Tang Zhao had actually been there for a while. It was cold, and she was in a hurry, so she put on her canvas shoes and left.
After standing at the door of Shi Ci's house for a while, her feet were numb from the cold. She was not sure what had happened. She hesitated for a long time, flipping through her phone, but in the end she did not tell Shi Ci that she was here.
On this day of freezing cold and national celebration, she walked back and forth countless times in the alley in front of her girlfriend's house, stamping her feet to keep warm. Tang Zhao didn't feel any cold in her heart. This was the place closest to Shi Ci. Today was the most festive day of the year. She wanted to be closer to her so that they could spend the New Year together.
"Did nothing really happen?" Tang Zuo looked at the last private message she sent to Shi Hai.
"It's nothing serious, don't worry." Shi Hai replied to her after a long time.
Tang Zuo returned to Shi Ci's dialog box again and called her Professor Shi, but she didn't respond.
Is it really nothing? Maybe it's Shi's family's chores? If so, she really can't help, so what can she do
Tang Zhuo planned to wait until midnight and call Shi Ci to make sure she was fine before going back to school. She walked back and forth several times. It was so cold that she blew warm air into her palms from time to time.
At this moment, she heard the sound of a door opening in front of her. Tang Zuo looked up and saw Shi Ci coming out.
Tang Zhuo's impression of Shi Ci was that she was always smiling, 70% confident, 30% arrogant, and 10% dazzling, as if nothing in the world could stump her. But now she lowered her head and her expression could not be seen.
Raindrops mixed with snow fell in her hair. Tang Zhao's smile faded and he hurried over. Shi Ci raised her head. She seemed unaware that someone was here, and she didn't expect it to be her.
She was stunned, a sparkle flashed in her eyes, and a smile that was familiar to Tang Zuo appeared on her lips.
Tang Zhuo's heart suddenly stabbed, and she quickly walked up to Shi Ci.
Shi Ci was waiting for her, her long curved eyelashes dotted with snowflakes, she blinked and smiled at her. Tang Zhao felt extremely sad, but didn't know what to say, so she could only smile, "I'm here..."
"Why are you here?" Shi Ci took her hand.
Shi Ci's hands were always warm, and at this moment, they both said at the same time:
"Your hands are so cold..."
"My hands are so cold..."
They looked at each other and smiled again.
"Has it been long?" Tang Zuo felt Shi Ci's gaze gently resting on her face, and she shook her head.
She didn't ask herself why she came here. She was obviously in a low mood just now, but when she saw herself, her eyes lit up and she smiled.
Tang Zhao felt sad inside, a little touched, a little distressed, and an indescribable shock. She clenched Shi Ci's slightly icy fingertips and said, "I miss you." She said this easily and clearly.
Shi Ci's eyes flickered, snowflakes melted on her eyelashes, and her smile seemed to melt as well. At this moment, she was extremely soft, like a girl seeking care and caress.
During their relationship, Tang Zhuo often felt that she was dull and indifferent. At this moment, she understood what Shi Ci meant and took the initiative to hug him.
Her Professor Shi, Sister Shi, really needs her care at this moment.
"Shall we go back?" Tang Zuo hugged her and rubbed her face, imitating Shi Ci's previous actions.
"Okay, I'll go back and drive..." Shi Ci put his arm around her waist and put his face against hers. Although both of their cheeks were cold, their hearts were warm.
"Don't drive," Tang Zhuo was worried about her, "Let's call a taxi to go back."
"Okay," Shi Ci also held her hand tightly.
The two hugged each other gently and walked away holding hands.
After a while, Shi Hai walked out slowly and stared at their backs as they walked away.
He and Shi Ci haven't spoken for a few months. Deep down, he knows that there is no first come first served in relationships and that relationships are always unreasonable, but he just can't get over his pride. On the one hand, he feels betrayed by two people he values, but on the other hand, he feels that he shouldn't feel betrayed...
He had never encountered such a complicated and difficult matter, so he was very annoyed and simply ignored it.
