"Let's go." Tang Tianbao grabbed Yu Meng's arm and was about to leave.
"What are you doing?" I'm going to buy Auntie a birthday cake. " Yu Meng said while struggling.
"Aren't you angry with my mother?" Tang Tianbao seriously said, "My father just left, how can my mother celebrate her birthday? Our family's current atmosphere is unsuitable. "
"Little Treasure, do you want Auntie to live in the shadow of uncle for the rest of her life? Yes, I know. Uncle is gone. You and Auntie are both very sad, but what's the use? After all, if he left, he would not be able to come back to life. I don't think Uncle wants to see you in the underworld. You should pull yourself together. We can use this opportunity to pull Auntie's heart out of her sorrow. " Yu Meng helped Tang Tianbao analyze the situation.
On this matter, Tang Tianbao completely lost his resolve and could only listen to Yu Meng's arrangements. After she bought her birthday cake from the cake shop, Yu Meng wanted to go for a stroll in the mall, but Tang Tianbao stopped her. It was already time to get off work, so the mall should close. Moreover, Tang Tianbao couldn't always let Yu Meng appear when he bought things for Duan Hong. After all, they were only classmates. He didn't want to owe Yu Meng anything, even though he already owed her a lot.
The taxi drove along the crowded road at this hour, the peak of the day, and the bustling crowd rushed to a place called Home, a haven for everyone, a place where they could really rest their tired nerves in comfort. He wanted to go home, he wanted to see his mother, but he was also afraid to go home. His family of three was already grieving over the sudden departure of a single person, he didn't know how to resolve this unprecedented tragedy, he himself was also one of the victims, he was at a loss, lost, sad, but also constantly running away from reality.
The taxi stopped at a red light, and neon signs flashed on both sides of the road. On the evening of the beginning of summer, it gave off the feeling of a comfortable and lively city, making a villager like Tang Tianbao feel annoyed. He was still unable to assimilate into the city, even though he was enjoying the benefits the city brought him.
"Be happier?!" Yu Meng sat at the back, breaking the tranquil atmosphere.
"Yes." Tang Tianbao mechanically responded as he took out a cigarette from his pocket. His addiction was increasing, and for some reason, he was liking to use nicotine to numb his brain. This way, his brain could rest and not let his thoughts run wild.
The red light was extinguished, the green light was lit, and the taxi started slowly. The night scenery of Chaozhou City was still pretty good. It was just that Tang Tianbao was no longer in the mood to enjoy the limitless and bustling night scenery. He did not think that the countryside was any worse than the city. Perhaps Tang Dakui was still buried in the countryside.
In the center of the lake was a small artificial lake, and in the middle of the lake was a small rock garden, surrounded by a stone bridge, a blue stone bench, and the willow trees by the shore hung down to the water's surface like a girl's modification. Along the shore was a row of sunflower shaped street lamps, and the orange lights seemed like tired eyes, weakly opened. Tang Tianbao had lived in this district for more than half a year, but this was the first time he seriously observed the small plaza in front of him. When a person is empty, he will notice the things that are easiest to ignore around him.
"Little Treasure, what's wrong with you today? Why aren't you happy about Auntie's birthday? " Yu Meng asked as she held onto Tang Tianbao's arm.
Tang Tianbao could feel Yu Meng's minute movements. He didn't resist or evade like he usually did. Tears were streaming down his face as he needed the consolation of a woman.
"Let's go upstairs."
Reality was reality. The power of the human body could not be reversed. The only thing he could do was face it and face it bravely.
Duan Hong had long since forgotten about her birthday. Ever since Tang Daqui left, Duan Hong's memory had rapidly declined and her consciousness had completely collapsed. Other than remembering the man she called a dead ghost all day, she did not need to remember anything else. Duan Hong prepared his usual meal, waiting for his son to get off work. Her cooking skills weren't that good, but Tang Tianbao was already used to it, so he couldn't tell if it was good or bad.
