Mom
She is so absurd.
Jin Shuilan and Lu Zhenqiu stood awkwardly by the sofa. After hanging up the phone, He Jinmei saw the medicinal ointment1 on the sofa and asked Jin Shuilan: “Are you injured?”
“Not me.” Jin Shuilan said: “Qiuqiu sprained her ankle.”
He Jinmei turned to look at Lu Zhenqiu and saw that there was indeed a light white medicinal patch2 on her ankle, which she hadn’t noticed when she first came in. He Jinmei said: “Then why are you still letting her stand? Sit down, quickly.”
Lu Zhenqiu glanced at Jin Shuilan. Jin Shuilan smiled helplessly and helped Lu Zhenqiu sit down.
The two sat next to each other. He Jinmei and Jin Wei also walked over and sat beside them. He Jinmei said: “Is the leg injury serious? Did you go to the hospital?”
Lu Zhenqiu shook her head: “It’s alright, I just twisted it a little.”
As she spoke, she moved her right leg to show that she was really fine. He Jinmei was relieved and said: “Ah, Qiuqiu, our family’s Lanlan isn’t usually very good at taking care of people, so you’ll have to bear with her more.”
Not good at taking care of people? Lu Zhenqiu felt that Jin Shuilan was the best person she had ever met at taking care of others. From emotions to physical well-being, she was very good at taking care of them.
Jin Shuilan coughed lightly: “Mom…”
“Don’t you speak.” He Jinmei chided her. Jin Shuilan sulked a little, a rare suppressed expression on her face. Lu Zhenqiu turned her head to look at her expression and felt it was quite a contrast.
And a little cute.
He Jinmei said: “Lanlan, you see, she hasn’t had many good friends since she was little. She has a bad temper and is a turtle hair3. When she was in high school, she shared a dormitory with others, and within a few days, they argued, and she argued the other person to tears. This mouth of hers has never been forgiving.”
That was indeed Jin Shuilan’s style.
Lu Zhenqiu thought of the crowd in the film crew who always ate a loss, from Ji Zibo to the staff members, none were spared.
Of course, she wasn’t picking bones from an egg4; every time, she had reason and evidence.
He Jinmei took Lu Zhenqiu’s hand: “When I heard she said she was in a relationship, I was actually quite surprised. I thought that with her personality, no one would want her for sure.”
Lu Zhenqiu gave a dry laugh: “How could that be, Auntie? Teacher Jin is very popular.”
Someone even confessed to her just by going downstairs.
He Jinmei said: “That’s all fake. Since she was little, she never liked being close to people, always wearing a face like you owe her money, so no one dared to get close to her either.”
Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head.
He Jinmei said: “She moved out to live by herself in high school, and lived alone all the way through university. Now that she’s working, she doesn’t live near us either. So, ah, she might not be that good at taking care of people, but don’t you worry, Auntie and Uncle will take care of you both.”
Before Lu Zhenqiu could speak, Jin Shuilan said: “No need.”
“What do you mean, no need.” He Jinmei frowned: “Isn’t it good for me to be here taking care of you?”
Lu Zhenqiu’s hands twisted together in embarrassment. She didn’t know what to say either. Seeing this, Jin Shuilan called out: “Mom.”
He Jinmei looked up: “What?”
“I’ll tell you on the side.”
Without waiting for He Jinmei’s response, Jin Shuilan stood up first. Her mom glanced at Lu Zhenqiu several times before following her to the study. Lu Zhenqiu let out a soft breath. Jin Wei brought her a cup of tea. Lu Zhenqiu accepted it with both hands: “Thank you, Uncle.”
“You’re welcome.” Jin Wei sat across from her and said: “How long have you and Lanlan been together?”
Lu Zhenqiu hesitated for a few seconds: “Um… we haven’t been together for long.”
Jin Wei nodded. Lu Zhenqiu took a sip of tea. She felt that Jin Wei was more like Jin Shuilan, full of scholarly knowledge, but not as proud and aloof as Jin Shuilan, more like a scholar.
Neither of them spoke. Jin Wei asked again: “Are you living together now?”
“No.” Lu Zhenqiu put down her cup and said: “I live next door to Teacher Jin.”
“Next door?”
Lu Zhenqiu explained: “The room next door, I…”
The matter of renting the apartment, can I talk about it? Would it be too abrupt? But if we’re dating, there’s no rule that says I can’t rent my girlfriend’s apartment, right? Lu Zhenqiu calculated in her heart. Jin Wei seemed to understand and said: “You sleep in separate rooms?”
