Gate of Rebirth 08

In the dead of night, Xiao Ming was jolted awake by a powerful urge to urinate. By now, most of the alcohol had worn off. So as not to disturb Mother Chen, he did not turn on the light, instead slipping out quietly in the dark. Only after he returned to the dormitory and climbed back into his own bed did he heave a sigh of relief.

As the rain began to fall and thunder rumbled in response, Xiao Ming tried several times to fall back asleep, but to no avail. Moreover, the red-brick bungalow was stiflingly hot in the June weather, turning the entire room into a rectangular steamer.

Mother Chen had also been startled awake by the thunder. She lifted her head slightly to glance at Xiao Ming, finding herself just as restless and unable to sleep.

The two seemed to have reached a tacit understanding; whenever the thunder rolled, they would both shift their positions, each terrified that the noise of their movement might disturb the other.

Just as Xiao Ming felt at a loss, Mother Chen suddenly sat down beside him and began to fan him with her cattail leaf fan, hoping to dispel some of his sweltering heat.

As the heat gradually faded from his body, all his past worries and anxieties vanished into thin air. Xiao Ming recalled his life from childhood to the present—nothing but farm work and studies. This monotonous existence had undergone a fundamental shift after Mother Chen’s "intrusion." He realized there were different kinds of pleasures in life, ones that did not belong to a child.

From the crashing waves to the gentle breeze, the thunderstorm outside gradually receded, and the air began to cool. A breeze carrying the distinct scent of the city wafted through the window. Inhaling this strange, foreign aroma, a sense of loneliness welled up within him, and tears couldn't help but brim in the corners of his eyes. Yet, the exhaustion of his body eventually lulled him into a deep sleep.

Listening to the soft snoring of the sleeping boy, Mother Chen could not help but think of her own children. A smile touched her lips; imperceptibly, she had long since begun to view Xiao Ming as her own. In her heart, she wished more than anything that he truly were her son.

When Xiao Ming woke again, it was already noon. After washing up, he was surprised to see that, nourished by the night's thunderstorm, tiny wild grass shoots had sprouted in the previously barren corner outside the dormitory.

Back inside, a wave of hunger mingled with dizziness forced Xiao Ming to lie down on his bed once more.

Mother Chen interrupted his thoughts, saying, "Actually, I am from the countryside, too. I’ve been in Gaodeng City for five years now."

"Are you married?"

"I was. I married back in my hometown. I’m forty-one this year, and my husband has passed away. I have two children, but it’s a pity—they were born deaf and mute. It’s congenital; they can neither speak nor hear. It’s very poor where we’re from. After my husband died, my in-laws essentially cut ties with me. To earn money to support the family, I had to come to the big city to work, leaving my children in the care of my mother."

"After all these years, I’ve seen things clearly. I don’t need anyone’s pity. I only need to take care of myself and support my children. But my children can’t speak. I’m so afraid that when I get old and can no longer work, there won’t even be anyone to take care of me or talk to me..."

At this point, Mother Chen choked up, but she quickly regained her composure. "The reason I treated you that way is because, the moment I saw you, I understood. They say like begets like; you also came from the countryside, yet you were able to get into a prestigious university here in Gaodeng. That’s why I wanted to have a child like you..."

Xiao Ming understood. He had been so lost in the intensity of the sensation that he had failed to see the truth hidden behind it.

The cruelty of the reality left him somewhat dazed. He hadn’t even seen anything like this in the TV dramas—though, to be fair, he hadn’t watched many. Xiao Ming took a deep breath. "Alright, I am willing to help you!"

Xiao Ming’s naivety truly took Mother Chen by surprise.