Chapter 65 Why Am I Not Here?
Around six in the evening, Aunt Xu called Long Weihe. "Enming's mom, Shi Shi can't go skateboarding tomorrow. Please tell your little one and ask for time off from her coach. I don't have her number." "What's wrong with Shi Shi?" Long Weihe was cooking. "Her dad's on a business trip. She cried for a while when he left at noon and hasn't recovered yet. She's mad at me and said she's not going tomorrow and won't learn anymore. I just called her dad and told him he couldn't persuade her, so I won't force her." She turned off the stove and ladled out the shrimp and eggs from the pot. "Duoduo, time to eat!" Qian Duoduo, his energy having mostly recovered, tossed aside his toys and went to the table. "Mom, Dad called and said he'll come back to take me out later." "Okay." She picked up some food for him, her face expressionless, but a strange feeling welled up inside. Qian Pingtao had sent her a message that morning, just the three words "I'm sorry," which wasn't his style. "Want to play with Shi Shi tonight?" "Yes." "Let's go see her after dinner, okay?" "Okay!" She understood Shi Zhenglin's struggles. Shi Shi's condition was tormenting for both the child and the adult. She'd finally learned skateboarding, but her emotional interruption made it hard to rekindle her interest. So she called Aunt Xu and told her she was bringing Qian Duoduo over to play with Shi Shi for a while, and to persuade her to join them for skateboarding lessons tomorrow. Aunt Xu was overjoyed. The mother and child arrived around eight o'clock. When Aunt Xu opened the door and saw Qian Duoduo, she was like a savior, calling her "baby" left and right. "Come sit down, sit down! Let them play by themselves. You rest over here," Aunt Xu said warmly, ushering her into the living room. The two children began comparing toys. Qian Duoduo brought over her own toys, but Shi Shi remarked that she had far more and showed him the Buzz Lightyear she'd asked him for last time. His eyes widened. She laid out a whole row for him, more than a dozen toys of all sizes, and generously told him to take as many as he wanted. Long Weihe sat down on the sofa and scanned the living room. Everywhere was dominated by a masculine aesthetic, a wabi-sabi-meets-French-retro style. The pieces were mostly textured black and white with metallic accents, and the soft furnishings also featured a black and white base, with a few wood and toasted almond accents. While the space was upscale, it felt cold and overly orderly, even a bit oppressive. As a child's living space, it lacked a warm feeling. "I'm always causing you trouble, even on your last birthday." Aunt Xu sat down next to her, handed her a fork of fruit, and started chatting. "It's not a big deal, as long as they're happy." "Her dad went out at noon, and she...
Around six o'clock in the evening, Aunt Xu called Long Weihe.
"Enming's mom, Shi Shi can't go skateboarding tomorrow. Please tell your baby and ask for leave from the coach. I don't have the coach's contact number."
"What happened to Shi Shi?" Long Weihe was cooking.
"Her father is on a business trip. When he left at noon, she cried for a while and hasn't recovered yet. She's mad at me and said she won't go tomorrow and won't study anymore. I just called her father and told him that he couldn't persuade her, so he won't force her."
She turned off the stove and scooped out the scrambled eggs with shrimp from the pot.
"Duoduo, it's time to eat!"
Qian Duoyuan's energy had almost recovered. He threw his toys aside and went to the table. "Mom, Dad called me and said he would come over to take me out to play later."
"Okay." She picked up some food for him, her face expressionless, but a strange feeling welled up inside her. Qian Pingtao had sent her a message that morning, just the three words "I'm sorry," which wasn't his style.
"Would you like to play with Shi Shi tonight?"
"think."
"Let's go see her after dinner, okay?"
"good!"
She sympathized with Shi Zhenglin's struggles and thought Shi Shi's situation was tormenting for both the child and the adult. She had finally learned to skateboard, but her emotional interruption made it difficult to rekindle her interest. So she called Aunt Xu and said she was going to bring some money to spend with Shi Shi and persuade her to join her for skateboarding lessons tomorrow.
Aunt Xu was extremely happy.
The mother and son arrived around eight o'clock.
When Aunt Xu opened the door and saw Qian Duoduo, she felt like she had seen a savior, calling him "baby" on the left and "baby" on the right.
"Come and sit down. Let them play by themselves and you take a rest here." Aunt Xu greeted her warmly and led her to sit in the living room.
When the two children met, they compared toys. Qian Duoduo brought his toys over. Shi Shi said that she had much more toys than him. She pulled him to look at the Buzz Lightyear that she had asked him for last time. His eyes widened. She laid out a whole row of toys for him, more than ten of them, big and small. She was very generous and told him to pick as many as he wanted.
Long Weihe sat down on the sofa and glanced at the living room. The masculine aesthetic was everywhere, with Wabi-sabi and French retro style. Most of the items were textured black and white and metallic, and the soft furnishings also had a black and white background, with a small amount of wood and roasted almond color. It was high-end, but the large space made it look cold, too orderly, and even a little depressing. As a living environment for children, it didn't feel warm at all.
