At noon the next day, Zhang You woke up with a severe headache. He hadn't slept well for days and his nerves were already tense. After sleeping for such a long time, he didn't feel as energetic as he would have if he had had enough sleep, but was exhausted all over.
She took a moment to calm down, then reached for the phone beside the bed. When she turned it on, she found that her aunt had called her in the morning, but she didn't answer.
She unlocked her phone and was about to call her aunt back when she found a message from her aunt on the app next to her. After the call didn't go through, her aunt sent a few messages. Zhang You looked at the white text on a black background and easily recalled the absurd memory of yesterday.
"Xiaoyou, I heard from your brother that you went back home. Your aunt was too busy yesterday to talk to you."
So my aunt knew that I hurried back and left in a hurry yesterday.
After this message, there was an interval of nearly twenty minutes before the next message was sent.
"Your sister-in-law just got married and is still young and naive. If she says anything, don't take it to heart. Your aunt has already talked to her."
So my aunt knew that they were the ones who said the words of driving her away, but she chose them first between herself and them, and only hesitated to send a message to comfort herself after a night had passed.
When Zhang You woke up, it was almost twelve o'clock. Four hours had passed since her aunt's message. She hesitated for a moment and replied with a "hmm".
The moment she clicked send, Zhang You seemed to feel that this word seemed a bit cold, and added, "I know, auntie."
The reply came almost instantly. Zhang You had just clicked send on the latest message when the other side sent two words: "Okay"
Then there was silence.
Zhang You stared at the message "The other party is typing..." on her phone screen, her heart calmed down. She was just curious about what her aunt was thinking right now. What was she struggling with? What had been holding her back for so long? Was she trying to agree with them and get them to forgive her? Or was she trying to persuade them by telling them what Grandma had been thinking all along, so they could leave? Or was she feeling guilty, considering their bond?
About two minutes later, a message came from the other side: "Take good care of yourself at school. Don't worry about things at home. Auntie will never abandon you."
Such words should be touching.
But when Zhang You saw it, he couldn't help but sneer.
It's like I feel pathetic, and also like I feel ridiculous.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, not moving.
Aunt, please also consider the family relationship between us.
But no matter how hard you try to compare yourself with them, you will never be able to win.
The fingers that had been inactive for a long time began to move again, and this time the same words came out: "I know, auntie."
I know that you used to be caught in the conflict between me, my grandmother, and my brother. I know that you are now caught in the rift between me, my brother, and his wife. I know that you loved me before, but I couldn't compare to them. I know...
After sending the message, Zhang You calmed down and returned to school.
Perhaps severing all ties of affection was the best medicine for devoting oneself to scientific research, and Zhang You was completely absorbed in it. By the end of her sophomore year, she still hadn't returned. Their relationship was too strange, and she didn't know how to handle it. She still exchanged messages with her aunt on holidays, but they had nothing to talk about on weekdays.
Fortunately, after devoting herself to scientific research, time seemed to go by much faster, and she no longer had to trap herself in those shackles every day and couldn't figure out the reason.
It wasn't until the end of November that I accidentally opened my Moments on my phone and found that my brother's child was born.
The first time I saw her I was stunned to find that I had suddenly become an aunt, but the second time I saw her I was enlightened. No wonder the wedding date was suddenly moved up. Calculating the date, I found that she was pregnant in February.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Such news actually has to be deduced from messages in the circle of friends instead of being told by them in person.
Forget it, forget it.
Zhang You closed his Moments and thought so.
Should have let it go long ago.
After that, she rarely opened her Moments because they really liked to share photos of the child. Every time she saw it, she would recall the past. Every time she recalled it, she felt heavy in her heart, so she simply stopped looking at it and felt less sad.
Time flies, and it is another Spring Festival.
With the school on vacation and unable to live in the dormitory, Zhang You rented a house nearby. She didn't want to go back, and she tried to decline her aunt's invitation, claiming she was helping her mentor with a project. But as the year drew to a close, her aunt grew increasingly anxious, calling her repeatedly. She hinted that she was holding a grudge against her for not returning, and refused to accept the living expenses she offered. Zhang You explained repeatedly, saying she didn't want her to dwell on it, but her aunt stubbornly insisted she return, and with no other options, she agreed.
However, it is true that she helped the tutor deal with the project and was indeed busy for a long time, but during the New Year's Eve, the tutor did not exploit them and still let them go home.
Zhang You took the high-speed train back again, and his heart was very calm at this moment.
When you have no expectations, there really is no disappointment.
What should I do after I go back?
Zhang You himself couldn't explain it clearly.
She had been hiding for the better part of six months, and she didn't even know what her expression would be when she saw them again. But she no longer felt any fear or panic in her heart. The worst-case scenario was being driven away by them. She had anticipated this so many times that she could handle it calmly.
Her aunt's house was still where she'd been. It was afternoon when Zhang You returned, and her family was home. Her aunt hadn't seen her in a long time. When she opened the door and saw the girl in the light gray coat, she felt as if she were her sister. Only then did she realize that this child had, without her noticing, grown into an adult, and had become distant from her.
She warmly welcomed Zhang You into the house and happily showed her her little niece lying in the baby rocking bed in the living room. She asked her how she had been doing recently and let her look at her little niece.
Zhang You followed her aunt's words and occasionally agreed with her, but her tone was very calm, as if it could not arouse any emotion at all, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
She became calmer and more taciturn.
"Your brother and sister-in-law originally lived in their house, but they moved back because they had your little niece. Now they are all living in your brother's original house. You should go back to your room at night. I have always kept it for you." After a brief greeting, the aunt seemed to feel that the atmosphere between them had eased a little, so she took the opportunity to say this.
She knew that at the last wedding, Zhang You left in a hurry without even having time to come back and stay for a night. She didn't want to be so harsh on her niece, so she cleaned up Zhang You's room early and waited for her to come back.
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