Chapter Twenty-Five: A Knife to the Heart

  At the end of the first semester of senior year, a job fair for graduating students was held at G University's stadium. On the first day, Zheng Wei and Chen Xiao Zheng squeezed into the crowded venue and rushed to China Construction's recruitment booth. They found that the line in front of the booth had already formed several S-shapes. Zheng Wei stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a glimpse of the situation at the front of the line. Unable to bear the wait, she pushed her way to the front to ask about the recruitment process. When she returned, she was disheartened to find that the recruitment notice clearly stated that only male candidates were being accepted, and female resumes would not be considered. This was blatant gender discrimination, but what could they do? Women get pregnant, give birth, are easily distracted, prioritize family, can't handle heavy work, and can't endure hardship. It made sense for China Construction, which focused on construction, to refuse to hire women.

  "What's going on? I was still counting on entering Zhongjian with you, but it seems like I don't even have a chance." Zheng Wei said with a sorrowful face.

  "I didn't expect it to be like this either, why don't you go somewhere else and take a look around, maybe you'll gain something more, we don't necessarily have to be in the same company, right?" Chen Xiao Zheng comforted her.

  She didn't give up, following behind Chen Xiaozheng's butt as the team slowly moved forward, "If you don't recruit girls then so be it, I'll follow you to take a look anyway."

  It wasn't until they finally got their turn that Zheng Wei's legs were numb from standing, but it was clear that the recruiter had simply flipped through Chen Xiao Zheng's resume and hadn't dismissed him like the previous applicants with a phrase like "please wait for our notification". Instead, they handed the resume to a man in his thirties who was sitting next to them, who looked at the resume while sizing up Chen Xiao Zheng with a look of approval in his eyes. He also asked a few professional questions, and Chen Xiao Zheng's answers seemed to have left him very satisfied.

  Zheng Wei took a look and thought this might be interesting, so she put on a thick face and said: "He's pretty good, isn't he?"

  The man seemed a bit surprised, as if he had just discovered Zheng Wei standing behind Chen Xiao Zheng. "Not bad, how is he your little boyfriend?"

  Zheng Wei said with a big smile, "Yes, we all think he's great. It seems that you and I have similar tastes in people."

  So blatant in pulling strings, Chen Xiao Zheng couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, awkwardly clearing his throat.

  "That's also true." The man smiled and looked at Zheng Wei with interest, as if waiting for her next words.

  Zheng Wei didn't mince words and continued the conversation, "You all think he's great, generally speaking, you want to keep him, right? I've heard that big companies are worried about talent loss. In my opinion, neither emotional attachment nor high salaries can retain people. The most reliable way is to make talents 'double-employed', this way they'll be stable, don't you agree?"

  The man's eyes already had a hint of amusement, yet he deliberately put on a serious expression, "And then?"

  "Then, heh...” Zheng Wei also felt a bit embarrassed, but still went ahead and said, “And the best way is to let me and him become your 'dual-career' couple, so we can wholeheartedly devote our youth and passion to the company."

  Chen Xiao Zheng felt helpless, but couldn't help but laugh. He looked at the man in front of him and tapped his resume lightly on the table with his hand. "But if I were to take both of you in at the same time, what would happen then? You should know that Zhong Jian didn't have any plans to recruit female students this year."

  "That's okay, don't say I'll definitely get along with him, even if there's a slim chance, aren't construction units mostly male-dominated? Recruiting young female university students like me who are not only beautiful but also knowledgeable and skilled isn't that also for the benefit of single male employees in the company?"

  She said that, and the people around her laughed. The man suppressed his smile, lowered his head in a contemplative pose, and then said: "It seems there is indeed some truth to it, little girl has quite a lot of guts, what major are you studying?"

  "Excellent, excellent!" Zheng Wei hastily handed over his own resume.

  "Zheng Wei, Civil Engineering..." The man looked at the first page of Zheng Wei's resume and burst out laughing, "This doesn't look like you at all."

  The teachers in our department say we need to be more mature in order to find good jobs.

  The man took Zheng Wei and Chen Xiao's resumes, turned around and whispered a few words to the other staff members. Finally, he said to them, "Alright, we'll take both of your resumes for now. We'll discuss the final results after we get back, and if there's any news, we'll let you know."

  "Oh!" Zheng Wei jumped up excitedly, pulling Chen Xiao Zheng's hand and smiling like a flower. As she waved goodbye to the recruitment staff, she emphasized, "You must notify me!"

