Chapter 71: Childhood Memories |
Zhao Hongxia sat on the Balcony, holding a yellowed Photo in her hand, looking out at the sea.
The sea at Binhai was part of the same waters as Ci'en, with no difference, but in her eyes, she saw a distinction.
Although Binhai and Ci'en were adjacent, she had not been to Binhai in nearly forty years.
Forty years ago, she wasn't called Zhao Hongxia, but Lu Hongxia.
That was the happiest time of her childhood. Her Father was a Sailor and would often bring her back all sorts of rare gifts, making her the envy of her friends.
But later, her Father insisted on divorcing her Mother. She followed her Mother, wandering from place to place.
A pampered girl once protected in her parents' arms learned to grow up in just a few short months.
A Steam Whistle Sound echoed from the sea, pulling the dazed Zhao Hongxia back to her senses.
She pulled her gaze back from the sea, looking down at the yellowed Photo in her hand.
It was clearly a family of three, and all three of them were smiling happily.
The man and woman in the Photo were dressed plainly; only the little girl in his arms was dressed in colorful clothes, and it seemed she even had makeup on her face, but because the Photo was too old and had faded, it wasn't very clear.
"I didn't actually want to come, it's been so long," Zhao Hongxia said softly.
Just then, a somewhat gaunt middle-aged man walked out from inside the house.
He said, "But you came anyway, didn't you? Since you've made the decision, don't regret it."
He was Zhao Hongxia's Husband, Sun Dacheng, and also Lu Guanchang's Son-in-law.
Zhao Hongxia didn't continue the topic, but said, "Tell me, who do you think wrote that Letter?"
"It was probably your Dad who wrote it, right?" Sun Dacheng said.
"But why ask us to meet at a Hotel?" Zhao Hongxia was a little confused, and a little angry.
'Could it be that after all these years, he still won't even let me into the house?'
Sun Dacheng reached out and patted her on the shoulder, then sat down beside her. He didn't know how to comfort her either.
"If he doesn't show up by two in the afternoon tomorrow, we'll check out and go back to Ci'en," Zhao Hongxia said.
Sun Dacheng nodded and said, "But, did you not mention this to our mom?"
"What would I tell her? She's living a good life now, there's no need to cause her trouble."
"Do you think our mom still hasn't forgotten your dad?" Sun Dacheng asked in a low voice.
"What nonsense are you talking about? My mom has been married to Second Father for so many years, and their relationship is great. How could she possibly still have… have him in her heart?"
"I'm not talking nonsense.
If our mom really hated your dad, after all these years, how could this Photo still be so well-preserved?"
Sun Dacheng reached out and took the Photo from Zhao Hongxia's hand.
Aside from being faded and yellowed with age, the Photo's corners were not creased or damaged in the slightest.
Zhao Hongxia fell silent at his words.
In fact, whether in Binhai or Ci'en, the air was quite humid due to the proximity to the sea.
The quilts and pillows at home always felt a little damp, as if they were never truly dry, a fact that many friends from the north found hard to get used to.
For this reason, many old photos were difficult to preserve.
But for the Photo now in her hand to be so intact, it was clearly preserved with great care.
"How do you think he found out our address, and why did he suddenly contact us?" Sun Dacheng asked.
"Who knows. I suppose he's old now and wants someone to take care of him," Zhao Hongxia said with a hint of sarcasm.
Sun Dacheng actually thought the same thing, and he hadn't approved of this trip to Binhai.
But Zhao Hongxia had always had a rather dominant personality at home; she was the one who made the decisions.
Since she wanted to come, Sun Dacheng barely dared to dissuade her and could only take things one step at a time.
Although Sun Dacheng didn't say it, Zhao Hongxia seemed to understand his thoughts.
She glanced at him and said, "Don't worry, I just want to meet him once and ask him why he was so heartless back then, abandoning my Mother and me. If he wants me to care for him in his old age, that's absolutely impossible."
Seeing the resolute tone in Zhao Hongxia's voice, Sun Dacheng didn't believe she would actually be able to ignore him completely.
After being married for so many years, he knew better than anyone what kind of person his Wife was—a classic case of having a Sharp Tongue but Soft Heart.
After saying this, Zhao Hongxia took the Photo back from Sun Dacheng, placed it on her lap, and smoothed out the non-existent creases on the corners with her finger.
So many years had passed. Everyone had let go, but Zhao Hongxia still hadn't.
Some people say that the wounds of childhood take a lifetime to heal, and there's no falsehood in that statement.
If Zhao Hongxia's parents hadn't divorced and she had grown up happily, she probably wouldn't remember much of her childhood memories.
But the family upheaval and the pain brought by her Father made her childhood memories exceptionally vivid. Even after so many years, many things still seemed as clear as day.
Sun Dacheng suddenly said from the side.
"The children are all grown up."
Zhao Hongxia's movements paused.
The two of them had a Son and a Daughter, both of whom were married. The elder Daughter even had children, while the younger Son had married recently and didn't have any children yet.
"Why don't we go back this afternoon?"
It seemed Sun Dacheng's words had deeply affected Zhao Hongxia.
Thinking of her own Mother and her own children, she suddenly felt her actions were a bit ridiculous.
But now, Sun Dacheng shook his head, disagreeing with Zhao Hongxia's idea.
"Even if we don't see him, we should stay in Binhai for a few more days, look around a bit. Binhai is much prettier than our Ci'en."
Although they were both coastal cities, Binhai, as a tourist destination, had much better infrastructure than Ci'en and was also more prosperous.
Zhao Hongxia was about to say more, but Sun Dacheng cut her off, "If you truly don't care anymore, then there's nothing to be afraid of."
Zhao Hongxia nodded, feeling that her Husband's words made sense.
So many years had passed, and she was a maternal grandmother now. Why was she still concerned about so many things?
Just then, a gust of wind blew in from outside, swirling on the Balcony and bringing a trace of coolness.
Sun Dacheng stood up and looked at the sea in the distance, where thick clouds were gathering in the sky.
"Is it going to rain?"
In August, Binhai gets a lot of rain, but it comes and goes quickly.
Sometimes, the sun would even be shining on one side while it rained on the other.
"A bit of rain would be good. It cools down when it rains. This weather is too hot."
Although Zhao Hongxia said this, she also stood up, preparing to go back inside.
Although there was a Sea Breeze on the Balcony, it wasn't as cool as being inside with the Air Conditioner on.
Sun Dacheng also turned to go back inside, but just then, a figure suddenly appeared before the two of them.
This person didn't appear suddenly, but rather faded into view, slowly solidifying.
Zhao Hongxia was so frightened she took a step back, while Sun Dacheng quickly stepped forward and grabbed her hand.
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Zhao Hongxia seemed to come to her senses. She immediately moved a step to her right, her larger frame perfectly shielding the gaunt Sun Dacheng behind her.
"Xiaoxia, don't be afraid…"