4418 The Other Side 387

Yun Shishi continued, "Just like my mother, she loved coffee, but it was so expensive back then that she often made flower teas instead."

"Flower teas?"

"Yeah." It was rare for her to talk to him about her childhood. "I remember when I was young, we lived in a very small and simple one-bedroom apartment. It was a typical run-down neighborhood. It wasn't big. The rent of 300 yuan a month was very expensive for us at that time. Although it was a one-bedroom apartment and the room and living room were huge, because there were three of us, Mom arranged a small bed in the living room to train Xiao Jie to be independent. Mom and I slept in the bedroom. The kitchen and the bathroom were tiny. As a kid, I would squeeze into a bathtub with Xiao Jie to shower. At the time I had ill health and often caught colds. While the house was small, the garden was huge."

"The garden?"

She nodded. "Yes. I remember that when we first moved in, the garden had been abandoned for a long time. It was called a garden, but it was actually just a surrounding flower terrace. However, it was filled with weeds and withered leaves. Mom was very satisfied when she saw the flower bed. Although 300 yuan was expensive, she didn't hesitate to go ahead with it."

Gong Shaoying replied, "Your mother loves flowers and plants."

"Yes, she's especially particular about these things. After moving in, she spent a day tidying up the house and another day tidying up the flower terrace."

"Oooh…"

Following Yun Shishi's description, he felt a little more at ease. He could not help but imagine the layout of the rental house with three of them in it and the small but heartwarming garden.

"Everyday was exhausting for Mom, because she had to take care of us. She could not work at the factory. Moreover, at that time, the Mu family was trying to hunt her down. She was afraid, so she stayed home and took on jobs washing clothes for people. She sewed, baby-sat, sometimes, she'd take on odd jobs."

"

At the mention of Mu Qingcheng, memories came flooding back. Even after so many years, her mother's voice and appearance were fresh in her mind. Every memory of her frown and smile made Yun Shishi yearn for her.

Gong Shaoying asked, "What sort of odd jobs?"

"Small components assembly. You get paid according to the number of parts you make. 50 cents for each component you put together. Mom had to make 100 components everyday. Although you can earn 50 yuan a day, making 100 of those was really tiring."

Upon hearing this, the man frowned slightly, as if in deep thought.

50 yuan… At that time, it might have just been a dessert for him.

"However, Mom was especially optimistic. No matter how tired or bitter she was, she never showed it in front of us. Sometimes, when she couldn't get a job, she would happily go to the back garden to take care of her flowers and plants. However, most of the time, she liked to sit by the window and look out. Only, we really don't know what she was looking at."

"…"

"Later, I found out. She was by the window, waiting for someone."

She was like a stubborn soldier, even though covered in wounds and exhausted, she hung on and defended the last city.

The man's heart ached when he heard that, and he sighed.