086 The Spaceship Among the Trash (Please add to your favorites and vote for recommendations!)
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Zhao Xuan had long grown used to this routine. She walked to the dining table, took out two bowls, filled them with rice, and set them down. Then she began to eat her meal in silence, alone.
Ten minutes later, the door to the master bedroom opened slowly.
By that time, Zhao Xuan had finished her lunch. She turned her head to watch as a man came out of the bedroom, supporting himself with a cane.
His beard was unkempt, as if it hadn’t seen a razor in at least a month. He wore pink cotton pajamas, and his hair had grown long enough to cover his ears. Disheveled and dirty, he looked more like a corpse, swaying unsteadily as he walked down the hallway.
Zhao Xuan regarded him as if nothing were amiss, passing by his side on her way to her own room.
The man wobbled to the table, found a seat, and began to slowly eat the now-cold rice.
About twenty minutes later, Zhao Xuan emerged from her room once more.
Seeing the man’s destitute appearance, her brows relaxed slightly. “Dad, I bought some prepared rehmannia root today.”
The man acted as if he hadn’t heard her, continuing to pick at his food.
“Dad, can’t you pull yourself together? You used to practice martial arts and even placed in the provincial competition. But now… you look like a beggar!”
The man’s name was Zhao Hai—Zhao Xuan’s father. Over a decade ago, he’d suffered an injury. He’d tried countless tonics, consulted renowned doctors, but nothing worked. Eventually, he gave up completely, living off his daughter’s support.
Zhao Hai gave a foolish laugh. His thin, withered hands began to tremble, bloodshot eyes rolling as his voice quavered, “A beggar?”
Zhao Xuan fell silent.
In her memories, her father had been a brave, cheerful man, admired by many. He and her mother had been deeply in love, and she often competed with her mother for his affection.
“Dad, just try the rehmannia. I bought it from a friend, he practices martial arts too.”
“Another so-called martial artist. These days, they’re all just show-offs. When it comes to a real fight, they’re useless.”
“Dad, my friend is truly skilled. I can’t say for sure whether it’s because of this herb, but you can’t go wrong trying it.”
Zhao Hai’s right wrist hung limp as he clutched his chopsticks, stuffing a piece of dried tofu into his bristly mouth, chewing slowly. With his left hand, he grabbed a small bottle of Erguotou liquor and took a sip. “Mmm…”
The burn of the liquor brought him a fleeting sense of comfort, a bit of relief from his frustration.
“Try it? With your salary, how much can you even afford?”
“My salary isn’t much, but I’m your daughter. I can’t just stand by and watch you suffer.”
“How much did you spend this time?” Zhao Hai’s tone was casual, but he was, in fact, deeply concerned about how much of her hard-earned money Zhao Xuan had wasted.
Zhao Xuan bit her lip, hesitated for a long moment, then spoke softly: “One thousand yuan.”
“One thousand?” Zhao Hai jolted up, but quickly slumped back down.
A thousand was not a small sum, but not exorbitant either. His daughter’s salary was low, but she could just about manage it.
Still, he couldn’t let her keep throwing her money away on useless supplements.
“Your father is a broken man. From now on, save your money—don’t waste it anymore.”
Zhao Xuan’s eyes flickered. She had successfully covered up the truth, not arousing her father’s suspicion.
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At that moment, Zhao Hai set down his chopsticks. Bracing himself on the table, he summoned his strength—arms and legs shaking violently. Gritting his teeth, sweat beading cold on his forehead, it took all his effort to stand up.
“Dad, let me get you another bowl of rice.” Zhao Xuan walked to him, took the white ceramic bowl from the table, and casually set her pink-cased phone down.
“Alright.”
Once Zhao Xuan disappeared into the kitchen, Zhao Hai, hair in disarray, glanced toward the kitchen to make sure his daughter wasn’t watching. With trembling hands, he reached for her phone.
What was this?
A transfer of 8,000 yuan? For the rehmannia?
Zhao Hai’s face turned instantly pale, then darkened with anger. Gripping his daughter’s phone, his eyes flashed with fury as he stared in the direction of the kitchen.
