In the blink of an eye, it was mid-August.
Sun Jingcheng still hadn’t been able to find time to go to Mount Hua, so Zhou Yu shouldered her backpack and went out alone.
She didn’t go too far—she went to the seaside in the neighboring province. Although she’d always been afraid of water, she quite enjoyed listening to the sound of waves.
She stayed by the sea for two nights. During the day she watched the sunrise and went out to sea with fishermen, brought back seafood to cook and eat herself. At night she strolled alone along the seaside in the sea breeze. Walking for two hours at a time, extremely pleasant and quiet.
She was gradually understanding the beauty of solo travel.
The seaside at night was very lively. Some people were camping, and there were also bonfires organized by tour groups. She watched from afar, gathered her wind-blown hair with her hand, took out her phone to record a short video to send to Sun Jingcheng, and also told him, “I went out to sea with fishermen yesterday.” She’d nearly drowned in a swimming pool as a child and had been afraid of water ever since.
After sending the message, she headed toward the bonfire. A circle of people surrounded it singing and dancing. She originally wanted to stand to the side and watch quietly, but several young people waved at her and pulled her in to participate.
When Sun Jingcheng finished work and rushed over with his backpack, this was the pleasing scene he saw. Zhou Yu was laughing happily, holding hands with people dancing around the bonfire. Perhaps it was the atmosphere—she even performed a solo dance, and while dancing, a man joined her in a duet.
…
He stood there watching. He could guarantee that if he approached her right now, it would definitely not be a pleasant surprise but rather an intrusion. Thinking this, he circled around to a distant spot.
When they finished, the man who had danced with Zhou Yu seemed to ask for her WeChat, but she declined with a smile. At this moment, Sun Jingcheng replied to her message: “Not afraid of seawater anymore?”
Zhou Yu took her phone and came out of the crowd, replying to him: “Not afraid anymore.”
Sun Jingcheng saw the smile still on her face and asked her, “Are you having fun?”
Zhou Yu replied: “Pretty good.” Then asked him: “Have you eaten dinner?”
Sun Jingcheng originally typed: “Ate something casually…” Deleted it, re-edited: “Ate already.”
Zhou Yu sat down on the beach, replying to him: “I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon. I’ll cook something delicious for you in the evening.”
Sun Jingcheng really wanted her to come back, but seeing her sitting there contentedly in the breeze, he said: “Rare to come out, play a few more days. I can just eat at Mom’s.”
Zhou Yu was quite satisfied and replied to him: “These two days are enough. Mom’s home alone and can’t manage taking care of Grandma by herself.”
Sun Jingcheng looked at the screen for a long time, then replied to her: “In the future during winter and summer breaks when I’m not free, you can go out and have fun by yourself.”
Zhou Yu replied: “Alright.”
Sun Jingcheng suddenly felt it was unfair—not just feeling unfair for Zhou Yu, but also for his mother and Eldest Sister-in-law and these women trapped in their families year-round. He used to go wherever he wanted, and whenever he came back home there was always delicious food. He’d never seriously acknowledged all that his mother sacrificed for the family, because her silent contributions day after day made him mistakenly believe these sacrifices were natural, were her maternal instinct as a mother.
He thought of his mother taking the high-speed train to Beijing to see Yuyi—that was her first time leaving the province in her life. When she came back, she kept exclaiming in amazement: That… that machine at the high-speed rail station is really advanced! Even saves the train ticket! Just scan your ID card and you’re through, just scan your ID card and you’re through!
Because of this statement, his sisters had laughed at her for quite a while. Now looking back, how cruel their laughter had been.
He explained all this in detail to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu replied to him: “Let’s find a good season later and our whole family can take a road trip.”
Sun Jingcheng replied: “Great!” After replying, he looked toward Zhou Yu, not knowing what she was doing, and asked again: “What are you doing?”
Zhou Yu replied: “Playing with sand, burying my feet in a sand pit.”
Sun Jingcheng also bent down to dig a sand pit, took off his shoes and socks, and placed his feet firmly inside. The two were separated by about a hundred meters—Zhou Yu sat in the light, Sun Jingcheng sat in the darkness.
Zhou Yu replied again: “I just danced by the bonfire. A very handsome man asked for my WeChat.”
Sun Jingcheng brushed the sand off his hands and replied to her: “And then?”
Zhou Yu replied: “I gave it to him.”
Sun Jingcheng replied: “Even if you gave it, I’m not afraid.”
Zhou Yu laughed out loud: “Ha… Don’t be too confident.”
Sun Jingcheng replied: “Daring to let you go out and have fun alone, I’m not afraid.”
Zhou Yu felt warm and replied to him: “Didn’t give it.”
Sun Jingcheng was very happy: “I knew it!”
Zhou Yu tousled her hair, simply lying down on the beach to reply: “Do you miss me?”
Sun Jingcheng replied: “Obviously.”
Zhou Yu replied: “Speak properly.”
Sun Jingcheng replied: “Miss you.”
Zhou Yu replied: “I miss you too.”
Sun Jingcheng watched her lying on the beach, contentedly called out: “Wife.”
Zhou Yu replied: “Mm.”
Sun Jingcheng called again: “Wife!”
Zhou Yu replied: “Mm!”
Sun Jingcheng called again: “Wife! Wife!”
Zhou Yu replied: “What’s wrong with you?”
Sun Jingcheng smiled and didn’t reply. Seeing Zhou Yu happy made him happier than being happy himself.
Zhou Yu got up and went to the seaside, held up her phone and recorded a very long segment of wave sounds for him. She didn’t say anything else, just this segment of wave sounds.
Sun Jingcheng listened quietly to the end, then replied to her: “Do you like traveling alone?”
Zhou Yu replied: “It’s actually pretty good.”