Chapter 848: Chapter 822: How Much Longer, How Much Longer Must We Wait
"Qiuqiu, your father is ill, and he doesn’t have many days left. Can you be normal for your father’s sake? The past was my fault. Please come home with me. I’ll spend everything I have to get you well."
After being deceived, Qiuqiu’s father’s demeanor was no longer overbearing. His pathetic pleading truly looked pitiful.
The light reflected off his gray hair, and Qiuqiu saw the wrinkles on his father’s face. For a moment, he was in a daze, but the shadows of his childhood and his dislocated life could not be forgiven with just a few lines of wrinkles, could they?
"Ill? Hahaha! You’re fooling a ghost? I’ve only heard one saying, ’Good people don’t live long, but evildoers last a thousand years.’ With all the despicable things you’ve done, you could live a thousand or ten thousand years!"
"You!" Qiuqiu’s father clutched his chest in anger.
The people around him rushed to support him, "Uncle Three!"
"Haha, keep pretending, keep it up? Besides these underhanded tactics, what else can you do? You can’t keep me here, and you saw my friends coming, so now you’re trying soft tactics after the hard ones didn’t work? It’s no use! Let me tell you, I, Xiao Miqiu, have decided to be a man for the rest of my life. Even if you kill me, I will still be a man!"
"You’re confused!" Qiuqiu’s father, overwhelmed with anger, looked genuinely like he was seriously ill, with his ashen face.
"Who caused his confusion? Gender identity disorder develops in childhood. Why didn’t you get him treatment? Why did you keep instilling the idea that girls are inferior to boys? Can’t you see who caused today’s Qiuqiu?"
Qiuqiu’s father looked at Qian, shifting the anger from being rejected by Qiuqiu onto her, "Who do you think you are!"
"I am psychology expert Chen Xiaoqian, and I can responsibly tell you that Qiuqiu’s current state is entirely your doing."
"You’re... a psychology expert?" It was hard for Qiuqiu’s father to associate the word "expert" with Qian.
After all, she looked too young.
"Qiuqiu’s situation is not about correcting his sexual orientation and gender identity disorder, but about how to let him live happily for the rest of his life. If you don’t believe me, you can ask about similar cases abroad. At Qiuqiu’s stage, is there a single legitimate institution that dares claim they could turn him into a woman?"
"Live on?" Qiuqiu’s father couldn’t connect the lively and provoking Qiuqiu with someone seeking death.
"The sunshine you see, the strength you notice, those are the results of him overcoming numerous psychological difficulties. His laughter appears light, but every time it demands all his strength. He doesn’t expect others to understand his choice, only that he can live up to it. What pains him most is not the strange looks from all of society, but the lack of understanding from his family."
"He’s wrong, he’s not right!"
"His choices are indeed different from those of normal people, but it’s not up to you to decide if it’s right or not. You yourself are a failed father; how can you demand he meet your idea of ’success’? Look at related cases, and you’ll realize how cruel you’ve been. Everyone has the right to choose from birth, and even parents don’t have the right to rob children of that choice, let alone forcing them to follow your intentions. Stop assuming you’re being kind to others while you push him towards a dead end with your obstinance."
Qian finished speaking and turned to leave.
Her people followed her grandly.
Qiuqiu didn’t look back.
For that old man, he felt no affection, only disgust.
Only Bai Jin kept looking back.
She saw Qiuqiu’s father standing there, which reminded her of her own mother crying and hitting her while scolding her.
Entering the airport, they bought tickets and sat in the waiting room; it would be several hours before the flight. Qiuqiu turned to chat with Bai Jin but saw tears streaming down her face.
"Why are you crying?"
"I thought of my mother... Qiu, aren’t you going to see your father? I feel like he’s not as indifferent to you as you think."
"Why should I see him? So he can lock me up again or call someone to shock me? People see a father crying, but who sees the child who cried more after being beaten?"
"He said he’s sick..."
"Ha! You believe the old man’s words? He’s full of lies, rarely saying anything true! Do you want to know how he got me tied back? He had someone tell me he was sick, and like a fool, I believed him and went to see him. But what happened then? Just smell the stench on my body!"
Qiuqiu put his arm out, smelling of sweat from being forced to eat boiled cabbage every day and not allowed to shower!
"Sigh..." Bai Jin sighed deeply, understanding Qiuqiu’s feelings, but her sensitive nature made her feel sorry seeing Qiuqiu’s father’s dejected old look.
"What did we do wrong, why does fate treat us like this... Why are we different from others, why can’t we be like normal people? It’s so painful. I try to correct myself but can’t control my pain. How long, how long until we find happiness, until we don’t have to suffer like this? Why does all our effort seem useless, why are we eyesores to others, why do our families not understand us? Why did I have to have this kind of life?"
The one hurt was Qiuqiu, but the one lamenting was Bai Jin.
What happened to Qiuqiu seemed to be happening to her. She saw the whole scene and her sensitive mind couldn’t help thinking a lot, emotions spiraling out of control. She covered her face, sobbing.
"I’ve counseled many disabled people, including those who suddenly became disabled due to unexpected events. They share your confusion, always asking me why. Yes, why? I don’t know either," Qian said.
Qiuqiu patted Bai Jin, wanting to comfort her, but his own heart ached as he did.
"Cruel realities often run contrary to our wishes. Good people aren’t always safe, and no one knows who might have bad luck next. I’ve seen many hardworking families’ breadwinners brought down by disasters, never to rise again. I’ve also seen innocent people struck by misfortune without warning. I, too, have lost something very important; before that, I never harmed anyone."
Qian spoke of the pain of losing her daughter.
Being kind doesn’t guarantee a smooth life. That’s life.
"I know this is cruel for you because there’s so much harm in this world. No pain can be truly felt by others. Comparing you with others isn’t fair. I can’t arbitrarily say that enduring pressure from the outside must be easier than losing limbs, but if someone can live strong despite physical disability, why should you give up seeking happiness just because you’re different? Do you remember what I said to you when we first met, Qiuqiu?"
