The Most Crystal Clear 99 Parents' Hearts - Yilin

Author: Xiaoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features:
One day, Marshall was negotiating with a client when his phone rang—it was from the nursing home: "Mr. Marshall, your father, Jox, has just passed away." Marshall smiled and said, "Sir, please don’t joke around. I’m really busy. Please tell my father I’ll visit him when I have time!"
Marshall said this because he’d received such calls many times before. Initially, he’d been very nervous whenever he heard the news, dropping everything to rush to the nursing home. But every time, he’d only see his father’s mischievous, childlike smile. His father’s "tricks" always left Marshall both laughing and exasperated.
Just as he was about to resume his business discussion, the phone rang again—it was his wife, Juliet: "Marshall, I’m so sorry. Your father has gone to heaven." Now Marshall couldn’t help but believe her. He immediately rushed to the nursing home.
At the bedside, Marshall gently lifted the white sheet and confirmed—it was his father. With a "thump," he knelt and burst into tears. The director walked over, patted his shoulder, and said, "Marshall, don’t be sad. Listen to what your father has to say."
The family lawyer, Mr. Mouchet, led them to another room. Marshall froze—every relative he could think of was there. What were they doing? Were they waiting to inherit something? But his father wasn’t wealthy! The relatives looked just as confused.
Mr. Mouchet took out a document and read: "I, Brutus Jox, had nothing to leave this world with, but God punished me by making me suddenly inherit a fortune. About three months ago, some children from the church came to sell lottery tickets to raise money for the church. I bought a ticket—and that ticket won me $8 million."
"Aah!" Marshall gasped, and everyone else did too. Mr. Mouchet motioned for silence and continued: "I was supposed to leave this money to my son, Marshall, hoping he wouldn’t neglect his family for money. But he hadn’t visited me in a long time—even when I told him I was dead, he didn’t come to claim the money. So I donated half to the nursing home and charitable organizations, and hid the other half—right here, among all of you. I called everyone here today to tell you— whoever finds the money, it’s theirs. Remember, the money is hidden among you. I miss you, and I want you to visit me often. I’ll bless you from heaven."
Testator: Brutus Jox.
After Mr. Mouchet finished reading the will, he asked, "Do you have any questions?" But he soon realized the question was pointless—most people had already left, leaving only Marshall and his wife to handle the funeral arrangements.
"Hidden among you," Marshall thought as he walked home, trying to decipher the meaning of those words.
As soon as he got home, he found the front door open. His relatives, who rarely visited, were rummaging through the house. No wonder they vanished after the will was read—they were all here searching for clues. But clearly, they’d found nothing. As they left, they kept glancing around.
After things quieted down, Marshall and Juliet looked at each other, wondering where the money could be. Suddenly, Juliet exclaimed, "The basement! Yes, the basement! I remember putting his things there that day."
They opened the long-abandoned basement and dragged out a large chest. Marshall opened it and found a photo album first. It documented his childhood and his father’s aging. When his father held the little Marshall, he was still a young man; by the time Marshall grew to his father’s height, his father’s wrinkles had deepened. Many photos showed him with his parents, and Marshall, who was almost forgetting his mother’s face, felt his nose sting as he saw her portrait.
He set the album aside and began searching through the rest of the chest. It was filled with his childhood toys—a slingshot, a wooden gun, and a warped bicycle. Touching them brought back memories he’d long forgotten. It was then that he truly regretted not having repaid his father enough.
Marshall gave up searching for clues and brought the whole family to his father’s grave. He laid a bouquet of flowers and quietly prayed, "Dad, I’m sorry. I didn’t visit you often enough. From now on, I’ll come see you every week."
After that, Marshall indeed visited his father’s grave every week, talking to him and keeping him company. No one ever found Jox’s money, and gradually, everyone assumed he was joking and stopped looking.
One day, Marshall came to the grave and saw Mr. Mouchet there. "Child," the lawyer said, handing him a piece of paper, "this is what your father wrote before he died."
Marshall took it and found another will:
"Marshall, I know you’ll win in the end because you’re my son. Besides you, who would visit me this many times? By the time you read this letter, you’ll have visited me 85 times. I’ve been in the nursing home for eight years, so you should have visited me 96 times in total. Subtracting the 11 times you’ve already come, you still owe me 85 visits. Now you’ve paid that debt. Mr. Mouchet can tell you how to get the money. But I swear, son, this wasn’t my intention—I just wanted you to visit me often.
Yours forever,
Your father"
Mr. Mouchet handed Marshall a memory card and explained how to get the money. Then, facing the grave, he said, "Old buddy, Marshall can visit you 85 times, so he can visit you 850 times. You won’t be lonely anymore. My mission is complete."
"Visit me more often. I’ll bless you from heaven."
Thinking of his father’s words, Marshall seemed to see his father’s mischievous, childlike smile again.
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