Chapter 58 Repeatedly Testing Patience

However, the madam never looked back. The "clack, clack, clack" of her high heels faded rapidly from near to far, until they could no longer be heard.

I came out to find the situation just as I feared: the dirty clothes I had just changed out of were still in the washing machine, and now my shirt and trousers were soiled as well. A surge of anger rose within me, and I really wanted to give him a thorough thrashing.

Yet, he was mentally impaired; beating him further would be entirely meaningless, leaving me no choice but to swallow this bitter, pent-up rage.

With him around, I could accomplish nothing. Judging by the state of the laundry, he must have reached his hands blindly into the operating washing machine...

Fearing he would injure his hands in the agitator, I stopped him several times, but he refused to listen, simply flashing a foolish, vacant smile at me.

Even if I truly wanted to hit him, I couldn't bring myself to do it. What could one do when someone's mind was broken? No wonder the madam had cried so bitterly; even I was forced to consider the future...

My phone chimed with a sweet melody against my chest. I picked it up casually and glanced at the screen—it was an unfamiliar number. I answered and held it to my ear without speaking.

After a long moment of hesitation, a strange woman's voice came through: "I wonder if you still remember me? I'm the person who lost her wallet."

Why was she calling again so soon after our previous call? I asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Yes!" The strange woman greeted me first. "This matter has been reported to the police. If anyone asks, please cooperate!"

I remembered now. Why had she invited me to her home to hang out? It turned out she had planned this long in advance, and it wasn't because she was lonely. I had only meant well, never expecting it to bring me so much trouble! I couldn't help recalling what Jiang Meili had said, and I blurted out, "It's only five thousand yuan. Would the authorities even take up a case like that?"

She had clearly thought of a long list of reasons beforehand and replied without a moment's hesitation, "I thought so at first, too, but I couldn't reconcile myself to it. After consulting with professionals, I found out this isn't an ordinary case—it involves abduction, which is completely different in nature from mere theft!"

"Good heavens! Just how much do I actually know about this?" I had heard of such things before, yet I had completely forgotten! Now that things had reached this point, what should I do? It was already too late to extricate myself; I had no choice but to play along: "I'll think about it!"

She was unsatisfied with my answer, yet she had no authority to order me to act according to her wishes, so she simply repeated, "This is about cooperation, not thinking."

Because I had inadvertently stumbled into this mess and it was too late to turn back, I chatted with her for a little longer before finally hanging up.

Niu Zhenqing had climbed right into the running washing machine, shocking my eyes wide open! In a panic, I rushed over and cut the power.

Although he wasn't injured, the clothes and trousers he had just put on were thoroughly soaked, covered everywhere in laundry foam. He stood inside and flashed a silly grin at me: "Wife, this is so much fun! You should get in too!"

I desperately wanted to beat him, but I couldn't bring myself to strike. I could only coax him patiently, as if speaking to a child: "Come out! You've ruined the clothes I just changed you into again! Please stop making a mess, will you?"

He actually understood those words. He leaped out of the washing machine, knocking it over with a loud crash. A massive torrent of water rushed straight toward me, soaking the greater part of my trouser legs and leaving me feeling thoroughly miserable, my clothes splattered everywhere with washing powder foam.

One of Niu Zhenqing's legs remained pinned beneath the washing machine, and the kitchen floor was entirely flooded.

I lifted the washing machine upright; its plastic outer casing was cracked, with a chunk broken right off. Meanwhile, Niu Zhenqing was drenched from head to toe, water streaming through his hair. He scrambled to his feet and let out a series of howls, as if he had been hurt somewhere. Water dripped from his entire body like a drowned rat...

With the madam not at home, what on earth was I supposed to do? I couldn't help him bathe and change clothes, and a mountain of tasks still awaited my attention.

I scooped the clothes and trousers that had been washed out onto the floor back into the washing machine, filled it with water, and pressed the switch, but it refused to turn...

I had no choice but to grab a broom and start sweeping the water away. Niu Zhenqing refused to cooperate. Without a word, he let out a few grunts, threw himself into the puddle, and rolled back and forth to make a scene: "Wife, go find Mom! Otherwise, I'm going to keep rolling!"

So he was threatening me. Truly, his brain was no longer functioning—wasn't he just getting himself filthier the more he rolled? However, this reminder made me glance down at my phone. It was covered in water. I grabbed a dry kitchen towel to wipe it clean, dialed the madam's number, and held it to my ear. In less than a minute, she answered. Just as I was about to speak, her voice came through: "I'm at the front door, come inside and talk!" The line went dead.

I stepped out of the kitchen and could hear the sound of the door opening. Niu Zhenqing reacted quite differently; overjoyed, he scrambled up from the soapy water, covered in foam, and shouted like a child, "Mom is back!" He bolted out in a panic.

The madam was dumbfounded. She had only left a living person alone for a short while, and he had already managed to turn himself into this state. She was just about to lose her temper when a young man followed closely behind her. Upon her introduction, the young man pulled out a steel measuring tape, measured the window frame, and jotted down the figures on a notepad he had brought. As he was leaving, he said, "I'll be back shortly to install it; we'll keep in touch by phone!"

