Due to the speed of the examination, Lin Jin returned home around noon.
Lin Chen's phone call also came around noon. He told Lin Jin that their mom agreed to come back after Chinese New Year to try to talk things over with their dad. However, Lin Chen said their mom seemed to not fully believe that their dad had truly quit gambling and drinking, and started living a new life.
In reality, their dad had not quit drinking. As for gambling, it was also unclear, he had perhaps merely reduced the frequency.
"Dad." Upon receiving Lin Chen's message, Lin Jin stepped out of his bedroom and called out to his dad, who was watching TV in the living room. "Dad, mom says she will come back after the New Year."
His dad froze, his head turning from the TV to Lin Jin in astonishment. "Really?"
"Yes, my brother has already spoken with mom, they will come back together" Lin Jin felt this was the time to strike while the iron was hot. He wanted to make it clear to his dad that if he continued to gamble, mom would not come back. So, he stepped closer and said, "Mom says if you quit gambling and drinking, and if the household situation has improved a little since she left, she'll consider remarrying you."
His dad's eyes widened in surprise at Lin Jin's words.
"Mom had already been considering remarriage and was going to meet someone new. I had my brother persuade her to change her mind! Anyway, Mom will be back in about ten days. We have to figure out electrical appliances by then, right? We need to show her your good side, right? We have to buy things like water heaters and washing machines for the house, at least to make Mom think you've turned over a new leaf, right?" Lin Jin kept on coaxing his dad, hoping to actually turn him into the man he and his brother described. "So, you're going to stop gambling now, aren't you?"
He looked at Lin Jin's face, hesitated for a moment, and then said with a flicker in his eyes, "Well, I've mostly quit gambling."
"You also have to quit drinking, otherwise, Mom will definitely not reconcile with you" Lin Jin squatted in front of his dad, looking at him as he sat on a small stool, forcing himself to be patient. "I told Mom you've quit gambling and drinking and have started to work hard to make money. That's why she's willing to come back. Don't start gambling and drinking again when she returns."
"Okay."
Dad nodded vigorously, a glimmer of hope for the future in his eyes. Then he thought about the hundreds of thousands of dollars he had thrown into gambling tables over the past decade and hesitated again.
It felt a bit intolerable not to win that money back. What if he won next time? Recently, it seemed he had been winning a lot, and his luck was at its peak.
Though his thoughts were not particularly positive, his face remained expressionless as he continued to nod in agreement with Lin Jin.
"I know quitting gambling and drinking right away will be difficult for you" Lin Jin said understandingly, squatting on the floor and hugging his knees. "So if you drink, just don't get blackout drunk. If you gamble, betting one or two hundred is fine."
"As for the household appliances, I've been working part-time every day while studying. I have a few thousand yuan saved up. I can go buy a water heater, or else Mom will have to boil water herself for baths when she comes". Lin Jin thought for a moment and felt it might be a hassle if he went to buy it himself. So he asked, "Do you have WeChat or Alipay? I can transfer the money to you, and you can buy a water heater when you have some time in the next few days."
Dad continued to nod, but suddenly asked after nodding, "What part-time job are you doing at school that you can save up a few thousand yuan? Don't you need to eat?"
"Mom gives me 900 yuan a month for living expenses. That's enough for food" Lin Jin sweetly smiled at his dad, exaggerating his part-time earnings. "So I haven't spent a penny of the money I've made from my part-time job, I saved it all to buy furniture and stuff for the house when I get back."
The truth was, this idea had just come to Lin Jin. He initially had over 9,000 yuan saved up from doing tasks and was thinking about using it to rent a house next semester. But on second thought, he didn't need that much money for rent, so he might as well use it to add some appliances to the house.
However, remembering his dad's past behavior, Lin Jin felt the need to warn him, "So this is money I earned. After buying the water heater, you are not allowed to sell it!"
Dad listened carefully, sighed lightly, and his previously rigid face revealed a somewhat stiff smile. "Alright, I understand. I won't touch my son's money."
Even though his dad's integrity had rapidly declined after his gambling habits took over, Lin Jin chose to trust him. He transferred all 5,000 yuan from his bank account to his dad, instructing him to buy a water heater and a large TV for the house.
But man, my persuasive skills are off the charts! Dad didn't refute a single thing I said! He just sat there, stunned!
"Can I go get a haircut now?" Lin Jin, having transferred the money, stood up from his squatting position.
If he was making this much effort to help his dad reconcile with his mom, his dad should have no reason to comment on how effeminate he may look, right?
The smile on Dad's face grew wider, and he kept nodding as he checked the money in his WeChat account. However, a moment later, he suddenly looked up and said to Lin Jin, "Don't let your mom know that you were... were touched on the bus."
As soon as this matter was brought up, Lin Jin felt incredibly uncomfortable, shifting his gaze away from his dad awkwardly.
