Chapter 74: The Vast Horizon
Bored Ren Fenghe wandered into the living room.
When she came to the living room, she found Ms. Miao gesturing at her cell phone.
She asked curiously, "Grandma, what are you doing?"
Ms. Miao gestured and said, "Call Qingqing."
Ren Fenghe's boredom instantly disappeared. She moved forward confidently, grabbed a spot in the camera, and made a "hello" sign to the screen.
How to do it specifically? Just point to the screen and give a thumbs up.
After finishing, she looked at Miao Qingqing on the screen expectantly.
Ms. Miao was laughing nearby.
Miao Qingqing returned the same gesture, and Ren Fenghe excitedly pointed at himself and gave a thumbs up, and then pointed at Ms. Miao and gave a thumbs up.
The whole set of actions together means you are good, I am good, and she is good too.
This was after New Year's Eve. Ms. Miao came over to watch her take a bath and wash her hair, and taught her sign language.
Finally put it into practice! Ren Fenghe was very satisfied with her ability to apply her knowledge.
Miao Qingqing also cooperated by clapping on the other side of the screen, indicating that she had learned very well.
Ren Fenghe was so excited that her tail was lifted up. In addition to these, she also learned new things online.
She raised her thumb again, curving it forward.
This means "thank you", thank you Miao Qingqing for your applause.
This was something Ms. Miao had never taught her. Ms. Miao was puzzled and asked, "Where did you learn this from?"
"There are tutorials online. I learned it online." Ren Fenghe demonstrated all the sign language she had memorized during this period to Ms. Miao and Miao Qingqing.
"I learned a lot!" Ms. Miao exaggerated.
After the performance, Ren Fenghe smiled proudly, then gave his seat back to Ms. Miao.
Ms. Miao started to demonstrate with Miao Qingqing again, one move after another, without any need to think, and she demonstrated very quickly.
Ren Fenghe couldn't understand it at all.
After they finished gesturing, Miao Qingqing said goodbye to Ren Fenghe. After hanging up the phone, Ren Fenghe asked, "What were you talking about?"
A trace of worry flashed across Ms. Miao's face. She said, "This is the first time Qingqing is left alone at home. I'll give her some instructions."
Ren Fenghe blinked.
Miao Qingqing told her her childhood stories, and Ms. Miao in the stories really did keep Miao Qingqing under her wings.
She thought that Miao Qingqing would often go out to sketch when she grew up, which meant that Ms. Miao was already very confident that Miao Qingqing could run around everywhere. But would Ms. Miao still worry about leaving Miao Qingqing alone at home?
Ren Fenghe comforted her: "Aunt Qingqing can paint outside by herself, so she can definitely stay at home by herself."
When Ms. Miao saw Ren Fenghe comforting her, the child's face was full of innocence and she said, "You little kids don't understand how we as parents think."
As he spoke, he touched Ren Fenghe's face with the back of his hand, and the tenderness in his eyes seemed as if he was caressing the childhood Miao Qingqing.
Ms. Miao recalled the past and said with emotion: "When she first went out to paint, I was always by her side. At that time, I had not retired yet, so I could only go out with her on weekends."
"Later she said she wanted to try painting alone. Don't I know her? She felt sorry for me and thought it would be too boring for me to stay with her all day. How could I be bored? The places where she paints have beautiful scenery. I feel so comfortable just looking at the scenery and feeling the breeze."
"But since she said so, I just let her do what she wanted. When children grow up, parents have to let go. But I still felt uneasy. I secretly followed her out the first few times."
Ren Fenghe leaned over to Ms. Miao and listened carefully to the story of the Miao mother and daughter.
Ms. Miao held Ren Fenghe in her arms and continued, "I guess Qingqing probably saw me, so she stopped going out to paint on weekends. One time when I came home from get off work, I found Qingqing was gone. I ran anxiously to the creek where she often went to sketch, and saw her sitting there painting peacefully. Then I realized that she had grown up."
Ren Fenghe looked at Ms. Miao, who was still worried as she talked about Miao Qingqing growing up. It was as if he saw Miao Wan, who came home from get off work and found Miao Qingqing was not there, and ran out in a hurry.
She could only comfort him by saying, "Don't worry, Aunt Qingqing can handle it. If you are really worried, let Aunt Qingqing come to our place."
"There's no way she'd be willing to come. Besides, I'm worried, but I have to let her try being alone at home."
"I've already lived most of my life, and hers has just begun. She will eventually get used to being alone."
Ms. Miao said this with a smile, but Ren Fenghe felt very sad when he heard it.
The mother's big hands have been supporting her daughter's back for most of her life. The mother knows that she should let go and give her daughter room to grow, but she still hopes that she can protect her daughter from wind and rain. Her hands hesitate to support her daughter's back occasionally, but can never be completely retracted.
Ren Fenghe suddenly thought of something and said, "Grandma, Aunt Qingqing can draw, so can you draw?"
Ms. Miao was stunned for a moment before she said, "I don't know how to draw."
Ren Fenghe glanced at the time and said, "Then can you draw with me? I also want to draw beautiful paintings like Aunt Qingqing!"
Hearing the two "very beautiful" words, Ms. Miao smiled from ear to ear and said, "Come to my house and ask Qingqing to teach you."
Ren Fenghe took Ms. Miao's arm and said, "Let's draw first, and then give Aunt Qingqing comments."
It was still early, and Ms. Miao was willing to play with the children, so she followed Ren Fenghe and took out white paper and paintbrushes.
