Your Distance

After returning from the Central Cemetery, Ting Shuang had calmed down a great deal, and was even a little happy. From time to time, he worked on his short thesis and thought about how he would reach a consensus with his father in their next video call.

He even complained about how doing theoretical research wasn’t enough, and had to pull Bai Changyi to help put his plan into practice, to simulate the scene during which he’d argue with Zhu Ao when that time came – there were only two people in the family, so who would star as Zhu Ao wasn’t something that needed to be discussed.

Ting Shuang carried a chair over and asked Bai Changyi to sit facing him, the two of them separated by a desk.

“Can we start?” Ting Shuang put on a serious expression.

Bai Changyi: “Mm.”

Ting Shuang glanced down at the foolscap paper in his hand, “Dad, last time you asked me to think about the problem of not having anyone to take care of me when I grow old… I think, if I wanted a child, I could adopt one. But I don’t think that my purpose of adopting a child would be for them to take care of me when I’m old. Dad, did you have me just so I could take care of you when you’re old?”

“Yes, I had you just so you can take care of me when I’m old.”

“What?” Ting Shuang was dumbfounded, and lowered his head to look at the foolscap paper for a long time, “Why didn’t you continue as we’d planned?”

Bai Changyi: “I am your dad now, would your dad do that?”

“That’s true…” Ting Shuang cleared his throat and put himself back on track, “Dad, what if I don’t take care of you when you’re old? Even if I had children, what if they don’t take care of me when I’m old?”

Bai Changyi: “You have the obligation to do so. If you don’t fulfill it, I will turn to the law. If your child doesn’t fulfill their obligation, you can also turn to the law.”

Ting Shuang: “The law only states that children should give their parents allowance, but it can’t help you strengthen your bonds.”

Bai Changyi: “So you should get married and have children now, and quickly build a good relationship with your children.”

Ting Shuang choked, “… Bai Changyi, you’re so much more difficult than my dad.”

“Let me think about what to say…” He couldn’t think of a good retort, “Forget it, I shouldn’t have brought up that point at the start. Let’s restart–

“Dad, you’re worried that no one will take care of me when I’m in my 70s or 80s, but who even knows whether I’ll live to that age?”

Bai Changyi frowned and said in Zhu Ao’s tone of voice, “Ting Shuang, you unfilial son, how dare you say these kinds of things to your father?”

Ting Shuang burst into laughter before Bai Changyi even finished talking.

Bai Changyi couldn’t help but laugh as well.

After laughing for a long time, Ting Shuang realised a potential problem, “How about we stop this mock argument. I’m really afraid that at night… I won’t be able to get it up for you.”