“What? You’re saying my mother went to S City to look for my brother?”
Having just woken up, Bai Qing felt as though the sky had fallen.
“Why didn’t you stop her?”
“She disappeared on me first thing in the morning, so how could I stop her?”
Bai Anguo said, taking a drag from his cigarette.
“She won’t turn back until she’s hit a brick wall (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning ‘won’t give up until they’ve reached a dead end’).”
Rubbing her hair, Bai Qing asked, “What should we do then? Should I take some leave and go over there myself?”
Bai Anguo snorted coldly.
“Just leave her be; she doesn’t even know the address. She’ll call you eventually.”
“So, do I give it to her or not?”
Bai Qing found herself in a truly difficult position.
“Perhaps I should call my brother?”
Bai Anguo pondered, exhaling a puff of smoke.
“Call your brother; it’ll save him from being startled by your mother.”
Bai Qing nodded and ended the call.
Beside her, Zhao Dingzhuo was changing into his work clothes, preparing for the day.
“Mom really is something else. She’s old enough to know better, yet she just ran off without consulting Dad.”
Regarding his wife’s family situation, Zhao Dingzhuo fully supported his brother-in-law… or rather, his sister-in-law.
His father-in-law and mother-in-law were truly too much.
No matter what, she was still their child; now they must be regretting it!
Bai Qing sighed.
“I’ll call Bai Sha. My mother really knows how to stir up trouble.”
“She’s getting old, you know! And you’re married now. With no one at home during holidays, she’s probably feeling quite stimulated.”
****
As the eastern sky began to lighten with a ‘fish maw white’ (TL Note: A poetic description of predawn light, pale like the belly of a fish), the clamor of the vibrant nightlife subsided.
Hazy with steam, the breakfast shops began their bustling day.
Bai Sha, deep in slumber, was roused by the ringing of her phone.
Her eyes still heavy with sleep, she glanced at Xiao Yu before getting up and heading to the living room to answer.
“Hello, Sis? Calling so early, what’s up?”
“Are you still sleeping?”
What else?
She had no work, and Xiao Yu had no school.
While they didn’t go to bed particularly late, they certainly woke up exceptionally late.
“Let me tell you! Something big has happened!”
Hearing Bai Qing’s frenzied tone, Bai Sha became considerably more alert.
She asked casually, “What ‘big thing’ could it be? Are you pregnant?”
“Pah! I’m not having kids that early. It’s Mom! Mom ran off to S City to find you!”
“Oh, Mom’s coming to find me, I was thinking what big… wait! Why would she suddenly come looking for me?”
Bai Sha’s eyes instantly cleared, her last vestiges of sleepiness vanishing completely, leaving her utterly bewildered.
“I don’t know either! Dad called me first thing this morning, saying Mom went to S City behind his back. She must be looking for you!”
Bai Sha rubbed her temples, attempting to soothe her sister’s anxious state.
“Sis, don’t worry. We’re not going to fight. I’ll just call her later, we’ll have a meal, and then I’ll send her back. What’s the big deal?”
“But…”
“Alright, Sis, you go to work and class, and nurture the nation’s future generations (TL Note: A metaphorical expression for educating children). I’ll call you once I’ve handled this, okay? Don’t worry.”
She then hung up the phone, sitting on the sofa in a daze.
Now that she was a mother herself, she could understand a mother’s longing for her child.
What remained harder to comprehend, however, was why someone could have so resolutely severed ties with their own child back then.
Emotions were like a mirror; minor bumps and scrapes were harmless, but once shattered, it could never truly return to its original state.
Bai Sha believed she could treat them with polite respect, but that was the most she could offer.
Bai Sha walked to the bathroom, tied her hair up, then went to the walk-in closet and deliberately chose a long dress.
The woman in the mirror had exquisite makeup, a beautiful face, and flowing long hair tied back.
A snow-white long dress further accentuated her pure aura, while high heels made her slender calves appear even longer.
