"I’m not really interested in management, I prefer languages," said He Zhilan, speaking truthfully. She had a certain aptitude for languages, perhaps due to her early exposure to foreign ones, which made her appreciate them more.
At the age of six, while other children in the village were busy playing rooftiles games, she was already able to write beautiful calligraphy and engage in simple foreign language conversations. All thanks to her aunt, who lived abroad, who spoke foreign languages around her when she was still learning how to talk.
Of course, due to many years spent in a backward village, her skills had become rusty.
"You’re really something unique. I started learning foreign languages at a young age too, but I’ve always had an aversion to them. I couldn’t learn them, didn’t enjoy studying them. I only decided to pursue medicine because I followed in Muhe’s footsteps. He fooled me into thinking it was the easiest, but this guy has fooled me badly. If I knew how hard medicine would be, I wouldn’t have studied it in the first place," Bian Xiulin looked resentful, bringing up the past, "By the way, Zhilan, can I ask what your dreams are?"
He Zhilan was momentarily taken aback. She had only one dream -- to find her family. This was what she dreamt of every night. But clearly, it was not an answer she could voice out.
After a moment’s consideration, He Zhilan answered, "I want to find a decent, stable and easy job. In my spare time, I’d like to open a quaint bookstore, enjoy coffee, bask in the sun, read a book, and savour those particularly leisurely moments."
"I thought you would want to be a power woman." Bian Xiulin chuckled, "Didn’t expect, you’re as lazy as I am! Remember this, if you ever open a bookstore, count me in, I’ll do it with you!"
"What’s so good about being a power woman? They’re too busy with work and while they may have successful careers, they don’t have the time to devote to their families, so I’m not at all interested in becoming one." He Zhilan shook her head. Her memory of her mother was of someone always busy and having very little time to spend with her, and because both her parents were so busy, it led to her being kidnapped by traffickers at the age of six.
"Once I start working, my priority will be my family, taking care of my family, and my children, ensuring that they have me around every day. I will love them so much and protect them from harm."
He Zhilan spoke these words out of the blue, in a very soft tone, almost as if she was talking to herself. Her gaze seemed to be drifting off into the distance, her mouth wearing a subtle, half-smile, half-sad expression.
He Teng, who had better hearing than most people, managed to catch these words of Zhilan’s, even as Bian Xiulin continued speaking.
He had to admit, He Zhilan’s dream was a really peaceful and appealing future, and it made him long for it too.
Since he was busy with work and couldn’t always be by her side, he naturally wished for her work to be easier so that whenever he returned home from his busy work, he wouldn’t be greeted by an empty house but a warm home, a wife, and of course, the addition of a child would be even more perfect.
Every day, as soon as he stepped through the door, he would be greeted by the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen, followed by his wife in an apron coming out of the kitchen with a smile, telling him "You’re back? Wash your hands, dinner’s ready." Then, their child would come running with a smile into his arms, calling him "Dad", then cuddling into his chest and telling him about their day, what they ate, what made them happy or unhappy.