My House of Horrors

"People have to know where they stand. If your family is so poor that you can't afford a mirror, you can piss on the ground and check your reflection in it."     

"How dare you glare at me? I heard your ancestor is a murderer. I'm so scared!"      

Several ruffians surrounded the student. Gao Hao gritted his teeth. He wanted to fight back, but there were too many of them.      

"Teacher said you wanted to join the police academy. Have you forgotten how your father failed to get into the academy because of your family's poor history?" The tallest ruffian picked up Gao Hao's school bag. He tossed everything out as he looked for the wallet. "What a poor nobody. Next time, we'll go to where you work to give you as much help as you need." The textbooks fell to the ground. A family portrait hidden in the notebook fluttered out as well.      

"A whole family of criminals." The ruffian picked up the picture and said mockingly, "Gao Hao, your grandmother never got married, so how did she get three children? Is your father really an adopted child from the orphanage? Is it possible…" Suddenly the ruffian's lips tore apart. The strangest thing was that there was no blood. The sun was eclipsed by something. Doctor Gao took the picture from the ruffian. His eyes froze on the grandmother in the middle of the picture. Time had completely changed his child.      

"Help!" The ruffians screamed and ran. Only Doctor Gao and Gao Hao were left in the alley.      

"Give me back the picture." Gao Hao picked up his bag. Even in his dirty clothes, he stood proudly before Doctor Gao. He didn't know fear. Doctor Gao moved his gaze away from the picture. At that moment, the sun shone into the alley again.     

"What's your grandmother's name?"      

"Gao Ruxue." Gao Hao took back the picture, patted away the dust on his body, and prepared to leave.     

"How is she now?"     

"Not good. Grandmother was mentally traumatized when she was young. Her body has always been fragile. Big uncle and auntie want to sell her home to clear their gambling debt, but grandma staunchly refuses." Gao Hao turned around with alertness. "Why are you asking? "Why are you running around in a white coat? Are you a doctor or a mental patient?"     

"I guess both." Doctor Gao followed Gao Hao into the neighborhood. Instantly, they heard the sound of an argument. A middle-aged man with a large belly and a middle-aged woman with a ruined face shouted at each other.      

"That is my big uncle. He used to be rich, but he lost everything in investment banking. He owes so much money that he doesn't even dare to return to his own home." Gao Hao then pointed at the woman. "That is my third aunt. She used to be an intern teacher, but for some reason, she couldn't get officialized. She was born with a defective face. One time, the school canteen caught on fire. She rushed in to save many students, but in the end, she got burned in her face and shoulders." Gao Hao said these things emotionlessly. He was so much more mature than people of his age. "Some of the parents were thankful to my aunt, but she was fired after she recovered. The reason was some of the parents were afraid that she might scare their children. My aunt is a proud person, but that incident broke her. She didn't have the money for facial reconstruction, so she locked herself up at home and would only occasionally go out at night.     

"They are not bad people. When grandma was sick, it was big uncle who paid for the medical bills; auntie got burned because she wanted to save people; they were very nice to me when I was a kid, but now…" Gao Hao sighed.      

"What about the inheritance? Your grandmother's parents should have left her a lot of money." Doctor Gao stood beside Gao Hao silently.      

Gao Hao looked at his tattered school uniform. "Since you've saved me, I won't lie to you. My grandmother's father committed a serious crime. His inheritance wouldn't go to his family. Grandma said that it was Director Chen from New Century Theme Park who paid for most of our bills. It was also Director Chen who helped save grandma's home to help her tide over the most difficult period of her life."     

"Do you mean Chen Ge?"     

"I think so." Gao Hao nodded. He wanted to say something more when footsteps came from the corridor. A limping man walked over with a crutch and an old phone. "Stop fighting! Are you not ashamed?" The man knocked the ground with the crutch. He looked at the two and his brows twisted together.      

"Ol' Two, you've been staying with mother, so of course, you wouldn't want to sell it. But this house doesn't just belong to you. It should be shared between the three of us!" The man said angrily, "As your elder brother, I won't scam you. Once we sell the house, we'll split the profit evenly."     

"Second brother, do you want to claim this house for yourself? You can't seriously think this house is yours simply because you're living here. I know mom owes you a lot, but she doesn't owe you this house." The woman also said firmly.      

"I never wanted to claim this house for myself." The limping man said. "Before mother went to the hospital, she stated clearly that this house cannot be sold!"     

"You just want to take this house for yourself! I'm going to the hospital to ask mother!"     

"Yes! We'll go to the hospital now! I must be blind to treat you so well in the past!"     

"Don't go to disturb our mother. Do you have no conscience?"     

The man and woman left, ignoring the limping man. His crutch was tossed to the side, and he sat on the staircase helplessly.      

"Dad, let's go home."     

Gao Hao walked to the limping man. He wanted to help him up, but the man waved his hands. "You can go home to finish your homework first. I need to go to the hospital."      

"I'll drive you there." Doctor Gao walked over. "I know your mother, and I wish to meet her."     

