The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 162 Winter, Cold

Jian Zheng's gaze was distant and unfocused. After many years, those memories, sealed away by time, resurfaced clearly in his mind like a windowpane accidentally blown open by the cold wind, making his heart involuntarily uneasy.

……

September, 2000

This was the coldest winter in the memory of southern Jiangsu. A cold wave, like an uninvited guest, swept across the entire Jiangnan region with its biting north wind. Snowflakes fell from the gray sky, falling continuously for three days and three nights. A light mist hung in the extremely humid air, intertwining with the falling snowflakes to form a hazy veil, enveloping the entire city in a dreamlike atmosphere. The temperature also plummeted to an unprecedented -5 degrees Celsius, the damp cold seeping into one's bones.

Along the streets, icicles, like transparent beaded curtains, shimmered with crystalline light under the streetlights, making the night both mysterious and serene.

Jian Zheng's footsteps left a trail of varying depths in the snow, each step feeling exceptionally heavy. His gaze pierced through the swirling snowflakes, yet seemed not to truly focus on the scenery before him. The dreamlike, icy world, its beauty, not only failed to register with him, but instead filled him with even greater worry and unease.

He wrapped his coat tighter, buttoning up the collar and cuffs to try and ward off the biting wind. Even so, he could still feel the chill rising from the depths of his heart—a fear of the unknown future. Jian Zheng's steps quickened, as if he were running away from something, or perhaps searching for something. He just wanted to return as quickly as possible to the place that could give him a sliver of warmth and peace—home.

Finally arriving at his doorstep, Jian Zheng habitually rang the doorbell several times, but there was no response from inside. It seemed that Aunt Pei had already returned to her hometown for the Chinese New Year. He then took his backpack off his shoulder, placed it on his suitcase, and began rummaging for his keys.

Just then, the door of the neighbor across the street quietly opened a crack. Aunt Li curiously peeked out and, seeing that it was Jian Zheng, said with a smile, "It's Zheng Zheng! You're back from your holiday? Your mom should be home by now. Why didn't she answer the doorbell for so long?"

Jian Zheng quickly replied, "Hello, Aunt Li! It was my oversight. I actually brought my own key, but I didn't open the door myself just now to save trouble. Did I disturb you?"

Hearing this, Aunt Li smiled and shook her head, "It's alright, it's alright, come inside quickly, it's cold outside." With that, she closed the door.

Jian Zheng found the house key, opened the door and went inside. The room was dark, and a chill swept in. It was colder inside than outside. In the Jiangnan region, rooms don't have heating, so this kind of weather was really hard to bear.

He turned on the entryway light, placed his luggage and backpack in the foyer, and then stepped into the living room. The master bedroom door was ajar, with a warm light shining through the crack.

Jian Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, walked over and gently pushed open the door. He saw Chang Xidi wearing thick cotton-padded clothes, tightly hugging a hot water bottle, curled up in a large quilt, with various newspapers scattered around her.

He called out softly, "Mom."

Chang Xidi looked up at the sound and saw that it was Jian Zheng. She quickly sat up straight from the quilt. "Zheng'er, why are you back today? I thought the weather was bad and you would be a couple of days late."

Jian Zheng smiled and explained, "I flew to Haicheng and then took the train back, so I didn't have to worry about the weather."

Upon hearing this, Chang Xidi tenderly handed the hot water bottle to Jian Zheng, saying, "Look at you, your hands are freezing. The weather in Xichuan this year is really abnormal, it's terribly cold. Haven't eaten yet? I'll make you a bowl of soup noodles, you'll warm up after drinking the soup."

Jian Zheng asked with concern, "Has Dad not come home yet? When is he coming back?"

Chang Xidi only walked towards the kitchen without answering. "Go put on some clothes first. It's cold in the room. Is the hot water bottle almost out of heat? There's hot water in the thermos. Bring it over and I'll change the water for you."

Jian Zheng obediently went to the living room and turned on the light, then said, "Mom, don't bother, I'm really not hungry. Let's sit down and chat."

Chang Xidi insisted, "Go get dressed quickly. There are cotton-padded clothes in your closet. Don't catch a cold. My noodle soup will be ready soon, very quickly."

Before long, the dining room was filled with the aroma of food.

"Zheng'er, come and eat!" Chang Xidi called from the kitchen.

Jian Zheng had already changed into his cotton-padded coat for home. Although it was a bit chilly when he first put it on, he was now enveloped in warmth. He walked into the dining room and saw a steaming bowl of shredded pork and soy sauce noodles on the table. The aroma, drizzled with sesame oil, was irresistible and instantly whetted his appetite.

He sat down, scooped up a spoonful of soup, tasted it, and sighed contentedly, "Mom's soy sauce noodle soup is still the best. Mom, aren't you going to eat with me?"

Chang Xidi smiled and shook her head. "I've already eaten. There's still some in the pot. You can add more if you need more." After saying that, she picked up the hot water bottle on the table and went to the kitchen to change the hot water.

"Mom, I just asked you, when is Dad coming home for Chinese New Year this year? It's only a few days away." Jian Zheng asked, puzzled.

Chang Xidi, holding a hot water bottle, sat opposite Jian Zheng, her voice tinged with helplessness: "Your father isn't coming back for Chinese New Year this year."

"Huh? How could this be? I talked to him on the phone last week. He said things over there were almost finished and he would be home soon. I thought he would arrive before me," Jian Zheng said in surprise.

Chang Xidi didn't explain much, simply saying, "The plans have changed. This year, it'll just be my daughter and me celebrating the New Year together. We'll go shopping for New Year's goods together tomorrow."

Jian Zheng hesitated for a moment, but decided to bring up another matter: "Mom, I told you on the phone that I had applied to withdraw from school. Now that I'm back, aren't you going to ask about my decision?"

Chang Xidi looked at Jian Zheng with tenderness in her eyes, "So be it, son. If you're unhappy over there, don't force yourself."

Jian Zheng was stunned. He hadn't expected his mother to accept it so easily, without even a hint of reproach. He had prepared himself mentally for all sorts of questions and possible objections from his mother, but now it seemed that all of that was unnecessary.

"Mom..." Jian Zheng was somewhat moved and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Chang Xidi continued, "Zheng'er, from now on, Mom will never force you to do anything you don't want to do. As long as you're happy, you can do whatever you want. If you want to continue your studies, your dad will help you find a way. If you want to work, you can go to your dad's company, or if you want to find a job on your own, Mom will support you. In short, do whatever you want. It's your life, you decide, and Mom will support you."

Jian Zheng nodded, picked up the bowl of soup noodles, breathed out two breaths of cool air, and drank the soup in the bowl clean in one gulp.

Having endured the cold all the way, the warm soup noodles now warmed him up instantly, and his mother's rare kind words that pleased him made him feel better.