freenovelworld Chapter 80 Ode to Joy (Initial)
Chapter 80 Ode to Joy (Initial)
Before you know it, Zhang Liangjun is already nine years old.
For nine years, she grew up with Xiuyuan by her side. Xiuyuan's full name is Yang Xiuyuan, and her husband's name is Zhang Zhipeng. Zhang Zhipeng is a district head in a government office. Considering the relationship between the couple, the organization temporarily transferred Yang Xiuyuan to work at the Daishan Nursing Home.
Over time, Yang Xiuyuan grew to love her work at the nursing home. She was a woman overflowing with compassion, and working at the nursing home fulfilled her desire to give back to society; she also found great joy in being with the elderly residents.
Zhang Zhipeng had some hidden health issues, possibly due to an injury he sustained as a child, which prevented him from having children. Yang Xiuyuan took Zhang Liangjun in instead of sending him to a children's welfare home, effectively adopting him. The couple treated Zhang Liangjun very well, even keeping his adoption a secret. Few outsiders knew the truth and refrained from gossiping. However, they were unaware that Zhang Liangjun had known from the beginning and even suspected he might not have had any parents.
Zhang Liangjun stood in front of the mirror, looking at himself. He saw that he looked exactly like he did as a child on Earth. His clothes? Exactly the same clothes he wore!
Zhang Zhipeng was transferred to work in the city two years ago, but Yang Xiuyuan stayed. She's been in this nursing home for so long that she doesn't want to leave. She can't bear to part with the comfort here, and she's also worried about the other elderly people.
Zhang Zhipeng was quite kind to Zhang Liangjun and wanted to take him along, but Zhang Liangjun refused. He didn't follow Zhang Zhipeng's lead and didn't want to go to the city to see it for himself, since he had already seen it many times. He just wanted to know which world this was, and perhaps his birthplace would hold the information.
Just when Zhang Liangjun was nine years old, after finishing his third-grade final exams, he was already in the nursing home waiting for the official summer vacation notice when a special client was sent to the nursing home.
They were sent here. The nursing home didn't want to take them in, but the person insisted on sending them, and they had no choice but to accept them.
“Dean Wu, this is Xiaoming! We had no choice but to send him here. You wouldn’t believe it, when we adopted him, we didn’t know he had any problems,” said a middle-aged man who didn’t look wealthy. His clothes were old and worn, and he pointed to his head as he spoke. “He has a problem here. He doesn’t talk all day, or he just talks to himself. It’s quite frightening! He’s run away several times, and the police have to help find him. We have to work to earn money and don’t have time to take care of him, so we can only ask you for help! There’s still hope for him. He’s not just a simple-minded person. He can recite pi. You know pi, right? You know, 3.141 and stuff like that. I don’t really understand it, but a neighbor said he’s very good at it!”
This nursing home is semi-public, with low fees, but the corresponding benefits are also average. Most of the people who come here are not very well-off financially.
Zhang Liangjun looked at "Xiao Ming's" body. His clothes were relatively clean, but there were some dark blue marks on his wrists and neck, like strangulation marks. It seemed that this person had probably tied Xiao Ming up in order to "keep an eye on" him! As for his claim that Xiao Ming left on his own, Zhang Liangjun did not believe it, because this period of time had not been short, and Xiao Ming had no intention of leaving the middle-aged man. In fact, because he was afraid of the unfamiliar environment, he had moved even closer, like a chick whose wings had not yet grown strong and dared not leave the hen's wings.
Zhang Liangjun tugged at Yang Xiuyuan's sleeve. Yang Xiuyuan looked down at him. Zhang Liangjun gestured for them to go a little further away to talk, and then told Yang Xiuyuan what he had discovered. Zhang Liangjun knew that Yang Xiuyuan couldn't bear to let Xiaoming go back with that person to suffer.
As expected, Yang Xiuyuan walked up to Xiaoming and, following Zhang Liangjun's suggestion, saw the wounds on Xiaoming's body. She glared angrily at the middle-aged man! The middle-aged man didn't deserve a name, so she wouldn't give him one.
Despite her anger, this person was still Xiaoming's guardian. In China, the tolerance for guardians disciplining their children is quite high; unless there's serious injury, even the police don't interfere much. Yang Xiuyuan had no choice but to agree to the person's request and take Xiaoming in.
In fact, Zhang Liangjun knew that even if he didn't remind Yang Xiuyuan, she would still take in Xiaoming, because he had already recognized Xiaoming.
One of the most famously eccentric female leads, Andy! Her younger brother is named Xiaoming! Back when Zhang Liangjun was still Chen Yu, he specifically collected and watched some TV dramas, including Ode to Joy! When Wang Manni watched Ode to Joy 3, she even exclaimed that she looked so much like Ye Zhenzhen! At that time, "Chen Yu" was thinking to himself, "You two are practically the same person!"
At this point, combining the name Xiuyuan with Xiaoming's ability to recite pi, Zhang Liangjun was basically certain that this world was the world of Ode to Joy. After all, only Yan Ziyou and the clueless Xiaoming would do something so embarrassing!
What a coincidence! Both dramas feature Consort Hua!
The most famous aspect of Ode to Joy is its five women, five urban beauties with distinct personalities. Currently, this has nothing to do with Zhang Liangjun, who is only nine years old!
Xiao Ming settled down there. However, Xiao Ming was like a terrified stray dog; at least the middle-aged man had given him some sense of security, even though that man hadn't treated him well!
Zhang Liangjun had a good impression of Xiaoming. They shared the same talent and felt they were kindred spirits.
Xiaoming is eight years old this year and should have been going to primary school, but Xiaoming's strange behavior made Yang Xiuyuan give up the idea of sending him to school.
Zhang Liangjun knew that Xiaoming had a family history of mental illness, which looked somewhat like autism. Zhang Liangjun was not a professional doctor, but he had only heard that hereditary or congenital mental illnesses were difficult to treat.
It's been a week, and Xiaoming hasn't spoken to anyone. Food is brought to him, but he only eats long after everyone has left. He doesn't even leave his room to use the toilet, making the room smell... indescribable. Every day, Yang Xiuyuan goes in to clean for Xiaoming, and he always hides in a corner, trembling. Yang Xiuyuan couldn't help but sigh, wondering what Xiaoming had been through.
The next morning, Xiaoming woke up from a deep sleep and heard someone reciting multiplication tables outside. Xiaoming felt a stirring, an instinctive desire from the depths of his heart. The recitation continued not far from the window until a moment later, the sound suddenly stopped, followed by a shout: "You recite it once!"
"One times one equals one, one times two..." Xiaoming was so engrossed in the mnemonic that he didn't even realize he was subconsciously obeying the command.
He quickly memorized the multiplication tables without a single mistake! Zhang Liangjun was very pleased. Just as expected, using magic to defeat magic, using mathematics to influence Xiaoming! Very reasonable!
Without provoking Xiaoming further, Zhang Liangjun got up, dusted himself off, glanced at Xiaoming in the room, and quietly left.
For the next three days, Zhang Liangjun would go to Xiaoming's window every day and help him recite the multiplication tables. Others would wonder why Xiaoming only knew pi and not the multiplication tables, but Zhang Liangjun wasn't surprised. He knew that Xiaoming had memorized pi when he was a child with Andy. At that time, Xiaoming even had difficulty speaking, but he had memorized pi. This talent was truly amazing!
Over three days, Xiaoming gradually accepted a like-minded "fellow Daoist"! Xiaoming was unaware that Zhang Liangjun had done this on purpose; now, only mathematics mattered to him! Only mathematics was Xiaoming's friend!