She’d spent 8,000 yuan on useless traditional medicine!
He was livid!
Soon, Zhao Xuan returned with a steaming bowl of rice.
She sensed a chill in the air, as if someone were glaring at her, and hurriedly looked at Zhao Hai.
He was gripping her phone, staring at her with barely contained rage.
“Dad… what’s wrong?”
“Hmph! What’s this about 8,000 yuan? How could you be so foolish, to spend so much on traditional medicine? Can’t you tell you’re being scammed?”
Zhao Xuan froze, staring blankly at her father’s cold expression, her large eyes brimming with tears, speechless for a moment.
For decades, Zhao Hai had never stopped searching for a cure.
He’d tried everything—Western growth factors from mice, horses, cattle, and sheep, all manner of traditional tonics, acupuncture, rehabilitation—he’d spent his entire savings.
In recent years, he’d given up completely, no longer believing he could be cured. Only his daughter kept searching for ways to help him.
Eight thousand yuan! Two months of her salary!
“What kind of friend is this? All scammers! Tell me, how much did you buy?”
“A hundred jin.”
“That much?”
“You’ll eat half a jin every day—it’ll last you more than half a year.”
“Cough, cough, cough…” Suddenly, Zhao Hai was seized by a fit of phlegm, leaving him gasping for breath as he collapsed onto his chair. “Return it! Or you’re no daughter of mine!”
“Dad!” Zhao Xuan hadn’t expected her father, who never looked at her phone, to sneak a peek and discover her chat with Chen Anquan.
“Don’t say another word. Do you have work this afternoon?”
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“Nothing important this afternoon.”
“Then take leave from your boss. This afternoon, we’re going to find that scammer and force him to return the money, or else—”
He left the rest unsaid, but Zhao Xuan knew what he meant.
Or else, he’d fight to the bitter end!
“Dad…” Zhao Xuan’s eyes welled up; she didn’t know how to explain.
She remembered the short video she’d filmed for Chen Anquan. “Give me the phone.”
“Hmph!” Zhao Hai’s lips quivered. He hesitated a moment before handing it over. “No matter what, you’re taking me to see that scam artist this afternoon. I’ll rip him apart with my bare hands!”
Fuming, Zhao Xuan unlocked her phone and stomped her foot in frustration. Her innocent, troubled gaze betrayed her dilemma. She opened the video app and pulled up a video of Chen Anquan practicing Tai Chi. “Dad, look.”
Zhao Hai stared at the screen, watching Chen Anquan perform Tai Chi. After a long moment, he scoffed, “All show and no substance. What kind of Tai Chi is that?”
“Dad!” Zhao Xuan felt he was being deliberately contrary. She’d seen provincial Tai Chi competitions herself—Chen Anquan could easily place among the winners. “I saw contestants at the provincial competition who weren’t as good as him.”
“Hmph… that level? You must have water on the brain, or got your head stuck in a door!”
“Dad…” Zhao Xuan was on the verge of tears.
Facing Zhao Hai’s relentless criticism, she played another video. “Here he is practicing Tai Chi sword.”
This time, Zhao Hai watched for three to five minutes. “Hmph! That pathetic display? And he dares to mess with the Wudang Tai Chi Sword? Does he think he’s some sword god? What a fraud!”
Zhao Xuan was startled—Chen Anquan had never mentioned altering any movements of the Tai Chi Sword.
She’d seen many experts practicing Wudang Tai Chi Sword, and Chen Anquan’s moves were nearly identical. Where was this so-called ‘modification’?
Zhao Hai sneered. “Hmph! That fool really thinks he’s a genius. He knows nothing, but still dares to mess with Tai Chi Sword!”
“Dad…” Zhao Xuan was helpless. She found another short video of Chen Anquan.
This time, it was his hundred-meter sprint.
10.58 seconds!
“Garbage! Only 10.58 seconds, just like that Bolt guy—trash among the trash!”
“Dad…”
Her father was always boastful, especially when watching sports on TV—every world champion, in his eyes, was nothing but a space shuttle among the rubbish heap.
“And this one…”