Returning Home 07

"Isn't that the truth? Look at your younger brother; he just graduated last year and has already joined a major company."

"You child, we told you to focus on a proper job back then, but you insisted on writing some novel. In the end, you landed yourself in the hospital. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Fang Zhiyi felt a bit down. Seeing his parents awkwardly smiling along, he couldn't bring himself to say anything and could only use the excuse of having something to do to retreat into his room.

But just at the moment the door closed, he caught a snippet of conversation.

"Oh, Third Sister, you still haven't told him about the house? If you ask me, you two are too careless. The house is already mortgaged..."

Immediately after, it sounded as if she was stopped by someone, and though Fang Zhiyi wanted to hear more, there was nothing else.

Mom and Dad mortgaged the house???

But why didn't they say a word about it?

Fang Zhiyi looked at himself in the mirror, his body trembling slightly.

Had he really caused such a massive disaster? Not only did his parents have to go around borrowing money, but he also forced them to mortgage the family's only house?

After the relatives left, Fang's Mother called Fang Zhiyi out to eat. Seeing the simple dishes on the table, Fang Zhiyi felt a deep ache in his heart.

"We've been eating vegetarian lately. Your father and I need to control our weight, so it wasn't a good idea to ask them to stay for dinner." Fang's Mother put a chopstick-full of food into Fang Zhiyi's bowl; it was leftover stir-fried meat from yesterday.

Fang Zhiyi didn't ask any questions. He knew that some outcomes were already set in stone. He just silently buried his head in his food, and as he ate, tears streamed down his face.

He fell asleep very late that night and had a long dream. There were many people in the dream, but when he woke up, he forgot all their faces.

At work, Fang Zhiyi was somewhat absent-minded. As if God were trying to make things difficult for him, his father's friend was suddenly transferred away from his original post. The new manager who was parachuted in was even younger than him and seemed to have a grudge against him.

"He has no experience at all. Was this position specially reserved for him?"

"The company doesn't need freeloaders like this!"

"Some people take a salary but fail to create any value for the company. I will definitely report this to the higher-ups!"

Several successive passive-aggressive remarks made the other colleagues look at Fang Zhiyi, who could only bury his head even lower.

He began to feel remorse. He shouldn't have quit his job to write a novel in the first place, and he certainly shouldn't have become so obsessed with it... If it weren't for that... maybe everything would be different now.

Fang Zhiyi became extremely cautious. Even when a colleague wanted a glass of water, he would immediately trot over to get it. He had to hold onto this job tightly. As long as he could help share some of his family's burden, that would be better than anything.

Faced with the mandatory unpaid overtime proposed by the new manager, Fang Zhiyi did not object. Instead, he honestly did the wrap-up work left behind by others.

Returning home exhausted after a long day, he forced a smile under the concerned gazes of his parents.

But even so, before the annual review meeting, Fang Zhiyi still received a notice of termination.

"You're not young anymore, yet you spend all day just trying to coast by. Find a job elsewhere."

Holding his belongings, he felt a sense of hollow loss.

But it seemed this tribulation was not over yet. Just when he didn't know how to break the news to his parents, people from the relevant company came to repossess the house because the mortgage had expired. Looking at Fang Zhiyi's haggard face, Fang's Mother wiped away her tears and comforted him, saying everything would be fine.

Watching his father's gradually stooping back, regret surged into Fang Zhiyi's heart like a tidal wave.

When he learned of his unemployment, a glimmer of disappointment flashed in his father's eyes. Although he didn't say anything, Fang Zhiyi knew that he was the main culprit responsible for all of this.

Although they moved into a rented apartment, life still had to go on.

Fang Zhiyi started taking odd jobs. Only in this way could he earn a little extra; with good luck, he could make two hundred yuan in an afternoon.

Fang's Father accidentally injured his leg while working, and the place where Fang's Mother did odd jobs was ordered to suspend operations for rectification due to failing fire safety inspections. Currently, she was also unemployed at home, and the entire family's source of income fell squarely on Fang Zhiyi's shoulders.

Fang Zhiyi's mental state was also rather poor. He kept having strange dreams, which left him completely drained of energy during the day.

Perhaps because the pressure was too great, the atmosphere at home became much heavier.

Fang's Father, who was originally a man of few words, became much more short-tempered because of his leg injury. He would either yell loudly at Fang's Mother or complain about his bad luck. Fang Zhiyi understood this; after all, if it weren't for him, the family wouldn't be in this state.

Fang's Mother was also affected by Fang's Father, with complaints constantly hanging on her lips.

Upon receiving a call from the hospital, the doctor on the other end reminded them that Fang Zhiyi hadn't gone in for his follow-up appointment this month. Fang's Mother frowned and yelled into the phone, "What follow-up? He's already completely fine! Your follow-ups are so expensive! You want to test for everything, you just know how to squeeze money out of us common folks, don't you?"

She hung up the phone.

Fang Zhiyi had just returned from finishing his work. Seeing this, he didn't say a word.

When Fang's Mother saw him, she started complaining again, "Look at that father of yours, acting like a lord now. He needs help with everything. I'm just the Fang family's servant, aren't I..."

As she spoke, she suddenly began to sob, but looking up at Fang Zhiyi, she still managed to squeeze out a smile. "Don't mind me, Mom isn't blaming you. You must be hungry, right? Mom will go make food for you right now."

Fang Zhiyi lowered his head and walked into his father's room. Seeing his face, his father smiled and said, "It's nothing. Your dad's body is still tough, I'll be fine in a few days. Don't worry."

Fang Zhiyi silently poured water for his father and then headed toward his own room. From behind him, the sound of his parents arguing echoed once more.

Their resentment was never directed at Fang Zhiyi; instead, they vented it on each other.

Fang Zhiyi closed the door, slid down with his back against it, and rubbed his face with both hands.

It was all his fault.

Everything was his fault.

The heavy burden of life pressed down on Fang Zhiyi so much that he could hardly lift his head. The money he earned, after paying off his parents' debts, barely covered their living expenses.

So when the hospital called to urge him to go in for a follow-up, he could only smile bitterly and say he had no time.

But the doctor on the other end of the line said, "Your condition is quite rare, and it's related to your mental state. If you don't come in for a follow-up, you might relapse." He paused. "If you are worried about the expenses, I can try to apply for some assistance for you... In any case, you need to be responsible for yourself."

Thinking of the year he spent lying unconscious in the hospital, Fang Zhiyi gritted his teeth and said, "I'll come tomorrow."

Looking at the haggard Fang Zhiyi before him, the doctor pushed up his glasses. "Haven't been sleeping well?"

Fang Zhiyi nodded.

"You have some hidden risks regarding your mental state, so you must maintain adequate sleep..." He paused for a moment. "I noticed that your mother's mood hasn't been great lately either, is that right?"

Fang Zhiyi didn't speak; he just kept his head down.

"It's like this. After all, your family has sacrificed a lot because of your illness. They are under a lot of pressure, and as a son, you must learn to understand your parents. If you hadn't had that accident back then, they wouldn't be under such immense stress. You have to know that while you were in a coma, they ran themselves ragged for you, and even came to beg me. Sigh, the pitiful hearts of parents everywhere..."