Chapter 56
As the New Year was coming to an end, Lin Mian thought that he would celebrate the New Year in Beicheng as usual, but Lin Mei said that she wanted to go back to her hometown to celebrate the New Year this year.
This surprised Lin Mian. Since moving to North City, they have never returned to their hometown.
She didn't have any rejection, but Lin Mei said she wanted to stay in Beicheng for the New Year and didn't want to go back to her hometown, so Lin Mian would stay with her.
She is Lin Mei's daughter, so naturally she has to be on the same page with Lin Mei. At least the two of them can spend the New Year together instead of leaving her mother alone.
"So are we going to buy some gifts in North City and take them back?"
Seeing that Lin Mei wanted to go back to the Lin family, Lin Mian asked, after all, it was the New Year, and there were only mother and daughter left in the whole family, and everyone else had gone home for the holiday to celebrate the New Year.
If you want to prepare New Year gifts, you have to buy them early, otherwise many stores will be closed.
"No, those things are sold everywhere, even in Yang County."
What is available in Beicheng may not be available in Yang County.
Going back from Beicheng and then buying gifts in Yangxian is very subtle.
Does Mom really want to go back? Lin Mian was puzzled.
But since Lin Mei said so, Lin Mian did as she said and only packed a few pieces of clothes. Lin Mei said they would not stay long.
This time, Lin Mei drove back. Lin Mian felt sorry for her because she was too tired, and thought, wouldn’t it be better for her to take a plane back?
But Lin Mei insisted on driving back. "In the countryside, driving is always more convenient."
If they had a car, they could leave at any time if they wanted to, instead of having to endure the passage of time until they saw the car.
In the mountains, it is difficult to escape by walking alone.
It took Lin Mei eighteen years to leave the mountains.
As I watched the scenery outside the window change from high-rise buildings to bungalows, my childhood memories became clearer.
Along that road was where her mother often carried her on her back to buy groceries; the shop that once sold oil had become a liquor store, and the air was filled with the aroma of whole-grain liquor; there was a new bookstore there, which had once been a wasteland...
Time flies so fast. It feels like just a blink of an eye, but in fact a long time has passed.
"I'll go buy some gifts later, and you can go find some flowers to play with."
Lin Mian blinked. Is my sister back?
"She called me before, but you were still competing at the time, so I didn't tell you. She's staying in her hometown for a few days and will be leaving again soon. Take this opportunity to have some fun with your sister."
So part of the reason for coming back this year is that you wanted to meet and talk with your sisters?
"Long live Mom!"
Before opening the car door, Lin Mian quickly kissed Lin Mei on the face.
Touching the place on her face where she was kissed, Lin Mei smiled helplessly. She was still a child.
Lin Mei sent Lin Mian to the downstairs of her grandmother's house. She and Tu Chenglin were divorced, and she didn't want to go to his house.
But Lin Mian came at the wrong time. When he called, Tu Yin was outside buying firecrackers and fireworks.
"Go upstairs to grandma's house first. Sister will be back as soon as possible."
The wind at the end of January is biting. Even if you wear a down jacket, you will still feel cold, as if it penetrates into your bones through your skin.
Lin Mian knocked on the door in his memory.
"Who are you, and who are you looking for?"
The person who opened the door was a boy Lin Mian had never seen before. He looked to be a little over 6 years old, and his chubby face was full of vigilance.
"Xiao Guo, who is that?"
Tu Chenglin wiped the water off his hands on his apron. When he looked up and saw the person coming, he froze in place.
Although he hadn't seen her for six years, he recognized her immediately.
She looked taller and thinner, and the baby fat on her face disappeared, turning her round face into an angular oval face.
She still looked like her mother, but her grown-up face had a hint of his.
"Guo'er..."
Tu Chenglin murmured.
During the years of separation, he must have missed his daughter and had wanted to meet Lin Mian through Tu Yin, but Lin Mei protected her too closely and Tu Yin also covered for her, so he never got to see Lin Mian.
But after remarrying, most of the longing and love were poured into the stepson she brought with her.
"Dad, why is her name so similar to Xiaoguo's?"
Tu Guo grabbed the hem of Tu Chenglin's clothes, looking unhappy.
"Is this child called Xiaoguo?"
