More than 100 kilometers away in Xuncheng, Shi Meng opened her sleepy eyes, got up and drew back the curtains, squinting as she was blinded by the high-hanging sun.
As she walked up the stairs, she heard noises downstairs. Li Bihan, who was busy in the kitchen, also came out upon hearing the noise. Seeing that Shi was still half asleep, she smiled and said, "Eat something before you sleep. Your stomach can't be empty for too long."
After brushing my teeth, I came to the dining table, where two meals were laid out in front of me.
“The left side is what Xiao Fu left behind. He said he was going back to Fengcheng to take care of some things,” Li Bihan said. “The right side is what I prepared for you. You can eat whichever you like, depending on your appetite.”
Facing a choice right after waking up, Shi Meng looked at the sandwich on this plate and then at the chicken noodle soup in that bowl. Worried that the noodles would clump together if left out too long, she picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
The freshly made old hen soup is served with perfectly cooked thin noodles, and the whole chicken leg soaked in the soup is also infused with its savory flavor. It's so comforting and warming to eat.
Li Bihan stayed by Shi Meng's side for as long as he ate, her gaze lightly falling on him with a kind of care that was not burdensome.
With food in his mouth, his brain regained its oxygen supply. Shi Meng put down his chopsticks and was about to ask Li Bihan how she got there when she seemed to know what he was going to ask and said, "The lawsuit is over, and I'll have a long period of free time from now on."
She wore an apron printed with little rabbits and smiled gently, "I've come to spend the New Year with you."
Shi Meng has never had much of a sense of time. In the past, for him, there was only the difference between day and night, Saturday and Saturday. Now, after being reminded, he realized that the Spring Festival is coming soon.
No wonder Aunt Pan asked him to get the rice cakes.
Speaking of Aunt Pan… Shi Meng suddenly remembered that she had made an appointment with Pan Jiawei to go to the art exhibition today. She picked up her phone and found that the battery was dead and it had shut down automatically. She plugged it in and it turned on with difficulty. A series of missed calls came in, all from Pan Jiawei.
When he called back, no one answered. He wondered if Shi Meng was angry because Shi Meng had stood him up without reason. He quickly put on his coat and decided to go next door.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Pan Jiawei standing outside the courtyard, pacing back and forth aimlessly with his hands in his pockets.
When he saw her, he looked at her with a mournful expression: "Just woke up? You can sleep too much."
Shi Meng expressed his deep remorse and said that if it was convenient, he could reschedule for next week, and he would treat everyone to the tickets and meals.
Pan Jiawei wasn't really angry to begin with, and when he heard what Shi Meng said, he immediately said he would let bygones be bygones, and then asked if they could have barbecue for the next meal, which Shi Meng readily agreed to.
Upon closer inspection, Pan Jiawei noticed that Ming's eyes were a little swollen. He asked curiously, "Where did you go last night?"
"Industrial Park".
What are you going there for?
"walk."
Pan Jiawei's lips twitched: "Goodness, a marathon walk."
Then he asked about something else: "Are you alone? Or are you with that crazy guy?"
Shi Meng answered truthfully, "Together."
"Oh." Pan Jiawei couldn't help but feel downcast. "You two got back together?"
Shi Meng shook his head.
"Then... do I still have a chance?"
After a pause, Shi Meng shook his head again.
The expected answer actually gave Pan Jiawei a sense of relief, as if the matter had finally been resolved.
He took his hands out of his pockets and rubbed them together idly: "That's fine too. I also think it's better to be friends. It's more lasting and stable."
Shi Meng also breathed a sigh of relief. Pan Jiawei was the first friend he made here, and he didn't want to lose him because of this.
The two tended to the flowers and plants in the yard for a while. Shi Meng was worried that the marigolds she planted would get frostbite, so she planned to build a small greenhouse out of glass.
Pan Jiawei volunteered to draw blueprints. He picked up a dead twig and gestured on the ground, telling Shi Meng that this was the door, that was the window, and that a rocking chair could be placed on the south side so that he could hide inside and sunbathe in winter.
Shi Meng listened intently, and out of professional habit, he began to construct 3D images in his mind.