"I always cause you trouble, even on your last birthday." Aunt Xu sat next to her, handed her a fork of fruit, and started chatting with her.
"It's not a big deal, it's not a big deal. As long as they are happy, that's all that matters."
"Her father went out at noon, and she made a fuss for a while. I'm really sorry about the incident at the kindergarten. He couldn't leave on a business trip in front of her at that time, so he could only leave quietly. After that incident, he didn't dare to leave quietly. He had to say goodbye in person before leaving, which made it even more difficult. He also took her on business trips several times. Alas, it was difficult for him too. I was the one who held him back when he left today." Aunt Xu said in a worried voice.
She felt a bitter taste in her heart and didn't respond.
Aunt Xu continued, "Grandpa Shishi keeps calling her to go outside, saying that staying home all the time will cause problems. It's not that I don't take her, but most of the time she refuses to go out unless her dad takes her. He doesn't have the time to be with her. Look, her dad can't take her skateboarding tomorrow, so she refuses to go. She's been crying all afternoon. Her dad said he'd quit his job to stay home with her, but he's still not here..."
She stopped herself, realizing she had let the cat out of the bag, and thought that he might not be able to tell anyone else about his resignation.
"It's not that easy for him to resign. Just wait a little longer. Don't worry, the child will get better. Keep going outdoors and take her out for more sunshine."
She felt that Aunt Xu was a little anxious, a little nagging, and had a strong desire to talk. The anxiety between adults and children can affect each other.
"There's no other way but to resign. You know, a man stuck at home, I don't know how he survives." Aunt Xu sighed again.
How could she not know that the workplace was where his vitality flourished most.
Aunt Xu looked at her phone and said, "Shi Shi's mother is here to video chat. Please wait."
She answered the call. Long Wei, who was sitting next to her, glanced sideways at the person on the screen. It was a very stunning face.
"Shi Shi, where is your mother?" Aunt Xu turned the screen towards Shi Shi.
Shi Shi is very well behaved now. She took out a pile of building blocks and is sitting on the floor competing with Duoduo in building blocks.
"Good evening, Shi Shi. Let mom see what you are playing now." Li Yasong called her.
"Playing with building blocks." Shi Shi kept playing with building blocks and glanced at the screen of her mobile phone.
"Why is there a little kid here? Who is that kid?" She saw half of Qian Duoduo's body.
"Auntie, my name is Qian Duoduo."
Duoduo leaned closer to the phone, and the person on the other end got a complete view.
"Baby, have you made a new friend?"
"Um."
"Where are these kids from?"
"kindergarten."
"Where's Dad?"
"On a business trip."
"It's Saturday, and I'm on a business trip again. Are you going to behave?"
Shi Shi said nothing.
Perhaps because he saw that she was having fun and didn't pay much attention to her, Li Yasong said a few words like "go to bed early" and "have a sweet dream" and then hung up.
After the last conflict, she video-called him every other day. Usually she would call him during the day on weekdays when he was at work. Today was Saturday, probably to test whether he would be at home at night.
"Shi Shi's mother immigrated to New Zealand. We chat via video every two days. We are far apart and can't see each other, so the child is almost alienated." Aunt Xu sat back on the sofa and muttered.
Long Weihe didn't respond to her question about Shi Shi's mother. She just smiled and glanced at her phone. Shi Zhenglin had texted to ask if Qian Duoduo was okay. She replied that she was.
"Doesn't she have any other playmates?" she asked Shi Shi.
"Before she moved here, she could still have one or two playmates at the kindergarten, but now she can only play with your baby."
She stood up and joined the two people who were building a house. She squatted beside Shi Shi and talked to her about the house she had built. Then she said, "Your skateboard pet has been resting for a week. How about we go for a ride with it tomorrow? It's almost obeying you."
Shi Shi just stared at her with wide eyes, not saying a word, probably somewhere between wanting to know and not wanting to know.
"Shi Shi, come with me tomorrow." Qian Duoduo also advised.
"Then can you play with me all day long?" She knew how to make conditions.
Qian Duoduo looked at Long Weihe, "Mom, can I?"
"Of course, you can play as long as you want."
"Then can you play at my house until tomorrow?" Shi Shi asked again.
Qian Duoduo was a little hesitant. He remembered that he had spent the night here on his last birthday because he missed his mother. He didn't want to stay overnight this time, but he didn't refuse and went to see Long Weihe.
"How about we play until you go to sleep and then leave? Auntie will pick you up at noon tomorrow to go skateboarding in the park, and then you can play together again, and you can play together tomorrow night too."
She compromised between the needs of the two children and touched Shi Shi's pigtails.
She nodded. "Okay."
I promised to play with her until bedtime, but she still refused to go to bed at 10 o'clock, so we agreed to meet again at 10:30.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. It will be too late for you to go home soon. This child is too lonely and clings to his companions. I don't want to let Duoduo go."
Aunt Xu was just speaking when her cell phone rang. She answered it and quickly handed it to Shi Shi, "It's Dad. Dad is done with his work."