  After leaving the recruitment booth of China Construction, Zheng Wei, with the principle that since the resume was made, it would be a waste not to send it out, handed in a round to all the recruitment units that caught her eye. Soon, there were not many small books left in her hand. Chen Xiao, on the other hand, seemed to have no interest and accompanied her to wander around for a while. In the end, she couldn't stand the crowded stadium with dust flying everywhere and left early with Zheng Wei.

  The job fair has ended, and the school is already on winter break. Most of the students who are still on campus are waiting for news about their jobs. As Chinese New Year approaches, Zheng Wei's mother has called several times to urge her to come home. However, China Construction First Group won't have any news anytime soon. Zheng Wei wants to stay with Chen Xiao Zheng a bit longer, but she can't seem to find a suitable reason. On the day she boards the train, Chen Xiao Zheng accompanies her to the station. At the platform, she is tearfully holding onto his sleeve, making him both amused and annoyed. "Others will think it's a farewell for life, but you're only going home for two weeks, do you have to be like this?"

  "She indignantly said, 'You heartless guy, can't you pretend to be reluctant for a moment?'"

  Chen Xiao Zheng held her large suitcase in one hand and pulled her towards the bus with the other, "Hurry up and get on the bus, time is almost up. I also need to head home today and rush back to the dormitory to pack my things."

  He settled her in the train car, reminded her of a few things, and left. Zheng Wei's seat was on the other side of the platform, far away from the station. After Chen Xiao Zheng left, she looked at the newspaper she had bought before getting on the train with great boredom, the entertainment news filled the entire page, the more she read, the more annoyed she felt, she couldn't hold it in anymore, just as the train was about to leave, she walked over to the seat across from her and asked the passenger there to give up their seat, she opened the window curtain and looked out. Not far away on the platform, the person who had been saying he was in a hurry to get back stood alone, quietly looking in the direction of her train car.

  Zheng Wei suddenly thought, Ah Zheng was really too thin, this would give her a kind of illusion - he was so lonely.

  She was an impulsive person, without thinking much, she got off the bus with her luggage and ran all the way to his face. She knew he would blame her, but unexpectedly, he just sighed bitterly.

  "A Zheng, why don't I go home with you for a couple of days? I'll tell my mom it's okay to be late." She said whatever came to mind, not expecting him to agree, so when he hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying "That's fine too", she was taken aback.

  That afternoon, Zheng Wei sat in the car seat next to Chen Xiao Zheng, feeling a bit unreal. The bus was heading towards his hometown, and with each passing second, they were getting closer to his home. He had finally agreed to take her home, letting her experience life outside of school, and Zheng Wei knew that this was a huge leap forward for their relationship. Although she never thought of herself as an ugly daughter-in-law, but rather a lovely girl who turned heads wherever she went, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous before meeting his mom.

  The car had traveled almost halfway when Chen Xiao Zheng noticed that Zheng Wei, who was sitting beside him, had dozed off for a while and then started to focus intently on a small booklet. As soon as they got in the car, he had asked her what she was reading, but she had mysteriously refused to show him, and he hadn't bothered to press the issue. However, it was rare to see her so focused, and he couldn't help but ask again, "What's got you so absorbed? You didn't switch to a different notebook, did you?" He was familiar with her all-purpose, always-carried notebook, and after flipping through its strange contents, he had begun to deeply believe in the saying "each profession has its own expertise".

  Zheng Wei saw that he asked again, and she didn't want to hide it anymore. She held the small book in front of him and waved it, "Wrong! This isn't mine, it's Zhu Bei's reading notes."

  "Zhu Xiaobei's reading notes, are they really that good?" Chen Xiao Zheng took it over with a skeptical attitude, flipped through it, and found that it was indeed a serious reading note, with excerpts, insights, and comments. Although the content was not very nutritious, compared to Zheng Wei's little notebook, it was still much more normal. He turned to the page she had studied carefully earlier, on which was written "Clever daughter-in-law outwits evil mother-in-law" in neat handwriting, followed by dense and detailed content.

  He closed the booklet and handed it back to her, then leaned against the back of his chair and silently stared at the somewhat guilty-looking person beside him.

