Setting foot on this land again now, the city seemed to have changed drastically. The airport had been rebuilt and the interior decoration was new. It looked very stylish.
The rich Beijing accent of my hometown filled my ears. It had been a long time since. At the same time that it sounded foreign, it was heart-warming.
I have returned. After eight years, I have once again set foot on this land.
However, there was some apprehension and more so, a deep sadness.
Mother had come early to the airport and had been waiting for a long time. She must have dressed up, knowing that I was coming back.
Seeing each other again after eight years, we did not hug each other warmly like most people would in the same situation. We looked at each other silently, there was distance and estrangement in our eyes. I think she must have sadly noticed that fleeting coldness in my eyes.
From her posture, it was not hard to tell how much she wanted to come forward to hug me tightly. She wanted to tell me how much she had missed her daughter for the past eight years.
She wanted to tell me how the family had been thinking of me constantly since I left.
Maybe she regretted what she did eight years ago… I thought.
However, all her words probably got stuck in her throat under my cold gaze. No matter how much she wanted to say these things, she couldn’t.
“Mom, I’m back.”
Amidst the din, I smiled and broke the awkward silence between us.
Mother snapped back to her senses, the corners of her lips twitched with some difficulty. She laughed dryly and muttered, “It’s good that you’re back! It’s good that you’re back…”
As she spoke, she felt a little uneasy. As if to ease the awkwardness, she rushed forward to help with my luggage.
I saw this out of the corner of my eye, and reflexively avoided her hand that was reaching out. In a split second, her outstretched hand froze.
“Mom, I’ll do it myself.”
I said this without any change in my expression. I knew that my cold gaze must have made my mother’s heart ache a little, because I saw a momentary grimace on her face.
I suddenly realized, these eight years had been neither long nor short. It was like a flood that washed away the dependence and bond that we once had between us.
“Xiachun… do you still hate me? Eight years ago… I only sent you abroad as a last resort! I… I did it for the good of you and Dongyu!”
I smiled but said nothing.
After a long time, I sighed. “I know…”
I knew. That’s why there was really no need to explain.
She gave me a long look.
“Xiachun, is your luggage heavy? Let Mom carry it for you!”
Her mother’s voice was very soft and even slightly trembling. She said cautiously, “Let Mom carry it for you… Xiachun, Mom wants to carry your luggage for you!”
I was stunned. I raised my head and saw that she was frowning. She seemed a little humble now.
I pursed my lips and nodded silently, allowing my mother to take my luggage.
As we walked out of the airport, my mother tried to hold my hand.
This time, I didn’t try to avoid it. There was some comfort in my mother’s eyes!
“In the years that you were gone, the city has changed a lot! Our family has also moved out. The land that we used to live on was taken down by the government and invested into a commercial center…”
