Chapter 42
The July evening breeze should have been gentle, but it felt like a knife against Xu Chen's face. He dragged his heavy steps along the street as the streetlights began to twinkle, the "home" behind him crumbling amidst the chaos of their argument. His father's furious roars, Luo Mei's biting sarcasm, and his own resolute act of slamming the door as he stormed out—it all seemed like an absurd farce.
The end of the college entrance examination should have been a relief, but it turned into the beginning of another imprisonment.
Xu Chen touched the only eighty-two yuan and fifty cents in his pocket, all the money he had saved up throughout the semester by living frugally. As night deepened and the streetlights came on, his shadow stretched and shortened, just like his uncertain future.
Where to go? Where could he possibly go?
Staying at a classmate's house for the night might be an option, but that would only be a temporary measure. An all-nighter at an internet cafe? What about the next day? The third day? The thought sent a wave of panic through him, making it almost impossible to breathe.
On the verge of despair, a name surfaced in his mind: Zhao Xiujuan.
Aunt Zhao was his mother Wang Lili's best friend. He always remembered her as smiling and a great cook of braised chicken. In the years since his mother's passing, Aunt Zhao would often visit him at school, give him some pocket money, and urge him to study hard.
Xu Chen hesitated for a long time in front of the public phone booth before finally dialing that familiar landline number.
"Hello?" A gentle female voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Aunt Zhao, I'm Xiao Chen..." As soon as the words came out, it felt like something was stuck in my throat.
Half an hour later, Xu Chen stood in front of an old-fashioned residential building. Zhao Xiujuan hurried downstairs, and her eyes immediately reddened the moment she saw him.
"Xiao Chen, what's wrong with you..." Zhao Xiujuan looked at his swollen right cheek and messy hair, but didn't ask any questions. She just gently pulled his arm and said, "Come on, let's go upstairs first."
Aunt Zhao's home wasn't big, but it was clean and cozy. The balcony was filled with flowers and plants, and the sofa in the living room was covered with white crocheted cushions she had made herself; everything exuded the warmth of home. This long-lost warmth brought tears to Xu Chen's eyes.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Auntie will make you a bowl of noodles." Zhao Xiujuan tied on her apron and busied herself skillfully in the kitchen.
Xu Chen sat at the dining table, watching Aunt Zhao's back, and for a moment, he seemed to see his own mother. The same slender figure, the same neatly styled hair, even the rhythm of her chopping vegetables was so similar. At that moment, years of suppressed grievances burst forth like a flood.
"Aunt Zhao, Luo Mei—" Xu Chen's voice choked with emotion, "...let me go to junior college..."
Zhao Xiujuan turned off the gas, carried over a steaming bowl of egg noodles, and gently placed it in front of him: "Eat the noodles first, then we can talk slowly."
After finishing the hot noodles, Xu Chen finally couldn't hold back his tears. He recounted the torment of the past year in fits and starts: the pressure of repeating a year, his longing for Li Muxue, his stepmother's meanness, and today's devastating argument.
"I just want to go to university, I want a different future, is that wrong?" Xu Chen's voice trembled with excitement: "My mother always said that knowledge is the most precious treasure. If she knew I got into university..."
Zhao Xiujuan listened quietly, her gaze gentle yet firm, without a trace of impatience.
“Xiao Chen, you did nothing wrong.” Zhao Xiujuan gently patted his back, just like his mother Wang Lili comforted him when he had a nightmare when he was a child: “You want to go to university and pursue your ideals, that’s right.”
“But now I don’t even have a place to live…” Xu Chen lowered his head in despair.
Zhao Xiujuan held his cold hand: "Child, listen to what Aunt Zhao has to say. Lili was my best friend. She left us early, and I couldn't take good care of you for her. I've felt guilty all these years."
She got up, took a savings book from the bedroom, and solemnly placed it in front of Xu Chen: "This is 30,000 yuan that I've saved over the years. It was originally intended for my son's wedding. But he's still young, so there's no rush. You can use it to pay his tuition first."
Xu Chen stared in shock at the passbook, then looked up at Zhao Xiujuan's kind smile, speechless for a moment.
"No, Aunt Zhao, I can't take this money!"
“Silly child, if your mother were still alive, she would have done everything in her power to send you to college. Now that she’s gone, let me fulfill that wish for her.”
Xu Chen's tears welled up again, but this time it wasn't from resentment, but from deep emotion. He felt as if he had seen a glimmer of light in the long night, and touched a touch of warmth in the cold despair.
"You don't need to worry about accommodation. My son works in another city, and his room is empty. If you don't mind, you can stay here. You can also keep your aunt company. Your uncle passed away a couple of years ago, and I've been quite lonely..."
Xu Chen could no longer contain his excitement. He stood up and bowed deeply to Zhao Xiujuan: "Aunt Zhao, thank you... I... I don't know what to say..."
Zhao Xiujuan quickly helped him up and gently wiped away his tears: "Child, you must remember, there is no hurdle in life that cannot be overcome. Do you remember what your mother often said?"
Xu Chen nodded, his voice choked with emotion but firm: "I remember. 'No matter how long the night, the day will always break.'"
Zhao Xiujuan smiled and said, "Yes, you are currently in the darkest hour before dawn. But as long as you persevere, daybreak is not far away."
Outside the window, the moonlight was as clear as water. Xu Chen gazed at Zhao Xiujuan's loving face, and for a moment, he seemed to see his mother's shadow again. In this small yet cozy living room, he found the long-lost feeling of home and rekindled his hope for the future.
That night, Xu Chen slept in Aunt Zhao's son Fang Yong's room, the pillow smelling of sunshine. He had a dream in which his mother and Aunt Zhao stood side by side, waving to him, their faces filled with contentment.
He woke up that morning to a wet pillow, but his heart was stronger than ever before. He knew he wasn't alone in this world. There was a light that would always shine for him…
(To be continued)
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