A Mother’s Worry and a Son’s Burden

Chen Hao walked quickly with his head down. Zhou Yi, pulled along by Jiang Chen, jogged behind them for a good distance, only stopping once they turned the street corner.

She was breathless. ‘Her stamina was truly pathetic; how could she be so winded after just a few steps?’ she grumbled inwardly.

Only then did she realize Jiang Chen’s hand was still firmly grasping hers. The warmth emanating from his palm made her earlobes tingle, prompting her to quickly shake his hand off and turn her head away.

‘What was he doing, pulling and tugging like that? They were just walking,’ she thought.

That soft touch on his wrist suddenly withdrew. The fleeting sense of emptiness made Jiang Chen momentarily lose his composure.

He looked up, saw Zhou Yi’s flushed earlobes, and smiled. Then, as if nothing had happened, he retracted his hand.

For a moment, silence fell between the three of them. Only the night wind swept through the street.

“Brother,” Jiang Chen called, catching up to Chen Hao in two strides. He hooked an arm around Chen Hao’s shoulder. “Let’s go get some skewers! This round’s on me, and there’ll be plenty of beer!”

He snapped his fingers behind him, then gestured to Zhou Yi with his chin. “You, over there, who’s about to pass out, hurry up and catch up. Mutton skewers will fill you right up.”

The smoky aroma of the barbecue stall, mingled with cumin, wafted over them. On the iron grill, the meat skewers sizzled invitingly.

Chen Hao stared blankly at the dancing charcoal flames for a moment before snatching the beer Jiang Chen had just opened. “I’ll drink this first as a toast,” he declared, tilting his head back to down nearly half the bottle. “To… my damn blindness.”

Zhou Yi silently pushed a perfectly grilled mutton skewer in front of him. “Say whatever you want,” she murmured. “There are no outsiders here.”

One beer bottle after another was emptied. Chen Hao practically picked them up only to chug them.

Chen Hao hailed from a typical county town family. His parents ran a small convenience store in their hometown, diligent and honest, yet also possessing the shrewdness characteristic of business owners.

Ever since he was admitted to university, his parents’ concern became a daily presence.

–”You’re not getting any younger; you should find a partner soon.”–

–”When you meet a suitable girl, you need to be more proactive. You can’t be such a quiet person.”–

–”I hear your Uncle Wang’s son is already expecting his second child, and he’s only a year older than you.”–

–”Settle down with a girl who knows how to manage a household, and your father and I will finally have peace of mind for the rest of our lives.”–

These constant reminders, day after day, gradually transformed into a countdown within his heart.

He unconsciously began to treat finding a girlfriend as his main quest, naively believing that once he had one, his parents would stop nagging him.

Thus, when Lin Yating offered him a hint of subtle ambiguity, he instantly fell for her.

He believed he had finally met his destined soulmate, and while pouring out his genuine affections, he had even planned their entire future.

He envisioned meeting her parents, saving for a down payment, taking wedding photos… Yating could have as many children as she wanted, or if she feared the pain, being childfree was fine too.

As the fifth empty bottle clattered onto the table, he wiped the foam from his lips before finally speaking. “I really thought… that between us, it was… mutual affection.”

“I thought her chatting with me was serious, I thought her asking for help with homework meant she trusted me, I thought her not refusing my breakfast or deleting me from her social media was because she liked me too…”

The beer bottle clinked against the table with a dull thud. He covered his face, unable to continue speaking.

A wave of bitterness washed over Zhou Yi. She knew the taste of self-deception all too well.

“Senior Sister, I’m sorry…” Chen Hao muttered, his head bowed. “I should have listened to you back then…”

“It’s alright,” Zhou Yi said, pulling out a tissue and handing it to him. “Actually, I’m the one who should apologize. This whole charade today… it truly went too far.”

Jiang Chen suddenly shoved a piece of golden-brown grilled mantou into Chen Hao’s hand. “The melodrama’s over, now eat.” He raised an eyebrow, gesturing towards Zhou Yi. “Someone went so far as to pull out that old ‘lost wallet’ trick for your sake.”

