From Broken Family to Life Winner: A Reborn Mother's Journey

”I’ll treat you,” Su Li immediately chimed in.

”Doesn’t matter who’s treating. Let’s go.” Wu Sheng walked very slowly. ”We could have gone to a better restaurant, but since you sprained your ankle, we can only eat nearby.”

Su Li nodded.

”Did you have longevity noodles this morning?” Wu Sheng asked.

He had actually made noodles that morning, but he hadn’t brought them to Su Li because they had quickly turned into a clumpy mess and were inedible.

Su Li shook her head. ”I didn’t.”

”What about eggs?” Wu Sheng asked.

Su Li shook her head again. ”Didn’t have those either.”

”Why didn’t you eat either of them? Your cafeteria should at least have those, right?” Wu Sheng was very displeased.

”They do, but I forgot.” Su Li said softly, ”I forgot... that today is my birthday.”

She turned her head to look at Wu Sheng. ”This is the first time I’ve ever celebrated my birthday, and the first time I’ve ever received a birthday present. Thank you, really.”

’Thank you for letting me experience what it’s like to have a birthday.’

Wu Sheng stopped in his tracks and raised a hand to cover Su Li’s eyes. ”If you’re so grateful, why did you refuse to give me a thank-you gift earlier?”

Though he was teasing, a storm of emotions churned in his eyes.

He didn’t want Su Li to see the feelings in his eyes.

”You’re talking nonsense again.” Su Li slapped his hand away.

”I’ll order you a bowl of noodles later, with an extra egg.”

Wu Sheng and Su Li ended up going back to the same restaurant they had visited before. The owner remembered them, as they’d left a strong impression last time.

”What can I get for you today?”

”Can you make longevity noodles? And add an egg?” Wu Sheng asked.

”Longevity noodles? Is it someone’s birthday?” the woman asked.

Wu Sheng nodded. ”Mhm.”

”If it’s for a birthday, then of course! Even if we don’t have it on the menu, I’ll make it for you,” the woman agreed readily.

As soon as they sat down, Su Li thanked him again. ”Thank you for what you did for the bookstore.”

”You’ve been saying ’thank you’ to me all day.” Wu Sheng poured Su Li a glass of water. ”Stop thanking me. It makes us sound like strangers.”

After handing the water to Su Li, he praised her, ”The bookstore is doing well, and you’ve chosen some great books.”

Su Li paused as she took the cup. ”How do you know? Have you been inside the bookstore?”

Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow. ”Been inside? You underestimate me.”

He huffed. ”I’m a member!”

Su Li couldn’t help but laugh. ”When did you go? How come I didn’t know?”

”I naturally went when you weren’t there,” Wu Sheng said smugly. ”So? Can you use the books I sent over?”

Su Li shook her head. ”I wasn’t planning on putting them in the bookstore.”

”Are you taking them home then?”

Seeing Su Li nod, Wu Sheng nodded as well. ”Alright, I’ll help you take them back later.”

The food arrived quickly. They didn’t order rice, opting for a few dishes with noodles as their main course.

The noodles were freshly made by the owner and tasted wonderful. Two poached eggs rested on top.

”Go on, eat. From now on, you’ll eat them in the morning.”

”Mhm,” Su Li nodded.

After they finished eating, Wu Sheng confirmed that Su Li’s foot really wasn’t hurting anymore, and they returned to the bookstore together.

The bookstore had just closed for the day. Wu Sheng went to get his car while Su Li unlocked the shop’s door.

She opened the door, turned on the lights, and squatted in front of the box, picking up a few of the small wooden plaques to look at them again.

”Are they nice?” Wu Sheng’s voice came from behind her.

”Mhm,” Su Li nodded.

Wu Sheng squatted down next to Su Li. ”Have you looked at the books in the box? I flipped one open, and it was just a dense wall of text. I couldn’t understand a single thing.”

”I skimmed through them just now.” Su Li picked up one book, glanced at it, then picked up another.

The smile on her face was unstoppable.

Wu Sheng watched Su Li grin like a child who’d just received a beloved toy, and he couldn’t help but smile warmly himself.