Lu Zhenqiu choked for a moment: “No, I’m renting Teacher Jin’s apartment.”
“Oh.” Jin Wei looked a little puzzled, but he didn’t ask in great detail, as if afraid of making Lu Zhenqiu embarrassed. He said: “Drink tea, drink tea.”
Lu Zhenqiu took a sip of tea.
After a short while, He Jinmei and Jin Shuilan walked over. She looked at Lu Zhenqiu, still wanting to say something, but was pulled back by Jin Shuilan. She glanced at Jin Shuilan’s expression and said: “Lao Jin5, let’s go back after we finish cooking for them in a bit.”
Jin Wei nodded: “Alright.”
Lu Zhenqiu didn’t know what she had said to He Jinmei. He Jinmei’s attitude was still enthusiastic, but much more restrained. Seeing her getting ready to go to the kitchen, Lu Zhenqiu said: “Auntie, let me do it.”
“Your leg is inconvenient, get some good rest. Auntie’s cooking is pretty good.”
Lu Zhenqiu glanced at Jin Shuilan and saw her nod lightly, so she had no choice but to remain silent. He Jinmei walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and saw many frozen huajuan6 and shuijiao7 inside. She asked Jin Shuilan: “Did you buy these?”
Jin Shuilan said: “No, Qiuqiu made them.”
As they were talking, Lu Zhenqiu also walked to the kitchen doorway. He Jinmei said: “You made them quite well.”
Lu Zhenqiu’s face turned slightly red from her praise. She discovered that Jin Shuilan’s personality was not very similar to her parents’. Her parents were more talkative and easygoing. She still remembered Jin Shuilan saying her parents liked to travel; that was probably one of the reasons.
He Jinmei looked through the frozen section of the refrigerator, then opened the fresh section. Besides the vegetables she had brought over, there were some other fresh ones. It seemed that Jin Shuilan saying they didn’t order takeout anymore and ate at home wasn’t just to make her happy.
Seeing that Jin Shuilan and Lu Zhenqiu were getting along well, He Jinmei was relieved. She urged Jin Shuilan: “Go get busy. When it’s done, I’ll pack it up for you. You can just take it out and heat it up when you want to eat. Since Qiuqiu’s leg is injured these two days, you should help out more with the housework. Don’t just have idle hands and love leisure8 at home all day.”
Jin Shuilan lowered her head and met Lu Zhenqiu’s gaze. Lu Zhenqiu pursed her lips and smiled.
She was being chided again.
Seeing her smile, Jin Shuilan also felt happy for no reason and let He Jinmei say what she wanted.
Jin Wei called out from the sofa: “Lanlan.”
Jin Shuilan looked up and walked over. Lu Zhenqiu saw He Jinmei busy in the kitchen by herself and felt a bit bad. She walked over: “Auntie, let me help you.”
He Jinmei originally wanted to say no, but then changed her mind: “Then you can help Auntie prepare the vegetables.”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded: “Okay.”
He Jinmei cooked two dishes and let them simmer in the pot. Seeing that Lu Zhenqiu had almost finished preparing the vegetables, she walked over and sat across from Lu Zhenqiu, saying: “Ah, Qiuqiu, this is the first time Auntie has met you, and I didn’t prepare any meeting gift. Please don’t mind.”
Lu Zhenqiu shook her head: “I won’t, Auntie.”
Besides, I’m not Teacher Jin’s girlfriend, so how could I mind.
Moreover, it was really rare to have parents as open-minded as Teacher Jin’s nowadays. Hua Luo had fought with her family for several years over coming out of the closet and was still in a cold war with them. As for herself, her mother didn’t care, and her father didn’t ask, which was why she seemed to have more freedom in comparison.
Not every parent would be so open-minded.
He Jinmei said: “Actually, before we met you, her father and I were always worried about what kind of partner she would find in the future. You know Lanlan’s personality too, dead stubborn, and sullen. Since she was little, she’s kept all her thoughts in her heart and refused to say them. I was so worried she wouldn’t be able to find a partner. Now that I see you, I’m much more relieved.”
Although Jin Shuilan had said many good things about Lu Zhenqiu on the phone, they hadn’t seen her in person or spent time with her, so they were always uneasy. Now that they had seen Lu Zhenqiu, that suspended heart of theirs could finally be put back in its place.