But, his sister is his sister after all. She is the person he has loved and depended on since childhood. No matter what, she is still his sister.
He remembered the night when he was a child. His sister and his parents had a big fight. Finally, Shi Ci slammed the door and left. She was so angry that she didn't even notice him. He ran after her and watched her sister making a phone call. She held the phone tightly. She was frozen there. After a long time, her frozen expression slowly relaxed. She looked like she was crying and laughing at the same time. Then she covered her face with her hands...
This night, it was as if the old days were repeating themselves. He was worried and followed her as usual.
He stood by the door, watching them smile at each other, with only each other in their eyes, and then watched them leave hand in hand.
Shi Hai just watched them fade out of his sight step by step. He looked up, and bigger and bigger snowflakes hit his head and face. It was very cold, but the heavy weight that had been weighing on his heart for so long was shattered into powder in an instant, without any trace left.
"Ah!" Shi Hai shouted loudly. It was too cold and he couldn't help shivering. He stared ahead again and finally smiled.
He felt relieved and let it go.
He turned and went back home, and Ms. Ding came over. The mother and son approached each other tacitly.
"Where's your sister? Has she gone home?"
"Well," Shi Hai paused, then whispered, "Mom, Tang Zuo is here to pick her up."
Ms. Ding opened her mouth in surprise, then smiled, "That's good, that's good."
"Where's my dad?" Shi Hai leaned over to glance into the living room, but saw no one.
Ms. Ding pointed upstairs and said, "I was so angry that my stomach hurt, so I went upstairs."
She patted Shi Hai's shoulder and said, "It's okay, I, your mom, will take care of him, you can go and have fun by yourself!"
Ms. Ding went upstairs as she spoke. In the room, Shi Bingcheng had just taken his medicine. He took off his glasses, pinched his brows, and looked tired.
"It's New Year's Day and you're still so angry. You made your daughter angry and left, and now you have a stomachache. Why are you doing this?" Ms. Ding Miaoyi walked in and closed the door.
Shi Bingcheng smiled bitterly, looked at his wife, and seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
Ding Miaoyi glanced at him and said, "Come on, don't worry, Shi Ci is going back."
Shi Bingcheng said: "I'm not worried about her. She's already in her thirties..."
"No matter how old she is, she is still your daughter. It's normal for you to worry about her!" Ding Miaoyi squinted at him, "Don't pretend in front of me."
Shi Bingcheng frowned again, "You said she is in her thirties and still said such irresponsible things. How can she resign and be a role model for others? What about the students who study and research with her? And she is dating a same-sex student. If it gets out, she won't be able to enter any college!"
Ding Miaoyi curled her lips at the end, "... Then I think Shi Ci doesn't necessarily have to go to college. She respected your opinion at the beginning..."
Shi Bingcheng took a deep breath and said nothing.
Ding Miaoyi smiled quietly, walked over and sat next to him, "How did you find out?"
Shi Bingcheng said, "Lu Yuan hinted to me last time, but I didn't think much about it. Later, I saw them on the street... Wait, you knew about it a long time ago? Earlier than me?" He looked at her suspiciously, and the wrinkles between his brows deepened.
"Ahem!" Ding Miaoyi laughed, "No, no, I was just guessing before, and I'm not sure..."
Shi Bingcheng had no doubts. "That child is called Tang Zuo, right? I saw him last time at breakfast. He was very quiet."
"Yeah, yeah, very well behaved, very sensible, and very good." Ding Miaoyi added quietly to his words.
"Are you 20 years old?" Shi Bingcheng frowned again.
"More than that, she seems to be one year older than Xiao Hai."
"That's still too small." Shi Bingcheng's brows were increasingly furrowed.
Ding Miaoyi did not respond at this time.
"Do you remember, Shi Ci and Qiao Sha..." Shi Bingcheng said.
Ms. Ding nodded. "Yeah, it feels a bit like that..."
The couple are so in tune with each other that they understand each other without even having to finish speaking.
