Feng Qishi’s hospital room was stirred by a breeze, and Zhang Yan was still sitting by the bedside, continuing to eat the chicken feet and duck feet he brought for Feng Qishi, saying, "Hmm, the five-spice flavor is quite good."
Feng Qishi pressed his single arm over his eyes and said, "Why haven't you finished eating yet?"
"Good food should be savored slowly to be fragrant, but speaking of which," Zhang Yan reached out and grabbed Feng Qishi's arm that was shielding his eyes.
Feng Qishi asked, "Are your hands clean?"
"Clean," Zhang Yan said, moving his hand away and continuing to gnaw on the chicken feet.
Feng Qishi removed his arm, looking with disgust at his sleeve which now had a greasy stain, and said, "I knew you were so dirty."
"I'm dirty, I'm dirty," Zhang Yan said, deliberately licking his fingers.
Feng Qishi gasped and said, "Damn, you keep your room so clean, I never expected you to be such a slovenly person."
"Let's not talk about me," Zhang Yan said, looking at the room that only contained the two of them. "Where are your family members?"
"I don't know. It's better if they're not here. If they are," Feng Qishi sneered, "it's suffocating."
"Indeed. If your family were here, I couldn't eat so presumptuously," Zhang Yan said, gobbling down the chicken feet.
"Won't eating like this hurt your body?" Feng Qishi asked.
Zhang Yan said while eating, "No. Who do you think I am? I'm not like ordinary people. Of course," he laughed, "if an old person my age were to eat this, the result might not be very good."
"It's better for the elderly to eat less of this kind of thing," Feng Qishi said.
"I'm different," Zhang Yan said proudly, taking another big bite.
Just then, as Feng Qishi was about to speak again, the door opened. Feng Qishi quickly closed his eyes. Zhang Yan, without any reaction, continued eating while looking up at Feng's father and Uncle Chen as they entered the room and said, "Hello there."
"You're here too," Uncle Chen said excitedly.
Zhang Yan smiled, pointed at the chicken feet and duck feet on the table, and said, "Come have some."
"Okay," Uncle Chen agreed, walked forward, took the chicken feet Zhang Yan handed him, took a bite, and said, "Delicious."
"See? I spent a lot of money to buy them," Zhang Yan chuckled.
Feng's father looked at the familiar relationship between Zhang Yan and Uncle Chen and asked, "And who is this?"
Upon hearing this, Uncle Chen quickly turned to Feng's father and said, "Oh, you don't know each other?"
"No," Zhang Yan said leisurely.
Uncle Chen glanced at Zhang Yan and introduced, "This is my good friend."
"When did you meet him?" Feng's father stepped forward and asked.
Uncle Chen smiled and said, "Not long ago. Don't let my friend's age fool you; his heart is very young."
"Thank you for the compliment," Zhang Yan said without looking at Feng's father.
Feng's father felt awkward.
Uncle Chen also noticed Zhang Yan's lack of interest in Feng's father and said, "Well, Qishi just had surgery. Eating this might not be good!"
Zhang Yan stopped eating and said, "Don't misunderstand. I haven't given any to Qishi. I've been eating it all myself."
When Uncle Chen heard this, he looked at the trash can and exclaimed, "You ate all of this?"
"Yes, to let the child see!" Zhang Yan laughed.
Uncle Chen's mouth twitched. He looked at the chicken feet in his hand and said, "Old friend, eating like this isn't healthy!"
"Why isn't it healthy?" Zhang Yan asked with a playful defiance.
"Look, although this thing is delicious and tasty, it still has additives. Eating it once in a while is fine, but you have to limit it. Eating so much like this," Uncle Chen pursed his lips, "is very bad."
"Will I die?" Zhang Yan asked.
Uncle Chen hesitated for a moment and said, "Well, you probably won't die, but it's harmful to the human body."
"Can I finish eating first, okay?" Zhang Yan asked.
Uncle Chen was speechless.
Zhang Yan took two more bites, looked at Feng Qishi, and said, "Your Uncle Chen came to see you, and you're closing your eyes like this. Isn't that rude!"
"He doesn't want to see me," Feng's father said with self-awareness.
This time, Zhang Yan finally shifted his gaze to Feng's father's face and said exaggeratedly, "Did you have an unpleasant incident with your son? Let me tell you, kids these days are sensitive. You need to educate them patiently, and you can't preach too much. Of course, everyone needs to understand principles, but when you're talking, you need to consider whether you've lived up to them yourself. If you haven't, then what you're saying," he glanced at Feng Qishi, "is just nonsense."
Feng's father was speechless.
Feng Qishi opened his eyes and said, "Alright, stop talking."
"Okay," Zhang Yan nodded and continued to gnaw on the claws.
Feng Qishi looked at Feng's father and said, "Uh, could you please go out? I want to be alone with Uncle Chen."
Feng's father hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay." He agreed and turned to leave the room.
Uncle Chen glanced at Feng's father's retreating figure and then looked down at Feng Qishi, saying, "I just got back from a business trip, and you're already thinking of ending it all."
"Uncle Chen, when did you find out?" Feng Qishi asked in a low voice.
"Today," Uncle Chen said.
Feng Qishi sighed and glanced at Zhang Yan, who was sitting nearby, saying, "Um, big brother, could you go to the sofa over there to gnaw?"
Zhang Yan came back to his senses, looked at Feng Qishi, and after a few seconds of愣, stood up and said, "Shall I go out?"
"No, you don't have to go out."
"Alright then," Zhang Yan nodded, bent down to pick up the trash can, stood up, and voluntarily moved away from the chair.
Uncle Chen looked at Zhang Yan's aged back and said, "Eat a little less, you."
"Got it," Zhang Yan replied, walked to the sofa, sat down, and continued eating.
Uncle Chen looked at Zhang Yan's persistent demeanor, shook his head helplessly, and sat down saying, "Child, speak your mind. Don't bottle it up."
"You know about my situation, right?" Feng Qishi asked.
Uncle Chen's eyes darkened and he said, "I know. Your mother just told me that you're not taking the college entrance exam anymore, and she brought several girls, seemingly to the cafeteria."
"Nonsense," Feng Qishi muttered and closed his eyes.
"Are you thinking of ending it all because of this?" Uncle Chen guessed.
Zhang Yan looked up at them.
Feng Qishi's eyes darkened and he said, "No. We had a disagreement that morning, and then I fell down without steadying myself. I didn't attempt suicide."
"Then you're too careless," Uncle Chen said angrily, reaching out to grab Feng Qishi's arm. "What if something really happened to you?"
"Anyway, if I die, no one will remember me," Feng Qishi said pessimistically.
Uncle Chen frowned and said, "Feng Qishi, saying things like that is heartless. If you really die, I'll be the first one to scold you at your grave."
"Uncle Chen, even if I'm dead, you'll still scold me? I'll be exhausted down there," Feng Qishi said, looking into Uncle Chen's eyes.
Uncle Chen frowned, "Child, I know you..."
"That woman knows I'm her biological son, but she just dislikes me, so she wants to treat me this way. Uncle Chen," Feng Qishi choked up, "do you still remember what I often told you when I was a child?"