Zhou Yu went traveling alone.
She didn’t say specifically where.
Sun Jingcheng only received the notification after she had already departed. He was a bit angry—he’d been busy with work these past few days, planning to find time to go climb Mount Hua with her.
Taking advantage of lunch break, he returned to the new district. Sure enough, her backpack was gone. He instinctively replied to her, “You’re really selfish!”
Zhou Yu replied, “You used to do this too. You also only told me right before leaving.”
Sun Jingcheng replied, “I wasn’t conscious of it then—I didn’t do it on purpose!” After sending it, he realized something was wrong and quickly recalled it. Too late. Because Zhou Yu had also replied to him, “I wasn’t conscious of it either.”
…
Sun Jingcheng was exasperated. “So you’re deliberately getting revenge on me?”
Zhou Yu replied, “I was scrolling through videos this morning and got the idea on the spur of the moment.”
Sun Jingcheng asked, “What video?”
Zhou Yu replied, “Not telling you.”
Sun Jingcheng asked, “Where did you go?”
Zhou Yu replied, “No… sig… sig… signal… anymore.” After that, no more replies.
…
In the afternoon, busy until three or four, he gradually calmed down and messaged her, “Don’t scrimp on money. Stay at the best hotels. Lock the door at night when you sleep.” Then he transferred some money to her. After working a bit more, he left early and went to the family housing complex.
He first carried Grandma downstairs, pushed her out for a stroll, then came back and ate the dinner Feng Yiqun had cooked. Finally, with nothing to do, he returned to the clinic. By this time, his anger had completely dissipated. He sent her a message: “I’m taking care of things at home. Have a good time for a few days.”
He couldn’t help but say a few more words: “That’s enough. I get it. I’ll never leave without saying anything again. I’ll report a week in advance from now on.” Then he thought of her vengeful character, how to win at badminton against him, she actually hired a private coach and practiced hard for half a year—he had to admire that!
This was completely his own romantic notion. Zhou Yu practiced badminton because at the school’s annual sports festival, teachers had to participate in one event.
Upstairs, the three kids were completely liberated—sprawled on the sofa, some watching cartoons, some playing games. Because even Ke Yu had gone to Beijing to play, they played even more righteously. Someone’s summer homework was being stepped on the floor, but they didn’t care at all—whoever wanted to step on it could step on it! Best to trample away the four big characters “Happy Summer Vacation” on top. Assigning homework for summer vacation was bad enough—and they still wanted the people doing homework to be happy!
Sun Jingcheng picked up the summer homework, dusted off the shoe prints, and tossed it into the inner room. Sun’s mother was threading a needle. After a long time unable to thread it, she called Sun Jingcheng to help her.
Sun Jiaxing shouted not to darn his socks—even if she darned them, he wouldn’t wear them. Taking them off at night in the dorm was embarrassing. Sun’s mother couldn’t be bothered with him. A pair of socks cost over ten yuan, and in a few days there’d be a hole, then another hole in a few more days—even the sock seller couldn’t keep up.
“Your Second Sister-in-law isn’t one for managing a household either. She buys a dozen pairs at once, and when they get holes, she just throws them away.” Sun’s mother grumbled. “Same with shoes. The school requires those Shanghai what’s-it-called, but she thinks they make feet stink, so she buys those… the ones with the checkmark, what are they called?”
“Grandma, that’s called Nike.”
“Each time she buys several pairs. Don’t they still make feet stink? His feet are like iron—after wearing them a while, he kicks them apart. I take them to the shoe shop to repair, but after I repair them, that little devil still won’t wear them. In the end, I give them to people, and they treasure them!”
“And his clothes—the ones he can’t wear anymore, I collect and give to people. Your Second Sister-in-law even said… said giving old clothes to people doesn’t look good. But they treasure them! Their grandson wears them every day playing in the street.”
“Good for nothing—every one of them is spoiled by fortune.” Sun’s mother took off her reading glasses, rubbing her sore shoulders.
Sun Jingcheng threaded the needle and handed it to her, then massaged her shoulders. Sun’s mother hung her head, pointing out which spots were sore, then went on with household matters.
Normally, Sun Jingcheng wouldn’t listen—he’d have gone downstairs already. But a while ago Sun Youping had told them to be patient with their mother—it was just trivial talk, so listen if they could.
Sun’s mother talked about the aunt upstairs, saying her husband died last year, and this year she kept seeing her wandering around. “At noon she doesn’t sleep either, just wanders back and forth under the blazing sun, from this street to that street. I saw she was really too lonely, so I invited her to chat at the clinic. Didn’t expect that afterwards she wouldn’t go anywhere else—every day she comes to sit at the clinic. Even when no one chats with her, she sits and won’t leave.”
Sun Jingcheng parted the hair at the back of her head. “Mom, your hair is completely white.”
“What’s so surprising about that? When people get old, their hair naturally turns white.” Sun’s mother didn’t mind. “Around New Year’s I’ll dye it black.”
“Oh right, you’re not using protection, are you?”
“Protection from what?”
“Aren’t you planning to have a child?”
…
Sun Jingcheng cleared his throat and made an affirmative sound.
Sun’s mother looked at the grandchildren and instructed him in a low voice, “When you’re doing that, take a pillow and put it under Zhou Yu’s waist…”
Sun Jingcheng couldn’t listen anymore and prepared to leave.
Sun’s mother grabbed him. “I won’t say anymore, I won’t. Massage a bit more—it’s been really sore lately.”
Over there, the kids had watched something. Sun Jiarui asked, “Grandma, if I die, will this world still exist?”
…
“Yes!” Sun’s mother replied irritably. “The earth will keep spinning without you! What kind of questions do you ask all day?”
Sun Jiarui started feeling distressed. Once he died, he’d never see this world again, couldn’t eat delicious food or drink delicious drinks. And after he died, Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma… all his family would still be in this world eating and drinking. Just like when Uncle died, they still ate spicy strips and watched TV?
He finally understood—understood what a sad thing death was. He wasn’t afraid of dying, but he was afraid that after he died, the family he deeply loved would still be alive! They would eventually forget him!
Deeply loved—deep love—this was a vocabulary word the teacher taught before summer vacation, saying it was used to express the intensity of emotion, more profound than liking or loving!
The teacher asked if when they saw this word, there was a corresponding person in their minds whom they considered deeply loved. Sun Jiarui’s first thought was Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, Jiaxing, Yuyan, Ke Yu… a long string, countless! Thinking of this, he said with tears in his eyes, “Grandma, I deeply love you.”
…
“Uncle, I deeply love you too…” Then he burst into tears. “I don’t want to die! I don’t want to leave you all! I don’t want to die while you’re still alive!”
…
Great—once he cried and mentioned death, Sun Yuyan had been fine watching cartoons, but suddenly thought of Dad, thought of adults saying Dad had died, and he also started crying sadly.