In the end, only Pei Tingyu was left to accompany her. While she was washing her hair, Pei Tingyu waited in the room.
He looked at his watch. Ten minutes had passed, and she still hadn't come down. Bored, he simply lit a cigarette and stood by the window, looking at the street view.
Outside the window, buildings of different heights are arranged in an orderly manner and closely connected. The lights of the big city are dazzling, and the ringing of bicycles mixed with the noise of pedestrians echo in the alleys.
The last time he came to Beijing was three years ago to visit his grandfather's grave.
My grandfather’s home used to be in this dark little courtyard amidst the lights of thousands of houses.
Memories brought him back to his childhood—
Pei Tingyu's father died in a coal mine accident the year after he was born. His mother ran away soon after with the pension that his father had paid for with his life.
He was left to the care of his grandfather, who had difficulty walking, when he was one year old. His grandfather was a retired soldier, and he raised him well with the monthly subsidy from the state.
When he was four years old, his mother came back to see him. He was so excited at that time because he finally didn't have to be laughed at as a wild child without a father or a mother.
But his mother left in a hurry without even entering the door. That day, he sat on the doorstep and cried, and no matter how his grandfather tried to persuade him, it was of no use.
He no longer expected to have a mother, so why did she come to see him?
After giving him a glimmer of hope, he cruelly took it away?
That night, his grandfather told him that his mother had remarried and had a new family, and because he was a boy, her husband would not accept him.
Grandpa asked him if he had to live with his mother. If so, he would find a way.
Although four-year-old Pei Tingyu didn't quite understand the things between adults, he knew that his mother didn't love him and didn't want him.
So he shook his head and decided to stay with his grandfather.
From then on, he became what others called a wild child who was always stirring up trouble and acting recklessly.
Fighting, climbing trees, pulling girls' braids... these are all the joys of his life.
I thought life would go on like this until one day when I came home, I heard the conversation between my grandfather and my cousin outside the door.
"You've spent all your retirement money on that bastard over the years. Now you can't even afford treatment for your own illness. You can only wait to die! Anyway, don't expect me to pay for it. I have a family to support..."
Only then did Pei Tingyu realize that his grandfather was ill, and it was a very serious illness.
Thinking back on how he was always causing trouble and how his grandfather had to pay people back and apologize, he experienced for the first time what shame was.
On his deathbed, his grandfather told him that his biggest regret was not being able to see him grow up and start a family. But seeing that he had become much more sensible recently, his grandfather felt that he had grown up.
He was eight and a half years old when his grandfather died.
After his grandfather was buried, he returned to the small courtyard full of memories of the two generations, intending to live alone.
But his cousin's family came soon and wanted to drive him away and sell grandpa's yard.
When he thought he would be homeless, people on the street brought a man who claimed to be his uncle.
He was taken to live in Haicheng by his uncle. His uncle's family was well-off, but it was because his aunt's family had connections in Haicheng.
My uncle actually married into the family, so you can imagine his status in the family.
Therefore, after Pei Tingyu arrived at the Bai family, he had to live according to the Bai family's mood.
Later he learned that his uncle agreed to adopt him because his grandfather sold his yard, and the money from the sale would be transferred to his uncle in batches through someone else, on the condition that Pei Tingyu be raised to adulthood.
So strictly speaking, it was his grandfather who really raised Pei Tingyu.
Grandpa knew his cousin very well. He didn't care about Pei Tingyu's life or death, so he chose Pei Tingyu's uncle in Haicheng.
Living in the Bai family might bring some hardships and grievances, but it is better than living on the streets.
Thus, he began his ten-year life of living under the Bai family's roof.
Growing up is hard, but fortunately, he finally grew up... This chapter has been read (please click on the next chapter to continue reading!)
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