CH 61

“Miaomiao doesn’t feel so good…”

Teacher Li was heartbroken when she heard her little voice. She ran a hand through Miaomiao’s hair and said, “It’s okay. Your mom will be back soon.”

Miaomiao responded, “Mom said that it would take a few more days.”

Teacher Li thought that this wasn’t a big problem for this instance.

Then, the class bell sounded, and Teacher Li returned to the blackboard.

An inexplicable suspicion began to nag Zhou Yuan. Teacher Li and Miaomiao didn’t seem to be talking about the same thing.

Miaomiao’s mom was supposed to be working overtime, so why did Teacher Li wear such a complicated and crestfallen expression?

Afternoon came and school had ended. During this time, Miaomiao still sat in her seat and waited for her grandmother to arrive and pick her up.

Mom has to work overtime, so grandma has to come to pick me up.

Her classmates left one by one, but grandmother still hasn’t arrived.

Miamiao stood up from her seat and stood atop her stool. She looked out of the classroom to see if her grandmother had arrived.

Father Zhou stood in front of the door and was waiting for his own son to come out, but he still hasn’t come out yet.

What is he up to today? Why hasn’t he come out yet?

Zhou Yuan peered at Miaomiao and tried to comfort her, “Your grandma is on her way. Because of her age, she walks slowly. Miaomiao, don’t worry.”

After a while, Grandmother reached Miaomiao’s school. She was gasping for air because she rushed to her place of learning in a hurry. Earlier, she paid a visit to Mother Hua at the hospital during the afternoon. After spending some time in the hospital, she left the hospital early in order to pick Miaomiao up from school, but she got stuck in traffic along the way.

She noticed Miaomiao and another child exiting the classroom hand-in-hand.

Miaomiao also caught sight of her grandmother and uttered to herself, “Grandma. Please walk slowly…Miaomiao isn’t in a hurry.”

Sometimes, Miaomiao liked to refer to herself in the third person when she spoke to herself.

Grandmother looked at her, “Sorry. Grandma is late.”

When they reached the school’s gates, Father Zhou picked Zhou Yuan up, and then they bid their farewells before separating from Miaomiao and her grandmother.

As soon as they separated, Father Zhou couldn’t help but utter, “Big brother. I’m starting to believe that your mother was correct. You have to play with other children of the same age to be friends.”

Zhou Yuan: “…”

Father Zhou continued, “I’m serious. By the way, we’re making money again.”

Zhou Yuan: “…”

Father Zhou: “I heard that the University of Political Science and Law is accepting students for double-degree minors.”

Zhou Yuan finally commented, “You guys decided to enroll into the University of Political Science and Law?”

Zhou Yuan wasn’t prepared to study law.

Father Zhou: “I meant that they have their minor courses during the evenings and on weekends.”

Zhou Yuan voiced, “But I’m not planning to study law.”

“Have you ever seen seven or eight year olds decide for themselves what they wanted to learn?”

Father Zhou flashed him a smile, “I recommend studying law first, and then you can decide what you truly wish to study.”

Recently, Zhou Yuan was helping him with stock speculation, and he realized that he needed to learn more about them.

Zhou Yuan: “…Would mom allow me?”

Father Zhou revealed another smile, “It’s okay. Didn’t she say that you’ll be given permission to attend some college courses next semester? Then, you could minor in a double degree when the time comes.”

Zhou Yuan: “…”

Simultaneously, Miaomiao was also musing about whether or not she should go to university since Zhou Yuan told her that she needed to attend university classes if she wanted to work with her mother.

Miaomiao wanted to stay with her mother.

During her conversation with Miaomiao, Grandmother touched on Mother Hua’s college entrance exams. After listening to her, Miaomiao realized that it would require many, many years of painstaking and assiduous learning before should could finally attend college.

Grandmother elucidated that she could go to college in 11 years.

Miaomiao pondered for a while.

I’m only seven years old right now. Eleven years is more than the years I’ve been alive.

Miaomiao thought it would take too long.

