There was a sound of footsteps coming from behind Tang Ning. Tang Ning did not turn around. He heard the footsteps getting closer and closer. Then, the fragrance of laundry detergent lingered around Tang Ning's nose.
What does mom smell like
During the long time after her mother left, Tang Ning did not find the answer.
Smell is something that cannot be seen or touched, has no color or shape. When you smell it, you don't pay attention to its existence, and when you want to find it, you have no idea where to find it.
This is what it smells like.
The breath that makes tears surge after a long separation.
A wet hand touched Tangning's back, and a hoarse female voice rang out, "Go to bed early."
The hand on her back slipped away immediately, as if she didn't want to have too much contact with Tang Ning.
Tang Ning lowered his head and hugged some snacks. He didn't dare to look at the person behind him. He hurriedly walked around the person and returned to his room. He locked the door, but Tang Ning knew that his mother had the key and could open the door and come in at any time.
Tang Ning placed the snacks on the bedside table. On top of it was a calendar with a date six days later circled in red.
It will be Tang Ning’s eighteenth birthday.
Tang Ning was not one to celebrate birthdays, but her eighteenth birthday was always a little special to her. Tang Ning's brows knitted slightly, and her expression began to show pain, as if she was recalling something that made her breathless.
Reach out, press the calendar down, and pile the snacks on top of it.
After doing all this, Tang Ning curled up on the bed. It took him a while to regain some strength. He realized that he seemed to be getting more and more tired, like an hourglass, with strength constantly draining away from the broken parts. Maybe in a few days, he would become an empty shell.
No, you can't just collapse like this. Cheer up, you still have a lot of things to do.
Tang Ning slowly got up, walked to his desk and began to look through his diary, and soon found an exceptionally thick diary.
This is exactly the same as a diary in the real world.
Tangning turned on the desk lamp and opened the first page. What caught her eyes was Tangning's handwriting, which recorded trivial matters:
"I bought a new diary, it's thick, and it looks like I can write for a long time. Actually, I don't think there's much to write in the diary, but my mother said that I can look back and recall these things later. I just went to look through the diary I wrote a while ago, and the handwriting is so ugly."
Even what is written at the beginning is the same as in the real world.
Tangning turned another page and saw the words, "I used my New Year's money to buy my mom a neck and shoulder massager. She was so happy that she almost cried. I really want to make a lot of money soon so I can buy her more and better things later."
Tangning no longer dared to watch any further.
In reality, the diary has been left unattended in the old house, as if this would block all the painful memories.
He closed the diary and fell on the bed in despair.
I began to feel great pain.
How can I live in such a nice house, such an easy and comfortable life, and completely forget about my mother in the real world
Tang Ning closed his eyes. Every breath consumed his strength. Even the rise and fall of his chest was laborious. He had no energy to think. His drowsy soul was dragged into the endless darkness. Amidst the overwhelming fatigue and powerlessness, Tang Ning fell into a deep sleep.
I haven’t dreamed about my mother for a long time, but this time I dreamed about the past.
I dreamed of the first time I saw an advertisement on a TV program when I was a child. The child in the advertisement was holding a basin of water to wash his mother's feet. At that time, I didn't have any thoughts in my mind. It was just because of the nature of children who like to imitate. I happily put a basin of water for washing feet. When my mother came back to the bedroom after taking a bath, I said happily: "Mom, let me help you wash your feet!"
My mother's eyes were red in an instant.
Mom always liked to say that Ningning was a little crybaby, but in Tang Ning's memory, Mom would also cry easily.
I had these dreams one after another, all of which were about my mother, over and over again, until I woke up in a daze at dawn.
The pillowcase was wet. Tang Ning lay on the bed without any strength left. He heard the sound of someone washing up. Tang Ning picked up his phone and checked the time. It was Monday, six in the morning.
Bai Yingxue initiated a private chat through the group chat.
Bai Yingxue: "Thank you for saving me. I would like to invite you to my home."
Tang Ning remembered that Bai Yingxue said that her home did not recommend players to visit, so why did Bai Yingxue invite her today
He replied: "Isn't your home dangerous?"
Bai Yingxue responded quickly: "I have a consumable item that can restrain danger. If it's just to protect you for ten minutes, I can do it."
Bai Yingxue: "I don't have many props left. If you decide to come to my house, the sooner the better."
Tang Ning knew that Bai Yingxue was thanking him for saving her life yesterday. If what Bai Yingxue said was true, going to Bai Yingxue's house would be a good choice for Tang Ning.
Tangning opened the group chat and took a look. Everyone in the group reported that they were safe. Jiang Mianmian was the first one to speak up, at 5:30 in the morning.
Lin Yun also sent a private message to Tangning, "How are you doing here? What time will you be out? I'll pick you up."
Tangning was silent for a moment before replying, "I'm fine. I can leave now. Where are you?"