During halftime, Pan Jiawei ate the last bag of potato wedges that Shi Meng had given him and asked Shi Meng in a low voice, "That lady by the window is so pretty."
Shi Meng turned his head and looked over. Li Bihan was sitting on the windowsill near the courtyard, fiddling with something. As if sensing his gaze, she looked up and met Shi Meng's eyes.
She smiled at him, and unconsciously, Shi Meng also smiled.
“She’s not my sister,” Shi Meng told Pan Jiawei.
"Is that your aunt? Your maternal aunt? No way, she looks so young."
Upon receiving another denial from Shi Meng, Pan Jiawei boldly guessed, "Could she... be your mother?"
Shi Meng paused for a moment, then inexplicably lowered her head to look at the green sprouts emerging from the soil, and gave a very soft "hmm".
After a few months apart, Li Bihan's skills had improved even more. She knitted a scarf in just half a day. In the evening, she had Shi Meng try it on and felt that it was a bit short. She said that she could finish the hem that night.
“I’ve already spoken to Ms. Jiang, and she said it’s no problem for me to stay for a few days.” Li Bihan carried her luggage upstairs to the room next to the master bedroom and said, “I usually just cook and do laundry. You can do whatever you want and don’t need to worry about me.”
She could act like a nanny, but Shi Meng couldn't. After the meal, Li Bihan cleared the dishes, while Shi Meng wiped the table and swept the floor. The two worked together, and the already limited housework was quickly finished.
Seeing that there was still time, Li Bihan picked up the yarn and knitting needles and continued knitting, while Shi Meng sat down in front of the drawing board and practiced sketching with her right hand.
Just as a piece of paper was turned over, Li Bihan spoke up at the opportune moment: "Do you have time tomorrow?"
Shi Meng looked up, glancing over with a slightly puzzled expression.
“It’s nothing.” Li Bihan answered without being asked. “I told you before that I know an orthopedic expert and I’d like to take you to see him. Maybe he has a better method that can help your hand injury heal faster.”
Shi Meng thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay."
Seemingly surprised that Shi Meng would agree so quickly, Li Bihan was overjoyed but also somewhat at a loss for what to do.
That evening, she busied herself packing things for the next day: clothes, blankets, drinking water, and even two lunchboxes for fruit and snacks to take on the road. This gave Shi Meng the illusion that they weren't going to the doctor the next day, but rather on a spring outing.
That hospital is quite far from here; it takes about three or four hours to get there and back.
The next day, they set off early in the morning, with Li Bihan in the driver's seat. Shi Meng was wrapped in a thick scarf and couldn't lower his head. He fumbled around for a while but couldn't find the seatbelt, so Li Bihan leaned over and helped him put it on.
When they got close, Shi Meng could always smell the citrus fragrance on Li Bihan, a scent he had often smelled since he was a child.
The first thing that comes to mind when a teacher assigns an essay titled "My Mother" when he was a child is the feeling of that mother.
He subconsciously held his breath, but Li Bihan mistook it for nervousness.
"Don't be afraid. Although I don't drive often, I'm pretty good at it." Li Bihan winked at him. "Don't think of the destination as the hospital. Just think of it as going to a fun place."
Because of this sentence, Shi Meng entered the hospital and was not as nervous as usual. She was taken by the nurse to take X-rays and then examined by the doctor. The whole process was simple and easy.
Li Bihan stayed by his side the whole time, only letting Shi Meng go outside for a while after the examination was completed, saying that she wanted to catch up with old friends.
Shi Meng sat down on a bench outside and idly fiddled with his phone.
The people inside didn't talk for long; as they got closer to the door, their voices became clearer.
“Painting requires a high degree of precision in hand movements,” Li Bihan said. “Thank you for your help.”
Then, the doctor said some comforting words, such as "With proper rehabilitation, there is hope for recovery," and suddenly asked, "I remember your youngest son was named Mu Mu? Has he been renamed?"
Shi Meng's heart skipped a beat, and the footsteps inside also stopped.
A short while later, he heard Li Bihan say through the door, "No, the one before wasn't it."
“The Mengmeng you just saw is my child.”