"Come on, before you go get a haircut, tell me what you're really thinking" Dad's smile disappeared again, as he spoke to Lin Jin with a certain seriousness.
Lin Jin immediately sensed that something was off in his dad's tone, realizing that his dad must be about to discuss some serious matters. The only serious matters that concerned his dad right now were probably Mom's return and his appearance.
Feeling uneasy, he returned to sit in front of his dad, finding a small stool in the corner.
"Do you want to be a woman?" Dad asked, cutting straight to the point.
The f*ck?! This wasn’t on the script, wasit?
Lin Jin was so startled by this question that he nearly lost his soul, shaking his head vigorously in denial.
"Why did you turn into this after just one semester at college?" Dad squinted his eyes, his expression extremely stern. "Did you take some medication? A friend of mine had a son who changed just like you after working outside for a year. Almost became like a woman."
"That guy took hormones for a year. How long have you been taking them?" Dad felt the need to be even more explicit. "Did you take estrogen? How else could you gain 10 kg in just three months?"
Lin Jin continued to shake his head, his face turning increasingly grim.
"My friend and I also tried to talk some sense into his son back then. The boy was once perfectly fine, a sturdy young man. But after taking those pills for a year, he was so weak he could hardly climb five floors. You could even see his chest through his shirt, looking neither male nor female, absolutely disgusting." Dad's tone was far from gentle, he was almost saying that Lin Jin, too, looked neither male nor female and was quite revolting.
The more Lin Jin listened, the worse his expression became, his entire body trembling slightly.
If it wasn't for the black cat... I wouldn't have ended up like this...
Neither male nor female, disgusting as hell? Is that how Dad sees me?
"Stop taking those medication. The medical report will come out tonight. Medication is bad for you, and look at yourself now. Do you look anything like a man?" Dad's tone grew even more severe, not giving the pale-faced Lin Jin a chance to retort. "Later go downstairs and get a crew cut from the barber. Stop keeping your hair so long! And throw away all your medication! Don't you feel ashamed walking around looking neither male nor female? Do you enjoy it when a man touches your butt on the bus?!"
Tears filled Lin Jin's eyes as he silently nodded. He stood up, his body swayed dangerously, nearly falling onto the ground.
And here I thought that doing my best to reconcile my mom and dad... would make Dad accept me as I am now... At least he wouldn’t say such things to me.
Due to the speed of the examination, Lin Jin returned home around noon.
Lin Chen's phone call also came around noon. He told Lin Jin that their mom agreed to come back after Chinese New Year to try to talk things over with their dad. However, Lin Chen said their mom seemed to not fully believe that their dad had truly quit gambling and drinking, and started living a new life.
In reality, their dad had not quit drinking. As for gambling, it was also unclear, he had perhaps merely reduced the frequency.
"Dad." Upon receiving Lin Chen's message, Lin Jin stepped out of his bedroom and called out to his dad, who was watching TV in the living room. "Dad, mom says she will come back after the New Year."
His dad froze, his head turning from the TV to Lin Jin in astonishment. "Really?"
"Yes, my brother has already spoken with mom, they will come back together" Lin Jin felt this was the time to strike while the iron was hot. He wanted to make it clear to his dad that if he continued to gamble, mom would not come back. So, he stepped closer and said, "Mom says if you quit gambling and drinking, and if the household situation has improved a little since she left, she'll consider remarrying you."
His dad's eyes widened in surprise at Lin Jin's words.
"Mom had already been considering remarriage and was going to meet someone new. I had my brother persuade her to change her mind! Anyway, Mom will be back in about ten days. We have to figure out electrical appliances by then, right? We need to show her your good side, right? We have to buy things like water heaters and washing machines for the house, at least to make Mom think you've turned over a new leaf, right?" Lin Jin kept on coaxing his dad, hoping to actually turn him into the man he and his brother described. "So, you're going to stop gambling now, aren't you?"
He looked at Lin Jin's face, hesitated for a moment, and then said with a flicker in his eyes, "Well, I've mostly quit gambling."
"You also have to quit drinking, otherwise, Mom will definitely not reconcile with you" Lin Jin squatted in front of his dad, looking at him as he sat on a small stool, forcing himself to be patient. "I told Mom you've quit gambling and drinking and have started to work hard to make money. That's why she's willing to come back. Don't start gambling and drinking again when she returns."
"Okay."
Dad nodded vigorously, a glimmer of hope for the future in his eyes. Then he thought about the hundreds of thousands of dollars he had thrown into gambling tables over the past decade and hesitated again.
It felt a bit intolerable not to win that money back. What if he won next time? Recently, it seemed he had been winning a lot, and his luck was at its peak.
Though his thoughts were not particularly positive, his face remained expressionless as he continued to nod in agreement with Lin Jin.
