38 Spring Water Rises
Spring came early the following year.
The three children sat in Gao Sheng's car, while He Miao and He Tian could only hitch a ride with Yi Yi and Zhuang Jia. Despite complaining for years, they still hadn't been able to get a license plate. Some things simply can't be planned and implemented.
The children quickly ran off to the grass in the park. Three fathers were pulled away to help fly kites, while three mothers spread out picnic blankets and laid out food.
The sun was shining brightly, and the breeze was gentle. He Miao opened a bottle of sparkling wine and poured a small glass for everyone.
“Come on,” she said, holding up her plastic cup, “to celebrate… well, to celebrate spring, to celebrate that we’re still alive, that we can still argue, and that we can still make up.”
"You make it sound so tragic," Ding Xiaojuan laughed, clinking glasses with her.
Yi Yi also raised her glass and gently clinked it against hers: "Celebrating the light in the cracks."
They sipped their wine slowly, watching the men in the distance clumsily helping the children with their kite strings. Zhuang Jia's kite string was tangled, and he was bending down to untangle it; He Tian was teaching Gun Gun how to use the wind; Gao Sheng lifted Haha up so he could reach a higher branch.
"Time flies," He Miao suddenly said. "It feels like just yesterday I was in the delivery room, writhing in pain..."
“Yes.” Yi Yi watched Kai Kai skipping away. “Sometimes I wish they would grow up slowly, and sometimes I wish they would grow up quickly.”
Ding Xiaojuan didn't speak, she just looked at Gao Sheng and Haha. At this time last year, Gao Sheng had just returned to China, and the father and son were like strangers. Now, Haha can naturally climb onto his father's back and act cute.
"Tell me," He Miao tilted her head, "what are we trying to achieve by going through all this trouble?"
"Let's get to the bottom of things," Yi Yi said. "Let's understand who we are, what we want, and what we can handle."
"It's also so you won't be alone," Ding Xiaojuan continued. "Knowing that someone is there to share the burden with you, even if you end up blaming each other while you're carrying it out."
They were silent for a while, then each drank their own wine. A spring breeze blew by, bringing the scent of grass and earth.
The kites finally took flight. Eagles, rockets, and triceratops floated leisurely in the blue sky; although they didn't fly very high, at least they didn't fall.
The men returned, their foreheads glistening with sweat. Zhuang Jia plopped down on the edge of the picnic mat and grabbed a sandwich, taking a bite.
"Did you wash your hands?" Yi Yi asked habitually, then laughed at herself.
Zhuang Jia smiled and held the sandwich to her lips: "Why don't you check it first?"
Yi Yi pushed his hand away, but her eyes were filled with a smile.
He Tian handed He Miao a bottle of water: "Your face is sunburned."
"Really?" He Miao touched her cheek. "It's okay, it's springtime."
"Here's a hat." He Tian pulled a wide-brimmed hat from his backpack and put it on her head. He Miao tried to take it off, but He Tian stopped her, saying, "Wear it, it looks good."
He Miao pursed her lips but didn't move.
Gao Sheng sat down next to Ding Xiaojuan and said softly, "Mom called me this morning and said she can walk to the market by herself now, so don't worry."
"Really?" Ding Xiaojuan's eyes lit up. "That's great!"
“Yeah, she said she needs to move around more and not just lie in bed all the time.” Gao Sheng looked at her. “Once Mom gets a little better, we really need to plan a trip. Just the two of us.”
Ding Xiaojuan nodded and leaned on his shoulder. It was a very light movement, but Gao Sheng's body visibly stiffened for a moment before he slowly relaxed and put his arm around her shoulder.
The children ran back, their little faces flushed, shouting that they were hungry. The picnic mat immediately became lively, with sandwiches, sushi, salad, and fruit being devoured. Kaikai ate until his mouth was smeared with mayonnaise, Gungun talked about how his kite almost crashed into a tree, and Haha declared that his eagle kite "ruled the sky."
Sunlight shifted past the treetops, casting dappled shadows on the grass.
In the afternoon, the children, tired from playing, sprawled out and fell asleep on the picnic mat. The adults cleaned up the mess very quietly.
