When Fang Meihao returned from summer vacation, she stepped through the door carrying a canvas bag. Fang Meixiang was sitting on a small stool by the threshold, with her back to the door, holding a smooth bamboo stick in her hand and scratching the ground.
"Big sister," Fang Meihao called softly.
Fang Meixiang didn't turn around, but she stopped scratching the ground with the bamboo stick.
Fang Meixiang slowly turned around, a faint smile appearing on her lips, and a soft "woo-woo" sound came from her throat, as if she were greeting someone.
Fang Meihao put down her bag, squatted down in front of her, and looked at Fang Meixiang, who had been sitting like this in the house for nearly thirty years.
Watching the sun rise in the east and set in the west, listening to the cicadas sing their changing songs, the world seemed so small to her.
I remember before I came back, the tape recorder in the dormitory was playing Teresa Teng's songs, and my roommate was trying on a new dress with delicate lace trim on the neckline.
The eldest sister was still wearing the same blue cloth jacket from many years ago, with frayed cuffs patched with a small patch of the same color cloth.
The poems I read in the university library, those lines about distant places and freedom, and then looking at this person trapped by time, I felt a sharp pang in my heart, a sour feeling rising up, a little bitter, like unripe green grapes.
Fang Meixiang pointed outside with her finger.
"Are Mom, Dad, and Dongqiang in the fields?"
Fang Meixiang nodded.
"Shall we go find them together?"
Fang Meixiang held onto the stool and slowly propped herself up. She felt a little heavy-footed after sitting for so long.
"Take a break, let me have some water."
Fang Meihao closed the door and went to the fields with Fang Meixiang.
Several children gathered by the edge of the field, chasing a white butterfly wildly.
Fang Meixiang immediately grinned, her eyes shining as she pointed at the crowd.
"Yes, I saw it."
"Auntie!" A clear shout pierced the wind, and Fang Dongqiang, like a runaway horse, darted out from the group of children, his shoes covered in mud.
He suddenly stopped, puffed out his chest, and gestured with his chin to his still-stunned friends: "My aunt is a college student."
The children's eyes lit up immediately, and they timidly looked over, but one of them said, "Your mom is crazy."
Upon hearing this, Fang Dongqiang became anxious and immediately added, "My second aunt owns a shop with lots and lots of delicious food and fun things to do."
The child also fell silent, as if he knew that his family was more powerful than his own, and he couldn't say anything. Moreover, when Fang Dongqiang showed off the things his aunt, who owned the shop, gave him to his friends, they were genuinely envious.
"Meihao's back?" Fang Meixiang's mother came out of the field.
"Yes, Mom." Fang Meihao waved to her father, Fang Meixiang, in the field. "Dad, I'm back!"
"Take Dongqiang home first, we'll finish this little bit of work."
Fang Mei chuckled and patted Dong Qiang's hair, wiping the sweat from his forehead with her palm. "Let's go home first. Your aunt brought you some nice things."
"What good stuff?" Dongqiang's eyes widened.
"You'll find out when you get home."
Fang Dong grabbed Fang Meihao's clothes and ran home, shouting, "Hurry up!"
Fang Dongqiang ran a few steps and then went over to pull Fang Meixiang, "Mom, you should walk faster too."
Fang Meixiang smiled and quickened her pace; she was also infected by her son's excitement.
The ridges of the field were warm from the setting sun, and the shadows of the three people were stretched long and overlapped on the soft soil.
Fang Meihao stepped on Fang Dongqiang's shadow.
Fang Dongqiang immediately went around to step on her shadow.
Fang Dongqiang was like a jubilant little animal, his chattering words bouncing with each step, like scattered silver fragments.
When they got home, Fang Dongqiang grabbed Fang Meihao's bag.
"Dongqiang, wash your hands first when you come back from outside."
"Okay!" Fang Dongqiang obediently ran over and splashed his hands with water, wiped them on his clothes, and then went to rummage through his bag.
"Dongqiang, you can't open other people's bags by yourself. You have to ask first."
Fang Dongqiang frowned.
"If other children take your toys and play with them without asking, would you be unhappy?"
Fang Dongqiang put his hands on either side and nodded.
"Ta-da!" Fang Meihao took out two comic books from her bag: "Havoc in Heaven" and "100,000 Whys".
"Sun Wukong, the Golden Cudgel!" Fang Dongqiang excitedly pointed to the Sun Wukong on the cover, holding the Golden Cudgel and staring with wide eyes.
"Auntie, what is this?" Fang Dongqiang had to use both hands to read the heavy book, "100,000 Whys," with a blue cover featuring a crescent moon and a few stars.
"There are many things you don't know here, such as why the stars in the sky shine, and why the fish in the water don't drown."
Fang Meihao opened the book and pointed to the pictures on it, while Fang Dongqiang looked and listened attentively and curiously.
Fang Meixiang stood aside, watching her son holding the book intently. She then looked at Meihao, the faint smile still on her lips, but her eyes seemed to hold something softer, as if covered by a warm light.
When Fang Meixiang's parents returned from the fields, Fang Dongqiang came up to them with his books and said, "Grandpa and Grandma, I'm going to study."
"Okay, Auntie will teach you to read. Dongqiang will also go to university in a big city in the future."
"Dongqiang, tell your mother what your aunt just taught you. Your aunt and grandma are making dinner together."
“The rooster needs to eat the small stones,” Fang Dongqiang instructed Fang Meixiang in a serious manner. Fang Meixiang smiled and nodded, reaching out to pat the back of Fang Dongqiang’s head.
Fang Mei found his cuteness appealing and felt it was well worth it; she had saved up from her living expenses to buy those two books.
When Fang Meihao came back, Fang Dongqiang stayed with her and slept with her at night. Before going to bed, Fang Meihao would tell him stories.
Fang Meixiang didn't care whether she could understand it or not, and lay on her bed listening quietly.
That night, Fang Dongqiang fell asleep.
Fang Meixiang came to the bedside. Fang Dongqiang lay down next to Fang Meihao, his small chest rising and falling gently with his even breathing, and his eyelashes still had a trace of the day's weariness.
Fang Meixiang stared at Fang Dongqiang, touched his face, and then looked at her own bed.
"Do you want to take him to sleep with you?" Fang Meihao asked softly.
"Hmm." A glint flashed in Fang Meixiang's eyes, as if asking, "Is it alright?"
"Can you carry me over?"
"Yes." Fang Meixiang bent down, her movements clumsy yet exceptionally gentle, and pulled Fang Dongqiang into her arms.
Fang Dongqiang smacked his lips in his dream and snuggled closer to her. Fang Meixiang's face lit up with joy at Fang Dongqiang's approach.
Fang Meixiang moved very quietly, step by step, back to her bed.
As she walked to the bedside, she glanced back at Fang Meihao, a faint smile spreading across her lips, a smile of satisfaction and contentment, like she had a warm piece of candy in her pocket.
She carefully placed Fang Dongqiang on the bed and pulled the corner of the blanket over his stomach.
She gently waved the palm-leaf fan in her hand at Fang Dongqiang.
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