Chapter 8
After my vacation, the caregiver aunt went home to celebrate the New Year, and the responsibility
of taking care of my mother fell on me.
My daily study time was divided into countless fragments.
Derrick later came to me a few times, but I turned him away each time.
If there was still a need to take out some time from the already limited time, to appreciate the
peacock’s display.
That was indeed too cruel to me.
On New Year’s Eve, I had a little disagreement with my grandmother.
The cause was that I frequently used painful stimuli on my mother, resulting in a large bruise being pinched out on her chest.
My grandmother was so heartbroken that she was on the verge of tears. She pointed at me and scolded, “No wonder your uncles say you are heartless. You can even treat your own mother like
this!”
“You complained that she was dragging you down by lying there, just say it directly, I’ll take her
away!”
I choked, feeling a bit stunned, unable to speak for a long time.
Actually, she was right. I was indeed heartless.
Over the years, whenever I noticed hesitation in my aunts and uncles‘ assistance, I would adopt a business–like attitude to remind them of the interest they owed.
From five points, it has increased to twenty points now.
In my understanding, there is no relationship stronger than benefits.
Give me enough benefits, dignity, and morality, and I can give up.
I didn’t argue with my grandmother. I gave her a gift and quietly sent her to bed.
And then I pushed my mom to the window and massaged her muscles.
The ink blue night sky mixed with a shimmering white, and before midnight arrived, the heavy snow came as scheduled.
Was it because I missed her so much, or because I was too tired?
What to do – it seems like I have become a bad person.
As soon as it struck midnight, Derrick’s call rang on his grandmother’s mobile phone.
When I went downstairs, a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the ground.
Derrick was wearing a white down jacket and had a white knitted hat on, revealing his rosy ears.
Running closer, it looked like a snowman that had come to life with a touch of color.
He quickly put earmuffs on me.
He took out a red scarf from the puffy chest of the down jacket and wrapped it around me, finally put on a pair of gloves for me.
and
After finishing these tasks, he smiled with satisfaction, then he bent his hand in front of me and stooped down.
“Miss, could I invite you to dance?”
He resembled a burning young man with the soul of showing off.
“I couldn’t dance.”
“It’s okay.”
He held my hand and placed it on his shoulder, and then he took the other one.
“Follow my footsteps.”
“One, two, one, two…”
In the flying snowflakes, he pulled me down under the dilapidated residential building and slowly
and patiently danced a waltz.
Derrick asked me if I had ever heard that on the day of the first snow, a man and a woman who
danced together would spend their lives happily and blissfully.
I thought about it, and no.
“You are so lucky!” he smiled with a twinkle in his eyes, “You are the first person to have heard this
proverb.”
I realized that the philosopher who said this proverb was a man named Derrick.
Derrick nodded solemnly, “That’s right, Sylvia was indeed knowledgeable and well–informed.”
Derrick pulled me under the eaves, excitedly pulling a plush box out of his pocket.
“I hope your first New Year’s gift was the one I gave you.”
In the bottom right corner of the box hung a simple logo, representing a luxury brand specializing
in jewelry.
If not deliberately understood, ordinary high school students from regular families would hardly
recognize it.
The jewelry box opened, and in the moment I saw clearly, I realized there was a brief blankness.
My stomach churned, and I suddenly couldn’t control the urge to vomit.
I once discarded things obtained through self–esteem, their value even not worth this small box.
I roughly pushed Derrick, who came to help, and the necklace slipped out of my hand, hitting the snow along with the box.
I could always convince myself that the world is full of unfairness, and people’s backgrounds are the result of chance encounters, making it difficult to judge.
You can exert effort and use your abilities to obtain rewards.
But when this stark disparity was laid bare in front of me, even self–esteem seemed like a ridiculous thing.
Throwing stones into the sea, overestimating one’s own abilities.
I turned and walked up the stairs, and Derrick took two steps and grabbed my wrist.
“What happened in the end?”
I stood on the steps, slightly lowering my eyes to look at him.
His nose and eyes were both reddened from the cold, with a hint of panic, making him look pitiful.
I pried open his hand and said, “The college entrance examination is coming soon. If you’re only looking for me to waste time and develop feelings, it’s unnecessary.”
“School saw, Derrick.”
