Chapter 13 Mermaid 13
On the day Zhang Jingshu came of age, her parents divorced. Zhang Yuanhe settled abroad, and Zhao Jingshu turned around and married her first love. Her first love was very ambitious. During college, he started his own business, which gradually grew and finally broke free from his poverty. He remained unmarried until the day Zhao Jing divorced, and then he reunited with his old love, and the two eventually got married.
Two years after marriage, they gave birth to their love child.
The entrance to Kuihua Primary School was already crowded with parents arriving to pick up their children from school. The younger students formed a long line behind their teachers.
Gu Xinyi was dressed beautifully, in a pink long-sleeved princess dress, knee-high boots, and her hair tied up in a fluffy bun with a bow. She was as round as a glutinous rice dumpling, and her eyes were darting around.
Zhang Jingshu had already seen her and waved.
Gu Xinyi finally saw her sister and immediately pointed at Zhang Jingshu, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Look, that's my sister! Isn't she beautiful?"
In the sharp autumn breeze, Zhang Jingshu wore a camel-colored coat, slim black pants, and leather boots. Her height had always been an advantage, making her stand out among the crowd of grandparents. She leaned against the SUV, her hair flying wildly. She tucked a strand behind her ear and, looking up, found several eyes fixed on her.
Gu Xinyi's loud voice came again: "I didn't lie to you, my sister is the most beautiful! Even more beautiful than Liu Xuanxuan's sister!"
Zhang Jingshu was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do. She quickly ran to Gu Xinyi and held her hand, "I'll take you home."
Gu Xinyi: "Sister, I want to eat KFC."
Zhang Jingshu noticed her smug look. Gu Xinyi had loved eating as a child, and her father hadn't restricted her. As a result, she had become a chubby girl, clamoring to lose weight. She probably hadn't eaten in a while, and she looked at Zhang Jingshu eagerly.
There's probably also a bit of a show-off aspect to it.
——Look, my sister is not only beautiful, but also buys me whatever I want to eat.
Zhang Jingshu: "Okay."
Gu Xinyi cheered and opened the back door skillfully.
"The car smells weird!"
"I sprayed some perfume, maybe the smell came through."
Zhang Jingshu didn't let Gu Xinyi order whatever she wanted. Children are probably a little greedy and want to eat everything they see, always feeling like they are not full.
After sending Gu Xinyi back home, Zhang Jingshu wanted to leave her to the nanny and leave, but she didn't expect Zhao Jing to come back.
Without even putting down her bag, Zhao Jing took Zhang Jingshu's arm and said, "Jingshu, you've lost weight. Are you not eating well living alone? Mom asked you to live with me a long time ago. We have a nanny at home. Just tell her what you want to eat. What are you embarrassed about? Mom's home is your home!"
Gu Xinyi held the purple sweet potato balls in her hands, stuffing her cheeks with them. "Sister, I miss you. I haven't seen you in a long time. Are you like the older kids on TV who don't like their younger siblings?"
Zhang Jingshu glared at her: "Who bought it for you?"
Gu Xinyi covered her mouth.
Zhang Jingshu: "Mom, I still have work to do."
"You can't lie to me. Your mother knows what you do at work! How could you fail to complete your tasks after get off work? I think you just don't want me as your mother anymore, right?" Zhao Jing shed tears.
Zhang Jingshu glanced at the sky and said helplessly, "I'll stay for dinner, but I have to go back tonight."
Zhao Jing held her arm and said nothing: "Mom has already cleaned up your room. It's still the way you liked it when you were a child. You haven't visited Mom for a long time. Can't you stay overnight?"
Zhao Jing held her arm warmly, and she felt as if she was back in her childhood when she was held in her mother's arms. She hadn't felt this way for a long time. Zhang Jingshu was slightly moved, but did not refuse.
When Zhao Jing saw that Zhang Jingshu wanted to stay, she couldn't hide the smile on her face. She walked into the kitchen and asked the nanny to make a few dishes that Zhang Jingshu liked.
Gu Xinyi pulled Zhang Jingshu to her room.
"Look, sister, this is a picture my dad took of me. It's so ugly! Sister's pictures are better."
Two photos placed together.
One photo was probably taken by Gu Linan. Zhao Jing was standing on the beach holding Gu Xinyi's hand. The mother and daughter were wearing clothes of the same color and smiling brightly at the camera.
The other photo was taken by Zhang Jingshu for Gu Xinyi. The little girl is very vain and likes to take photos whenever she sees something beautiful.
The scene and composition of the second photo make the little girl look like a big star.
Zhang Jingshu blinked, and couldn't help but reach out to touch Zhao Jing's smiling face in the first photo. She said softly, "When did you take this?"
Gu Xinyi replied, "I ranked in the top five in my class on the midterm exam! Dad promised to fulfill my wish. I wanted to see the sea, a distant sea. I even took a big ship."
Zhang Jingshu: "Mom is very happy."
When Zhao Jing came in with some fruit, she saw Gu Xinyi pestering Zhang Jingshu to look at the photo album. There were many beautiful photos of Gu Xinyi in the album. She turned one photo and explained to Zhang Jingshu the reason and scene of the photo, and added, "Is the photo beautiful?"
