He Jin’s Mother When He Jin saw the stack of paper notes in his father’s hands, he felt miserable. He grabbed his father’s hands and shoved the money back, “don’t. I’ll pay for the taxi.”
After calling for a taxi, He Jin opened the door and let his Dad go inside first. He put his luggage at the back of the car and followed him into the rear compartment, sitting side by side with his Dad.
“Have you had dinner?” He Jin asked him.
“No, I waited for you to have dinner together.” His father replied.
“Why wait for me? I won’t starve myself” He Jin looked at his clock, it would be 8:30 pm when they got home. For him, having dinner late was not an issue, that’s what he did at the dormitory anyway. But both his parents were retired, and they usually had dinner around 5 pm. That meant they were starving and waiting for him to have dinner until 8-ish. When thinking about this, He Jin felt miserable again.
He opened the bag of food that Qin Yu had bought for him, and he was going to take that box of sushi for his Dad. Then, he found out how cold the sushi platter was. His father’s stomach was not good, and he might feel even more uncomfortable. He could only give up on the idea.
The two didn’t talk a lot. They almost didn’t speak at all at the rear seats. When they arrived at their district, He Jin’s father was searching for money in his pockets again, and He Jin stopped him, before using his bracelet to pay via his e-account.
When they got out of the car, under the dim streetlight, his dad smiled at him, and He Jin became embarrassed, “why are you laughing?”
His Dad said, “I laughed because you insisted on paying. Your money is from your parents. So why did you insist?”
He Jin was stunned, and he thought, it’s not really about money but the gesture!
But he didn’t say that, he followed his Dad and whispered, “I am going to earn money and give you some.”
His father paused, before continuing to walk, “I am not a spender, you can give it to your Mom.”
He Jin, “…”
When the two entered the house, there was a familiar smell. It was not the taste of food, but the smell of old furniture, kitchen fumes, detergent, mothballs… mixed with all kinds of flavors. Such a scent only belonged to their home. It wasn’t a disgusting smell, but it instantly made He Jin recall his almost 20 years of memory there.
When his mother saw He Jin, her face instantly got brighter. She urged his Dad to place his luggage, while heating the dishes on the dining table, “go and wash your hands, and take off your jacket. There’re so many germs on the streets. If you feel cold, put on a new one. I’ve already put it on your bed…come for dinner after washing your hands!”
There was only the voice of a woman in the whole house, which was speaking fast. Actually, He Jin felt quite happy when he first saw his mother. But once she started talking nonstop, he felt a bit annoyed.
“Oh, by the way, did you come home by bus? It must have driven fast…I was looking at the clock. Luckily, there’s a direct bus from the station to home. That’s why I stressed that we’d picked an excellent location. It’s been a few decades, and it’s still very convenient to get around…He Jin, were there a lot of people on the bus?”
After He Jin changed his clothes, he saw the dining table full of dishes. His father was in a good mood, and he poured a glass of white wine. He Jin suggested, “Dad, I’ll drink some with you.”
His mother suddenly screamed, “wine is not for kids! It’s not good for you. Just eat your dinner!”
He Jin, “…”
He Jin wanted to refute, that he’s no longer a kid. He just wanted to drink some wine with his Dad.
But he knew perfectly that if he tried to talk back, his mother would go furious, and she had never been a reasonable one. Once she’s made a rule, everyone had to stick to it. Otherwise, she was fully capable of making the matter ten times worse.
He Jin’s Dad waved his chopsticks to tell He Jin to continue eating. He Jin had to give up on the idea of drinking wine with Dad.
My mother didn’t realize at all that the atmosphere went wrong. She squinted at He Jin, “look at you, it’s just six months, and you’ve become thinner. What do you usually eat at school canteen? See, this is pork feet, eat more while you’re at home…by the way, I’ve also got these shrimps for you. Only this dish cost $50. Your Dad and I haven’t been eating well for a week for this meal!”
He Jin paused, suddenly, he couldn’t eat anymore…
He Jin’s Dad couldn’t help it. He said, “can you stop? You’re giving him pressure.”
His mother rolled her eyes, “what pressure am I giving him? I’m only letting him know how good home is! Who else can treat me as well as his parents?”
His Dad stopped talking. He Jin hurriedly stuffed himself some rice, and his Mom asked, “are you done?”
He Jin, “yeah, I’m full.”
He Jin tried to be calm, “Mom, you don’t have to prepare so much. Also, don’t make yourself suffer just because you want to treat me well. We don’t lack money for meals, do we?”
His mother was offended, she took away his chopsticks, “I am also going to buy you an apartment, I am going to see you marry, and when you have a kid, I have to pay for his school fees. You have no idea how expensive it is to send a kid to school. Do you remember Auntie Mei Juan? Her granddaughter is five years old now, and she’s attending this language training class, and the fee is this!” His mother showed an ‘eight’ sign, meaning eight thousand Yuan. “Kids’ education are crazily expensive nowadays. We’re old, and we’ve been saving up, all for you…”
He Jin, “I can earn this money by myself. You don’t have to worry so much.”
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