"I know quitting gambling and drinking right away will be difficult for you" Lin Jin said understandingly, squatting on the floor and hugging his knees. "So if you drink, just don't get blackout drunk. If you gamble, betting one or two hundred is fine."
"As for the household appliances, I've been working part-time every day while studying. I have a few thousand yuan saved up. I can go buy a water heater, or else Mom will have to boil water herself for baths when she comes". Lin Jin thought for a moment and felt it might be a hassle if he went to buy it himself. So he asked, "Do you have WeChat or Alipay? I can transfer the money to you, and you can buy a water heater when you have some time in the next few days."
Dad continued to nod, but suddenly asked after nodding, "What part-time job are you doing at school that you can save up a few thousand yuan? Don't you need to eat?"
"Mom gives me 900 yuan a month for living expenses. That's enough for food" Lin Jin sweetly smiled at his dad, exaggerating his part-time earnings. "So I haven't spent a penny of the money I've made from my part-time job, I saved it all to buy furniture and stuff for the house when I get back."
The truth was, this idea had just come to Lin Jin. He initially had over 9,000 yuan saved up from doing tasks and was thinking about using it to rent a house next semester. But on second thought, he didn't need that much money for rent, so he might as well use it to add some appliances to the house.
However, remembering his dad's past behavior, Lin Jin felt the need to warn him, "So this is money I earned. After buying the water heater, you are not allowed to sell it!"
Dad listened carefully, sighed lightly, and his previously rigid face revealed a somewhat stiff smile. "Alright, I understand. I won't touch my son's money."
Even though his dad's integrity had rapidly declined after his gambling habits took over, Lin Jin chose to trust him. He transferred all 5,000 yuan from his bank account to his dad, instructing him to buy a water heater and a large TV for the house.
But man, my persuasive skills are off the charts! Dad didn't refute a single thing I said! He just sat there, stunned!
"Can I go get a haircut now?" Lin Jin, having transferred the money, stood up from his squatting position.
If he was making this much effort to help his dad reconcile with his mom, his dad should have no reason to comment on how effeminate he may look, right?
The smile on Dad's face grew wider, and he kept nodding as he checked the money in his WeChat account. However, a moment later, he suddenly looked up and said to Lin Jin, "Don't let your mom know that you were... were touched on the bus."
As soon as this matter was brought up, Lin Jin felt incredibly uncomfortable, shifting his gaze away from his dad awkwardly.
"Come on, before you go get a haircut, tell me what you're really thinking" Dad's smile disappeared again, as he spoke to Lin Jin with a certain seriousness.
Lin Jin immediately sensed that something was off in his dad's tone, realizing that his dad must be about to discuss some serious matters. The only serious matters that concerned his dad right now were probably Mom's return and his appearance.
Feeling uneasy, he returned to sit in front of his dad, finding a small stool in the corner.
"Do you want to be a woman?" Dad asked, cutting straight to the point.
The f*ck?! This wasn’t on the script, wasit?
Lin Jin was so startled by this question that he nearly lost his soul, shaking his head vigorously in denial.
"Why did you turn into this after just one semester at college?" Dad squinted his eyes, his expression extremely stern. "Did you take some medication? A friend of mine had a son who changed just like you after working outside for a year. Almost became like a woman."
"That guy took hormones for a year. How long have you been taking them?" Dad felt the need to be even more explicit. "Did you take estrogen? How else could you gain 10 kg in just three months?"
Lin Jin continued to shake his head, his face turning increasingly grim.
"My friend and I also tried to talk some sense into his son back then. The boy was once perfectly fine, a sturdy young man. But after taking those pills for a year, he was so weak he could hardly climb five floors. You could even see his chest through his shirt, looking neither male nor female, absolutely disgusting." Dad's tone was far from gentle, he was almost saying that Lin Jin, too, looked neither male nor female and was quite revolting.
The more Lin Jin listened, the worse his expression became, his entire body trembling slightly.
If it wasn't for the black cat... I wouldn't have ended up like this...
Neither male nor female, disgusting as hell? Is that how Dad sees me?
"Stop taking those medication. The medical report will come out tonight. Medication is bad for you, and look at yourself now. Do you look anything like a man?" Dad's tone grew even more severe, not giving the pale-faced Lin Jin a chance to retort. "Later go downstairs and get a crew cut from the barber. Stop keeping your hair so long! And throw away all your medication! Don't you feel ashamed walking around looking neither male nor female? Do you enjoy it when a man touches your butt on the bus?!"
Tears filled Lin Jin's eyes as he silently nodded. He stood up, his body swayed dangerously, nearly falling onto the ground.
And here I thought that doing my best to reconcile my mom and dad... would make Dad accept me as I am now... At least he wouldn’t say such things to me.