The madam forced a smile as she saw him out, but the moment she stepped back inside, her expression shifted entirely, and she unleashed a torrent of reproaches upon me.

All of this had been caused by Niu Zhenqing, yet I had no way to control him and felt deeply aggrieved. I tried to reason with the madam, but it only left both of us unhappy while solving nothing at all.

The broken washing machine was particularly distressing: "We didn't have any money to begin with, and now look at this! What are we supposed to use to buy a new one?"

I glared fiercely at Niu Zhenqing with venomous eyes, and to my disbelief, he cried out like a child, "Mom, the wife's eyes are so fierce! Is she going to hit me?"

That was truly the culprit accusing the victim first! He was the one who had caused all this mess, yet he was shifting the blame onto me. Feeling utterly depressed, I ignored the kitchen entirely and retreated to the small room to change my clothes...

The madam was on the verge of a breakdown. The house was in utter chaos, completely impossible to clean up, and on top of that, she was furious with her overgrown child. Life truly felt impossible to endure from now on!

I pulled the school uniforms out of the wardrobe. Even the longest one felt short when I put it on; I had clearly grown taller once again—I wondered if I had already reached two meters?

I pulled out a pile of them, discarded them by the washing machine...

The madam took Niu Zhenqing into the bathroom to bathe, leaving me to deal with the water in the kitchen. After mopping it several times, the floor was finally clean. My gaze fell upon the washing machine; I walked over, gave it a few slaps, and pressed the switch, but it still remained completely dead.

However, the machine was filled to the brim with water and held a mountain of laundry, while another huge pile sat beside it. I couldn't help calling out, "Mom, the washing machine..."

The madam was thoroughly exasperated. Inevitably, she shouted back, "I don't know how to fix it either, so yelling is useless! Drain the water, fish the clothes out into a large basin, and scrub them by hand later!"

Not to mention the madam, I was equally at my wit's end. Rebuked sharply, I had no choice but to swallow my anger. After draining the water, I hauled everything into a large plastic tub.

*Thump, thump, thump.* A knock sounded at the outer door, giving me an excuse to step out and vent some of my lingering frustration.

I pulled the door open and saw a young man standing there. Realizing who it was, I called out loudly, "Mom, the glass installation guy is here!"

The madam's voice drifted from inside: "Got it!"

The man was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, of average appearance, about one hundred and sixty centimeters tall. He wore work clothes and imitation leather shoes. Holding a pane of glass in both hands, he entered the living room, placed it by the window sill, and used a tattered rag to wipe away the shattered glass fragments on the sill without uttering a single word.

I took the opportunity to ask, "Master, do you know how to fix a washing machine?"

A person who came to work answered any question asked: "No!"

The young man was older than I was, yet his height barely reached my shoulder. He didn't even lift his head as he fitted the glass into the window frame, wedged new rubber seals along the edges, pulled out a caulking gun from a battered little square bag, plugged it in for a moment, and applied a layer of transparent sealant to finish the job.

Just then, the madam emerged from the bathroom accompanied by Niu Zhenqing. She inspected the installation and asked, "Is it done?"

The young man slung his old bag over his shoulder and offered a final piece of advice: "Don't touch it yet. Wait for an hour, and it'll be fine!"

As a layman, the madam didn't understand why and naturally asked, "Why?"

The young man pointed a finger at the silicone sealant and explained briefly. The madam retreated into the master bedroom to retrieve her handbag and make the payment, then watched as the man went downstairs before firmly locking the door...

My phone chimed with a melodious tune. I fished it out from my bag...

Niu Zhenqing hollered loudly, "Mom, give it to me! I want to play!"

The madam was utterly exasperated and pushed him away with her hand. Refusing to relent, Niu Zhenqing bounced around stubbornly and threw himself onto the floor, rolling about...

I was at the end of my patience; the kitchen was piled high with unwashed clothes that he had soiled once again. Glaring at him, I roared, "Get up, or else I'll beat you!"

With the madam present, Niu Zhenqing acted as though he had a powerful backer. The louder I yelled, the more wildly he rolled around, screaming at the top of his lungs...

Needing to take a phone call, the madam had no time to bicker with him and retreated to the balcony instead...

Niu Zhenqing bounced up from the floor, darted onto the balcony, and tightly hugged the madam with a terrified expression: "Mom, the wife is going to hit me!"

The madam turned back to wave a hand at me, placed the phone to her ear, and shouted, "Hello?"

Instantly, a strange man's voice came through: "You didn't come to conduct the ritual today, did you?"

The madam rattled off a long list of excuses. Since the man made his living this way, she had no choice but to reschedule: "Tomorrow is the weekend, at 9:30 in the morning. We won't miss it, right? Otherwise, we'll have to wait until next week."

That was wonderful news. The madam was overjoyed and couldn't help saying, "Thank you, Master!"

The call ended, and the phone was returned to her bag. The madam's face grew exceptionally ugly. Without mincing words, she roared angrily, "Niu Zhenqing, can't you be a little well-behaved? I simply can't take this anymore! Look at this home—what has it become?"

Niu Zhenqing forced a smile and said foolishly, "As long as Mom doesn't leave, I'll be very obedient! The wife has a very fierce face and wants to hit people!"