Ren Fenghe recalled the story Miao Qingqing told him on New Year's Eve, pressed the paintbrush into Ms. Miao's hand, and begged, "Grandma, please help me draw a rabbit."
Ms. Miao said, "How can I draw a rabbit?" as she picked up the paintbrush and painted on the paper. With just a few strokes, the outline of a lively and jumping rabbit appeared on the paper.
Ms. Miao was just about to say, "Oh, that's the best I can draw," when she turned around and saw Ren Fenghe looking at the rabbit in surprise with his mouth open.
"Grandma, you draw so well! Please help me draw a dog. I want a dog that looks like Dahuang downstairs." Ren Fenghe said.
Ms. Miao was just about to say that the child had ordered the dishes, but when she saw Ren Fenghe's sparkling eyes full of admiration, she felt happy and followed her wishes and drew a picture of Dahuang downstairs and a golden retriever for Ren Fenghe.
Looking at Ms. Miao who could paint with charm just by combining a few lines, Ren Fenghe finally understood why Miao Qingqing felt sorry that Ms. Miao no longer painted.
Although she hasn't painted for many years, she can still paint very well once she starts, which shows Ms. Miao's talent in painting.
"Grandma, you draw so beautifully. Did you teach Aunt Qingqing how to draw?" Ren Fenghe praised her generously. While praising her, he thought of the sad expressions on the faces of the Miao mother and daughter when they were worried about each other and cared about each other, and he couldn't help but want to give them a push.
Ms. Miao looked at the rabbit and dog in the painting, as if she was missing something. She stroked the small animals in the painting and said, "I didn't teach her to paint. I just helped her paint a few times. She painted because she liked it. She observed and painted all day long, and her painting became more and more realistic."
Ren Fenghe struck while the iron was hot and asked, "Grandma, do you like painting?"
Ms. Miao seemed to have expected Ren Fenghe to ask this, and she asked, "Qingqing told you that, right?"
Ren Fenghe was stunned and stammered.
Ms. Miao smiled until her face wrinkled deeply. She said, "When I accompanied her outside to sketch, she kept suggesting that I should continue to paint. Don't I understand her?"
Ms. Miao said: "I am not interested in painting at all, but Qingqing always thinks I deliberately say I don't like it so as not to make her feel guilty."
It turned out to be a beautiful misunderstanding between mother and daughter, Ren Fenghe thought.
She asked, "Grandma, what do you like to do?"
Ms. Miao said: "I like playing mahjong, cards and square dancing."
As she spoke, Ms. Miao opened her mobile phone, started playing square dance music, and danced openly for Ren Fenghe to see.
"Look, twisting like this can relax your muscles and bones, and it can also be used as exercise. How great! Let me paint all day, I can't sit still."
Ms. Miao stretched out her hands, twisted her waist, and danced to the song of Phoenix Legend, looking really good.
"Come, dance with grandma." Ms. Miao was dancing and wanted to pull Ren Fenghe to join in.
Ren Fenghe can dance ballet, which she has been dancing since she was a child, or learn hip-hop from Jiang Shen, but square dancing is still a bit challenging for someone as thin-skinned as Ren Fenghe.
She shook her head frantically and said, "Grandma, you dance, I'll cheer you on!"
How could Ms. Miao not understand young people? She danced happily by herself, saying as she danced: "You young people don't understand the fun of our square dance. Square dance is a new era of social dance! Friends who dance with me are all very well-informed. When we dance together, I know all the gossip in our area!"
Ms. Miao danced happily and sang along as she danced. All her previous worries and sorrows were smoothed away by the dance.
She danced to the end of a song before stopping.
"But there is one thing I really want to try." Ms. Miao said as she sat down after dancing and singing a song without breathing hard at all.
Seeing Ren Fenghe looking at her eagerly, Ms. Miao said with emotion: "I really want to travel."
Ms. Miao counted on her fingers and felt even more emotional.
"I have never traveled in my life. The only time I could consider traveling was when I was young and followed people from the village to come here by bus. On that road, I saw a lot of scenery that I had never seen before." Ms. Miao seemed to be recalling the scenery she saw at that time, her eyes full of nostalgia.
"I was busy working to earn money, and after giving birth to Qingqing, I focused on raising her. In addition, the conditions at home and Qingqing's situation were not suitable for traveling, so I never left the city. I still worry about her being alone at home."
"I've seen a lot of beautiful scenery on the Internet. My nephew also travels around in an RV. What's the song I dance to? 'The vast horizon is my love.' I also want to see the ends of the earth."
Ren Fenghe said: "Go! Aunt Qingqing will definitely support you!"
When talking about what she wants to do, Miao is full of longing, but she shakes her head and says, "Travelling costs a lot of money, and I have to save my money."
Ren Fenghe asked knowingly: "Why do you want to save it?"
Ms. Miao said: "As parents, we all want to leave more things for our children. I also want to leave more money for Qingqing."
Ren Fenghe tilted his head and said, "Aunt Qingqing draws comics very well. Uncle even recommended it to his fans. Aunt Qingqing can make a lot of money!"
Ms. Miao was stunned. “No wonder Qingqing asked me to thank Xiaoshen on her behalf a few days ago. I was still wondering what was going on.”
Ms. Miao added: "Even if Qingqing can make a lot of money, I still can't bear the thought of Qingqing being alone at home for a long time."
Ren Fenghe said, "Then let's go traveling together! Aunt Qingqing will use her phone to search for fun places to go, and grandma will help Aunt Qingqing translate what she wants to say. You two are the best travel partners!"
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