She also shared the handicrafts and paintings she had kept.
Zhang Jingshu listened to her patiently.
Zhao Jing quickly walked over to Gu Xinyi and closed the album. The sweet photos of the family of three disappeared from her sight. She carefully glanced at the calm Zhang Jingshu and said, "Why are you showing these to your sister? Jingshu, why don't you take pictures with mom and sister during your break?"
Zhang Jingshu nodded casually.
Zhang Jingshu's reason told her that she should go back. She knew that her mother loved her, Gu Xinyi liked her, and even Gu Linan loved her. They had no faults with her.
The problem is her, she is too sensitive.
But she didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay.
Gu Linan came back before dinner, smiled politely at Zhang Jingshu, and also asked about her work problems.
The whole family is happy.
Zhang Jingshu suddenly felt isolated, as if there was an invisible barrier separating her from Zhao Jing's family. They were laughing and joking together without any scruples, and deliberately avoiding topics that Zhang Jingshu could not participate in.
It was this deliberate closeness and flattery that made Zhang Jingshu always feel uncomfortable.
Zhang Jingshu was unable to leave after all. Zhao Jing repeatedly begged her to stay, and Gu Xinyi hugged her legs to prevent her from leaving, insisting on listening to Zhang Jingshu's stories.
Finally, Gu Linan suggested that the three of them, mother and daughter, sleep together.
Late at night, Zhao Jing and Gu Xinyi were already asleep, but Zhang Jingshu couldn't fall asleep. She thought of the past that had not happened for a long time.
Zhang Jingshu's childhood was accompanied only by a nanny. She was a delicate little girl at the beginning and would cry because her father did not come home. Later, she studied hard and ranked first in the class. The teacher specially called her parents to tell her the good news.
Zhang Yuanhe smiled and said on the other end of the phone: "My daughter is really smart, she is really a good daughter of daddy. If you want something, just tell daddy and I will bring it to you when I get home!"
Zhang Jingshu just wants her father to come back.
Zhang Yuanhe refused awkwardly.
Zhao Jing had been at odds with her parents for several years because they broke up her relationship. She deliberately stayed away from home often. After receiving a call from Zhang Jingshu, she said the same things as Zhang Yuanhe.
Zhang Jingshu counted the waxing and waning of the moon, her hope fading day by day. When she was young, she could console herself that her parents were busy with work and that she should understand them. Later, she realized that there was no love between them, only family interests. When she turned eighteen and became an adult, she finally understood—
Their lives are about to begin anew, and that is a brand new future.
But she fell into confusion and self-loathing.
Zhang Jingshu turned over.
In the silent night, Zhao Jing's voice suddenly rang out: "Jingshu, have you ever blamed Mom? Mom knows I'm sorry for you, but you know how I got along with your father. Back then, I hated him and was also angry with myself. Now that I think about it, the person I feel the most sorry for is you..."
"Would you please come back and live here? Mom will make it up to you."
Zhang Jingshu sighed imperceptibly.
“This is your home.”
"Mom's home is your home."
"I've grown up." I'm no longer at the age where I need to make up for it.
Zhao Jing didn't say anything else, and her suppressed crying voice sounded.
Zhang Jingshu closed her eyes tightly, vaguely remembering Zhao Jing's flattering face. She spoke, "Mom, you haven't done anything wrong to me. I've never lacked food and clothing since I was a child. I'm very grateful to you. I'm happy for you to marry the one you love and start a new life. But please don't force me to satisfy your guilt about the past. I'm already this old. Those days you and Dad missed out on have already happened. It's too late to talk about this now."
"You...you really are still blaming me."
Zhang Jingshu was silent for a moment. "Yes. I blame you, but I'm also really happy for you. If you miss me, I can come here to see you. If you feel that I'm disturbing your life, I can stay away."
"No, no, why would Mom think you're disturbing her? Jingshu, don't think too much..."
Zhang Jingshu tried to smile, "Okay, why are you still crying? Mom, I have to get up early for work tomorrow morning. I really need to go to bed. We can't talk anymore."
Zhao Jing quickly wiped away her tears and praised it repeatedly.
The moon hangs in the sky like a big round plate.
Zhang Jingshu, unable to sleep, thought back to the night a few days ago when she met Cheng Shuinan. Thinking of him, her lonely and sad mood seemed to be swept away by a warm current, followed by an unfamiliar feeling.
His focused eyes and dependent expression filled Zhang Jingshu's empty chest with warmth. His arrival also filled the house with vitality.
Zhang Jingshu pursed her lips, feeling guilty.
She didn't tell Cheng Shuinan that she wouldn't be going home tonight, so she didn't know if he had any wild thoughts?
She had just promised to bring him a new phone that morning, but she broke her promise. She was wrong. Would he be secretly angry at home? Should she buy something to appease him when she got home tomorrow?
But Cheng Shuinan has a good temper, so he probably won't be angry...
Zhang Jingshu kept her eyes open, waiting for dawn.
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