“Next week,” Zhuang Jia suddenly said, her voice low, “I’m being transferred to a new department. The pressure will be considerable, but there will be many opportunities.”
Yi Yi looked up at him: "Have you thought it through?"
“Hmm.” Zhuang Jia put the empty lunchbox into a bag. “We can’t stay stagnant forever. The list… even though we didn’t complete it all, at least it lets me know that I can share the burden at home. And you can do what you want to do.”
Yi Yi didn't say anything, but simply handed him a piece of the peeled apple.
Not far away, He Tian was whispering to He Miao: "I've looked into that children's programming course, it seems reliable. If you agree, can you take Gun Gun to a trial class next week?"
He Miao nodded: "You decide. You know more about this than I do."
"No, not really," He Tian scratched his head, "I just think that Gun Gun has good logical thinking skills, maybe he takes after me."
"You're so vain." He Miao rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.
Ding Xiaojuan and Gao Sheng sat under the shade of a tree a little further away. Gao Sheng's phone vibrated; he glanced at it and then turned it off.
"Work?" Ding Xiaojuan asked.
"Okay, no rush." Gao Sheng put his phone on silent. "I promised to spend time with you guys today."
“Actually, it’s okay,” Ding Xiaojuan said. “Now I know that there’s never enough work to do and there are always things to do at home. Balance isn’t about splitting things 50/50; it’s about dynamic adjustment.”
Gao Sheng looked at her and smiled: "Attorney Ding is getting more and more philosophical."
"Forced by life's circumstances," Ding Xiaojuan said with a smile.
A gentle spring breeze blew by, carrying the faint sounds of children's laughter in the distance. The sleeping little ones rolled over, one mumbled something in his sleep, and the other kicked off his coat, smacking his lips with a laugh.
The three mothers each got up and gently covered the children. Their movements were practiced, and their eyes were tender.
In the evening, I packed my things and prepared to go home.
The children woke up, rubbing their eyes, not fully awake, when their fathers picked them up on their backs. The three small bodies swayed with each step, resting on the broad backs of their fathers.
As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the group. The shadows intertwined, making it impossible to distinguish one from another.
"Will you come again next time?" Kai Kai asked sleepily, clinging to Zhuang Jia's back.
"Come here," Zhuang Jia nudged him, "Come in the summer, you can play in the water."
"I want to bring a water gun!" Gun Gun raised his hand on He Tian's back.
"Me too!" Haha chimed in from Gao Sheng's back.
The adults looked at each other and smiled. He Miao held up her phone: "Come on, let's take a group photo. Let's remember our first picnic of spring."
Six adults and three children, lying on their stomachs, squeezed into the frame in the golden light of the setting sun. The background consisted of a kite flying away, a haphazard picnic mat, and the shimmering river in the distance.
"eggplant!"
Disorganized voices, but bright smiles.
The photo freezes in time.
On the way home, the children fell asleep again. This time they were really tired from playing and slept soundly.
The car was quiet, with only the occasional beeping of the navigation system. The setting sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow on everyone's faces.
Looking out at the fleeting street scenes, Yi Yi thought back to herself a year ago, trapped by her medical report and an empty resume, feeling lost and uncertain about the future. And now? She still doesn't have a "formal" job, but her public WeChat account, "The Gap You See," has over a thousand readers. She writes two articles a week, about the everyday life in the market, the frustration and warmth of helping her child with homework, and the clumsiness of learning to swim again at thirty-eight. Some commented that they "cried," while others said, "It's like seeing myself in it."
The royalties were meager, but enough for her to buy herself the books she wanted to read, to get Kai Kai a small toy, and to stop feeling conflicted when asking Zhuang Jia for help.
That's enough.
She turned her head to look at Zhuang Jia. He was focused on driving, the lines of his face softening in the twilight. He no longer said "I'll help you," but instead said "I'll take care of it." The food he cooked was still sometimes salty, sometimes bland, but Kai Kai would proudly say, "This is what my dad made." He would still work overtime until late at night, but before going to sleep, he would gently kiss her and the child's foreheads.
