Chapter 36

Chapter 36: When Do I Miss My Mom the Most

“Mom, this is Mei Fang. I haven’t told you about him before. He’s my best friend after Xia Yuan. Today, he came with me to visit you. You need to protect him and make sure no nearby monsters bully him.”

“…”

Lin You Xi pushed Mei Fang’s shoulder, “I’ve introduced you both, what are you standing there for? Greet my mom!”

“A-Auntie, hello! My name is Mei Fang… I… I am Lin You Xi’s good friend.”

Mei Fang stared at the photo of Lin You Xi’s mother on the tombstone. She was smiling so brightly that Mei Fang suddenly didn’t know what to say.

At this moment, Lin You Xi suddenly closed her eyes and whispered in a seemingly low voice that Mei Fang could hear clearly.

“Mom, let me tell you something. Today, Mei Fang and I had an argument… I was the one who threw a tantrum first, but Mei Fang apologized and comforted me. I feel very guilty now, so I hope you can convey to Mei Fang that I want to apologize to him and hope he can forgive me.”

After Lin You Xi finished speaking, she opened her eyes and asked Mei Fang, “Did you hear what my mom said to you?”

Mei Fang nodded, “She said that even though her daughter Lin You Xi is a mischievous and violent bad girl, she still hopes I can be more understanding and take good care of her…”

Lin You Xi blushed and punched Mei Fang, “My mom wouldn’t say such things, listen again carefully!”

Mei Fang and Lin You Xi completed the memorial service for You Xi’s mother amidst their playful banter.

As Mei Fang was busy packing up to leave, Lin You Xi stopped by the tombstone next to her mother’s.

“What’s wrong?”

Lin You Xi looked at the neighboring tombstone.

“The grandmother next door seems to have not been visited for a long time… I haven’t seen new yellow paper or offerings on her tombstone this year.”

“It might be because her family is too busy to come, or perhaps they have moved away.”

“This grandmother is so pitiful.”

Lin You Xi took a small apple from her mother’s offering table and respectfully placed it in front of the incense burner of the neighboring tombstone.

“Don’t you fear your mom getting angry?”

“My mom and this grandmother are neighbors, they should talk often. Sharing an apple shouldn’t be a problem.”

Lin You Xi pointed at the photo, “Look, my mom looks so happy. She mustn’t be a petty person.”

“Yes.”

Mei Fang agreed with Lin You Xi and was about to leave when Lin You Xi pulled his arm.

“Are you in a hurry to go? It’s rare for me to see my mom, stay here a bit longer.”

Mei Fang looked up; the weather was gloomy and he was a bit worried it might rain.

“Alright… As you wish.”

Lin You Xi and Mei Fang sat on the small stone steps opposite her mother’s tombstone and chatted about trivial matters.

But it was as if they were talking to her mother.

Finally, Lin You Xi suddenly asked Mei Fang, “Mei Fang, are you afraid of death?”

“Mm… Yes, of course I am.”

Mei Fang nodded seriously, “It’s a very painful thing, especially sudden death.”

“You speak as if you’ve experienced it.”

“Not at all.”

Lin You Xi took Mei Fang’s words lightly and did not continue this topic.

“I think, after a person dies, if there are descendants or relatives and friends who come to pay respects, then they’re not really dead yet. Just like my mom, she lives on in my and dad’s hearts.”

“Mm… That’s true.”

“But if my dad and I also die, maybe someone else will remember us, but no one will remember my mom.”

Lin You Xi’s voice sounded very sad.

“Then, my mom would be like the grandmother next door, no one would come to pay respects, no one would remember her anymore.”

A person’s death is considered three times, which is a common saying.

But Lin You Xi, at such a young age, understands this truth, which is truly remarkable.

“However, that’s just how things are…”

“No, I don’t want it to be that way.”

Lin You Xi seemed to have made a firm decision, “When I grow up, I will definitely bring my child to see my mom. I want to tell my child that this is his grandma, my mom. If I ever leave, he can’t just remember to pay respects to me, he also needs to remember to pay respects to my mom.”

Listening to Lin You Xi’s determined words, Mei Fang felt a strange sense of emotion.

In our culture, we have a near god-like reverence for our ancestors, and ancestor worship is prevalent. The tradition emphasizes passing down traditions and maintaining the continuity of the lineage.

However, with the advancement of time, these traditional practices have gradually been forgotten. The older generation in rural areas continues the past traditions, while most of the younger generation struggle in rented apartments in big cities.

With the older generation also passing away, some customs seem destined to fade away.

Of course, this isn’t a matter of good or bad, but rather a nihilistic concept. Our ancestors, who came into this world with nothing and leave with nothing, do they really care if they are remembered?

When Mei Fang came back to his senses, he continued Lin You Xi’s thought, “But thinking so far ahead now, isn’t it too early?”

“No, not at all.”

Lin You Xi quietly gazed at her mother’s tombstone and softly spoke.

Seeing her melancholy expression, Mei Fang couldn’t help but ask gently,

“Lin You Xi, tell me… When do you miss your mom the most?”

Lin You Xi hugged her knees and squatted on the stone steps, looking at the green moss on the ground.

She fell into deep thought.

“I don’t think about her much, after all, you and Xia Yuan are always by my side.”

“Xia Yuan is willing to be my friend, share her toys with me, give me all sorts of little gifts, and always play the role of my mom taking care of me… I really like, really like her.”

When Lin You Xi talked about Xia Yuan, she was always so admiring and fond of her.

“Is that so… What about me?”

Mei Fang smiled happily, full of anticipation.

“As for you—”

Lin You Xi thought for a moment and then said seriously, “You’re also good, after all, you play games with me.”

“After all these years, you only remember this?”

This heartless girl!

Mei Fang wore a look of betrayal as if his conscience had been eaten by a dog.

But at the same time, as Lin You Xi continued speaking, she suddenly became silent.

After a long while, she looked up at the sky.

The evening wind carried the ashes, the setting sun hidden behind the pine trees.

As the sky was covered by dark clouds, Lin You Xi also spoke.

“However, apart from those times…”

A tear slid gently down Lin You Xi’s cheek.

“I miss my mom all the time.”

“I miss her every day.”

Mei Fang silently watched as Lin You Xi poured out her feelings.

“I know everyone has a mom, except me.”

“I want to be spoiled in front of my mom…”

“Like Xia Yuan does with Teacher Yu…”

“Like Xiao Ya does with Auntie Mei…”

“But I’m the only one without a mom…”

Lin You Xi hugged her knees and cried sadly.

Perhaps because she had been deceived by Xia Yuan’s crying, Mei Fang only noticed now—

This was actually the first time he saw Lin You Xi cry like this.

He moved closer to her, stroking her head as he would with Xia Yuan to comfort her.

Lin You Xi didn’t react obviously to Mei Fang’s actions, she just kept crying.

But Mei Fang could slightly feel that she leaned closer to him.

There are many times when a friend needs you during hard times, you don’t need to tell them big platitudes to console them.

You don’t need to tell her, “You’ve done well enough.”

You don’t need to tell her, “It’s not your fault, it’s others’ fault.”

These are superficial concerns, someone who is hurting doesn’t care about these things.

You are willing to be by her side.

You are already by her side now.

When she needs you the most.

Being able to do this surpasses thousands of words.

At this moment, a rumble of thunder echoed through the overcast sky, followed by a light drizzle.

(End of Chapter)