  "Before going out, Xiao Bei insisted on handing it to me and asked me to take a closer look. I thought that... being prepared is better than not having any preparation." She said with some embarrassment, but then quickly added, "I'm not saying your mom is an evil mother-in-law, it's just that this is my first time going to your house, I was really nervous, and thinking about what you said about your mom, and also hearing others say that single mothers with only one son are generally difficult to get along with... so... uh, you won't be angry, will you?"

  Chen Xiao Zheng couldn't help but laugh, "You've made me a bit nervous too." He thought for a moment before speaking seriously, "My mom isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, but she's not as terrifying as you imagine. Since I decided to bring you back, I'm mentally prepared. With me around, she won't be able to bully you, and besides, you're not someone who's easily intimidated, are you?"

  Zheng Wei gently patted his shoulder, "Who says that about their own girlfriend? But will she hate me for taking you away?"

  "Do you think everyone is as naive as you? I'm not a toy, why are you snatching? However... " He said with a hint of embarrassment, "In front of my mom, it's better if you're more composed..."

  "I've always been calm and composed, everyone says I look gentle and ladylike." she argued.

  He perfunctorily said, "Yes, yes, you're quite quiet when you don't speak." Then he added, "Also, at least pretend to be diligent, and never say that sometimes in school I even had to wash the bowls for you. You know, my mom is an old-fashioned person with outdated ideas."

  "I know this, I'm always the one who keeps you tidy and organized, making your mom like me before she even has a chance." Zheng smiled slyly.

  After the two of them finished talking, after a while, Chen Xiao Zheng didn't see her say anything, only to discover that she had fallen asleep leaning against the back of the chair again at some point. Her head gradually leaned towards him, her lips slightly parted, making her sleeping face look even more innocent and childlike. He gently shifted his shoulders, giving her a comfortable position to lean on, then looked out the window at the rapidly passing scenery by himself. On the wide and straight highway, the big bus was driving too fast, the colorful mountain flowers flashed by the side of the road, not having time to take a closer look, they had already gone too far, even if he turned his head back, he couldn't see them anymore.

  When they arrived at his home, the sky had already darkened. Chen Xiao Zheng's home was in the dormitory area of the factory where his mother worked. Zheng Wei also grew up in a large courtyard of a unit from a young age and was quite familiar with this kind of small society that had everything from hospitals to schools. However, compared to the beautiful environment of the monopolized industry's unit courtyard that she was used to since childhood, which was full of green grass and fragrant flowers, the old factory dormitory in front of her now, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, looked much colder and more desolate.

  His home was on the second floor. Chen Xiao had just knocked a couple of times on the door when it opened immediately, revealing an old wooden door that looked like it had seen better days.

  "A Zheng, you're back?"

  If it weren't for the woman in front of her exclaiming with surprise at the sight of her son, Zheng Wei almost couldn't believe that this woman who looked to be around fifty and slightly aged was actually Ah Zheng's mother. She was only one year younger than Chen Xiao Zheng, so logically speaking, she and his mother should be around the same age. Zheng Wei thought of her own mother's fair and beautiful face, then looked at his mother's prematurely aged appearance, and couldn't help but feel secretly shocked.

  She thought for a moment, then peeked out from behind Chen Xiaozheng's back and smiled sweetly, "Auntie."

  His mother was visibly startled when she saw Zheng Wei, but as the saying goes "don't hit a smiling face", in response to Zheng Wei's smile, she hastily returned a smile and looked at her son with a puzzled gaze.

  "Mom, she's Zheng Wei, a... classmate of mine from school, came to our house for two days; Weiwei, this is my mom." He was still young and shy, not daring to say straightforwardly in front of his mother "This is my girlfriend", however, with his personality, how could he easily bring a female classmate home, let alone, the affectionate gaze at Zheng Wei and their tightly held hands behind their backs had already explained everything.

  Chen Xiao Zheng's mother had already prepared the meal, seemingly only waiting for her son to return before they could start eating. The table was neatly set with three sets of bowls and chopsticks. Zheng Wei was slightly surprised, as it didn't seem like there was anyone else in the house. Had his mother somehow anticipated that he would bring back a girl? Just as she was thinking this, Chen Xiao Zheng's mother hastily said: "Xiao Zheng, hurry up and invite your classmate to sit down, I'll go get another set of bowls and chopsticks." With that, she turned around and went into the kitchen.

  Noticing Zheng Wei's confusion, Chen Xiao Zheng whispered in her ear: "The other set of bowls and chopsticks on the table are my dad's."

