Chapter 63
Mo Nan looked up at Yoda, opened her mouth as if to say something, but quickly looked away when her gaze fell on Yoda's mother behind him. Her tone was indifferent: "No."
After saying those two words, Mo Nan turned around, clearly having no intention of continuing the conversation.
Just moments ago, Mo Nan and Liu Si were talking a good game, but now there's such a stark difference in their attitudes. Everyone else present could sense that Mo Nan seemed to have a subtle aversion to Yoda.
Yoda was somewhat embarrassed, but more than that, he was puzzled.
Behind Yoda, Mo Nan's mother quickly explained, "She just doodled. Haha, come on, the bedroom is too crowded, come out and sit down." If the aisle in this room wasn't just wide enough for one person to pass through, Mo Nan's mother would have gone up and pulled Yoda and Liu Si back one in each arm.
Seeing Mo Nan's attitude, it was clear that staying here wouldn't lead to any further communication. Yoda, no longer hesitant, followed Mo Nan's mother's instructions and walked outside. Liu Si hesitated, glancing at Mo Nan, then at Yoda walking away.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Liu Si said goodbye to Mo Nan and then went out with Yoda.
Mo Nan listened to the sound of people leaving behind her and looked at the sketches she had left behind. The once smooth paper was now crumpled at the edges.
"Xiao Wang, did you draw this diagram wrong?" Liu Si's father frowned as he looked at the water and electricity wiring diagram in his hand.
"Uncle Liu, just call me Xiao Wang." Wang Mian grinned and stepped forward, looking at the spot where Liu Si's father was pointing, and said, "That's right, that's how it's done."
Liu Si's father glanced sideways at Wang Mian, who was grinning from ear to ear, and said politely, "Little Wang, just call me Master Liu."
Wang Mian's tone froze for a moment, then he smiled and said, "Anything is fine, anything is fine."
"Why is there an electrical outlet inside this sink cabinet?" Liu Si's father pointed and frowned.
Wang Mian explained, "Oh, one is a makeup mirror socket, and the other is a razor socket."
Master Liu asked in confusion, "Huh? Makeup?"
Wang Mian said, "It's for the female homeowner to use for makeup." Then, worried that Mr. Liu might not understand, he added enthusiastically, "It's convenient because there's lighting all around when she's doing her makeup. There are sockets inside the mirror cabinet, so frequently used small appliances like razors and hair dryers can be stored there, without having to constantly plug and unplug them. It's neat and tidy."
Master Liu nodded, then pointed to the balcony: "Why do we need to leave electrical wires on the roof in addition to the lights?"
Wang Mian looked at it and then explained, "This is reserved for automatic clothes drying racks."
Master Liu pointed again: "What's down there?"
Before Mr. Liu could finish speaking, Mr. Wang began to explain: "This is reserved for the tea bar machine. When you need to dry clothes, you can put down the clothes rack. When you don't need to dry clothes, the owner can have a cup of tea here. This apartment only has one balcony, so it has to serve multiple purposes, acting as both a living balcony and a leisure balcony."
Before Mr. Liu could answer, a worker's voice came from the side: "The kitchen socket is ten centimeters too low. I think the height is about right, so let's just leave it like this to avoid having to cut grooves. Is that okay?"
Wang Mian's attention was on Master Liu, and he casually replied, "Anything is fine, anything is fine." The next moment, he immediately realized what he meant and shouted, "No, no! The kitchen sockets are all spaced according to the plan, and the positions of the small appliances are all arranged. If the height is too low, it won't be perfect."
He then took two big strides to the kitchen and only felt at ease after watching the new wiring and trenching being done.
Master Liu looked at the blueprints again and realized that this made sense. He'd arrange for one to be installed in his own home as well.
Liu Si was pondering how to frame the painting Mo Nan had given her, but after asking around, she couldn't find any shops that could frame such a small piece. Just as she was about to order framing materials online and try to do it herself, Wang Mian's voice came from behind her: "I'm so tired."
Startled, Liu Si quickly turned around. Seeing Wang Mian slowly approaching, looking utterly listless, Liu Si raised an eyebrow: "Where have you been?"
Wang Mian gave Liu Si a resentful look: "I went to check on the scene."
Liu Si was puzzled. The project Wang Mian was currently working on was the same one that Liu Si's father had started. How could he be so exhausted? "Did my dad make you do manual labor?"
Wang Mian shook his head: "No, that's not true."
Liu Si continued, "So you were asked to carry cement?"
Wang Mian shook his head: "No, not either."
Liu Si couldn't believe it: "Nothing at all, how could you be like this?"
Wang Mian opened his mouth, wanting to explain that he had to strictly control the quality while also being careful with his wording. He was constantly switching between humility and strictness, and by the end of the day, it was more tiring than drawing in the office.
Seeing Liu Si's completely clueless expression, Wang Mian suddenly became a little awkward, hesitant and embarrassed to reveal his true thoughts.
Liu Si didn't have time to pay attention to these things, and he knew it was impossible to let Wang Mian do heavy work. Although Wang Mian was tall, his center of gravity was high and he couldn't withstand pressure. If he were really made to do these construction site jobs, how could he possibly walk back by himself?
Wang Mian hesitated, but seeing Liu Si only looking down at her phone, he couldn't help but lean closer and ask, "What's this?"
Liu Si said, "This painting was given to me by a friend, and I want to frame it myself."
Wang Mian instantly became alert: "Friend?"
