I looked at the tour group information with my mother over the weekend. It cost 4,000 to 5,000 yuan per person for six days. We stayed in a hotel in Yalong Bay and didn't go shopping. It was like a semi-free trip. We had plenty of time. The sales lady was really good at talking and she made us pay the deposit. When we were about to take out our bags, my mother held my hand and said, "Wait a minute."
"What?" I thought she changed her mind at the last minute.
"Ask Li Shuming when he will come on business trip." The mother said as she took out her cell phone.
I stared at her with wide eyes. Do I need to consult Mr. Li Shuming about the travel time? My mother seemed to see through my thoughts. She patted my shoulder and smiled meaningfully, "Don't wait for him to come while you are outside."
My mother dialed the number and handed the phone to me, "Talk to him yourself." I heard a voice saying "Auntie" from the other end, so I had to bite the bullet and answer her, "Hi, I hope I didn't disturb your rest."
"I still don't have the blessing to enjoy a nap until noon," Li Shuming laughed softly, a little teasingly on the other end.
"I accompanied my mother to the travel agency to check travel information."
"Is it settled?"
"Yes, Sanya, six days."
"Well, just relax."
It sounded like he was about to hang up, so I said hastily, "Uh, well, if you have time next time you're on a business trip, you're welcome to come over and stay at my house."
"Thank you, thank you. Auntie invited me again?"
"We all invite you."
"It's my honor. Maybe my plans have changed a little. I'll go there in mid-October. I'll go to Shenzhen for a meeting at the end of the month."
… .
After the call, I repeated the conversation to my mother, and she nodded with satisfaction. The trip was scheduled for the second half of the month, before the National Day holiday. I was looking forward to eating lobster and drinking champagne with my mother at the beach, walking hand in hand with my mother barefoot on the white fine beach in the evening, sitting barefoot on the terrace facing the sea late at night and listening to the sound of the waves hitting the shore until the deep blue sky turned pink... .
Two days before I left, I was busy with work in the office when I suddenly received a call from my father. His tone sounded a little anxious and he asked me to meet him in the evening.
My father must have something to discuss. Maybe he will tell me an important decision, or maybe he will hold my hand and tell me with an infinitely guilty look, Qinqin, your mother and I have decided to separate, or maybe, it is meaningless to continue like this, you have seen it, please persuade your mother for me, and so on...
The moment I saw my father, I realized that I had guessed wrong. He was obviously worried about something and was not as calm as last time. He kept his head down and remained silent for a long time. He just stretched out his fingers and tapped the table lightly without stopping. Finally, I decided to break this suffocating atmosphere, "Dad!"
The father raised his face, eyes filled with emotion, and said, "Qinqin, I'm sorry for you."
He finally admitted it. Could there be a chance of a turnaround
"I have talked to Xiaorong for a long time. It is better for the couple to separate in such a relationship—"
I guessed wrong again, but I still had to act like a sensible daughter and said, "Oh, have you discussed this?"
"Not yet. I'm here for this—" The waiter brought the Tieguanyin tea. My father paused, waited until they left the room, looked at me, hesitated slightly, and continued, "Xiaorong agreed to a divorce by agreement."
Well, I have to agree!
"I told her that the company would give her a sum of money every month for household expenses, but she disagreed. She wanted cash, a considerable amount. Qinqin, you know, although we have accumulated some money over the years, most of it was invested in the company. The business has expanded in the past two years, and she said that the amount is really difficult to afford." My father stretched out his fingers to gesture, looking embarrassed.
I was shocked! I had never expected that my mother would be so generous. Everything was beyond my expectation.
Seeing that I remained silent, my father probably knew that I also had sympathy, so he continued, "Qinqin, can you persuade her? You can consider company shares, but it is really difficult to take out so much cash. You have always been a sensible daughter. After thinking about it, I still think you will understand your father."
I didn't say anything. My father repeated what he had just said in a different form. I promised him that I would go back and ask my mother for her opinion.
The amount was so huge, and his mother must have been cruel. She wanted him to compensate her in another form. She was deeply hurt, and she had thought it through, so she wanted him to bleed heavily. No wonder he was in such a good mood recently.
However, mediation is not an easy task.
How can I open the exit
They discussed divorce without consulting me. My mother never mentioned her decision to divorce, let alone the conditions she had agreed with my father. I am afraid that to outsiders, the relationship between our family is really incomprehensible.
After returning home, I thought over and over again about my father's conversation. Since they were so embarrassed to do so, they must have no feelings for each other anymore. Maybe divorce is not such a bad thing after all, and my mother will have the opportunity to find her own life. Or maybe my father really has his difficulties... Although I still have resentment towards my father, I never expected that my mother would actually speak out loud.
I tried to sound out the situation, and it seemed like my mother had some reservations, fearing that I would think she was only interested in money. She didn't want to discuss the terms of the divorce, so I had to keep quiet.
We went to Sanya in late September. It was still the off-season, so there were few tour groups. Because we got a good price, the tour guide didn't take us shopping, so we had free time.
We stayed at the seaside resort hotel in Yalong Bay that day. The environment was pleasant. The hotel had the longest silver beach in the bay, dotted with white shells. The sun shone on the sparkling sea, as if it covered the water with a layer of glittering silver, or like crumpled light blue brocade.
I got up early the next morning and went to the End of the Earth. It wasn't as beautiful as I had imagined, so I returned home disappointed.
On the morning of the third day, we went to the Big and Small Caves. After lunch, we returned to our residence. My mother changed her clothes and went to the hotel garden to bask in the sun. I curled up in my room alone for a nap. When I woke up, it was already 4:30. Li Shuming called me, "Qinqin, are you and your aunt living well?"
"I had a great sleep last night! It's the off-season so there aren't many people."
"Which hotel are you staying at?"
"Heavenly Realm."
"But you booked a sea view room?"
"Yes, I'm on the terrace looking at the sea view. What about you? Where are you on this business trip?"
"If this business trip happens to be in Hainan, would you welcome me?" Shu Ming asked me jokingly.
"Of course, but I remembered that you said you were going to Shenzhen last time."
"Girl, open the door!"
"What?"
"Open the door!"
I quickly put on half of my waistcoat and went to open the door, my heart pounding. Could it be that this gentleman is really coming
"Ah!" I exclaimed, secretly rejoicing in my heart.
Standing at the door was the tall and energetic Li Shuming! He was wearing a white square-neck T-shirt with dark patterns, beige casual pants, and light brown lace-up casual leather shoes. This outfit was clearly not from a luxury brand, but it was of high quality and extremely comfortable. His newly trimmed sideburns were neat and tidy, and he looked particularly energetic.
I'm a little overwhelmed.
"I am indeed going to Shenzhen for a meeting. I left a day in advance and came to see you on the way." A gentle smile flowed from his eyes.
I was almost as happy as a little mouse that stole oil, but I was afraid that he would laugh at me, so I turned my back and went into the house, "Come in, come in."
… (To be continued)