Mentioning her daughter, Tang's mother's expression softened, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Much more than before."
As she wiped her wine glass, she recounted, "Today at the apartment, all the kids were surrounding her. Xiao Man peeled oranges for her... Shu Ling fed her snacks... Shu Ning... Shu He... Xue Xue held her while she watched TV, and even rushed to pick up food for her during meals... Xiao Xiao was so happy the whole time."
"By the way, Xiao Luo's cooking skills are very good, and it's really delicious."
Mother Tang paused, her voice soft as a sigh. "This is the first time I've seen Xiaoxiao so relaxed outside... Xiaoluo and the others looked at Xiaoxiao with such tenderness, like she was their own sister."
Father Tang listened quietly, tapping the rhythm with his fingers on the bar, and the fatigue in his eyes was gradually replaced by warmth.
The rain outside the window stopped at some point, and the street lights shone through the frosted glass, casting a hazy halo on the ground.
The wine bottles behind the bar glowed dimly under the light. The couple stopped talking, but they could feel each other's thoughts - for the sake of their daughter, even if there was only a glimmer of hope...what did selling the house matter?
Time flies, and it is four o'clock in the morning.
Some sanitation workers have already started cleaning the streets.
The street was so quiet that you could hear the sound of falling leaves. The sign of the 'Old Place' pub had been turned off, leaving only a warm yellow spotlight above the bar, casting a small halo of light in the empty shop.
The last table of guests had already left. Before leaving, Xiao Youzi hugged Tang's mother's arm and said with a smile, "Goodbye, uncle and aunt." The 10,000 yuan pre-deposit wine bill was lifted like a stone, but it did not make the couple feel much relieved.
The waiters had already left after cleaning up the mess. The glasses on the bar were neatly arranged, and the cigarette butts and paper scraps on the floor were swept away. Only the faint smell of cigarettes and residual alcohol remained in the air.
Tang's father dragged his tired body to sit in front of the bar, holding a cigarette between his fingertips. The lighter "clicked" and a blue flame shot out, and the cigarette butt lit up a little scarlet in the dim light.
He didn't smoke, but just let the tobacco burn slowly. A long piece of ash accumulated. When it was about to fall, he shook it gently and his eyes fell on the dark alley outside the window.
As the head of a family, he knows better than anyone what selling a house means.
But when I thought about how hard my daughter was working during rehabilitation training, and her back curled up while sleeping at night, that bit of rational hesitation was instantly crushed.
—— Even though you know it’s a gamble with little chance of winning, you still have to bite the bullet and bet everything you have.
Tang's mother leaned against the bar, her apron still on, the fabric stained with stains from wiping the table.
She looked at the cigarette burning between her husband's fingers, was silent for a while, and suddenly reached out and took a cigarette from the cigarette box.
Her fingers were trembling a little as she pinched the slender cigarette body, her movements as clumsy as a child holding a pen for the first time.
Tang's father just watched silently and did not move to stop it.
Tang's mother didn't say anything. She used the light from the bar lamp to move closer to the cigarette butt in her husband's hand and carefully lit it.
He took a deep breath awkwardly, and a spicy burning sensation instantly exploded in his throat.
“Cough cough cough——”
A violent cough suddenly burst out of her throat. Tang's mother bent down and covered her chest. She was trembling all over from coughing. Tears flowed uncontrollably and flowed down her cheeks.
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