“How’s Grandpa’s Health?”
After dinner, mother Zhang covered the portion of food left for Father Zhang. Then, she took out an ice-cream from the fridge and collapsed on the sofa.
“Pretty good, you know him. His lifestyle is healthier than anyone else’s. He walks and exercises every day, planting flowers and plants. He’s still learning at his age,”Zhang Heng said as he pointed at the ice-cream, “You, on the other hand, aren’t you pregnant? You should eat less cold food, right?”
“It’s rare that your father isn’t around, so I ate half of it. I’ll leave the rest to you,”Zhang Heng’s mother said as she quickly opened the popsicle paper in her hand and licked it.
“I told my father before that I should bring my grandfather over to stay for a while.”
“Ah, no way. Doesn’t that mean that there are two people in this family who are in charge of me?”Zhang Heng’s mother couldn’t help but shudder when she thought of the tragic life that followed.
“…”
“I’m just kidding. Of course, it would be great if my dad was willing to come, but in this case, you’re the only one left in the country.”Mother Zhang took a bite of the popsicle. “No one can take care of anything.”
“I’m already 20 years old, and I still have Auntie Han.”
Mother Zhang’s ice-cream suddenly didn’t smell good when she heard this. She stared into Zhang Heng’s eyes and frowned.
“What’s Wrong?”
“Do you and Han Lu often communicate? I heard from Grandpa that the two of you went to Japan for a vacation together.”
“We did go on a vacation, but we only communicate three or four times a semester.”
Mother Zhang’s expression relaxed slightly, but she still said, “No, you should stay away from her in the future. I was careless before, and I thought that woman would be worried about her 20-plus years of sisterhood, but then I remembered that she was never a kind person, and she would definitely get what she wanted. When I was studying abroad, in order to drive me to buy her her favorite cake, she could get up in the middle of the night and run to the balcony naked to blow her cold to win my sympathy. I’ve never seen someone so ruthless to themselves, especially now that she’s gone through the ups and downs of the business world and earned money, she’s probably even more inhumane…”
Zhang Heng didn’t know what to say. The woman in front of him usually looked like she was in a daze, but at times, her instincts were surprisingly accurate.
“Help me tell Han Lu to give up. I Won’t give her the chance to call me mom. Although it feels good to think about it that way, doesn’t that mean that there are three people in this family who are in charge of Me?”Mother Zhang bit down on the popsicle in her hand,
zhang Heng didn’t want to dwell on this issue any longer, so he changed the topic. “Are you and my dad used to living here?”
“Of course. We’ve traveled the world over the years, and my adaptability and survivability have been pushed to the max. Even if I were to be thrown on a deserted island, I would still be able to live happily with the monkeys on the island. It’s just that the takeout and express delivery here are not as convenient as in China.”Zhang Heng’s mother paused, “Actually, your father and I are thinking of settling down here.”
“Settling down? Are you planning to settle down here?”Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows.
“Yes, my tutor recommended me to menus university, but it’s not a lecture, it’s an administrative job. It’s said that I’m quite free. Basically, I only have to work a few hours a day. I can freely arrange the rest of the time.”
“That sounds good. Congratulations.”
“No, it’s not that fast.”Zhang waved her hand, “The school is still discussing it, but if it’s approved, our next step will be to buy a house near the school. When that time comes, your father will also change a job that can accompany me… you still have two years to graduate, right? How about it? Are you interested in studying here? “This way, our family can reunite. Previously, because of work, we left you behind in China, but in the blink of an eye, you’ve grown so big.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about the future yet,”Zhang Heng said honestly.
He didn’t even know who he was, so how could he consider whether he wanted to study abroad in two years.
“It’s okay, you can think about it. I’m not forcing you, I’m just saying it. It’s up to you. If you meet a girl you like, it’s good to stay in the country. When I was your age, all I could think about was novels and manga.”Zhang Heng’s mother yawned as she spoke.
Perhaps due to her pregnancy, she was more lethargic than usual. Especially since she had just finished her meal, it was easier for her to fall asleep due to the elevated blood sugar level. Therefore, Zhang Heng’s mother passed the half-eaten ice cream to Zhang Heng, on the other hand, she lay down on her back and rested her head on Zhang Heng’s knee. She closed her eyes.
“Do you want me to carry you back to your room to sleep?”Zhang Heng asked.
“No, I’m just going to take a nap. It’s fine.”
“Okay.”Zhang Heng moved his thigh slightly and changed his position to make Xiao Xia’s pillow more comfortable. He thought Xiao Xia would fall asleep like this, but after a while, Xiao Xia spoke again, “Why aren’t you speaking? I want to Hear Your Voice.”
“What do you want to hear?”
“Just say something. Say something about the girl you like, The Troubles You had when you were growing up, or simply talk about the singers you’ve chased and the games you’ve played. If you have any doubts in your heart, you can ask me. No matter what, I’ve been through it before, and I’ve also experienced puberty. HMM, even though I’m not a man… you should wait for your father to come back and ask him about the questions regarding my physiological impulses.”
“Really? I’ve been thinking about who I really am recently.”
“Are you studying philosophy?”
“Sort of. Each of US came to this world with some kind of… mission, right?”
“I don’t think there’s such a troublesome thing. Everyone just needs to live happily according to their own wishes.”
“But, what if, I mean what if, one person finds out that their true intentions aren’t a good thing for others?”
“Is that what you’re afraid of? Afraid that deep down, you’re actually a bad person? Is that why you don’t dare to face yourself completely?”Zhang Heng’s mother turned over, lying on her side, she grumbled. Her voice gradually lowered, and she sounded like she might fall asleep at any moment. “It’s fine, then accept that you’re a bad person.”
“But what if you’re a bad person who’s bad enough to destroy the world?”Zhang Heng pressed on.
“If that’s the case, then let the world be destroyed,”Xiao Xia said softly, “It doesn’t matter. In the history of mankind, there have been several mass extinctions. The murals carved in the cave and the myths of the ancestors recorded these stories. We will eventually get through this. We can build a civilization not because we’re smarter than other species, but because we’re tough enough
“But I don’t want to Lose You, Dad, Grandpa, and my unborn sister, and I don’t want to lose my friends
“Silly Child, you won’t lose me because no matter what you become in the future, you will still be my son. No one can change that. That’s enough… that’s enough.”Xiao Xia said the last sentence, her voice finally became undetectable, and she fell asleep peacefully.
Zhang Heng placed his palm on her lower abdomen, feeling the strange rhythm there. He could feel a brand-new life being nurtured there.
