back to his hometown, and the villagers told him that your father had not returned for a long time.

The string of sandalwood-scented beads was worn on Han Baojun's arm, and he often raised his wrist to press the bead against his cheek. The temperature of his father's body was transmitted to his face through this string of beads.

Where did my father go? He was empty-handed and had no clothes on, so where could he go? Han Baojun was puzzled. The owner of the bathhouse urged him to work, and said that if he did not come again, he would hire a new person to top his lack. He had to continue to come back and scrub the bath. He made a plastic photograph of his father, and every time he finished rubbing a guest, he would show it to others. Have you ever met this person? Oh, never seen it. It doesn't matter, if you see me one day, you must sue me, you must sue me.

Editor-in-Charge/Chen Kehai

Source: Shanxi Literature