“Well, that’s because you were acting so high and mighty back then!” Zhou Yi exclaimed, kicking Jiang Chen’s shin.

She turned to Chen Hao, explaining, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. It’s just… it took a bit of effort to get this ‘old man’ to help us.” After speaking, she couldn’t help but chuckle herself.

Chen Hao watched them bicker, a faint smile just beginning to grace his lips. Then, the phone on the table buzzed.

He stared at the caller ID on the screen, his finger hovering uncertainly above the answer button.

“Aren’t you going to answer?” Jiang Chen mumbled, a skewer still in his mouth.

“…It’s my mom.”

He shot a panicked glance at Zhou Yi and Jiang Chen before finally answering the call. “Mom…”

From the other end of the line, his mother’s anxious and concerned voice immediately rang out:

–”Haohao! Your counselor just called me, saying you were scammed into online loans?! How could you not tell us about something so serious?!”–

–”N-nothing happened, Mom, I already…”–

–”Nothing happened?! The school is about to call the police, and you’re saying nothing happened?! What exactly did you do, Haohao!”–

Her urgent voice pierced through the receiver. Even Zhou Yi and Jiang Chen could hear it distinctly.

Chen Hao lowered his head, stammering his reply. “I… I just wanted to help a friend…”

–”Help a friend? Who else do you want to help? You can’t even take care of yourself! Your father and I scrimped and saved to put you through school; was it so you could be scammed by others?”–

As she spoke, she couldn’t resist adding another remark:

–”I told you long ago to find a reliable partner! If someone were watching over you, how could you get into such trouble?!”–

Hearing this, the suppressed anger within Chen Hao suddenly ignited.

–”Here we go again, Mom! What can dating solve? Aren’t you tired of nagging me to find a partner every single day?!”–

–”How dare you speak to me like that? I’m just worried about you! You’re alone out there, you can’t take care of yourself, and you keep getting scammed. How can I not worry?!”–

–”I never asked you to worry!”–

The rapid breathing made the air heavy and oppressive. The silence between mother and son stretched long and weighty.

Zhou Yi watched Chen Hao’s tense profile with concern. Nearby, Jiang Chen firmly pressed on his shoulder, signaling him to calm down.

After a long stretch of over ten seconds, his mother suddenly lowered her voice and asked:

–”Haohao… how much do you still owe? Tell your mother. I’ll figure something out for you. Just don’t let your father know, okay?”–

In that instant, Chen Hao’s breathing completely faltered.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He remembered how his mother would usually hesitate for ages even to buy a discounted jacket. Yet now, she was offering to help him raise money without even asking for the exact amount.

His nose began to sting. The lights before him blurred.

“Mom…” he choked out. “It’s not needed, really… it’s already been paid off.”

–”Don’t lie to your mother,” her voice trembled distinctly. “The counselor said it was tens of thousands. How could it possibly be paid off all at once? Don’t hide it from me, alright?”–

Chen Hao pressed his lips together tightly. Suddenly, a tear splattered onto the table with a soft ‘plink’.

He took a breath, then forced a difficult smile. “It’s really fine now, Mom. A friend… helped me get the money back.”

The other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds. Only faint breathing could be heard.

–”Really?”–

–”Really, believe me.”–

–”That’s good then…” His mother let out a long sigh of relief. “Which friend was it? Bring them home another day; I’ll cook a big meal to thank them.”–

His mother sniffled, then feigned composure as she added, –”No matter what happens in the future, remember to call your mother first. Money isn’t important; you are what matters most.”–

–”Mm.”–

Chen Hao nodded heavily, responding in a low voice. Tears streamed down his face, blurring into dark splotches on the skewer paper scattered across the table.

Long after the call ended, he still clutched the warm phone. He spoke into the now silent receiver, “Mom, I’m sorry.”