Although Hua Manman repeatedly refused, Song Yixian insisted on going to the supermarket to buy groceries.
She personally cooked a feast for Hua Manman.
Eating her mother’s cooking again after so many years, Hua Manman felt a complex mix of emotions.
She could understand Song Yixian’s guilt and repentance, but after being separated for so many years, the chasm between mother and daughter couldn’t be bridged by a few words or a couple of meals.
After the meal, Song Yixian offered to help Manman clean, but Manman sternly refused.
Song Yixian knew to quit while she was ahead. They had only just reunited, and she had to give her daughter time to adjust. So, she left, albeit reluctantly.
Hua Manman finished packing her bags, then slung on her backpack and went to the city’s largest library.
There, she found books on the development of ancient agriculture and began to study them intently.
’Since I’m back in the modern world, I can’t let this trip be for nothing.’
’I have to use this opportunity to learn as much as I can. When I go back to ancient times, this knowledge will be an immense asset.’
’In ancient times, nothing was more important than agriculture.’
Agriculture was the key to the people’s livelihood, so Hua Manman planned to learn as much as she could about it and see if she could find ways to improve the farming methods of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Time flew by when she was engrossed in something.
In the blink of an eye, it was closing time at the library.
Hua Manman packed her things and left the library. It was only then that she noticed a friend request on WeChat.
She accepted it, and the other person immediately sent two messages.
xian: Manman, it’s Mom.
xian: Where are you right now? Have you eaten dinner?
Hua Manman headed for the subway station, typing a reply on her phone as she walked.
OneDayAtATime: On my way home.
Her fingers paused over the screen. She deleted the phrase "I haven’t eaten yet" from the message box and typed something new.
OneDayAtATime: I’ve eaten already.
xian: Where are you? Do you want me to come pick you up?
OneDayAtATime: No, that’s okay. I’m already at the subway station. I’ll take the train home.
xian: Oh, okay. Be careful on your way, then.
xian: Don’t look at your phone while you’re walking. Text me when you get home.
OneDayAtATime: Okay.
She tucked her phone into her pocket, swiped her card at the turnstile, and followed the crowd into the station.
After getting home, Hua Manman cooked a bowl of noodles and sent a text to Song Yixian to let her know she had arrived safely.
Song Yixian replied quickly.
xian: Get some rest. Don’t stay up too late.
Hua Manman replied with a simple "Okay" and then put down her phone.
After finishing her noodles and taking a shower, she sat down at her computer with her drawing tablet and began to draw.
She had loved to draw since she was a child and was self-taught. She often took commissions online, earning money by drawing for people.
In the past, her approach had been sporadic—she drew when she felt like it and didn’t when she didn’t.
But now that she had quit her job, drawing was her only source of income.
With the pressure to make a living, she could no longer be so undisciplined. She had to complete at least one commission a day just to make sure she didn’t starve.
She drew until midnight before finally finishing her work for the day.
She emailed the finished art to her client, then washed her face and got into bed.
Before falling asleep, she called out to the system in her mind, as was her habit.
The system still didn’t respond.
Hua Manman sighed, deeply disappointed.
’I wonder when I’ll find a way to travel back to ancient times?’
’I hope that when I do go back, my baby will still remember me...’
In the days that followed, Song Yixian texted Manman almost every day, mostly about trivial things just to show she cared.
Every weekend, Song Yixian would drive to Manman’s rental apartment, buy groceries, and cook for her personally.
Song Yixian knew her daughter went to the library every day and, assuming she wanted to study for graduate school entrance exams, was naturally very supportive.
Song Yixian even looked into some well-known local grad school prep centers, thinking of enrolling her daughter in a course.
Naturally, Manman refused.
Manman explained that she didn’t want to go to grad school; she was spending time at the library simply because she wanted to read more.
Song Yixian was supportive nonetheless.
’No matter what my daughter wants to do in the future, reading more is always a good thing.’
The days passed by.
Autumn turned to winter, and the weather grew steadily colder.
It was the weekend, and as usual, Song Yixian was supposed to come over and cook for Manman.
As Hua Manman watched the clock tick past one o’clock, Song Yixian still hadn’t appeared.
Hua Manman put down her drawing tablet, a little uneasy.
She picked up her phone for a look. There were no unread messages on WeChat.
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to text Song Yixian and ask where she was.
A long time passed before she received a reply.
xian: Sorry, honey. Something came up today, so I probably can’t make it over to cook.
xian: I’ve already ordered some delivery for you, so make sure you eat well.
Hua Manman didn’t think much of it, setting her phone down and continuing to draw.
The food delivery arrived a little while later.
It was sushi from a nearby Japanese restaurant, and it was decent.
After she had eaten her fill, Hua Manman grabbed her bag and went to the library as usual.
The afternoon passed in a flash.
She emerged from the subway station with her bag on her back and walked a little further until the old residential building where she lived came into view.
Two people were standing at the entrance to the stairwell.
It was getting dark, so Hua Manman couldn’t make out their faces clearly.
One of them saw Manman and immediately took a couple of steps forward.
The CLICK-CLACK of high heels on the concrete floor echoed in the stairwell, triggering the sound-activated lights to switch on.
Song Yixian’s face was revealed in the sudden light.
She smiled and called out.
"Manman, you’re back."
Hua Manman was surprised. "What are you doing here?"
As she drew closer, she noticed that the corners of Song Yixian’s eyes were a little red, as if she had just been crying.
Song Yixian did her best to act as if nothing was wrong, saying with a smile, "I know I promised to cook for you this afternoon, but I couldn’t make it. I felt so bad about it that I went to the supermarket to buy some groceries. I was planning to make it up to you by cooking dinner tonight."
At this, she turned her head to look at the man standing beside her.
The man immediately stepped forward, holding up a shopping bag in his hand and flashing an eager-to-please smile.
"Manman, we went to the supermarket and bought all of this together. It’s all your favorite food."
The moment Hua Manman saw the man’s face clearly, her expression froze.
Buried memories resurfaced, flooding her mind.
When she was a child, this was the man who had grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against the ground.
He had called her a jinx, blaming her for ruining his good fortune and asking her why she wouldn’t just go and die.
Blood had trickled from her temple, mixing with her tears as it streamed down her face.
She had cried, calling for her dad, telling him that it hurt.
The terrifying, monstrous face from her memory swiftly superimposed itself over the smiling man in front of her.
All the old feelings of fear, terror, and despair were dragged to the surface, causing Manman’s body to tense instantly.