Electronic Nezha

Chapter 34 Economic Interview Section
The radio was actually on the whole time while we were talking. This segment was an economic interview program, and a male host with a deep voice was talking to an economist about when the economy would recover. The scholar's voice was a bit sharp, and he kept using economic terms, such as GDP, CPI, marginal cost, and whether it was rising or falling. I could only understand GDP.

Such a highly professional conversation could easily degenerate into white noise like ordinary people chatting. If Liu Zhenhua hadn't mentioned Xiao Wu, I wouldn't have even noticed what was being said on the radio.

If you want Xiao Wu to speak, you have to convey your meaning to it first. In Yuan Yuan and Liu Zhenhua's words, it's called "authorization." It must have heard my whispers with Liu Zhenhua, so when I patted the broadcast screen...

"Understood!" The host blurted out this resounding sentence after the economist finished speaking, a double entendre.

The host said, "Hey, Professor Zhang, you economists are all very smart, you must be very knowledgeable, right?"

The scholar said, "Of course."

One sentence immediately captured my dad's attention. The old man asked in surprise, "Are all intellectuals these days so lacking in humility?"

Host: "I'd like to ask you something unrelated. What are your thoughts on habits like smoking and drinking?"

My dad was stunned: "Is the topic really that far off?"

My mom immediately took it to heart and said, "Listen to what this cultured person has to say."

The scholar asserted arbitrarily, "They're all bad habits, what's there to say?"

My dad said, "Nonsense! Bullshit!"

My mom advised him, "Listen carefully."

The host said, "Take my dad for example. He always argues with my mom about this. My mom tells him to quit, but my dad has heart and blood pressure problems. He gets angry as soon as you mention it."

Scholar: "What did your mother say?"

"My mom said, 'Wouldn't it be better if you quit smoking and drinking, and we could live another ten years longer?'"

Scholar: "What did your dad say?"

"My dad said, why should I live ten more years if I quit smoking and drinking?"

My dad clapped his hands: "See? Someone understands me!"

The scholar asked, "Is your family wealthy?"

Host: "I'm just a wage earner, but it's stable, and I'm comfortably well-off."

The scholar said, "Let's take an example. For instance, your dad could live to 80 if he didn't smoke or drink. Now he smokes and drinks, and then he suddenly dies at the age of 70. What do you call that?"

Host: "What's your name?"

"This is a good thing! Don't be offended, it's the truth. If they say you'll live 10 years less, you'll live 10 years less. When your time comes, you'll leave without burdening anyone. Isn't that a good thing?"

The host said, "I hadn't thought of this angle."

The scholar said, "The truth is, you are very likely to survive but not live well. You may end up paralyzed, demented, or bedridden for ten years."

My dad's expression looked a little off.

The scholar continued, "Now you can go and take care of him like a son. This is what you deserve, what you should endure. I just asked you if you have money and you said you did. That's even better. If conditions allow, you can be put in the ICU. Get him equipped with a ventilator and feeding tube. Don't think that wearing a ventilator is comfortable. That thing is meant to constantly exercise your cardiopulmonary function. It's painful to take a breath."

The host said, "On the bright side, what if it's early-stage cancer?"

The scholar spoke eloquently: "Hey, then go for chemotherapy. Usually, it takes three to four cycles. It's like finding yourself a job, no, it's like regularly going to a detention center. But wait, no, you can't even beat people up in detention centers anymore. Chemotherapy is so painful, you experience hair loss, vomiting, and organ damage. Everyone says that with the advancement of medical technology, chemotherapy isn't so painful anymore. Do you believe it?"

My mom said, "This scholar has been everywhere."

My dad wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "This grandson wasn't lying; he's very knowledgeable!"

The scholar wasn't finished: "People call someone who can't move in bed a vegetative state person. Don't tarnish the word 'vegetative state.' Plants can live well with just a little water. They don't poop or pee on the bed. At worst, they just don't get enough nutrition and slowly wither away. It's a beautiful sight. Can a person do that? If you lie there for three days and no one cares, they'll dig you out of a pile of excrement, just to smoke a couple of cigarettes and drink a couple of drinks? Is it worth it?"