Bai Sha gazed at her reflection, murmuring, “Since you’ve gone out of your way to see me, can you accept this brand new me?”
When Xiao Yu woke up and walked out of the bedroom, her eyes lit up at the sight of her elaborately dressed mother.
“Wow! Mama is so pretty! Are you going on a date with Papa?”
Bai Sha smiled.
Zhou Haochen only had one class that morning; she was indeed a little eager to see his expression when he saw her.
“No, not a date! Mama has other things to do.”
Normally, she would take Xiao Yu out to buy breakfast.
But truthfully, she still felt a bit shy wearing women’s clothes and didn’t want to go out.
So, she went to search the refrigerator and, sure enough, found pre-made steamed buns.
“Xiao Yu! How about Mama steams some buns for you?”
“Okay!”
Thankfully, the child wasn’t picky.
Bai Sha searched further and also discovered pre-made *shaomai* (TL Note: A type of traditional Chinese dumpling).
It had to be said, they were quite convenient.
The mother and daughter managed to scrape together a quick breakfast this way.
After eating, Bai Sha called He Lichun.
“Hello?”
“Hello! Xiao Sha! Is there something you need calling me?”
Bai Sha felt helpless.
‘Still pretending, are we?’
“Call me when you arrive, and I’ll come pick you up.”
“Ah… oh, oh! Okay, okay!”
The call ended, and Xiao Yu nestled into Bai Sha’s arms, asking, “Who was that, Mama?”
Bai Sha gently rubbed Xiao Yu’s face, smiling.
“That was Mama’s mama. Do you know her, Xiao Yu?”
Xiao Yu pursed her lips in thought.
“Papa’s papa is Grandpa, Papa’s… Mama’s mama is… Grandma (TL Note: A common term for a maternal grandmother)!”
It seemed that riding that rocking car really had been useful.
Bai Sha praised her, “That’s right, my brilliant baby!”
“But…”
Xiao Yu scratched her head, saying with confusion, “I don’t know Grandma, though?”
Bai Sha thought about what had happened in her dream, musing that it was already quite miraculous for Xiao Yu to know her uncle, aunt, older sister, and brother-in-law.
She figured that if they didn’t come here, Xiao Yu probably wouldn’t ever know her maternal grandparents in her lifetime.
“So, Xiao Yu, would you like to meet Grandma?”
“No,” Xiao Yu said, shaking her head.
“Why not?”
Now Bai Sha was truly curious.
Xiao Yu had always been fond of elders and was well-liked by them, so why the change now?
After a moment of thought, Xiao Yu said, “Papa told me that Papa and Mama love Baby very much, but Mama’s papa and mama don’t like Mama.”
Xiao Yu hugged Bai Sha, her childish voice, though, was firm.
“They don’t like Mama, they’re bad people, and Baby doesn’t want to know them.”
Hearing this, Bai Sha froze for a moment, a misty film gathering in the corners of her eyes.
Smiling, she picked up Xiao Yu and said, “It’s alright. It’s enough for Mama to have your love.”
****
After class, Zhou Haochen bid farewell to his roommates.
Married men were different; while they had to stay in the dorms, he, Zhou Haochen, was going home to be with his wife and child.
Riding his electric scooter all the way to the residential complex, he parked it, then walked downstairs and took the elevator up.
By now, Zhou Haochen was quite familiar with the routine.
Reaching his doorstep, the moment he unlocked and pushed open the door, he froze.
A beauty in a long dress was embracing their child.
Hearing the door open, she turned her head and smiled back at him, and the child also laughed and ran to greet him.
“Papa!”
Zhou Haochen picked up Xiao Yu, walked over to Bai Sha’s side, and softly said, “You look truly beautiful today.”
Bai Sha, with her hands clasped behind her back, did not acknowledge his compliment.
Instead, she said softly, “Welcome home.”
‘Our home.’
‘I no longer need the familial affection you once offered.’
‘I already have my own family.’