The doorbell rang. Duan Hong put down the remote control and stood up from the sofa to open the door.
"Auntie, how have you been?" Yu Meng lively asked, two dimples appearing on her face.
"Oh, Yu Meng is here as well. Quickly enter the house." Duan Hong welcomed him. When she saw the cake in Yu Meng's hand, she suddenly thought, could it be Little Treasure's birthday? She no longer remembered Tang Tianbao's birthday. In fact, she didn't even know about his birthday. She only vaguely remembered that Tang Tianbao had once asked her if she had made up a date for him to have a birthday.
Yu Meng carried the cake and walked towards the kitchen. Duan Hong grabbed onto Tang Tian Bao and said, "Little Treasure … "This is …"
"Mom, aren't you a little too confused? It's your birthday. Happy birthday, Mom! "Yu Meng is here to offer her birthday wishes for you." Tang Tianbao held Duan Hong's shoulders with both hands as he spoke.
"Hey, look. I really forgot about my birthday." Duan Hong smiled awkwardly.
Tang Tianbao followed him into the kitchen. Duan Hong looked at the two youths busying themselves and suddenly felt a sense of security in his heart. An uncontrollable thought began to form in her mind.
Duan Hong took note of Yu Meng's kindness and politeness and etched it into his heart. This person was precisely the person Duan Hong wanted to find for his son, Tang Tianbao. Duan Hong's heart was at ease as he handed Tang Tianbao over to Yu Meng.
Under Yu Meng's lead, the two juniors sang a birthday song to Duan Hong, which made Tang Tianbao feel slightly embarrassed. Children who had grown up in the countryside were used to hiding their love for their parents or expressing it in a roundabout way, so it was very rare for them to express their true feelings in such a naked manner. Often the children in these villages love their parents even more, but only in their hearts.
"Auntie, hurry up and make a wish." Yu Meng had already lit the candle on top of the cake in the middle of the table. The lights in the room were turned off, and a faint light shone from the thin candles.
Duan Hong smiled and said, "Alright, alright." She closed her eyes and clasped her hands, silently making a wish in her heart: she hoped that this good girl Yu Meng would be able to marry Little Treasure, and that Little Treasure would be able to marry such a good girl like Yu Meng.
After Yu Mengmeng opened her eyes, she hurriedly urged, "Auntie, blow out the candles!"
The three of them gathered around a small table. No one mentioned Tang Daqui or anything related to him tonight. Joyous laughter, humbling voices, and questioning voices filled the entire room. Under the happy topic, everyone seemed to have forgotten about the person who once made Duan Hong seek death, Tang Daqui.
Tang Tianbao was happy because he saw Duan Hong. He took out the bottle of wine he had stored in his bedroom for a long time. It was originally prepared for his romantic love in the future, but love didn't come. It was rare for him to be happy today, so he took it out to drink. He told Yu Meng to bring out three goblets from the kitchen, and each of them ordered some red wine.
Even though Duan Hong drank wine back at her hometown, she had never drunk red wine before. This was the first time they drank red wine, but it tasted pretty good. Thus, they opened their hearts and drank it together with Yu Meng. She had already adopted Yu MengNa as her daughter-in-law. After drinking a few cups of wine, Duan Hong could no longer hold back the words in his heart.
"Little Yu, have you found a target?" Duan Hong's face flushed red, his eyes staring straight at Yu Meng.
Yu Meng felt a little embarrassed and lowered her head slightly. Her bangs cascaded down like a waterfall, covering most of her face.
When Tang Tian Bao saw this scene, he hurriedly said: "Mom, what are you talking about? Are you drunk? Come on, Mom, eat a piece of cake. " Saying this, Tang Tianbao placed the cake that had already been cut into a small plate in front of Duan Hong.
Yu Meng raised her head and looked at Duan Hong. "You don't have a partner yet, Auntie."
