From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Su Qing continued to ramble on and on, but I was in a daze and only vaguely listened.

She soon fell into a deep sleep, leaving her alone by the bedside, muttering to herself.

I vaguely heard her tossing and turning over, and after a while she spoke again.

"Lin Ye, are you asleep?"

I didn't answer and pretended that I had already fallen asleep.

I know her personality too well; once she starts talking, we're guaranteed to chat until the wee hours of the morning.

There was a two-second silence, and then her voice rang out again.

It was as if she was afraid of disturbing me, or as if she had been holding it in for too long and finally dared to confide in the sleeping person.

"Actually, I'm really happy today."

"Your mom is so great, she's completely different from my mom. I've never had a single genuine compliment from her in all my years. No matter what I do, or how well I do it, she always compares me to my sister."

"When I got first place in the class, she said my sister always ranked in the top five of the grade. When I worked my hardest to get into Fudan University, she immediately brought up my sister's guaranteed admission to Tsinghua University..."

"Over time I got tired of arguing. No matter how hard I tried, in her eyes I would never be as good as my sister."

She paused for a moment, then turned over, the wooden bed in her old home creaking.

"But your mom is different. I just casually stir-fry a dish, and even if I don't control the heat well and put in too much salt, she still praises me. I can tell that it's not just polite talk."

"She also said that when you were little, you herded cattle and cut grass, and that after your father passed away, you learned to do everything yourself..."

She was silent for a long time, then her voice became even softer:

"Sometimes I really envy you. It's not that I look down on my family for being rich, I just envy the warm and cozy atmosphere of your home."

Do you understand?

"My home was not a home at all. It was always cold and quiet, and it was rare for the whole family to sit down at the same table for a meal."

"When Grandma was alive, we could get together during holidays and festivals, and the house would feel more lively. After Grandma passed away, that big house became empty..."

"That's why I'm willing to stay with you. You're different from all the sycophants around me. You don't fawn over me, nor are you afraid of my status. I feel especially at ease when I'm with you. Even if we share a room tonight, I'm not afraid at all."

She stopped after saying that, as if she had said everything she wanted to say.

Then she turned over again, pulled the blanket tighter around herself, and let out a comfortable sigh.

"Okay, I know you're fast asleep, just pretend I'm talking to myself. Goodnight."

The room fell completely silent.

What she didn't know was that I hadn't slept at all.

I heard everything she said.

It was only at this moment that I truly saw that Su Qing, who was usually arrogant and haughty, was actually extremely insecure and lacked love deep down.

She longed for a lively home and, even more so, for her parents' love.

The warmth of family that others can easily obtain is an unattainable luxury for her.

The chirping of insects drifted in through the window, and the wind rustled the leaves of the loquat tree in the corner of the courtyard.

I lay motionless on the floor, my eyes open, staring at the blurry darkness above me.

It turns out that behind everyone's glamorous facade lies untold regret and suffering.

I don't know how much time passed before my tense nerves slowly relaxed, and I finally drifted into a light sleep.

The next morning, as dawn broke, the chirping of birds outside the window woke me up.

I got up immediately and quickly gathered up the mat and quilt from the floor mat. When I turned around, I found that the bed was already empty.

Su Qing actually got up earlier than me.

I pushed open the door and stepped out of the bedroom. The morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window of the main room, casting dappled golden light across the floor and making the whole room bright.

Two soft voices came from the direction of the kitchen; it was my mother and Su Qing.

I walked over and immediately saw Su Qing standing by the stove, holding a small bowl in her hand, taking small sips of the freshly cooked white porridge, looking obedient and serene.

My mother stood to the side, watching her with a beaming smile, her joy barely concealed.

When my mom saw me, she immediately said to me, "You're awake? Quickly wash your hands and sit down to eat breakfast."

I leaned closer to the stove and took a look. The white porridge in the pot was steaming hot, and next to it were homemade pickled radishes and salted duck eggs that were dripping with oil.

Simple yet full of the warmth and life of everyday life.

After serving the porridge, Su Qing naturally sat down opposite me, and my mother sat down close to her, her eyes full of doting affection.

"Girl, conditions in the countryside are poor, there's not much good food, so please make do with this," my mother said politely with a smile.

Su Qing kept shaking her head: "Auntie, it's already very good, and I really like eating this dried radish. It's sour and spicy, and it's very appetizing."

My mom was overjoyed and immediately said, "I'm glad you like it! When you go back, I'll pack a big jar for you to take with you. Yezi has loved my pickled radish since she was little."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Su Qing smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits.

My mother looked at her, increasingly pleased, and asked softly, "Girl, did you sleep well last night? It's quiet in the countryside at night; you might not be used to it."

Su Qing nodded: "It was great. There are a lot of cars and it's noisy in the city at night, and I often have insomnia. Last night was the most comfortable sleep I've had in a while."

"That's good, that's good." My mother responded repeatedly, her smile never fading.

At the dinner table, the two of them chatted away, getting along very well, and almost completely ignored me sitting next to them.

As I watched this scene, a surge of warmth welled up inside me, but it was also followed by a deeper sense of anxiety.

My mom genuinely likes Su Qing and has already considered her my girlfriend.

But it was all just a fake performance.

I dare not imagine how disappointed my mother will be when this charade ends and the truth is revealed.

What worries me even more is that my mother's health is unpredictable, and I have no idea whether she will live to see the day I actually bring my girlfriend home.

Countless distracting thoughts were weighing on my mind, making it hard for me to breathe.

I forced myself to suppress all my worries and told myself not to think too far ahead and just cherish the present.

After quickly finishing breakfast, I started packing my luggage, preparing to head back to Jiangzhou.

My mom started working early in the morning, constantly stuffing things into my backpack and the trunk of the car.

Homemade pickled radishes, secret-recipe spicy sauce, fresh free-range eggs, and sun-dried mushrooms from the mountains—a huge pile of ingredients.

Every time I leave home, she does this, wanting me to take all the best things in the house with me, afraid that I won't eat well or stay warm outside.

In the past, when I took buses or high-speed trains, carrying these local specialties was troublesome and cumbersome, so I could only travel light each time.

This time, driving back, I was finally able to take all her heartfelt wishes with me.

After we got ready, we got into the car.

My mother stood by the roadside, still reluctant to turn around, quietly watching us.

I rolled down the car window, waved to her, and said, "Mom, you should go home now. Remember to take your medicine on time and don't overwork yourself."

"I know." My mom nodded, her eyes full of concern. "Drive carefully on the road, don't work too hard while you're out earning money, take good care of yourselves."

As I gazed at the white hair at her temples and her slender figure, a sudden pang of sadness welled up in my eyes, and my throat tightened instantly.

Su Qing quickly spoke up, gently comforting her, "Auntie, please take good care of yourself and get some rest. We'll come back to see you when we have time."

"Alright! Take care, girls, and come back often!"