“I made mistakes in the past, and now I just want him to be well… I’m willing to shorten my lifespan as long as he’s well.”
The hospital is located in the suburbs, surrounded by mountains, with crisp, cool air, though the temperature is a bit lower than in the city.
At noon, the two went to the hospital cafeteria and had some snacks and fruits brought by Li Bihan, which made for a delicious and visually appealing meal.
On the way back, Shi Meng looked out the car window at the gray sky and the undulating mountains like ocean waves. Surrounded by them, she suddenly felt very small.
As if sharing a similar sentiment, Li Bihan also exclaimed, "It is said that nature bestows its most wondrous beauty, and only by being there in person can one experience the effect of broadening one's mind."
Shi Meng hummed in agreement.
He thought that the past was insignificant, and so was the future. Only after leaving that damp and dark shell did he realize that a person's life is but a drop in the ocean.
The smaller the space, the more people tend to stay put and unconsciously amplify their love and hate, turning what could have been a problem into a disaster.
This is the victim mentality.
In reality, there are no absolute victims or absolute perpetrators in this world.
He used to be the victim, misunderstood and hurt by perpetrators from all directions, and became unable to feel wronged or shed tears. He only knew how to use force to get what he wanted.
Now, the situation has reversed. Even though he had no intention of harming others and never thought of revenge, others still feel frustrated and even in pain because of him.
He transformed from a physical victim into a psychological perpetrator, making others live in constant fear while also burdening himself with pressure and exhaustion.
No wonder the doctor had always advised him to go out and see the world. The majestic nature always unexpectedly gives mankind a spiritual salvation, making people realize their insignificance and learn to humble themselves in their future actions.
So-called obsession is nothing more than a severe punishment that you inflict on yourself. If you are unlucky, you torture yourself to death and can't get out of it. If you are lucky, you can start over and find that, apart from the fact that it is still the same, you will also find that even if it is still the same, so what?
He was so familiar with the terrible state of this world that he knew what would happen next without even opening his eyes. Therefore, every beautiful thing he saw from this moment on was fresh and unprecedented.
From grand themes like restrained and patient love, relentless pursuit, and admitting mistakes to making amends, to small things like a bowl of instant noodles after a long journey, fruit in a lunchbox, marigolds in the yard, and soft music playing in the car.
So many, so many that Meng Chang breathed a long sigh of relief.
After more than twenty years of ups and downs, for the first time he felt that his luck wasn't too bad.
Back at her lodgings, she ran into Aunt Pan, who was returning from a walk. Aunt Pan exclaimed in surprise at how beautiful Li Bihan was, saying, "That kid Jiawei told me that his mother looked like his older sister when she was little. I didn't believe it, but seeing is believing. This isn't just an older sister, she's a fairy descended from heaven!"
Before the age of twenty, Li Bihan was a well-bred young lady; after twenty, she became a virtuous wife and loving mother. She usually dealt with people who were bookish and cultured. This was the first time she had been praised so sincerely to her face. Shi Meng saw that her cheeks were flushed and she couldn't even say a polite word. She simply said that she would treat them to a meal later to thank them for taking care of her.
The weather was overcast, and it looked like it was going to rain. Before going inside, Aunt Pan reminded them to move the car into the garage. Just as Shi Meng was about to get out of the car to open the garage door, Li Bihan took the keys from his hand.
She quickly opened the door and got out of the car, telling Shi Meng, "Wait for me in the car."
Watching her departing figure, Shi Meng inexplicably uttered that word.
Li Bihan trembled, turning around with some uncertainty: "What did you call me...?"
Because he rarely spoke this word, Shi Meng swallowed hard, feeling a little awkward, before speaking again.
"Mom," he said in a somewhat stiff tone, extending an invitation about the future, "let's go out and play together again next time."
Li Bihan agreed.
She turned around quickly, but Shi Meng still saw her eyes suddenly turn red.
After counting to about one hundred, Shi Meng, who had been told to wait in the car, couldn't sit still. Thinking that his hands should be able to hold the steering wheel now, he drove the car to the garage entrance, saving Li Bihan the trouble of running back and forth.
So Shi Meng opened the door and got out of the car. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he felt a sudden chill on the tip of his nose.