Because of Mother Hua’s “working overtime,” they didn’t go square dancing that night. Grandmother had to take care of both Great-grandmother and Miaomiao, which wasn’t an easy task. It was a bit troublesome for her.

So, after Miaomiao had finished her homework, she immediately went to bed.

Grandmother was going to ask Miaomiao to sleep with her, but Miaomiao wanted to sleep in her own room because she believed that her mother would eventually come back.

Miaomiao opined that her mother’s overtime work was exactly the same as her fathers; he would come home late every night before leaving early in the morning.

Mother Hua would go to sleep in their room when she returned in the middle of the night. Therefore, Miaomiao wanted to sleep in their shared room so that when Mother Hua returned, she would be able to catch a glimpse of Miaomiao and sleep with her.

Grandmother allowed her to sleep alone, but she made sure to lock the main door from the inside. Then, she shut all the windows tight.

Immediately afterwards, she sent a text message to Mother Hua, “Miaomiao was very obedient today. She caused no trouble and is already fast asleep.”

Mother Hua perused the message, and it didn’t surprise her. She always knew that Miaomiao was a good child and had never caused her any trouble. Adults are the irksome ones since they caused so much anguish and suffering for Miaomiao.

When Grandmother left, Miaomiao, who was lying on the bed, immediately sat up. She couldn’t fall asleep and ardently waited for her mother’s return.

I miss mom very much. I want to see mom.

A small night light was on in her room, which made people feel drowsy if they espied it for too long.

Miaomiao sat at the head of the bed and eventually dozed off.

She eventually fell asleep in a sitting position and fell backwards on the headboard, hitting her head. Her body fell to the side, which woke Miaomiao up by surprise. There was a thick carpet beneath Miaomiao’s bed so that even if she fell down, she wouldn’t injure herself.

Miaomiao breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she realized. Then she found out that her mother still hadn’t returned.

Somnolence filled Miaomiao’s heart. She wanted to sleep, but she couldn’t. She pried open her eyelids using her fingers.

Don’t sleep. Don’t sleep. If I fall asleep, I won’t be there when mother returns…

Miaomiao’s somnolence began to blur her weary eyes, but she could still hear with great acuity. She heard the crowing of roosters in the neighborhood and the barking of dogs…

She had no idea what time it was. Suddenly, someone opened the door. Miaomiao sat up and shouted in surprise, “Mom!”

“It’s grandma, Miaomiao. Come out for breakfast. We have to get you to school soon. Mom came back last night, but she had to leave early this morning. Would you like to call her?” Grandmother asked.

Due to the lack of sleep last night, Miaomiao’s head was spinning this morning. Tears began streaming down her face when she heard her white lie, and her voice cracked as she said, “No…no…”

Grandmother was frightened by her crying. “What’s wrong?” she asked hurriedly as she hugged Miaomiao, “Are you injured?”

Miaomiao widened her eyes, and one could see the reddish tincture within them. Tears fell down her face. “Mom….didn’t come back….”

Miaomiao gazed into her eyes and combined with what she had said, she asked, “Miaomiao….didn’t you get any sleep last night?”

For a child, who slept 12 hours a day, it was an incredible feat to stay awake all night long.

Grandmother was at her wit’s end, and she prioritized getting Miaomiao to sleep.

Grandmother hugged Miaomiao and said, “Miaomiao, you need to sleep.”

Miaomiao cried, and her eyes hurt a lot, “Miaomiao can’t sleep…”

“I’ll call your mother.” Grandmother didn’t want to tell Mother Hua since she feared that it would cause her concern, but she had to tell her now. She didn’t want the child to endure two whole days without any sleep.

When she heard this, Mother Hua was so distressed that she wanted to rush back, “Give Miaomiao the phone.”

Grandmother called Mother Hua to inform her that Miaomiao was awake all night long and was awaiting her return. She was right next to Miaomiao when she said this.

Miaomiao felt that she had committed a wrong. As soon as she received the phone, she felt as if she was wrong and sadly cried, “Mom…I didn’t mean to stay awake…”