After a while, Shi Bingcheng sighed, "I'm not against it, but the child is too young, and he's a student. If they weren't in the same school, what would others think of Shi Ci if this got out?"
Ding Miaoyi looked at Shi Bingcheng and knew that he was having a difficult ideological struggle at the moment. Since she met him, she knew that he was a serious and serious person. In addition to his job, he could even be said to be old-fashioned, and he has remained the same for decades. He has tried his best to respect and understand his daughter's sexual orientation. Now Shi Ci is challenging his bottom line. It is normal for him to be unable to understand and accept it.
He was at home at the moment, dressed very formally, with a white shirt as the base, and a black and gray cable knitted sweater vest and trousers on the outside. His hair was gray, trimmed and combed neatly. He looked meticulous, with a frown, and his slender fingers lightly touching his stomach, thinking.
Ding Miaoyi softened her heart, and she reached out to rub his stomach, "You know it's useless for us to object..."
Shi Bingcheng enjoyed her thoughtfulness. His long eyelashes left a row of gray shadows under his eyes. His double eyelids had deep folds and his nose was high.
Well, still pleasing to the eye.
Both children have eyes like him and are as tall as him.
Ding Miaoyi looked at it with satisfaction and said, "Forget it, don't worry about the child, just leave it to that 'unfilial daughter'."
Shi Bingcheng opened his eyes, "Then you can't say that about Shi Ci..."
Ding Miaoyi smiled secretly in her heart and said, "Okay, okay!"
On the day she gave birth to Shi Ci, Shi Bingcheng was away from her due to work. When he arrived by overnight flight and taxi, she had already given birth. When she woke up from a long sleep, she saw him holding the newborn Shi Ci with red eyes, and he almost cried in front of her...
Shi Ci has been the apple of his eye since birth.
Even though her ideas were different from his, he still tried his best to find a way to understand her. "Do you know about that child? Is she also like Shi Ci, who has liked the same sex since she was a child? Should we communicate with her parents..."
Ding Miaoyi sighed, "I don't know that either, but Shi Ci told me tonight that little Tang Zuo's parents had passed away a long time ago."
Shi Bingcheng's face darkened and he sat up straight, "This is outrageous!"
He took a deep breath and calmed down, "That child is already lacking love, and is much younger than Shi Ci. He is not equal to Shi Ci at all. Shi Ci is taking advantage of that child!"
Ding Miaoyi was stunned.
Shi Bingcheng seemed to be really angry. He paced back and forth, and was a little incoherent. "Really, really... How could she..."
Ding Miaoyi pressed his forehead and said, "Don't worry. As bystanders and parents, we cannot deny the feelings of our children..."
Shi Bingcheng looked at her, "..."
Ding Miaoyi stood up, massaged his shoulders, and pulled him to sit down. "Hey, old man, don't be anxious. Tang Zuo is not a minor. I have met her several times. Although she is younger than Shi Ci, she is also a child with her own ideas, precocious, and stable. As for people of the same age, Shi Hai can't compare with her. What you said not only denies Shi Ci, but also denies Tang Zuo. Don't be too arbitrary."
Shi Bingcheng listened to her with a frown.
Although he is old-fashioned, he still has the patience to listen to other people's opinions.
Ding Miaoyi smiled and rubbed his brows, "I know you are just too worried about Shi Ci. I am the same as you. Ever since she came out, I have never let go of my worries."
"I was in the delivery room at the time, and the nurse told me it was a girl. I had mixed feelings for a moment."
"I am a woman. No one understands the hardships of women living in today's society better than me. But soon, I felt lucky, touched, and grateful. I thought, this is my gift. This little life of the same gender as me will be closer to me than anyone else in the world. She is my daughter, the continuation of my life, and my little cotton-padded jacket."
"I want to love her, embrace her, and give her everything I have."
Her brows relaxed, and wrinkles and old age appeared, but under the light, she looked gentle and kind.
Shi Bingcheng held her hand, and Ding Miaoyi leaned her head on his shoulder. "I only hope that my daughter, who is ignorant and rude, can become an official without any disaster or trouble." I know that you are like me, and we don't ask Shi Ci to become an official. We just hope that she can live a healthy, safe and smooth life, an ordinary and happy life.
