Jiang Yan suddenly became tongue-tied again. With Pei’s mother as an example, he knew it wasn’t easy to console Pei Rong.
“Birth, aging, sickness, and death, no one can escape them.”
Pei Rong lowered his gaze and said, “I know. Aunt Zhao has watched Dundun grow up. I will do my best to take care of Aunt Zhao until the end and accept whatever fate brings.”
The biggest regret in his life was not being filial to his mother during her final moments.
This time, he wouldn’t let it happen again.
Jiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s good that you’ve come to terms with it.”
The sanatorium was not far from the villa. In Aunt Zhao’s situation, it’s better to move into the sanatorium, where various instruments could make life more comfortable.
Aunt Zhao also wanted to go to the sanatorium. If she stayed in the villa, Pei Rong and Jiang Yan would definitely buy a bunch of medical equipment for her, each costing tens or even hundreds of thousands. Aunt Zhao didn’t want them to spend that money. She’s a bit superstitious at heart, believing that having illness at home is bad for children.
Jiang Yan would also be working from the sanatorium for the next half month. As the director, it’s his first appearance there, and there were many matters awaiting his attention. He’s staying in the room next to Aunt Zhao’s, leaving a room for Pei Rong. If he ever needed to take care of things late, he could stay there anytime.
“While Pei Ge is busy, pack a few sets of clothes. I’ll help you take them to the sanatorium later as backup.”
If he packed under Pei Dundun’s watchful eyes, it will trigger a hundred questions of “Daddy, where are you going?”
Jiang Yan: “There’s a practical problem. If you’re going to be taking care of Aunt Zhao in the hospital for a long time, what about Dundun? Besides you, who else can handle him?”
“Let’s talk about it later. He’s been quite obedient lately.” Pei Rong went to tidy up in the cloakroom.
Jiang Yan sat on the sofa downstairs, drinking tea. Three minutes later, he heard a cry of alarm, followed by the sound of tables and chairs being overturned.
He dashed upstairs and saw Pei Rong standing barefoot on a chair, as if there was something dirty on the floor.
“There’s a mouse! Bring me the slippers.” Pei Rong’s expression was one of disbelief. How could there be a mouse in the cloakroom with no food or drink?
Jiang Yan threw the slippers to his feet, and Pei Rong dared to step down, pointing to the crack under the cabinet. “It’s hiding in there.”
Jiang Yan held the broomstick and poked a few times. Two big rats darted out like lightning, slipping directly towards the door.
“Chase them. Don’t let them escape.”
The two chased after the rats, determined to eliminate them.
Adults and rats. It was unclear who was faster. The two rats dashed away, but their route strangely remained consistent. One after the other, they entered the partially open door of Pei Ge’s toy room.
Pei Rong thought it wasn’t good. Inside were all large toys, and finding two rats would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Little did he know that when he pushed open the door, the scene before him nearly made him faint.
It wasn’t just two rats; it seemed like the entire rat family had moved in!
As Pei Rong opened the door, the gathering of rats scattered in all directions, instantly disappearing into various corners as if the scene just now was a mere illusion.
One even panicked and ran out between him and Jiang Yan.
Pei Rong’s vision darkened.
Jiang Yan hesitated to speak. Though Pei Rong was a bit lazy, his house shouldn’t be dirty enough for rats to make nests in, especially since he had a cat.
Pei Rong took a few deep breaths, trying to stay calm.
Damn, staying calm was impossible!
Seeing this, Jiang Yan comforted him, “It’s normal for villas to have rat problems, especially since behind your place there’s an orchard and a warehouse.”
Pei Rong gritted his teeth and said, word by word, “Can’t you see? These were raised by your nephew, Pei Ge.”
Jiang Yan: “...”
Who knew how long he had been raising them or how many places these rats had run off to? No wonder Pei Ge’s appetite had increased, and no wonder his clothes inexplicably had holes in them! Not just one, but many items had been bitten!
“Pei! Ge!!!”
First and last name, the voice broke down.
In the living room, the TV was on, but it couldn’t mask the silence at the center of the storm.
Pei Rong stood on the main sofa seat, incredibly wanting to punch someone.
Pei Ge sat on the floor in the center, adjusting the crooked bandage on his arm. His arm was nestled in the dusty brown fur, his chin buried in the cat’s neck, holding the cat tightly.
