Electronic Nezha

Chapter 144 Everything is Back

Before going home, Hao Hao said he wanted to ride in the same car as me. With him there, my safety was naturally not a problem. When I got out the door, I found out that Sixth Master and the others had come in Xiao Wu's car. So Hao Hao and I got into Xiao Wu's car, while Dolphin, Shark, and Ma Chaoran followed behind in another car.

As soon as we started driving, Hao Hao said to me, "Brother Feng, I didn't finish telling you about that dream."

"Did the Queen say anything to you?"

“She didn’t say it herself, but showed me some images—you and Liu Zhenhua in a factory, wearing welding masks, making the chip for me while laughing strangely and saying, ‘If you want an idiot to work for us, you have to give him a little treat first.’”

Yes, that's the style. The Queen's dreams, anything grounded in your personal experiences, are always beautiful and lifelike. But when she inserts her own personal agenda, it becomes a disaster. If I had to describe her characteristics, I'd say she's a good documentary director, but she always tries to force a thematic elevation at the end, resulting in something incongruous.

I asked Hao Hao, "What do you think?"

Hao Hao scratched his head and said, "It's pretty stiff."

I burst out laughing.

Hao Hao said, "Besides... I think she's mistaken about something. Without the chip you gave me, I'd still be an idiot. This isn't a reward; it's a life-saving grace."

I said, "That chip was actually made for me by Liu Zhenhua, and its correct usage is not to be ingested."

Hao Hao said, "No matter what, my life is yours from now on."

“You belong to the country. From now on, you will be under the country’s jurisdiction. Let’s not be like the Queen; let’s have a broader perspective.”

Although Hao Hao is 21 years old this year, he's only had a clear mind for two months. His new brain is so useful—simple, direct, and logically clear. I've found that the Queen's hypnotic techniques are difficult to work on people with simple minds. Her only successful case was Huang Jiaoming, who was obsessed with fame. Wait, describing myself as simple-minded doesn't seem quite right. Belief! Yes, it's a strong sense of conviction!
And shouldn't the Queen perhaps improve her aesthetic sense? Oh, and when two big bad guys are doing something evil, they always have to screech and laugh loudly, discussing things—what kind of early childhood education picture book style is this? Such high-tech things as combat chips, were they welded together by us wearing welding masks and sputtering like lightning? Okay, that's about right…

When they arrived at their destination, the people in the car behind them didn't move.

Hao Hao and I entered the building. There was only one pair of old-fashioned women's shoes left next to the small shoe cabinet. Hao Hao stood motionless facing the door.

"What are you looking at? Open the door," I said.

"I...don't have the key."

Yeah, how could an idiot have a key?

I had no choice but to knock on the door.

After a while, Aunt Xu opened the door. When she saw it was me and then saw a person in military uniform behind me, she suddenly took a step back, her eyes filled with worry, and asked in a low voice, "Has something happened to Hao Hao?"

I slipped into the house, pulling Hao Hao in with me.

"Don't be so delusional. Look at who this is!"

Aunt Xu looked up at the young officer in front of her and asked in surprise, "Hao Hao?"

"Mom—" Hao Hao moved slightly, as if he wanted to give his mother a hug, but in that moment of hesitation, Aunt Xu said, "Didn't we tell you not to come back?" She looked Hao Hao up and down, stretched out her rough and deformed hand, wanting to touch her son, but then put it down as if afraid of getting his military uniform dirty.

"He looks really smart! But isn't impersonating a soldier illegal?"

I said speechlessly, "Aunt Xu, Hao Hao is now a formally employed officer, a proper military officer."

"Really?" Aunt Xu jumped up and down with joy, like a little girl. She stood on tiptoe to get a better look at Hao Hao's epaulets. "What rank of cadre is this?"

Hao Hao said, "Mom, you don't need to collect scraps anymore, and you don't need to work anymore. My salary is enough to support you."

Aunt Xu's eyes reddened as she said, "Save the money you get. Mom's used to this life. What else can I do besides collecting scraps?"

I said, "Watch TV, catch up on the shows you didn't finish watching when you were young, do some square dancing in the evening, and browse the health and wellness articles posted by those experts. There are plenty of things to do."

Aunt Xu smiled and said, "Let's not talk about that. You two, please sit down. I'll pour you some water."

I felt the atmosphere was strange as soon as I entered the house. I was a guest, so it was only right that Aunt Xu was polite to me, but she seemed to be very polite to Hao Hao as well.

Hao Hao's bed was folded up very neatly, so neatly that it was obvious that the owner of the bed hadn't been back for a long time. All the things Hao Hao had used in the room—the iron basin, cup, and rice spoon he used for eating—were placed in the corner of the cupboard. It seemed that Aunt Xu was determined to separate from her son and get used to life without him.

Aunt Xu found two frosted cups, then walked to the thermos on top of the cabinet. The thermos was against the wall. Aunt Xu was not tall, so she skillfully stepped onto the stool next to the cabinet and reached out to grab the thermos.

Why go through all that trouble when you could just leave it on the table?
"Why—" I had only asked half a sentence when Hao Hao suddenly walked behind Aunt Xu, reached out and picked up the thermos. Aunt Xu subconsciously grabbed Hao Hao's hand.

Hao Hao said, "Mom, please put the thermos on the ground from now on, so I won't burn myself again."

Aunt Xu gave an awkward laugh and said, "Oh right... I had forgotten that you were already better."

Hao Hao said, "Do you remember when I was little, I tried to grab the thermos and almost poured hot water on my face? You slapped me for that. That was the first and last time you hit me."

"How could I not remember? If I hadn't been quick, you would have become an ugly monster." Aunt Xu laughed, like any mother recalling her child's mischievous antics. Then her smile slowly froze on her face. She turned around slowly, and Hao Hao burst into tears, crying, "Mom! I remember everything!"

Aunt Xu looked at Hao Hao in shock and murmured, "What did you remember?"

Hao Hao cried out, "I remember everything, I remember everything." He kept repeating these few words, which were more powerful than a thousand words. What he remembered was the suffering, offense, and scorn that Aunt Xu had endured over the years. Sometimes being a fool is not a bad thing, because he didn't feel the bitterness of these experiences, while these hardships would be intensified and weigh heavily on his mother.

No wonder the thermos is placed in the highest and most remote corner; it's a helpless measure to prevent a fool from disfiguring himself.

Aunt Xu was stunned for a long time. Suddenly, she hugged Hao Hao and burst into tears, pounding his back with both hands as she cried: "You silly boy!"

At that moment, I finally understood why Aunt Xu was so "polite" to Hao Hao. Although Hao Hao could call her "Mom" after he became a normal person, he didn't actually remember her. Aunt Xu still loved him, simply out of a mother's love that she wanted the best for her child. So she treated this son like a guest. She just wanted to see him doing well. Perhaps... she even hoped that Hao Hao could get rid of her, this "burden," and fly as high as possible.

Now, everything is back. The memories are back, the fool is back, and the son is back. I don't know if Aunt Xu feels a little sweeter or more bitter. In any case, this cup of coffee is extremely strong, and not everyone can appreciate it.

(End of this chapter)