1. An ordinary beautiful woman
Yi Yi opened her eyes, picked up her phone, and saw: 4:57 AM. Her biological clock, honed over the years, was frustratingly accurate, almost down to the minute. She silenced her phone, as if performing some ritual, and then gently lifted the covers. Zhuang Jia beside her rolled over, muttering, "Up?" Before the words were even finished, his snoring resumed.
Yi Yi shook her head, but the corners of her mouth curved into a smile. After listening to this snoring for ten years, it had become a comforting white noise.
She slipped into her son's bedroom first. Six-year-old Kaikai, as expected, was sprawled across the middle of the bed, fast asleep, his little mouth slightly open. Yi Yi leaned down and kissed his cheek, and his little hand immediately swatted at her face like a pest swatting away a disturbing insect. Yi Yi found this amusing and deliberately kissed him again. Kaikai waved his hand away again, his brow furrowing slightly, but his eyes were moving beneath his eyelids. Yi Yi smiled, tucked him in, and gently closed the door.
I changed into my workout clothes and went downstairs for a run.
The April morning was still dark, the streetlights in the neighborhood casting a faint glow. The crisp air filled her lungs, carrying the scent of awakening plants. Her latest favorite French song, "J'aimerais Tellement," played in her headphones, and she started jogging. Running briskly at her preferred pace, she completed 5 kilometers, the dopamine rush perfectly coursing through her veins, giving her the energy for the day. After a proper stretch, she arrived home at exactly six o'clock. The house was just as quiet as when she left, as if time had stood still.
Like the boiler man in Spirited Away, she instantly switched to high-speed operation mode. Boiling water, starting the soy milk maker, preheating the oven, rinsing rice and putting it in the pot, washing vegetables, cutting and preparing fruit... her hands moved smoothly between different areas, like playing a skillful kitchen symphony.
At seven o'clock, everything was ready. A nutritious breakfast, appealing in color, aroma, and taste, was laid out on the table. A lunchbox was packed with a lovingly prepared lunch for Zhuang Jia to take to work. Then she started making coffee, slowly pouring boiling water from the kettle onto the finely ground coffee, the aroma wafting out with the steam... Zhuang Jia was thus lured out, walking out of the bedroom as if in a dream, sitting at the dining table, her eyes seemingly still half-open, muttering, "Good morning, Grandma."
Yi Yi rolled her eyes at him and handed him the coffee. He widened his eyes dramatically, "Thank goodness for coffee to awaken the soul."
Yi Yi went to Kai Kai's bedroom again and kissed the little figure whose eyes were starting to move.
"Mom," Kaikai mumbled, his eyes still closed, "wait a minute, wait until I finish this dream."
"It's the same story every day," Yi Yi smiled and asked, "What did you dream about?"
"I'm fighting a monster in a picturesque mountain, and it's running away..." Kaikai opened her eyes, smiling as she hugged Yiyi's neck. "But I'm almost there! It's all Mom's fault..."
"It's all Mom's fault? Next time you dream, run faster."
"Is this how you run?" Kai Kai asked as she kicked off the blanket, looking at Yi Yi mischievously.
"You brat, get up!" Yi Yi slapped Kai Kai.
Kai Kai jumped up in a flash, "Okay, time to get up."
Yi Yi especially likes this about Kai Kai. She has always heard that many children are grumpy when they wake up, and can whine and grumble for a long time after getting up. But Kai Kai is different. Whether he is woken up by someone or wakes up on his own, as long as he opens his eyes, he is full of energy and jumping around.
He trotted into the living room, climbed onto Zhuang Jia, and hung there like a monkey. Zhuang Jia rubbed his beard against him, "You brat, why aren't you eating? What are you doing here?"
"Dad, I want dumplings!" Kai Kai exclaimed, mouth agape. "Ah...ah..."
Zhuang Jia picked up a fried dumpling and held it to Kai Kai's mouth. Kai Kai opened his mouth wide, ready to take a big bite, but Zhuang Jia quickly stuffed it into his own mouth. Kai Kai made "mmm" noises for a while, and then Zhuang Jia picked up another one. This time, Kai Kai was more obedient and held Zhuang Jia's hand with his little hand. Thus began a "tug-of-war" between father and son... Yi Yi couldn't help but say, "It's almost 7:30."
With that, the father and son burst into laughter, and their playful morning came to an end. They each took their places and began to eat properly.
Yi Yi watched the two playfully laughing in front of her, enjoying her breakfast with relish. This must be what a happy housewife feels like! She thought to herself, but then a fleeting, elusive emptiness crossed her mind.
On the way to kindergarten, her son, Kaikai, skipped and hopped into the gate without looking back, only turning around at the school entrance to wave to her. Yi Yi thought she would watch him until he was out of sight, but in reality, the instant he waved, she had already turned and left. The morning after sending off her "little monster" felt a bit freer.
She walked briskly towards the coffee shop in the ground-floor store of the residential complex. The shop wasn't large, but it had a whole row of bookshelves and Zen-inspired flower arrangements, creating a warm and stylish atmosphere. The female owner was diligent and efficient, arriving at 6:30 every morning to prepare, so that a hot, freshly ground coffee could be enjoyed by 7:00. She had a quiet, approachable demeanor, like a girl next door, but when she chatted, she seemed like a wise woman who understood the ways of the world. This place had become a favorite gathering spot for mothers in the neighborhood after dropping off their children, where they would have a coffee, exchange educational "information," discuss "resources" for training courses, and casually gossip about the entertainment industry.