"And our daughter is so outstanding, and she chose the path less traveled."
"So you and I are worried, worried that she will be attacked, isolated, and bullied, worried that she will not be understood, worried that she will go astray, worried that she will eventually grow old alone, worried about her worries..."
"We didn't dare to let her know that we were worried, and she was the same, so we would tolerate each other in our love, but we would also hurt each other."
For a while they leaned against each other without speaking, and there was silence in the room.
"We are not young anymore, and our energy and spirit are not as good as before. After all, we can only accompany her for a period of time..." After a long while, Shi Bingcheng said slowly.
Ding Miaoyi's heart trembled, she exhaled, and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, we can stay together as long as we can!"
Shi Bingcheng also smiled and sighed, "So we can only..."
"We can only watch beside them and wait behind them. If they need us, we will be there anytime and anywhere, whether it is Shi Ci or Shi Hai. As parents, we must do this." Ding Miaoyi continued.
"That's all I can do." Shi Bingcheng said helplessly, "I can't say anything else."
Ding Miaoyi hit him, "You said I'm very disappointed in you, and you still said 'it's incredible'."
"Did you see the way she spoke?"
"I think both of you guys have a bad attitude."
"Are you on her side?"
"I should not stand on anyone's side, but am I not on your side?"
The two of them started arguing half seriously and half jokingly.
Ding Miaoyi finally smiled, "Now you understand how my father felt back then, right?"
Ding Miaoyi is from Yangcheng in the south. Parents in this place never agree to their daughters marrying out of town, or even leaving the province. When Ding Miaoyi was young, she was not a person who followed the rules. She went to college in Bingcheng, 3,000 kilometers away from Yangcheng. After graduation, she worked as a reporter, traveling all over the country and rarely staying at home. When it came time to talk about marriage, she wanted to marry out of town, to marry a man from another province who was three years younger than her, and to settle down in Shengcheng. Ding Miaoyi's parents said they would not agree to anything, and they obstructed her in various ways, and they quarreled many times.
Therefore, Shi Bingcheng suffered a lot of rejection and cold shoulder from his father-in-law.
Ding Miaoyi's parents had always disagreed with their marriage until Ding Miaoyi had Shi Ci. For many years afterwards, Ding Miaoyi's father had never spoken to him. When she reminded him of this, Shi Bingcheng remembered the days when he had to accompany his father-in-law and try to please him, and he smiled bitterly.
He sighed and nodded, "I understand. It's not easy to be a father-in-law. Being a parent is really..."
"Don't take it lightly for even a moment."
Ding Miaoyi smiled and said, "Old man, things are changing."
Shi Bingcheng shook his head, smiled helplessly, then suddenly frowned and covered his stomach.
"Alright, alright... stop thinking about it..." Ding Miaoyi comforted him softly, gently pressing his stomach, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Besides, I am the most important person to you. Children should stand aside. At the beginning of the new year, we should think positively. Let's go to bed early and burn incense tomorrow morning."
Shi Bingcheng finally calmed down under his wife's warm chatter, and his eyes were filled with a faint smile. He smiled, "I don't blame my father-in-law. Being able to marry you is my greatest blessing and luck. I should go to burn incense early tomorrow to thank the Buddha."
Ding Miaoyi was stunned for a moment, then slapped him, "... Ouch, you old man have no shame!"
What are you doing saying this suddenly
Shi Bingcheng smiled, then frowned.
"Hey, hey, hey... What medicine did you take just now? It's not working yet? I'll go check it out... You lie down and rest first..."
There was a howling of wind and snow outside, and a lively conversation inside the house.
The trivialities of worldly life are not so unbearable with someone by your side.
The author has something to say:
Writing about this old couple, I feel a little corny as I write…
The site is just launched and is not very stable. Updates will start at 8pm on the 30th, and there will be three chapters tomorrow.
Thank you all for your wait and support, muah.