”Seems you really love books.”

”Books are such wonderful things, how could anyone not love them!” Su Li caressed them preciously.

”But seriously, Wu Sheng, where did you get these books?”

”I just dug them up at home.” Wu Sheng frowned slightly. ”My family has a lot of books, and some of them belong to my mom.”

Su Li paused. ”Your mother’s?”

Wu Sheng nodded. ”Yeah, these foreign books... some of them she brought back from abroad. She can’t even read most of them. She just buys them blindly, brings them home, and lets them sit there.”

Su Li hesitated. ”Will she be upset that you just took them?”

”No, she won’t be angry. Besides, I found a lot of these books myself.” As he spoke, something seemed to occur to him, and he turned to look at Su Li seriously.

”Su Li, my mom won’t get mad about the books. She’ll be thrilled that someone can actually read them... You don’t have to worry.”

Su Li just said, ”Oh.”

Wu Sheng scratched his head. ”My mom’s personality is a bit... awful... no, that’s not the right word. I don’t know how to describe it. You’ll understand when you meet her someday.”

Su Li was speechless.

’It was already surprising that the conversation had unintentionally turned to Wu Sheng’s family, but for him to describe his own mother’s personality as ’a bit awful’...’ Su Li was a little stunned and had no idea how to respond.

’When people talk about their mothers, don’t they usually say things like she’s gentle, kind, and easy to get along with?’

Seeing Su Li’s expression, Wu Sheng sighed. ”Su Li, I’m not bad-mouthing my mom, it’s just that she...”

Wu Sheng rubbed his forehead. ”When I was little, she used to bully and tease me all the time...”

’She would dress up as a ghost to scare me into eating my meals properly. And so the pretty little dresses she couldn’t resist buying wouldn’t go to waste, she’d maniacally dress up her young, innocent son as a little girl...’

’Thinking back on my childhood... it’s too tragic to look at.’

’And what’s even more tragic is that now that I’m grown up... she’s still the same!’

Su Li was speechless.

’A mother who constantly bullied and teased a young Wu Sheng... just what kind of person was she?’

Although Su Li was mentally prepared for Wu Sheng to have a complex family background, hearing him talk about it for the first time tonight still left her with an indescribable feeling.

Seeing Su Li’s silence, a rare look of annoyance at himself flashed across Wu Sheng’s face.

’After accidentally blurting out the whole truth like that, would it still sound believable if I tried to say how easygoing my mom is?’

Wu Sheng asked Su Li dryly, ”Did I scare you?”

”No,” Su Li quickly shook her head.

’She’s clearly scared,’ Wu Sheng thought.

”Alright, I’ll move the boxes upstairs. Wait for me.” Wu Sheng bent down to pick up a box of books.

Su Li set the small wooden plaques aside and was about to bend down to help when Wu Sheng stopped her.

”Hey, don’t move. Don’t try to compete with me for this kind of manual labor.”

”I can carry it,” Su Li argued.

”Whether you can carry it or not, just don’t move. Don’t compete with a man for rough work like this.” Wu Sheng had already returned and pushed Su Li aside. ”Just stand there and be good.”

Wu Sheng worked quickly and finished moving everything in no time.

”Let’s go.” Seeing Su Li hugging the small wooden plaques, a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. ”Do you like the little plaques?”

Su Li nodded.

”I’ll make you some every year from now on. I’ll go learn how to carve, and next year’s will have some flowers on them.” Wu Sheng opened the car door, grinning.

Su Li said helplessly, ”Stop teasing.”

”I’m not teasing.” Wu Sheng grinned. ”I’m serious.”

When they arrived, Wu Sheng forbade Su Li from moving and made six trips to carry the boxes up to her apartment.

”All done.”

After setting down the last box of books, Wu Sheng stood at the door and gestured for Su Li to bring him the glass of water she had poured.

He downed it in one gulp, then handed the cup back to Su Li. ”I won’t come in.”

’It’s not right for me to go in this late at night.’

Just as Su Li was about to speak, Wu Sheng suddenly reached out and gave her a quick hug.

”Su Li, happy birthday.”