Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
It had been a rough time working at the wedding planning agency. Manager Wang had bullied her countless times over this past half year.
However, Zhuang Nainai did not feel excited when she walked out so coolly.
Her heart was heavy.
Her face was stinging too.
Walking on the Beijing streets, she did not know where to go.
Back then, whenever she had troubles, mother was there to help her out. Afterward, her mother fell sick and could not solve her problems anymore, but Zhuang Nainai would feel invigorated when she hugged her.
But now… Zhuang Nainai had no one to turn to.
A gust of wind blew past and she felt a little cold. She hugged her arms and bit down on her lips. Her eyes were red.
Mother, where are you?
Mother, I miss you…
Zhuang Nainai touched her face and decided to go home to take a look.
Even though her mother had been sent overseas, this small house was still the home where Zhuang Nainai grew up in with her. Furthermore, she would bring her mother back eventually and they would need a place to stay. Therefore, Zhuang Nainai never stopped paying the rent.
She strolled about in the familiar room, trying to find traces of her mother. Her vision landed on a large dusty box.
The box was placed on top of the wardrobe and a thick layer of dust enveloped it.
Zhuang Nainai looked at the box and her heart quivered.
It held all her memories from high school. She sealed her past after her breakup with Si Zhengting five years ago and tried to forget it all. She never dared to open it all these years so as to not trigger the pain deep in her heart.
Zhuang Nainai looked at the box and suddenly jumped on top of the table. She tiptoed, pulled the heavy box out towards her, and carried it down.
The dust swirled around and she coughed a few times. She paused for a minute and then finally opened the box.
The memories buried deeply could touch one’s heart very easily once brought to light.
The items in the box were placed in a mess. There were workbooks, textbooks, school uniforms, and other various things.
Zhuang Nainai opened an exercise book at random and found the first essay to be “My Dream.”
Dream?
Back then, her dream was simple. It was to be in a relationship with Si Zhengting. She recalled that the teacher got so angry and made her mother come to school for her “lack of repentance.”
Her mother was a cleaner then, and she appeared in school in her cleaning outfit. She had a great sense of dignity and pride even though people were talking behind her back. She had told Zhuang Nainai, “Nainai, look, do you lose out on anything when these people talk behind your back? Don’t ever doubt yourself for your uniqueness, you have to follow your heart and know that you are never less than any others. That way, you will forever be a dignified princess.”
Back then, Zhuang Nainai had felt that her mother was always right. She would look up to her and feel proud and satisfied.
Thinking about it now… she still felt that her mother was cool.
The language teacher had shown her mother her exercise book in school and glared at Zhuang Nainai.
She had expected Mother Zhuang to reprimand Zhuang Nainai, but to her surprise…
“Nainai, your argumentative essay writing is getting better and better! First, you state your point, then, you provide a few successful examples, and finally, you conclude with your own anecdote and a most practical solution. Your language could be more refined, though. There are a few spots where your tone is too heavy.”