  Zheng Wei was even more shocked, almost blurting out: Didn't your dad pass away? Fortunately, the words didn't escape her lips before she reflected on it, and under the dim yellow light in his home, she couldn't help but shiver secretly.

  While his mother was not around, Zheng Wei quickly scanned the room she was in. She now somewhat understood why she had always felt a inexplicable sense of oppression in the house. The main reason was that the living room's light bulb wattage was too low, making the surrounding decorations appear even older. Those home furnishings seemed to be from twenty years ago. At that time, they should have been considered good materials and craftsmanship, but after being washed by time, they had long lost their luster. If it weren't for him standing beside her, Zheng Wei, who grew up in a bright and warm environment, almost thought she had taken a time machine and traveled back twenty years.

  However, the old is old, within her line of sight, there isn't a speck of dust or disorder, everything is in its rightful place, clean and tidy to an extent that it doesn't seem like a home where people live, but rather more like a nostalgic exhibition hall. She thinks, indeed how a mouse digs its hole reflects its character, no wonder Chen Xiaozheng, who grew up in such a family, is meticulous to the point of being inhumane.

  Her gaze inevitably fell on the black-framed portrait of a man on top of the five-drawer cabinet, and she could tell without thinking that it was his father. The man in the black-and-white photo had delicate features, and Ah Zheng was almost an exact replica of him. Perhaps because his father had passed away at a young age, or perhaps because he looked familiar and endearing, Zheng Wei gazed at the photo for a long time without feeling scared. She whispered to Chen Xiaozheng, "Ah Zheng, your dad is so handsome, and isn't it said that he was also very talented? Your mom must have been beautiful when she was young too."

  Chen Xiao was just about to respond when he saw her mother walking out of the kitchen with a bowl and chopsticks, so they both quickly fell silent.

  "Auntie, let me take it!" Zheng Wei immediately smiled and walked up with a flattering expression. At this time, it was absolutely wise to show off one's diligence and simplicity.

  "No need, no need, how can I let you take it, you sit down." His mother wouldn't allow it and immediately gave Chen Xiao Zheng a glance with a hint of blame, "Xiao Zheng, why are you still letting your classmate stand?"

  Chen Xiao Zheng had no choice but to pull Zheng Wei down to sit beside the dinner table, and he sat down next to her. After sitting in the car for half a day, Zheng Wei was already starving, but she knew that at this time, she had to follow the rules. The host family's parents hadn't started eating yet, so she absolutely couldn't start either, or else his mom would think she was impolite.

  His mother sat down, looked at her son and Zheng Wei for a moment, then cast her eyes on the empty seat with bowls and chopsticks, saying in a slightly hoarse voice, "Old Chen, dinner is ready. Today our Ah Zheng has also come back, if you're happy, eat more."

  After finishing speaking, she looked at Chen Xiao Zheng again, "Now that you're back on vacation, go greet your father."

  Chen Xiao Zheng seemed a bit embarrassed, but still followed his mother's meaning and said to the air, "Dad, I'm back...I brought Zheng Wei back to see you."

  "Let's eat," her mother said, starting to put food into Zheng Wei's bowl. "I didn't expect to have a guest, so I didn't prepare anything. The dishes are simple, but if you don't mind, please eat more."

  "Nowhere, Auntie, what are you talking about." Zheng Wei's mouth responded smoothly, but she hadn't recovered from the previous scene yet, holding chopsticks in her hand, and had even forgotten how to eat.

  "What's wrong... Ah, I forgot that you young people don't like others to serve dishes for you." His mother looked genuinely perplexed and somewhat apologetic as she glanced at Zheng Wei and A Zheng, adding, "But don't worry, I used a public chopstick, and I washed the chopsticks twice before disinfecting them."

  "No, no, Auntie, I was just too hungry earlier. When I saw the delicious food, I got so excited that I forgot to pick up my chopsticks." Zheng Wei hastily said, and in order to prove the credibility of her words, she even forcefully shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth, almost choking herself.

  Chen Xiao Zheng hurriedly patted her back, his mother busied herself getting up to pour a glass of water and placed it in front of her, "Eat slowly, as long as you're not disgusted, that's all that matters. It's rare for Zheng to bring classmates home, I'm just afraid of not being hospitable enough. Zheng, you eat too."