At this time last year, she was still anxious about her son's "eraser incident," worried that he would "go astray" and that she was a failed mother. Now she knows that children are like saplings; they may grow crooked branches, but as long as their roots are straight and they receive enough sunshine and rain, they will always grow towards the sky.
All she had to do was stand by, occasionally offering a helping hand, pruning any excess branches, and then step back to watch him grow into his own shape.
Ding Xiaojuan sat in the passenger seat, resting with her eyes closed. Gao Sheng turned the air conditioning down a little, very quietly.
Grandma's leg has mostly healed, and she can now go downstairs for walks on her own. Haha is still mischievous, but he's gradually taking on the appearance of a little man. Work at the law firm remains busy, but she's learned to delegate some cases to younger colleagues and to turn off her work phone on weekends.
But in this imperfect daily life, there is a cup of warm water handed over by Gao Sheng, a bowl of hot porridge cooked by his mother-in-law, and the milky fragrance when Haha jumps into his arms.
These fragmented moments of warmth, pieced together, constitute the entirety of a woman's confidence to continue navigating between her career and family life.
By the time the car reached the entrance of the residential area, it was already dark.
Each family said goodbye, carrying their sleeping children, and headed towards their respective buildings.
"Shall we have dinner next week?" He Miao asked, turning around.
"Okay." Yi Yi nodded.
"I'll find a place," Ding Xiaojuan waved her hand.
In the elevator, Zhuang Jia asked softly, "Are you tired?"
"It's okay." Yi Yi lifted Kai Kai up a little. "I'm happy."
"Yes." Zhuang Jia paused, "I'm happy too."
The door opened, and warm light streamed in. Kaikai woke up briefly as she was put to bed, and mumbled sleepily, "Mommy, today is so nice."
"Go to sleep." Yi Yi kissed his forehead.
The door closed, leaving only the two of them in the living room. Quiet, but no longer suffocatingly quiet.
"Want to take a shower?" Zhuang Jia asked.
"You go first, I'll pack my things."
"Let's pack together."
The two silently put the picnic items away, washed the fruit boxes, and wiped the table. They didn't say much, but their actions were perfectly in sync, like partners who had worked together for many years.
After finishing her work, Yi Yi went to the balcony. In the night, the lights of thousands of homes in the neighborhood were on. Behind each lit window was a home in operation, filled with laughter, arguments, exhaustion, and hope.
Zhuang Jia walked over and stood beside her. The two looked at the night view side by side, neither of them speaking.
A spring breeze blew in through the open window, carrying the faint fragrance of night-blooming jasmine.
After a long time, Zhuang Jia reached out and gently took Yi Yi's hand.
His hands were warm, with thin calluses on his palms. Yi Yi's fingers curled slightly, then slowly relaxed and clenched back.
Still no words.
But some things no longer need to be expressed in words.
They stood there, looking at the lights outside the window, listening to the faint sounds of cars in the distance, and feeling the warmth of each other's hands.
Spring is here.
Life goes on.
With all the unresolved questions, and with all the small, certain warmth.
continue.
【end】
postscript:
The story ends here, because life has no end.
Yi Yi's official WeChat account will continue to be updated. Zhuang Jia will face new challenges in her new department. They will still occasionally argue about their children's education, the sharing of housework, and future plans, but after the argument, someone will always be the first to lend a hand.
He Miao and He Tian will continue to explore the nuances of parenting. Gun Gun will grow up and experience new troubles and joys, and they will strive to be the imperfect but solid wall behind their child.
Ding Xiaojuan and Gao Sheng will continue to find a balance between their careers and families. Their mother-in-law will grow old, and their son will grow up. Through the ups and downs of life, they will hold each other's hands tightly.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and no perfect template for happiness.
There are only three ordinary families, stumbling along their respective life paths, yet illuminating each other's way forward.
Just like this spring night, in every lit window, there are people striving to live, loving, forgiving, and continuing.
That's enough.
May everyone who seeks light in the cracks of life see their own glimmer of light.
And that gives me the courage to keep going.
End of article
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