Upon entering the store, He Miao was already sitting among a group of mothers.
The simultaneous arrival of their two children on the same day made them best friends who could talk about anything, and the children became inseparable "twins." However, starting kindergarten, they "parted ways." Kaikai was sent to a nearby private kindergarten (accepting children as young as two and a half), and Yi Yi wanted to return to work as soon as possible. He Miao, on the other hand, didn't plan to work; the public kindergarten in their neighborhood required a six-month parent-child program after the child turned three and a half, which didn't bother her. Most of the mothers in the coffee shop had children in that public kindergarten, and Yi Yi knew a few of them.
Although Yi Yi is now a full-time mom, she always insists on referring to herself as a "freelancer" when she speaks out. She pauses slightly when she says it, as if she's attaching a somewhat superficial label to herself.
"Want some?" He Miao pushed the cake in front of her towards her.
"I've already eaten, thank you." Yi Yi pushed the food back and turned to the female owner, saying, "Give me a drink..."
The female owner smiled and replied, "An Americano, no sugar, no milk, right?"
Yi Yi smiled and nodded. A mother asked, "Did you make your husband another delicious breakfast this morning?"
"What love? It's just my regular breakfast," Yi Yi said casually.
"You're missing out big time; the kindergarten clearly provides breakfast."
Yi Yi laughed and said, "Absolutely! It feels like we've lost hundreds of millions!"
A well-informed mother chimed in, her tone serious: "It seems the policy for the transition from primary to junior high school is going to change again this year. You should get your materials ready as soon as possible." Her words brought the previously lighthearted atmosphere back to reality.
What materials are needed?
"Oh dear, you don't know this? I'll send you the link."
Send me one too.
"You guys..." The mother had a "disappointed" look on her face, but she still happily sent the links one by one.
"Once our child starts elementary school, we won't be able to get together as often," another mother remarked.
"Moving?"
"Yes, for the sake of the child's schooling. The educational resources in Chaoyang are still... Last year, we bought an old, dilapidated apartment in Haidian, and the household registration has already been transferred there."
The conversation suddenly turned serious. He Miao gave Yi Yi a wink, and Yi Yi understood. The two stood up: "We have some things to attend to, so we'll be leaving now."
As soon as they stepped outside, He Miao let out a long sigh of relief: "Oh my god, my head is about to explode if we keep talking. Shall we go shopping?"
"Are we going to 'Yiduo' to look at dresses again?"
"How did you know? Oh, you saw my comment in their live stream? Are you going or not?"
"I'm not going." Yi Yi shook her head with a smile. "The cheapest dresses over there cost more than a thousand yuan, and the ones I like cost three to five thousand. They're too expensive. I'd better go home and tidy up; the house is a mess."
"You shouldn't be so thrifty."
"How can I compare to you? You're a super rich woman."
“What rich woman?” He Miao lectured. “I’m just more open-minded than you and willing to spend money on myself. Don’t spoil your old man Zhuang too much and always think about saving him money.”
“Where is this pampering? I have no income right now, and his income isn’t that high either. We’re not Beijing residents, and there will be many expenses in the future, such as our child’s schooling and buying a house. Saving him money is saving ourselves money.”
"What's there to save? Women need to treat themselves well. If you make yourself happy, the whole family will be happy too." He Miao continued to urge, "Look at me, I haven't worked for ten years, and I still spend money without a care in the world. His salary card is with me, if I don't spend it, am I supposed to save it for someone else to spend? Aren't there those jokes online? In order to prevent someone else from sleeping with your husband and beating your kids, we have to treat ourselves well."
"Come on, He Tian spoils you rotten. Who else could possibly catch his eye but you?"
“Right now, no one can catch his eye.” He Miao curled her lips. “But you’re half right. Right now, the only thing that can catch his eye is probably games, and it will always be games.”
"At this age, why are you still so obsessed?" Yi Yi asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Hmm. You can be a force to be reckoned with in the game, but the real world is a complete mess. Which do you think is more satisfying?" He Miao complained. "He's the kind of person who wouldn't even pick up a fallen soy sauce bottle. His only redeeming quality is that he can make some money. You know what? He doesn't even know how to spend money."
"You don't even know how to spend money?" Yi Yi chuckled. "Is that a strength or a weakness?"
“‘An ordinary beauty’,” Yi Yi repeated with a smile. The two laughed heartily on the spring street, attracting the attention of passersby.
He Miao smiled and looked Yi Yi up and down: "You, the former 'elite beauty,' are now trying to gravitate towards me, the 'ordinary beauty'? I remember you were in such a hurry to send Kai Kai to a private kindergarten back then, but you were desperate to go back to work."
Yi Yi's smile dimmed almost imperceptibly for a moment, like a thin cloud suddenly drifting across a clear sky, before quickly regaining its brightness.
“Let’s go,” she said, taking He Miao’s arm. “I’ll go with you to ‘Yiduo’ store. We can at least look and admire, even if we don’t buy anything, right?”
"That's right!" He Miao smiled with satisfaction.
The sunlight was perfect, casting long, thin shadows of the two women. They chatted and laughed as they walked forward, temporarily leaving behind the conversations in the coffee shop about school admissions, school district housing, and anxieties. But Yi Yi knew in her heart that the small cloud of gloom hadn't truly dissipated. It had quietly sunk into a corner of her heart, waiting for the next opportunity to be stirred.
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