  The three of them ate their meals separately, a scene that was vastly different from Zheng Wei's previous imagination. She had always thought she would encounter a sharp-tongued and sharp-witted middle-aged woman, or at least someone who was difficult to deal with. In her mind, she had already prepared countless strategies for battle, planning to counter every move. But his mother turned out to be a frail and unassuming woman, although seemingly a bit neurotic and sensitive. However, this was completely understandable given that she was a middle-aged woman who had been living alone for many years. Moreover, it didn't hinder her from being extremely polite and courteous in treating this unexpected guest.

  The scene after dinner was the same, Zheng Wei proactively offered to collect the bowls and chopsticks and wash them, but was immediately politely declined by his mother. She asked Ah Zheng to accompany Zheng Wei in watching TV on the sofa, while she busied herself alone in the kitchen. In the end, she even brought out a plate of clean and neatly cut fruit for them.

  It's true, his mother was too polite, it was a kind of cautious and meticulous courtesy, carefully and politely inviting her, Zheng Wei suddenly felt like she was being treated as an honored guest. However, this feeling made her feel that something was not quite right, she couldn't say where the problem lay, but this was absolutely not what she had expected.

  Zheng Wei peeled an orange under her mother's expectant gaze, put a slice in her mouth, and it was very sour. She had a sweet tooth and feared acidity, this time almost scrunching up her whole face, but she forced herself to hold back the twisted expression, afraid that this somewhat bewildered woman would show a disappointed look again. Fortunately, Chen Xiao took the orange from her hand and said, "I haven't eaten this in a long time." This finally got her out of trouble.

  His mother went to bed early, before half past ten, and Zheng Wei and Chen Xiao Zheng also found it inconvenient to stay alone in the living room. The house was a two-bedroom one-living-room structure, his mother asked her son to sleep on the sofa bed in the living room, leaving the room for Zheng Wei as a female guest.

  "The sheets and quilt are all new." She said to Zheng Wei.

  Zheng Wei hastily expressed her gratitude, "Auntie, thank you for your hard work."

  At night, Zheng Wei lay in bed, her mind racing with thoughts that made it hard to fall asleep. She was not used to sleeping in a strange place, but could she really call this a strange place? Although she had never been here before, this house was where Ah Zheng had lived, the floorboards were those he had walked on, and the bed was one he had slept in. Every inch of this place held memories of his youth, what could be more intimate than that? She had come to this place, and although his mother's hospitality made her feel a little uneasy at first, it was still much better than she had expected.

  Zheng Wei was happy before going to sleep, she thought, everything is fine.

  Zheng Wei was about to fall asleep when she heard a faint and light knocking sound. At midnight, such an old house making this kind of noise made her tremble with fear. The sound came again and again, so she had no choice but to get out of bed, put on some clothes, and open the door bravely. Ah Zheng was sleeping in the living room, what else could she be afraid of?

  The door opened, and a familiar figure stood at the entrance. She let out a surprised cry, "Ah..." but before she could finish, the person who was supposed to be sleeping on the couch quickly covered her mouth. "Shh!" he whispered, signaling her to be quiet. She immediately understood and mimicked him by placing a finger on her lips. The door closed softly, and in the darkness, the figure enveloped her. Zheng Wei felt at ease and sweet, with a hint of excitement from doing something naughty behind the adults' backs.

  They didn't have many opportunities to be alone in such a deserted place at school, and the two young people couldn't wait to share this familiar yet strange passion and sweetness. In the end, Zheng Wei asked Ah Zheng, "Doesn't your mom like me? Is there something I did wrong?" Ah Zheng stroked her fine hair, "No, you're doing great, my mom is just like that usually, but she doesn't have a bad heart."

  The two of them whispered to each other, trying to keep their voices as low as possible, for fear of waking up his mother. After a night of fitful sleep, Ah Zheng got up at 5 o'clock in the morning and returned to the sofa in the living room. He said that his mother usually gets up early, and if she sees him not on the sofa, it might be bad.

  After Ah Zheng left, Zheng Wei spent most of the day in tension and excitement, and fell asleep again. When he woke up and opened the curtains, it was already bright outside. He looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table and realized that it was already past 9 o'clock. He was shocked and quickly changed his clothes, scolding himself for oversleeping. He thought to himself that his mother always got up early, and now she must be worried about him being late.

  When she opened the door and went out, Ah Zheng and his mother were already sitting neatly at the dinner table waiting for her. The bowls, chopsticks and porridge with side dishes were all ready on the table, but none of them had been touched. It seemed that they had been waiting for her for quite some time.