Shi Shi frowned as she sat on the sofa. "Hey, Dad, Qian Enming and I are watching cartoons. I don't want to talk to you anymore. I'm angry with you."
"Why are you and Qian Enming together?" the person on the other end asked in surprise.
Aunt Xu hadn't mentioned this to him yet, so she hurriedly took her phone and went to the side to explain, "Qian Enming's mother came to help persuade Shi Shi to go skateboarding tomorrow. She brought the child here and stayed with her the whole time. She had a great time and is willing to go tomorrow."
There was a pause, silence, and then the call was cut off. Aunt Xu didn't understand what was going on.
Long Weihe's phone rang immediately.
She went to his balcony garden to pick him up.
"In my place?" he asked.
"Well, Duoduo wants to come and see Shi Shi."
She thought Aunt Xu had told him in advance.
There was a pause, so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you talking?" she asked.
"I should have been there, why wasn't I there? I missed it."
She smiled, "You don't need to come here too. He came to invite Shi Shi to take skateboarding lessons."
"Are you feeling better?" he asked.
"alright."
"Shi Shi is willing to go skateboarding?"
"She agreed. I'll bring Duoduo over to pick her up tomorrow."
"Will it be too hard for you?"
"No problem."
Silence again.
"I drank quite a bit today," he said.
"Go to bed early."
"I can't sleep. It's very uncomfortable."
"To sober up."
"It's not the alcohol that makes me feel uncomfortable."
Her face flushed for a moment, and she looked back at the people in the living room. Aunt Xu began to persuade Shi Shi to go to bed, and the two children were packing up their toys.
"Shi Shi should go to bed. It's getting late. Let's go back first."
"how come."
"drive."
"Don't drive away. Wait a moment before leaving. I'll ask Xiao He to pick you up."
She did have some psychological trauma. When she was holding the steering wheel on the way here, the "click" sound of the engine stalling kept appearing in her mind.
"Need not."
At around eleven o'clock, after parking the car on the basement floor, the mother and son took the elevator to the first floor. When the elevator door opened, they bumped into Lin Yaojin.
"Oh my God! What did you do to keep him so late?" Lin Yao was shocked and looked at the older one and then at the younger one.
"I'm going to Shi Shi's house to play with her!" Qian Duoduo answered her.
Lin Yao looked at Long Weihe's embarrassed face and thought it was difficult to say anything to her in front of Qian Duoduo. She cleared her throat again and again, but held back her words.
She was on the 3rd floor and was about to leave. Unable to hold back any longer, he stepped out of the elevator but turned back to block it with his hands. He glanced at her and said something Qian Duoduo couldn't understand, "That's a bit too much. You're talking about that, and you're even going to her house. You don't even consider the time. Qian Duoduo is just recovering from illness. You can't take up his rest time. That's too much. Control yourself."
She thought two adults were on a date with their child, so she opened the elevator door and left.
"You are a woman who comes home late at night, learns to fool around, and talks nonsense." Long Weihe said to her through the elevator gap.
Lin Yao went home and collapsed on the sofa, exhausted.
She'd left the house this morning feeling fresh and hopeful, but now she regretted being a lousy team leader. They were filming a short film, and no female students wanted to play the supporting role of a salesperson. There was a competition tomorrow, and if they couldn't complete the role, all the team members' admissions guide credits would be deducted. She'd taken the fall. She'd finally arranged for a classmate who worked at a real estate company to borrow her salesperson's uniform, but they were slow and returned to the set too late, putting her filming at the end.
She closed her eyes and thought about what evening gowns were required for the entrance banquet tomorrow night. According to tradition, each group had to choose a pair of handsome men and beautiful women to walk the red carpet, and the group leader and senior student guides had to walk as well. She closed her eyes and covered her head, her nerves numb.
She never had to dig through her closet. A minimalist, she never bought anything she wouldn't wear regularly. She even bought an evening gown for Long Weihe's wedding. Later, when she was getting divorced, she dug it out of her closet and threw it in the trash. Long Weihe often said she was stingy with herself.
She gritted her teeth and sent a message to Long Weihe for help. She wanted to go to her place and see if she had any suitable evening gowns to borrow. Long Weihe was very particular about her clothes and had a good taste in clothes.
There was no reply, she was anxious and called but the line was busy.
Ten minutes later, she called back. Shi Zhenglin had just called her to ask if she had arrived home, and they chatted for a while.
"Tell me, who were you talking to on the phone so late at night? It's driving me crazy."
"Save money instead of things, it's urgent at this time."
“Saving money gives you a sense of security.”
"My clothes don't fit you, I'll buy you one."
"Too late."
"Why not? I'll go and do this tomorrow morning."
"There's not much chance to wear it, just this once, what a waste. Our measurements are similar, just lend me your black one."
"How can they be similar? Your breasts need to be a size bigger. You've already spent all your tuition money, so why can't you bear to part with a piece of clothing?"
"You're reluctant to lend it?"
"Why wouldn't I want to? Okay, I'll lend it to you. Don't come up now. Everyone's asleep. I'll find it and iron it tomorrow. Then send me the address and I'll send it to you."
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