Tang Tianbao glared at Yu Meng again, feeling somewhat anxious. He felt as if the two of them had already colluded with each other a long time ago.
"Hey, what do you think of Little Treasure? I feel that the two of you are very suitable! " The strong taste of red wine rose in Duan Hong's mouth.
At this point, Yu Meng was completely embarrassed. She had always been asking for a lady and a lady, and now she was showing the reserved attitude a lady should have. She was a little embarrassed, so she lowered her head once again and kept silent.
"Mom, Mom, don't say anymore. Go back to your room and rest. "You've had too much to drink, Mom. Don't drink anymore." Tang Tianbao had already stood up from his seat and walked over to Duan Hong. He supported her with both hands, wanting to help her into the bedroom.
"I'm not drunk at all. My mind is very clear." Duan Hong snatched the goblet from Tang Tianbao's hands.
There was indeed such a person in the winery. His body was already slanted to the side as he was drunk, but his mind was still very clear. At this moment, Duan Hong was in this state.
Duan Hong's face had a sullen expression, so Tang Tianbao could only return to his seat. Duan Hong recounted the thoughts in her heart, "The two of you, listen to me." From now on, you will be the ones to determine the relationship. The two of you are not young anymore. I can also see that the relationship between the two of you isn't ordinary, so I'll make the decision with the both of you today. Little Yu, tell your parents about my intentions as well. If they don't have any objections, I think we should settle the matter between you and Little Treasure. Ah … "It's settled then …" Duan Hong repeated the same sentence over and over again. In her mind, the marriage of her children was the order of the parents. As a result, she didn't even ask for Yu Meng's opinion.
In order to prevent Duan Hong from getting angry, Yu Meng nodded in agreement.
"Right, this is my good daughter-in-law." As Duan Hong spoke, a gratified smile appeared on his face. "Little Treasure, after your father left, our family turned from three to two. I was thinking that you could marry Little Yu into our family as soon as possible. That way, our family would be able to return to being a family of three. "Little Treasure, you have to work hard. Little Yu is a good girl. If you miss out on this village, you won't have this shop anymore …"
As Duan Hong spoke, he suddenly became deep in love. The atmosphere at the dining table became heavy, and the three of them had their eyes filled with tears ….
In the brightly lit district, the night wind was blowing and the willow branches swayed in the breeze. The shadow cast by the willows on the ground was as ghostly as a ghost.
Tang Tianbao walked Yu Meng out of the entrance and said, "Can you go back by yourself? Be careful at night! "
"Little Treasure, can you walk with me?" Yu Mengyuan's eyes were wide open as he pleaded with Tang Tianbao.
"Yu Meng, my mom is too happy today. Don't take what she said to heart to heart. I know it's not fair, but I hope you'll forgive her for Auntie's sake. "
Tang Tianbao accompanied Yu Meng as they walked along the road in front of the residential complex. The street lamps sometimes elongated a person's shadow, and at other times shortened their shadow. When they were in the middle of two street lamps, the two shadows on the ground suddenly became four. In the small square in front of the compound, there were couples who had just finished their meal and had come out for a walk. They were probably tired of walking, so they sat on the stone stools and rested together while their wives talked about the trivial matters of the family, while their husbands listened attentively and nodded their heads like chicks pecking at rice.
"Shall we sit over there for a while?" Yu Meng pointed at the few remaining stone benches in the square.
"Forget it." It's getting late, you should go back early. I still need to go upstairs to see my mother. She's drunk quite a bit today, so I'm worried that she'll come back later. " Tang Tianbao rejected Yu Meng.
"En, alright then. You can go up …" Yu Meng's voice was a little hoarse, and she didn't dare to continue. She was worried that she would really cry in grief.
The moment Tang Tianbao turned around, tears welled up in Yu Meng's eyes. Each drop fell onto the limestone path. Under the moonlight, they were like strings of pearls, sparkling and translucent.