6th of Jan, Sunday

1.

“How many people will come back with you in the Spring Festival?” Papa asked this question on the other end of the phone.

I failed to get his point at the very beginning. How many people? Besides me, who will come back with me? Then, within a second, I got what Papa meant.

“Come on, only me. Me only.” If Papa listened carefully, he must be able to find there was helplessness in my tone.

“But you know, I expect THREE.”

Papa was still saying something that it’s not easy for me to follow. Didn’t he expect two, me and my boyfriend? How came THREE now? However, I am his daughter, and I came to understand what he meant by THREE.

“Papa…No, only me.”

“Ok, I see. But at least you know what I want. And you must realize how old you are.” These words were in serious tone.

-          -, of course I know how old I am. How can I forget, especially now the snake is every where.

“Honey, you won’t come back to Guangzhou after the holiday, will you.” The phone was passed to Mama.

“Mama, my job is here.” Another helplessness.

“But you don’t mean to stay in Guangzhou forever, do you?” She always wanted me to come back. I have left the university and stayed in GZ and away from Huizhou for more than six months. To her, six months was a long time already.

“Of course I don’t have this plan, unless I meet my Mr. Right here.” A pause, then, “But Mama you know, I need to come back to GZ after the holiday.” Then, I changed the topic, “Mama, it’s snake year, you must buy me red unders…”

Back or not, this issue is gaining its power as every day goes by. Like what I say, I don’t have my man here, so I will be back to where my parents stay. Even I have found my boyfriend, if possbile, I still want to try to bring him back to Huizhou with me. Huizhou is my hometown; Huizhou is my home. But this is not the time. Before I am sure I am qualified for a job I want in Huizhou, I won’t go back.

2.

“But I guess there is another reason for not wanting back to Huizhou—I want to be free. If not forever, I still want to have more freedom while I can.” This was what I said to 师兄.

He smiled as a response.

He knows, because he has stayed in many cities which are far away from his hometown. Yunnan, Beijing, Guangzhou, all are thousands miles from the small town in Shandong province. But he has been like this for many years. Till now.

I didn’t speak any words and we headed towards the EAST STATION, by foot.

Yes, by foot. At noon, he justed range me (even there are only two doors between us and the distance? Five steps can cover all) and said he wanted to take a walk and find something to eat.

“Why don’t you hang out with your 媳妇?” I was quite curious about this. If his girlfriend knows his boyfriend was going out with a girl, won’t she get mad? If I was this girlfriend, I couldn’t imagine what I would do to my boyfriend.

“It’s ok. She still needs to work today. And you know, it’s pretty boring to stay in the room with an empty stomach.”

I agreed. It’s boring. Jelly has back to her hometown; Venessa’s still having relax after a business trip to Thailand. Then, I have no companies in Guangzhou.

“Then wait for minutes. I need to get dressed.”

Then, that’s how we went out, at 14:33. As I had never been to IKEA, we planned to visit the IKEA by bus. However, the bus we wanted never came, and thus we made a decision: go there by foot. Crossed the Jinan University, crossed the South Normal Unversity, crossed the Guangyuan Express, got lossed, then back to Guangyuan Express, Westin hotel, then finally IKEA.

师兄’s a man who really knows how to enjoy a good life. He knows much much than me. I like him very much—not that kind between boyfriend and girlfriend, much more like between a brother and a sister. But even though I like him, it doesn’t mean I can help him to get the small fishbone in his mouth. That’s too, too, too intimate! Just imagine, to use a tweezer to help a man who is lying on bed to get the fishbone out…But, but, but, I did it…..

Anyway, I enjoy today very much.