Two pairs of round eyes, equally innocent.
Aunt Zhao and Jiang Yan sat on the sofas on either side, wanting to intercede for Pei Dundun, but because of Pei Rong’s expression, they could only offer sympathetic glances.
Pei Rong pressed his forehead. “Why do you want to raise rats?”
Pei Dundun argued reasonably, “They are toys for Orange. They didn’t cost much, just need to feed a little rice.”
Orange tilted its head and meowed in agreement. Cats catch rats, dogs eat meat, it’s only natural.
Pei Rong stared at the cat. He had always thought it was a just and upright sheriff who would mercilessly expose Pei Dundun’s mischief.
He even felt like he could see a message from Orange’s clear eyes: ‘I also want to expose it, but Dundun is raising mice.’
He was wrong from the beginning. He shouldn’t have fallen for Pei Ge’s “Orange doesn’t need to buy toys” trap.
“Where did they come from?”
“I saw them in the small warehouse behind.” Pei Dundun described it as a litter just born. He picked them up together.
Pei Rong weakly asked, “Has Orange eaten a rat?”
Pei Dundun confidently replied, “Nope! If it eats them all, they’ll be gone. I don’t let it eat.”
Just catch and play, then put them back in the box.
Oh, how did they manage to escape and let Dad see them?
Pei Rong smiled, “Fatten them up and then eat them, right?”
Pei Dundun complained, “I think Orange can’t stand it anymore.”
Pei Rong asked, “How many are there in total?”
Pei Dundun, who usually answered fluently, suddenly hesitated. It’s not that he couldn’t count, but the numbers fluctuate, and sometimes the mouse mom comes too.
Pei Rong’s ears buzzed with anger.
This villa couldn’t be kept.
This child couldn’t be kept either.
“Dr. Jiang, please tell Pei Ge how many germs are on rats.”
Jiang Yan had already found relevant scientific articles and read them gently.
Pei Rong remarked, “Looks like Dundun isn’t afraid of getting sick or getting injections.”
Pei Dundun’s little face was confused, as if in a daze.
Pei Rong: “Dr. Jiang, could you please tell Pei Ge again how hard it is for farmers to farm, what it means that every grain is hard work?”
Pei Dundun silently counted the rice he had wasted, buried his face in the cat’s belly, and dared not make a sound.
After a while, he let go of Orange, climbed onto the sofa, and modestly kissed his father’s cheek. “I was wrong, Dad.”
Pei Rong, sharp as ever, said: “Are you just realizing you’re wrong? You didn’t dare tell Dad about raising rats; you knew it was wrong from the start.”
Pei Dundun took a step back, hands behind his back, only bringing his head forward, gently rubbing against Pei Rong: “But Dad, you work so hard to earn money, and I want to make toys myself.”
Buying a cat had already cost a lot of money, and he would have to raise his own cat. He couldn’t ask Dad for money anymore.
He took another step back, “Does daddy not want to touch the dirty Dundun that raises rats?”
Pei Rong, feeling both angry and amused, picked him up with one hand and said, “Get lost, clean up, and then you can ask.”
The villa launched an operation to exterminate the rats, with Orange as the team leader, going wild in the toy room and racking up points.
But Pei Rong always felt that the rats hadn’t been caught completely, and all of his and Pei Ge’s clothes and bedding had to be rewashed and disinfected. The furniture, toys, and environment all had to be disinfected as well.
Outside the villa, clothes and blankets were hung out to dry, like an open-air clothing store.
Pei Dundun covered himself with a cardboard box, covered his ears and listened at the door of the toy room, where his father couldn’t see him.
In the living room, financial news was playing, mentioning how many billions were being invested in a certain new economic development zone.
Pei Rong, lifting a quilt to move outside, glanced up and saw, oh, the graceful and elegant President Lu visiting the development zone.
The etiquette ladies were beautiful, the local leaders were enthusiastic, tasting local specialties, visiting factories, the CEO who wouldn’t even bother with a membership card, investing several hundred billion without batting an eye.
Pei Rong: “…”
He looked at his own disheveled appearance, then at the child playing with cats and rats, and then at the elegant President Lu.
It’s outrageous! Completely outrageous!
This dog of a man was a bit too carefree.
