The lunch was enjoyed by both guests and hosts, and after sending off Aunt Zhou and Zhou Fengjuan, Liu Yulan didn’t say anything. She glanced at the sewing machine in the corner and returned to her room to open the previously received letters.
She opened the letter, took out a piece of stationery and a remittance slip, which had the exact amount she had sent last time.
Liu Yulan’s fingers tightened slightly around the remittance slip. She quickly read the contents of the letter and snorted coldly in her heart: Just as expected.
When she saw that half-new, half-old sewing machine, she felt something was off. The three crooked words written in pen on the sewing machine table, "sewing machine," seemed familiar.
She wrote to her big brother, asking him to help buy a sewing machine. This was the first time in years she’d troubled him with a request, so he naturally put in his effort. After a few days, he finally found a connection to buy a Shanghai brand sewing machine.
He mentioned in the letter that the sewing machine had already been sent over with the help of her sister-in-law.
He said that giving him money would only create a distance, so he sent the money back to her and told her not to be a stranger.
He said, if she had the time, to bring the kids to visit him in J City.
Liu Yulan’s eyes reddened slightly as she slowly folded the stationery back into the envelope. She sighed as she looked at the 180 yuan money order in her hand.
She knew her big brother probably wouldn’t want her money, and sure enough, it was returned.
As for the sewing machine, it seems her sister-in-law swapped it and sent over her old one. Who knows when her big brother would find out, and whether they’d argue again over this.
"Yulan?" Wang Baoxing stood at the doorway watching her for a while, noticing that after putting away the letter, she seemed absent-minded, he couldn’t help but call her name.
"Hmm?" Liu Yulan replied, glanced at him, "Come in, what are you doing standing at the door."
With that, she fetched pen and paper and started to write a simple reply: Already received the sewing machine, expressing gratitude, advising him to take care, and mentioning that once the two kids got into high school, she would take them to visit him...
She didn’t mention that the sewing machine sent was old after all, because it was free, and besides, she didn’t really want her big brother and sister-in-law to quarrel again because of her.
As Liu Yulan was writing the letter, Wang Baoxing seemed restless.
When the letter was finished, Liu Yulan stood up and noticed his conflicted expression, puzzled, she asked, "What’s wrong?"
"I... that sewing machine in the living room?" In fact, what he really wanted to ask was, about that letter...
Liu Yulan calmly explained, "That was me writing to my brother, asking him to help buy it, but he didn’t take my money, and it got returned. I see that Pandie’s sewing skills are pretty good, so I want her to learn to make clothes herself, in the future... it would always be handy." As for the future, nobody can tell, we’ll see when the time comes.
Wang Baoxing’s uneasy heart calmed down a bit, though his tone was still low, "Oh, it’s the brother-in-law..." In all these years of marriage to Yulan, he never met her two brothers. Even the few times she went to J City, she never took the kids or him...
"Hmm." Liu Yulan wasn’t sure what she was thinking, nor did she pay attention to his tone, she just told him, "You better rest, you have to work in the afternoon. I’m heading to the town now, to buy some fabric for Pandie to make a new dress."
"Oh, okay." Concerning household matters, Wang Baoxing always listened to her, never asking why, just showing concern, "Be careful on the road, you don’t need to rush, I’ll help take care of your work."
"Got it." Liu Yulan had already fetched the box where household vouchers and loose change were kept, took some certificates and enough money, and left with the remittance slip and the freshly written letter.
Listening to the voices outside, the sound of a door closing, and footsteps gradually fading away, Wang Baoxing sighed and lay down to sleep.
When Liu Yulan was about to leave, Wang Miaomiao immediately grasped her hand coquettishly, "Mom, I want to go too, I want to visit the bookstore in town..."
"It’s midday, and it’s really hot." Liu Yulan stroked her bangs lovingly, seeing the wound on her forehead made her heart ache. Her daughter’s pleading eyes again, "Alright, go ahead, but don’t complain about being tired on the way..."
"Thank you, Mom, I won’t." Wang Miaomiao happily promised. When Zhou Hu suggested going to the bookstore, she got tempted, but she didn’t want to go with him. Now that she had the chance, she definitely wanted to go and take a look.
Mid-June was already very hot, especially at noon when the scorching sun hung high, the light so bright that one couldn’t even open their eyes.
Wang Miaomiao wore a straw hat on her head, donned in a purple floral dress, and on her feet were a pair of very worn-out cloth shoes with multi-layer soles.
In the countryside, the dirt road was baked by the scorching sun, making it feel hot to walk on.
"Is it hot? I told you not to be stubborn..." Liu Yulan looked at her daughter’s face, now red from the sun, her heart filled with pain, she removed her own straw hat to fan her.
A rush of warmth surged in Wang Miaomiao’s heart, feeling the long-lost maternal love, "Mom, don’t bother, I’m not hot. Quickly put the hat back on, be careful not to get sunburnt."
Helping Liu Yulan to put the hat back on, Wang Miaomiao couldn’t help but think about her own parents, feeling a bit down and guilty.
After graduating from university, she chose to stay and work in a different province, not heeding her parents’ words, and gradually drifted apart from them.
She kept focusing on working hard, earning money, and striving for promotion, hoping to buy a house and settle down in the big city. However, her parents always urged her to return home to get married.
Initially, she often called home, but after just a few words, arguments would ensue. As the disputes increased, phone calls gradually decreased, and eventually, for the last few years, she was just buried in work even during holidays, without going back to visit them.
Looking back now, what meaning did her life of obsession hold, it caused suffering to herself and also let down her family.
As the only daughter in the family, her departure left her parents uncertain on how to cope with their emotions, and when they became old... Sigh... Wang Miaomiao felt a sudden sense of suffocation from within.
"Miaomiao, what’s wrong?" Liu Yulan, noticing her looking unwell, asked anxiously.
Wang Miaomiao snapped back, quickly comforting, "Nothing, I just had an itchy spot from a mosquito bite yesterday."
"Oh dear, summer is full of mosquitoes and bugs. I’ll buy you a box of cooling ointment at the supply store to apply," Liu Yulan laughed and said, noticing once more her daughter’s badly worn shoes which didn’t match her outfit, she decided to buy a new pair of shoes later for both daughters.
"Thank you, Mom." After pacifying Liu Yulan, Wang Miaomiao struggled to free herself from negative emotions. The past was unreachable. Regret was useless. All she could do was ensure she never repeated the same mistakes, being filial to her parents and living her own life well.
As for her parents far away, sigh... better think positively. Luckily in the 21st century, the country places a heavy emphasis on healthcare and elderly care, and even rural areas developed significantly.
Moreover, over the years, she saved quite a bit of money, hoping that her inheritance would be of use when her parents grew old and unable to care for themselves, allowing them to enjoy their twilight years peacefully.