Well-behaved and sweet, sensible and gentle, unlike Lanlan’s sullen personality.
Lu Zhenqiu didn’t know what to say back, so she just nodded and smiled.
He Jinmei added: “Lanlan has been very independent since she became sensible, and her father and I also respect her. Before she said she liked girls, we actually already had a feeling.”
That was why they were able to accept it so calmly.
Lu Zhenqiu looked up at her. He Jinmei put down the vegetables, took Lu Zhenqiu’s hand, and said: “Her father couldn’t accept it at first and even threw a huge tantrum. But Auntie knows, I know that this path of yours is very difficult to walk. For a path that is already difficult, how could we possibly make it even harder for her? All parents want is for their children to be well, to eat well, dress warmly, and be happy. Auntie and Uncle don’t have great aspirations; we never thought she would become a dragon or a phoenix9 in the future. We just hope she can be safe and healthy, and live a life without worries. Then we’ll be satisfied.”
After hearing her finish, Lu Zhenqiu’s eyes began to burn. She wondered if she would receive such a reply if she told her own mother. Would her mother still care if her partner was a man or a woman, or whether she was happy?
He Jinmei patted her hand: “Thank you for liking Lanlan and being willing to be with her.”
“I…” Lu Zhenqiu looked at He Jinmei, enveloped by the warmth in her eyes, and was speechless for a moment. Jin Shuilan called out: “Qiuqiu.”
Lu Zhenqiu turned her head. Jin Shuilan was standing in the middle of the living room and said: “It’s time for your livestream.”
She came back to her senses, glanced at her phone, and saw it was time for the livestream. Lu Zhenqiu said goodbye to Jin Shuilan’s parents and returned to her room with Maomao. The sound of chatting could still be heard faintly from outside the door, mostly from He Jinmei, but the content was indistinct.
Lu Zhenqiu sat in front of the livestream camera, in Jin Shuilan’s apartment, and after so many years, once again experienced the feeling of home.
The bullet comments were all asking why she wasn’t talking. Lu Zhenqiu smiled: “How about I sing in a bit? Let me chat with you all first?”
“Chat about what? Anything is fine. It’s been cold lately, have you all been wearing more clothes?”
The bullet comments were all scrolling: 【Qiuqiu, then let’s talk about Teacher Jin’s radio drama. When is it coming out! So craving10!】
【Yeah, yeah, and also Qiuqiu, are you going to the streamer annual gala? I saw you on the list!】
Lu Zhenqiu nodded: “Yes, I am. I’ll have to ask for everyone’s support then.”
【We’ll definitely support you!】
【Wifey Qiuqiu is the best!】
【While the boss isn’t here, I’ll call her Wifey Qiuqiu and run!】
【What boss! Qiuqiu belongs to our Teacher Jin!】
The bullet comments scrolled by rapidly, one after another. Lu Zhenqiu could only selectively reply. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Lu Zhenqiu took off her headphones and turned her head. The knock came again. She hurried over, limping, and opened the door. It was He Jinmei standing at the doorway, holding a fruit platter. He Jinmei said: “Qiuqiu, I heard from Lanlan that you’re going to sing, so eat some more pears. Later, I’ll brew you some throat-soothing soup.”
Lu Zhenqiu was stunned. She looked down at the fruit platter, taking several seconds to react. She nodded: “Oh, okay, thank you, Auntie.”
She wanted to take it, but He Jinmei saw her inconvenience and said: “I’ll carry it in for you.”
Lu Zhenqiu followed behind her and sat down in front of the screen. He Jinmei didn’t disturb her and didn’t appear on camera, only putting down the fruit platter. Half of the platter appeared in the camera’s view and was seen by the netizens in the bullet comments.
【Wifey Qiuqiu, is that our mom bringing you fruit?】
【Our mom is so thoughtful, Wifey Qiuqiu, eat more pears!】
【I want to have the same kind of mom!】
Lu Zhenqiu looked at the two words “our mom,” then turned to look at He Jinmei’s departing back and blinked. She now felt that Jin Shuilan finding a fake girlfriend wasn’t the most ridiculous thing. The most ridiculous thing was that she could clearly explain right now, yet she was letting the bullet comments speculate about her gaining a doting ‘mom’. This absurd matter.
The author has something to say:
Thirty red envelopes, memeda.
Teacher Jin: It’s also acceptable for you to call her Mom in advance.
Lu Zhenqiu: …
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