Lin Mian was also stunned there at first, but when she heard Tu Chenglin call the child "Xiaoguo", she suddenly came to her senses.
Those wounds that had disappeared began to ache again this winter.
"No, it's not like that." Tu Chenglin wanted to explain, but found that everything became so pale in the face of facts.
"So what's going on? Is this child not called Xiaoguo?"
The tone of questioning was so sharp, more unpleasant than the wind that blew this winter.
The memories of her sitting on his shoulders as they walked through the streets and alleys became blurry.
Lin Mian squatted down and asked the little fat boy: "Can you tell me your name? I'll give you some candy later."
Hearing that there was candy, Tu Guo no longer held his hostility. He let go of his hand that was holding the hem of his father's clothes, stood in front of Lin Mian, and said in a low voice: "Sister, my name is Tu Guo."
Although he is only 6 years old, he is already very smart. He knows that adults like to tease him, so he always pretends to be cute in order to get more candy from adults.
Tu Guo.
That's really interesting.
Lin Mian forced a smile, but found that it would only make her look uglier than crying.
Why should she be treated like this?
Lin Mian actually knew that Tu Chenglin had remarried and that he had a child, but she didn't expect Tu Chenglin to change the child's name to Tu Guo.
What was he expecting during those days when he called her "Guo'er"? Now that he has a real boy, has he gotten what he wanted?
Lin Mian casually took out a handful of candy from her pocket and put it in Tuguo's hand, then got up and left. She didn't want to stay in this place anymore.
She chose to turn a deaf ear to Tu Chenglin's call.
Why must it be called "Guo"? Why can't it be given another name?
Before she knew it, Lin Mian walked to the lake. She could still remember that time when Tu Chenglin took Tu Yin and her to the lake for a walk and fed the fish.
To this day, everything Lin Mei does seems so meaningful.
Her mother understood her father better than she did, so before the glass fell to the ground, Lin Mei chose to let go.
Does her sister know?
Did you know that dad’s new child is called Tuguo?
The wind blowing off the lake makes people think more clearly.
Lin Mian sat on the stone steps, his eyes focused on nowhere.
In the eyes of Tu Yin who rushed over, he looked so lonely and desolate.
Tu Yin took a deep breath and walked to Lin Mian.
Seeing that Lin Mian didn't say anything, Tu Yin put her hand on Lin Mian's hand, and the warmth of her hand warmed the cold hands little by little.
"Why, are you unhappy to see your sister?"
She knew her so well that she could tell where she would go so quickly, but Lin Mian felt that Tu Yin did not understand her.
"Do you know that child's name is Tuguo?"
It takes a lot of effort to speak with a dry throat, and it doesn't sound very pleasant.
"I know."
After a long silence, Tu Yin said softly.
Lin Mian didn't have the strength to look back at Tu Yin. She stared blankly at the lake. The sunlight passed through the thin clouds and fell on the lake. Was it the sunlight that disturbed it, or was it her who disturbed it?
"But that's just a name, just like your name is Lin Mian now, not Tu Mian. Few people still remember to call you Guo'er."
"Since no one's calling me anymore, can I call someone else? Then can you tell who is Guo'er?"
Hearing that Lin Mian didn't even call her sister, Tu Yin knew that Lin Mian was angry.
"Why have you been so serious since childhood? This is just a name. Compared to the name Guo'er, I only know that you are my only sister, connected to me by bones and bones, a relationship that can never be broken. And that person is just someone I know named Tu Guo."
The age gap is not just about appearance, but also about completely different ideas.
From Tu Yin's perspective, she didn't understand why Lin Mian kept holding on to it when it was just a name and it didn't affect Lin Mian's life and they would basically never see each other again.
But from Lin Mian's perspective, she didn't understand either.
This seemed like a denial of her past. Even though her complete family was shattered and even though she had changed her name, should her time as Tu Mian be denied?
Lin Mian stood up and dusted off his body.
Just when she wanted to leave silently, Tu Yin grabbed Lin Mian.
"Do you understand? I only care about you and I only acknowledge you. If I have to choose between Dad and you, I will choose you."
Tu Yin knew that in this world, her father had demands for his love for her, her mother turned a blind eye to her, and she was unwilling to take away Lin Mei's love for her. The only person she was willing to give all her love to was Lin Mian, who had been with her since she was a little girl.
