Chapter 989: Metamorphosis
Chu Chen’s father stared at the doctor in shock. It was his first time encountering someone who mixed up right and wrong to such an extent.
Angry family members rushed forward, throwing kicks and punches at his face and skull, leaving him with bruises and wounds. Not only that, but they also brought him to court, and making use of connections, got him a heavier sentence of 10 years in jail, compared to his initial sentence of three years. 10 years… how many 10 years did one even have in life?
On the day of the hearing, Chu Chen’s mother cried so hard that she blacked out.
Chu Chen, 12 years old at that time, dissolved into a pool of panic and anxiety as he held his mother’s collapsed body close to him. He called out her name over and over, raising his head to plead with whoever was pa.s.sing by, begging them to save her…
However, pa.s.sers-by were afraid of offending the powerful family in this district, and not a single person offered to help. Not even Director Deng who smiled at Chu Chen when he went to find his father at the hospital, not even the Auntie Chen who once gave him a few sweets, not even Professor Li who teasingly chided him to put on more clothes…
Every single one of them stayed a distance away from the mother and son, as if they were avoiding a flood.
It was only many years later that Chu Chen realized why n.o.body had been willing to take a stand for someone who held no power nor authority. Offending the hospital management, and dealing with that powerful and of high authority bunch of snakes, why bother?
Unfortunately, he could not fathom this logic at such a young age.
12-year-old Chu Chen held the weak, limp body of his mother in his arms, and a feeling of helplessness and fear engulfed him. He scanned his surroundings, and amidst the fast-moving, indifferent crowd around him, he spotted a man walking down from the witness seats. It was that man who spent a night at his doorstep, holding an extravagant gift with him as he knelt in front of his father begging and pleading, then later turning around to betray them.
Chu Chen couldn’t care less.
He rushed forward and went on his knees, just like how that man knelt at his father’s feet that night. He pleaded tearfully. “Uncle, please! Given that my father has helped you before, please save my mother!”
The man’s expression suddenly changed. In front of everyone’s eyes, he kicked Chu Chen, scolding angrily. “You rude and irritating brat! Don’t spout nonsense! When did your father ever help me?! Is it not enough that he has brought me so much trouble?! Such horrible luck, you better stay as far away from me as possible!”
The man then left the court.
Chu Chen was kicked till his body hurt. When he opened up his s.h.i.+rt, he found a big bruise on the area above his heart.
He tolerated the pain and made his way back to his mother step by step. He removed all his clothing, following what his parents had taught him regarding first aid to keep her warm.
His mother gradually woke up. She held his hand, and panicking, she painstakingly brought him home.
While crossing the road, a truck came racing upon them.
Chu Chen stared wide-eyes as the truck rammed into his mother, sending her frail body flying into a distance. Blood was everywhere, and pa.s.sers-by shouted to take cover. That moment became his world’s most brutal and harsh slow-motion shot.
Her two legs were lost, only her upper body was left.
What was to follow was a state of lack of nutrition, a huge drop in immunity level, and infection of wounds.
12-year-old Chu Chen sought out many ways and means to get money for his mother’s hospital fees. Initially, he could borrow some money, but n.o.body was willing to continue lending endlessly. The aunties and uncles who were so friendly to him, now avoided him as if he were a G.o.d. Even in his nightmares many years down the road, Chu Chen still dreamt of the time he went to the house of a relative. Him wearing old and tattered clothes, bowing his head down as he stood in the glamorously decorated living room, while his relatives had their meal. A pretty little girl dressed in pink taking the bones to tease the family dog. The aroma of the food wafted into his nostrils, and he was so hungry that his stomach rumbled loudly.
n.o.body noticed him.
He was so embarra.s.sed he wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury himself in it.
From young, his parents couldn’t give him a luxurious life but taught him how to be a good person. The moment his stomach let out a noise, he felt that he had ruined his family’s image.
Forcing himself to move past the embarra.s.sment, he bowed his head and said, “Second Uncle, please lend me some money. When I’ve grown up and found a job, I will definitely return you all the money. Definitely!”
In response, Second Uncle gave a heartless laugh.
“Brother looks so pitiful, let’s give him something to eat.” Under the crystal chandelier hanging above the dining table, the little girl dressed in pink held the bone she was teasing the family dog with, innocently pointing it in his direction.
Her mother slapped her hand, reprimanding her. “Eat your food properly! If you don’t listen, you will also become like this in the future, begging for food!”
Chu Chen didn’t know how he ended up walking out of this house.
The main doors closed shut behind him. He stood, hands empty, stomach grumbling, as he stared at the moon and silently swore to himself that he would produce results and never had to beg anyone again!
He then dropped out of school and worked several jobs in a day. Ushering pa.s.sengers at the train station, putting up posters, was.h.i.+ng dishes for a small restaurant, clearing leftover rice and dishes… He gave it his all, and slowly acc.u.mulated the money for his mother’s treatment based on his own hard work. Though it still isn’t near enough, it was better than nothing.
The day she was discharged, he self-a.s.sembled a simple wheelchair from what he could find from the garbage and wheeled his mother back to the musty air of their home. He hugged his mother’s frail body and cried soundlessly.
He then lifted his head and told himself that from then on, he would not shed any more tears.
His father would have wanted him to be an honest and good man. But this was the year whereby 12-year-old Chu Chen understood one thing—in the face of power, all justice bows down in surrender.
Two years later, his fate took a turn during winter.
A bed of snow enveloped the entire district. While Chu Chen was working at the restaurant, an order of over 20 bento sets came in through the phone. The snow was heavy, and the journey was long. n.o.body was willing to take the delivery, and out of desperation, the boss offered two times the pay, in addition to a bento set with meat, to anyone who was willing to take the delivery.
Still n.o.body was willing to take it.
Only Chu Chen accepted the offer, after thinking about his bed-ridden mother.
He braved the wind and snow and eventually delivered the bento sets to the location.
To a crew who was filming a snowy scene in a very remote place.
It was so cold that everyone was freezing. When they spotted the warm bento boxes, they surrounded him and while eating, gave praise to Chu Chen. “This lad is not bad, delivering bento sets on such a cold day. You have such a heart, you’re a good guy!” They complimented him and patted him on the shoulder.
Chu Chen humbly responded with a few words. He received the money from the scene manager and was about to leave after giving a firm nod.
The director then rushed over, calling out, “Hey, wait up. Could you help us out? Due to this weather, many of our extras are absent. We are lacking extras, could you help us fill in?”