Lin Yun: "It's a mess. I'll tell you when I get there."
After Tang Ning finished chatting with Lin Yun, she changed her clothes and walked to the door of the room but stopped. The sound of washing in the bathroom continued. She didn't know if the person behind the door was her mother or Su Anyun.
I don’t know whether the person I want to see is my mother or Su Anyun.
Tang Ning stood weakly at the door, not having the courage to push it open. She waited until the noise of the washing had completely disappeared before she carefully opened it a crack. The room was filled with the aroma of food, the scent of simple fried eggs.
Tang Ning couldn't help but take a deep breath and zoom in. Through the crack in the door, she could see the floor that had just been mopped. There was a faint sound of singing coming from the living room. Tang Ning didn't even need to look to guess that it was her mother singing while doing housework.
My mother has a hoarse voice and is a little tone-deaf, so her singing is not very good.
But Tang Ning just stood there like a person who has lost himself in the music.
"Xiao Ning?" Su Anyun's voice brought Tangning back to her senses. She stood inside the door while Su Anyun stood outside. "Are you still awake? Do you want to have some breakfast before going to bed?"
The singing stopped, and Tangning quickly explained, "I just woke up!"
"Really? Xiao Ning went to bed early and got up early today, which is rare." Su Anyun opened the door completely, stopped praising, and a little surprise appeared on his handsome face. He lowered his voice and said, "Your eyes..."
My eyes
Tang Ning blinked blankly. His eyelids were a little swollen and it seemed that he couldn't open them.
"Why is it so swollen?" Su Anyun asked in surprise.
At this time, the woman holding the mop also walked over. She looked at Tangning for a second and burst out laughing. Crow's feet and the smile appeared on her face. She laughed so hard that she could hardly straighten her back. She could only hold on to the wall while laughing and shaking her head.
Tang Ning stared blankly at her mother who was smiling.
My eyes, which had already dried from crying, began to feel sore again. It had been a long time since I saw my mother laugh happily.
"Why are you so swollen?" Mom shouted to Su Anyun, "Anyun, make Ningning a boiled egg so she can put some on her eyes."
Su Anyun also had a smile in his eyes. He said "OK" and glanced at Tang Ning with a smile.
Mom walked into the bathroom with a mop in hand. She looked back at Tangning and couldn't help laughing. Perhaps it was because everything was bright in the morning, Tangning didn't see any shadow in her mother's laughter. She walked into her mother's bathroom like a plant attracted to light. She stood in front of the mirror that had been wiped with a rag and saw her own eyes that were swollen into single eyelids.
"You think mosquitoes have bitten both of your eyes?" Mom said as she washed the mop, "Or is there a little mosquito named Ningning that has been buzzing and crying all night?"
Tangning paused while washing her face.
The room is not soundproofed. Maybe I cried in my dream last night and my mother heard it.
The woman's hands kept working, and she seemed to be trying to make the sound of washing the mop louder so as to cover up the very soft sound of "Why are you crying? Mom loves you too."
The water from the faucet was running. The woman who had wrung out the mop walked away quickly, but Tang Ning was still standing in front of the sink, wondering if she had just hallucinated.
Is it an auditory hallucination
I touched the diamond ring hanging around my neck, and my mind was a little confused.
Just like Tang Ning rarely said "I love you" to her mother, her mother almost never spoke to her that way.
It must be an illusion.
Tangning lowered her head and splashed cold water on her face, trying to calm herself down, but her hands covering her face couldn't help but tremble.
"Ningning, what are you dawdling for?!" Mom's voice came from outside the door: "Come and eat quickly!"
Tang Ning walked out of the bathroom and saw the sunlight shining into the house that her mother had just cleaned. There was a brand new tablecloth on the dining table with a pattern of small daisies and a bunch of lilies on it.
Each person's bowl and chopsticks, a portion of poached eggs, milk, porridge, pickled mustard tuber, meat floss and fermented tofu.
Mom rolled up her sleeves and sat where the sun couldn't reach her. She concentrated on adjusting the position of the branches. Su Anyun came from the kitchen with a freshly boiled egg in her hand, which was still steaming.
Tang Ning stopped in the road, staring blankly at the beautiful scene in front of him.
The wind chime hanging on the window was made by my mother using an empty glass bottle. When the morning breeze blew in, it made a pleasant and ethereal sound.
Su Anyun sat down and helped Tang Ning peel the eggshells. Mom finally finished her flowers. She looked up and saw Tang Ning with swollen eyes. She couldn't help but smiled with her hands covering her mouth. Then she nudged Su Anyun with her elbow. The handsome and gentle boy raised his eyes and smiled slightly when he saw Tang Ning.
"Ningning." Mom said with a smile, "Why are you standing there like an idiot? Come and have breakfast."
Tell me, is there such a dead end
Even though you know that the honey in front of you is covered with a layer of poison, you can't help but want to eat it.