After my sister-in-law took the things, she left immediately, leaving Zhang You to continue packing in the room.
Zhang You didn't have much stuff, but packing it up took her a long time. Every time she packed up a part of it, she would recall the memories of her aunt when she first got the stuff.
During those first two years, she was truly loved by her aunt and her family. They would ask her what she liked, prepare surprises for her, and help her get over those painful memories. They were attentive to every detail.
But now, those memories are like these dusty gifts, covered in dust and no longer the same as they were before.
She spent the whole night cleaning up.
She couldn't sleep anyway, so instead of lying in bed, she might as well continue cleaning. When she was tired, she would sit down and rest, and then continue after she was rested.
After cleaning everything up, I realized that the memories of these years were just those five boxes on the ground.
The next morning, Zhang You moved the boxes and mailed them to the rented house near the school. When her aunt saw her moving the boxes, she curiously asked her what they were. Zhang You just said calmly, "They are all old and unused things. I just happened to sort them out." Her aunt didn't delve into it too much as she was still busy helping her sister-in-law take care of the baby.
On New Year's Eve, it was a rare day for them to sit together as a family. As usual, grandma was going to say something. This time, with her sister-in-law present, she was even more outspoken. After the meal, the atmosphere became extremely stiff.
In the past, my aunt would speak up for Zhang You, but now she has a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter, so she has to be very careful with her words. It would be more serious if the relationship between their whole family became strained than if Zhang You were the only one to be wronged.
There was nothing worth lingering in such a scene. So when grandma complained that Zhang You was occupying her place by staying here, Zhang You said, "It just so happens that my friend has a house nearby, I'll stay with her." This way, the whole family can live together, and the property will be returned to its original owner.
The noisy grandma finally calmed down, though she would still say some mean things to her from time to time. Zhang You thought she would leave after dinner, so she didn't bother with it anymore.
She didn't want her last meal with her aunt to be so ugly.
She was very grateful for everything her aunt had done for her over the years, but their fate had come to an end and it was time to leave.
My aunt wanted to say something at the dinner table, but before she could say anything, her sister-in-law pulled her away to comfort the crying baby, and the matter of Zhang You was left unresolved.
My uncle and the others wanted to say something, but facing this alienated person, they didn't know what to ask. They finished the meal, each with their own thoughts.
After dinner, Zhang You took the suitcase she had brought back and left. Her aunt, holding the baby she had just coaxed, hurried to the door, not wanting her to leave on New Year's Eve.
Zhang You looked at the people doing their own things in the house, then looked at his aunt who had been busy all day, and finally said, "It's okay, her house is nearby, I will be back tomorrow."
After saying that, she closed the door for her aunt.
From just across the wall, Zhang You could clearly hear the laughter and chatter in the living room as they gathered there to watch the Spring Festival Gala. She was lost in thought, thinking back to last year. Back then, although she'd sat with them, she couldn't join in their conversation. She'd listened to them plan their wedding, like a bystander, unable to do anything but listen. Now, she truly was that bystander, a true guest, simply visiting for a meal and then leaving.
Thinking of this, Zhang You lowered her head and smiled at herself. She turned around, picked up her suitcase and left without any reluctance to linger.
How could she have any friends living here who could take her in on New Year's Eve? She just found a hotel to stay in.
After finding a hotel, Zhang You felt bored sitting there alone, so she went to the veterinary clinic to check on Xiao Bai. Pets weren't allowed in the hotel, otherwise Zhang You might have taken Xiao Bai back. His injuries had been bandaged, and minor ones healed quickly, while others required more careful care.
Zhang You looked at the obedient Xiaobai lying in the cat's bed, and her heart softened, as if all the injuries were insignificant. She now had only one thought in her mind, and that was to take Xiaobai away from here. They would depend on each other and would not be lonely.
Zhang You left with Xiao Bai three days later. She'd visited her aunt's house several times during the day. There were things her aunt couldn't bring herself to say, so she spoke first. She thanked her aunt for her dedication over the years and promised to call her often. However, she might not be back, so she told her aunt to take care of herself.
I thought it would be difficult to say such words, but when I said them, I felt a sense of relief.
My aunt didn't stop me. Perhaps she was tired of being caught in the middle for so many years.
When Zhang You left, she only took Xiaobai with her. She took it on several bus rides back. Fortunately, although it cost a lot, they finally arrived at their new home.
Zhang You felt melancholy for a moment as she watched herself finally leave the place that had trapped her for so much of her youth, but she was also more willing to see herself break free from the past, pick herself up again, and live as herself.
But the more he read, the tighter Zhang You’s brows furrowed.
In her mind, this memory should be of her being depressed for a few days, but she quickly recovered and threw herself into studying and making new friends. She should have become optimistic again, but now...
Now, she lives in a rented house near the school with her doll. From time to time, she would stare at something in a daze, and once she stared, it would last for a long time.
She seemed to be trapped in some unknown emotion. At least Zhang You, in her soul form, couldn't understand what she was thinking at this moment.
Zhang You looked at his former self and felt vaguely that he must have forgotten something important.
As time went by, winter vacation passed, and the old me started school. At the beginning of the new semester, she seemed more taciturn than before. Apart from studying experiments, she was immersed in her own world.
But no one noticed her abnormality, and just thought she was concentrating on studying. After she was admitted to graduate school, the number of experiments in the laboratory increased, and she spent almost every day in the laboratory.
Once, she was distracted and had an overdose of reagent in her hand, causing a small accident. Fortunately, her senior brother from the same school came to her rescue in time and she was saved.
Her senior noticed that she was not in a good mood and advised her to go back and rest. She just nodded quietly, and after returning to her room, she was in a daze for a long time.
Zhang You remembered her sudden death from staying up too late doing research. She had always assumed that was the cause, and she had always thought she was recovering on her own over the years. It wasn't until she saw herself, often drifting off, that she realized something was wrong.
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