Next, the forehead, cheeks, then the back of the hands, and the corners of the lips.
Shi Meng looked up at the sky, where the gray sky seemed to have been torn open with countless tiny holes, allowing white snowflakes to squeeze out and fall gently to the ground.
It turned out it wasn't going to rain, but rather the first snowfall.
Shi Meng recalled that when the first snow fell last year, she was queuing in front of a chestnut shop. Amidst the noise of the crowd, she caught someone calling her name, but thought it was a hallucination.
Many years ago, on the first snowy night, he climbed the tall Christmas tree to take down the unclaimed gift, only to slip and fall into that person's arms.
Every type of weather carries its own unique memories.
And the first snow is always inextricably linked to that person.
Just then, it seemed as if the world was covered by a huge dome, blocking out the ice and snow, with a black umbrella overhead.
The person holding the umbrella was panting heavily. Lately, for some reason, he always seemed to be in a great hurry whenever we met, as if he had rushed over from who-knows-where.
It suited his name as fiery as the sun.
He spoke hastily and abruptly, "Didn't I tell you to wait in the car? Why did you get down?"
It was eavesdropping again.
Shi Meng glanced at him, and within two seconds, Fu Xuanliao's momentum waned: "I just arrived too. I saw you two come back, and I was planning to wait until you went in before I knocked on the door."
After all, they're not the owners of this place.
Shi Meng was speechless at his unusually clear self-awareness and adherence to rules and regulations, as if the person who had frequently barged in uninvited before was not the one in front of him.
Fu Xuanliao belatedly felt embarrassed.
He also vaguely sensed that the atmosphere between him and Shi Meng had changed, and that he should change to a different way of getting along.
Speaking of their relationship, if we go back to the beginning, they started as ordinary friends, then became contract lovers, then one chased and the other hid, and now Little Mushroom is just showing signs of softening...
As she was thinking, Shi Meng pushed Fu Xuanliao aside, as if he were blocking her way, and walked around to the driver's side door.
Fu Xuanliao hurriedly followed, holding up his umbrella. When he saw Shi Ming holding the steering wheel, he exclaimed in surprise, "Your hands can drive? Let me do it."
With the car window open, Shi Meng said irritably, "I can drive."
"Then, what about the note I left?" Fu Xuanliao asked quickly, "Did you see it?"
Shi Meng said, "No."
Fu Xuanliao was a little disappointed, but then he thought that the note wouldn't disappear and he would see it sooner or later.
He bent down to face the people in the car, using his umbrella to shield them from the snow that might be blown in by the wind.
"Then... may I knock on the door later?"
Even though he had already made a decision, he insisted on asking questions first, which made Fu Xuanliao realize that he was a bit odd.
But he wanted to know, to confirm, that if such a thing also had a scoring mechanism, then Shi Meng would be the only authoritative appraiser who could verify whether his efforts were effective.
The initial results of his three visits to Teacher Ma's house were evident. Yesterday, when he left Teacher Ma's house, Fu Xuanliao enjoyed being seen off at the door by his host for the first time.
After explaining the rules of art appraisal, the old man calmly talked about other things: "My apprentice is dull and stubborn. If you point out his flaws, he can remain silent for a long time. When you ask him questions, he just doesn't listen. But his eye for art is not bad. Whether he is looking at paintings or people, I think he must have his reasons for choosing you."
Fu Xuanliao was eager to know the reason so that he could get rid of his current state of confusion, play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, and firmly grasp Shi Meng's heart.
Unbeknownst to him, shortly after he left, Shi Meng also received a message from Teacher Ma on his phone.
An old man who has seen it all said: Although I have said not to trap yourself and not to hang yourself on one tree, if it is a smart tree that knows its mistakes and corrects them, then hanging on it for a while is not a bad thing.
As this tree grows taller, the person sitting on it might be able to see even more and better scenery.
Right now, Fu Xuanliao is standing outside the car door, looking somewhat like a "tree".
While providing shelter from the wind and rain, people also need fertile soil and encouragement.
So Shi Meng, out of his sight, slightly raised her lips and told him, "Let's talk after you knock."
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