I was both amused and impressed. Little Wu truly lived up to his reputation as a veteran of the Qing Dynasty, spraying so densely and fiercely. At first, I worried he wouldn't be able to control two mouths, but that was completely unnecessary. This guy didn't just borrow two mouths; he practically hijacked them! Yuan Yuan surely understands the same principle, but she could never deliver it with such breathtaking skill.

Liu Zhenhua turned around at the opportune moment and added insult to injury: "Grandpa, was it worth it?"

My dad's face was ashen, and he stammered, "Can't I just smoke and drink less?"

The host immediately followed up: "My dad said, can you smoke and drink less?"

The scholar said, "This thing is actually based on conscience. What is too much and what is too little? I used to smoke two packs a day, now I've learned to reduce it to one pack a day, then I feel it's okay and it goes back to two packs, then I feel guilty for smoking less, so it goes back to two and a half packs a day, and then what?"

The scholar's shrill voice trailed off: "Our ICU, let's go!"

My dad snapped, "Alright! I'm not smoking or drinking anymore!"

My mom exclaimed with delight, "You have to keep your word!"

"When have I ever gone back on my word?" That's a good thing about the old man; he's stubborn, but he keeps his promises.

The host said, "We've talked enough about the digressions, let's get back to economics."

Scholar: "...Currently, the government has achieved some success in diverting funds to industries through interest rate adjustments."

Both mouths were returned intact, and they continued their conversation.

My husband stared at the radio with lingering fear, and said blankly, "Did I... get so caught up in an economics talk show that I gave up smoking and drinking?"

My mom said, "Listening to the radio these days really broadens your horizons. The other day on the way here with you—"

I tried my best to suppress my laughter.

Liu Zhenhua said, "Grandpa, that's normal. When we talk about economics, we have to consider the economics. You can save a lot of money if you quit smoking and drinking."

Suddenly, the old man's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed with a flash of inspiration, "That's right! How come I never thought of that before? I should have saved this money for you a long time ago!"

At that moment, I felt like a clown—all that trouble was for nothing compared to just telling Liu Zhenhua's grandfather from the beginning that business was bad and that he should have saved the money he would have spent on cigarettes and alcohol to subsidize his grandson!
It was still an oversight.

When we got downstairs, my mom didn't let us go up. I knew she really wanted the family to have a meal together, but she was worried that I would get tired and that Liu Zhenhua's studies would be affected.

My dad was in a daze the whole way. After getting out of the car, he pulled me aside and said, "There are still a few bottles of wine and two packs of cigarettes at home. I was going to get them for you, but after listening to what that economist said, I think you should quit too."

One sentence stunned me. I suddenly realized that I had thrown a boomerang all this way, and now it had come back to me, all menacing and luring me back!
Fortunately, my dad said, "I know you'll have to attend a lot of social events, so try to minimize it as much as possible."

The elderly couple entered the building, and Liu Zhenhua and I stood by the car watching them go.

After my dad went in, he suddenly came out again and loudly asked Liu Zhenhua, "Is the aunt your dad just met treating you well?"

I was speechless. The old man was using the same trick of digging a pit and shooting at his grandson, he just had to get something out of him.

Liu Zhenhua waved to his grandfather with complete ease: "My dad doesn't have the money to hire a nanny, Grandpa, please go inside."

　Thank you to reader "Axe King Control" for becoming the patron of this book!
　　Thank you to reader "You Rong" for becoming the patron of this book!
　　I was planning to post a separate update today, but with two new alliance leaders, that's not appropriate anymore...

　　Other authors would add extra chapters for the patron, but I don't have that ability. I can only try my best to write more chapters.

　　This chapter touches on the topic of quitting smoking and drinking. In fact, as people get older, reducing the amount is a more scientific approach. However, since Mr. Liu in the book has heart and blood pressure problems, it would be better to let him quit completely.

　　The main point is to debate the statement, "If I quit smoking and drinking, why should I live to 100?"

　　There's one more chapter today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)