"Are you… a doctor?"      

Doctor Gao nodded. "You don't look like a greedy person to me. Can you tell me why you can't sell this house?"     

The man sighed and finally said, "Mother has been waiting for her father to come home. This old house contains all of their memories."      

The man's words caused Doctor Gao's heart to move.      

"She's already 80 plus. How old would her father be now? I'm such a useless son for wanting to help her preserve this bit of memory." The man chuckled bitterly. "Actually I hated that man. The only reason I wanted to be a policeman is to capture him and bring him to mother! But he was too big of a criminal that I wasn't qualified to enter the police academy."     

"Do you still hate him now?" Doctor Gao looked at the man.     

"Of course, but I can understand mother's decision. If mother suddenly disappears, I'll always wait for her too." The man stood up with difficulty.      

"How did you break your leg?"     

The man shrugged. "I was a busybody. I was awarded by the city before for saving a person's life. Even though I can't enter the academy, my children can. I want to give him hope to be any kind of person he wants to be. As long as he has that chance, it's worth it even if I break my leg."     

"Is it really worth it?"     

"As a father, isn't it our responsibility to do everything to protect our children?"     

The man's honest words caused Doctor Gao's heart locks to break. They were both fathers.      

"Come. I'll drive you to the hospital."     

…     

Outside the ward, several people were arguing.     

"No! You can't go in! The old lady's condition is very dangerous. She can't be disturbed."     

"We just want to confirm one thing. It won't take too long."     

"I've explained it to you. She almost died yesterday! She gave up everything to raise orphans like you. Is this how you repay her?" The nurse was anxious. "She is now on her dying breath. Do you really wish to kill her?"     

"Do you think we want to do this? I was the one who paid for the hospital booking fee, but the debt collectors wanted me dead! Do you know?" The middle-aged man ignored the nurse but was stopped by the limping man who came later. "Ol' Two, let me go!"     

"Brother, did you not hear the doctor? We can talk about this after mom's conditions are stabilized."     

"Let go!" The man shook the limping man off. His phone fell to the ground in the process. It was filled with many threatening messages. "I've done everything I can for this family. Can't you show me some pity?"      

"That house is our mother's last memory. She had to raise three of us alone. It was so hard on her."     

"Yes. But did I ask her to adopt me?" The fat middle-aged man shouted loudly. Both the woman with the ruined face and the limping man were silenced. Several seconds later, low, suppressed cries came from inside the ward. She had heard her children.      

"I'm just human. What have I done wrong?" The man picked up his phone. In the end, he didn't enter the ward. He adjusted his emotions and walked to the corner to pick up the phone. He had to smile to beg his debtors to give him a few more days.      

The woman pulled her veil down her face. She paused at the door. She looked through the window at the old lady lying facing away from them. Her hand slid down the door.      

"The old lady doesn't have much time left. Can you not force her?" The nurse had seen a lot at the hospital. Sometimes, she felt so helpless. Two nurses moved to pull the woman with the ruined face away. At that moment, the bell rang. The elder inside had come to a decision. She wanted to see her children.      

When the three orphans heard the bell, they moved to the door. However, they had just taken the first step when the hospital was taken over by red chains. The ward door swung open. Doctor Gao stepped into the room.     

The old lady lay facing away from the door. When she heard the door open, she assumed it was her kids. "You can sell the house. I'll stop waiting for him…" The weak shoulders trembled. She waited her whole life just to see her father one more time. Tears slid down her wrinkles. A child turned into an old lady. She had suffered so much through the years. "There's no reason to wait anymore."      

"Ruxue…" Doctor Gao's voice rang inside the ward. The simple words seemed to pierce through time. The old lady slowly turned her body around. Her tears wouldn't stop falling. She would only cry like a child before her father. "I thought you'd never come back. Dad, I'm so tired."      

Gao Ruxue felt like she had gone back in time. When she was young and couldn't sleep at night, she would hold her father's hands.      

"I'm back. Don't sleep just yet. I have so many things to tell you." Doctor Gao picked up his daughter. The white hair fell on the red coat. He could feel Gao Ruxue's life fading away. His daughter had been waiting for him to come home. It was her final wish, and it was the reason she managed to hold on for so long.      

Demon God was extremely powerful, but he couldn't reverse death. The red chains shattered, and Doctor Gao summoned all the doctors. His daughter was sent to the emergency room. Doctor Gao sat outside the room and pinched his hands. He could see his daughter's soul slowly pulling away.      

Gao Ruxue's conditions worsened.     

"Demon Gods are the signs of misfortune, but I've already tried my best not to interact with her. Why is this still happening?"      

At midnight, seeing as his daughter's life force was about to dissipate, Doctor Gao entered the ward and guarded his daughter. "Perhaps I am destined to be a villain."     

The locks on his heart cracked and dissolved into ash. An extremely evil presence covered the country. The bloody eyes opened. Half the city was covered in red. Doctor Gao ignored all the rules and looked up into the sky.     

"I demand you return someone to me!"