Zhou Lie and Liu Minglan spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the house. In the evening, Liu Minglan went to the kitchen to cook dinner while Yun Muqing and Chu Feng helped her. Zhou Ying sneaked Duo Duo into the kitchen, looking for the opportunity to swipe some tasty morsels for themselves…
Dinner that night was especially scrumptious. It was the first meal in Yenching as a family, and they relished the moments together.
Zhou Lie drank one more bottle of beer than usual. As he bit his pipe, he reminisced, "It'll be the winter solstice in a few days, Feng. It's going to be Qingrou's death anniversary."
Chu Feng put his knife and fork down. He looked into the distance and nodded absently.
His mother's name was Ye Qingrou.
The winter solstice was the coldest and harshest day of the year. After that day, the days would be warmer, and soon the flowers would bloom.
His mother did not survive that day, and she did not live long enough to see the flowers bloom again…
Yun Muqing held Chu Feng's hand tightly to give him warmth. She said to Zhou Lie, I've already promised Chu Feng that after the family gathering, we'll pay respects to Madam Ye at her gravesite."
"That's good to hear," Liu Minglan said as she carried Duo Duo in her hands. "I'm sure Qingrou will rest easy if she knows that you're married with children now."
Chu Feng turned his head and gazed at the scenery outside of the window. The white clouds in the sky are soft and gentle as his mother's love…
She had departed from this world almost twenty years, but the memories were fresh like yesterday.
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