  Zheng Wei said with a smile, "Good morning, Auntie. Good morning, Ah Zheng." Then he quickly ran off to wash up, and when he finally sat down at the table, as usual, it was his mother who spoke to the empty seat before they officially started eating breakfast.

  After last night, Zheng Wei was no longer as uncomfortable with this strange habit of theirs. On the contrary, she felt a little moved. A woman who had been widowed for over twenty years, raising her late husband's posthumous child, and still remembering him after so many years, as if he were by her side, required such deep emotions to sustain it.

  She took a sip of the porridge, which had gone cold, further proof that Ah Zheng and his family had been waiting for her for a long time. She said with embarrassment, "Auntie, I overslept." After finishing speaking, she turned to the person who was eating with his head down and scolded him, "You should have at least called me!" He smiled but didn't say anything, while his mother intervened, saying, "It's okay, it's okay. Young people sleeping in is very normal. When I was your age, I always felt like I wasn't getting enough sleep, now I want to sleep but can't."

  "Right, Auntie, you don't have to go to work today." Zheng Wei suddenly remembered that school was on holiday, but today wasn't the weekend, his mom had work, and she shouldn't still be at home.

  "It's like this, Ah Zheng just came back and there are guests here, so I took two days off. Early in the morning, I went to buy groceries, and at noon and night, I will cook for you all."

  After having breakfast, his mother seemed to be busy in the kitchen all the time. Zheng Wei was idle and felt uneasy, thinking that if he didn't show his diligence now, when would he? He took the initiative to walk into the kitchen, "Auntie, let me help you."

  "Oh no, don't go into the kitchen, it's all greasy everywhere, you'll get your clothes dirty."

  Zheng Wei Lian said it was nothing, Chen Xiao Zheng also walked in and said to his mother, "Mom, it's okay, she's not an outsider, let her help you."

  Her mother looked at Zheng Wei's sincere nodding expression and could only find a clean apron to tie around her, "If you're tired, just say so, I can handle it by myself."

  "Auntie, let me wash the vegetables for you!" Zheng Wei rarely had the chance to enter the kitchen when she was at home, but now that she had put on an apron, everything seemed fresh and fun.

  Her mother saw her pick up the vegetables in the basket by the sink and hastily said, "No need, no need, I've already washed those."

  "Then I'll chop vegetables for you, this I can do." Zheng Wei turned towards the cucumber on the chopping board.

  "This is still me, be careful not to cut your hand." His mother said worriedly.

  "No need, Auntie, you're busy with your own things, I'll take care of this." Zheng Wei patted his chest to guarantee.

  Chen Xiao Zheng was leaning against the kitchen door frame with a worried look on his face. After a while, he was chased out by his mom and Zheng Wei. He had just sat down on the sofa when he heard two screams coming from the kitchen, one after another. He rushed in to find Zheng Wei's hand covered in blood, her right hand tightly grasping her left hand's fingers, with blood continuously dripping from between them. His mom was shocked and quickly grabbed Zheng Wei's injured hand to rinse it under the faucet, then repeatedly urged Chen Xiao Zheng to get alcohol and gauze. Chen Xiao Zheng was also frightened, and his forehead was sweating as he searched for gauze in the drawer. As soon as his mom took the gauze, she carefully cleaned and bandaged Zheng Wei's wound, muttering to herself, "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have let you do this."

  After the commotion, Zheng Wei, whose finger was bandaged, was settled on the sofa in the living room. Her mother and son sat around her, worriedly asking if she was in pain. In fact, at this moment, apart from the pain, she was more resentful of herself for messing everything up. How could her mother still believe that she was a good girl who was skilled in household chores?

  As she thought so, the tears that didn't appear when she was cut by the knife came gushing out now. She didn't dare look at his mom and felt even more ashamed for losing face in front of Ah Zheng. When his mom went to clean up the gauze, she finally lifted her head, looking at Ah Zheng with teary eyes, "I'm sorry, Ah Zheng, it's all my fault, I'm just too stupid, I can't do anything right."

  A Zheng sat beside her, seemingly oblivious to everything as he carefully cradled her injured hand in his palm, afraid of causing her more pain. The moment she started bleeding, he was at a loss. Such a pair of hands, the ones he cherished the most, were now wrapped in ugly gauze in his home. He didn't say anything, just stared at her hand, his eyes fixed on it, as if the knife had cut into his heart.