So when people say how smart your sister is and how you look nothing like her, Tu Yin won’t feel jealous or sad.
She thought, so what if her sister was a genius, she still had to protect her. This was the goal she set when she first saw her.
Tu Yin reached out and wiped away Lin Mian's tears. "People can't always empathize with each other, and they care about different things. I didn't do it right. I'm sorry, Guo'er. I should find out why you're sad. I'm just worried that if you leave without saying a word, I'll be scared. I'm afraid that because of the increasing distance, I won't know you well enough. What if I can't find you?"
If Lin Mian cannot be found, wouldn’t that be a denial of Tu Yin?
At that moment, Tu Yin understood.
When Lin Mian stopped crying, Tu Yin's tears began to drip like a faucet that could not be stopped.
This time it was Lin Mian who wiped away her tears.
Tu Yin bent her legs slightly and cried like a helpless child in front of Lin Mian.
"I'm sorry... I just realized that you are Guo'er, the only one. That person shouldn't be called Tu Guo, he wants to give the name back to you!"
Tu Yin became more and more excited as she spoke, and even cursed Tu Chenglin, saying that he was an old fool, his mind was getting muddled day by day, and he only did disgusting things.
This time it was Lin Mian's turn to comfort Tu Yin.
She hugged Tu Yin's head and whispered in her ear, "It's okay, it's okay. Sister, you are right, it's just a name. You can tell who is Guo'er, and mom can tell too. That's enough. I won't leave without saying a word next time. Well, I love you too, sister."
Tu Yin was stunned. After Lin Mian grew up, he rarely mentioned the word "love" to others. It seemed to be a tacit tradition. Once people feel that they have grown up, they become shy to mention many things and are not as frank as before.
The same goes for Tu Yin. Even when Su He begged her, she would not easily say the word "love", as if saying this word would show weakness.
The reeds by the lake have turned yellow and stood upright in the shallow water, shivering in the breeze.
At this moment, the whole world seemed to become silent, with only two people standing by the lake, leaning against each other.
After waiting for her emotions to calm down, Tu Yin looked at Lin Mian and said, "Will you set off fireworks with us later? Su He is here too. It's been a while since you last saw each other."
Why do you want to see him?
Lin Mian curled his lips and said, "Mom will come to pick me up later. We are going to grandma's house."
There’s no other way but to go to grandma’s house.
"If you go back, tell me. I still have to go to North City. I still have a gift for you."
Tu Yin's original plan included going to Beicheng. She would not stay in her hometown forever. She also wanted to see her friends.
Lin Mian held Tu Yin's hand and walked on the bridge, sharing experiences that could not be shared due to the time difference.
"Su He proposed to me."
Lin Mian turned his head abruptly, wondering why such explosive news suddenly came out while they were chatting about daily matters.
Tu Yin smiled as beautifully as a flower, and she tucked up the loose hair hanging by her ears.
"But I refused."
When Lin Mian was feeling uneasy, these words hit him like a hammer, calming his heart.
She couldn't accept that in just half a year, her sister was going to have a new identity and such a young Tu Yin was going to get married.
Even if the person proposing was Su He, whom she knew well, Lin Mian could not accept it.
"Look at your expression, it's like you want to eat someone."
Tu Yin chuckled, but she was very happy that her sister cared about her so much.
"My career isn't even on the right track yet, so why would I choose marriage just because I'm tired?"
There are many men in this world, even if they are childhood sweethearts, but the balance in Tu Yin's heart always leans towards a career that allows her to realize her own value.
All men should make concessions for her career, whether they are enemies, colleagues or lovers.
"Besides, I have no plans to get married in this life. As you can see, my father is a good example. I only want happiness, not marriage."
Marriage is a guarantee, but this guarantee does not mean that it can guarantee her happiness.
Tu Yin is a happier person, she just wants to pursue happiness.
Just like when she looked into Su He's eyes that were full of her, she realized that she also liked Su He, so she chose him.
But this doesn't mean that she will marry Su He.
She wants to be sober and prefer to be without something rather than to be with something bad, rather than sink into painful depravity.
A thin layer of mist had appeared on the surface of the lake at some point, lingering over the lake and making everything hazy.
But in Lin Mian's eyes, Tu Yin's figure was so clear.
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