Liu Si didn't notice the change in Wang Mian's tone. After selecting the materials and placing the order, she looked up and said, "Yes, it's the homeowner that Sister Yoda renovated. She's beautiful and can paint. She gave it to me because I liked it. I want to try framing it myself. Do you know how?"
Wang Mian didn't hear anything else clearly, but he heard "pretty," and breathed a sigh of relief: "Oh, a girl."
Liu Si looked up: "Did you only hear 'pretty'?"
When asked, Wang Mian quickly recovered from his earlier relief: "No, no, I heard you. As for framing, although I don't know how, I can learn."
Liu Si was satisfied: "That's more like it. Let's try it together when the materials arrive."
Mo Nan's mother looked at Mo Nan sitting at her desk, brought over a glass of milk and said, "Nan Nan, stop looking at it, it's bad for your eyes. After you finish your milk, I'll help you wash up and get some rest."
Every time Mo Nan opened her eyes, she hoped that her eyes would recover, but it was no use. She could only see a limited field of vision, as if her vision was restricted by an invisible cylinder.
With her eyes closed, Mo Nan said to her mother behind her, "I can do it myself, I can see."
“Your legs are covered in bruises. The path around the house is narrow, so it’s safer for me to help you.” As she spoke, Mo Nan’s mother placed the milk in front of Mo Nan and sat behind her, silently saying, “When your father comes back, make him clear out all the fabrics and clothes piled up in the house. Wider the walkway so you can walk more comfortably.”
Mo Nan opened her eyes, but didn't turn around: "Mom, no need. Those are all your hard work over the years, and we promised to keep them safe."
Mo Nan's mother sighed, "There's no point in keeping it, we might as well give it away. I don't know if anyone would want it. I saw someone buying it before, for a few cents a kilogram, but I didn't ask any questions."
Mo Nan couldn't hold back and raised her voice: "I told you I don't need it, I don't need my family to change for me! My eyes will get better. I don't need anyone's pity or sympathy."
Mo Nan's mother looked at Mo Nan, whose breathing was uneven after she finished speaking, and felt a little helpless. She wanted to comfort her as before, but when she saw Mo Nan's back to her, she thought of something and said cruelly, "You have to accept reality. Even if you can't get better, you still have to live your life."
"Your eyesight is getting weaker every day, and you might wake up one morning and not be able to see. Your father and I are getting older every day. If you don't accept your disability, what will we do when we get old?"
After saying that, seeing Mo Nan's dejected and huddled back, he gritted his teeth and continued, "No matter what, you just can't see things clearly now. Accept it sooner, and you'll live a better life sooner."
After saying that, he didn't have the courage to stay any longer, turned around and left, leaving Mo Nan alone in the room.
"What's wrong?" Mo Nan's father returned home. Usually, everyone in the family would be resting by this time, but today he saw Mo Nan's mother lying on the sofa, her arms covering her eyes, her body rising and falling slightly with her breathing.
There was no reply to his words. Mo Nan's father put down his bag, walked to the sofa, and lifted Mo Nan's mother's arm. She did not resist. He then realized that Mo Nan's mother was lying on the sofa with tears in her eyes.
Panic gripped him, his legs went weak, and Mo Nan's father steadied himself against the sofa, quickly asking, "Is that Nan Nan?"
Mo Nan's mother was startled, realizing he had misunderstood. She straightened up and helped Mo Nan's father to the sofa. She awkwardly wiped her tears with her sleeve, though they were already wet and didn't really dry them. But it was better than nothing.
Seeing the surprised and uncertain look on Mo Nan's father's face, Mo Nan's mother shook her head, calmed herself down, and comforted her, "It's okay, I just said a few words to her today."
“I know she doesn’t like to use her blindness to get other people’s concern and sympathy, but when I think about her bruised legs and her blurry eyes, isn’t it more important for her to be able to get free renovations and live in a safer place than to pretend that she is normal?”
Knowing that it was because of this, and not because her condition had worsened, Mo Nan's father finally felt relieved and could lean on her with peace of mind: "Look at you, how come the child ended up crying? You're right, we'll have the chance to renovate properly for free, so we can feel at ease even if she lives here alone in the future."
With her ideas supported, Mo Nan's mother lost the resolve that had spurred her on to say those things about Mo Nan. Instead, she felt a pang of regret and said to Mo Nan's father, "Actually, I was too hasty. Nan Nan just can't accept it right now; she's actually the one who's suffering the most. I shouldn't have rushed her to change."
As she spoke, Mo Nan's mother got up from the sofa: "I'll go apologize to the child." It was as if she had already rehearsed it many times in her mind, just waiting for Mo Nan's father to come back and say a few words of comfort so that she could gather the courage to face the pain again.
Mo Nan's father, quick-witted and agile, grabbed the other person and said, "Look at you, rushing around like this. There's no rush. The child must be asleep. We can talk about it tomorrow."
Mo Nan's mother checked the time and realized that she had been out alone for quite some time: "Sigh, it's all my fault. If only I had noticed her eye discomfort earlier and taken her to the doctor."
Mo Nan's father frowned: "This was sudden, no one expected it. It has nothing to do with you. Blame me for not giving the child a good name. Mo Nan means hardship. I'm uneducated and I've ruined the child's life."
"How can I blame you?"
As they spoke, the two couldn't help but sigh deeply. It seemed as if every single thing they had done before could have been wrong, that their child had turned out this way.
"How about we just not renovate the house?"
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