Chapter 102 Chapter 102: if extra 50%

08

Dear Father and Mother, I am older than you.

It has been thirty years since I last ate dumplings on the Lantern Festival, and every time I think about it, it feels like it was just yesterday.

I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me, or rather, no, apart from Teacher Jin who would "laugh" at me, no one in my family dares to laugh at me anymore. I've become the biggest "blessing." If you think about it carefully, I'm actually older than all of you.

During the Lunar New Year, my grandchildren brought their children over, and the house was packed with people. My eyesight has been deteriorating for the past few years, and with so many children, I can no longer tell who is who. But the crowds and the lively chatter made me feel like I was back in the past, back in our villa in Shuoguo Bay.

I remember that Teacher Jin loved lively atmospheres.

After graduating from university, my relationship with my father improved a lot, and the house became more lively. Every time we had a holiday, Teacher Jin would take my father and me to the kitchen to work together, making dumplings and cooking glutinous rice balls.

Of course, my father and I did these things while she stood by, occasionally handing me a bowl or wiping my hands, her eyes full of smiles. At the time, I just thought they were being affectionate, but I was very happy inside. The house was warm and cozy, and even the winter wind couldn't get in.

The year my father passed away, Teacher Jin sat by his bedside, holding his hand and gently humming a song. I stood at the door and heard her say, "Don't be afraid, I'll come to find you soon." She spoke as gently as ever, as if she were coaxing a child.

She didn't keep him waiting too long.

Now, I'm old, my hair is white, and I walk slowly, but my memory is getting clearer and clearer.

Sometimes, when I sit in the yard basking in the sun, I can vaguely hear Teacher Jin, who has become the head of the teaching department, calling out to me to deduct points, and my heart will skip a beat. Or I can hear my father's helpless voice, favoring women over his son and taking sides, which will make me angry and wake me up from my dream.

Then, a sense of loss washed over me.

They left too soon, but the love they gave me is enough for me to cherish for a lifetime.

Teacher Jin always says that no matter how old a child is, they are always a child to their parents. If there really is another world, I hope they are still waiting for me.

—This time, it's my turn to come find you.

09

Jin Ran woke up crying.

She rested her head on Jiang Mingxu's arm, sobbing uncontrollably until her clothes were soaked. Jiang Mingxu was startled awake and instinctively patted her back.

"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Jin Ran raised her tearful eyes and saw the familiar outline in the morning light. Her nose tingled, and tears welled up again.

"I dreamt that you and Xiao Li had both changed."

"Change to what?"

Jin Ran complained bitterly: "You turned into a seventeen-year-old, poor and fierce, while Xiao Li turned into an old man with a white beard, all his teeth have fallen out, and he stays at home every day writing pretentious poems."

Jiang Mingxu was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then chuckled softly, his chest trembling slightly. He cupped Jin Ran's tear-stained face and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his thumb.

"You're crying over this? Is that poor boy in your dream particularly hard to appease?"

Jin Ran nodded immediately: "She's incredibly fierce, and she'll kick people out at the drop of a hat."

Jiang Mingxu lowered his head and kissed her reddened nose: "Then he must regret it very much."

He regretted not speaking his mind, regretted losing the best version of her amidst his awkward sincerity and pride as a teenager.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from downstairs, followed by Jiang Xuli's clear voice: "Dad! Teacher Jin! I'm home!"

A 20-year-old college student dragged his suitcase upstairs in a flurry of activity, then announced the reason for his sudden appearance at home: "I've decided to come back every week from now on, so that Teacher Jin won't worry about me not eating enough at school every day."

Jiang Mingxu glanced back at Jin Ran: "This energy has nothing to do with the old man."

Jiang Xuli: "?"

Jin Ran, however, had already stopped crying and started laughing. Looking at the lively father and son in front of her, she suddenly felt extremely satisfied.

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating a brand-new family photo on the bedside table.

It is the most ordinary yet precious moment of the present.

Welcome back.

Outside the window, the spring sunshine is just right.

————————!!————————

It's fake, a dream. I'm alive and well, forever young.

The letter-style format in question 08 is modeled after the letters written by Xiaohongshu blogger "Li Xiangcan's Diary" to her parents. Interested readers can check it out.

That concludes the extra chapters. I'm going to prepare for my next Ming Dynasty food novel now! [crying emoji]