Between dusk and dawn, I hope this period will forever remain.
Zhang Qian looked very tired after a day of sightseeing. She took a shower first, and then Dongdong and I took ours.
When we finished showering, Zhang Qian was already asleep on the bed.
"Such a grown woman, she doesn't even know to cover herself with a blanket when she sleeps." Despite saying that, he resignedly covered her with the blanket.
"uncle!"
Dongdong will definitely be good at sports when he grows up. He climbed onto my back, hugged my neck, and kicked his little legs behind me.
Tell me a story.
Storytelling? That's a real challenge for me. My parents never read me stories before bed when I was little, so I don't know how to read stories to a child.
"What does your mother usually talk to you about?" Listening to the opinions of your elders and ancestors is always a good idea.
"snow White."
"Snow White?" Is that the kind of story she tells her son?
"Yes, and there's also the story of Taro the Dragon Boy looking for his mother!"
How can you say such emotional things to a child?
"And there's Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Aladdin's Lamp."
Fortunately, this little one has a good foundation and wasn't ruined by her mother.
"Lie down," I commanded him to lie down next to me, and then I began to tell him the first story I ever told a child.
"Uncle, what are we going to talk about today?"
"Dong Cunrui sacrificed himself to blow up the pillbox"
Who is Dong Cunrui?
"He is a national hero."
Was he brave?
"Yes."
Before Dong Cunrui could even appear with the explosives, the little guy had already fallen asleep with his head tilted to the side.
This mother and son really look alike; they even sleep in the same way.
Pick up Dongdong and put him back on Zhang Qian's bed.
Zhang Qian looks like a baby when she's asleep; she has very long eyelashes. Like Dongdong, she also likes to suck her thumb.
I pulled back the covers and hugged her from behind. Her hair smelled wonderful.
Tonight, the three of us will sleep in one bed.
Zhang Qian
Zhang Qian was thirsty in the middle of the night, and when she got up, she found a pair of large hands on her waist.
This man.
Anqi, is this fun? If I could, I'd love to slap you.
Are you willing to give it up?
I can't bear to part with it.
I touched his face.
Tonight, you're mine. We'll talk about tomorrow tomorrow.
Anqi
In the afternoon, I saw Zhang Qian and her son off.
Before leaving, I took Zhang Qian's phone when she wasn't looking, sent her a text message, and then turned it off. She'll be able to see it when she gets home and turns it back on.
During the two months we were apart, I thought things through very clearly.
Idealism lacks the drive to act in reality, while realism lacks goals and ideals. All I can do is try my best to make up for these shortcomings.
If you jump, I jump too. Similarly, if you live, I live; if you die, I die.
Anqi
A week after Zhang Qian left, my father flew to the poverty alleviation hospital in my city.
He had the air of a gentleman: shiny hair, a sharp suit, and a cane. Although he looked very robust, it was just a matter of appearance.
My father was sitting in my office, and I was standing in front of him. He looked more like a doctor than I did.
Who have you been making friends with lately?
We came prepared; this is going to be a tough battle.
"You don't know everything."
My father was not expected to speak to him like that, and his face turned red with anger.
"How much do you know about her? Do you know anything about her past? I think you should get yourself checked to see if you have a brain tumor!"
"Know"
“I don’t care what you do outside, but this is unacceptable!” He took out a cigarette from his pocket, and I took out a lighter to light it for him.
“I can’t explain any profound principles, but I understand your concerns as a father. If I had a son who suddenly said he wanted to marry a woman of questionable character, I would also be anxious.”
He narrowed his eyes, thinking about how I should refute him next.
"Do you think there's a possibility between Zhang Sijia and me?" I asked.
"Why is it impossible? In what way does she not compare to your current one?"
"If we were going to get along, we would have done it much earlier. She's braver than me, more honest than me, and she faced this issue more openly much sooner than I did."
"Fine, I can't reason with you. You two can take your time." My father suddenly stormed out of my office like a gust of wind.
I don't think I've convinced him. After being father and son for over thirty years, I know his way of doing things.
They took Zhang Qian's phone, but it was switched off. They called again, but it was still off. They called her home, and her grandfather said she was at work. They called her workplace, and she said she had taken the afternoon off.
Zhang Qian, please remember the message I left on your phone.
Zhang Qian
The woman in front of me is very well-maintained; her skin shows no signs of aging, except for a few faint fine lines at the corners of her eyes that betray her true age.
She was very kind, even kinder to me than my own mother.
He sneered inwardly.
I've seen this kind of confrontation many times, not on TV, but in my own experience. Often, those who put on a smiling face will eventually break off their facade and reveal their true colors.
Look at those two, they used to be so polite to me. Now, when we meet, they act like enemies.
I gripped my phone tightly in my hand, the phone's casing soaked with sweat.
"How are your parents?" She held the teacup with a beautiful and elegant posture.
"Okay, thank you," I replied politely.
Where do your parents work?
"They are just ordinary workers." There's nothing shameful about it.
She kept quiet about me and Anqi, and chatted with me like an elder.
"Your son is very cute and smart."
"Yes, I ate a lot of 'cold soup essence' when I was pregnant with him." I won't allow anyone to drag Dongdong into my affairs.
She was stunned for a moment, not expecting me to say such a thing.
"Did you eat 'cold soup essence' when you were in Huai'an?" I asked in return.
"Alright!" She put down her teacup. "That's the end of your business with Anqi, understand?"
I laughed. Could you please rephrase that?
"I understand. Then I'll trouble you to go back and tell Anqi to stop bothering me." He picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of tea. He was thirsty now, so he gulped it down in one go and took out a few hundred-yuan bills from his bag and threw them on the table.
"Auntie, it's my treat, no need for you to spend the money. Let's chat again sometime."
Walking down the street, I took a few deep breaths, feeling as if I had just died, as if all the strength in my body had been drained away.
I turned on my phone and called Anqi.
"Zhang Qian, what's wrong? Why isn't your phone on? Where did you go this afternoon?"
It turns out he thought the same thing as me.
Why aren't you saying anything?
"It's alright, what could possibly happen to me?"
"real?"
"I was having tea with your mother just now."
What did she say to you?
“............”
"Zhang Qian!"
"........"